Chapter 355: Cannot Be So Reckless

"I can't be this reckless." He warned himself silently, slowly retracting his steps, sliding his hands into his pockets, and pretending to stroll on as if nothing were the matter. His gaze drifted casually, but in truth he was observing every detail around him, missing no corner that might conceal danger. On the streetlamps at the roadside, there seemed to be some surveillance equipment he had never seen before, and the occasional glances cast by passing pedestrians also seemed to hide some deeper meaning.

As he walked, Li An came to a quiet corner of the campus. Here, trees grew thick, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell on the ground, forming dappled patches of light and shadow. A breeze brushed past, the leaves rustling as if whispering something. Li An drew in a deep breath of fresh air, and his taut nerves relaxed a little. He found a bench, sat down, tilted his head back to look at the sky, and turned over in his mind what to do next.

Just then, a burst of light, quick footsteps came from not far away. Li An instinctively turned his head, and a familiar figure came into view. It was Guo Yao, wearing a simple school uniform, her ponytail swaying gently with her steps, her face brimming with youthful vitality. The instant she saw Li An, Guo Yao's eyes lit up sharply, and her already bright gaze now sparkled with the brilliance of pleasant surprise.

"Li An!" Guo Yao called out excitedly, quickening her pace, almost running toward him. A brilliant smile bloomed on her face, like flowers in full bloom on a spring day, warm and moving.

Watching Guo Yao running toward him, a warmth beyond words welled up in Li An's heart. He stood up, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously, his eyes full of tenderness and indulgence. "Guo Yao, it's really you," he said softly, a faint, almost imperceptible tremor in his voice.

Guo Yao ran up to Li An, breathing slightly hard, her chest heaving violently. She lifted her head, looked at Li An, her eyes full of joy: "I thought I'd never see you again, I never expected to run into you here." Her voice was clear and pleasant, like a mountain spring, flowing through Li An's heart.

Li An looked at Guo Yao, the tenderness in his eyes growing ever richer: "I've been looking for you too, worried something might have happened to you." As he spoke, he unconsciously reached out his hand, wanting to stroke Guo Yao's hair, but stopped midair, his hand trembling slightly.

Guo Yao seemed to sense Li An's movement; a faint blush rose on her cheeks, and a trace of shyness flashed through her eyes. She lowered her head gently and said softly, "I'm fine, I've just been worrying about you." The air around them seemed to turn sweet, the sunlight seemed to grow warmer too, falling on the two of them and outlining a beautiful scene.

However, this sweetness did not last long. Not far away, a tall, outstandingly graceful girl was watching them coldly. She was Shokuhou Misaki, an esper in Academy City, who usually carried herself with a lofty, queenly air. At this moment, however, her eyes were filled with jealousy and rage; watching Li An and Guo Yao being so intimate, her hands unconsciously clenched tight, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

"Hmph, those two certainly are sweet." Shokuhou Misaki gave a cold snort, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes. "I'd like to see just how capable this punk who popped up out of nowhere really is." So saying, she stepped forward with elegant strides, slowly walking toward Li An and Guo Yao..