C19 The Case of Theft in the Cafeteria

Today was a rough day, marking Liu Feng's first solo venture into taking orders.

"Wen Lu, what kind of job are you recommending to me? None of these seem to fit me at all," Liu Feng complained, frowning as he examined the list Wen Lu handed him.

"Take this one, for instance: searching for a fire spirit seed. Last time, when searching for a water spirit seed, even intermediate Mage Lei almost lost his life, and he was leading a team. I definitely don't want to go."

"And this one, teaching arcane fire skills to a rich young lady? I'm not going—I barely attended school myself, how can I teach someone else?"

"Then there's this: a school cafeteria food theft case. I'm not a detective, you know."

"Why are you so difficult? You won't do this; you won't do that. What are you even doing here? Why don't you just retire?" Wen Lu ranted, exasperated. She massaged her forehead, feeling utterly helpless at how timid and fussy Liu Feng was, doing nothing at all. It looked like her money was just going down the drain.

Wen Lu let out a sigh.

Rubbing his head, Liu Feng couldn't help but think how tough life was. The tasks on the list seemed impossible for mere mortals. While the pay for a hunter was good, the jobs were just too challenging.

Without much thought, Wen Lu pulled a random job from the three she had offered Liu Feng.

"This is the one. If you're not going to take it, don't bother coming back. Are you here just to chat? What else are you good for besides hitting on me?" Her voice trailed off, her eyes clouding with disappointment.

Seeing Wen Lu's disheartened expression tugged at Liu Feng's heartstrings, especially her last remark.

"Fine, fine, I'll take it," Liu Feng conceded, unable to bear the sight of Wen Lu's downcast eyes, and he reluctantly accepted the job.

He glanced at the list in Wen Lu's hand—the school cafeteria food theft case. It didn't seem dangerous, so he thought, why not? If it couldn't be done, it wouldn't be his fault.

Oblivious to the details, Liu Feng failed to notice the list specified "Jixledo Arcane High School" as the location and Zhuang Qiushuo as the client.

"Could you help me analyze this, Sister Wen Lu?"

Wen Lu gave a resigned smile. She had her own work to attend to, yet Liu Feng was proving to be quite the persistent nuisance. Nevertheless, assisting hunters with their missions was part of the job, after all.

"Eh, Arcane High School in Jixledo? That's my school too."

"Great, you should head over to the school cafeteria and take a look around. As a student, you'll blend right in without drawing any attention. But why aren't you attending classes?"

"Well, haha..." Liu Feng chuckled awkwardly, evading the question. Of course, his reluctance to face school was the real reason for his absence.

In the midst of their conversation, Wen Lu had already made the necessary arrangements for Liu Feng.

"Head to the school cafeteria now. Your client is there, and she'll fill you in on the details."

...

Inside the school cafeteria.

Zhuang Qiushuo was engrossed in a book titled "How to Calm Your Anger?" Lately, she felt the need to find her inner peace, as her temper had been flaring up. The cause? Liu Feng's audacity in touching her and his truancy from school.

Zhuang Qiushuo had no desire to reach out to Liu Feng's parents. Her last home visit, no, her attempt to apprehend Liu Feng, had left her with haunting memories of his mother's bizarre stares and smiles. It was downright horrifying.

Glancing at her watch, Zhuang Qiushuo noted that the time was drawing near.

...

As Liu Feng entered the campus, he was greeted by the bustling crowd of students and the playful banter of couples walking together. It felt like a return to those carefree days of the past. Yet, Liu Feng was well aware that this was merely an illusion. Demons lurked outside, ready to strike at the Verge of Serenity at any moment.

Without diligent arcane practice, he might one day face nothing but ruins, lamenting his twisted fate. He would have to exert his utmost effort and leave the rest to destiny before walking away in silence.

Shaking off these thoughts, Liu Feng reminded himself to focus on the present. The future was still a long way off, and the immediate task at hand was what mattered.

Lost in thought, he had already reached the school cafeteria. At this moment, the only person present was a striking woman, her long black hair cascading down her back.

With lunchtime yet to arrive, the cafeteria was empty, confirming that this woman must be his client. But something about her silhouette struck him as oddly familiar. No matter, he decided to approach her first.

Liu Feng felt a surge of excitement at the thought of striking up a conversation with the beautiful woman ahead. He quickened his pace, eagerly approaching her.

As he drew closer, the figure became clearer and more familiar, stirring up memories within him. Ah, it was the silhouette that had all the male students in the classroom's hearts racing! "Damn," Liu Feng muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, Liu Feng's steps halted, and he contemplated a stealthy retreat.

Zhuang Qiushuo was puzzled. The client she was expecting should have arrived by now; why had the footsteps ceased? She turned to look back.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Time seemed to freeze as their gazes locked, feeling as though centuries had passed.

Liu Feng was the first to snap out of it and took off running.

"Oh my god, why did it have to be her!"

Zhuang Qiushuo had convinced herself that her recent study of "How to Calm Your Anger" had been effective, as she'd been feeling quite serene lately, without a hint of anger. But she was sorely mistaken! Her temper flared up like gasoline ignited by fire whenever Liu Feng was involved, becoming explosively volatile.

"Shadow Escape." Zhuang Qiushuo unleashed the arcane shadow skill, transforming into a swift-moving shadow. In a blink, she emerged from Liu Feng's own shadow and, with a deft knee, pinned the fleeing Liu Feng to the ground.

From a distance, their positions could be misinterpreted as intimate. Liu Feng was sprawled on the ground with Zhuang Qiushuo's knee firmly planted on his back.

"I'm wrong, Ms. Zhuang, terribly wrong," Liu Feng pleaded from beneath her, his cries resembling those of a tormented spirit. Being pinned down by a beautiful teacher wasn't the worst experience, but it was quite uncomfortable for the young monk. "And how can you be so heavy? Please, get off!"

Zhuang Qiushuo delivered a measured slap to Liu Feng's head, then seized his ear firmly in her hand.

Liu Feng felt as if his ear might tear away from his head.

"Will you dare again?" she demanded.

"No, I truly won't dare again. Last time was just an accident," Liu Feng insisted.

At the mention of the previous incident, Zhuang Qiushuo's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It was the first time she had been touched in such a way, and by one of her own students, no less.

"Wuuwaaah!" Liu Feng began wailing once more.

Moved by maternal compassion, Zhuang Qiushuo climbed off Liu Feng and spared him.

"Never bring up that matter again, or I won't be so lenient."

"Rest assured, teacher!" Liu Feng rose from the ground, brushing the dust from his trousers as he spoke with solemnity.

"Pfft." Zhuang Qiushuo, still slightly miffed, couldn't help but laugh at Liu Feng's earnest face.

It was then that Liu Feng took a good look at Zhuang Qiushuo. With the seasons changing and the chill setting in, the black stockings and high heels, along with the fishtail braid, were gone. They had been replaced by jeans, canvas shoes, and shoulder-length hair.

Her disheveled bangs, coupled with the gentle curve of her hair at the back, lent Zhuang Qiushuo an air of innocence while also exuding a captivating allure. She was the epitome of both innocence and desire.

Liu Feng was immediately taken by Zhuang Qiushuo's outfit and involuntarily swallowed hard.

The gulp echoed distinctly in the quiet cafeteria.

"Ms. Zhuang, you look absolutely stunning today."

"Little rascal." Zhuang Qiushuo, having heard Liu Feng's gulp, blushed slightly. Though she was aware of her beauty—often secretly dubbed a siren by her fellow teachers—receiving compliments from Liu Feng made her feel bashful, particularly because of the pure and unadulterated look in his eyes.

Many had complimented Zhuang Qiushuo's looks without her batting an eye. Yet today, her cheeks flushed with color. She wondered to herself, 'What's gotten into me? Why does a compliment from a young man make me blush?'

Her rosy cheeks only added to her charm. Captivated by Zhuang Qiushuo's lovely eyes, Liu Feng found himself momentarily lost in thought, struggling to maintain composure before swiftly steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Why are you here today, Ms. Zhuang?" he inquired, soon after realizing something that made his expression turn odd.

Zhuang Qiushuo didn't respond but instead posed a question to Liu Feng, "What brings you to the school cafeteria?" Her expression mirrored his peculiar look.

Their gazes locked for a moment before they both exclaimed in unison:

"You are the client!"

"And you are the trustee!"