PNB Chapter 6 Reputation Damaged
Chapter 6 Reputation Damaged
Saki casually tossed the firewood onto the ground.
The latter collapsed to the ground, still in shock, panting heavily.
The shock of weightlessness during the fall allowed Huomu to break free from Liuli's control and regain consciousness in an instant.
Then, recalling everything that had just happened, Huo Mu's back was soaked with cold sweat, and his heart was pounding wildly.
"Thank you... thank you for saving me."
Huo Mu's voice trembled; this was the second time in a short period of time that he had thanked Qi Ji.
"If you really want to thank me, then next time you're feeling down, please do it somewhere else."
Saki's voice came through the mask, still cold.
"I don't want to sleep in a place where people have died."
Huo Mu quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I don't know what came over me just now, I was just like I was possessed..."
He held his head, feeling both frightened and bewildered by his actions.
Saki seemed unable to bear his cowardly and bewildered state, and said with disdain:
"Hey, you don't actually think that jumping off this building will prove your innocence, do you?"
Huo Mu raised his head and looked at him blankly.
"Using suicide to prove you didn't steal anything?"
Saki chuckled, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic.
"Don't be silly. If you die, they'll just say, 'See, he really stole it and committed suicide out of guilt.'"
"By doing this, you'll only turn yourself from a suspected thief into a confirmed coward and thief, and that won't do you any good!"
Huo Mu was stunned. His rationality gradually returned as Qi Ji delivered his merciless speech.
Yes, you'd know that if you thought about it for a moment...
Death is never proof, but merely an escape, and confirms all the stigma.
"I...I won't make that mistake again."
Huo Mu smacked his head hard.
"My afternoon nap mood has been completely ruined."
Qi Ji shook his head, seemingly feeling that there was no point in staying there any longer, and turned to leave the rooftop.
Seeing that Saki was about to leave, the comments section immediately became anxious:
"Ji-ge, where are you going? You can't leave Huomu alone!"
"That's right, Brother Ji! Without you, how are we supposed to fight off those bad women?"
"Some of the comments are just ridiculous. Masked Guy isn't Huomu's father. Saving him once or twice isn't enough; do you expect him to save him every time?"
"Exactly! As the male lead, he has to stand up for himself!"
"Given the current start, it's definitely a bit frustrating to put yourself in the male lead's shoes."
"Brothers who feel frustrated, jump to Brother Ji's live stream!"
……
In the teaching building, in the shade of the connecting corridor.
Seeing her good fortune being ruined one after another by Saki, Ruri bit her lower lip.
"This is really... in the way."
That's why she wanted to get rid of Saki from the rooftop from the very beginning.
Fortunately, that troublesome guy is finally gone.
Liuli quickly seized the opportunity and activated the echo once more—
This time, she will weave an even stronger sense of "despair" and destroy Huo Mu in one fell swoop while he is in a vulnerable state of mind!
However, the anticipated psychological erosion failed to materialize.
The echoing threads seemed to have struck an invisible barrier and were gently bounced away.
"?!"
Her glassy pupils contracted slightly.
It's broken?
How is that possible?
She refused to believe it and immediately mobilized more of her inner energy, causing the butterfly wings on her fingertips to flap faster and faster, almost as if they were about to spark.
However, her response was still blocked by Huo Mu's mind.
"This guy... he can actually resist my echo?"
Liuli was startled, finding it unbelievable.
"How is that possible? Only twice, and it's already completely adapted... even developed resistance to my responses?"
"This guy is clearly just a bottom-of-the-class student with an F-rank rating!"
Liuli mobilized her inner energy once again, this time intending to unleash her full power.
However, just as she made a move, a slender hand gently rested on her shoulder without her noticing.
"I'm saying—"
A lazy voice, as if just waking up, rang in her ear.
"Shouldn't you stop already?"
!!!
Liuli's body stiffened instantly.
That sound...
Is it Saki?
No...not possible!
When did this guy...?
She was clearly using the power of echo to cover her surroundings, keeping watch on anything that might approach.
How could someone have gotten so close to her without her noticing?!
Liuli suddenly turned around—
Sure enough, what came into view was that iconic mask, right up close.
The silver-blue patterns on the mask reflected a shimmering, cold light in the sunlight, as if silently mocking her.
"Saki...Saki Yu-san...?"
The harmless smile that never changed on Liuli's face could no longer be maintained.
"Saki-kun...you...what are you doing here?"
"Because you're here, Ruri-san," Saki replied matter-of-factly. "I came to find you."
When Qiji and Liuli faced off again, the number of comments in Qiji's live stream skyrocketed.
"Holy crap! Brother Ji's awesome! So he went straight for the bad woman and went for a good beating!"
"You're bullying my Mu Bao, aren't you? My brother Ji is furious!"
"Upstairs, the reason your brother Ji is angry is simply because his afternoon nap was disturbed, right? (laughs)"
……
In the original storyline, Ruri did not kill Huomu; she pulled back from the brink at the last moment.
But at this moment, because of Saki's intervention, Ruri has actually solidified her reputation as a bad woman in the eyes of the audience.
I'm sorry, Liuli, but for the sake of my popularity, I'll have to ask you to do this a little bit.
Of course, as compensation, I will save you in the later part of the story.
……
Liuli had no idea that her reputation had been completely and imperceptibly damaged by someone.
She took a step back, distancing herself from Saki.
After the initial shock and panic, the girl quickly composed herself.
She put her thin-rimmed glasses back on as a disguise, and at the same time, casually tucked a stray strand of misty purple hair behind her ear.
When she lowered her hand, her face was once again adorned with that flawless "top student" smile.
Liuli's voice returned to its usual gentleness:
"Is there something you need from Saki-san?"
Instead of answering immediately, Qi Ji turned his head slightly as if to sense something:
"Ruri, you claim your echo lineage is 'Insect Lineage - I Saw Butterflies,' right?"
"What's wrong?" Liuli's smile remained unchanged.
"But actually, that's not the case... If I'm not mistaken, your true lineage is extremely rare and very complicated—"
The spiritual lineage, right?
Moreover, they are among the more senior members, skilled at weaving emotions, guiding suggestions, and even implanting ideas.
"?!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the top student-like smile on Liuli's face froze once again.
Saki seemed quite satisfied with the girl's reaction. He bent down and pressed his expressionless, pure white mask close to Ruri's somewhat pale cheek.
They were so close they could feel each other's breath.
"So, the next question... Ruri, what is your relationship with Deep Blue City and the Kamishiro family, renowned for their high-level spiritual lineage?"
The moment the words "age of gods" were uttered—
The girl's expression changed drastically.
……
……