Chapter 234: Why Are You Following Me?

Calling the police was definitely out of the question—if she went to the station and they pulled the surveillance footage, others would learn of Shuilu Yana's existence.

Even if the nearby cameras happened to be broken or hadn't caught anything, and she hadn't lost so much as a single hair, under normal circumstances this kind of tailing wouldn't constitute a crime.

Even if the police classified the tailing as serious, at most they'd get a fine and a few days of detention before being released, and afterward she'd probably have to guard against that person pulling tricks every single day.

Qiao Sang thought it over for a moment, then picked up her phone and sent Xu Jia her location, along with a message:

【Do me a favor】

Xu Jia replied instantly: 【I'm in class right now!】

Qiao Sang typed rapidly: 【You can actually bring your phone to school】

Messages came in rapid succession.

Xu Jia: 【Our school isn't as strict as yours. Tons of people sneak their phones in】

Xu Jia: 【Huh? Seems like it's class time right now, and you're actually on your phone!】

Xu Jia: 【I get it now! You must need Phantom Water Baby to go to class for you, that's why you came to me】

Xu Jia: 【Not that I'm one to talk, but skipping class on the third day of school isn't great, is it】

Xu Jia: 【I've been through it, take my advice—the worst thing about school is getting remembered by the teacher. Once they remember you, everything gets blamed on you: being called on in class, the teacher's death stare, pop-quiz recitations. You might have to deal with all of that every day from now on】

Qiao Sang felt a little pang at the last message. She gathered her thoughts for a moment and began typing:

【I'm not skipping class, I took leave. The favor I want isn't asking Phantom Water Baby to take my class for me, it's something else. I can pay extra】

Xu Jia replied quickly: 【Mentioning money makes us strangers, doesn't it? Hold on, I'll send Phantom Water Baby over right now】

After finishing her chat with Xu Jia, Qiao Sang opened her contacts and dialed the vice principal's number.

"What is it." The vice principal's voice came through the speaker.

"Vice Principal, I don't have my homeroom teacher's contact info. Could you help me ask them for a day off for me, just one day." Qiao Sang said.

"Sure, but what's your reason for the leave?" Liu Yao asked.

"I woke up this morning feeling a bit unwell, like I have a fever, and want to lie down at home." Qiao Sang offered a reasonable and practical sick-leave excuse.

"You have a fever? Where's your family? You should be going to the hospital right now." Liu Yao said, frowning.

"It's fine, I'll rest at home for a bit first. If I still don't feel well this afternoon I'll go to the hospital." Qiao Sang said, pretending to be weak.

At that moment, an uncle carrying a briefcase happened to pass by. He glanced at Li Songhai lying on the ground and the two pet beasts collapsed beside him, then walked over kindly: "Little girl, need any help?"

Qiao Sang quickly covered her phone's earpiece and shook her head, refusing him with a mouthed word.

Once the passerby had left, Qiao Sang put the phone back to her ear and continued in a weak voice: "Then I'll leave the leave request to you."

Liu Yao, whose hearing had been boosted by pet beast feedback and was exceptionally sharp: "."

But Liu Yao didn't call her out. In his usual steady tone he said: "Then get some rest. By the way, if the principal comes to you and asks you to switch to the Gao San group for the National Campus Beast-Taming League, remember to refuse. We need to play it steady. With your strength, getting first place in the whole province in the Gao Yi group is no problem."

At this point Liu Yao paused, then continued: "If you get the chance to make it to the national finals through the regional tournament, cultural scores and all that won't matter anymore."

Great minds think alike. Qiao Sang said solemnly: "Understood."

After hanging up, under Ya Bao's telekinesis, Li Songhai and his two pet beasts were moved to a nearby alley.

Half an hour later, Xu Jia sent a message: 【Phantom Water Baby has arrived at the location you sent】

Qiao Sang went out to look and, sure enough, saw a Phantom Water Baby with a small navigation device around its neck standing by the road, looking around in a daze.

"Over here!" Qiao Sang called out, waving.

"Phan-phan!"

Phantom Water Baby turned its head at the sound, eyes lighting up—it clearly recognized Qiao Sang.

Li Songhai opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a ghost-type pet beast sticking out its tongue right at his face.

"Ahhh!!!"

Seeing the tongue about to lick his face, Li Songhai screamed in fright and tried to scramble backward on all fours, only to find both his hands were tied.

Helpless, he could only scoot backward desperately on his bottom.

Little Treasure Ghost, seeing he was awake, drifted leisurely back to its beast tamer's side.

Only then did Li Songhai realize he was in an alley—and one he was all too familiar with: the very same alley where he'd crouched for half the night last night and nearly been drained to anemia.

"You're awake."

"Ahhh!!!" Startled by the voice, Li Songhai instinctively screamed again.

He hadn't slept well and was in a state of mental exhaustion. The moment he opened his eyes he saw a ghost-type pet beast in close contact with him, then immediately discovered his hands were tied and he was in the very alley that had given him a massive fright last night. Now any little sound made him jump.

Li Songhai followed the voice and saw a delicate-featured girl standing in the shadows, looking at him with a friendly smile.

Beside her stood the psychic-type pet beast whose name he didn't know, and the ghost-type pet beast that had just scared him.

"What do you want?" Li Songhai asked once he'd calmed down.

Once he recognized the person in front of him as the resident of unit 1075, he wasn't worried anymore. What could a minor girl like her do?

Qiao Sang smiled without answering the question. Instead she stepped forward, crouched down, and untied the shoelaces binding his hands, saying: "Recall your pet beasts first."

Recall his pet beasts?

Li Songhai froze, his mind briefly blank.

Steel-Arm Foot Monster and Swift Rain Swallow had been discovered?

Right—Steel-Arm Foot Monster and Swift Rain Swallow were still outside. So why were his hands tied, and why had he been brought here?

"If you don't recall them, don't blame me." Qiao Sang said.

"Ya!"

"Hehehehe"

Ya Bao and Little Treasure Ghost played along perfectly, striking villainous poses as if ready to strike at any moment.

"Right away!"

Li Songhai said so, but his hands didn't move. In his mind domain he was still sensing the positions of Steel-Arm Foot Monster and Swift Rain Swallow.

Then he seemed to sense something, his head turning stiffly as he stared blankly toward the depths of the alley on the left, eyes wide, like a clay statue.

"I'll count to three."

Before Qiao Sang could even start counting, Li Songhai was so startled he jolted, not daring to waste a single moment as he waved his hand to recall his pet beasts.

"I've recalled them!" Li Songhai said in a trembling voice.

He never imagined that after waking up, both the Steel-Armored Foot Monster and the Rain Swift Swallow would have passed out.

In an instant, Qiao Sang's image became terrifying and mysterious.

Looking again at the smile on the girl's face before him — where was the kindness? It was clearly "nuclear" kindness!

Qiao Sang re-bound his hands.

Li Songhai didn't struggle. Of the beasts still conscious in his Beast Codex now, only a battle-trash Water Snail remained. Even the Steel-Armored Foot Monster had fallen — he had absolutely no hope that the Water Snail could save him.

"Why were you following me?" Qiao Sang got down to business.

(End of chapter)