Cat 132: Being Followed

Chapter 132: Being Followed

[“Want to Be Human”] Live Stream:

“Ahhh! I forgot to switch to third-person—this first-person view is going to give me a heart attack! My poor heart nearly gave out!”

“Damn, it’s too much for little cat! Can someone tell me who that person is? I’m sure I’ve seen this instance before—why don’t I remember this?”

“I never saw anyone arrive early at the piano room in previous runs, let alone Han Ruibai. What’s going on?”

“Maybe I haven’t watched enough streams, but I’m like the commenter above—Han Ruibai never even appeared, and he’s not the protagonist either. Why is the cat following him around?”

“The problem is, even the protagonist is hard to find. I remember the main character in this instance is difficult to identify, and now it’s been upgraded to level 4 hard mode—the death rate and main quest difficulty must be way up.”

“Sigh, our cat and his teammates are all newbies. How did they end up in a level 4 instance?”

“First time seeing this instance—may I ask who the protagonist is?”

“Long story, the plot here is very complicated—”

At this moment, Yan Jiyun’s round, lamp-like eyes made him very conspicuous. The man beside him was obviously startled, but forced himself to stay calm.

But because there were people outside the curtain, he didn’t move, simply staring at the unmoving black cat.

In fact, Yan Jiyun could move, but if he did, the curtain would surely rustle, so he simply crouched where he was. Who would have thought the NPC would move so quickly, slipping behind the curtain to stand right next to him?

Normally, he wouldn’t have been noticed, but this NPC was clearly not normal. Yan Jiyun was discovered regardless.

He edged away, putting some distance between himself and the NPC—so he’d have a better chance to run if needed. Ideally, the other would just forget about him, treat him as a clueless, stray cat that had wandered into the piano room by accident.

Outside, Mr. Qu seemed surprised to find Han Ruibai in the piano room. Not one for soliloquies, he only glanced at Han Ruibai, then abruptly hoisted him up and carried him out of the classroom.

Yan Jiyun: “……” He’s leaving just like that—without a word.

Mr. Qu’s stamina was impressive; carrying a person away at that speed, no wonder he was an NPC.

Yan Jiyun was about to follow, but with the man still lurking behind the curtain, he didn’t dare dash out. What if the man gave chase? What if he suspected Yan’s true identity?

But why was Mr. Qu taking Han Ruibai? Was he the one pulling the strings behind the midnight piano rumor, removing Han Ruibai to clear the scene?

Once Mr. Qu and Han Ruibai were far away, the man who’d been hiding in the curtain slipped out as well.

Before leaving, he glanced at the little black cat cowering in the corner and clicked his tongue.

Yan Jiyun heard his footsteps following Mr. Qu’s direction, so he hurried out from behind the curtain and set off after them.

Could Mr. Qu be planning to kill Han Ruibai?

Han Ruibai really was unlucky: first drugged, almost murdered, now about to be carried off by a teacher.

In Yan Jiyun’s mind, the probability Han Ruibai was the protagonist ticked up 5%.

He heard Mr. Qu heading upstairs. But where was he taking Han Ruibai?

Mr. Qu stopped on the fourth floor.

Yan Jiyun hadn’t reached the landing when he was forced to halt—because the mysterious man also stopped.

In the stairwell lighting, Yan Jiyun couldn’t see his features clearly because his shoulder-length hair obscured half of his face, but he did catch a whiff of sandalwood scent.

He quietly followed after Mr. Qu, his presence undetected.

It was a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

The door of Room 402 directly above Room 302 was pushed open. Yan Jiyun was certain this wasn’t a piano room—those were all on the third floor; the fourth was for other music classes.

Since he didn’t know the man’s name, Yan Jiyun simply called him Long-Haired Number Two.

Long-Haired Number Two ascended to the fourth floor, and only then did Yan Jiyun proceed.

It seemed Long-Haired Number Two hadn’t alerted Mr. Qu.

No one knew what Mr. Qu intended to do to Han Ruibai.

The system hadn’t sent a quest prompt, so Han’s life shouldn’t be in immediate danger, right?

Mr. Qu had the right to handle players however he wanted; he didn’t need to sneak around.

Sure enough, Yan Jiyun’s guess was correct.

Soon, Mr. Qu exited Room 402 and headed downstairs, apparently unaware he was being tailed by Long-Haired Number Two.

Yan Jiyun then headed to the second floor, wanting to see if Mr. Qu was planning to return to the piano room in 302.

If he didn’t, Yan could head up to the fourth floor to check on Han Ruibai.

Mr. Qu walked toward 302; his shoes made a distinctive sound.

Yan Jiyun heard the gentle melody of a piano begin in Room 302: “……”

Hearing piano music in a pitch-dark classroom at this hour was enough to make anyone uneasy.

But the timing didn’t match the rumor—if Mr. Qu was the mastermind, he should be active after evening study, not now. And since he hadn’t harmed Han Ruibai—just left him on the fourth floor—was it merely to avoid interruption during his practice?

Yan Jiyun hurried to the fourth floor, but when he reached 402, he found the classroom empty—Han Ruibai gone!

Long-Haired Number Two had spirited him away?

He remembered how, before Mr. Qu arrived, Long-Haired Number Two’s hand had already been at Han Ruibai’s throat—the intent was murder!

This was bad. Han Ruibai was in real danger!

At that moment, Yan Jiyun received a system notification.

[Side Quest: Han Ruibai’s Life in Peril.]

[Quest Details: Rescue Han Ruibai within 5 minutes.]

Mr. Qu was just a smokescreen, a deliberate misdirection; the true threat was Long-Haired Number Two.

No matter why the man wanted Han Ruibai dead, Yan’s priority was to save him!

Voices began to echo throughout the building—players coming to investigate the rumors, Mr. Qu’s piano playing, and the three students who’d dumped Han Ruibai here huddled in a nearby classroom, afraid to move.

All Yan Jiyun needed was to pick out Long-Haired Number Two’s footsteps—everyone’s weight made their step sound slightly different.

He was still somewhere on the fourth floor.

Tracking the scent of sandalwood, Yan Jiyun found Room 408.

He meowed outside the door, “Meow~ Meow~ Meow~”

There were other sounds in the building, but none would distract Long-Haired Number Two; a cat’s cry, though, was different—louder than any person and more likely to attract attention.

Students led dull lives, and even a cat could trigger fondness; in college, even boys hid cats in their dorms. Here, Yan Jiyun didn’t expect any NPCs to come searching, but as long as it drove off the man, it was enough.

They’d just seen each other on the third floor—Long-Haired Number Two would realize this was the same cat and guess it’d followed him up. He’d given himself away.

Yan Jiyun heard him mutter through the door: “Cat, if you don’t be quiet, I’ll turn you into stew.”

Through the crack, Yan Jiyun saw him try to strike Han Ruibai again, so he meowed louder, voice more urgent, “Meow!”

He hoped to irritate Long-Haired Number Two enough that he couldn’t focus on murder—the noise would likely attract other people as well.

The system was harsh: where tasks once gave 30 minutes, the difficulty spike left him just 5; fail, and Han Ruibai would die.

But why kill Han Ruibai?

He seemed an ordinary, good student—what did he do to provoke the man?

Strangely, Mr. Qu had reacted to Han Ruibai being left in the classroom with complete indifference—just hauled him upstairs like a sack.

Yan Jiyun heard footsteps coming his way and ceased speculating about the main quest—he shrank back, alert.

A skilled NPC could catch a cat easily; their reflexes were excellent. A little distance was crucial.

Long-Haired Number Two put on a baseball cap, the brim covering most of his face, revealing only a clean jaw.

He was always concealing his appearance.

Was his face so unpresentable?

Hair hid half his face, the cap another half; even from Yan Jiyun’s angle, he couldn’t see his features.

His task hadn’t failed!

Han Ruibai’s life was safe—for now. Once five minutes passed, Long-Haired Number Two should give up trying to kill him.

Long-Haired Number Two lowered his voice threateningly: “Stop making noise!”

Yan Jiyun stood three meters away, locked in a standoff.

As long as holding his ground kept the man from Han Ruibai, he’d stay silent.

Long-Haired Number Two stepped forward; Yan Jiyun retreated two steps.

He stepped forward again; Yan Jiyun again retreated.

This stalemate continued for a minute, until Long-Haired Number Two had forced Yan back to the stairwell. Yan wasn’t sure what the man wanted.

Did he just want the cat out of the way, so no one would interrupt a murder?

Yan Jiyun was certainly afraid of a killer, but his task was to prevent Han Ruibai’s fate.

In the instance, NPCs killing players was one thing, but NPCs killing NPCs drove the plot. The truth of the story—what players needed to discover—was often hidden among these dangerous developments. Only by unearthing that truth could you claim the final reward.

This was what Yan Jiyun had learned through many instances.

An NPC who could kill a player wasn’t always the villain of the story; see “Midnight Diner” for reference.

So even though Mr. Qu had eliminated players himself, Yan Jiyun couldn’t assume he played the villain. In a level 4 hard mode, he had to treat each new clue with utmost caution.

Yan Jiyun kept backing up, but didn’t leave the stairwell—in case the man shut the door. Then he’d be forced to appear in human form, and in that case, he might not be any match for Long-Haired Number Two.

Anyone who could carry a hundred-plus-pound person so easily was not to be underestimated; Yan Jiyun wasn’t about to gamble his life.

Still, in the form of a kitten, he was nimble.

His sixth sense didn’t warn him of hostility from the man—he simply wanted to drive him out.

What Long-Haired Number Two didn’t expect was the black kitten’s refusal to leave.

Taking advantage of a moment’s inattention, Yan Jiyun crept back along the edge of the corridor.

Locked in a tug-of-war with the cat, the man soon lost all interest in harming Han Ruibai; his new goal was simply to catch the little cat.

What else could Yan Jiyun do? He ran for it!

Not only did he run, he let out wailing, heart-rending cries—certain to lure other players from all over the building.

After a while, Long-Haired Number Two was still unable to catch him.

If he didn’t chase, Yan simply lurked against the wall, huge eyes watching for a move; at the first sign of pursuit, he would bolt.

Long-Haired Number Two could already hear movement from the floors below.

He halted and spoke to Yan Jiyun: “Little one, why are you following me? Trying to make me adopt you?”

Yan Jiyun pretended not to understand, staring with unblinking eyes.

The man crouched, reaching out his palm: “Winter’s coming—I can adopt you.”

His voice was oddly persuasive, but Yan had heard plenty of charming NPC voices and far better from his own cruel ‘owner.’ Such tricks didn’t move him—there wasn’t even a dried fish snack on offer!

It sounded like quite a few players had gotten wind of the piano room rumors—as footsteps climbed the stairs around them.

Mr. Qu’s playing grew more intense.

Long-Haired Number Two yanked his cap down and stood up. “Suit yourself. I’m done with you.”

He kept his head low and slipped into the corridor, not looking back.

Meanwhlie, the other players’ steps neared the third floor, and Mr. Qu’s music abruptly ceased.

During the confrontation, Yan Jiyun had broken into a cold sweat. In this small form, grown men still exerted a strong intimidation.

The man’s gentle attempt to coax him, along with his extended hand, was an effective trick on cats; few could resist a willing scratch. Luckily, Yan was a person, with a will of his own.

He noticed the voices of Long-Haired Number Two and Mr. Qu sounded somewhat alike. Were they related? Appearing in the music class building at the same time certainly raised suspicions.

Long-Haired Number Two left as suddenly as he had arrived. Yan Jiyun checked his quest log:

[Congratulations, you have completed the side quest: “Han Ruibai’s Life in Peril.”]

The crisis was over.

He could no longer hear the man nearby.

If he wanted more information from Han Ruibai, he’d have to change into human form.

No one else knew he was the cat; it should be fine to transform here.

Outside the door, he heard Han Ruibai groan—he was coming around.

Looking around and seeing no one, Yan Jiyun quickly used his experience card and stepped inside.

He found the light switch.

Blinking, Han Ruibai opened his eyes and, seeing Yan Jiyun, showed visible surprise.

That was exactly what Yan wanted. A high school senior, attacked by classmates with ether, would be shaken; now, waking to someone rescuing him, he’d be surprised and probably grateful.

Han Ruibai was clear-headed: “How did I end up here? Was it Liu Yu and the others who brought me?”

So, the student with the scar was called Liu Yu.

Yan Jiyun simplified the story for Han, omitting the part about being a cat, giving only the main events: “That’s how it happened.”

Han Ruibai pressed his temples. “So after Liu Yu knocked me out, he sent me to a classroom on the third floor, then someone carried me up here—wanting to kill me?”

Yan Jiyun didn’t mention Mr. Qu; he wasn’t sure whether Han Ruibai was good or bad. If he turned out to be a hidden villain, all this effort would be pointless. For now, he could only probe indirectly.

Long-Haired Number Two didn’t seem to be a killer for no reason, so Han Ruibai must be involved in something, or perhaps saw something he shouldn’t have, forcing someone’s hand.

If Han Ruibai wasn’t the protagonist, he must be implicated in the plot for other reasons.

But Han Ruibai looked even more bewildered than Yan. Uneasy, he mused, “I know it was Liu Yu, because his classmate Cheng Su confessed to me and I turned her down, so he’s been on my case. But the man you mentioned, I don’t know him, and I can’t think of anything I’ve done to make him target me.”

“Try to remember—just in case.” Yan had found Han Ruibai calm from the beginning—not the type to be overly familiar.

Now, fear flickered across Han Ruibai’s face. He sat on the floor, struggling to remember if he’d done anything suspicious, but finally shook his head.

“I can’t think of anything. My days are just classes, homework, singing practice—same routine every day. In the first month of school, I haven’t even been home. Nothing unusual at all.”

“If you can’t remember, then don’t stress over it. Just be extra careful—don’t go anywhere alone these days.”

Han Ruibai nodded, trusting him: “I’m still scared after what you told me. You seemed really capable earlier; maybe you could… stick around—”

Yan guessed he wanted a bodyguard, but with his precious experience card nearly expired, he planned to refuse. However, before he could speak, someone violently kicked the classroom door open.

“Han Ruibai, are you okay?!”

Yan thought it was just another player running by; he didn’t expect anyone to storm in. Looking up, he saw the person rush straight to them.

Wasn’t this Xue Ping, the boy Han Ruibai had met that evening?

How did he know Han was here?

Han Ruibai voiced the same confusion: “Xue Ping, how did you find me?”

Xue Ping frowned. “I ran into your classmates downstairs. They said Liu Yu had taken you—is it because of Cheng Su again?”

Han Ruibai glanced at Yan Jiyun, then nodded. “Yeah.”

At this point, Yan Jiyun had confirmed Han Ruibai wasn’t the one he was looking for, but he might be able to use him to dig deeper.

After Xue Ping and Han Ruibai had a brotherly conversation, they left together.

Yan Jiyun took this chance to probe details about Han Ruibai’s dorm.

He needed to figure out what exactly was happening.

Were the piano room rumors started by Mr. Qu?

But Mr. Qu’s piano playing wasn’t at the time the couple had mentioned—they’d planned to explore after evening study.

The senior (Class 18) dorms were adjacent, so Yan Jiyun quickly found his own.

Han Ruibai was sent to his room by his stepbrother, and the two exchanged a few more tense words, Xue Ping growing emotional over family matters.

Yan Jiyun’s own dorm wasn’t empty; one player lay on the bed, assigned to the same class as him.

Since Han Ruibai’s deskmate had already exposed Yan’s player identity, the other sat up to greet him.

“Hi, I’m Li Yang.”

“Yan Jiyun.” His response was cool—guarded.

Li Yang said, “I know you. You left in the nick of time during the last class today.”

He was short and ordinary-looking, and his manner suggested he was no newbie. While others had gone to gather clues, he’d stayed in the dorm, perhaps waiting for something or having already learned what he needed.

Yan Jiyun sighed. “But now an NPC has his eye on me.”

Li Yang said indifferently, “Just complete the tasks they give you. Are you and that NPC on good terms?”—referring, presumably, to Han Ruibai.

He was sounding him out to see if Yan had received a quest. Yan Jiyun smiled. “But I didn’t find anything.”

He scavenged for a drink, finding some snacks, though only the beef jerky was edible.

Seeing Yan Jiyun eating and drinking, Li Yang wasn’t concerned—simply lounged silently, apparently deep in thought.

It was his first time rooming with a stranger, making Yan slightly uneasy. After washing up, and with his experience card nearly expired, he faked impatience in front of Li Yang, barely touching the bed before darting out of the dorm.

Seeing Yan hurry out, Li Yang guessed he might be on to something and quietly followed.

No player in the game would ever broadcast personal information—far too dangerous.

Li Yang’s steps were light, his breathing controlled, never casting a shadow where there was light, always keeping far enough behind to avoid detection. His tracking skills were first-rate; if Yan Jiyun weren’t so sharp-eared, he wouldn’t have noticed he was being tailed.

It was clear these players had real skills, surviving one deathtrap instance after another.

But Yan Jiyun didn’t give Li Yang any chance to catch up. He slipped around to the back of the science building, and by the time Li Yang arrived, Yan had already changed back into a cat and emerged from the shrubbery.

Why bother tracking a cat?

Li Yang searched but, finding only an empty lawn behind the building, realized he’d lost his quarry.

He muttered in disbelief, “Did I really get spotted?”

He didn’t know that the person he was following had already slipped away along the edge of the flowerbeds.

Yan Jiyun didn’t spare Li Yang another thought. Agile and swift, he leaped over the beds and melted into the night.

His ears pricked, catching distant screams from the teaching building.

“Ahhh! Someone jumped! There’s a dead body!”

At the same time, he saw Long-Haired Number Two—wearing his baseball cap—darting from the teaching building toward the library, moving quickly and lowering his brim as he passed other students, hiding his face.

Had Long-Haired Number Two, failing to kill Han Ruibai, now turned to murder another student in the teaching building?