Lin XiaoYi was in a wretched mood.
That guy had not only taken her spot, but had done so without even looking her in the eye the whole time. Even though just yesterday, he was still fawning all over her...
All girls were a little quirky like that. When some guy constantly showers them with attention, they act disdainful and turned off, but when the same guy starts ignoring them completely, they feel even more irritated.
...Case in point, Lin XiaoYi.
To her credit, she quickly gained control of herself, shoving her feelings of irritation to the back of her mind. After all, if this guy started acting reasonably and quit bothering her, that was a blessing to her.
"Honestly, that bozo is the furthest thing from a gentleman... Huh? Who could be calling me... Wennie?"
Lin XiaoYi glanced quizzically at the caller ID on her phone, then at the figure of Xia Wen on the other side of the table.
The idiot sitting between her and Xia Wen obstructed her vision a little, but Lin XiaoYi could clearly see that her gluttonous friend was only focused on eating and did not have her cellphone in hand.
"Maybe she left her phone in the dorms and her roommate is calling to let her know... That greedy pig would betray the Revolution for a cheese sandwich!"
Lin XiaoYi gave a wry smile but thought no more of it. She accepted the call and shortly, a familiar whiny voice came from the other line.
"XiaoYiii, didn't you say you would wait to have lunch with me? Where are you? You wouldn't be so heartless as to leave me behind, would you?"
As soon as she recognized the voice, Lin XiaoYi 's eyes widened in shock. "...Wennie?!"
"Of course it's me, who else would it be?" Xia Wen sounded put out. "And you proooomised, that we would eat together! I just went to the little girls' room for a minute, but when I came back, you were gone! I'm huuuurt... but I'll forgive you if you treat me to a lavish meal."
"...I- I'm waiting for you on the second floor, in the cafeteria! Just come over now, it will be my treat, of course." Lin XiaoYi replied, even as she watched another Xia Wen busily polish off her plate, most definitely not on the phone.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm.
"Ngh..." said Xia Wen. "but the cafeteria's always packed by this time, and the tastiest foods are sold out for sure. I don't wanna go now... Could you maybe bring me something on the way baaack?"
Lin XiaoYi could clearly picture her friend sprawled on the table with her mouth turned up in a pout. She always did that when she was being lazy about something.
She had always wondered how, for someone so lazy and who ate with an insatiable appetite, Xia Wen managed to maintain her enviably slim figure.
"Nono, you shouldn't be eating junk food for lunch." Leaning against the wall for support, Lin XiaoYi struggled to keep her voice steady. "If you come and have a proper meal now, I'll also treat you to hotpot on the weekend, how about that?"
Which was the real Xia Wen? Was it the one on the phone, or the one who had come with her to the cafeteria and was sitting right in front of her? If she could get them both in the same place, the truth would surely come to light.
Then again, if the other Xia Wen showed up and proved there really were two people who looked and sounded exactly like Xia Wen...
It was the height of summer, but a wintry chill ran up Lin XiaoYi's spine. She muttered to herself, "It's just a prank... I hope."
After getting Phone Xia Wen to begrudgingly agree to come, Lin XiaoYi realized, as she hung up, that her hand had been trembling slightly the whole time. Even the sight of the delicious food before her did nothing to bring back her appetite.
Acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, she pocketed her phone and snuck another peek at the Xia Wen at the table. She was in for a chilling surprise.
Xia Wen was staring directly back at her, and locked eyes as if she had been waiting.
Before Lin XiaoYi could raise an arm in a friendly gesture, Xia Wen's mouth slowly curled up at the corners, opening wider and wider to reveal uneven rows of gleaming white teeth... teeth that no human should have—they looked uncomfortably like those of some wild animal.
Just as her terror threatened to reach breaking point, an arm came between her and the thing, preventing her from seeing it. As if a spell had been broken, Lin XiaoYi crumpled weakly to the floor, but felt her control over her body slowly returning.
As she looked toward the one who had freed her from the creature's gaze, another terrifying thought occurred to her: The whole time, since she left the lecture hall and walked to the cafeteria... just what was this thing that had been by her side? If Bai Zhi had not shielded her from the creature's line of sight...
Wait a minute... Bai Zhi?!
Suddenly, Lin XiaoYi whipped her head toward the figure who had just filled her with an overwhelming sense of security and just stared, stunned by a sudden realization.
She did not really know him, this wannabe suitor who courted her day and night. What she did know, she had heard through the grapevine.
He was one hundred percent a scumbag when it came to relationships—before he started approaching her, he had dated seven women in a row. He was also a video game addict, and never took his classes seriously. In short, other than having a gorgeous face, he had no other qualities.
Such was the initial impression that Lin XiaoYi had of Bai Zhi.
Once he started to court her, in his blatant and shameless way, his actions only cemented the negative impressions she had of him, so she had always thought of him as a scourge.
However, she couldn't deny that, if Bai Zhi hadn't intervened and released the creature's hold on her, she would have suffered a terrible fate. Come to think of it, he had been acting mighty strange lately.
In the past, he would fawn and fuss over her, but today he hardly even made eye contact, and instead of trying to chat her up, he simply turned away and claimed the seat she had just vacated. Compared to his past behavior, how he was acting today was completely abnormal.
If Bai Zhi hadn't shown up, she would have been sitting opposite "Xia Wen", enjoying her lunch. When the real Xia Wen eventually called... what would have happened to her?
When all other possibilities have been eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!
By that reasoning, could Bai Zhi have known that "Xia Wen" was, in fact, a terrifying monster? Could his foolish actions have been a clever smokescreen all along?
He was always there to protect me! He's secretly a special agent trained to fight these monsters...
Lin XiaoYi's heart thumped with excitement as her imagination ran wild.
