Chapter 293: Yes, I’ve Waited for You to Finally Come Out.

"Really…? Ahem, alright, I'll reluctantly forgive you. So, tell me, what did you come to me for today?"

Fu Shi looked at Fu Hua in confusion. Seeing Fu Hua's sincere apology, she lowered her arms slightly, and her tone softened.

"It's nothing major. It's just that a criminal has infiltrated the academy. I've already notified the headmaster, so I expect there will be a resolution soon."

Fu Hua adjusted her glasses. After searching all afternoon without finding any trace of the suspect, she couldn't help but wonder if they had already left St. Freya.

"Criminal?" Upon hearing this, Fu Lin's body stiffened. He pulled his clothes tighter around him, feeling an eerie chill wrap around him.

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"Cough, cough! What does this have to do with me?" Fu Shi glanced sideways at Fu Lin, noticing the latter trying to sneak away. Unable to hold back, she let out a dry cough.

"Because I'm worried you might run into bad people and be deceived."

Fu Hua stared at Fu Shi with a direct gaze, speaking bluntly, making Fu Shi turn her head away as a blush rose on her face.

"O-old antique, what are you talking about? I, Fu Shi, stand tall and proud—if anything, I'm the one who tricks others, not the other way around!"

"Speaking of deception..."

Looking at the table full of tools for fraud, Fu Hua's expression darkened, arms crossed as she gazed at Fu Shi. It had only been a few days without supervision, and she was already up to such deceitful schemes.

"Even if you're bored, you shouldn't be setting up a fortune-telling stall, making people pay to ward off disasters. Fortune-telling and blessings are meant for good luck, but using them to deceive people is truly inappropriate."

"I was just—"

Hearing Fu Hua's lecture, Fu Shi gloomily held her head, trying to explain, but Fu Hua cut her off, not giving her a chance to speak.

"Hmm, I understand that your intention was just to have someone to talk to and pass the time, but regardless of the reason, you shouldn't harbor thoughts of deception."

"But this is—"

"Yes, I know they willingly came, or else so many people wouldn't be gathered here. But regardless of the outcome, deception is still wrong."

Fu Lin tugged at the brim of his hat, glancing at Fu Shi, who was being completely suppressed by Fu Hua. He gulped, hesitating between staying and leaving, before making his decision.

"Uh, you two go on, I'll be heading off now..."

Fu Lin suddenly stood up, surprising everyone present. After saying a quick farewell, he prepared to leave, planning to come back after Fu Shi dealt with her current predicament.

"Goodbye..."

Fu Hua looked up at the dark sky, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes before she shook her head. Maybe some people just liked drying clothes at night.

But Fu Shi wasn't about to let Fu Lin escape so easily. She quickly reached out and grabbed the corner of Fu Lin's clothes, stopping her from leaving.

"You—"

Rip!

All eyes turned to Fu Lin in unison, and the scene became awkward in an instant.

Fu Shi stared blankly at the now-ruined coat in her hands, then looked up at Fu Lin's back. Awkwardly, she tried to hide the torn garment behind her, forcing out a laugh.

"Sorry, Fu Shi, what are you doing? Hurry up and apologize to—hmm?"

Fu Hua snapped out of it, ready to break the awkward atmosphere with an apology.

But as she saw the familiar silhouette and the gray-blue long hair, the words caught in her throat. A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and her breathing became slightly unsteady.

The atmosphere grew even more delicate, so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, yet it made everyone feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles, unsure of what to do.

"Why does it feel like the squad leader's expression isn't right...?"

"Didn't you hear the squad leader say that there's a criminal in the academy? And this person is wrapped up like a mummy—clearly guilty of something."

"So what do we do? Help the squad leader capture them?"

"Even though they're wearing sunglasses and a mask, don't you think their silhouette looks kind of familiar...?"

"Yeah, kind of like..."

Hearing the surrounding Valkyries' discussion and feeling their unrestrained, scrutinizing gazes, Fu Lin wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.

Just as the awkward atmosphere was about to stretch on indefinitely—

A chubby figure, Black Kite, squeezed through the crowd and walked straight up to Fu Shi, drawing everyone's attention away.

"Chirp, Chirp, Chirp!" Boss, mission accomplished!

Fu Shi glanced at Back Kite, whose face was covered in lipstick marks, looking triumphant. She twitched the corner of her mouth and said in a probing tone, "Cough, cough, you didn't secretly take a cut for yourself again, did you?"

Back Kite flapped its wings, hopping excitedly as it cried out.

"Chirp, Chirp, Chirp!" Boss, absolutely not! Do you still not trust my bird integrity?

Fu Shi rubbed her chin, looking at Back Kite with surprise, as if she couldn't believe it. 'Hiss... Since when did you have 'bird integrity'?'

"Chirp..."

Though the onlookers couldn't understand what Back Kite was saying, it had successfully diverted their attention from Fu Lin. One by one, they looked starry-eyed, enthusiastically watching the conversation between Fu Shi and the fat bird.

Meanwhile, Fu Lin saw his chance as everyone's attention shifted. He crouched down and carefully sneaked through the sea of long, white legs.

Despite the beautiful scenery surrounding him, Fu Lin had no time to appreciate it. He could only feel a pair of eyes locked onto him, making him quicken his pace.

A few minutes later, Fu Lin finally broke free from the crowd, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath.

"So many dazzling white legs... I almost lost my sense of direction. I nearly got trapped in there... But in the end, perseverance paid off—I made it out."

"Yeah, I've been waiting for you to come out."