Chapter 69: Fragrant~

“What’s the matter with you, my friend Ji Bai? Oh man, you’re not hurt, are you?” Lin Tuo was puzzled as he looked at Ji Bai’s stooped figure, whose forehead had broken out in cold sweat.

“It’s nothing…” 

“Mister Ji Bai?? What’s wrong with you? You’re frightening me…” Ke’er’s warm and small hands held onto Ji Bai’s as her tail swayed in a worrying manner.  

“I-It’s nothing.  It’s a small matter, that’s all. It isn’t problematic in the least…” Ji Bai firmly pushed his voice down. He wanted to use his normal tone to speak to her as much as possible. 

“You must never be negligent when it comes to injury! There’s no need to push yourself, brother. How about I send you to the school’s infirmary instead?” Huo Lei approached him with knitted eyebrows.  

“No… A-all of you, d-don’t come near me!” Ji Bai suddenly became agitated. He immediately yelled and stopped Huo Lei, who intended to approach him. 

Everyone, including Lin, turned silent after Ji Bai’s outburst. She turned her eyes towards him with a face full of astonishment.  

“…Say, brother, it’s better if you let me carry you over for a checkup. Just hear yourself! Your voice has turned high-pitched and you still want to insist that you’re not injured?” Huo Lei knitted his eyebrows.  From how Huo Lei looked at it, this action of his was merely done to preserve his reputation. He didn’t want to reveal his injuries in front of everyone.

“Don’t spout… drivel! When did my voice…” Ji Bai immediately covered his mouth the moment he spoke. 

‘Crap! …The illness is quickly relapsing! My voice is already changing… If this continues, I’ll soon…’ 

‘Ah, my body’s so hot…’

Ji Bai forcefully endured the burning stream of heat spreading from his heart throughout his limbs and bones. His blood vessels, skin, and internal organs were rapidly shrinking inwards… 

“Ahn!~” Ji Bai moaned as he was momentarily unable to endure the restlessness in his body. This delicate and alluring moan of his momentarily stunned the students present at the scene.

“…What exactly is wrong with you, student Ji Bai? If you’re ill, you should hurry and go to the infirmary. Our equipment is considered to be quite comprehensive, and we also don’t collect any expenses from our students.” Lin Tuo’s complexion was somewhat peculiar.  

“Mister Ji Bai, are you better now?” Feeling Ji Bai’s frighteningly cold hands, Ke’er squatted down and pressed up against his body.  

“Exactly! Scars are a warrior’s medals! What is there to be ashamed about? One mustn’t hold up an illness, so let me carry you there!” After he finished speaking, Huo Lei didn’t waste a second word and walked over. He was going to carry Ji Bai on his shoulders. 

With both Ke’er glued onto him and his illness about to relapse under the watchful gazes of everyone on the scene. Ji Bai’s heart was panicking like surging, boiling oil in a pot.         

“D-don’t come over. Stay far away from me! I’m fine… Aaaahhh! I-It’s just that I caught a cold and my throat is feeling uncomfortable, that’s all! I’m going to soak in a hot bath! Don’t any of you get close to me!” When he saw the large hands that were ever-so approaching himself, his survival instincts thoroughly burst forth in that instant.  

Ji Bai covered his mouth and loudly shouted. He broke away from Ke’er and dragged his increasingly high-pitched voice with him, leaving behind a series of blurry afterimages. 

“…That obscene middle-aged man is going to be fine, right?” Lil’ Sha raised her eyebrows slightly. 

“Oh, so it’s a cold? I knew it, that’s why I asked why his voice had suddenly become high-pitched!” Huo Lei slapped his head and felt that it was indeed the case. He found no fault in his explanation at all.    

“Mister Ji Bai…” Ke’er worryingly looked at the distant silhouette of Ji Bai.

The only ones who were silent were the chanting Daoist priest Pianzi, the expressionless Lin, and Lin Tuo, who was currently caressing his chin.  

“I suddenly recalled… That royal vampire little girl I have met earlier. I have a nagging feeling that I heard her voice before… but man, I just can’t seem to remember.” After a moment of contemplation, Lin Tuo simply gave up on pursuing this line of thought.  

…………………

Running away as if he was flying, Ji Bai’s speed was as quick as lightning in the stormy skies.

His brain was tangled in chaos while he mindlessly ran and bumped against people in the academy. 

‘I-It’s going to come out, it’s really going to come out…! I have to hurry up and find an empty place to hide and settle this! …Uhm… Are these the public bathrooms? This is just the right spot for me! Let me see if this place has any private bathrooms.’ 

“Front desk sister, are there still any vacant private bathrooms available?” The voice he had been holding down sounded like a deep and low roar, Ji Bai rushed into the front desk of the public bathroom, restless with anxiety. Without bothering about manners, he propped his hands up on the counter. 

“My apologies, student. There are usually people around in the private bathrooms at this time, but the public bathrooms are still…” The young front desk lady said apologetically.  “Is there really none left? It’s an SOS, miss! A matter that truly concerns life and death! Is it possible to work something out for me?!” As he strongly resisted the shrinking process of his vascular tissues and body, Ji Bai felt his tears were about to flow out. 

Feeling the strange and intense gazes of the people around him, Ji Bai powerlessly sat on his knees. 

‘I’m done for… I’m going to be euthanized under the watchful eyes of this crowd…’

After looking at Ji Bai’s pale corpse-like face and his despair-filled eyes, the young front-desk lady didn’t have the heart to refuse his request. 

“Ehm, to be honest with you, there’s indeed an empty one. The fourth unit on the fourth floor is temporarily vacant, but…”  

“Good! Thank you, beautiful young lady! Your kindness will be remembered in the afterlife!!” Like a refugee that came across an oasis of hope after wandering in the desert for days and nights, Ji Bai leapt up and interrupted the speech of the young front desk lady. With a speed akin to flying, he made a beeline towards the staircase. 

“…But, someone already reserved that place…” However, her voice had arrived too late. At this moment, Ji Bai had already rushed up the flight of steps. 

……………….

“Wah wah wah!!” Ji Bai’s eyes were filled with wisps of blood as he charged straight into the center of Room 404. Looking at the gleaming and luminous water illuminated by the spotlight, he jumped into the pool without any hesitation. 

“Boom…!” Inside the mist of water generated from the currents, a scarlet-colored radiance, accompanied by crowds of crimson bats flying out of the pool, appeared. 

After this, the surface of the pool was calm once more. 

“Huff huff… I finally made it in time. I’m so exhausted…” As water splashed outwards, a small silver-haired head poked out of the water. After spitting out the water that entered her mouth, she panted as if a weight was lifted off of her mind. 

Bai Ji raised her head to look at this stand-alone bathroom. The floor was made up of Makore grained oak wood, while cartoon designs were drawn on the vibrant blue and orange walls. The warm and comforting spotlight shone on the pool, whose water temperature was adjusted to a perfect temperature. In addition, there were also several cute yellow rubber-duckies and water pads floating on the surface. It was a very comfortable environment.  

However, because she wasn’t a small child, there was no way she would be excited at the thought of squeezing a rubber ducky in a corner and playing with the water. What’s more, there was still an important matter at hand she needed to accomplish; filling her stomach.   

“Sniff, sniff, sniff…blood… it’s the smell of blood~!” Bai Ji’s ahoge instantly stood up as she turned her tiny head in all directions. A streak of scarlet that can be seen through a glass on top of the water pad caused her eyes to brighten. 

‘Wow-wow! Just when I wish for something, it gets fulfilled~! To place fresh blood into a goblet and leave it on a water pad, how romantic~! This is basically designed especially for me!’ 

By this point, heart-shaped pupils formed in both of her eyes while Bai Ji realized that the oasis was just in front of her! Without caring about her image, she carelessly clung onto the water pad in the center of the pool.  

“Yay~! I am digging in~!” As she sat down on the water pad in a duck-like posture, Bai Ji licked the lemon-shaped ornament that adorned the exterior of the goblet. Adopting a graceful posture, she then drained the crimson liquid inside the cup with a gulp.   

“Uhiya~! I am saved!” Bai Ji licked her lips, enjoying the aftertaste of the liquid. She then rubbed her belly in contentment.

Rua~! Although it was somewhat lacking in quantity, it still managed to resolve her most pressing needs.  

After her stomach was satisfied, Bai Ji’s mind began to turn to more wanton matters as her mood took a turn for the better. While laying on the water pad, she picked up a floating yellow ducky and began to squeeze it.     

“Quack quack…” The little yellow ducky, who was now shriveled, let out a noise. 

‘Tch, t-this isn’t something I wanted to play anyway! I’m not a kid anymore, so how could I be interested in stuff like these? But it’s alright if I stay here for a while longer, right??’ 

Bai Ji untied the chest ribbon on her gothic dress, which caused the dress to instantly change into a red light and enter her body. After untying the two bat-shaped hair clips, Bai Ji impatiently jumped into the water. She cheerfully frolicked about in amusement and even hummed a tune while doing so.  

“Lalala~♫”