Chapter 15 – Campus Arc: A Glamorous Romance – The Cinderella Sweetheart’s Endless Love (15)
As soon as the teacher announced the assignment, the classroom erupted in groans. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time they had been given such a task, but it was still a major headache. If their papers weren’t up to standard, not only would they have to retake the course, but they’d also be forced to do “volunteer work” for the chemistry professor—a truly painful punishment.
“Don’t worry, Host! I understood everything perfectly. I’ll tutor you when we get back!” The system was brimming with confidence and enthusiasm.
The class monitor had already prepared the drawing box, and each student stepped up to pick their assigned film genre for the essay.
When it was Bai Tang’s turn, he reached into the box and pulled out a slip of paper. Slowly, he unfolded it—“horror film.”
System: “Host, it’s a horror movie~~~”
Why did Qiu’er sound so excited about this?!
Even though Bai Tang was a little squirrel demon, he had a deep respect—and fear—for ghosts and the supernatural. Right now, he really wanted to munch on some pine nuts to calm his nerves.
“Oh wow, a horror film! Bai Tang, your luck isn’t great, huh?” The class monitor, a freckled boy, spoke with a tone of fake sympathy—but his gloating was obvious.
The film genres were diverse, and to prevent plagiarism, every student received a unique assignment. Unfortunately, Bai Tang had drawn one of the hardest genres to analyze. Their teacher’s film critique requirements demanded objectivity—every paper had to be argued and analyzed from a materialist perspective. However, horror films were mostly idealistic, featuring ghosts, supernatural entities, or gory scenes, which didn’t align with modern scientific viewpoints. Writing this paper meant watching a lot of horror movies and finding ways to critique them logically.
Bai Tang, you’re in for a tough time. Hehehe…
Bai Tang: “…” Don’t think I didn’t see that smug smile on your face.
He wanted to cry.
As a top-tier, overachieving system, System. Academic. Genius. Mode kicked in and generously offered Bai Tang its assistance—for free. It immediately downloaded a massive collection of horror films, ranging from gory and disgusting to mind-bending psychological thrillers. Suspense, terror, nightmare fuel—the system had everything.
System: “Host, no need to thank me! This is my duty, hehe~”
Bai Tang: “Can’t you just write the paper for me?”
System: “As a diligent and upright system, I must uphold academic integrity. Cheating is shameful.”
Bai Tang: “Goodbye!”
Reluctantly, he opened the laptop loaded with the system’s friendly selection of horror films. In the dimly lit room, the only source of light was the faint glow of the laptop screen.
Bai Tang’s voice trembled, “Qiu’er… why did we turn off the lights?”
The system couldn’t hide its excitement: “Host, don’t you think this makes the atmosphere even better?!”
On the screen, a young girl walked alone into a pitch-black alley. With each step she took, a soft drip… drip… echoed behind her. She paused, tilting her head to listen, but the sound had vanished. Looking up at the sky, she saw a tangled mess of electrical wires crisscrossing above, blocking the faint moonlight. She pressed the flashlight button on her phone—the white glow momentarily eased her anxiety, but the end of the alley remained shrouded in darkness.
Bai Tang was completely engrossed, immersing himself in the scene. As the girl felt reassured by the light, so did he.
Taking a deep breath, the girl continued forward. But after only a few steps, a black cat suddenly darted out of nowhere. Startled, she dropped her phone, and the tiny source of light was instantly extinguished.
“Drip… drip…”
She remained frozen. The crisp, rhythmic dripping sound seemed to be coming from behind her.
“Drip-drip…” The sound grew closer. Holding her breath, she abandoned her broken phone and broke into a frantic run.
No matter how fast she ran, that ominous drip… drip… sound kept closing in, growing more rapid and urgent.
Panic made her careless. A pile of garbage on the ground tripped her, sending her sprawling.
She didn’t dare look back.
She could feel it. Something was right behind her. A chill seeped into the back of her neck.
“Drip… drip… drip…” The sound was slow, but unmistakably clear—right next to her ear.
“Crash—”
Bai Tang’s head jerked to the side. What was that noise?!
Other than himself, there was no one else in the room.
A creeping unease settled in his chest. The AC was a little too cold. He tightened his blanket around him and forced himself to keep watching, his heartbeat quickening with the tension of the scene.
On-screen, the girl sobbed helplessly.
A pitch-black arm slowly reached out and patted her shoulder.
She spun around—nothing was there. The drip… drip… sound had vanished.
Then—
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the silence.
At that exact moment, a hand landed on Bai Tang’s shoulder.
Bai Tang: “AAAAHHHHH—”
System: “AAAAHHHHH—”
Author’s Note:
Bai Tang and the system clung to each other, trembling like terrified little mice.