The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 17: When A Mantis Stalks a Cicada

Gao Yang slowed down and quickly came to a decision. He made a turn toward a more crowded area.

In theory, he would only attract the attention of more wrath monsters if a conflict happened with more people around, and he would stand an even lower chance of surviving. However, if the one following him was a wrath monster, they must have found out about—or at least suspected—his awakening.

Yet the monster had been following him rather than attacking him at once. That meant the monster wanted him for themself and wouldn’t go after him when there were too many other monsters around.

Soon, Gao Yang walked past a twenty-four seven convenience store. He took a deep breath and walked in.

From the street corner, a girl with shorter hair and dressed in a school uniform ran out. She chased Gao Yang to the entrance of the convenience store before coming to a stop and hesitating. Then she tidied up her bang with a hand and entered.

She walked right into Gao Yang.

“Ah!” she cried out in surprise.

It had taken Gao Yang all his courage to strike back at his stalker like this. He was surprised when he saw the girl’s face. Inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Little Si?”

She was a classmate of Gao Yang’s, Wan Sisi. Everyone called the introverted and shy girl Little Si.

Wan Sisi helplessly tightened her grip on the messenger bag on her side, stiffly and nervously putting on an act, “Hi, hi... Didn’t think I’d run into you here. I...missed my stop earlier and was feeling peckish, so I came to buy some snacks...”

“You’ve been following me, haven’t you?” Gao Yang got right to the point.

Wan Sisi flushed red from her neck all the way to the back of her ears. “I, I...that is...”

Gao Yang looked around. The cashier and the customers were looking their way curiously.

It was strange for two people to stand at the door like this. He grabbed Wan Sisi by the hand and pulled her to a corner of the convenience store. They sat down by the window seats shoulder to shoulder. Then they bought some food and drinks.

A minute later, Wan Sisi sipped on her instant coffee, her nervousness fading a little. She was even feeling a little excited. With her head lowered, she mumbled, “He took my hand. And he bought me coffee...”

“Pardon?”

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“It’s nothing!” Wan Sisi shook her head hurriedly. “Thank you for the coffee.”

Gao Yang took a bite of his hotdog. “Now tell me, why were you following me?”

Wan Sisi lowered her head as well as her voice. “Gao Yang...you’re heartbroken over what happened to Li Weiwei, aren’t you?”

Gao Yang paused and didn’t say anything.

“You feel like a different person recently. You rarely talk to any of us and instead stare into the air all day.” Wan Sisi sounded genuinely worried.

“Do I?”

Gao Yang was grateful to her. Thank you for reminding me, he thought. I have to maintain the relationships I’ve built, or I’ll be suspected.

“Death is a one-way road. No one wants something like that to happen...” Wan Sisi carefully snuck a glance at Gao Yang. “Don’t keep it all bottled up. If there’s anything bothering you, you can tell me.”

Gao Yang stopped chewing and looked sideways at Wan Sisi. Her shorter hair was cut neatly in the front, framing her egg-shaped face. Her skin was fair and she had a petite figure. Her big eyes were always blinking bashfully and nervously, like a timid fawn.

She always spoke softly like she had a low opinion of herself, and she couldn’t quite meet other people’s eyes. She was the kind of girl people loved to tease.

There were actually quite a lot of boys who had a crush on her, but she never noticed it.

Gao Yang had a friendly relationship with Wan Sisi. She was the English student assistant in class[1], and Gao Yang sometimes sought her out for English problems.

Gao Yang had said almost nothing to her since Li Weiwei’s death. No wonder she would be worried.

Under Gao Yang’s stare, Wan Sisi blushed again, averting her gaze bashfully. “I’m sorry... Pretend I didn’t say anything...”

“Thank you.” Gao Yang gave her a grateful smile. “I didn’t know you care so much about me.”

“No! I don’t!” Wan Sisi denied it vehemently, but her expression betrayed her true feelings. “We’re classmates. We should take care of each other!”

“Don’t worry,” said Gao Yang. “I’m not keeping everything bottled in. I just need a few days to sort myself out.”

They made small talk for a little longer, chatting about their everyday lives and the colleges they wanted to enter until the hot drink and food on the table were all gone.

Wan Sisi stood up to throw the trash away. Then she looked around, and when no one was looking, tucked the paper cup she had drunk instant coffee from into her pocket, her face positively glowing with happiness.

That didn’t escape Gao Yang’s notice.

Does she have feelings for me?

Gao Yang was reminded of the night of his birthday, of Li Weiwei, who almost killed him. Perhaps Wan Sisi would turn out the same. One second she was confessing her feelings for him. Then the next, she became a terrifying wrath monster and tried to devour him alive.

Gao Yang wasn’t sure what to feel.

They parted ways outside the convenience store, and Gao Yang only accessed his system when Wan Sisi vanished into the street corner, skipping happily.

His Luck points hadn’t increased at a higher rate during their time together. Wan Sisi wasn’t a threat to him, it seemed.

After that brief interlude, Gao Yang resumed his walk back home, but he stopped again after two minutes.

Strange...it seemed like he was still being followed.

That made him realize that his senses had become keener, which must be the result of his higher Willpower. Increasing his stats were proven effective.

Gao Yang quickened his steps and turned at the next corner. Casting his backpack aside, he hid behind the vending machine, holding his breath.

After seven to eight seconds, a figure ran out from the street corner. He noticed the backpack on the ground and was about to pick it up when Gao Yang jumped out from behind the vending machine.

“Wang Zikai?!”

Wang Zikai jumped. “Holy—”

“You were following me?”

Wang Zikai cackled. “You’re the shit, bro. I thought I'd hidden myself well, but you found me out!”

“Didn’t I tell you to stay at home and cultivate?” Gao Yang was exasperated, and an all too familiar headache hit him. If you keep asking to be killed, I can’t save you, buddy.

Wang Zikai’s expression crumbled. “Cultivation is so damn boring. I can’t take it any longer!”

“How do you get stronger if you don’t cultivate?”

“Can’t I do that by killing monsters? Or do anything else... Is meditation really gonna make me stronger? I’m not feeling it!”

Of course it won’t make you stronger.

But at least you’ll live longer if you do nothing.

Gao Yang sighed. “You’re special, and your growth is slower than ours. Once you’ve made a breakthrough, however, you’ll be more powerful than all of us. You must be patient. Before heavens entrust one with great responsibilities, there will first be trials upon trials to pain their mind, tire their muscles and bones, starve their body, and deprive them of all things material[2]...”

“I get all that.” Wang Zikai pouted. “But I was getting bored out of my mind.”

Gao Yang stayed silent.

Seeing Gao Yang pull a long face, Wang Zikai immediately flashed him a placating smile, “Bro, don’t get mad with me. I’ll go home and cultivate, okay?”

“Quiet.”

“What?” Wang Zikai lowered his voice and looked around, getting excited despite the serious atmosphere—or because of it.

“We...are being followed.”

Gao Yang had had enough of it.

Seriously, again?!

1. In China, one student would be selected as the assistant for each subject from primary school all the way to college. Usually they will be tasked with helping the teacher give out and collect test papers and assignments. They are often also those who get good scores in their respective subjects, so other classmates will go to them when they have questions. ?

2. A quote from Mengzi, meaning the heavens will first make one suffer so that they’ll get stronger before bestowing them with great responsibilities. ?