Chapter 22
Shi Jian had been waiting for the monster mom to show her fierce side, but she didn’t. After gently patting Shi Jian for a while, she left the room.
Shi Jian opened her eyes in the darkness, slowly loosening her grip on the knife handle. Under the mixed tension and fear, her palm was already sweaty.
The bedroom was quiet. Although the bedding and sheets were not of very high quality, they had been sun-dried, soft and comfortable.
It was the smell of mom.
This time going home was completely different from what Shi Jian had imagined—one could say it was a world of difference.
Someone quietly said in the chat:
“Although… suddenly I’m moved.”
“This mama’s girl kind of misses her mom, sob sob, mom is the best person in the world, mom always loves me, I always love mom.”
“Mom doesn’t need you to be more successful, nor to share the good life with you, as long as you’re healthy and happy… I didn’t expect to be moved to tears by a horror game livestream, especially since this mom isn’t even human.”
“Seeing the monster mom busy with her tentacles, suddenly I feel like my mom at home is the same—sometimes I suspect she has superpowers, doing laundry, cooking, chores, and raising kids all by herself.”
...
After confirming there was no danger, Shi Jian slept soundly, dreaming not once the entire night.
Shi Jian really seemed like a student who had been studying all day at school and was now relaxing at home. Ignoring the tentacles, the mom assigned by the scenario could even be called a model good mom.
Early the next morning, the monster mom was already ready with breakfast. This time Shi Jian didn’t refuse.
The food looked not only fine but could even be called colorful, fragrant, and tasty—many times better than the cafeteria at No. 1 High School.
“Mom’s going to work now. Baby, don’t be stingy spending money at school. Mom has money and can afford to raise you.”
The monster mom pushed a snack cart down the street. Shi Jian felt that whether it was the mom’s job or the thick-looking but actually small-change-filled money she shoved at her, it didn’t seem like she was wealthy.
Shi Jian silently helped push the snack cart a couple of times. Although it didn’t really help much, she still received a gratified look and encouragement from the monster mom.
Shi Jian: “...”
The snack cart and monster mom gradually walked away with the morning sun. Shi Jian watched for a while, then turned back to school.
She didn’t take the money. She had secretly slipped it back onto the snack cart earlier, and besides returning the money, Shi Jian also packed two pancakes for the monster mom.
The breakfast the monster mom prepared for her was plentiful, but she kept talking about work and cleaned the house before leaving, barely eating anything.
Shi Jian inexplicably felt those tentacles didn’t seem so scary anymore.
There is true affection in the underworld, true love in the underworld. Maybe the way to see things shouldn’t be so absolute—just like there are troublesome students but also classmates who help find the discipline head.
Shi Jian: Maybe all parents have a heart? Study is important but kids are more important?
Suddenly she felt positive, and the theme even elevated!
...
But the truth proved Shi Jian was overthinking. This was still a horror game scenario.
Shi Jian met Tang Tian at the school gate. They had agreed yesterday to meet at the school gate; Shi Jian arrived a bit earlier, Tang Tian a bit later, and both smiled when they saw each other.
At least the two of them were intact—the blessing from yesterday had worked.After Shi Jian finished sharing her guess, Tang Tian looked confused and incredulous. “No, it seems like what you experienced is different from mine. I didn’t get any real affection or true love here.”
According to Tang Tian, after parting with Shi Jian last night, she had no choice but to anxiously return to that unknown “home.”
Before even reaching the door, she saw a shirtless drunk man holding a red-hot iron rod under the building, cursing loudly, shouting, “That brat dares to switch classes casually? Useless piece of trash. When I see her, I’ll skin her alive.”
Tang Tian still described it with a racing heart, “Although he looked like a normal person, not an alien, holding that red-hot iron rod wasn’t any better than a monster. I really think he meant what he said.”
He truly wanted to skin her alive.
There wasn’t a trace of the monster mom’s gentleness.
Shi Jian hadn’t expected their experiences to be so different. Just listening, she could imagine the scene and patted Tang Tian’s back.
“And then?”
Tang Tian said, “I hid outside for a while. Luckily he was quite drunk, so I sneaked back behind him into that house, hiding in a closet without making a sound, and slipped out again in the morning.”
Tang Tian maximized the advantage of her easily overlooked nature. In the real world, this trait had once made her quite depressed—who wants to be forgotten from childhood to adulthood? But later, Tang Tian gradually came to terms with it.
In this monster-filled, constantly dangerous horror scenario, Tang Tian was incredibly grateful to have this trait.
Tang Tian: Hopefully, no ghost or monster will notice me, thanks.
Shi Jian comforted Tang Tian that no matter what, the important thing was that she was alive now. She also thought Tang Tian’s trait was really suited for survival. Of course, if Shi Jian had to get the same trait, she wouldn’t want it.
Shi Jian then thought of something and furrowed her nicely shaped brows, asking Tang Tian,
“Did you get a parent’s signature?”
The discipline head clearly said a parent’s signature was needed. Although Tang Tian had returned to school intact, it would definitely be troublesome if she didn’t bring the signed paper.
Before Tang Tian could answer, Shi Jian seemed to make up her mind and, with a “I lose, you gain” look, said to Tang Tian,
“Maybe we can find a loophole. You recognize me as your mom, and I’ll sign for you.”
If it weren’t for their close relationship, Shi Jian wouldn’t have considered making such a big sacrifice.
Shi Jian’s livestream viewers had been worried for Tang Tian when this issue was brought up, but now—
“Hahahahaha, Shi Jian, you’re such a genius!”
“I was wondering what Shi Jian would say next.”
“But I have to admit, that opens up possibilities. (doge face)”
“Finding loopholes is what we do professionally!”
“Shocking: the popular female star is an unmarried mother, and her kid is already grown. The reason? This.”
Tang Tian didn’t want her friend to suddenly become her “mom,” but she appreciated the good intention, and Tang Tian did get the signature.
Tang Tian explained, “I took advantage of him being drunk and deeply asleep and directly took his hand to sign the paper myself—authentic signature, no fakes.”
It really was a real signature, so where was the problem?
...
Not long after Shi Jian and Tang Tian entered the school, they ran into the discipline head. As a polite student, Shi Jian greeted her, “Good morning, Director.”Although the discipline head’s expression looked as if Shi Jian was cursing her entire family.
Her inner thoughts were plainly visible on her face—
How is she still alive?!
Is she some kind of disaster that lingers for a thousand years?
Not only was Shi Jian alive, but because she had rested well, her originally delicate and radiant face looked even more glowing. She and Tang Tian both handed their transfer notices to the discipline head.
Tang Tian was a little nervous since she had used a bit of cunning, but luckily, no problems arose.
As for Shi Jian’s transfer notice, the discipline head stared at it for over a minute, her gaze practically demanding to authenticate the signature.
But Shi Jian wasn’t fazed at all. No matter how long she stared, the signature was real.
In the end, the discipline head could only reluctantly nod, her face stretched long, “Received.”
However, the other transfer student did not show up. The freckled female streamer appeared flustered as she approached Shi Jian and Tang Tian. “Did you see the school forum?”
Shi Jian and Tang Tian exchanged a glance, both knowing something had happened again.
...
Qingshan No. 1 High School had a campus forum. Previously, the freckled female streamer’s group had tried to find some useful clues there but found nothing.
But now, Shi Jian opened the forum on the phone given by the system and discovered a video.
It was the death process of the male streamer who transferred with Tang Tian.
The video was very clear, seemingly shot with multiple cameras. It showed the male streamer hesitating before knocking on the “home” door. Inside was a creature similar to Shi Jian’s monster mom, who opened the door and warmly called her son.
Then the male streamer was obviously scared, immediately turned around without a word, used a prop, and ran.
The tentacled monster’s expression changed drastically. The kind face vanished, and she screamed hysterically, “There’s no son who’s afraid of his mom! You’re not my son!”
As she finished speaking, the monster wrapped her tentacles around the male streamer and strangled him to death.
Although the male streamer had an acceleration prop, he didn’t escape successfully. During his entire death struggle, his face turned blue and purple from lack of oxygen. His eyes never closed in death, perfectly embodying the phrase “dying with eyes wide open.”
Shi Jian quickly put the phone down on the table and leaned back.
Tang Tian, watching nervously, didn’t understand Shi Jian’s movement and asked with concern, “Shi Jian, are you okay?”
Not only was Tang Tian next to Shi Jian, but also the freckled female streamer and other streamers were watching. Facing everyone’s attention, Shi Jian casually said, “...I was holding the phone too long, my arm went numb. Just stretching.”
To make her words more believable, Shi Jian shook her arm deliberately.
In truth, inside she was screaming: Ahhhh! How could this happen?!
The monster mom’s tentacles were even more numerous than the one in the video... Now Shi Jian no longer thought tentacles were cute at all.
Where was any positivity in a horror game?
Shi Jian adjusted her expression and told Tang Tian and the others, “The mom I met looked exactly like that.”
As for why Shi Jian was unharmed, after hearing her description, the freckled female streamer summarized, “Is it because you were brave and didn’t run?”
That was probably one of the main reasons.The surrounding streamers all looked at Shi Jian with solemn respect.
A tough one, a badass!
It wasn’t that Shi Jian was brave and didn’t run; rather, her high heel broke and she felt she couldn’t run, so she gave up struggling. “...”
The whole world thinks she’s brave—let them think so.
This time, the deaths at home were not only the transferred male streamer but also another streamer.
The other victim streamer had failed three exams before. After going home, her parents were reportedly very dissatisfied, scolded her, made her stay up late to catch up on lessons, and then the streamer suddenly died of a heart attack.
The freckled female streamer bit her teeth, her voice trembling with tears, “She was a pilot by profession, how could she have a heart condition?!”
Shi Jian and Tang Tian remained silent; everyone understood this was probably a side effect of failing exams.
Streamers who failed repeatedly complained of feeling unwell and heart pain. They didn’t die on the spot like Zhou Xingxu who cheated, but it was like slowly being cut with a knife—if left unchecked, death was inevitable.
In the Qingshan No. 1 High School scenario, three streamers have died; injuries such as broken legs were negligible.
The freckled female streamer wiped her tears, stood up, and said goodbye, “I’m going to study now.”
No time to mourn. If she didn’t study her hardest, she would be next to die.
Other streamers adjusted their expressions and returned to class. As pure academic students, higher scores were demanded of them.
Shi Jian even saw some streamers unwilling to waste time on the way to class, holding vocabulary books in their hands.
In this oppressive learning environment, the streamers were becoming more and more like the students of Qingshan No. 1 High.
...
The investigation results the discipline head had mentioned before were out. Although Shi Jian was still lively and standing before him, two people had died, and the discipline head’s joy was visible to the naked eye.
With his hands behind his back, the discipline head pretended to be serious and told Shi Jian, “Shi Jian, it’s not that the teacher doesn’t defend you, but the school nurse was seriously injured by you. You need to accept punishment.”
The school nurse hated Shi Jian with a passion and only mentioned Shi Jian during the whole process.
Tang Tian and the school beauty ghost were by Shi Jian’s side. Tang Tian needed no introduction; the school beauty ghost had stuck to Shi Jian nonstop since “Sisters Are Everything.”
Tang Tian couldn’t help but speak up, “It’s not just...” It’s not only Shi Jian; even if there’s punishment, it shouldn’t just be Shi Jian punished.
The school beauty ghost was even more passionate: “If you punish, punish us together! Why only bully her sister?”
Only then did the discipline head notice Tang Tian beside him, showing surprise, “There’s someone else?”
“Do you have something to say?”
Shi Jian quickly spoke before Tang Tian, “No, Director, you just said I need to accept punishment?”
Shi Jian subtly signaled Tang Tian and the school beauty ghost with her eyes not to act recklessly.
According to the scenario’s trait of setting traps, Tang Tian and the school beauty ghost stepping forward to share the blame wouldn’t reduce Shi Jian’s punishment; it might even add two more innocent people (or ghosts) to be punished.
What’s the point?
Moreover, the school nurse really was hit by Shi Jian. Though Shi Jian was timid, she still took responsibility for her actions.
The discipline head ignored Tang Tian and the others and focused on dealing with Shi Jian, knowing the student before him was full of schemes. “Yes, you must accept punishment.”Shi Jian said, “But Director, you can’t just listen to the school nurse’s one-sided story. She started it, I was just acting in self-defense.”
The discipline head recalled the school nurse’s miserable state and suddenly was at a loss for words. He didn’t understand how Shi Jian could be so unashamed yet so confident.
“Is that called self-defense?”
“That’s excessive defense!”
Shi Jian: The discipline head really is an academic ghost.
Like a magician, Shi Jian pulled a small notebook from her pocket and showed it to the discipline head. Tang Tian and the streamers watching were a bit confused.
But the discipline head was the first to ask, “What is that?”
Shi Jian held up the notebook and smiled, “I copied down the ‘Student Code of Conduct.’ Let me check… Director, there’s no rule here saying students can’t hit teachers. So on what basis are you punishing me?”
The ‘Student Code of Conduct’ was densely written, listing things Qingshan No. 1 High students were forbidden to do, punishable if violated—like running or jumping in the hallway could get your legs broken.
But it indeed did not say students couldn’t hit teachers.
Shi Jian insisted on this reasoning: if it’s not written in the rules, how can she be punished? They can’t just punish people arbitrarily because they’re the discipline head.
Shi Jian also asked, “What punishment did the school nurse receive for damaging school property?”
Though the discipline head was already familiar with Shi Jian’s sharp tongue, her line of argument still disrupted his thoughts. After some thought, he said firmly, “The school nurse was seriously injured. Out of humanitarianism, you should apologize to her. Tomorrow morning, during the flag-raising ceremony, make a public apology in front of the whole school, got it?”
The discipline head felt Shi Jian had led him astray and thought no reasoning with her—just enforce it!
“I already handled the school nurse’s side; she compensated the damaged property at replacement cost. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Going all in on unreasonable.
Shi Jian loudly protested, “Then I can compensate the school nurse out of humanitarianism too.”
Shi Jian wasn’t short of money; thanks to her celebrity fan meetings, she was now a small rich woman.
The discipline head: “...”
...
【Well done!】
【Welcome everyone to the ‘Words That Leave the Discipline Head Speechless’ channel.】
【Welcome to Shi Jian’s Legal Channel. Today we teach you how to tell the difference between self-defense and excessive defense.】
【Why is the streamer hand-copying the ‘Student Code of Conduct’? Is she a comedy streamer?】
【Support the streamer paying compensation. The school nurse smashed the desk to bits and just paid for it; the streamer beat the school nurse black and blue—what’s wrong with her paying too? (dog head emoji)】
【But still, the Qingshan No. 1 High teaching team is really cheating.】
However, after confirming the punishment was only a public apology in front of the whole school, Shi Jian readily agreed.
“This really should be me taking the blame. If any of you want to fight me over it, I’ll be worried.”
Shi Jian wasn’t just trying to reassure Tang Tian and the school beauty ghost; she was telling the truth. At the flag-raising ceremony, the whole school’s teachers and students would be there—lots of people.
As the one apologizing, wouldn’t she easily gain attention?The discipline head had a gut feeling something was off—why did Shi Jian look a bit happy?
However, this was still what the discipline head had requested, and for now, he couldn’t think of anything about publicly apologizing to the school nurse in front of the whole school that would be worth feeling happy about.
Of course, by the time the discipline head found out, it was already too late.
Someone in the livestream audience mentioned it.
【Feels like the streamer is about to make a big move?】
...
The next day was sunny and clear.
After the dull, stinky, and lengthy speeches from the school leadership, the discipline head spoke, “Shi Jian, a senior art class student, please come up to publicly apologize to the school nurse.”
The school nurse wasn’t on site but was in the infirmary playing with her rather large rat and listening to the broadcast. A slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
But when the pain from her injury struck, her sinister smile faded into a grimace. The school nurse cursed, “You little bitch!”
On the campus broadcast, Shi Jian’s clear voice sounded, causing the school nurse’s curses to pause. She stared at the speaker, ears perked.
“Hello everyone, I am Shi Jian, a senior art class student. Today I publicly apologize here. I apologize, I repent...”
Shi Jian’s tone was extremely sincere, mixed with heartbreak. Hearing this, the school nurse was somewhat satisfied—after all, despite how wild Shi Jian had been that day, she still had to apologize.
Of course, an apology meant nothing. To the school nurse, this wasn’t over!
But the next moment, Shi Jian said through the broadcast, “When the school nurse hit my beautiful face, I should have turned my face to take the hit instead of resisting.”
???
The school nurse instantly realized something was wrong. Already monstrous, she grabbed a scalpel and furiously stabbed the speaker. The speaker couldn’t withstand the blows and soon shattered into pieces flying everywhere.
“Damn it, you little bitch, what are you saying?!”
The school nurse’s reaction in the infirmary was big, but on site, students could see Shi Jian’s appearance, expression, and demeanor… When a beautiful, glowing, fragile girl spoke the truth in a helpless tone, the students didn’t think she was being sarcastic—they just felt sorry for her.
Tang Tian and the school beauty ghost immediately chimed in. Hidden among the students, one person (or ghost) was like 300 online trolls, saying, “Ah, the school nurse hit someone and she couldn’t dodge? Dodging means a public apology, poor Shi Jian!”
After they spoke, the hesitant students gradually started discussing.
“What’s going on?”
“The school nurse hit someone?”
“So awful...”
Shi Jian and Tang Tian’s roommate, as involved parties, unleashed a flood of confessions: “I saw with my own eyes the school nurse was about to slap Shi Jian...”
The roommate was usually quiet but a good student, which made her words more credible.
Many students felt angry.
Shi Jian’s admirers were even more furious: such a beautiful face, and the school nurse actually dared to lay a hand on her!
The discipline head said, “...Quiet, quiet!”
He had not expected this to be Shi Jian’s ‘apology.’ Seeing the students’ discussion growing louder, the discipline head immediately took up a megaphone to suppress it.The discipline head usually maintained a strong authoritative image. Although many students were still surprised by the truth, they fell silent.
Shi Jian’s apology was over but not completely finished, because the school director, sensing trouble, gave the discipline head a reproachful look and tried to quickly move on to the next step to let this matter pass.
The school director cleared his throat, “Let’s invite an outstanding student to speak. Everyone should learn from the excellent talents of their peers.”
Shi Jian, who had just stepped down, returned the same way. Facing the school director’s puzzled expression, she obediently introduced herself.
“I am the outstanding student of this term.”
Shi Jian: Didn’t expect that, huh? Surprised and delighted, right!
Shi Jian thrived in the art class, fully relying on her performance skills to earn the teachers’ favor. The teachers always gave her high marks. Before the holiday, the art teachers had already notified Shi Jian that she would give a public speech as an outstanding student after returning.
Standing on the stage, Shi Jian faced a sea of dark heads. Unlike the invisible viewers in the livestream, this kind of focused gaze made Shi Jian more excited, like every time she stood on the stage at an award ceremony.
It fascinated Shi Jian.
Facing the sunlight and the gaze, she started speaking, “I think our school system has many problems.”
Right from the start, she challenged the authority of Qingshan No. 1 High School’s management.
Many students who had been silently reciting without caring slowly lifted their heads.
Shi Jian didn’t pause much and continued, “I know many classmates like basketball but it just gathers dust. We don’t have PE classes; PE classes are math classes. Our PE teachers are always busy. Similarly, so are the art teachers.”
Tang Tian applauded vigorously. The school beauty ghost even clapped so hard her palm flew off; she picked it up, reattached it, and kept clapping.
This was so relatable—except for the sports students, no one had PE classes!
Shi Jian looked puzzled, “I don’t know why our school’s PE teachers and art teachers are so busy, while our other subject teachers always have to work as substitutes for them. I’m in tears, how about you?”
Shi Jian even called out the school director.
“I propose the school leadership give higher salaries to the other subject teachers since they are effectively working for the PE and art teachers.”
PE teachers, art teachers: …
Can’t hold classes, so it’s their fault?
At that moment, uplifting music played. Everyone wondered where it came from. Looking closely, it turned out Shi Jian had brought a small speaker, and the music was coming from there.
Real self-BGM.
Shi Jian confidently added music to herself. Her next words indeed sounded more emotional with the music.
“Students don’t just need to study; we need comprehensive development in morality, intelligence, physique, art, and aesthetics... Although Qingshan No. 1 High School’s system has many flaws, I still love its system.”
Shi Jian shifted tone.
At this point, the discipline head clearly didn’t believe Shi Jian would say anything comforting to him. He finally understood why Shi Jian agreed so readily.
Discipline head: Regret. Deep regret.
If there was a regret potion, he would buy a big bottle. He shouldn’t have listened to the school nurse and let Shi Jian do a public apology.
The discipline head was furious. In front of many teachers, students, and school leaders, he couldn’t just rush up and pull Shi Jian down from the stage. So he could only scowl and point at Shi Jian on stage, shouting to intimidate her, “Get down!”
Trying to make Shi Jian admit defeat on her own.The livestream audience automatically transformed his actions and words into, "Come down, ancestor, please!"
How could Shi Jian possibly come down? At such a moment of public attention, she was happily speaking. Shi Jian even interacted with the discipline head, deliberately twisting his meaning.
“Thank you, Director, for the shoutout. I know, I spoke well, and I’ll say even more.”
The discipline head wasn’t giving Shi Jian a shoutout—his fingers were trembling with anger.
Shi Jian turned back to the students, her eyes dark and bright. “I love the system of No. 1 High School because, take me as an example: I was just apologizing, and now I’m an outstanding student.”
“Is it hard to survive in No. 1 High School? Hard? Not really. As long as your grades are bright enough, you can do many things.”
The background music hit the most exciting part, perfectly matching Shi Jian’s summary, not a beat off—everything under her control.
The beautiful girl on stage spoke with conviction, “I hit a teacher, yet I’m still a good student. I am Shi Jian, love you all.”
Shi Jian made a heart gesture with her hand toward everyone. The sun was her natural spotlight, and the breeze lifted her flowing hair.
This scene, even years later, would still be remembered and mentioned in many people’s memories, shining brightly.
No student could remain indifferent or numb to rote memorization under such a speech; they seemed enlightened, their heavy gazes all turning toward the teachers who oppressed and bullied them.