Chapter 224 Epilogue - New World Arc (Part 21)

The old aunt squinted her triangular eyes, her gaze towards Yu Qingzhou seeming venomous.

The answer was obvious, but the former just wouldn't point it out.

The atmosphere became extremely tense. Everyone except Yu Qingzhou held their breath carefully, afraid that making any inappropriate noise would lead to innocent trouble.

Yu Qingzhou could clearly sense that those gazes had shifted from initial subconscious observation and schadenfreude to urgent urging.

They were urging the boy to speak up quickly.

The moment he opens his mouth, this suffocating stalemate is broken.

Once he accepts punishment, the rest of the people will no longer have to live in fear.

Whether it was a misperception caused by nervousness or not, Yu Qingzhou clearly heard the deliberately suppressed breathing and heartbeats...

Thump, thump, thump thump, thump thump...

The scattered heartbeats overlapped, like the sound of footsteps falling silently.

It seems like they're being very careful, but in reality, they're just trying to cover it up.

Yu Qingzhou took a deep breath. For a moment, he suddenly felt less nervous and just found it boring, even a little ridiculous.

Whether it's the reading room I'm in, the surrounding gazes, or the librarian poised to act in the distance...

If the same scene were to occur in the outside world, it would probably just be something to laugh off.

But at this moment, everyone was so apprehensive, so serious... just like the villagers when they faced the so-called "gods".

What happened to those "God's" people afterward?

It seems they were all dead; some died from the fires they themselves started, others from the fires caused by lightning strikes and the collapse...

In the end, it was he himself, the "son of evil," who left that place alive.

So, is it that those people's faith is not sincere enough, or is it a case of "the devil is always one step ahead of the saint"?

The more Yu Qingzhou thought about it, the more absurd and ridiculous it seemed.

Humans are always like this, thinking they have everything under control, thinking they have victory in their grasp... But in the face of unpredictable fate, who can truly hold the initiative even for a moment?

However... it's just wishful thinking.

As her thoughts gradually cleared, Yu Qingzhou's mood also gradually returned to calm.

He suddenly realized that there was nothing to be afraid of... after all, he had practically died once already.

The previous tension and anxiety were less about the fear of being caught by the old aunt, and more about not having completely escaped the emotions of the nightmare.

As the black aura surrounding the old woman grew thicker and thicker, her already unattractive face became even more distorted by anger, the boy's throat moved slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak when a knocking sound suddenly broke the frozen atmosphere inside the room.

[Great! So you were here, teacher.]

As one person spoke, he walked in through the door, his lighthearted demeanor clearly out of place with everything around him.

Therefore, almost as soon as he entered the door, this person attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

But he seemed oblivious, walking straight up to the old woman with a perfectly appropriate fawning smile on his face.

Is there anything I can help you with?

The old woman squinted at the newcomer, her voice slightly annoyed at being interrupted, but the other person's words and actions were indeed impeccable, at least according to the existing management regulations.

Perhaps, she was thinking to herself, maybe she could consider adding a few new rules another day...

Well, actually...

The visitor lowered his voice and spoke a few words to the old woman.

At first, the old aunt had some doubts, but after hearing the news brought by the other party, her expression suddenly changed, and she hurriedly left.

The old aunt left in such a hurry, her skirt fluttering like rolling dark clouds, that she didn't even have time to leave a single word.

Her departure seemed to carry away some kind of dangerous signal.

Almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Even those who had just been bystanders couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, as if they had survived a disaster.

Aside from Yu Qingzhou, in fact, his feeling was exactly the opposite of those around him... because someone was watching him leisurely from not far away.

My stomach was filled with a familiar discomfort, as if I had been forced to swallow a large piece of metal, and a cold, hard, and indigestible feeling kept rising from my abdomen.

Yu Qingzhou lowered her head slightly and made the foolish move that ostriches are rumored to make in similar situations.

I hope the other person can pretend they didn't see me.

Unfortunately, his wish was quickly dashed, because his ears caught the approaching footsteps, getting closer and closer, and he could almost hear their voices out of the corner of his eye.

My heart was pounding.

Finally, as if she could no longer bear it, Yu Qingzhou suddenly stood up from her seat.

This time, she didn't bump into the stool, but the sudden movement still startled the person next to her.

What...what are you doing?!

As the person exclaimed in surprise, they subconsciously lowered their voice and carefully looked behind them, seemingly still concerned about the regulations on the wall, or perhaps afraid that the old maid who had just left might suddenly turn around and come back.

Yu Qingzhou looked at the person who had been frightened by her and couldn't help but feel surprised.

An unfamiliar voice, an unfamiliar face... it was clear that they were complete strangers whom I had never seen before.

—What happened?

That person... E027, he just left like that?

He thought...

Yu Qingzhou looked towards the spot where E027 had been standing, but it was now completely empty.

Not only there, but the other person was nowhere to be seen in the entire reading room.

Where did the person who was just at the door go?

What kind of person are you? Are you sick in the head...?

Faced with Yu Qingzhou's sudden question, the newcomer was completely baffled. He glared at her as if she were a lunatic before quickening his pace and leaving Yu Qingzhou's side.

I'm...sorry.

Yu Qingzhou apologized quietly, then packed her things and left the reading room.

He was lost in thought, his steps were unsteady, and his mind was filled with what had just happened.

Why did E027 suddenly disappear?

Or was it simply that I misread it from the beginning?

Lost in thought, Yu Qingzhou didn't pay attention to where she was going and accidentally bumped into someone walking towards her.

Sorry, I was just focused on—

The words stopped abruptly. Yu Qingzhou's pupils contracted slightly as she stared incredulously at the innocent face smiling before her... If its owner wasn't E027, then who was it?