The Sickly Villain Only Wants to Survive

56

Zhu Tong took another leave of absence, reportedly because he wasn't feeling well.

The weather in Gongshui County had been unpleasant these past couple of days. Not only were the temperatures fluctuating wildly, but the skies were also unpredictable—cloudy at noon, then by the afternoon, thick, oppressive black clouds would gather overhead.

Perhaps due to the weather, the atmosphere in Class Three's classroom also felt a bit heavy.

"Did you hear? There was a violent stabbing incident outside the café across from the Xinxin Plaza today. Someone was attacked with a knife."

"My aunt lives in that area. Apparently, it was a suspect already under police surveillance. In the end, they handcuffed him and took him away. I've lived in this small county my whole life and never imagined we'd have something like this happen."

"No way, that's terrifying!"

"Are there any pictures? I have to walk that way to get home. What if I get targeted?"

"Strangely enough, someone did take photos, but soon after, all the pictures disappeared from their phones. I guess the police didn't want the information getting out and handled it quietly."

"..."

Without clear evidence, hearsay news like this didn't last long among the students.

Soon, someone noticed the empty seat that had been vacant all afternoon and the familiar figure sitting alone again.

"Zhu Tong's been skipping a lot lately. Look at how worried our top student is—it's like all the energy's been drained from him."

"What do you mean by 'all the energy's been drained from him'? He looks perfectly fine to me."

"Fine? The top student we used to know always had his phone in hand, either playing games or using his phone case as a mirror... Oh wait, it actually is a mirror. But that's not important. The point is, have you ever seen him study seriously?"

"Now that you mention it... But what's going on with Zhu Tong? He hasn't been here all afternoon."

"No idea, maybe it's the weather. He might've caught a cold. The 'sick beauty' image remains intact, haha."

It was dinnertime after afternoon classes, and Shao Ming hadn't gone to eat. He was sitting in the classroom, writing something.

Luo Su and Lu Zheyu came back from the cafeteria and headed straight for the corner by the window. Luo Su peered over, astonished, "Are you... taking class notes? You never used to do this!"

Without looking up, Shao Ming replied, "I promised to make them for him."

Luo Su was speechless.

Shao Ming, noticing someone blocking his light and not speaking for a while, eventually lifted his head. "Got something to say?"

Seeing that Shao Ming finally acknowledged him, Luo Su pulled Zhu Tong's chair out to sit down but froze when he met an unfriendly gaze.

"..."

Are you really that protective of even a chair?

Luo Su, at a loss for words, put the chair back and shifted to the class president's seat.

He glanced towards the classroom door to make sure the class president wouldn't be returning anytime soon. Then, lowering his voice, he asked, "So, what's going on between you and Zhu Tong?"

Shao Ming continued writing. "What do you mean, what's going on?"

"I saw what happened in the clinic at noon."