Carrying My Senior's Coffin (GL) - Chapter 27

Fang Yiyi really was working hard.

Over the next two days, whether she was in class, eating, or simply walking around campus, her mind was filled with nothing but that grappling technique.

As a result, when someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder from behind, she reacted purely on instinct.

She spun around, executed the grappling move, grabbed the person by the throat, and slammed them onto the ground.

Amid the person’s scream and the shocked gasps from nearby students, Fang Yiyi realized it was Director Tong.

“…!”

She hurriedly helped the woman back to her feet.

“Director, are you all right? I really didn’t do it on purpose. I was thinking about something.”

She apologized repeatedly while feeling as uncomfortable as ever under the many curious stares around her.

Lately, she seemed to attract attention wherever she went.

That was not a good sign.

Quite the opposite.

“Student Fang Yiyi, I never would have guessed you were secretly a martial arts master.”

Director Tong looked full of resentment, her pristine white dress now covered in patches of dirt.

“No, no. I only know this one move so far.”

Fang Yiyi scratched her head awkwardly.

Then she suddenly realized that Director Tong had called her Student Fang Yiyi instead of Yiyi.

The much more distant form of address made Fang Yiyi secretly sigh in relief.

“Heh.”

Director Tong sneered.

“So you’re saying I deserved it?”

“…Huh?”

The relief she had just felt instantly vanished.

Fang Yiyi stared at her in disbelief, unable to understand what kind of reasoning had produced that conclusion.

Ignoring the dirt on her dress, Director Tong proudly lifted her chin.

“You assaulted a teacher in public. Come with me to my office. You’ll receive a demerit and have points deducted.”

…??!!

Fang Yiyi hurriedly protested.

“No, Director! I didn’t! I didn’t know it was you—”

“You didn’t know it was me? Then would it have been acceptable if it had been another student?”

“Who exactly were you waiting for? Who were you planning to attack?”

“So now you’re assaulting fellow students too?”

Director Tong fired off the questions one after another like beads on a string.

Fang Yiyi was on the verge of kneeling before this bizarre logic.

Near tears, she exclaimed, “I didn’t know anyone was behind me! You were the one who suddenly tapped me! I’ve been practicing this move nonstop for the past two days, so my body reacted automatically!”

She had only come to buy some clothes hangers.

Who could have predicted this would happen?

…What even was this mess?!

“Enough!”

Director Tong snapped.

“No talking back!”

“I’ll say it one last time. Come to my office. Right now. Immediately!”

“Otherwise I’ll officially discipline you for assaulting a teacher!”

“…Fine.”

Fang Yiyi felt utterly wronged.

Ever since what had happened the other day, the dignified, respected image of Director Tong had completely collapsed in Fang Yiyi’s mind.

Now, no matter how childish or emotional Director Tong behaved, Fang Yiyi no longer found it surprising.

She simply treated her as an overgrown child.

The supermarket was some distance from the faculty office building.

Along the way, Director Tong started chatting.

“Hey, Fang Yiyi.”

The moment she even dropped the word student, Fang Yiyi immediately sensed trouble.

“…What?”

“The move you used to throw me just now…”

Director Tong glanced sideways.

“She taught you that, didn’t she?”

“…Who?”

Fang Yiyi played dumb.

Whenever the topic turned to Li Ting, she felt much more relaxed.

Even her thoughts became clearer.

At the very least, she was no longer the girl who answered every question timidly after thinking for ages before speaking.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Director Tong ripped away the last thin veil between them.

“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

Fang Yiyi silently thought, What a hassle.

She muttered half-heartedly, “Then why ask?”

“You little brat.”

Director Tong snorted.

“You’re completely different in private and in public.”

“When we first met, you could barely get a single sentence out in front of me.”

Fang Yiyi silently complained:

Weren’t you exactly the same? Besides, back then I had no idea you and Senior had that kind of history!

Out loud, however, she simply replied,

“No, Director. I still can’t.”

Director Tong rolled her eyes.

“You’re acting like a little green tea.”

Fang Yiyi immediately shot back,

“And you’re acting like a stale old cliché.”

Director Tong exploded.

“How dare you talk to the director like that!”

Fang Yiyi didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

“A real director wouldn’t say something like that.”

Director Tong stopped walking and glared at her.

“……”

She felt that her authority as an elder had been seriously challenged.

Fang Yiyi stopped as well and silently glared back.

“……”

In the quiet school corridor, the two women locked eyes without either side yielding.

They looked like two puffed-up fighting roosters.

…

Half a minute later, Director Tong admitted defeat.

Pretending nothing had happened, she casually looked away and continued walking.

Seeing that she’d won, Fang Yiyi wisely let it go and silently followed after her.

The two returned to their previous state.

After a while, Director Tong spoke again.

“Your clothes are very pretty.”

“You look like a completely different person in them.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

After thinking for a moment, Fang Yiyi decided to reveal a little information about Li Ting as a reward for the compliment.

“Senior picked them out for me.”

Director Tong: “……”

She definitely did that on purpose!

So irritating!

“Don’t get too pleased with yourself.”

Director Tong said coldly.

“Ghosts are selfish by nature.”

“They never do anything that puts themselves at a disadvantage.”

“The better she treats you, the sooner you’ll die.”

“One day you’ll die by her hands.”

“When that happens, don’t cry your eyes out.”

Fang Yiyi’s heart sank slightly.

Then she replied,

“I don’t know whether I’ll cry in the future.”

“But I do think you’re the one crying right now.”

Director Tong was momentarily speechless.

Then she laughed from sheer irritation.

“So that’s what felt strange.”

“Your personality changed rather suddenly, didn’t it?”

“So the pitiful little lamb before was all an act?”

“No.”

Fang Yiyi denied it expressionlessly.

“I’ve always had curves.”

“Otherwise Senior wouldn’t favor me.”

“?”

Director Tong blinked.

She didn’t understand at first.

Her puzzled gaze drifted across the much fuller silhouette beneath Fang Yiyi’s new dress before unconsciously comparing it to her own perfectly flat chest.

Realization struck.

She immediately ground her teeth together, wanting to strangle this shameless little flirt who had suddenly started making dirty jokes.

“One day I’m really going to choke you to death.”

Fang Yiyi wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.

“Only children make empty threats.”

Director Tong sneered.

“Just wait.”

“You’ll find out whether I’m only talking.”

Fang Yiyi felt her logic made no sense.

“It’s not like it was you who grabbed my throat last time.”

“Heh.”

Director Tong replied,

“You don’t seriously think Li Ting let go because you begged her to, do you?”

“We’ve known each other since childhood.”

“I know Li Ting better than I know myself.”

“Why do you think she won’t let me get close?”

“Why do you think she refuses to see me?”

“If she’d truly wanted to kill me, do you think you could have changed her mind?”

Fang Yiyi remained silent.

Because she really couldn’t influence Li Ting’s decisions.

Director Tong snorted.

“You can stay with her if you want.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“I’m only advising you.”

“Think carefully for yourself.”

“Don’t throw your life away just because someone treats you a little kindly.”

“She may be protecting you now.”

“You’re touched, aren’t you?”

“Heh.”

“I won’t claim to know everything.”

“But I guarantee that the moment you lose all value to her…”

“She’ll be the first one to kill you.”

A long silence answered her.

Director Tong thought she had finally gotten through.

The corners of her lips lifted, and the frustration that had weighed on her heart for days gradually disappeared.

However, just as they reached the office and she pushed the door open, Fang Yiyi quietly said,

“It doesn’t matter.”

“If Senior wants it…”

“I’ll give it to her.”

Director Tong’s expression froze.

She could hear the sincerity in Fang Yiyi’s voice.

It wasn’t a joke.

Pressing her lips together, she fell unusually silent.

“What confidence.”

A smiling voice suddenly interrupted.

Fang Yiyi looked up.

Only then did she notice someone had already been waiting inside the office.

The woman appeared to be around thirty.

She sat on the black leather sofa reserved for visitors.

She had neat short hair, willow-shaped eyebrows, and long phoenix eyes that curved into a gentle smile.

Her nose was small and refined, but her lips were thin.

Unlike Director Tong, whose appearance projected the image of a polished businesswoman, this woman naturally radiated authority.

Even dressed in an ordinary shirt and jeans, she gave the impression of someone accustomed to issuing orders from behind a desk.

Director Tong seemed quite familiar with her.

As soon as she entered, she sat down beside the woman and introduced them while pouting.

“This is Fang Yiyi. Fang Yiyi, this is…”

“Chen Sike.”

The woman stood and extended her right hand.

“Hello.”

“Thank you for helping my cousin.”

“Chen Lihui is my uncle.”

“Oh, hello.”

It was Fang Yiyi’s first time shaking hands so formally.

She became nervous again.

“My name is Fang Yiyi.”

“I’ve brought her here.”

Director Tong curled her lips.

“You two talk.”

“I need to stop by the infirmary.”

“This brat just slammed me onto my shoulder blade.”

“I think it might be fractured.”

“After that I still have classes to teach, so I won’t stay.”

With that, she stood up and left.

Fang Yiyi: “……”

“Sit.”

Chen Sike waved goodbye to Director Tong before smiling warmly at Fang Yiyi.

After Fang Yiyi sat down, Chen Sike continued,

“When Li Ting enrolled here, she had two close friends.”

“One was Tongtong.”

“As for the other…”

She smiled and looked directly at Fang Yiyi without finishing the sentence.

Fang Yiyi’s eyes widened.

“You?”

“Very clever.”

Chen Sike interlaced her fingers over her knees and leaned comfortably against the sofa.

“I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time.”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a beautiful young woman.”

“I asked Tongtong to bring you here today.”

“I hope it wasn’t too abrupt or inconvenient.”

No.

It definitely interrupted me, Fang Yiyi silently thought.

She asked politely,

“So… Miss Chen, why did you ask me to come?”

Chen Sike frowned sadly.

“You’ll probably laugh at me.”

“You know Li Ting doesn’t want to see us.”

“But we truly were very close friends.”

“She died in an accident.”

“We’ve always missed her.”

“You’re close to her now, so…”

“I just wanted to ask…”

“How has she been lately?”

“Does she lack anything?”

“Or is there anything she wants?”

Perhaps because Chen Sike naturally possessed such a commanding presence, the vulnerability in her lowered voice resembled a tiger brought low.

It made Fang Yiyi strangely unwilling to refuse.

She thought for a moment.

“I don’t think she’s lacking anything.”

Chen Sike’s brows relaxed, and she smiled.

“Every Qingming Festival, we burn offerings for Li Ting.”

“But memorial offerings are always the same few things.”

“We could list them with our eyes closed.”

“Li Ting has always been independent.”

“She never relied on anyone.”

“For all these years she hasn’t even appeared in our dreams.”

“I was worried she might need something but feel too embarrassed to tell us.”

“If she’s lacking nothing, then that’s good.”

“Oh…”

Fang Yiyi nodded blankly.

“Yiyi, look.”

“This is a photo we took back then.”

Perhaps afraid Fang Yiyi wouldn’t believe her, Chen Sike took out a photograph whose edges had yellowed with age, though it had obviously been preserved with great care.

She handed it over.

In the picture, three girls held identical ice cream cones while laughing together with their arms around one another.

Chen Sike stood on the left.

Tongtong stood on the right.

Li Ting stood proudly between them.

Her presence was unmistakable.

Fang Yiyi recognized her immediately.

The background appeared to be a school athletic field.

All three wore the same school uniform.

Their smiling eyes curved brightly, overflowing with youthful happiness.

Fang Yiyi had never seen Li Ting like this before.

Her guard was completely down.

Even the corners of her eyes held smiles.

The joy radiating from the photograph was almost tangible.

The Li Ting Fang Yiyi knew was always gloomy, expressionless, and rarely smiled.

Even when she did, it was only the slightest curl of her lips.

…She was truly different.

Fang Yiyi pursed her lips and handed the photograph back.

“I can tell you were all very close.”

“Yes…”

Chen Sike sighed.

“What a pity.”

“Life is unpredictable.”

“Mm…”

Fang Yiyi answered softly before asking,

“How did Senior die?”

Chen Sike blinked.

“It was an accident.”

“A tragic accident that devastated all of us.”

“What kind of accident?”

“I’m sorry, Yiyi.”

“I don’t want to remember.”

Chen Sike lowered her eyes.

Her voice was heavy.

“Oh, that’s okay.”

“The one who should apologize is me.”

“I shouldn’t have brought up something that makes you sad.”

Fang Yiyi hurriedly waved her hands apologetically.

“Actually…”

Chen Sike clasped her hands together nervously.

“I have one more request.”

“You can refuse if you want…”

“Mm?”

Fang Yiyi nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“I really want to see Li Ting.”

“Would you…”

“Help me ask her to meet me?”