Yumo, Zhangyuanzhou, and Liyu hadn’t come to school for ten days straight.

Tanglingxue also had a boring day today.

Finally, the afternoon classes were about to end.

Listening to lectures made her want to yawn.

She couldn’t be bothered to join her friends chatting about fashion and gossip.

Since Zhangyuanzhou was suspended, it had been much quieter.

But she felt a little regretful that Yumo wasn’t here either…

(Ugh, why do I even care about Yumo…)

She shifted position, lying on her desk with her face against the cool surface.

Listlessly scrolling through WeChat, she first saw Zhangyuanzhou’s cheesy messages.

[Ling Xue, how have you been lately?]

[Haven’t seen you in days—wanna grab dinner?]

[How are my buddies at school doing?]

[Want anything?]

…

(Ugh, I thought he’d finally behave. Is he seriously trying to make me his girlfriend? Should I just block him?)

Before, she’d held back for classmates’ sake. Now… he wouldn’t be back for at least two months anyway. Blocking him wouldn’t matter. That’s settled—

“Oh, by the way, so the class rep and Liyu are really together?”

(!)

Her friends suddenly brought up a topic she cared about.

“Probably?”

“How weird…”

“But they’re not even coming to school now.”

“They’ve become the talk of the school overnight.”

“From Liyu’s perspective, it’s kinda romantic? Like a prince appearing when she’s heartbroken?”

“But that prince is so creepy…”

“Judging by what he’s done lately, he seems mentally unstable…”

“Maybe a psycho?”

The girls chatted happily, oblivious to Tanglingxue’s darkening expression—except her friend Gu Xin.

(Ling Xue looks awful—does she actually like the class rep? That’s such bad taste… Ew. But if so, badmouthing him in front of her is awkward… And he chose that chubby girl over her!? Yikes!)

“Ahem, I mean,” Gu Xin cleared her throat, forcing a topic change, “Liyu’s the lucky one here, right? Like a shoujo manga plot—suddenly caught the eye of a popular guy, even though she’s fat and ugly!”

The other girls perked up, chiming in: “Totally!” “She’s probably getting cocky.” “Who’d actually like that?” “It’s like keeping a pet pig.”

The gossip shifted from Yumo to Liyu. Gu Xin thought Tanglingxue might feel better now—she glanced over.

But her expression worsened, a trace of anger in her eyes.

“Mocking her looks is so low. What if she loses weight and turns out beautiful? Even if not, she doesn’t deserve your laughter.”

Tanglingxue snapped, her voice icy.

The others fell silent, unsure how to respond.

She stood up, whispering to Gu Xin, “Thanks for trying, but it’s unnecessary,” then strode out of the classroom. School was suffocating. Her modified motorcycle had been idle since the upgrade—today, she’d skip evening study hall for a ride. Having a license was convenient…

Passing the sports field, she saw teachers and students jogging. One figure stood out: a girl in a white track jacket, shorts, and knee pads. Her ample chest bounced with each stride, drawing every eye.

Tanglingxue knew her.

“Harusaki?”

“Ah, Tamotsu! Ling Xue-chan~”

Harusaki Chie spotted her too, hopping over like a bunny—adorable and lively.

Rin Kai High prioritized competitions, including sports. Its track team was strong. Tanglingxue had joined on a whim in her first year, meeting Chie there. Though she soon quit, they kept in touch and stayed friendly.

Chie was about to take a break. They walked and chatted across campus.

“You’re training for the next tournament?”

“Not that… utilitarian…”

“‘Utilitarian’?”

“Yeah. I just… love running.”

“Makes sense—you’re on the sports track.”

“Well, last week, I met an… interesting boy. Oh!”

“You noticed a guy? Wow, rare.”

“He even asked for my WeChat!”

“A pickup artist? Be careful—he might scam you.”

“Not exactly… a stranger. He’s from our school.”

“Who?”

“Yumo. I think he’s in your class?”

“!?”

Tanglingxue’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yumo?”

“Yep!”

“The Yumo from my class?”

“Yeah. Who else?”

“He asked for your WeChat first?”

“Mhm!”

“………………”

She felt played.

Chie had his contact.

The school beauty did too.

Liyu definitely did.

Great—she was the only one who didn’t even know Yumo’s WeChat ID. Why did this sting so much?

“Ling Xue-chan? Daijoubu?”

“Ah… cough, I’m fine. Let’s talk about your running times instead…”

She forced the subject change. Chie lit up.

“My 100m time has steadily improved by 0.1 seconds since the last meet!”

“Strong.”

“But I feel stuck. How can I get faster…”

“Even if you ask me…”

Tanglingxue glanced at Chie’s prominent chest, then at her own smaller frame. “Lose those weights on your chest, and you’ll fly” almost slipped out.

Just then—

“Lass, ya can run faster, easy.”

““?””

A voice called to them near the flowerbed in front of the lab building.

They noticed a man sitting on the steps.

He looked fifty or sixty.

His face was stubbled. He wore a janitor’s oversized coat, absurdly short shorts for the season, and plastic slippers. Flabby, hairy legs stuck out. A ridiculously wide straw hat topped his head, and he held a tobacco pipe.

He looked like he’d time-traveled from a rural TV drama.

But his words broke the illusion:

“Lass, want ol’ Zhao Daniu to grant yer wish? Honest and reliable, ah tell ya!”

“…Who are you?” “Kimi wa?”

“Me? Ah’m Zhao Daniu. A Demon. Alias: ‘Demon in Shorts’.”

““???””

Seriously, a lunatic.

“Yer might not believe it, but ah’m powerful! Any wish—pay the price, ah’ll make it happen~~ What’s on yer mind?”

How did this outsider get past security? Schools were this lax now?

“Shocked, eh? Don’t worry—ah’m fair. Ah charge the bare minimum! Souls, lifespan, memories, organs… ah take all. For speed, just pluck some nails or hair for me~”

“You’re sick!” “Kimochi warui…”

The girls hurried away, treating him like a madman.

“What the…?”

Zhao Daniu scratched his head, watching them leave.

“Strange… two girls resisting the temptation of one of the Primordial Four Demon Kings? Am ah getting old? Eh, no matter. Ah’ll find others. Makin’ deals with humans is what demons do…”