You're my wife, don't doubt it!

"...Hey, kid, did Xiao Yao damage your brain? By the way, what's with this shared state thing between you two?"

Under the pale moonlight, the entire school was shrouded in darkness.

As far as the eye could see, even the streetlights outside the school gate were off, only...

The warm, orange light emanating from the stained glass windows of the church across the street.

Xiao Yao wasn't ready to let a fourth person know about symbiosis, so he casually laughed it off, saying, "I don't know what's going on either... In this mirror world, things are just bizarre and unpredictable."

"Is it because in the subconscious of the master of this hall, you and Yu Luying are a couple, that's why this is happening?" Shen Jie guessed wildly.

"Who knows? It's possible," Xiao Yao said.

Yu Luying turned to look at Xiao Yao: "I... I think... I remember..."

“We need to find the White Knight quickly,” Shen Jie said, looking around. “We can’t linger in the shadows for too long.”

“No, we need to get her—and you—out here as soon as possible,” Xiao Yao insisted.

Just as Shen Jie was about to argue, she suddenly shouted again, "Map!"

Xiao Yao and Shen Jie looked at the door of the "Parent-Child Education Center" together.

"Map?" Yu Luying uttered these two words in confusion.

"It's over!"

Three barefoot boys—two completely barefoot and one wearing only socks—stumbled around the school corridor like headless flies.

Just like when Xiao Yao, Xiao Xiong, and Yu Luying first came to the "school," the school was locked up everywhere at night, making it impossible to pass through.

"Did you hear that?" Xiao Yao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Shen Jie nodded.

This was the second time I went on a date with Shen Jie, and it was the kind of sound I heard in the corridor of Qian Gui KTV.

Xiao Yao remembers it clearly: at the time, he was tracking down "Zhou Qi" who had appeared by chance, and that was the first time he had entered this mirror world.

Just like that day, he felt countless eyes staring at him, and could vaguely hear malicious whispers.

However, this time he wasn't the only one who heard it.

Soon, the unknown terror materialized into reality—if this world could even be called "reality." The chaotic whispers gradually grew louder, transforming into a terrifying growl.

Then, one after another, ownerless "shadows" gathered from the corners of the walls, railings, ceilings, and windowsills, from every corner, like leaks, converging on the three from all directions.

This scene reminded Xiao Yao of some scenes in the animated film "Spirited Away".

Before Xiao Yao could react, a large fireball landed with a whoosh from Shen Jie.

Where the fireball landed, its shadow scattered in all directions.

But when the flames died down, they reassembled unharmed.

Shen Jie condensed flames again, the small flame in her hand flashed and then went out.

"Your Majesty Mary, please answer my call once more..."

"It's over, you're finally out of mana," Xiao Yao said.

“Run,” Yu Luying said succinctly, “follow that light!”

"Where do we run? We're surrounded on all sides!" Shen Jie shouted anxiously, assuming a karate starting stance.

“The church!” Yu Luying said.

“What’s the point of going to church?” Shen Jie shouted. “It’s not that I don’t believe you… but in your current state, it’s really hard to believe you!”

The army of "shadows" had already approached the group, and their cries seemed to echo throughout the entire school, as far as the eye could see and the ears could hear.

“There are mirrors and light in the church…” Xiao Yao stood up for Yu Luying: “Perhaps that’s an area the school can’t interfere with. Even if the mirrors there can’t be used as entrances or exits, they can be used as a refuge until dawn. If we can get out, we can go straight to meet Father Yu…”

Shen Jie scoffed: "Just because it's a church doesn't mean it can be a safe haven. Besides, it's an unexplored, unknown area—too dangerous. In this world, everything is fake, everything could be a trap..."

There's no time to think.

The parent-child education center is located on the second floor. The ceiling height of this school is... acceptable, not too exaggerated.

Shen Jie made a quick decision, flipped over the railing, and leaped into the tallest bush, where she rolled twice on the spot.

The girl let out a muffled groan of pain.

He's still injured...

However, it's not a big problem.

"Jump quickly, I'll catch you!" Shen Jie stood up unsteadily and opened her arms.

Xiao Yao had already climbed over the railing and was looking straight down: "Are you sure you can do it?"

If I, being so big, accidentally crush Shen Jie to death, I'll be left without a wife again.

"Hurry!" Shen Jie shouted.

"Ah..." Yu Luying behind her exclaimed in surprise as the "shadows" had already wrapped around her limbs and long hair, pulling her down.

Xiao Yao felt as if his limbs were also bound, his body completely lost its balance, and he slipped and fell headfirst into the bushes!

Shen Jie rushed forward anxiously to catch it, but a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to lose her balance and fall heavily to the ground.

Then, Xiao Yao stopped in mid-air, and the restless shadows fell silent instantly, and the entire school became quiet.

Could it be that the White Knight, the great savior, used a time-stopping technique? This was the first thought that flashed through Xiao Yao's mind.

Next, he heard a crisp and pleasant "thump-thump-thump" electronic music, followed by "Hello? Hello? Ah-heng!"

Campus broadcast?

A tired baritone voice announced: "Students whose names are called, please come to the principal's office immediately. Students whose names are called, please come to the principal's office immediately. Xiao Yao, Yu Luying, Shen Jie, Xiong Ji. Repeating, Xiao Yao..."

Teacher Yao?

Then it was broad daylight, and Xiao Yao continued to fall, landing face-first in the mud.

Fortunately, because the height was reduced, there was no serious injury, but I still couldn't avoid seeing stars and tasting blood.

Already injured, Xiao Yao fell again, and he felt he was close to death.

The phrase "the sky is bright" refers to the fact that the streetlights on the playground and the lights in the second-floor corridor have all been turned on.

In addition, a huge searchlight shone on the three of them, like a spotlight on a stage, announcing, "Big Brother has found you."

--split line--

You don't need a map to find the principal's office, because Teacher Yao only left them one path.

Only the corridor leading to the "principal's office" was lit, and only the doors along this route were open.

All three were limping and covered in wounds, supporting each other as they moved forward.

Shen Jie's right big toe peeked out from a hole in her cotton sock. She seemed to have never experienced such embarrassment before.

Teacher Yao invited them to the principal's office for tea, clearly not giving them a chance to refuse, because the "shadows" were still whispering and stirring outside the illuminated path.

"Given our current situation, if your teacher Yao wants to do something, we probably have no chance of winning," Shen Jie said.

“It’s hard to say whether Teacher Yao is a friend or foe,” Xiao Yao pointed out. “He just saved my life.”

"You!" Shen Jie said angrily, "You still have illusions about that lousy teacher of yours?"

“Teacher Yao is the master of this hall.” Yu Luying’s tone seemed indifferent, yet tinged with sadness.

“At this point, who wouldn’t have thought of this?” Shen Jie said. “We thought this was Zhou Qi’s hall of fame—seriously, why is it called a hall of fame?”

Xiao Yao also found it strange that both the White Knight and Yu Luying referred to this place as a "hall," and that Yu Luying seemed to know a lot about the place, for example, she was certain that going to the church would allow her to get rid of the "shadow."

“Yu Luying…” Xiao Yao shook the girl’s arm.

"Ah, we're here," Shen Jie said.

“It looks exactly like the principal’s office in real life.” Xiao Yao looked at the two girls, nodded to each other, and reached out to push the door open.

Before his hand even touched the door, it opened by itself.

"Report!" Xiao Yao called out habitually.

"Please come in." Teacher Yao's voice came from afar, sounding a bit... distant?

Gentle, tired, and lacking in emotion.

The three entered the principal's office, but it didn't look like an office at all.

The room had no desks or chairs and was surprisingly large, with two entrances, one in the front and one in the back. Between the entrances, there was a shoe rack along one wall and a single changing room for temporary changing.

A plastic bucket sat at the entrance to the locker room, looking somewhat out of place.

The floor is made of natural wood and has a slightly springy feel when you step on it.

The three walls are all mirrored, making this "principal's office" appear larger than it actually is.

The air was filled with... the smell of stinky feet.

"Didn't you say your school doesn't have a dance studio?" Shen Jie said quietly.

Xiao Yao then realized that this was actually a dance studio.

There were seven or eight beautiful girls in the room, all of whom were the most beautiful girls in their class at St. Francis Middle School. They came from all grades, and Xiao Yao recognized a few of them. They were all dressed in what looked like ballet costumes, with white dance socks, and were doing various stretching exercises.