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Earth's Redemption

Earth’s Redemption: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Spirit Summoning (4)

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

The door, without him realizing, had been pushed open.

Ning Buwen stood up again, calmly gazing at the woman in front of him.

Standing before him was his homeroom teacher.

Just as he had guessed, the figure was exactly who he suspected. His guess was so accurate that it made Ning Buwen feel a little afraid.

His homeroom teacher’s outfit today utterly differed from her usual appearance. Normally, in class, she looked like an unremarkable female teacher, one so ordinary that Ning Buwen had never even considered her as suspicious. But now, she was wearing a white dress paired with bright red high heels, forming a strange, eerie sense of beauty.

“What are you doing here?” The homeroom teacher’s eyes were fixed on Ning Buwen, her pupils seemingly unmoving. If someone else were in his place, they might have been scared to tears by her appearance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ning Buwen noticed the ground beneath the teacher’s feet, he realized that the bloodstains were gone.

No, more accurately, the once-thick bloodstains on the ground had swiftly vanished wherever she stood.

In an instant, the clean, original floor was revealed.

“Teacher, I just realized my money was missing, so I was crouching down to look for it,” Ning Buwen responded without changing his expression nor skipping a beat. “Teacher, what brings you here? Are you also looking for Dr. Cheng?”

After speaking with the teacher, Ning Buwen felt calmer.

He was betting.

Betting that he wouldn’t be killed.

He’d been in class all along, and the teacher had never done anything to make him suspicious. If she really wanted to kill him, there was no need to wait until now.

Besides, Dr. Cheng was right inside the infirmary. The homeroom teacher had dressed so nicely to meet him, so the doctor was most likely someone she had feelings for. Generally, women wouldn’t go on a killing spree in front of someone they liked, right?

Even supernatural instances have to follow some basic rules, don’t they?

“Class is about to start. Come back with me,” the homeroom teacher said, though she hesitated, glancing toward Dr. Cheng’s office before grabbing Ning Buwen’s shoulder.

Her hand was frighteningly cold.

Her grip was also terrifyingly strong. Ning Buwen tried to pull away but found himself unable to move at all.

No, if he left with her, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee his own safety.

“Dr. Cheng, my family’s Xiao Xin, is sick. Could you take a look at him?” Ning Buwen immediately shouted. The homeroom teacher wanted to cover his mouth, but it was too late.

Dr. Cheng peeked out from the infirmary and furrowed his brows slightly when he saw Ning Buwen.

Ning Buwen frantically signaled to the attractive school doctor with his eyes.

“I’ll check the dog first. You should go back,” Dr. Cheng finally said to the homeroom teacher.

The hand on Ning Buwen’s shoulder immediately withdrew.

I’m saved!

“You have to always come to class,” the homeroom teacher said, giving Ning Buwen a long, deep look before the sound of her high heels gradually faded down the hallway.

Ning Buwen slightly relaxed his shoulders, realizing that his palms were now drenched in sweat.

“Come in,” Dr. Cheng said. “You came here on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Dr. Cheng, do you need an assistant here?” Ning Buwen grabbed Xiao Xin and darted inside. “I don’t want to go to class.”

Going to class at this point would be asking for death.

The homeroom teacher was definitely a tough character, and who knows if the thing killing people in the classroom was related to her? Since he couldn’t leave the school and had to survive the next few days, the only place that seemed safe was this infirmary.

“I don’t need one.”

Just as Dr. Cheng finished speaking, he saw Ning Buwen, hugging his dog, start to sob uncontrollably.

“Xiao Xin, it looks like the two of us are destined to sleep on the streets. If we die on the roadside, I wonder if the police will even investigate? I should leave a note, explaining that Dr. Cheng had nothing to do with it, that I sought death on my own…”

Ning Buwen could really cry on demand, it seemed like tears came out effortlessly.

It had been the same before—this student would burst into tears over the smallest things.

“Stop crying.” Dr. Cheng’s beautiful face was hardly convincing when giving such an order.

Ning Buwen wailed even louder. “If you don’t let me stay, I’ll keep crying!”

“You’re a boy, almost an adult,” Dr. Cheng’s face contorted with frustration, but even with an unpleasant expression, he still looked attractive.

“I’ve only ever heard that ‘men crying isn’t a crime,’” Ning Buwen sniffled. “Unless Dr. Cheng favors girls over boys and is discriminating against me because I’m a guy?”

“How long do you plan on staying?”

“Not long, not long.” Ning Buwen held up four fingers. “Just four days.”

“Two days.”

“Five days.”

“Three days.”

“Three and a half!”

“Fine.”

Dr. Cheng felt exhausted. “Even if you’re avoiding class, you can’t just hide here the whole time.”

“I’ll hide for as long as I can.” Seeing that Dr. Cheng had agreed, Ning Buwen immediately wiped away his tears.

His ability to cry on demand and stop instantly was truly impressive.

“Dr. Cheng, do you have any eye drops?”

“Yes, why?”

“I cried for a bit too long just now, my eyes hurt. I’ll need a few drops.” Ning Buwen blew at his eyes gently, still feeling a bit of discomfort.

It had been years since he had put so much effort into “crying” in front of anyone, and both times had been in front of Dr. Cheng.

But as long as it worked, that’s all that mattered.

Ning Buwen felt no guilt. Tears, whether from a man or a woman, were just another tool to use!

“I’ll go get them,” Dr. Cheng said, feeling speechless but still fulfilling his duty as the school doctor, heading off to fetch the eye drops.

The infirmary consisted of two adjoining rooms. The one they were currently in was the office, and the other room, through an open door, contained a few small single beds for students to rest on. Most of the medicine and supplies were also stored in the other room.

Ning Buwen took the opportunity to observe the office.

Dr. Cheng’s office looked perfectly normal. Besides a few professional medical books and some psychology texts, there were just a few potted plants. The overall vibe of the room was like a cozy little reception area, with warm tones that made it easy for one to let their guard down.

“Here’s your eye drops,” Dr. Cheng returned with an unopened box of eye drops.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Ning Buwen expertly opened the box, unscrewed the cap, and tried his best to administer the drops into his own eyes.

But no matter how hard he tried, the drops just wouldn’t go in.

Ning Buwen’s eyelashes were long and curled, and his eyes were sensitive after crying. Tilting his head back to apply the drops only resulted in them dripping all over the floor, with none landing in his eyes.

Dr. Cheng seemed unable to watch any longer. He walked over to Ning Buwen with a look of mild exasperation. “Let me help you.”

He took the eye drops from Ning Buwen’s hands, gently pulled back his eyelids, and said softly, “Look up. Yes, like that.”

From Ning Buwen’s current angle, he could clearly see Dr. Cheng’s chin and his now enlarged face.

He’s really good-looking.

Even from this unflattering, “death angle,” the doctor’s beauty was undeniable.

It wasn’t as though Ning Buwen had never seen attractive people before.

In fact, where he grew up, beautiful people were never in short supply. People from all countries, blondes, brunettes, mixed-race—there was nothing he hadn’t seen.

But even so, every part of this school doctor’s features was exactly like Ning Buwen’s ideal type.

Good looks, a gentle personality, and a doctor too.

Even his gender was to his liking.

For the first time, Ning Buwen felt like there were some perks in coming into Pandora’s game world.

This place was hell, but it was also heaven.

It could destroy everything, but it could also offer you everything you wanted.

Ning Buwen suddenly had a strange thought.

He had heard that in the real world, top-level Legions created specifically to break through Pandora’s game dungeons could even bring out NPCs with special abilities to become their companions.

If I joined one of those, could I somehow bring Dr. Cheng out with me?

It’s not impossible, right?

And compared to the bizarre people already living in that post-apocalyptic world, an NPC from this world might actually be more dependable.

Dr. Cheng, unaware of Ning Buwen’s inner musings, returned to his desk to resume his work.

Ning Buwen glanced over and noticed that aside from a single photograph of Dr. Cheng, there was nothing else on his desk.

“Dr. Cheng, why do you have a solo picture of yourself here?” Ning Buwen pointed at the framed photo. “This looks like it was taken when you first started working here, right?”

In the photo, Dr. Cheng was standing alone in front of the camera, with a large sign behind him that read “Teacher Recruitment” on the side.

“It was taken when I passed the interview to get into this school,” Dr. Cheng explained after thinking for a moment, “though I’ve always felt like I shouldn’t be the only one in that picture.”

By evening, Dr. Cheng was off duty.

Before leaving, he handed Ning Buwen a spare key.

“Dr. Cheng, do you like our homeroom teacher? She dressed up so nicely today, it looked like she was coming to confess to you, wasn’t she?” Ning Buwen asked, feigning curiosity.

“Just focus on your studies,” Dr. Cheng didn’t give a direct answer. “A lot of people in this school like me.”

So this is the kind of privilege a beautiful person has?

After that, Dr. Cheng said no more.

Once he left, Ning Buwen immediately shut the door, ready to conduct a thorough search.

Ahem.

While he did feel a bit attracted to Dr. Cheng, his desire to live far outweighed any romantic thoughts.

The office wasn’t large, but rummaging through it still took some effort, especially since some of the drawers were locked.

Fortunately, the locks were an old model, and with a bit of effort, Ning Buwen managed to open them using a wire.

“Who would’ve thought the skills I learned at eight years old would still come in handy?” Ning Buwen chuckled to himself as he deftly opened Dr. Cheng’s drawer.

Inside was a journal.

Without any guilt, Ning Buwen opened it right away. Privacy? Sorry, now wasn’t the time to care about that.

Dr. Cheng’s journal entries were short, more like brief notes than full diary entries.

Still, Dr. Cheng’s handwriting was quite elegant—though of course, not as attractive as the man himself.

**XX Year, XX Day.**

I took the exam and entered this school with her. Just as she said, this place is rigid and stifling. She was such an optimistic person; I refuse to believe she committed suicide just because she couldn’t handle the pressure of teaching.

**XX Year, XX Day.**

This school is strange, but I can’t figure out what exactly is wrong…

**XX Year, XX Day.**

Zhao Shutong said she wanted to avenge her sister, but I find it strange—was their relationship really that close? Maybe I shouldn’t have come to this school after all.

Hmm?

Ning Buwen raised an eyebrow at this.

Zhao Shutong was his homeroom teacher’s name. Coupling this with the mentions of “jiejie” he’d heard earlier, the truth was beginning to emerge.

The deceased teacher was Zhao Shutong’s sister. Just like Dr. Cheng, Zhao Shutong had come to this school to investigate the real reason behind her sister’s suicide.

In this light, things didn’t seem so complicated.

However, what role is Zhao Shutong playing in all of this? Judging by the situation Ning Buwen had encountered earlier, calling her human seemed a bit of a stretch.

Ning Buwen wanted to keep looking for any photos or other evidence. If the three of them had known each other since childhood, there ought to be something. If it wasn’t in the office, he’d have to find a way to check Dr. Cheng’s home.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door to the infirmary was suddenly knocked on.

One knock, then another.

The sound made Ning Buwen’s head ache.

“Classmate Ning, are you inside? Can you open the door and let me in?” A woman’s voice from outside pleaded persistently.

Ning Buwen held his breath, backing away slowly.

She couldn’t get in.

If she could, she wouldn’t be standing out there asking.

“Open the door, Classmate Ning.”

The voice outside changed.

It sounded somewhat like Chen Ying.

“Weren’t you asking about my former homeroom teacher? Open the door, and I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

Ning Buwen covered his ears, shaking his head vigorously in an attempt to shake the voice out of his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, he was sitting in the classroom, surrounded by familiar classmates.

Strange, why am I sitting in the last row?

“Alright, now we will begin evening study. Class dismissed.” His homeroom teacher Zhao Shutong was standing at the podium, smiling faintly at Ning Buwen. “Students who stay until the end, please remember to close the door.”

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