Chapter 20: Is There a Mark on Your Face?

Just past the crossroads stood a school.

The town was sparsely populated, so there was only this single school. Spanning from kindergarten to junior high, it seemed to have many grades, yet the total student body numbered only one or two hundred.

Qiu Yiyao had left Moon Carp Town with her parents when she was five. Before that, she had spent a year in kindergarten there, so she considered it her alma mater. Returning after such a long time, she felt a sudden urge to take a look.

Before she even reached the gate, the sound of happy children’s laughter drifted toward her, evoking memories of her own childhood. In her recollection, her school days had been filled with joy; the affection of her parents and the care of her neighbors had allowed her to grow up so happily that, even at twenty, she remained as innocent as a child.

Qiu Yiyao walked briskly to the outer wall and peered inside through the gaps in the fence. The playground was filled with children—some looked like kindergarteners, while others were tall, reaching the height of adults. They were either running about or chasing each other in joyful games.

*Are they still in session during the summer break?*

Qiu Yiyao was impressed. Most schools would have been tightly shut by now. Even if there were students present, it would usually only be the older ones taking remedial summer classes; she had never seen a school where every grade, from bottom to top, was still in session.

A boy spotted Qiu Yiyao and trotted over. "Who are you?" he asked, gripping the fence with both hands and looking up at her with curiosity.

Seeing that innocent little face, Qiu Yiyao chuckled. "I won't tell you. Guess."

The boy frowned slightly. He leaned his face close to hers and sniffed, as if trying to catch her scent. "I know, you're not from around here."

Qiu Yiyao laughed. "Oh, your little nose is quite sharp! How did you smell that so quickly?"

"That's because," the boy said, looking rather proud, "Mom said strangers have—"

Before he could finish, a man in a white t-shirt and glasses, who looked like a teacher, approached from behind. He patted the boy on the shoulder and said sternly, "Why aren't you in class? What are you doing here?"

The boy looked back at him with a hint of fear, stuck his tongue out at Qiu Yiyao, and turned to run back to the playground.

The teacher looked Qiu Yiyao up and down, then pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This is a school, full of children. Hanging around here will disrupt their lessons."

Qiu Yiyao felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I was just passing by. I'll be going now."

As she turned, she saw Bai Peiyu standing under a tree by the roadside, watching her.

"Are you tailing me?"

Given her previous lesson in the alleyway, Qiu Yiyao instinctively felt he was there to drag her away again. She felt a surge of annoyance. "Don't you have any backbone? My dad asked you to bring me back, and you just listen?"

Bai Peiyu leaned against the tree without saying a word.

"Are you mute? Fine, if you won't talk, then I'm leaving."

Qiu Yiyao turned back. There was a small path beside the school; she had checked the map earlier and knew it led directly to the police station. She could stop by to ask about those two cases. Thinking of this, she stole a glance at Bai Peiyu. Seeing his relaxed expression, she tentatively took two steps backward.

*He didn't move. Not only is he mute, but his eyesight must be failing too.*

Qiu Yiyao felt a secret thrill. She spun around and sprinted toward the path at top speed. She kept glancing back as she ran, but Bai Peiyu remained leaning against the tree, showing no intention of chasing her.

*Is he not here to drag me back today?* she wondered. But then she thought, *all the better.*

Though the path was next to the school, it was overgrown with weeds and clearly rarely used. She hadn't gone far when a pungent odor drifted over, forcing her to cover her nose.

"What is that smell? It’s disgusting." She frowned, waving her hand in front of her face.

Suddenly, the bushes ahead began to sway, accompanied by a rustling sound. Qiu Yiyao stopped, her heart racing. Judging by the movement, it didn't seem like a frog or a cricket. *Could it be a snake?*

She instinctively stepped back, and just as she turned to run, something flew out of the bushes. Before she could react, she felt something cold and slimy land on her arm.

Qiu Yiyao’s breath hitched, and her legs began to tremble. She squinted, terrified, and looked over to see a finger-thick insect resting quietly on her arm.

"Ah!"

Terrified, Qiu Yiyao shook her hand frantically and bolted forward blindly. Since she was a child, besides ghosts and spirits, she feared nothing more than these slick, ugly insects. Her screams echoed all the way from the path back to the intersection.

Bai Peiyu was still standing under the large tree. Seeing Qiu Yiyao charge toward him, screaming, he reached out and grabbed her. "Are you seeing ghosts again in broad daylight? You're howling like a banshee."

"Ah!"

Seeing Bai Peiyu, Qiu Yiyao screamed even louder. She couldn't understand how he had reached the intersection in such a short time, as the detour was twice as long.

Bai Peiyu frowned in annoyance and reached out to cover her mouth. "Stop shouting."

A passerby walked past, looking at them with confusion. Without a second thought, Bai Peiyu pulled her, and Qiu Yiyao stumbled into his arms.

That familiar, pleasant scent drifted through her fingers and into her nose. Qiu Yiyao felt her wildly thumping heart slowly calm down, and her body relaxed involuntarily.

Bai Peiyu felt it too and let her go. "Done acting crazy? Then let's head back."

"Why should I listen to you? Who are you to me?" Qiu Yiyao made a face at him and reached up to smooth her slightly messy hair. "I’m warning you, don't meddle in my affairs, otherwise—"

"Otherwise what?" A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Bai Peiyu's mouth. "Are you going to beat me up?"

Hearing this, Qiu Yiyao, who had just taken a step forward, stepped back. She raised her fist and shook it in front of him. "Do you think I don't dare, or do you think I can't take you?"

Although she hadn't formally studied martial arts or taekwondo, she had grown up watching action movies and had learned some basic self-defense from her teachers at school. Seeing Bai Peiyu’s lean frame, she naturally didn't take him seriously.

To her surprise, Bai Peiyu’s smile turned even more disdainful. "Oh, I didn't realize you were such a firecracker."

"Hmph, I'm done talking to you. I have real business to attend to."

Qiu Yiyao didn't want to waste any more breath. The time was getting late, and she was in a rush to get to the police station. But before she had taken two steps, the back of her collar was seized.

"I promised Uncle Qiu I would look after you. Let's go home."

Qiu Yiyao stomped her feet in anger. "Looking after me doesn't mean I have to go home! Can't you just watch from the sidelines?"

"Is there a flower growing on your face? Is it that interesting? Get home and stay there; I have things to do." Bai Peiyu’s patience was wearing thin, and his tone became sharper.

"If you have things to do, go do them! How about this: let's meet here in an hour. For this hour, let's just leave each other alone."

Qiu Yiyao thought this was a perfectly reasonable proposal, but Bai Peiyu didn't even consider it. "Don't bargain with me. Get moving. Don't force me to drag you back in front of everyone."

"Stubborn. Hmph, do whatever you want."

Qiu Yiyao had always enjoyed being contrary to those she didn't get along with. She waved her hand and, with a defiant gesture, bypassed Bai Peiyu to head toward the police station across the street.

Suddenly, her footing gave way, and she felt the world spinning before her eyes.

"What a troublesome woman," Bai Peiyu’s voice whispered in her ear.