Prohibit Certain Players from Contacting the Dungeon NPC!

Chapter 35: West Private High School

From childhood to adulthood, every time Pei Qingye turned around, he could see Pei Nuo standing not far from him. Pei Nuo's gentleness gave him the illusion that no matter what he did, no matter how much he mistreated him, Pei Nuo would always forgive him.

But this time, things were clearly different.

No matter how much Pei Qingye called out to him, Mu Miao ignored him. The occasional glance he threw in his direction contained deep disdain.

Pei Qingye was furious, yet also panicked.

He looked at Mu Miao, who was clinging to Jiang Qianliu, and felt a burning anger in his chest that made him lose all rationality. He screamed hysterically, "Pei Nuo, look at me! Look at me! I'm your brother! Who is Jiang Qianliu to you?! How can you hug him? This is too much!"

By the end, his voice carried a hint of grievance, as if Mu Miao had done something unforgivable to him.

Mu Miao lifted his head and looked at Pei Qingye. In his eyes, there was not only disgust and hatred but also a faint trace of disappointment.

The fury in Pei Qingye seemed to be doused with cold water at the sight of that expression. The chill spread through his limbs, and his heartbeat seemed to stop.

Mu Miao was a little surprised to see Pei Qingye in this class. But then again, it wasn't unexpected—Class One was made up of the richest and most influential students in the grade, and naturally, Pei Qingye would be here.

Mu Miao calmly raised his eyes, looking at Pei Qingye with no trace of affection. It was as if the boy standing in front of him was just a completely ordinary stranger. "I don't know you, and I'm not the Pei Nuo you speak of. My name is Mu Miao."

Pei Nuo had died on the road home that day.

Pei Qingye froze, staring at Mu Miao in disbelief.  His wavering sanity told him that Pei Nuo was dead, yet the boy before him was undeniably alive. Pei Nuo could never possess those bright, vibrant eyes; they were clearly not the same person.

This realization sent him into a panic. Pei Qingye violently grabbed a classmate's collar, pointing at Mu Miao, his voice trembling, "Can you see him? You can't, right? He's a ghost, none of you can see him. He's Pei Nuo, he's become a ghost, he's dead…"

Pei Qingye's words were rambling and nonsensical, repeatedly questioning the classmate about seeing Mu Miao, terrifying the student.

The classmate, trembling, swallowed hard, managing to reply, "Pei…Pei Qingye, what are you saying? Of course I can see Mu Miao. What's wrong with you? Why would you mistake Mu Miao for Pei Nuo? Pei Nuo is clearly dead."

Pei Qingye usually only had Pei Nuo pick him up after evening self-study.  Furthermore, Pei Nuo always kept his head down, his long hair obscuring his face, so few people had ever clearly seen his face.

Pei Qingye's mind wandered.  Yes, Pei Nuo was dead; it was common knowledge. His grip loosened, his hand falling to his side.

Mu Miao, witnessing his distraught state, spoke up in Pei Nuo's defense, "Why are you looking like that, Pei Qingye? Did you love your brother that much? I heard your relationship wasn't good.  Even though your brother picked you up from school every night, you'd still complain that he embarrassed you.  I'm curious, was his status in your heart any higher than a servant's?"

Mu Miao, with his soft and innocent face, delivered cutting words. His tone was calm, yet his words were like sharp knives, piercing Pei Qingye's heart.

Pei Qingye's eyes held a rare confusion. He opened his mouth, "I…" but he couldn't refute Mu Miao's words. Pei Qingye was proud, but unlike Jiang Qianliu's innate arrogance, he was more insecure and doubtful.

He didn't believe Pei Nuo had genuinely cared for him. Since even his parents didn't love him, how could he believe that Pei Nuo, his non-blood related brother, truly loved him?

Mu Miao's words were like a hammer, shattering the walls Pei Qingye had built around his heart.

Pei Qingye was speechless, staring dejectedly at Mu Miao, like a child who had done wrong and suddenly realized it, hoping for a reliable adult to guide him.

But the brother who had been there for him was gone. Mu Miao resolutely looked away, avoiding eye contact.

The atmosphere solidified. Latecomers cast curious glances, unsure of what had transpired.

A gentle voice then broke the silence, "Qingye, why are you standing here?"

The speaker was a refined-looking boy, scholarly and with a perpetually kind smile.

Jiang Qianliu, thoroughly annoyed with Pei Qingye, said immediately, "Bai Jialin, you're just in time. Get this guy out of here; he's an eyesore."

Bai Jialin was Pei Qingye's friend.  Seeing Pei Qingye so distraught was unusual. His gaze followed Pei Qingye's line of sight, meeting Mu Miao's eyes.

Upon seeing Mu Miao's face, his pupils constricted, and he instinctively took a step back.

Mu Miao studied him for a few seconds, recognizing Pei Qingye's longtime friend. Pei Nuo had few memories of this person, but Mu Miao sensed that anyone who associated with Pei Qingye couldn't be entirely good.

Mu Miao instantly lost interest. But for some reason, as he looked at Bai Jialin's face, his delicate brows furrowed deeper and deeper. This person gave him a strange feeling.

He couldn't quite articulate what was so strange, only that he increasingly disliked him.

A flicker of panic crossed Bai Jialin's eyes, quickly masked by a smile as he extended a hand towards Mu Miao, "Hello, you must be the new transfer student. I'm Bai Jialin, the class monitor."

Mu Miao ignored him, turning to Jiang Qianliu, "Didn't you say you were top of the grade? Why is he the class monitor and not you?"

"Who says top grades automatically make you class monitor?" Jiang Qianliu's words were even less courteous. "I'm not that free, nor am I that devoted, and I'm certainly not interested in fawning over people."

Jiang Qianliu deliberately drawled his words, ensuring everyone understood his sarcasm.

Bai Jialin's smile faltered, slowly retracting his hand, his fingers curling into a fist.

Mu Miao and Jiang Qianliu chatted as if no one else was present, completely ignoring the other two.

Bai Jialin tried to persuade Pei Qingye to leave, but Pei Qingye refused to budge, self-tormenting himself by watching Mu Miao and Jiang Qianliu's intimate interaction.

Since the Taoist priest had removed the flames from his shoulder, Pei Qingye could see ghosts. He could see the incompatibility between Mu Miao's body and soul, the soul constantly flickering in and out.

He was certain the soul inhabiting this body was the one he'd let go—Pei Nuo.

But why didn't Pei Nuo recognize him? Was he angry? Angry that he hadn't protected him, angry that he'd bullied him?

Pei Qingye was lost and helpless, only staring at Mu Miao, hoping for a glance, a sign of forgiveness.

But the bell rang, the Chinese teacher entered, and Pei Qingye and Bai Jialin were still standing by Jiang Qianliu's desk.

The Chinese teacher was a corpulent middle-aged man in a loose white shirt, his belly resembling that of a four- or five-month pregnant woman. His sparse hair was plastered back with hair gel, and his prominent double chin dipped as he entered the classroom, replaced by a fawning smile.

The teacher's surname was Zhong. Mr. Zhong saw Pei Qingye standing in the hallway and rushed over, eagerly asking, "Pei Qingye, why are you standing here?"

Pei Qingye remained silent, his gaze fixed on Mu Miao.

Mr. Zhong looked over as well. When his gaze landed on Mu Miao's exquisite face, a flash of amazement, followed by intense infatuation, crossed his eyes.  He hadn't had a Chinese class yesterday and hadn't come to school, so he didn't know Mu Miao.

After a moment's thought, he immediately frowned, "What's wrong with you, student? Can't you see Pei Qingye needs this seat? Stand up immediately!"

Mu Miao: "?"

Despite the teacher's off-putting aura, Mu Miao still respected the profession and reluctantly stood, glaring at Pei Qingye.

Jiang Qianliu stood with Mu Miao, his gaze unfriendly towards Mr. Zhong.

Pei Qingye's eyes darkened, looking coldly at Mr. Zhong, "What are you trying to do to my brother?"

Not only was Mr. Zhong stunned, but the other students were also shocked by this bombshell. However, they quickly connected Pei Qingye's mistake of Mu Miao for Pei Nuo.

Most likely, Pei Qingye was so devastated by his brother's death that he couldn't accept the reality and mistook Mu Miao, who resembled Pei Nuo, for his brother.

Mr. Zhong was completely unaware. His head buzzed, his facial fat trembling. He subconsciously compared Mu Miao and Pei Qingye's appearances.  They weren't identical, but they were completely different.

Mu Miao was irritated. He grabbed a book and threw it at Pei Qingye, "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not your brother!"

Pei Qingye didn't react to the book, holding it in both hands, his head down in silence, appearing pathetically wronged.

Mu Miao's face puffed up in anger. He unceremoniously instructed Pei Qingye, "Don't stand there, go back to your seat."

The entire class was astonished, looking at Mu Miao with awe.  That was Pei Qingye, the notorious troublemaker. Even Mrs. Pei couldn't make him behave. How dare Mu Miao?

Fearing Mu Miao's wrath, Pei Qingye obediently obeyed, meekly saying, "Okay, brother, don't be angry. I'll go back."  His hasty retreat left the others questioning their understanding of the world.

And so, that day, a new name was silently added to the top tier of Wester School's social hierarchy: Mu Miao.  This was a very mysterious person.  Rumors circulated that he came from a top-tier family. Even Pei Qingye didn't dare to act up in front of him. Jiang Qianliu followed him around like a devoted sidekick, and the top students in Class 1 showered him with affection.

In short: Don't mess with him.

Mu Miao was completely unaware of his newfound fame, only noticing that the number of eyes on him was increasing, along with the whispers and pointing behind his back.

Mu Miao was puzzled, 【001, am I being ostracized?】

001: 【No, I think the way they look at you isn't malicious, more like looking at a rare animal. Do you have a hidden identity, like a giant panda spirit?】

Mu Miao seriously examined his body, 【No way, Pei Nuo was a pure human.】

001, who was just teasing him: 【…】

Once school officially started, all students were required to live in the dorms, but rules didn't apply to those with privilege. Xi Ran called Mu Miao's homeroom teacher, informing him that he would pick up a few students every night, and the teacher had no choice but to agree.

Mu Miao sat by the window, his hands supporting his chin, watching the sky darken. A vibrant sunset painted the horizon, the fiery clouds stretching endlessly, as if they would dye the blue sky orange-red.

Another night was coming, and Mu Miao worried that the system would make him dance again. Memories of last night flooded back, and he lost himself for a moment, then stood up, using the excuse of going to the restroom to slip out of the classroom.

As he passed Pei Qingye's desk, Pei Qingye instinctively tried to follow, but Mu Miao glared at him, and he could only slump back onto his desk, watching Mu Miao disappear from his sight.

Mu Miao arrived back at the dance studio entrance. Unexpectedly, he found Su Hanxia there.

Su Hanxia leaned against the doorframe, watching the dance students practicing diligently through the half-open door. Her expression was focused, a stark contrast to her usual world-weary demeanor.

Su Hanxia had left a deep impression on Mu Miao in the first copy. This person was so unpredictable, seemingly apathetic towards the world yet constantly striving to live, ruthless and often appearing unexpectedly.

Mu Miao caught her looking at him and immediately lowered his head, turning to leave.

"What are you hiding? If you want to look, just go in."

Su Hanxia called out to him, stepping aside to clear the doorway, and gestured with her chin towards the entrance, inviting Mu Miao inside.

Mu Miao nervously passed her, his body tense, fearing she might suddenly pull out a knife and slit his throat.

Fortunately, Su Hanxia only lazily watched the dance studio, making no other moves.

Mu Miao relaxed, glancing into the classroom.  He then noticed Yin Lin and Yin Jingnan were also there.

Mu Miao had learned romantic-style ballet from Yin Lin. Yin Lin possessed a graceful figure, every movement exuding extreme beauty. Whether it was the arabesque or the fouetté, he perfectly demonstrated both strength and flexibility.

Yin Jingnan, however, was still practicing basic jumps.

Mu Miao, captivated by Yin Lin's dance, was mesmerized by the stunning performance.  Recalling his clumsy fall during Giselle last night, he felt a pang of guilt for not living up to Yin Lin's teachings.

Lost in his observation, he didn't notice Su Hanxia approaching.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

Mu Miao nodded, exclaiming, "Exquisitely beautiful."

"Heh," Su Hanxia chuckled softly, her gaze sweeping across the male and female dancers in the studio, "It would be better if they weren't so beautiful."

Mu Miao snapped back to reality, staring at Su Hanxia in shock.

Meeting his surprised gaze, Su Hanxia shrugged, saying ambiguously, "Young Master, beauty is for your appreciation, but others may not think the same."

She patted Mu Miao's shoulder, whispering in his ear, "And tell that little girl she's not cut out for dancing; she's talentless."

Mu Miao: "You…"

Su Hanxia placed a finger to her lips, her red lips curving into a slight smile, "Shh, don't let her hear."

Mu Miao watched Su Hanxia leave, completely bewildered, wondering if she knew something.

Mu Miao decided not to disturb them and was about to leave quietly when he heard a voice from behind, "Pei Nuo."

Mu Miao instinctively turned around to see Bai Jialin standing behind him, his expression dark and brooding.