Chapter 37: Turmoil

Lin Qingye was rushing toward the temporary unloading area.

She was in such a hurry because she heard Mei Lulu report that a suspicious person had been seen entering the area.

This was a critical time.

The students’ combat drill was just around the corner.

Any small disturbance could turn into a major disaster.

She would never allow any mishap to occur right under her nose.

When she arrived, Mei Lulu was already waiting at the scene.

Lin Qingye’s face darkened.

“Did you catch anyone?”

Mei Lulu shook her head apologetically.

“I’m sorry. By the time I got here, there was no one left.”

Lin Qingye sighed and rubbed her head in frustration.

“Tch, what a hassle.”

She knew that Dark Crow might cause trouble during the new student training, but she hadn’t expected them to move so quickly, and to have already infiltrated the base.

“Where’s the witness? Who saw the suspicious person?”

Lin Qingye asked.

“It was me.”

At that moment, a cold voice reached Lin Qingye’s ears.

She found it somewhat familiar, then turned to look in the direction of the voice.

She saw a girl with gray-white hair and pale blue eyes.

Lin Qingye’s pupils contracted.

“You?”

She remembered this girl.

Last time, she had called for help from the Academy on behalf of Anbian Du, along with another student.

“What are you doing here?”

Lin Qingye’s eyes were filled with deep confusion.

“I’m an apprentice engraver from Scar Workshop. I’m the maintenance person for this batch of engraved talismans currently in use. I have my ID with me. If you need to check, you can verify it anytime.”

Lin Qingye thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Her dark green high ponytail swayed.

“I see.”

She didn’t press further, but her gaze lingered on You Xue for a few extra seconds.

This girl was a bit strange.

She was too cold, not at all like a child of that age should be.

Although puzzled, Lin Qingye didn’t dwell on it.

The most important thing now was to find the Dark Crow operative and figure out what he had tampered with.

“What was he doing when you saw him?”

Lin Qingye withdrew her gaze and brought the topic back on track.

“He was fiddling with something in this box. I thought he was a staff member, so I didn’t pay much attention.”

Lin Qingye leaned in to look.

It was a safety locator.

Seeing these items, her heart sank.

She took out a random matching set and pressed one of them.

The devices seemed to be functioning normally.

“Did you see him only touching this one box?”

You Xue shook her head, indicating she wasn’t sure.

“When I arrived, I saw him messing with something in this box. I don’t know about the rest.”

“I see.”

Lin Qingye’s voice carried a deep sense of helplessness.

At that moment, many footsteps sounded from the entrance.

They were the reinforcements Lin Qingye had brought, but because of her ability, these people had been left far behind.

She quickly called them over.

“You, first check the supplies inside. Also inspect whether there are any hazardous materials. We need to ensure the students can use them safely.”

“Yes!”

The leader responded and immediately directed the others to start.

After that, Lin Qingye’s gaze shifted back to You Xue’s face.

“Did you get a clear look at that person’s face?”

You Xue nodded.

“Good. I’ve already pulled up the list of people who took leave this morning.”

Lin Qingye took a list from her assistant and handed it to You Xue.

“See if the person you saw is among these.”

You Xue took the list, looked it over carefully, confirmed every detail, then shook her head.

“He’s not on it.”

Lin Qingye frowned, her expression growing darker.

So it really was a complete outsider infiltrating the base.

She immediately gave orders.

“Assign double posts at all entrances and exits. No one is allowed to go in or out without my approval.”

After that, Lin Qingye looked at You Xue.

“Thank you for the information. If you hadn’t discovered it in time, we might have remained in the dark.”

She thanked her sincerely.

The girl with gray-white hair nodded slightly.

From then on, the matter had nothing to do with You Xue.

After parting with Mei Lulu, she returned to her own room.

She was actually a bit flustered, because this event was not described at all in the original story.

Perhaps it had also happened in the original, but it hadn’t caused much of a stir.

More likely, it was because of what she had done that changed the whole story.

She should have understood that the world wasn’t obligated to run according to the path she had predicted.

She wasn’t prepared for unknown plot developments to occur.

Her heart was a little unsettled.

After all, everything she had done so far relied solely on her knowledge of the original plot.

It worked before, but what about next time?

What about a future where more unpredictable things happen?

Just thinking about it was troubling.

But for now, the more pressing matter was this training.

Dark Crow had clearly set their sights on this batch of new students.

Probably because their talents were too outstanding—after all, there were two S-Class abilities among them.

However, with those two S-Class new students drawing the attention, Su Li probably wouldn’t be listed as a primary target.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, You Xue’s hand gripped the corner of the blanket.

She had made the right choice coming here.

She had to protect Su Li, no matter what.

Her left eye flared with a slight heat, painful and itchy.

An inexplicable emotion was surging again.

Yes, You Xue admitted, when she thought about future plans, she thought of something else.

Tenderness and embraces.

Memory after memory of their life together kept gathering in You Xue’s heart, like pieces of a puzzle gradually assembling a complete past.

‘I want so badly…’

‘To see him.’

‘Call his name, watch him turn around in surprise, then run up and hug him, rest my head against his chest, and listen to his heartbeat.’

‘If I were his childhood sweetheart, would I do that?’

‘No, no.’

‘No?’

You Xue shook her head, got up from the bed, and touched her cheek.

It was a little hot.

She walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on her face.

The chaotic emotions calmed down a bit.

Staring at herself in the mirror, her wet hair clung to her shoulders.

One eye was a calm pale blue, the other a brilliant gold.

“What do you want to do?”

she asked softly.

The air was still, with no answer.

The gray-haired girl in the mirror stared back at her silently.

You Xue lowered her head, and the girl in the mirror followed suit.

‘Yeah.’

‘Who am I even asking?’

‘In the end, I’m just asking myself. But can I give myself an answer?’

‘Still no.’

Looking at herself in the mirror, You Xue felt like gouging out her left eye again.

Her hand trembled as she reached out, then slowly fell back down.

She didn’t dare.

The reason she had made such a drastic move before was because she was truly on the verge of death.

If she hadn’t done it, she would have died there, dying meaninglessly without doing anything.

Now, if she lost this eye, she would become as powerless as before, turning back into the useless childhood sweetheart from the original story who couldn’t do anything.

‘At worst…’

Whenever these emotions overflowed, she would pinch herself.

The pain should bring back some rationality.

You Xue thought of a simple coping method.

As for what to do next—just stay by Su Li’s side, hide where he couldn’t see her, avoid being discovered, avoid being noticed.

She would just protect him in secret.

That’s all.