When Tang Sui woke up again, Xiao Wu was no longer in the dormitory.
A small bowl containing steamed buns was still on the table, but the buns inside were already cold to the core, indicating that a long time had passed.
"I'm back?" Tang Sui sat up from the bed in a daze, her bones making "cracking" sounds, as if she hadn't moved for a long time.
"Sister Xiao Wu?"
Tang Sui rubbed her sleepy eyes and subconsciously called out Xiao Wu's name, but received no response.
Huh?
Tang Sui slowly blinked her slightly dry eyes and belatedly realized that her eyes seemed a little swollen.
How did it...
Everything that happened in the Star Dou Great Forest yesterday played back in her mind like a recorded movie.
Although there was a blank in between for some reason, the later memories clearly recorded the scene where she manipulated her demon power to force the Shrek group to play cat's cradle.
Then there was a gap, and finally... she couldn't remember the end...
Tang Sui suddenly stiffened, like a freshly made sculpture, weathered into dust.
Oh no... this means everyone saw her "other personality" come out?
'Gagaga.'
A mocking laughter filled with ridicule from the Ape-faced figure echoed in her mind. In the dark and silent mental space, the Ape-faced figure's bullfrog-like round eyes glowed with red light, and its mouth opened wide, emitting bursts of laughter.
The Fox-Faced figure also chuckled in her mind, saying gloatingly, 'Now, your dual personality is likely to be confirmed.'
Tang Sui: "......"
She took a deep breath and poked the system that was feigning death. 'System... my demon power and energy should be sufficient this time, why did that chaotic state still occur?!'
The system's response was very calm: [Normal. This is a mandatory托管 (tuō guǎn -托管) measure set for the host's life safety. Once a host's numerical value reaches a critical point, and it meets the condition of the host possibly encountering a life-threatening crisis, the mandatory 托管 is automatically activated.]
[Anyway, in their eyes, you are already a lost soul. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be confirmed.]
Tang Sui: "......"
She was utterly speechless.
This time, she was thoroughly embarrassed but not completely.
What does what "the second personality" did have to do with me, the main personality?
Tang Sui decided to play dead.
[Speaking of which, it's almost noon now. Your classes started this morning. Are you sure you want to stay here chatting instead of getting up now?]
Tang Sui: "!"
Her thoughts, tangled like a ball of yarn in her mind, were immediately cast aside. She quickly got up, tidied her bed, washed up, and hurriedly grabbed the cold steamed bun Xiao Wu had left in the bowl before leaving the dormitory.
By the time Tang Sui, slightly out of breath, her small face flushed from strenuous exercise, arrived at the training ground, Dai Mubai and the others were gathered around a small, disused wooden hut built beside the field. Tang San and Ma Hongjun were not in the crowd. Instead, the sharp-eyed Ning Rongrong, upon spotting Tang Sui, her eyes lit up, and she waved at Tang Sui, "Sui Sui! You're awake!"
Tang Sui met Ning Rongrong's clear eyes and saw no hint of disgust or fear in them, only genuine joy.
With Ning Rongrong's shout, Dai Mubai and the others, who were talking with Oscar, also turned their heads and looked at Tang Sui.
Tang Sui paused, adjusted her breathing, and walked closer under the gaze of everyone, feeling a rare nervousness and complexity. Sudancanxiu.com
She... was a little scared...
However, as she got closer, she was somewhat bewildered to find that, not just Ning Rongrong, but everyone else's gaze towards her was completely normal, as friendly and intimate as before. In fact, their faces showed a hint of relief and ease at her arrival.
What's going on?
Lost in her daze, Tang Sui didn't notice the laughter in her mind fading away.
"Sui Sui, you're awake." Dai Mubai looked Tang Sui up and down, his gaze landing on a slightly upturned strand of hair on Tang Sui's head. "Are you still feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
Tang Sui shook her head, "No, I slept very well. But... how did I suddenly return to the academy? Weren't we in the Star Dou Great Forest before?"
She asked tentatively, carefully observing Dai Mubai's expression.
As expected, Dai Mubai's expression froze unnaturally. Just as he was about to speak, Oscar cheerfully changed the subject, "Hey, Sui Sui, you slept all the way through! After you were knocked out by the Titan Giant Ape, we had to run like crazy, and we even ran into the couple of Absolute Dragon Snake halfway through trying to pick a fight."
Dai Mubai closed his mouth and nodded in agreement.
Oscar continued, "However, it's worth mentioning that the Human-faced Demon Spider, which the couple of Absolute Dragon Snake were targeting, was killed by Xiao San, becoming Xiao San's third spirit ring! Then, Xiao Wu, who we lost track of during the escape, found us and also became a Spirit Elder. This training expedition has been a blessing in disguise!"
"Really?" Tang Sui cautiously glanced at the expressions of the others. Even the cool and aloof Zhu Zhuqing was looking at her with a gentle gaze, nodding. For some reason, there was a hint of... affection in her eyes?
Tang Sui thought she was still dreaming and had misread, but as soon as she turned her head, she met Dai Mubai's gaze, which also showed a hint of tenderness.
Tenderness and affection, in a sense, were the same.
Tang Sui, being stared at: "......" Something felt off.
Just as this thought arose, the closed wooden door was opened from the inside.