Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Stop pretending to be dead, get up

The crowd began to whisper. One student asked in a low voice: “So… does this count as her killing him?”

Another muttered: “If she hadn’t pulled out the arrow, maybe he could have lasted another minute.”

Someone frowned and said: “Isn’t she the seller from yesterday? I remember she claimed the Hemostatic Powder could stop even a torn artery. Was she lying?”

A voice pointed at the wound and said: “That arrow went into his neck… worse than a torn artery, right?”

More guesses spread like sparks: “Could it be… she did this to test her own medicine for real?”

Qian Qi lifted her head and glanced at them. She heard every doubt, but she did not care. After she finished sprinkling the powder, she stood up.

Just then, a hand grabbed her arm. A boy with sharp features clamped down hard and shouted to everyone around: “What are you doing? Trying to run? This is murder, you cannot run, junior!”

Hearing him, some students who had not seen clearly echoed in a rush: “Don’t run, stay here!”

Qian Qi turned to the boy. A shard of memory she had not had before flashed through her mind. She paused, then a half smile curled on her lips.

She flipped her hand and gripped his arm just as tightly, smiling in a way that carried a quiet threat as she said: “Classmate, who are you to spout nonsense the moment you open your mouth? You’re making things hard for me.”

The boy’s face tightened, then he let out a cold laugh. In his mind he sneered: [So Chen Miao Miao did not lie. Qian Qi’s brain really is messed up. She can’t remember some things.] Otherwise, how could she not recognize him as Chen Tong?

Chen Tong lifted his chin and said with a hard smile: “Junior, don’t get me wrong. I mean no harm. But someone just died, and you pulled the arrow and sped up his death. That is negligent homicide. You should stay and wait for the school to investigate.”

He had been thinking about how to get rid of Qian Qi without anyone noticing, but after hearing about the Hemostatic Powder, he secretly tailed her and stumbled into a perfect chance. And she set it up herself by pulling the arrow from a throat.

Chen Tong forced down the wild joy in his eyes. The thought of Qian Qi being taken away and tortured by people he paid made him almost shake with excitement. He could not wait to see her kneel and beg.

Qian Qi studied the look on his face. Unlike his tight control, she did not hide the fierce smile tugging at her mouth. [Interesting. How should I “play” with this senior?]

Seeing her smile that way, a shiver of dread crawled up Chen Tong’s back.

Under his growing alarm, Qian Qi lowered her lashes, lifted her foot, and kicked the boy on the ground once as she said lazily: “Stop pretending to be dead. Get up.”

Her words stunned everyone. They looked blankly at Classmate Wang on the ground. Suddenly, the “corpse” jerked. With a huge gasp, Wang sat bolt upright like someone rising from the dead.

Right after, Wang bent over and coughed hard. He hacked up the blood left in his airway and esophagus, then touched his neck, which felt whole and painless. Wide eyed, he said: “Whoa, I’m not dead?”

Wang’s return to life shocked everyone. A few seconds later, a shout burst from the quiet crowd: “No way, the Hemostatic Powder is that strong? It brought him back?”

Another student slapped his own cheek and said: “This is miracle medicine. Pinch me. Am I dreaming?”

Voices piled over one another: “Boss, do you still have that powder? I want to buy some!”

“Me too, I want a bag!”

“Don’t fight me for it, I was here first. Boss, give me five bags!”

The students who had seen the miracle swarmed toward Qian Qi, ready to open their Light Brain, transfer money, and make friends as they shouted: “Boss, what’s your Light Brain number? Add me!”

The mood on the plaza flipped in an instant. One moment it had been tense and scary. Now it felt like a crazy shopping rush.

Seeing the tide turning against him, Chen Tong tried to slip away. But as soon as he turned, he found Qian Qi’s fingers still locked around his arm. In the noisy crowd, she watched him with a playful gaze and a crooked, wicked smile.

She shaped silent words with her lips: [Found you.]

Chen Tong’s heart lurched.

Just then, the second year Shooting instructor and the doctors from the school clinic ran over. After pushing through the crowd, they panted and asked: “Where is the patient? Where? You didn’t move him, right?”

They saw Wang, shocked, wiping blood from his neck. A clinic doctor shrieked: “Don’t touch the wound! Who pulled out the arrow? Do you have a death wish?”

Students around them chuckled in a strange way. Wang saw the doctor and instructor and hurried to explain: “Teacher, it’s fine. My injury is already healed.”

“What?” the clinic doctor blurted. “But the caller said an arrow pierced your neck.”

In duel practice, the Shooting students used controlled arrowheads, but it was still no small wound.

“It’s really fine. I used Hemostatic Powder,” Wang said as he wiped his neck and showed it to the doctor. “Look, there’s no wound.”

On his neck there was only a faint pink diamond shaped scar. The powder must not have been enough, so the scar did not fully vanish.

The doctor examined him carefully and confirmed the scar matched an arrowhead injury. But in such a short time… the doctor frowned and asked: “What did you say it was called, Hemostatic Powder?”

Neck wounds are not easy to treat. From the name, shouldn’t it only stop bleeding?

Wang was about to explain when Qian Qi tugged the doctor’s sleeve and said quickly: “Teacher, better take Classmate Wang to the hospital for a full checkup, just in case!”

The doctor nodded at once, called to the staff, and hustled Wang into the clinic van.

The Shooting instructor wanted to follow, but Qian Qi stopped her. Still gripping Chen Tong’s arm, Qian Qi turned to the instructor. Her face, weird and grinning a second ago, shifted to a teary, wronged look as she said: “Teacher, I want to report something. Someone took advantage of the chaos to harass me.”

The instructor’s face went stern at once as she asked: “Who was it? Which girl harassed you?”

[Huh?] Qian Qi blinked, then pointed at the dark faced Chen Tong and said: “Him.”

The instructor looked at Chen Tong, then back at Qian Qi, then asked carefully: “Classmate, this student says you harassed him. Is that true?”

Chen Tong finally exploded, cursing as he snapped: “What the hell is wrong with you, Qian Qi? Why would I harass you?”