"Fans?"
I'm so confused that I can actually encounter a live fan in this game?
Tang Ning's eyes widened, and his translucent pupils shone like beautiful amber in the sunlight as he incredulously looked at Gu Ming.
Gu Ming felt even more embarrassed under his gaze, his face, which hadn't turned red after running for half a day, now showing a hint of blush. He wanted to say something to Tang Ning, but at that moment, a middle-aged bald man entered the classroom.
Carrying a lesson plan, he walked in, slightly chubby with glasses, exuding an authoritative air as he surveyed the students in the class. "Yesterday's math homework, spread it out for me! I need to check!"
Tang Ning couldn't care less about encountering a fan in the game now. He frantically searched for a set of homework he had no idea about.
【System, what does math homework look like?!】
【The yellow one in the top left corner of your desk.】
Tang Ning quickly picked up the yellow-covered test papers. He glanced at Gu Ming, who had already found the set of papers he had to write yesterday, filled with neatly written, youthful handwriting.
Tang Ning checked the number of pages, flipped through them, and then saw a blank space.
His mind went blank as well.
"Why didn't you do it?" Gu Ming asked in a hushed tone, sounding even more concerned than Tang Ning.
Tang Ning replied blankly, "I didn't know about it."
Yesterday, he got trapped in the restroom as soon as he entered the dungeon. After finally escaping, he had to follow Qi Yun, encountering a series of scares. He didn't have time to think about more, and even if he did, the fear of being controlled by homework, after years of graduation, made him forget it momentarily.
The math teacher had already set aside the lesson plan, holding a triangular ruler and walking down from the platform, coincidentally choosing Tang Ning's row for inspection.
It was over.
Tang Ning's vision went dark.
At this moment, Gu Ming suddenly swapped Tang Ning's test paper with his. After doing all this, the math teacher happened to walk to Gu Ming's side. He immediately noticed the blank homework spread out on Gu Ming's desk.
"Gu Ming!!!" The math teacher raised his voice, and his bronze-colored, chubby face became terrifying, with wide eyes filled with bloodshot veins. "What do you mean?! Don't want to study anymore?!"
The triangular ruler in the math teacher's hand struck the desk forcefully, making a banging sound. The hand gripping the ruler revealed clear blue veins.
Tang Ning trembled as if he himself was being reprimanded.
Facing the math teacher, Gu Ming lowered his head, explaining in a muffled voice, "My homework book was left in the classroom."
"Shut up!!!" The math teacher angrily said, "Don't give me excuses! Don't go for lunch at noon, stay in the classroom, I'll talk to you then!"
After leaving these words, the math teacher continued inspecting. Tang Ning nervously looked at Gu Ming, not knowing what to say for a moment. "You, I..."
He didn't expect Gu Ming to swap the homework with him. It was obviously unwise to provoke an NPC in the game, especially in this dungeon where everything, from students to teachers, seemed inexplicable. Tang Ning even lacked the courage to admit he hadn't done the homework just now.
Looking at Gu Ming's slightly trembling gaze, Tang Ning's eyes were too pure. Gratitude and guilt were clearly visible, making it irresistibly tempting to lick them with one's gaze.
"Thank you," Tang Ning whispered.
Gu Ming looked stunned for a moment, and his face turned even redder in an instant. "Ah, it's nothing. My tarot card is a Gypsy, with a strong sixth sense. I can sense that there won't be any big problems."
He awkwardly scratched his head as if suddenly remembering something. He tore off a sticky note and handed it to Tang Ning, dryly saying, "Really, thank me by giving me an autograph."
-He seems to be a real fan of mine.
Tang Ning stared blankly at Gu Ming, who was asking for his autograph, involuntarily pondering a question:
Someone like me.
Do I deserve such good fans who genuinely like me?
"Is it okay?" Gu Ming asked nervously.
Tang Ning held the sticky note as if grasping the recognition he had needed countless times during self-doubt in the dark night.
He once thought that no one would sincerely like him for his profession.
The thin sticky note was so light, almost ethereal. Tang Ning had to grip it hard to make sure it wouldn't slip from his hand.
He lowered his head with force, afraid to blink, fearing tears would fall in front of Gu Ming.
Too embarrassing, Tang Ning, you can't be so embarrassing anymore.
Skillfully, he wrote his signature on the sticky note, a signature he had practiced hundreds of times. Drying the dampness on the paper meticulously, Tang Ning handed the sticky note to Gu Ming.
Gu Ming took the note and admired it repeatedly, as if wanting to trace every stroke with his gaze. A dreamy smile appeared on his face.
"Gu Ming! What's wrong with you?! You didn't do your homework and still dare to smile?!" The scolding voice of the math teacher suddenly came from behind.
Tang Ning was startled, and he turned his head dazedly, meeting the furious math teacher who had abruptly turned his attention to him. The math teacher looked like an inflated balloon, shoulders puffed up, wielding the ruler in the air, venting anger recklessly.
Gu Ming quickly apologized, "Sorry."
"You're really out of line!" Leaving these fiery words, the math teacher moved on to check other students' homework. Tang Ning nervously looked at Gu Ming, who had been scolded twice. Gu Ming's face had lost its smile, and he appeared serious, as if contemplating significant life matters. Then, he tore off a new sticky note, writing on a heart-shaped pink paper:
"According to school rules, talking and using phones in class are not allowed. Let's communicate through written notes. Tang Ning-"
At this point, he paused, and after Tang Ning's name, he added "classmate," a more intimate address.
"Tang Ning, glad to meet you in this dungeon. I'm Gu Ming, a soon-to-be senior in reality, and your devoted fan."
"Yesterday, when I saw your name, I thought it was just a coincidence with the same name and surname. I didn't pay much attention. But today, passing by your dorm, I saw you through the small window."
"Although you covered half of your face with your hand, I recognized you at a glance!"
"Meeting you is the happiest thing since I entered this game."
"Sorry for being too excited. Regarding the math homework incident, yesterday in the classroom, I met Song Linsu, who shares the dorm with you. I asked him to remind you about the homework and gave him the correct answers. Did he forget to tell you about it?"
The small sticky note was filled with words on both sides. Gu Ming quickly handed the note to Tang Ning while the math teacher was focused on teaching.
Taking the note, Tang Ning read the long text and found that he had limited space left to write. In the remaining blank space, he wrote:
"I'm also happy to meet you." There were many things he wanted to say, but on this short piece of paper, Tang Ning didn't know how to unfold them. He wanted to ask Gu Ming why he was a fan, why he said he was better than expected-there were many questions, but it wasn't the right time.
Handing the note to Gu Ming, Tang Ning couldn't help but glance around. The classroom was filled with unfamiliar faces, each focused on the lecture. They all seemed like ordinary students in their school uniforms, following the rules.
"Tang Ning! What are you daydreaming about?!!!" The math teacher's shout made Tang Ning shiver. Under the gaze of the entire class, Tang Ning, feeling like a child who had made a mistake and was facing everyone's criticism, raised his head. From eyebrows to eyes, there was an undeniable look of terror.
His fair skin, exposed in the sunlight, turned a distressed shade of red. Tang Ning had white skin, and any emotional fluctuation would manifest distinctly on his translucent skin, from the ear to the neck, red enough to bleed.
During this period, Tang Ning hadn't rested well, dark circles hanging under his eyes. This made the redness seem pathological.
Stranded in the harsh sunlight, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Tang Ning felt a bit relieved hearing the scolding words. Verbal reprimands were relatively inconsequential for him now.
A young boy's hand hidden under the desk handed Tang Ning a pink sticky note:
"I know about this incident; Zhou Chuan told me. However, there's something you may not know. Yesterday night, Song Linsu privately messaged me, saying you're a ghost. Both of you accused each other of being ghosts, making Zhou Chuan and me unsure who to trust."
"Of course, that was last night's thought. Now, I believe you because you are exactly as I imagined."
"No."
"You're even better than I imagined."
"PS: I sense that ghosts' strength during the day will be significantly restricted. You don't need to be too nervous."
Song Linsu said he's a ghost? This is really turning the tables. Tang Ning, while frowning at the first part of the note, suddenly found himself at a loss for words at the unexpected praise later.
The young man's liking was sincere and straightforward, unable to conceal and not intending to. It all poured out between the lines, leaving those who read it somewhat caught off guard.
After some thought, Tang Ning picked up the pen and asked Gu Ming if he knew what the screams last night were about.
Initially, Gu Ming, who would occasionally intersperse confessions in the notes, became serious when he read this part:
"When that thing knocked on the door last night, everyone woke up. No one spoke. I heard the monster say, 'Someone made a sound.' I speculate that the creature's killing rule is to target players making noise after midnight."
"After leaving your dorm, it knocked on 304's door, but it was perfunctory, only asking two questions. There are four NPCs in 304, and I believe that this creature doesn't control NPCs so strictly. However, this lack of control also depends on the situation. Perhaps it doesn't control nighttime NPCs much (those NPCs at the door in the morning left voluntarily when they were about to be late; I think during the day, school rules have at least some restraint on these NPCs)."
"After knocking on all six dorms on this floor without a response, it remained silent for a long time."
Gu Ming continued writing, revealing the mysterious events unfolding in the classroom during the day.
"I had the Gypsy card equipped, and at that time, I always felt uneasy, unable to sleep. Then, I heard Du Fei on the opposite bed suddenly get up, quietly leaving the room. I speculated that he might be seeking wealth and risk, so he went to open the door to explore. Then, I heard his screams."
"We all thought he was dead."
At this point, a hint of fear flashed in Gu Ming's eyes. He took a deep breath before continuing:
"But he came back this morning."
"Standing among the NPCs blocking the door."
"Holding breakfast in his hands."