"I actually did know. I only pretended not to recognize you because you hadn't recognized me yet. We haven't seen each other in all these years, and while I recognized you at once, you didn't notice me. I was rather hurt by that, you see, so I simply had to punish you a little. As for the owner of the Black Cat Bar, I've known it was you all along. It's just that the other day I happened to be walking home and accidentally wandered into the Black Cat Bar—it really was just a coincidence."
"Then you must know I'm KO.2 as well."
Qiao Xi remained noncommittal.
"You must have your reasons for hiding your true strength and identity from Brother Dadong. I've always trusted Brother Rex, but I just hope you won't hurt anyone."
Rex adjusted his glasses, the glare reflecting off the lenses making it impossible to read the emotions in his eyes. "So those few words you said on the balcony the other day—you'd already figured out my purpose then, too."
Qiao Xi shrugged. "I started guessing your motive the moment I saw you at the Black Cat Bar. Of all the conclusions I could have reached, that was the one I wanted least, which is why I said it out loud."
She picked up the freshly mixed drink that she hadn't yet tasted and handed it over to Rex. "Come on, we haven't seen each other in all these years—don't look at me with such a suspicious expression, or my feelings will really be hurt. I mixed this drink myself, and it tastes quite good. It even helps clear your mind of distracting thoughts. It works wonders."
Rex took the drink and took a sip. He felt both his body and mind instantly lighten, and even the bitter resentment he had harbored toward Wang Dadong seemed to ease considerably.
A faint smile hung on his lips, warming him like a piece of jade worn against the chest.
Qiao Xi was momentarily dazed watching him like this.
*What on earth am I thinking?* Rex thought to himself. *After all these years, she's still that same lovable girl, a little scatterbrained, completely blind to the feelings people around her hold for her. She's still like a little moon—pure, gentle, making it impossible for anyone to bear the thought of hurting her—that's Qiao Xi.*
The curve of his mouth deepened as he raised his head to find Qiao Xi staring blankly right at him.
He waved his slender, clearly jointed hand back and forth in front of her face until she finally snapped out of it.
*Oh, my god!! Was I just being a complete fangirl?? And for so long without snapping out of it?! What a seducer, absolute demon! This fox really is a demon!* Little did she realize that she was the most bewitching one of all, heaven only knew how many men she would end up tangling with in the end. But that was a story for another day.
"If it really is just as you guessed, will you help me, or will you expose me?" A light flashed in Rex's eyes that Qiao Xi couldn't quite decipher.
She fell silent. After all, helping the other side would weigh heavily on her conscience.
Seeing that Qiao Xi didn't answer, Rex didn't press her; he simply waited in silence.
After a long moment, she raised her head and looked earnestly at Rex. "I won't tell Brother Dadong the truth, but I won't help you either. All I can do is try my absolute best to minimize the harm to the people around us who get dragged into this. I hope you won't blame me."
Hearing her reply, Rex smiled helplessly. "I knew you would."
***
The next day, as soon as they arrived in the classroom, they heard Jin Baosan running his mouth about seeing Rex at the Black Cat Bar—and claiming he was the boss, no less.
Unsurprisingly, apart from Wang Arthur and Ding Xiaoyu exchanging a suspicious glance, not a single person believed a word of it.
After school, Wang Dadong went home with Rex. Knowing that Dadong wouldn't get inside and that Rex's cover wouldn't be blown, Qiao Xi didn't tag along. Instead, she followed Arthur and Xiaoyu to Stops-Gut-Man's food stall.
"I can tell you for a fact that fellow is nowhere near as innocent as he looks on the surface," Wang Arthur said, narrowing his eyes with conviction.
Ding Xiaoyu looked at Wang Arthur with an amused smile. "King Arthur, I didn't take you for a busybody."
"A busybody? The fact that I, King Arthur, took a punch and didn't hit back is already the talk of the whole campus—how is this a busybody matter? I'm telling you, that model student Rex is definitely not what he appears to be on the surface."
"Arthur, trust me. Nobody is ever what they appear to be on the surface," Ding Xiaoyu warned Arthur, hoping he wouldn't take this matter too seriously.
"That's right. Besides, Brother Arthur, pursuing the truth comes at a price," Qiao Xi chimed in. "Even if things really are as you imagine, do you honestly think someone as single-minded as Brother Dadong could ever believe that the good friend who grew up with him and always helped him out is actually the legendary Grim Reaper, KO.2? If Brother Dadong refuses to believe it, then the entire Ultima Class won't believe it either. And when that happens, you'll be the one left out in the cold—and the one who gets hurt the most." She still didn't want Brother Arthur and Rex to clash. These two sharp, sensitive guys should have had the most in common and been the most likely to become friends; they had no business ending up at war like this.
"I don't care. Tough luck for him for messing with King Arthur."
Just then, Wang Dadong's voice rang out from behind the three of them. "Stops-Gut-Man, the usual."
"The usual... just a moment." With that, Stops-Gut-Man ducked down beneath the stall.
Less than a minute later, Stops-Gut-Man popped back up wearing an off-white wig, old-fashioned round glasses, and makeup painted to look like wrinkles. "The usual... one portion."
"Stops-Gut-Man, it's freezing, you know." The four of them looked coldly at Stops-Gut-Man's antics.
Qiao Xi felt as though a flock of crows was cawing across the top of her head.
Stops-Gut-Man really never got tired of these old gags.
"You kids have zero sense of humor. Humph." He ducked back under the table and pulled out a plate of edamame and a glass of ice water.
Wang Dadong picked up his chopsticks, grabbed an edamame pod, and casually asked, "What were you guys talking about just now? You looked pretty intense."
Wang Arthur glanced at Ding Xiaoyu. "Xiaoyu, you tell him."
"You sure?"
"Just tell him."
Ding Xiaoyu turned to look at Wang Dadong. "King Arthur suspects that Rex is KO.2."
Qiao Xi clearly spotted a blue sweatdrop pop up above Wang Arthur's head. "Xiaoyu, you're way too direct."
Wang Dadong chuckled dismissively at Wang Arthur. "It's one thing for people to claim Rex went to be the boss of the Black Cat Bar, but now you're suspecting he's KO.2? What is this, did Rex stop being human just because he took a summer vacation?"
"Letting the Narcissist suspect him is one thing, but Xiao Xi, you don't really believe this too, do you? We've known each other since we were kids; surely you know what kind of person Rex is."
Hearing her name called, she replied, "Of course I know him."
*He's a thorough, top-to-bottom fox!* she thought. *Could any ordinary high schooler possibly have that kind of scheming mind? Could a high schooler pull off that kind of planning and acting?* Of course, she couldn't possibly say those words out loud to them.
"But we haven't seen each other in all these years, how am I supposed to know if he's changed? You're the one who grew up right alongside him."
Wang Dadong turned his gaze to Ding Xiaoyu. "Xiaoyu, don't tell me you think so too."
Without looking at him, Ding Xiaoyu answered indifferently, "Whether Rex is KO.2 or not has nothing to do with me."
Before Wang Dadong could speak, Arthur cut in. "He'd better not be. Because if he is, he owes me a fight. And his motives for hiding his identity are far too suspicious."
Wang Dadong remained steadfast in his trust for Rex. "That's impossible. Rex has been groomed as a successor since he was a kid, and he only heard about the KO Rankings from me in the first place—how could he possibly be KO.2? Narcissist, you must have got it wrong."
"That's not the point," Stops-Gut-Man suddenly piped up, startling Qiao Xi so badly she jumped. "Stops-Gut-Man, if I get a heart attack from that, I am never letting you hear the end of it!"
"The point is, nobody has ever seen KO.2. All anyone knows is that this guy strikes with vicious, brutal force. He's practically a stick of dynamite on the KO Rankings, as well as a dangerous figure in the high school underworld. The three of you on the rankings better watch your backs."
Wang Dadong raised his head and glared at Stops-Gut-Man. "Stop sticking your oar in."
True to his persona of constantly telling lame jokes, Stops-Gut-Man stuck a flower into his headband—a rose, no less. Unable to bear the bizarre atmosphere any longer, Qiao Xi couldn't help but deliver a dry, deadpan remark: "Ah, the classic sight of fresh flowers stuck in cow dung."
Instantly, the weird tension was shattered by Qiao Xi's witty retort. Stops-Gut-Man nearly tumbled backward off his stool. "Little Qiao Xi! Could you please stop tearing down my act and ruining my mysterious, artsy persona every single time?!"
Arthur muttered inwardly, *Just like a little sister—every time the mood gets heavy, you're the one who breaks it. You really are Stops-Gut-Man's natural nemesis, aren't you?*
Xiaoyu's inner thoughts: *As expected, Xiao Xi is the mood-maker of the whole group. Every single time the atmosphere gets weird, she's the one who clears it up.*
True to form, Wang Dadong completely missed the point. "Yeah, Xiao Xi's description is actually spot on."
Fortunately, Stops-Gut-Man didn't hear that remark, or he certainly would have gone off somewhere to cry.