Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Sumptuous Dinner

The girl who spoke, Xiao Yin, had been Xia Ye’s closest friend while she was alive. The moment Xia Ye’s name was mentioned again, it was as if a nerve had been struck among the students of Class Three, Grade Twelve—the rowdy atmosphere suddenly turned heavy. How could they have forgotten? There was once a Xia Ye in their class as well.

No one spoke. The shock of Xia Ye’s suicide a month ago had certainly left a deep impression on them. But with the passage of time, everything gradually faded, and after just a month, they could hardly remember that someone like her had ever existed among them.

When Lin Jun heard Xia Ye’s name, his tone was still filled with disdain.

“She’s dead, so why bring her up? It’s not like I killed her. She took her own life, all right? Am I supposed to be responsible for someone who committed suicide?”

Upon hearing this, A Yi chimed in.

“Exactly, Jun is right. She only got a little famous and totally lost herself. Who’s to blame if she overdosed and died during a 1v3? That’s her own fault, not ours. Why are you coming after us?”

Qing Shuang also spoke up accusingly.

“That’s right, she was the one living recklessly, always hooking up with random guys. So what if she could play the cello? Did she really think she was some sort of artist?”

A girl with pigtails added, “Right, Teacher Fang, Xia Ye couldn’t handle the pressure from the agency to sell herself, so she ended up depressed and died. What’s that got to do with us? If you want revenge, go after the agency, not us.”

…

They all spoke over each other, none of them believing Xia Ye’s death had anything to do with them, as if everything she went through was her own fault.

Yet, it was Fang Nian’s words that silenced them.

“Did any of you actually see it?”

A deep, suffocating silence.

“I’m asking you—did any of you see her with three guys? Did you see her taking drugs? Did you see her seduce anyone? Or actually see her being sold? If you did, step forward now, and I’ll let you go home immediately.”

At that moment, the mood in the corridor was as cold and frozen as a glacier. Faced with Fang Nian’s questions, they all seemed to turn mute.

“Before knowing the truth of what you haven’t seen, what right do you have to slander someone? You say this has nothing to do with you? Fine, then here’s your homework: think carefully about why Xia Ye died, what caused her death, who took away her will to live.”

“The answer is open. Meditate on it or discuss among yourselves, as you like. As long as you hand in your answer after midnight, that will be enough. OK?”

As she spoke, Fang Nian seemed to remember something and continued.

“Oh, and you must be hungry, right? Why not eat first? Today’s meal is quite sumptuous, and there’s plenty for all twenty-eight of you to have a good feast. Remember, though, this is the only meal you’ll get in the next twenty-four hours. Eat as much as you can—there are no leftovers. If you’re afraid of hunger, eat more now. The rest of the time is yours.”

With that, Fang Nian’s voice faded, leaving only a corridor full of bewildered students.

But at the mention of food, they all unconsciously reached for their stomachs. They’d been so tense they hadn’t noticed, but now it was clear—they’d gone hungry for a whole day and night.

…

Soon, a massive food cart rolled down the corridor, stopping at the doors of each room.

Moments later, the class monitor, Dou Zi, exclaimed in awe from Room 1.

“My god! Teacher Fang, are you sure this is a kidnapping? The food is insane! Emperor crab, Belon oysters, geoduck, and even spiny lobster? Oh my god… I’m not holding back!”

The cart stopped at Room 1, bearing not just food but a standing digital clock with a ten-minute countdown for the meal.

Seeing the time ticking away, Dou Zi abandoned all pretense and began devouring the food. At first, she used cutlery, sampling one dish at a time, but soon she was grabbing things with her hands, eating with abandon.

Even so, she found the time far too short. There was simply too much to eat, and things like crab and lobster were difficult to crack open, slowing her down.

With three minutes left, she abandoned all ladylike restraint—normally, she’d need help just to open a water bottle, but now she twisted open a seven- or eight-pound Hokkaido lobster herself and ate ravenously.

When time was up, the cart moved on. Though she hadn’t had her fill, Dou Zi could only watch as the cart rolled away, stopping at Room 2.

“Oh, what’s in these bean sprouts… is that bird’s nest? My god, it’s delicious. This is good too. So good, so delicious.”

Room 3.

“This lobster is amazing. Even just one meal a day would be worth it. Damn… not enough time. Why can’t we have a little longer?”

Room 4.

“Oh… the food really is great, but couldn’t the people before us have eaten more neatly? They left such a mess—how are we supposed to eat? Wow, it’s really good, though. First time having Australian lobster—this is a taste I’ll never forget.”

Room 8.

“Where’s the Aussie lobster? Where’s the spiny lobster? Good grief, did you people eat the lobster with your feet? Disgusting, it looks like crap. I’ll just eat something else—at least it looks clean.”

Room 13.

“What is all this? Weren’t we told the food would be good? Why is it all scraps and leftovers? How are we supposed to eat this? Forget it, I’m not eating…”

Room 18.

“My god, what is this stuff? Is it even edible? Bastards, is this what you’re giving us to eat? Damn it, I’d rather starve than eat this.”

Room 23.

“Damn, I’m really starving. There’s still a chicken drumstick here… Well, whatever, dirty or not, I’ll eat it anyway.”

Room 28.

“Damn bastards…”

…

After four and a half hours of this, some were stuffed and content, while others were so hungry their heads spun, and complaints filled the air.

“Can’t the people up front show a little consideration for those in the back? Why did you have to make such a mess with the food—how are we supposed to eat after you?”

“Exactly! The people up front have no manners. Did you never learn how to eat? You’re like animals—do you have any upbringing at all?”

“Is that our fault? It’s the class monitor in Room 1 who set a bad example. If Dou Zi had been cleaner, it wouldn’t have been such a mess for the rest of us.”

“Hey, watch your mouth! Blame me? That’s nonsense! We only had ten minutes each—did you expect me to sit there and savor every bite? What a joke.”

“You. I’ve had it with you. You acted all sweet and innocent when you stole my boyfriend. Turns out you’re nothing but a slut. Disgusting.”

“And how many people have you slept with? You think we don’t know? Trashy as they come. Just looking at you is sickening.”

“Dou Zi is right—Qing Shuang really is the class bicycle. Maybe we should all take a ride while we still have time, haha.”

“You bastard! Scumbag, jerk, shameless pig!”

…

As the room broke into chaos and insults, Lin Jun suddenly shouted in anger.

“Enough! Stop arguing. Instead of wasting time, you’d better think about that damned homework. There’s only two hours left, and if we can’t figure out the answer that guy wants, who knows what will happen to us next.”

To his credit, Lin Jun’s words worked. The students quickly fell silent and began discussing the cause of Xia Ye’s death. Yet no matter how they speculated, they couldn’t come up with an answer that satisfied everyone.

Then, just before midnight, a low female voice suddenly rang out in the corridor.

“Teacher Fang, I know how Xia Ye died.”

Fang Nian’s voice finally echoed through the corridor once more.

“Oh? Xiao Yin, is that you? Go ahead, tell us—how did Xia Ye die?”

Suddenly, a hush fell over the entire corridor. No one spoke. Only Xiao Yin’s voice echoed in the empty hall.

“I killed Xia Ye.”

In that instant, the air seemed to freeze.