### Chapter 32: Dogs and Punishment
Bai Yu has never forgotten that the prototype of this world is a romantic school comic. The supernatural and eerie tales are just additional elements, which means that, in a certain sense, the campus is the battlefield.
The tasks from the black cellphone can be ignored, but the romantic entanglements of the male and female protagonists absolutely cannot be overlooked.
The sc*m Game has assigned them the mission to charm their respective characters without using coercive tactics.
Romantic feelings are tricky to navigate, and on top of that, there are new “competitors”—every female game participant transformed into a woman becomes a potential rival. If they manage to make even a tiny advance, it’s a huge loss for our hero.
In the end, there can only be one person in the male protagonist’s heart. Feelings are like a snowball, starting from nothing and gradually building up, becoming larger and increasingly effortless.
But that doesn’t mean the early stages aren’t important.
Of course, they are! However, making a move at this stage is not ideal. Others are lurking in the shadows, observing. Any woman who approaches Lu Liangting now will be seen as a competitor; even if she wins some of his favor, it’s as easy as pie to eliminate her.
The moment Lu Liangting stepped into the classroom, Bai Yu’s attention snapped to him. She had Zhao Mingyue place the rabbit plush toy on the desk, then leaned in closer. The two bl**d-red eyes of the plush toy seemed to glimmer with a touch of humanity at this moment.
Zhao Mingyue was still chewing on chocolate, the expensive kind too precious to be bitten into—she preferred to let it melt slowly in her mouth.
Resting her elbow on the desk and supporting her chin with one hand, Zhao Mingyue tilted her head, planning to greet Lu Liangting, but he was already striding toward her.
“Got a minute, Mingyue? I need to talk to you about a few things.”
Lu Liangting looked positively worn-out, having spent all day yesterday dealing with Xia Han’s issues. He felt guilty—who’d have thought Xia Han would meet her end in there?
“It happened the night before last. I was busy handling some things yesterday, so I didn’t reach out.”
“Mm.” Zhao Mingyue nodded lightly, covering her heart-shaped chocolate box and slipping it into her desk.
This small action caught Lu Liangting’s eye. He stared at the heart-shaped tin for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Zhao Mingyue’s face. He was curious but kept his questions to himself.
Hugging Miss Rabbit, Zhao Mingyue ignored the curious gazes from her classmates and followed Lu Liangting out.
That little chat could stir quite the misunderstanding—talking about going out, the night before last, and not having been in touch; people would naturally start speculating. Zhao Mingyue was aware of this but didn’t really care.
They could say whatever they wanted, as long as she didn’t hear it.
As long as she didn’t hear it, there would be no gossip.
However, awkwardly enough, as Zhao Mingyue and Lu Liangting stepped out of the classroom, they bumped right into Li Nan, her male classmate who had given her chocolate.
Li Nan wasn’t particularly tall—just shy of 1.7 meters—with a handsome appearance and a middle-part hairstyle. His hair was light blonde, and he wore a standard black school uniform, but on his feet, he sported a pair of shoes that looked quite extravagant.
In his hands were several beautifully packaged books tied with red ribbons.
“Where are you headed, Mingyue?”
Seeing Li Nan approaching, Zhao Mingyue flashed a smile and stated candidly, “Lu Liangting wants to talk to me about something. And, by the way, thanks for the chocolate! I just had a piece; it was really delicious.”
“Delicious, nice, great…” Li Nan halted mid-sentence. Of course, it was wonderful that Zhao Mingyue accepted his chocolate, but the real kicker? She actually opened it and ate it right away!
So is that a refusal or an acceptance?
“Yup, thanks a lot! But maybe don’t bring any next time; I just borrowed a book.”
“I—”
“Mingyue.” Lu Liangting turned back, not even glancing at Li Nan, “Let’s go.”
“Sure!” Zhao Mingyue’s smile was polite. “I have a few things to do, so I’ll head over first; you can go back.”
With that, she strode away, leaving Li Nan standing there like a statue.
He watched Zhao Mingyue and Lu Liangting’s retreating figures until they vanished around the corner, his expression twisting uncontrollably, his back teeth grinding.
At that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Li Nan’s face went blank before he hurriedly pulled it out. When he saw a message from a red-lipped avatar, his lips involuntarily curled into a grin.
“If that’s the case, I can definitely win her over!”
For Li Nan, whether she was a girlfriend or just a side piece, he had plenty of experience. Given his family background, he was never short of female company. He always thought that no girl, especially a schoolgirl, could resist the lure of money.
Sure, he was just a high schooler, not even of legal age, thinking like this seemed completely normal.
In fact, he started swapping girlfriends like trading cards in sixth grade, and at that age, he barely cared about the physical aspects. What mattered more was the vanity that came with having a girlfriend.
Just like designer shoes and clothes—you’ve got to have them, and you’ve got to switch them up frequently. This way, you can flaunt your status and soak up the admiration of your little followers.
When he got to high school, he became even more ostentatious until he spotted someone in the corner of the classroom.
Her beauty captivated him, her body drove him wild, and her soul was like a dazzling light!
In this quest, he tried many tactics, and money, for the first time, fell through.
She was poor; she even worked part-time in her spare time, but when thirty thousand bucks dangled in front of her, she merely frowned, looked at him with mild interest, and said flatly, “Oh, so much money—what a pity.”
Just as he prepared to leave, his phone buzzed again—it was the red-lipped avatar once more.
This time, instead of suggestions, she simply summoned him to the rooftop.
Li Nan had an inexplicable trust in this person and didn’t hesitate to head up to the school’s rooftop.
On the rooftop, the woman was already waiting for him.
With smoky eye makeup and bl**d-red lips, a perfectly oval face with harmonious features, her long hair was lightly curled and dyed dark purple, casually draped behind her.
She wore black leather boots paired with a long leather coat, exuding a sense of demeanor.
She appeared to be about twenty-seven, exuding a mature, intellectual beauty.
“Chen, Teacher Chen, um, did you want to see me?” Li Nan was terrified of her, hardly daring to make eye contact.
“Have you forgotten something?” The woman parted her red lips, her voice slightly husky, casting a sidelong glance at him.
Li Nan shuddered and suddenly knelt on the ground, pressing his hands to the floor and bowing his head, “S-sorry, Master… Woof… Woof.”
Teacher Chen turned and walked up to Li Nan, looking down at him from a height. Her high-heeled boot delivered a fierce kick to his chin, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“I’ve changed my mind. I have another task for you. You have one week. If you don’t complete it, as punishment…” the woman smiled sweetly, “I’ll k*ll you.”
