Chapter 39: The Wingman Deploys

While Bai Yuze was accompanying Iris to the anime convention, Bai Youqing made her way to the subway station near her residential complex. Since it was the weekend, the station was bustling with people and appeared quite crowded.

After waiting for two minutes, the train arrived.

It was a sea of humanity, but she was quite fortunate to snag a seat. Standing not far in front of her were two close friends dressed in cosplay. The two girls were quite excited, their conversation flowing without interruption.

They seemed to be discussing the grand anime convention held in Yeqiu City a few days prior.

"Xiao Qing, have you heard? The largest anime convention since the Black Tide Crisis was held in our Yeqiu City today."

"Did you catch the live stream of it too?"

"Yeah, the girls in it were so gorgeous—flawless white skin, pretty faces, and long legs. Look at this pair of twin stars; they were simply breathtaking. Even as a girl, my heart skipped a beat."

Glancing over, she suddenly wondered why those twin stars looked so familiar. Bai Youqing involuntarily stopped in her tracks and listened quietly.

"Bollocks, you say that about every single girl on your phone."

"Hey, look at that cosplayer in the back, she's not bad either."

"Her guzheng playing is alright, but I somehow feel like she's not a decent person. I don't like her."

Bai Youqing listened casually. She rarely watched anime and wasn't very interested in subcultures, but she was quite fond of the cosplayers in their charming costumes.

After all, who doesn't like looking at handsome men and beautiful women?

Before she could shift her gaze to her phone, however, she suddenly noticed a groper's hand slowly creeping toward the two young girls.

Bai Youqing instantly became alert.

Seeing that rough hand inching closer and closer, she prepared to step in and stop him—even though it was almost time for her to get off at the next stop.

However, before Bai Youqing could take action, the two girls seemed completely unfazed. They pulled anti-pervert devices from their bags and blasted that hand fiercely.

In the crowd, a man in a suit shuddered violently. Had there not been so many people around him, he would have collapsed straight to the ground.

Seeing this, Bai Youqing let out a sigh of relief.

In recent years, there had been an increasing number of these shady, vulgar individuals.

There were various theories circulating on the internet regarding this phenomenon:

First, after suffering the invasion of disaster beasts, some humans had fallen into despair, leading to a severe decline in moral standards.

Second, the island nation of Nippon was densely populated, and its people had fled in all directions to neighboring countries. Xia Country was undoubtedly the closest, and their cultures were somewhat similar, so a large portion of them had run over here.

Originally, during the early days when the Black Tide Crisis wasn't too severe, they couldn't get in even if they wanted to. Later, when the Third Black Tide Crisis struck, these islanders seized the opportunity to sneak in, causing a severe downturn in social ethics.

...

In fact, according to Sister Ting Yuyi, the primary reason for the decline in social morals was the opening of the Abyss Gates. The lingering aura of the abyss permeated the air, capable of triggering the dark side hidden within human hearts and enticing people toward corruption.

As for what the actual truth was,

Well, that depended on one's own perspective.

Stepping out of the subway station, Bai Youqing emerged into the open air.

The weather was as lovely as ever, with blue skies and white clouds.

The only somewhat painful part was the high temperature. The moment she stepped out of the subway, she felt as though she had been placed on a grill, with her entire body burning.

Bai Youqing took out her phone and scrolled to her chat interface with Teacher Hoshino.

"Teacher Hoshino, I've arrived at Siwu Road. Do you need me to pick up anything for you?"

Shortly after she sent the message, her phone vibrated.

Teacher Hoshino: "Xiao Qing, you got here so fast. This is a bit different from your brother's lazy style."

Bai Youqing: "My brother used to be very diligent. He worked three or four part-time jobs during his college summer vacations, but he started getting lazy after going to university."

Teacher Hoshino: "Ah, I am so sorry. My perspective on the matter was a bit too one-sided."

Bai Youqing: "No, no, no, Teacher Hoshino, the past is the past, and the present is the present. I still hope Teacher Hoshino can keep a close eye on my brother and help him regain his fighting spirit, instead of him just lying flat like a salted fish right now without a single dream."

Teacher Hoshino: "Alright, I will properly supervise Teacher Xiaobai."

Bai Youqing put away her phone. Having realized a few days ago that her brother had feelings for Teacher Hoshino, how could she, acting as his wingwoman, not take some action?

Earlier, she had been gathering intelligence on Teacher Hoshino.

For today's site reconnaissance, she had summoned twelve hundred percent of her energy and spirit.

While gathering intelligence, she also wanted to see what kind of woman could capture the heart of a man who had been single for over twenty years.

Since the other party hadn't mentioned buying anything specific,

Bai Youqing simply bought some fruit; her first impression couldn't possibly be a bad one.

Carrying the fruit, she observed her surroundings and found that the scenery in the neighborhood was quite nice. The architecture was distinctive; unlike the modern style of Changhong Road, the buildings here looked rather classical.

The air was also very fresh, making it a wonderful place to live.

Yet, a trace of unease inevitably crept into her heart. People who could live here might not be extraordinarily wealthy, but they certainly had some assets. What would happen if Teacher Hoshino's family looked down upon her older brother?

Such scenarios were far from rare in novels.

Oh well, I'll handle everything. I'll go check out the situation first, and if the gap is truly too wide, I'll just have to persuade my brother accordingly.

Sigh, she suddenly realized that the burden she carried was truly heavier than ordinary people imagined.

Sighing deeply once more,

Ah, sisters like her were truly hard to come by.

The journey wasn't long, and within a few steps, she arrived at the residential complex where Teacher Hoshino lived.

It was filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, appearing very elegant.

Taking the elevator to Teacher Hoshino's floor, she found apartment number 301.

Bai Youqing didn't rush to knock or ring the doorbell. She checked the information on her phone one last time to be certain, and only then did she press the doorbell with a reassured mind.

"Is that Xiao Qing?"

"Yes."

The door swung open, revealing Teacher Hoshino Seli dressed in a panda plush onesie. She waved, signaling Bai Youqing to come inside, the two fluffy panda ears on her head bobbing up and down.

It was enough to make Bai Youqing's heart melt.

Teacher Hoshino... is so cute.

"Xiao Qing, you're here."

Seeing the ponytail-sporting girl at the door, Teacher Hoshino's eyes lit up as well.

A young girl radiating the vibrant breath of youth didn't look anything like the rebellious delinquent Teacher Xiaobai had described.

"Teacher Hoshino, sorry to intrude."

"It's fine, please come in. This is actually my first time inviting a classmate over as a guest."

Teacher Hoshino, clad in her black-and-white panda pajamas, walked in front. After closing the door behind her, Bai Youqing followed closely.

Teacher Hoshino reached into the shoe cabinet and handed a pair of panda-themed slippers to Bai Youqing.

"There are so many pandas! Does Teacher Hoshino like pandas too?"

Bai Youqing accepted the slippers, her tone filled with amazement.

Stepping into the living room, wherever her gaze fell—whether on the sofa, the television cabinet, or the coffee table—aside from a few small accessories, the space was dominated by panda plushies, taking up nearly half the room.

From this, it was easy to tell just how much the other person loved pandas.

"Yes! I moved here all the way from Nippon City simply because I love giant pandas."

Hoshino Seli handed a cup of freshly brewed tea to Xiao Qing, who was seated on the sofa. Then, the pajama-clad teacher walked over to the couch, scooped up a half-meter-tall panda plush, and rested her head against it.

It filled Bai Youqing with immense envy; she wanted to hug that giant panda plush too.

"Did Xiao Qing come over to ask about math problems?"

"Yes."

Bai Youqing shook her head, quickly banishing the panda plush to the back of her mind—she almost forgot her primary objective.

She pulled a math workbook from her bag, which contained difficult college-entrance-exam-level problems she had carefully selected. The pressure her older brother had placed on her over the years was immense, and so, to avoid holding him back, she had developed the habit of self-studying.

Although she was still in her first semester of high school, she had already mastered the entire high school mathematics curriculum.

"Let me see. These problems incorporate concepts from the first all the way to the third year of high school; it's completely normal that you couldn't solve them."

While pondering the exercises, Teacher Hoshino's cute demeanor shifted instantly, making a flawless transition from a gentle, domestic young woman to a stern teacher.

Solemn with a touch of austerity, she tucked two strands of hair that had been resting against her ears behind them, her gaze turning serious.

"Mhm, mhm."

Bai Youqing seemed completely captivated by this aura, wholeheartedly plunging into her studies.

Back and forth, the sunlight outside the window rose and fell.

In the blink of an eye, the sky gradually darkened.

"Eh, has time really passed by that quickly?"

Bai Youqing rubbed her slightly sore, fair neck, and her gaze froze as she looked out the window. She had arrived in the morning, and now it was already dusk.