Hell High School (16): His past

On the afternoon of the sixth day, the homeroom teachers of each class turned on the LCD TVs hanging in the corners of the classroom walls during the last period of the afternoon.

Whether it was the first year or the third year, every class actually had a TV and surveillance cameras, but usually, the cameras and TVs were covered in dust, barely noticeable.

In a low voice, Tan Xiao and Wen Yi whispered, “Our class’s TV still works? I thought it was broken.”

After a somewhat lengthy one-minute startup animation, the slightly plump, square-faced principal of Hell High appeared on the small TV screen.

“Good evening, students. You have all been working hard in your studies lately! To help everyone relax both physically and mentally, and to better improve the school’s efficiency, the school will hold a school-wide courage test event starting at six o’clock tomorrow evening!”

Tan Xiao thought this event arrangement was a bit strange: “How does holding a courage test event help us relax? Shouldn’t we be organizing a school sports meet or a campus competition instead?”

Life lies in movement, and high school students, being busy with their studies, severely lack exercise. If they want to relax their minds and bodies, they should hold a cultural performance, like singing and dancing.

The courage test event sounded like an activity that would only make students more tense, and he suspected that the school leadership was clearly unwilling to give them a break and just wanted to add some rich material to the school’s introduction, which was why they came up with such an event.

After all, the campus sports meet usually lasts for at least three days, and the arts performance requires more than ten days of practice, unlike the courage test, which, although it is a school-wide event, doesn’t take up too much time.

The principal continued, “To set up the venue for the courage test, all students and teachers will have a break from tonight’s self-study until the courage test ends tomorrow. We encourage all students and teachers to actively participate!”

Tan Xiao looked at the time and was even more certain of his guess. The start of school just happened to be on a Monday, and now it was Saturday. These two days were originally the rest days for most people.

After the principal finished speaking, the screen flickered and returned to a blank blue screen.

Homeroom teacher Ms Xu turned off the TV and announced with a slightly excited tone, “Did everyone hear that? Today’s class ends here. Go back and prepare well, and remember to participate on time.”

She packed up his lesson plans and walked out in her high heels, making a clacking sound. The class monitor, being pulled by the puppet strings, was the first to stand up, and the other students followed her out of the classroom.

Tan Xiao wasn’t very interested in the courage test, but a break was always a good thing. Every day in high school was filled with classes and exams, so holidays became the most anticipated events in a student’s life.

Moreover, because there were very few holidays, even half a day felt very precious. Less than a day and a half could almost be equivalent to taking a month off.

Seeing that half of the students in the class had already gone out, smiles of joy brought by the holiday appeared on their faces: “Really on holiday? Wen Yi, how about we go out for green pepper and perilla bullfrog today?”

Last time he spontaneously went out, he had already eaten at the cafeteria, but there were various specialty shops on the streets outside. Although they were much more expensive than the cafeteria, the flavors were different.

The high school cafeteria only had one floor, with limited selling windows and much fewer varieties.

Tan Xiao was not just thinking about eating: “And we have to participate in the courage test, so we need to go out and buy some things to prepare.”

Wen Yi nodded: “Okay.”

There wasn’t much time left, so he wouldn’t refuse any suggestions made by Tan Xiao. In fact, during the time the two have spent together, Wen Yi had never forced Tan Xiao to do anything other than engage in deep conversations.

Aside from Tan Xiao, other players couldn’t help but mock the principal NPC: “He just said a few words and that’s it, even went so far as to turn on the TV just to show his face in front of all the teachers and students. What a show-off.”

“Yeah, I thought he was going to crawl out of the TV, it really scared me!”

Not long after they finished speaking, they received a notification from the system almost simultaneously.

Every time the players heard a notification from the system, it was usually not a good thing, and this time was no exception.

[Detected that the progress of the Hell High School dungeon mission is being changed, loading new DLC, loading progress 5%, 10%, … 80%, 100%, new DLC loaded, Main Mission updated]

[Main Mission: Participate in the Hell High School Courage Test Event (mandatory participation), abandoning this mission will be considered a game failure]

Xia Yizhen’s face turned pale: “The mission to survive for ten days has disappeared.”

“The mission to collect the seven major legends of the campus is still there, but it has become a side mission.”

Although the side mission offered rich rewards, completing it wouldn’t allow the game to be cleared.

To gather the storyline, she got injured and used up quite a few items, angrily smashing the ground: “If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken this mission! Now look, I’ve wasted several days!”

Dong Hu remained calm, his handsome and refined face showing no signs of change: “The side missions haven’t disappeared, which means the missing 14th ghost story will be part of the courage test. If we can successfully get through the courage test, we can clear the game early.”

He had no regrets: “The main mission of the system won’t change for no reason. The courage test was added because we collected the storyline.”

“Complaining is pointless. Let’s focus on preparing for the courage test. There’s no need to hide anything. Clearing the game is the priority.”

They hadn’t been working in vain these past few days. After several days of continuous collaboration, the group had basically developed some tacit understanding, so they wouldn’t be completely at a loss during the Courage Test.

A player from Class 8 of the senior year said, “I heard that Tan Xiao said he was going to leave the school gate to prepare for the courage test. Should we go out and give it a try too? He went out last time and came back smoothly. I see that many other NPCs have also gone out and returned successfully.”

Clearly, he had also suffered losses, but there were always those eager to take risks. In reality, there are also people who are keen on self-destruction.

This player who spoke believed that Tan Xiao was not an NPC because he found a very crucial piece of evidence: last night, he went to the teacher’s office to search for clues.

After reviewing Tan Xiao’s student records, his study card showed that he was not a native NPC, but a transfer student like them. The difference was that Tan Xiao enrolled three days earlier than their group of players.

They were both transfer students, so Tan Xiao was definitely a player. Although Dong Hu was a big shot, the other party was someone with a strong desire for leadership and was cold-hearted and ruthless.

Tan Xiao was a lone wolf who didn’t get close to others, but he was not a bad person. When Xia Yizhen was near the artificial lake, this player was actually watching from a distance. At that time, he didn’t know about the existence of the Seven Legends and didn’t plan to step in to save anyone.

Dong Hu looked at the player who spoke with a half-smile, half-sneer: “Even if he is a player, are you sure he is on the same side as you?”

Since this was a God divine game, for better mission viewing, many instances had players from opposing factions.

Just because Tan Xiao could go out didn’t mean these players could go out. Perhaps the other party’s mission was to hunt players.

Of course, this was clearly malicious speculation. If Tan Xiao were really a player hunter, Xia Yizhen would never have survived back then.

The player who mentioned Tan Xiao fell silent, clearly not intending to confront Dong Hu any further.

The player group quickly split into several fixed teams again, but everyone obviously had their own thoughts.

Outside the school, Tan Xiao was unaware of the discussions about him. He held Wen Yi’s hand and entered the Bullfrog Restaurant. They were lucky; when they arrived, the restaurant was already full of customers, and they managed to sit at the last available table.

“One serving of green pepper and perilla bullfrog hot pot, mildly spicy.”

Tan Xiao skillfully checked off items on the menu, adding hot pot noodles, potato slices, lotus root… seven or eight kinds of side dishes, and ordered a large cup of the restaurant’s chilled sour plum juice.

While waiting for the food to be served, Tan Xiao wasn’t idle. He pulled out a physics test paper from his bag and said, “Wen Yi, can you explain this problem to me?”

Wen Yi shoved the test paper back: “We are out playing, not studying. Tell me about your past.”

He looked into Tan Xiao’s eyes: “I want to know about your past, your life before transferring.”

“Your past life, let me think about it.”

In a light-hearted conversation, some familiar scenes floated up in his memory: “I didn’t have much to say back then, just going to school step by step, from elementary school to high school, ten years of hard study.”

He looked out the window: “Things from my childhood are too far back, and I can’t remember anything particularly interesting.”

Perhaps it was because he was hit on the head and reborn, the elementary school he once attended was never particularly clear, and then the memories became increasingly blurry.

If he tried hard to recall, he felt a dull pain in his head, and the more he thought, the more it hurt, so he instinctively avoided the pain in conversation.

If he could get hold of childhood photos, he might be able to retrieve those memories, but those photos were all at home.

“I was the typical ‘other people’s child’ when I was young, obedient and sensible, not causing my parents any worry, doing well in school, liked by teachers, and passionate about sports. But actually, I didn’t have many close friends.”

Compared to gathering with a large group of people, Tan Xiao actually preferred being alone. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to go on a solo graduation trip after finishing high school.

Looking back on those past days, it seemed that no one left a particularly deep emotional mark on his heart.

Since the stories weren’t interesting enough, Tan Xiao naturally didn’t plan to share them with Wen Yi. After all, as a person, he wanted to present himself well in front of his own partner, and he was no exception.

Tan Xiao said, “I’m not bragging, okay? I was actually very busy when I was a kid because my parents are very accomplished but also very competitive. They said they wanted me to be healthy and happy, but they didn’t let me miss out on learning things either.”

Seeing Wen Yi quietly looking at him, listening earnestly, Tan Xiao naturally talked about his past: “When I was in elementary school, the students in my class weren’t into extracurricular activities yet. They would go home after school and play card games. I had to go to my grandfather’s house in the evenings to learn calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting, and on weekends, I learned taekwondo and Go…”

Wen Yi asked him, “Did you enjoy learning these things?”

Tan Xiao shook his head, he said, “Can’t say I liked it or hated it. I was very obedient as a child; whatever my parents told me to learn, I learned. And I succeeded. When I performed at the class art gala, I could earn the admiration of others, so I was willing to keep learning.”

Children’s vanity is actually quite strong, and he was no exception. Plus, he was relatively smart and learned things quickly, which gave him a sense of accomplishment. Even though he learned a lot, he could always stick with it.

“However, learning these things is quite boring, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything interesting.”

The happiest thing for him when he was a child seemed to be watching cartoons at his grandma’s house. His grandma and grandpa treated him especially well; they were the kind of grandparents who never pressured him. Every time he went back during the holidays, they would chat and laugh, and every day was filled with happy eating.

For breakfast, we would have soy milk ground by Grandma’s hand and fresh milk she boiled, crispy and fragrant youtiao (fried dough sticks), sweet and soft tangyuan (glutinous rice balls)… and all sorts of delicious braised dishes she made.

Tan Xiao’s love for food probably came from Grandma’s side; his mom loved food too.

In fact, Tan Xiao had completely forgotten the specific content of the cartoons, but he couldn’t forget the happy feeling of sitting in the living room, eating popsicles, and watching TV during summer vacation.

So much so that even when dreaming at night, he often dreamt of that familiar scene.

Actually, there should have been some happy moments too, but those little things were shared with my parents on the spot, and then they slipped away from my brain like a puff of smoke, never to be remembered once he grew up.

To be precise, when he ran into classmates from his childhood who he used to learn things with on the street, he couldn’t even recognize them, and he forgot their names as well.

During the learning process, he actually cried a lot. Those embarrassing moments from his childhood, those touching scenes, were all recorded by cameras or photos.

If there were any records on hand, Tan Xiao would be willing to let Wen Yi take a look, but asking him to voluntarily share his childhood embarrassments was out of the question. High school boys are at the age where they care a lot about their image, so that was definitely impossible.

“Besides studying, I also participated in various competitions. By the time I reached middle school, I had learned most of what I needed to. Then my family started making me learn an instrument, so I learned to play the piano. I also joined the school basketball team because I was tall, and I became the captain!”

His schedule was packed from a young age, which helped him maintain good eyesight. You should know that many boys his age, although they have flat stomachs, have well-defined abs. They are just skinny and have no muscle tone at all.

However, Tan Xiao was tall, had abs, and even had beautifully defined six-pack abs, all because he loved playing basketball and swimming in middle school.

Speaking of this, Tan Xiao was quite proud, because the school basketball team was the only extracurricular activity his parents didn’t arrange for him. He successfully became the captain thanks to his talent.

However, because he had good grades, he stopped playing basketball in high school and only went swimming during the summer.

After all, his family would never allow him to pursue a sports career, and playing basketball in the summer was just too hot.

Of course, this was also related to the particularly heavy workload in high school. The public high school he attended was very strict, with endless tests and assignments every day.

The hobby that Tan Xiao managed to stick with during high school was calligraphy. Because it also allowed him to practice writing, having good handwriting could earn extra points in exams.

“My calligraphy and painting skills are actually quite average, with no flair, just craftsmanship, completely reliant on technique. It was okay when I was younger, but as I grew older, my grandfather didn’t think much of me anymore, always saying I was a blockhead.”

Tan Xiao shrugged: “But the main reason I practice this is that it doesn’t take much time, and winning awards in competitions can earn extra points. It’s a very utilitarian thought, isn’t it?”

Sour plum juice was served before the bullfrog hot pot. After sharing so much about his past with Wen Yi, Tan Xiao inevitably felt a bit dry. He poured himself a glass of icy sour plum juice, took a big gulp, and then couldn’t help but frown.

Sour plum juice had a faint herbal medicine taste, but that was not a big problem; it was just too sour.

Wen Yi shook his head, “You’re amazing, having such a wide range of interests and hobbies.”

“Actually, it’s not that impressive. I just dabble in everything a bit. I’ve learned a lot of different things, but I haven’t mastered any of them. Whether it’s Go or piano, they’re all at an amateur level.”

At this moment, Tan Xiao was not being arrogant but rather quite pragmatic: “Besides, my academic performance can only keep me in the top ten; I’ve never been first. You’re the one who’s really impressive, Wen Yi. For students, the most important thing is actually studying.”

In Tan Xiao’s environment, whether among classmates or adults, everyone valued studying the most. Being in the top ten could only be considered good grades, but only the person who consistently came first would be remembered by everyone.

Thinking of this, Tan Xiao’s lips couldn’t help but curl up again: “Although I can’t get first place myself, I have a boyfriend who always gets first place, so I’m still the one who’s amazing!”

“Getting first place isn’t that impressive.”

Wen Yi also took a sip of the plum juice. He directly took Tan Xiao’s cup and deliberately pressed his lips to the spot where the other had drunk.

A sour taste surged into his mouth, and Wen Yi said in a calm tone, “People who have good grades but are reclusive will be disliked.”

Tan Xiao blurted out, “You’re so amazing, who would dislike you?”

He thought of the scene when he first saw Wen Yi with his head bowed and eyes downcast, and quickly took his hand, “Don’t worry about those annoying guys, it’s almost over anyway. I’ll always be by your side.”

Wen Yi didn’t lie; sometimes high school bullies are really unreasonable.

People like Tan Xiao, who are somewhat skilled in everything and have grades that are still at the top, have a lot of friends and shine brightly, so their academic careers go smoothly.

Tan Xiao didn’t have to worry about any interpersonal relationships to easily become the center of attention in a crowd.

However, Wen Yiwas the opposite of Tan Xiao. Because his IQ was high enough, he was unwilling to play with his peers.

Wen Yi started skipping grades from a young age. The original plan was to follow the young student route, but due to his parents’ intervention, fearing he would become eccentric, they only allowed him to skip two grades.

The school ID card he showed Tan Xiao was actually altered. He didn’t attend his third year of high school at eighteen; he was sixteen. When he entered his first year of high school, he was only fourteen.

Wen Yi didn’t like sports, and his athletic abilities were not well-developed. He only enjoyed reading and doing research, and was considered a bookworm by others.

Perhaps due to a lack of exercise, Wen Yi was not as tall as Tan Xiao. At the age of fourteen, he was shorter than his peers.

Because of his outstanding academic performance, he received special attention from teachers. Coupled with his introverted personality and short stature for his age, Wen Yi became a target of bullying at school.

He was not the type to silently endure; on the contrary, Wen Yi was very vengeful and found ways to retaliate.

But he wasn’t very lucky; the guy who led the bullying was the principal’s son. He had poor grades but was tall and handsome.

Tan Xiao stopped playing basketball in high school for academic reasons, while the guy who bullied Wen Yi was still on the school’s basketball team in high school and was recruited through sports. His friends were all those strong, athletic types.

However, there was another reason why this guy hated Wen Yi. The pretty girl he liked also had good grades, and when she rejected him, she said she preferred smart guys like Wen Yi, not athletic guys with well-developed bodies but simple minds.

All these factors combined led to the mad dog’s targeting of him.

At first, it was just simple isolation, making the whole class not talk to Wen Yi. But for a student like Wen Yi, who was naturally reclusive, he was perfectly fine being alone, so he didn’t care about the isolation.

Perhaps thinking that their actions made Wen Yi more comfortable, the other students were quite annoyed, and small animals started appearing on Wen Yi’s desk.

Just common little mice and frogs, things like that. Wen Yi initially suffered a bit, but then he retaliated.

He glued the dissected dead mouse directly onto the other person’s desk and injected water into the skinned frog using a discarded syringe.

When the other person stood up to answer a question, Wen Yi accurately threw the water-filled frog onto the rabid dog’s chair.

The scene was once extremely tragic, and the other person’s plan to throw snakes and spiders was thus shelved.

Wen Yi temporarily enjoyed a period of peaceful life until that summer of senior year when the other person organized a school courage test event.

This was a mandatory school courage test event, and all third-year high school students had to participate.

Wen Yi did not intend to join this stupid activity, so he was tricked into coming that day.

The text message he received was about a school safety knowledge competition arranged for that evening, the kind of perfunctory event organized by the education bureau, where every student had to do it on the computer.

Because high school coursework was busy, it took up the time for evening self-study.

Yuying High School was a highly pressured school, and there were indeed ghosts in the school.

The floating corpse in the artificial lake, the female ghost on the school rooftop, the exploded laboratory building… The six major legends of the campus were all true.

And the day the other party played a prank was actually the Ghost Festival.

That annoying guy, the mad dog who made Wen Yi feel irritated, was the one who led Wen Yi into the ghostly maze under such special circumstances.

The person who organized the courage test event scared them, but since they were prepared beforehand, they left without any major issues.

The mad dog, along with his companions and other students who participated in the event, successfully returned to reality.

Although some of them had fevers and were shaken up from the scare, they rested at home for two days and then returned to continue their lives.

The reclusive, always silent, and forgotten by classmates, Wen Yi, was left behind on that summer night due to a prank.

Wen Yi, the top student of Class 8 in the third year of high school, vanished into thin air on that night when everyone had forgotten about him, and then wandered alone in the deserted campus under the summer night sky.

The ghost realm had no sunlight, no daytime; he avoided the evil spirits within the ghost domain, struggling for two years in such an environment.

In the ghost world, humans cannot survive normally. Wen Yi ate moldy steamed buns that accidentally fell into the ghost domain, roots growing on the ground, koi with ghostly faces, and drank water from an artificial lake that smelled fishy.

After two years of struggle, he gradually became weak. On his eighteenth birthday, Wen Yi, who had become neither human nor ghost, was finally torn apart by the ghost stories in hunger and fear.

The people who once targeted him grew up well, went to university, and became successful.

They completely forgot what they had done, and when they mentioned Wen Yi, they would still show a sighing expression.

“If Wen Yi were alive, and hadn’t suddenly disappeared, he might have become the top scholar and an impressive figure”

The principal’s son from back then also successfully pursued the goddess he liked. Speaking of those days, he pretended to be remorseful and said, “I was young and reckless back then and made mistakes. I still owe him an apology.”

With no warmth, the ghostly flames that couldn’t be extinguished by water wrapped around him, and the hellfire brought out from the underworld took away everyone who had forgotten him that night.

Two years after Wen Yi’s disappearance, on the seventh day after his death, those students who had been involved in everything met their end in a fire.

This included the principal behind the mad dog, as well as the teacher who favored some students over others due to their different family backgrounds.

This was the secret of Class 8, the dull and monotonous past of Wen Yi, and the mystery of the vanished 14.