Chapter 25

Chapter 25: You smell like her perfume

Qian Qi shrugged and went along with it as she said: “Who knows. Creeps with grabby hands don’t even spare boys.”

She pointed straight at Chen Tong and raised her voice to the crowd: “Don’t try to twist it. Everyone saw it. Tell me, did he suddenly grab my arm in public and refuse to let go, pestering me again and again?”

Students looked at one another, then nodded one by one. Someone coughed and said: “Yeah. That is what happened.”

Another added: “He even accused Boss Qian Qi of attempted murder and said she tried to run.”

A third spoke up: “Boss trusts her Hemostatic Powder that much. Why would she run?”

Someone else said: “I also saw him trying to sneak off a minute ago.”

Another snorted: “What a rotten guy. Does he have a grudge against Boss Qian Qi?”

A bold voice bragged: “If it were me, I would be holding Boss Qian Qi up like a treasure.”

As the comments piled up, the instructor got the picture. She asked Chen Tong in a firm tone: “Student, what is your name and which class?”

Chen Tong glared at Qian Qi. She lifted her leg and kicked him once as she said: “The teacher is talking to you. Show some respect.”

Gritting his teeth, he answered: “Chen Tong. Magibeast Department, Class 207.”

“You and Qian Qi will come with me to the Magibeast Department,” the Shooting instructor said. She was not either of their direct instructor, so it was better to let their department handle it. She turned to Qian Qi and asked: “Classmate, which class are you in?”

Qian Qi waved both hands and said quickly: “Teacher, let’s not make this a big deal. I believe this senior already knows he was wrong.”

She squeezed Chen Tong’s arm and showed him a fake, sweet smile as she said: “Right, senior?”

Chen Tong had no idea what she was planning. For some reason, the amnesiac Qian Qi felt sly and hard to handle. But since she seemed willing to drop it, he snorted and said: “Right.”

“Really?” the Shooting instructor said, surprised by Qian Qi’s generosity. She nodded. “If you don’t mind, then…”

“I do mind,” Qian Qi said cheerfully, still smiling wide. “But if this senior is willing to apologize right here, I won’t mind anymore.”

A guy with pride like Chen Tong’s would choke on a public apology. It would make him furious.

Sure enough, his whole body trembled with anger.

He ground out, “Qian… Qi!”

“I’m listening,” she said with a bright, teasing grin.

Under the instructor’s stern gaze, he had no choice. He clenched his jaw and said: “Sorry. I should not have misunderstood you.”

“Sorry to who?” Qian Qi pressed.

He forced each word as he said: “Sorry, Junior Qian Qi.” He bit down hard on the word junior, as if to prove he was not some creep.

Qian Qi chuckled and said lightly: “It’s fine. I forgive you this time.”

Only this time.

“Teacher, he has apologized. You should go check on Classmate Wang. His safety matters more,” she added, kind as ever, hinting that the instructor could go.

Seeing how thoughtful Qian Qi was, the Shooting instructor warmed to her. She nodded and said: “All right. Since you say so, I won’t get involved in your personal matter.”

Qian Qi beamed: “Thank you, teacher. Take care.”

After the instructor left, Qian Qi turned to Chen Tong.

Humiliated and furious, he leaned in and hissed in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Don’t get cocky, Qian Qi. Just you wait.”

[Why wait?] An exaggerated, eerie smile crept over her face.

She lowered her head, puffed a little spit into both palms, and grinned wider. [The original me beat this jerk until he cried for his dad and mom. Let’s see if I can do the same.]

[Go. Hit him.]

One hour later, in the office building, Mo Yin Qiu looked at Qian Qi’s messy chicken nest hair and innocent face, then rubbed her forehead.

She said through clenched teeth: “Qian Qi, I told you last time. If you injure someone again, we will handle it with expulsion.”

Qian Qi stared at her toes and muttered: “He threatened me first.”

Across from them, Gu Li Heng, the second year Magibeast instructor, glanced at Chen Tong, whose eyes were red and brimming. He also rubbed his face, exhausted. Why did Chen Tong never learn? He knew he could not beat Qian Qi, yet still picked a fight. He lost, and then had the nerve to complain.

Gu Li Heng cleared his throat and asked politely: “Teacher Mo, how do you think we should handle this?”

Mo Yin Qiu sighed: “Either way. It depends on whether the two of them are willing to reconcile.”

“I refuse,” Chen Tong shot back at once. He was shaking with anger as he said: “Qian Qi has poor character. A student like her will only bring shame to the school. She should be expelled.”

He was truly enraged. He did not want to wait around at school for a chance anymore. He wanted to use this to get her kicked out, then hire someone to get rid of her outside. [She is an orphan. If she dies, no one will care.]

But Mo Yin Qiu would never agree. At Awakener University, pure physical fighting was quietly allowed. In a world full of monsters, everyone had the duty to grow stronger. The reason she had warned Qian Qi about expulsion last time was because Qian Qi had destroyed a student’s assignment and fought too. That was worse than a simple fight.

This time was not clearly worse or better. On top of that, the principal had asked about Qian Qi just yesterday and showed clear interest, asking Mo Yin Qiu to pay attention to Qian Qi’s studies and her movements. Expulsion was off the table. Reconciliation was the only path.

“I am willing to reconcile,” Qian Qi said with a very innocent look. She turned and asked sweetly: “Senior Chen Tong, what do you think?”

Chen Tong snorted. Of course she was willing after winning. But he had lost face all the way to the Skills Department.

Qian Qi dug a finger in her nose and said carelessly: “If you don’t want to reconcile, that is fine. Tomorrow I will visit your dorm. I’ll let all the guys in the Magibeast Department know you lost a fight to me and your pants were ‘accidentally’ pulled down, showing your cartoon frog underwear.”

Chen Tong froze, eyes turning bloodshot.

He was going to kill Qian Qi.

Mo Yin Qiu pressed her lips together and hid a laugh with a small cough. No wonder he came to complain after losing. There was more to the story.

Gu Li Heng tried to soothe him: “Chen Tong, come on. You don’t want Qian Qi to… right?”

Chen Tong wanted to scream. He was the one being bullied, and they were telling him to make Qian Qi keep quiet.

But he had no real foothold. He had provoked and slandered first, and he had thrown punches too. He was not innocent.

“Senior Chen Tong,” Qian Qi said, wearing that fake generous smile again, “let’s end it here. You know it, I know it, and the instructors know it. Then no one else needs to know.”

Nonsense. Students on the duel plaza had seen everything. Who knew if the story would hit the campus forum tomorrow?

He wanted to strangle her, but looking at Mo Yin Qiu and Gu Li Heng, he knew expelling her was impossible. A cold tic twitched at the corner of his eye. He swallowed his rage and said in an icy voice: “Fine. I accept reconciliation.”

[My patience is good. I can wait.]

[Qian Qi, just you watch.]

He left with fists clenched and a stormy face. Qian Qi rubbed her chin and smiled without a sound.

[So that is why Chen Miao Miao suddenly dared to yell at me. She had a big tree to lean on named Chen Tong.]

When Chen Tong first showed up, she had smelled the same cheap perfume on him that Chen Miao Miao wore. Add in the way he assumed she had memory problems, and she was sure the two were connected. The original Qian Qi’s death most likely had Chen Tong’s hand in it.

Also, the perfume on Chen Tong was extra strong. How close did they have to be for it to rub off that much? And during the fight just now, he felt weaker than before. Maybe he had just rolled in bed with someone and then rushed over.

But wait, didn’t Senior Chen Tong have an official girlfriend?

Qian Qi rubbed her chin again. After a moment, she could not help it. She smiled, slow and sly.