The Satisfying lie

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The morning air in the ancient classroom filled with the sound of explosions.

"Yán Shèngxīn! Was it you again?" Hé Lìhuá's voice rang sharply, her exasperation spilling over as she glanced at the boy sitting at the back of the class.

Yán Shèngxīn, his face smeared with black soot, lowered his head pitifully. "Yes, Teacher. Sorry… I don't think I'm good at potion-making."

Hé Lìhuá sighed. "Just stop already. Join your neighbor, Tí Lóng. At this rate, you'll end up in the infirmary before the lesson is over."

The other students snickered behind their sleeves. The room smelled of burnt herbs and scorched wood, and the remnants of Yán's latest failure lay scattered on the desk.

Hé Lìhuá shook her head as she turned to the podium. How is this the same Yán Shèngxīn my disciples have praised so highly? They said he was gifted, yet he's blown up his pot six times! Three times would have been bad enough, but six?

Even so, Hé Lìhuá couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration for his persistence. At least he doesn't give up easily. Still, I suppose everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

The scene played out seamlessly. Hé Lìhuá was convinced. The students chuckled quietly. And the translucent chameleon, hidden on the windowsill, observed everything.

But none of it was real.

Moments earlier,

Yán Shèngxīn had been at his desk, quietly jotting notes, when Ān'nà's voice echoed in his mind. "Master, we are being watched."

"Where?" Shèngxīn asked telepathically, his posture unchanging.

"Right beside you. A chameleon beast. Transparent but not undetectable. Its master must be close."

Shèngxīn's eyes narrowed. He glanced casually at the desk, pretending to inspect his potion ingredients. "Why didn't I notice earlier?"

"It's the aftermath of the full moon, Master," Ān'nà replied. "Your Ghost Summoner senses are temporarily weakened."

Shèngxīn frowned. "How troublesome."

"Should I deal with it, Master?" Ān'nà asked eagerly.

"No," Shèngxīn said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Let's play along. Create a Hallucination Domain. Show them what they want to see—me, failing miserably. Make it convincing."

Ān'nà giggled. "Understood. How many explosions would you like?"

"Six. The more ridiculous, the better," Shèngxīn said.

With a wave of her spectral hand, the illusion began.

In the Hallucination Domain, Shèngxīn appeared clumsy and incompetent. Potions bubbled over, ingredients burned, and explosions erupted one after another. Hé Lìhuá scolded, the students whispered, and the chameleon watched with intent focus.

Meanwhile, the real Yán Shèngxīn slipped out of the classroom unnoticed.

In the Corridor, Shèngxīn moved swiftly, following the faint magical trail left by the chameleon's connection to its master. Ān'nà whispered updates in his mind.

"They're still watching the domain. No one suspects your absence," she said.

"Good. Have you sensed the chameleon's master yet?"

"Not yet," Ān'nà replied. "But—"

Before she could finish, Shèngxīn turned a corner and collided with someone. The impact sent them both stumbling back.

"Watch where you're going!" the person snapped.

Shèngxīn looked up, his eyes meeting those of a girl about his age. Her robes were immaculately clean and adorned with intricate embroidery. Her dark hair was tied neatly in a bun, and her piercing gaze gave her an air of confidence and control.

As his eyes traveled down, he noticed a small name sticker pinned to her chest. The characters were unmistakable: Chen Liqiù.

"Chen Liqiù…" he muttered under his breath.

The girl's expression changed subtly, her sharp gaze narrowing in suspicion. "Yán Shèngxīn?"

Before Shèngxīn could answer, Ān'nà's voice echoed in his mind. "Master, she's the chameleon's owner. I'm certain of it now."

Chen Liqiù's eyes flicked toward him, then past him, her brow furrowing. "Wait… shouldn't you be in class? I just saw you—"

Shèngxīn's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "You must be mistaken. I've been out here for a while."

Her confusion deepened. "But—"

Shèngxīn shrugged casually, slipping his hands into his sleeves. "Maybe you saw someone else." He stepped aside to let her pass, his movements calm and unbothered. Now, he was convinced that Chen Liqiù was indeed the owner of that "spy" chameleon. How can someone outside the class know he was inside the class ? His classmates did not even know the girl. They would not tell her about him.

Chen Liqiù lingered for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she tried to piece things together. 

Suddenly he realized. Why did he show his surprise and confusion about Shengxin's whereabouts? They had never met before. He was also not in the same class as Shengxin. Shengxin would be suspicious if he reacted like this. "So Stupid", he immediately corrected himself, "Sorry, I got the wrong person. Excuse me. I have to go back to class."

Shèngxīn watched Chen Liqiù's retreating figure, his expression unreadable. "Exactly. She knows me, but she doesn't know what I'm capable of. Let her stay confused—it'll work to our advantage."

Ān'nà hesitated. "Should I warn her tonight?"

"No," he replied firmly. "Not yet. I think I know who she is. She owns that transparent chameleon. But she's learned her lesson. Just pretend we don't know she's doing. We need to find out first how much she knows about us and why she's been spying on us". Shèngxīn knew that he had to be careful. No one should know that he already had many tamed creatures.

"Tonight, I should release Tú Yòu to play"

Back in the "Hallucination" Classroom

"Yán Shèngxīn!" Hé Lìhuá's voice rang out, startling the imaginary Shèngxīn from his latest failed attempt.

"Sorry, Teacher! I guess potions just aren't my thing…" the illusion muttered sheepishly, drawing laughter from the students.

The chameleon remained fixed on the scene, faithfully transmitting the fabricated events back to its master.

Meanwhile,

the real Shèngxīn leaned against the cold stone wall in the corridor, his thoughts already two steps ahead. "Chen Liqiù," he murmured. "Let's play this game."

Ān'nà chuckled, "Hihi...should we teach them a lesson? Let's make them stay in the class until late afternoon?"

Shèngxīn said lightly, "No need. I believe now Chen Liqiù will recall her chameleon back to the summoning space and let her teacher know the real situation. We'd better move to other class. Hahaha...

He was indeed right. Few minutes later, Hé Lìhuá walked out of the class with a red ugly face."Yán .....Shèng....Xīn !Wait until I find you!"

-----------------------------------Chapter 15----------------------------------------