Chapter 17: The Mantis Catches the Cicada

Gao Yang slowed his pace and soon made up his mind. He began walking toward a more crowded area.

Theoretically, if a conflict were to break out in a crowded place, it would only attract more of the Chēn beasts, increasing his chances of dying. However, upon further thought, if the one following him was indeed a Chēn beast, it meant that the beast had already noticed—at least suspected—his identity as an awakened one.

But the fact that it didn't attack immediately and instead chose to follow him meant that the Chēn beast wanted to deal with him alone. Since it preferred to do so alone, it wouldn't act in a crowded area.

Soon, Gao Yang passed a 24-hour convenience store. He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked in.

In no time, a short-haired girl in a school uniform appeared from the corner and ran toward the store. When she reached the entrance, she hesitated for a moment, adjusted her bangs, and then stepped inside.

As soon as she pushed the door open, she bumped into Gao Yang.

She was startled. "Ah!"

Gao Yang had gathered enough courage for this little trick. When he saw her face, he was initially surprised, but quickly relaxed in his heart.

"Xiao Si?"

The girl was Gao Yang's classmate, Wan Sisi. She was shy and introverted, and everyone called her Xiao Si.

Wan Sisi was flustered. She tightly gripped her shoulder bag, then began a stiff and nervous performance. "H-hi... what a coincidence, you're here too? I... I missed my stop on the bus, and I got a bit hungry, so I thought I'd buy some snacks..."

"You've been following me, haven't you?" Gao Yang asked bluntly.

Wan Sisi's face turned bright red, from her neck all the way to the back of her ears. "I... I, uh..."

Gao Yang glanced around. The cashier and a few customers were looking curiously at them.

It was a bit awkward to be blocking the door like this, so Gao Yang grabbed Wan Sisi's hand and led her to a corner of the store, sitting side by side near the glass windows. He quickly bought some snacks and drinks.

A minute later, Wan Sisi took small sips from her instant coffee, her nervousness gradually easing. She even seemed a little excited. She lowered her head and muttered softly, "He held my hand and even bought me coffee..."

"What did you say?"

"Ah, nothing!" Wan Sisi quickly looked up, flustered. "Thank you for the coffee."

Gao Yang bit into a hot dog. "So, what's this about you following me?"

Wan Sisi lowered her head again, her voice softer. "Gao Yang... you must be feeling really sad about Li Weiwei, right?"

Gao Yang froze for a moment, not speaking.

"It seems like you've changed, not talking to anyone, just staring off into space every day." Wan Sisi's tone was filled with concern.

"Have I?"

Gao Yang appreciated the concern. He realized he would have to maintain his usual social interactions going forward; otherwise, he might accidentally reveal something.

"Once someone is gone, they can't come back. No one wants something like this to happen..." Wan Sisi looked at him cautiously. "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. If you need to talk about anything, you can tell me."

Gao Yang stopped eating and carefully studied Wan Sisi: short hair, straight bangs, an oval face, clear skin, a slim figure, and big eyes that were always shyly blinking, like a nervous little deer.

Wan Sisi always spoke in a quiet, soft voice. She seemed to have a bit of low self-esteem and never dared to look others in the eye. She was the type of girl everyone liked to "bully"—gentle and docile.

There were actually quite a few boys who liked her, but she herself never noticed.

Normally, Gao Yang and Wan Sisi got along well. Wan Sisi was the class English representative, and occasionally, Gao Yang would ask her for help with some English problems.

Since Li Weiwei's death, Gao Yang had barely spoken to her, so it was no surprise that she was concerned.

Wan Sisi, feeling Gao Yang's steady gaze, blushed again. She awkwardly averted her eyes. "Sorry... forget I said anything..."

"Thanks." Gao Yang smiled gratefully. "I didn't know you cared so much."

"No! No, I don't care!" Wan Sisi immediately denied it, though her expression betrayed her. "We're classmates, it's nothing!"

"Don't worry, I'm not dwelling on it. A few days of adjustment and I'll be fine." Gao Yang reassured her.

The two chatted about everyday things—life, college entrance exam applications—until their drinks and snacks were finished.

Wan Sisi stood up to throw away the trash. She glanced around, and when no one was paying attention, she secretly stuffed the disposable cup that had contained her instant coffee into her pocket, her face full of happiness.

None of this escaped Gao Yang's notice.

Wan Sisi... was she secretly in love with him?

Gao Yang then thought back to the night of his birthday, when Li Weiwei almost killed him. Perhaps Wan Sisi was the same—one moment, she'd say she liked him, and the next moment, she could turn into a terrifying Chēn beast and devour him whole.

Gao Yang was filled with mixed emotions.

The two parted ways outside the convenience store. Gao Yang didn't open the system again until Wan Sisi's cheerful figure disappeared around the corner.

The luck points hadn't doubled, so it seemed Wan Sisi wasn't a threat.

After the small detour, Gao Yang continued walking. But after just a few minutes, he stopped again.

Something didn't feel right... why did it still seem like someone was following him?

He realized that his senses had sharpened significantly, likely due to his "mental power" increasing. It seemed the boost to his attributes was really useful.

Suddenly, Gao Yang quickened his pace, turned the corner, quickly tossed his backpack, and hid behind a vending machine, holding his breath.

Seven or eight seconds later, a figure jogged out. Gao Yang immediately noticed the backpack on the ground. Just as the person bent down to pick it up, Gao Yang jumped out: "Wang Zikai?!"

Wang Zikai jumped in shock, "Ah—!"

"You've been following me?"

Wang Zikai grinned, "Damn, brother, I hid so well, how did you notice?!"

"I told you to stay home and train properly!" Gao Yang felt a headache coming on again. "Bro, if you keep doing this, I won't be able to save you."

Wang Zikai looked miserable. "Training is so damn boring, I can't stand it anymore!"

"You can't just skip training."

"Can't I go kill some monsters? Or do something else... Sitting in meditation every day, does it really help me get stronger? I feel like it's useless!"

Of course, it's useless.

But if you didn't act reckless, at least you'd stay alive.

Gao Yang sighed. "Your physical condition is very special. You grow slower than us, but once you've trained, you'll be stronger. You need patience. After all, as the saying goes, 'The heavens will bestow a great responsibility on someone; they must first suffer in their mind, work their muscles and bones, starve their body, and exhaust their form...'"

"I get it, I get it," Wang Zikai said aggrievedly. "But it's really too boring!"

Gao Yang remained silent.

Seeing Gao Yang's serious face, Wang Zikai immediately smiled. "Bro, bro, don't be angry. I'll go back and train, okay?"

"Stop talking."

"What's wrong?" Wang Zikai whispered, leaning forward, suddenly excited.

"We're being followed."

Gao Yang felt like he was going crazy.

When would this madness end?!