The Pain Syndrome

Chapter 1

Lin Lan City, Class 3, Grade 3 of San Zhong.

As the evening glow, resembling a blood-stained scythe, swept across this century-old high school, Bai Xun Yin lay on the desk in the empty classroom, her slender fingertips lightly tapping the cracked wooden surface.

One tap, two taps—she was counting.

There was no clock in the classroom. She estimated that after about three hundred taps, the security guard patrolling the school would notice the lights still on in Class 3 and come to release her.

Being locked in the classroom after school was not a new experience for Bai Xun Yin. She had grown accustomed to it, even finding a bit of "fun" in the situation.

She sat on the chair, her slender legs swinging back and forth, making a rhythmic sound against the desk.

Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Liu Daye, the security guard on patrol, noticed the lights still on in Class 3 and frowned.

He took out his keys to open the door and saw the girl lying on the desk. He felt a mix of emotions. "Little girl, locked in the classroom again?"

Bai Xun Yin stood up with her backpack on, her pale fingers gripping the strap. She smiled at Liu Daye, her serene and graceful face calm and gentle.

Liu Daye managed a smile. "Hurry home now."

Bai Xun Yin obediently nodded and left with her backpack.

Liu Daye watched her slender figure disappear into the distance, then sighed softly. He had worked at Lin Lan San Zhong for many years, always in charge of patrolling the classrooms in the evening.

Over the past six months, he had frequently found the lights still on in Class 3 after school.

Every time this happened, he would open the door and find a girl sitting alone inside, as if waiting for him to let her out.

Initially, Liu Daye found this a bit eerie, but he eventually understood the situation.

This girl was intentionally locked in the classroom by her classmates a couple of times each month. The lights left on in Class 3 were her "SOS signal."

Liu Daye had been quite annoyed at first. He even discussed the issue with Shen Lang Li, the homeroom teacher, mentioning that this practice was not only troublesome for the staff but also dangerous.

Most importantly, it was a form of implicit school bullying. San Zhong had always had a strict school ethos. How could such things be allowed to happen?

However, Liu Daye was surprised to find that Shen Lang Li couldn't control the issue either. After some brief calm, the lights in Class 3 would be left on again within a few days.

Bai Xun Yin couldn't get help because being locked in a classroom didn't constitute "school bullying."

Liu Daye had once told the girl to call out for help loudly next time, but he didn't know at the time that Bai Xun Yin was mute.

She couldn't call out, relying only on the lights as her signal for help.

By the time Bai Xun Yin left the classroom, it was an hour after school had ended. It was past seven o'clock, and the sky in Lin Lan was nearly dark, with only a few remnants of twilight.

At this hour, the school was typically deserted and very quiet.

Her white sneakers made no sound as she walked down the corridor, almost blending seamlessly into the school's tranquil atmosphere. However, as she reached the staircase corner, she heard faint voices.