Li Mo grabbed Seele's wrist, the corners of his mouth lifting into a strange arc. It held three parts mockery, three parts coldness, and four parts...
Just kidding. It was just a simple, mischievous grin.
From Seele's own account, Li Mo roughly understood what she had encountered in the inner world, and he also had a general idea of what the situation in the inner world was like. The inner world, like the outer world, had a sound and logical social system.
But it seemed someone was targeting Seele. It wasn't the world's malice of the Bizarre Mei world, but a meticulous arrangement by someone. Perhaps it was someone Seele had killed in the past, or maybe it was a reincarnator like himself.
After all... Seele was such a cute child. If he were the bully, how could it be as simple as just pouring a bottle of drink on her head? He would definitely... ahem.
Li Mo rethought the matter. In the process of being bullied, the victim's heart is incomparably difficult. The best way to torture is to slow down the process, trample on their self-esteem bit by bit, and wear down their character. It's definitely not like completing a task, doing bad things without any follow-up.
"Seele, you're a coward." Li Mo's tone changed, suddenly belittling Seele's character.
Seele lowered her head and did not deny it, "Seele... is a coward..."
Li Mo used one hand to lift Seele's smooth chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"Remember, a coward is just afraid of things, not powerless."
"If the person bullying you is stronger, then what you should do is not endure, but resist, and resist with all your might."
"The person bullying you will only get worse because they don't get punished, and it will never end. Only when they taste the bitterness will they stop. If... one day you are bullied when I can't help you, remember my words. You have to be more ruthless and decisive than them."
"Take myself for example. In the past, my desire to express myself was very restrained, and also quite profound. I wanted to prove that those individual, special, and uniquely human experiences were just superficial flickers under a huge formal system. But now, if someone scolds me, I only have two ways."
"One is like a child, laughing and saying: Hee hee, you're getting angry, you're getting angry~ Rebound!"
"The second is fuck you*! Did you hear me? You idiot, I'll fuck you*!"
"Do you think Brother is very rude? But in my opinion, this approach makes me feel good. As for what will happen later, how my reputation will be... who cares."
Li Mo said seriously, word by word. As he spoke, his style became frivolous and cheerful again.
"But Brother... if you do this, what will others think of you? Their eyes when they look at you will definitely..." Seele said hesitantly, voicing her concerns.
The strange gazes of others... were more terrifying than the bullying itself.
"So what? I don't care how others see me, nor do I care how they curse me behind my back."
"Because I've also cursed many people, and they may not be as harsh as I am."
"When I praise people, I may be insincere..."
"But when I curse people, I am absolutely sincere."
"But..." Seele still wanted to say something.
Li Mo showed a pleased smile and only said two sentences: "Simple cursing, ultimate enjoyment."
"Let go of your personal quality and enjoy a life of immorality!"
To be honest, letting go of personal quality and enjoying a life of immorality can indeed bring a wonderful experience.
The Seele in the inner world was all alone. It was very difficult to defeat an adult man and enemies several times her size. The person behind the scenes had no intention of killing her, which meant he knew that if Seele died prematurely or suffered too much stimulation, she would fall prematurely and twist into a malevolent ghost, which was not what that person wanted to see.
So he could only arrange for "reasonable," "slight," and "just right" insults, seemingly replicating the second-run prince in the dark fairy tale. Since it was reasonable and there was no interference from supernatural forces, then resistance was useful, as long as it was ruthless enough.
Li Mo: "Come, I'll teach you some beautiful Chinese words. When the sun rises, it first shines in the east. The crimson mist dissipates, like a silk screen..."
Cat-like Seele: "..."
A teacher is one who imparts knowledge, teaches, and resolves doubts. Li Mo taught by word and deed, opening a new world for Seele.
After that, Li Mo made another bold decision.
"Huh?! Brother, this, this..."
Li Mo handed his handgun to Seele. "Take it. Under normal circumstances, I don't recommend you shoot. I'd rather you buy a small knife and keep it hidden on you."
"If an adult from outside gives you trouble, just stab them. Don't worry, they won't dare to do anything to you."
That person wouldn't dare to let anything really happen to Seele.
Seele was stunned, looking at the black muzzle in her hand with some panic.
"You don't know how to shoot?" Li Mo asked.
"Seele knows a little... but... if I do as Brother says and stab someone with a knife, and the other party calls the police, Seele will go to jail... and isn't it too much for Seele to do that..."
Oh? Li Mo noticed an incongruity. Seele didn't say she didn't want to hurt others. Her heart had already accumulated hatred, but due to her timid personality, it hadn't been shown. Unreleased emotions don't disappear; they will only pour out in a more ugly form one day in the future.
As for knowing a little about gunmanship, it could be explained that Cocolia had taught her.
Li Mo smiled, pretending not to see anything. "Don't worry, even if you go to jail, Brother will get you out. After all, you are very important to Brother. I won't let you be trapped in a dark cage forever."
"As for whether to use a knife or a gun, it's up to you to judge. Like if you're bullied by classmates at school..."
"Listen to me, you just pick up a stool and smash it on him. Don't say anything, don't show any expression, just do this one thing."
Actions with angry emotions and extreme words are not worth mentioning. They are just telling others: I'm angry now, don't mess with me. But if you suppress your emotions and words, and give the other party a terrifying and deadly attack in their perception without any warning, this is telling others: I'll kill you if I'm in a bad mood. As for what extent you have to go to to make me feel bad, you guess? Anyway, I'll kill you.
Seele nodded as if she understood, then realized something and quickly explained, "Seele is just afraid that when something like this happens in the future, Brother won't be by my side. I don't mean anything else!"
Li Mo pinched Seele's soft, tender cheek, making Seele let out a "ngh" grunt.
"Brother can't protect you forever either. As your guardian, I can only do what I can. Look, I can't even walk. I'm weaker than you."
"So... I hope you can protect yourselves. Be bolder, be braver. If you encounter trouble, come home. I'll be there waiting. No matter what you do, Brother will not abandon anyone."
"Remember, anyone."
Li Mo said the words very heavily. Perhaps he had the intention of guiding Seele in many of his previous words, but for this sentence alone, he had no other thoughts. Only the literal meaning. He would never give up on anyone in the orphanage.
Seele stood there, feeling the strength of Li Mo's hand. The muzzle in her hand seemed to have warmed up a bit, no longer cold.
"Brother," Seele suddenly said.
"I'm here," Li Mo replied, waiting for Seele's answer.
Seele put the handgun in her pocket, walked behind Li Mo, and pushed the wheelchair towards the school gate. Li Mo was puzzled but didn't ask.
Just like that, Seele quietly pushed Li Mo to the school gate. At the same time, the school bell rang. Unlike the dull, nightmarish, and oppressive bell in the inner world, this time, the bell Seele heard was crisp, light, and like a skylark singing freely from its cage.
Seele recalled every word Li Mo had said in her mind.
"Brother must be very bored at school. The school is too cold. It's more comfortable to go home."
"Alright, I was just thinking of taking a nap. Sleeping on the table is really not comfortable. But... is it okay if I leave?"
Li Mo asked tentatively. He didn't want the same thing to happen as last night after he left Seele. Regarding this point, the suspected second-run Seele would surely know better than him, so Li Mo needed to confirm.
"It's okay... as long as Brother doesn't drive Seele away at night. Because... Seele is very afraid of the dark."
Seele took two steps back, her hands behind her back, smiling at Li Mo.
"Alright, then I'll go home. Be careful at school." Li Mo waved and said goodbye to Seele. Since she herself felt it was okay, Li Mo had no reason to stay at school. He couldn't always be by Seele's side, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and so on. There was a difference between men and women, and Li Mo was a law-abiding, good student.
Student? A seventeen-year-old like him could probably use that title.
Don't drive Seele away at night meant they could be separated during the day.
Li Mo smiled wryly, operated the wheelchair, and sped home. Without the protection of a handgun, he was just a weakling now and had to get back to the mansion quickly. He would also take the opportunity to observe if the corruption in the mansion had deepened.
"..."
"..."
After Li Mo left, the school bell became heavy and hoarse, like a low-growling beast, making a "gurgling" sound in its throat. The sunny playground suddenly became dim, the clouds gathering and covering the sun.
Seele turned back. The gazes of her classmates had changed from curiosity to pity. After all, in junior high, many students sacrificed a lot to avoid being isolated and to fit into small groups, even abandoning their dignity and original intentions.
Therefore, when they looked at the isolated person, they couldn't help but show a look of pity, glad that it wasn't them.
Seele walked towards the teaching building on her own. The bell had already stopped. By the time Seele reached the classroom door, the class had already begun. Because the windows were tightly closed, the oxygen content in the classroom was very low, making the students sleepy.
But fortunately, Seele, who was thinly dressed, could feel a little warmer in the classroom and wouldn't shiver from the cold.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold wind blew from the front, seeping into Seele's exposed skin, making her panic from the cold. Seele sat in the second to last row by the window, looked up, and found that the student in front had opened the window a little.
Unlike the thick clothes in the outer world, in the inner world, her clothes were thin. In an environment close to zero degrees, this little bit of cold wind was like adding fuel to the fire. Seele reached out, gently poked the shoulder of the student in front, and politely reminded, "I'm a little cold. Could you please close the window?"
The student didn't seem to hear and continued to whisper with their deskmate.
Seele pursed her lips. In order not to disturb the classroom order, she only raised her voice a little and reminded again, "The window is open too wide. I'm very cold. Could you please close the window? I can't reach it."
This time, Seele was sure the other party could hear her, but the other party didn't make any move, continuing to talk and laugh with their deskmate, not taking her seriously at all.
"I told you to close the window, are you fucking deaf!?"
Seele suddenly stood up, slammed her hands on the table, making a loud sound. The sudden roar made all the students in the class turn to look at her.
"Se, Seele?"
"Is she crazy? Did she take the wrong medicine today?"
Whispers came from the class. Seele bit her lip, her heart incomparably tangled. Once again... the unfriendly and disgusted gazes gathered on her... even the teacher showed a stunned expression, her brows furrowed, looking very angry.
The whole class was as if she were an outlier, who shouldn't be here. But in a daze, the scenes of Li Mo cursing flashed through Seele's mind.
Did you hear me? You idiot! Fuck you, you idiot!
The harmonious electronic sound didn't seem so bad, but rather... a little pleasant? Seele scanned the gazes of the others again, and they didn't seem so terrible?
While her emotions were still high, Seele jumped over the table, decisively closed the window in front, and then returned to her seat, not saying a word throughout the process.
"This student, don't disturb the classroom order! If you have any conflicts, you can talk to the teacher after class." The teacher said with conviction.
Seele was silent for a moment, pointed at the student in front, and slowly said, "I want to throw him out of the window. Can I do it after class?"
Teacher: "???"
Classmate: "..."
The student being pointed at: "!!!"
"What are you saying? This is the fourth floor!" the teacher reminded. Falling from the fourth floor could very well be fatal, or at least crippling. If his head landed first, it would be over.
"Can't I do it on the fourth floor?" Seele retorted. "I think his head is full of oil and salt. It won't matter if his head lands on the ground."
Seele said with a blank expression, her arm moving, giving a feeling of being eager to try.
Li Mo had also taught her that if you can use your hands, never use your mouth. Explanation? Who are you explaining to? Others just want to smooth things over, make big things small and small things disappear. No one cares how much you've been wronged, or how unfair this is to you.
Fairness is something you have to fight for yourself. Justice is only where the cannon can reach.
The boy being pointed at clenched his fists. He never thought that the always weak and timid Seele would dare to say such things, and even threaten to throw him from the fourth floor!
The boy turned to the side and looked at his deskmate. The deskmate lowered his head and snickered. The boy turned back to look at the other students in the class. The students showed looks of pity and contempt.
A boy being threatened by a thin and small girl, his face was completely lost. Suddenly, anger flared up. The boy's eyes widened with anger, and he aggressively took off his heavy coat, rolled up his sleeves, seeming to want to fight with Seele.
But before he could finish taking off his coat, Seele kicked over her desk. The desk fell on the boy. Plus, the distance between the front and back desks was narrow, so the boy lost his balance and fell on his own desk. The books and stationery on the desk scattered all over the floor.
Anyone who has been to school knows how bad it feels to have the things on your desk knocked to the floor.
Before the boy could say any harsh words, Seele raised a stool, her eyes glinting fiercely.
"What? You want to fight?" Seele said with contempt. "You're not worthy. Say one more word and I'll smash your head in, believe it or not."
The boy panicked. Looking at the stool so close to him, he felt the first breath of death in his life. There was no doubt that this stool, being smashed down by someone at this distance... would be very painful! It might even break his head and make him bleed.
Plus, Seele's abnormal behavior today... the terrifying words she said... the unprovoked attack, without giving him any chance to fight back... completely disregarding the gazes of the classmates and the teacher's attitude... she really might kill him!?
How, how is that possible? Isn't she the most docile girl in school, who can be asked for help by anyone, who can be bullied by anyone?
"Hmph."
Seele snorted coldly, in a good mood.
"I've closed the window. Now I'm asking you, do you have any objections?" Seele threatened, holding the stool.
The boy immediately admitted defeat, "No, no... I'm, I'm sorry... I didn't hear you before, really."
"You didn't hear?"
Seele stepped on the desk on the boy's body. The boy showed a strained expression. The stainless steel desk was already very heavy. With Seele stepping on it, he felt like his ribs were about to break.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I heard you but I didn't close it. It's my fault! Teacher! Teacher, save me!"
Hearing the cry for help, the teacher barely came back from her daze and immediately rushed forward to pull Seele away, preventing the conflict from continuing.
Seele, who was pulled away, tried her best to hide the joy in her heart, controlling her facial muscles so as not to show a morbid smile. Brother said, keep it mysterious, keep it silent... don't laugh... don't laugh... but... it feels so good, it feels... so fun...
Seele's face was calm. She picked up her desk, then squatted down to pick up the textbooks that had been scattered on the floor after she kicked the desk away.
She didn't say a word throughout the process. No matter how the classmates and teachers tried to persuade and criticize her, Seele pretended not to hear.
"How could Seele be like this..."
"That's right, like a shrew, barbaric and unreasonable. How did our class produce such a delinquent girl..."
"I think she learned it from the hooligans outside..."
After packing up her textbooks, Seele sat back in her seat, expressionless, as if nothing had happened just now. However, Seele looked around coldly, deliberately lingering on those who were badmouthing her behind her back.
Suddenly, the voices of the speakers became much smaller. They were afraid of being remembered, and then being beaten up by the irritable Seele for no reason.