Popularity is everything; I play a super genius

No, no, that won't do!

Damn heart! Stop beating!

No, no, no, no...

If your heart stops beating, you'll die, right?

In short... please, please jump slower!

Don't let him hear! Don't let anyone find out!!

Bai Lili's mind was in complete chaos, and her face was burning hot, almost like a fried egg.

She leaned stiffly against Qi Ji's chest, not daring to move, afraid that the other person would notice her rapid heartbeat.

……

Blood spurted from his body!

It felt like a long time had passed, but it was actually just a fleeting moment.

Saki had no idea what kind of inner turmoil was unfolding in the girl's heart at that very moment.

All he knew was that he had to activate the mask's abilities as quickly as possible to save her.

[Blurring between reality and illusion]!

This is an echo engraved on the mask, allowing the wearer to enter a superposition state of "both existence and non-existence" in a very short time, thereby avoiding most forms of attack.

It's very useful; this was the first method that Qi Ji thought of to save the girl.

However, the [Blurring of Reality and Illusion] also has limitations; it can only be activated and used by someone wearing a mask.

So he split the mask in two.

The lower half of the mask was pressed onto Bai Lili's face, covering the girl's delicate chin and soft lips.

Bai Lili was stunned for a moment by Qi Ji's action.

The mask felt slightly cool to the touch, and the inside fit snugly against the skin. It seemed to carry a faint, pleasant scent belonging to Saki-san...

Preoperative preparations are complete!

Without the slightest hesitation, Qi Ji activated the Echo!

[Blurring between reality and illusion]!

Twice in a row!

Once, it affected the self wearing the upper half of the mask.

Once, through the lower half of the mask, the effect was on Bai Lili in his arms.

Almost the instant Qi Ji activated his ability, the powerful blood arrow pierced through the two of them!

"careful--!!"

"No--!!"

At that moment, gasps, screams, and desperate cries rang out all around!

Everyone watched as the arrow of blood, representing death, pierced through Qi Ji's back without any hindrance, and then through Bai Lili's chest in his arms!

Then, with its momentum undiminished, it slammed into the ground behind the two men!

"BOOM—!!!"

The earth shook violently! Smoke and dust billowed into the sky!

The hard ground was blasted open, creating a crater several meters wide and bottomless, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading everywhere!

The violent shockwave, carrying with it gravel and dirt, sent several people who were nearby staggering backward.

ended?

No……

Unable to bear it any longer, Huo Mu rushed forward anxiously, while Liu Li's fingertips dug deep into the ground.

……

……

Chapter 42 The girl's blush says it all

however--

next second.

The smoke and dust were dispersed by a gentle breeze.

Two figures reappeared, completely unharmed.

Everyone was initially taken aback, but then they all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a surge of joy at their good fortune.

Qi Ji remained in the position of holding Bai Lili, his back to everyone, his white shirt only slightly dirty at the hem.

It was as if the earth-shattering attack just now was merely everyone's illusion.

Bai Lili, who was in his arms, was also safe and sound.

However, on the girl's face...

There's one more thing.

It was only then that everyone realized with surprise—

Why is Bai Lili wearing a mask of solitude?!

Although it's only half a sheet.

The half-white mask covered the girl's delicate chin and lips, revealing a pair of wide, misty eyes filled with shock and shyness.

"..."

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

Then, an endless curiosity surged forth uncontrollably!

At this moment, no one cared how Qi Ji had managed to save Bai Lili from the blood arrows that possessed the power to destroy the world.

After all, he is Saki!

Is there anything he can't do?

Just a moment ago, everyone was extremely worried...

But at this moment, everyone's minds were immediately filled with countless questions and a burning desire for gossip—

'Wow! Saki's mask... it can actually be separated?!'

'So, in other words, Saki-kun is now... showing half her face?!'

'What does his face... actually look like?'

'I'm very curious!'

'I want to see it! I want to see it! I want to see it!!!'

'Wait! Why is Bai Lili's face so red?!'

'Yeah! It's ridiculously red! Like a boiled shrimp!'

'Could it be... because he saw Saki's face after he took off his mask, and was so captivated by his handsomeness that he blushed, his heart raced, and he couldn't help himself?!'

'Damn it... Saki's back is to us, so only Shirai Riri, who's being held in his arms, can see his face!'

'Ahhh, I'm so envious! So jealous!'

'That's not fair! Let me see too!!!'

Just as everyone was itching to get around to Saki's front to satisfy their curiosity—

The next moment, Saki put the mask back on.

This caused a group of curious children to sigh in despair.

……

After rescuing Bai Lili, Qi Ji looked in the direction from which the blood arrow had come, and after confirming that there was no longer any threatening aura coming from that direction—

He then reached out, as if to retrieve his mask.

However, the moment her hand touched the edge of the mask, Bai Lili felt as if she had been electrocuted, and her body trembled slightly.

Then, almost unconsciously, he also raised his hand and placed it on it.

It seemed as if they didn't want Saki to take the mask away...

The girl's subconscious action startled both of them.

Qi Ji: "?"

It wasn't until Qi Ji exerted a little force that Bai Lili seemed to suddenly wake up from some kind of daze.

"I'm so sorry!!"

The girl quickly let go as if she had been burned, and the blush on her face instantly spread from her cheeks to her neck.

I was so embarrassed I felt like dying, and I didn't understand what was wrong with me.

Do you really want to keep Saki's mask for yourself?!

What are you thinking, Bai Lili?!

Qi Ji simply assumed the other person was overly frightened, smiled, and didn't take it to heart.

He removed the mask from Bai Lili's face, his fingers inevitably brushing lightly across the girl's burning cheeks once more.

"Ugh..." Bai Lili trembled all over and let out a barely audible sob.

Saki put the lower half of the mask back on her face.

With a "click," it fit perfectly.

A pure white mask once again covered his entire handsome face.

The moment he put on the mask, Saki could clearly feel that the "lie" engraved on the mask, "to become the perfect self," was still in effect and had not been interrupted.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief at this.

Sure enough, removing only half of the mask did not stop the lie.

Otherwise, he would have to have a serious talk with Miss Bai about how to compensate him for his losses.

To save Bai Lili, Qi Ji risked the possibility that his appearance might be slightly flawed.

It's like someone with a perfect 100-point appearance might have a chance of becoming 99.9991 points.

Although the impact was not significant, Saki was, after all, a perfectionist.

Fortunately, he won his gamble again.

Moreover, in just over half a month, his passive "lie" skill will be fully utilized.

At that time, the most handsome man in the entire anime will take off his mask and make a grand entrance!

Just thinking about it makes Saki almost unable to suppress a smile.

Having such a handsome face that even gods would feel inferior to, yet always wearing a mask—who understands the feeling of wearing fine clothes in the dark?

……

Qi Ji's act of removing his mask not only shocked everyone present, but also excited viewers in front of their screens, who flooded the screen with comments.

The number of bullet comments reached its highest point since the show started:

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!! Could it be that it's happening today?!"

"Let me see!!!"

"Huh? Just taking off half the mask? That's not impossible!"

"Wait! Why aren't you showing a shot of Lao Ji's face?!"

"Close-up! We need a close-up!"