### Chapter Fifty-Eight: This is Hope
At this moment, two people and one ghost were all wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Shen Shuyun was pondering her mission and how to find the Old Principal, while Zhao Mingyue’s mind was a tangled web, primarily due to Shen Shuyun’s earlier words.
She knew Bai Yu had a mysterious past. Bai Yu had never mentioned it, and honestly, Zhao didn’t think it mattered. She didn’t need to delve into Bai Yu’s history, but she really didn’t want to be a burden or a hindrance to her.
Bai Yu’s past was complicated, and now that Zhao was attached to her, if she continued to be weak, all of Bai Yu’s strength would just be tied down.
So, perhaps she needed to make some little changes.
For instance, completing some tasks while Bai Yu wasn’t around.
With that thought, Zhao Mingyue felt her resolve strengthen.
Yeah, let’s do this!
If she didn’t empower herself, today could see one seductive vixen reaching out to Bai Yu, while tomorrow there could be more little fox spirits swooping in to flirt!
After all, who wouldn’t adore a charming little ghost like Bai Yu?
And who knew? There might even be some men showing up.
A ghost who never ages and can only rely on you, obedient, understanding, and sweet, hiding in your shadow by day to protect you, and appearing at night to help relieve your worries and solve your problems—a young and beautiful, albeit ghostly, companion. Who wouldn’t be into that?
Bai Yu’s past “old friends” must be well-acquainted with her.
Forget her friends; if she knew what was going on, she’d definitely be intrigued.
This rising sense of crisis solidified Zhao Mingyue’s determination.
Her deep, dark eyes sparkled like they held thousands of stars as she fixated on Bai Yu’s figure ahead, her little fists quietly clenched, cheering herself on.
Bai Yu sensed something and turned to glance at Zhao Mingyue.
The girl was dressed ridiculously ordinary today, in a light gray tracksuit and white sneakers, her hair casually tied up in a ponytail.
Let’s just say she had a foundation that was enviable—her beauty and poise were beyond reproach.
But no matter how stunning she looked, it couldn’t hide the fact that she was still just a high school girl.
Not long ago, Zhao Mingyue nearly clashed with No. 652 simply because she was too young.
Most of the time, she seemed great—certainly not like other silly, sweet manga heroines—her occasional quirks made her look even more like a young student.
Often, the more sensible a girl like her was, the more it tugged at people’s heartstrings.
Shoving Zhao Mingyue out of her mind, Bai Yu looked up at the nearby building.
She thought, since this place was No. 652’s memory, did the other game participants have similar experiences? This school clearly wasn’t a coincidence. If they got a shot at something like this…
What about herself?
Would she also return to that monastery?
Would she need to find her memories through the tragic ghosts that died inside?
If the people who died there became ghosts trapped in this school forever, could she perhaps see her sister again…?
“Elder Sister Yu.” On the way to the Youth Palace, Zhao Mingyue suddenly grabbed Bai Yu’s arm.
“What’s up?”
“I still have a couple of tasks left to complete. I… I want to try it on my own!” Zhao Mingyue’s eyes were resolute as she pointed at Shen Shuyun, “You go with her to do your thing. Don’t you have stuff to do? I’ll wait for you here in half an hour.”
“No way!” Bai Yu spit out two words, her voice low but firm.
“Let me give it a shot! Everyone needs to grow—I’m sure you went through this too, right? Without trials and dangers, how would anyone grow? I can’t just let you protect me forever, and we don’t have much time left!”
Zhao Mingyue’s speech was borrowed from some comic; she would never have come up with it on her own.
From what she understood about Bai Yu, this was the most effective line of reasoning, definitely more persuasive than any kind of cute whining.
“You’re right.” Bai Yu fell silent for two seconds before responding. Zhao Mingyue felt her heart leap with joy, but before she could speak, Bai Yu added, “But in a way, I could protect you forever.”
“Uh…”
Zhao Mingyue could hardly believe Bai Yu had said that so earnestly; it really didn’t fit her usual style!
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt warmth creeping to her ears. Although this didn’t exactly align with Bai Yu’s persona, those words truly touched her.
“You’re absolutely right; trials and dangers help people grow. However, you overlooked one thing: trials and dangers can also turn you into a corpse before you grow up.”
“Living under someone else’s protection isn’t entirely a bad thing.”
With that, Bai Yu turned back, her gaze shifting to Shen Shuyun again, glancing at the canteen before peering at the not-too-far Youth Palace.
“If you really want to try it on your own, you can. Let’s meet back here in twenty minutes.”
Bai Yu’s swift change of heart nearly left Zhao Mingyue speechless, and all her rehearsed arguments flew right out of her head.
“Hmm… alright.”
So Zhao Mingyue was left behind, while Bai Yu turned to Shen Shuyun and said, “Let’s head to the canteen.”
“Sure, it’s your call.”
Walking down the little path toward the canteen, Zhao Mingyue was already out of sight. A smile graced Shen Shuyun’s face, “Are you okay leaving her all alone?”.
“Absolutely.”
“Hehehe, as long as you’re alright.”
The atmosphere sank into silence. Shen Shuyun was momentarily perplexed about Bai Yu’s intentions; she really left Zhao Mingyue behind to take on the task on her own.
“The Female Protagonist is just a naive child; I don’t understand why you’re being so nice to her. Even if you wanted to use her for the mission, you didn’t have to go this far.”
After a brief pause, Shen Shuyun spoke again.
She sensed something was off with Bai Yu’s attitude toward Zhao Mingyue; it didn’t seem like she was merely gunning for a task.
Developing genuine feelings for plot characters was risky.
In a sc*m Game, if it becomes apparent what you’re thinking, the last task could trigger after the main mission wraps up.
This task would involve the character you fell in love with.
Failing meant d*ath, while success was a mystery since nobody had ever succeeded until now.
“Stop the chatter and finish your task. If you don’t complete it, I’ll k*ll you.”
“k*ll me? Isn’t that my mission? Didn’t you say that failing tasks has no consequences for you?” Shen Shuyun frowned.
