# Chapter 17: The Magical Shop (Six)
[MD, you little bitch.] The system cursed loudly in its mind at the person trying to steal its host away, then suddenly exclaimed in shock, [An'an, that thing... it... it moved!]
[What thing?] Qi An's voice held no inflection whatsoever. Even after hearing something resembling a confession, his tone remained light and devoid of emotion.
[The paper! From the last world!]
[...I see...]
Why would it move? A flicker of confusion passed through Qi An's eyes.
The cause remained unknown, but there was definitely something wrong with the person standing before him.
Qi An stared blankly at Gu Wang, as if not quite comprehending the meaning behind his words. His dark eyes rarely focused on anyone so intently, and his gaze—usually so pure—now showed a rare hint of flustered panic.
The fair skin of his cheeks flushed with a delicate pink.
Like a plum blossom blooming in the depths of winter, beautiful enough to make one's heart tremble.
"Could you let go first?" His voice was small and soft.
The cold, slippery sensation in his palm transmitted straight to his heart, making his heartbeat stutter. It was as if Gu Wang had only just realized what he was doing—he quickly pulled his hand back, awkwardly scratching his head.
He and Zhang Zhaoqi were complete opposites.
If Zhang Zhaoqi was ice, then Gu Wang was fire, his face perpetually adorned with a brilliant smile, like a little sun suspended in space, full of vibrant life, radiating warmth and brilliance to everyone around him.
"Qi An... right?" Gu Wang opened his mouth and said to Qi An with particular sunshine, "What a wonderful name."
Zhang Zhaoqi watched coldly from the side. That sharp, dangerous gaze was chilling to the bone, but the boy was so lost in the beauty before him that he completely ignored the attack. Gu Wang, assuming his most handsome pose, knelt on one knee, took Qi An's fair hand, and said with deep affection, "May I pursue you?"
"Huh?"
Qi An looked at him in bewilderment, his fingers curling as he tried to escape the burning touch.
The half-crouching boy held his hand in place, refusing to let go, yet smiled gently at the same time. His black pupils overflowed with love and vitality. The corner of his lips curved upward, carrying the unique boldness and unrestrained freedom of youth, "I want to pursue you."
"I've fallen in love at first sight."
His voice was deep, lingering and ambiguous, as if infused with the owner's boundless emotion.
Zhang Zhaoqi couldn't bear it anymore and walked up to the two of them. For some reason, this scene felt like a thorn in his eye.
But what was worse was that he seemed to have no right to stop any of it.
"Let's go." In the end, Zhang Zhaoqi could only say flatly, bluntly breaking the somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between the two. His tone was still平淡的, but only Zhang Zhaoqi knew the hidden turmoil within. He had lost some memories, but a voice had always echoed in his mind, telling him he should be someone without emotions.
Only by being this way could he better control certain things.
And he had always lived up to what his rationality demanded—not having feelings for anything.
Except for Qi An.
The moment he saw Qi An, his heart began to ripple. Slight, tiny, insignificant ripples, then growing larger and stronger.
Until unconsciously they became... an uncontrollable tempest.
"Mm." Qi An nodded lightly as if relieved, quickly shifting his gaze away from Gu Wang. He followed the cold-faced Zhang Zhaoqi, stepping cautiously toward the dormitory.
"You're leaving, An'an?" Gu Wang stood up calmly, smiling warmly like spring itself. He showed no frustration at his beloved seeming a bit afraid of him, just cheerfully extended an invitation, "Let me go with you. I can protect you, you know."
"No need." Zhang Zhaoqi replied emotionlessly.
His words were decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.
Gu Wang ignored him. Only after seeing Qi An nod slightly did he pat his head in disappointment, "Then be careful. It gets a bit unsafe around here at night."
"What do you mean?" Qi An paused.
"There are some dirty things lurking around here." Gu Wang smiled brilliantly, "They hide in the darkness, silently watching everything. The moment they find the right opportunity, they capture their prey all at once..."
"Especially people with an enchanting fragrance..." Gu Wang's words seemed to carry additional meaning, "That fragrance is like an addiction, sweet and cloying, like the most precious nectar of flowers. Even from far away, it draws countless bees to come swarming. They circle around the blooming flowers, enduring long journeys, just waiting for the perfect moment to completely possess this honey..."
"They bring this precious honey back to their nest, and then..."
Gu Wang stopped speaking. Dim, warm yellow light fell across his face. His half-figure submerged in shadow carved out a somewhat ghostly smile.
His smile was still as sunny as if it could warm people's hearts, yet it carried an inexplicable eeriness.
"This honey can never escape this cage. Perhaps, it needs to seek protection from a powerful person from the very beginning—to protect it from being taken over by the bees. What do you think?"
A gentle breeze brushed past the night window, leaving a sound that disturbed dreams as it passed. The entire dormitory building gradually fell into slumber after the sun set.
Qi An followed Zhang Zhaoqi silently toward the dormitory rooftop.
The corridor, usually bustling with people, had become empty and quiet. They deliberately kept their voices low, trying not to make a sound, maintaining this dead silence.
[An'an, why do I feel like what that guy said earlier was specifically directed at you?] The system asked curiously.
[...Maybe.] Qi An paused upon hearing this, as if in contemplation, then chuckled lightly with a hint of playfulness, neither confirming nor denying, [What about that paper? Did it move again?]
[No, it didn't.] After a while, the system asked hesitantly, [Did it conk out?]
[Hopefully.] Images of the general from the previous world unconsciously flashed through Qi An's mind. When he recalled the way the man smiled as he watched him leave, Qi An suddenly felt a微妙的感觉.
He hadn't sensed it then, but thinking back now, he realized the man's smile was strange.
Neither a happy smile nor a forced one.
But rather, an indescribable smile.
Suddenly, Qi An felt something flickering through his mind. He furrowed his brow in discomfort, then his expression shifted. He quickly had the system replay the morning's recording.
He adjusted the image to focus on Pei Ying, maximizing the picture. The system's recorded image was very clear.
The magnified image allowed Qi An to see the girl's face as she lowered her head during her movements. Qi An replayed the scene countless times, slowing the speed little by little. After expending considerable time, Qi An finally saw what he wanted to see.
In the footage, the breathtakingly beautiful girl slightly raised her lips.
She was smiling. She was happy.
The trembling back wasn't from nervousness, but from excitement.
She had seen Li Li's near-madness, trembling with excitement and joy that bordered on unnatural, but she couldn't let this out-of-place feeling show. She could only disguise it by lowering her head, concealing all her expressions.
Fragments of various scenes gradually pieced together. Qi An looked at the rooftop door before him and let out a soft breath.
Pei Ying had once been bullied by Li Li. This heart-wrenching pain had gradually formed a tremendous obsession within her. This obsession led her to a crucial turning point in her life. The girl blinded by hatred found her salvation in the darkness—she found the shop where anything could be exchanged.
With years of pent-up resentment and a madness deeply rooted in her bones, Pei Ying completed a transaction with the shopkeeper.
The transaction succeeded beyond expectation. Pei Ying successfully escaped her bullied status, making the innocent Fang Delian the scapegoat, and then took Li Li's position as class beauty.
But what she wanted was far more than this.
Li Li had said she needed to atone.
Atonement... atoning for the sin of having bullied Pei Ying.
Qi An raised an eyebrow and opened the task panel, pausing on the world background.
Yunhua High School suddenly became haunted, with various supernatural events occurring...
Pei Ying wanted revenge on the entire Yunhua High School. Li Li was just the beginning.
Qi An's gaze once again fell on the task panel, lingering on the side quest for a moment longer. Save those children.
Save who?
These three characters who had run through the story's entirety? Or the students of the academy who had already been targeted by the vengeful spirit?
Zhang Zhaoqi, who had been leading the way, keenly sensed the young man's distraction. He turned to look at Qi An, and his eyes held emotions he himself hadn't noticed yet.
What was he thinking about?
A person? A thing?
Or that Gu Wang who had just confessed to him.
Thinking of the last possibility, the darkness in Zhang Zhaoqi's eyes deepened a few more shades, but he showed nothing. He simply stood before Qi An in a protective stance and slowly pushed open the door.
—The door that supposedly, if entered at night, would reveal angels.