Volume One, Chapter 9: A Beauty’s Curse!

Li Jinxia gently tugged at her sister’s sleeve, her voice laced with a hint of pleading: "Sister, please, just speak to Mom and Dad for me. Once I join the Ghost Slaying Division, I promise I’ll be a good girl and come home."

Li Yan, however, shook her head, her eyes filled with helplessness. "Jinxia, there are some things I haven't told you. The truth is, Mom and Dad would never agree to let you join the Ghost Slaying Division."

Hearing this, Li Jinxia felt as if she had been struck by lightning, standing frozen in place.

"Sister, I... I’ve already signed a contract with a ghost. Once I pass the Ghost Slaying Division's assessment..."

Li Yan did not give her a chance to continue. "Jinxia, you know the consequences of joining the Ghost Slaying Division. I don’t want you to get dragged into that world. After this fear test is over, just come home."

Having experienced so much, Li Yan did not want her sister to take any more risks. In her heart, she knew that if anything were to happen to Li Jinxia, she simply could not bear the blow. That was precisely why she had never given her own recommendation slot to her sister.

Seeing her sister’s firm stance, Li Jinxia’s excitement instantly vanished, replaced by an unspeakable sense of loneliness. She nodded silently, her voice low. "I understand, sister."

With that, Li Jinxia grabbed her pillow and retreated to her own room. Li Yan watched her go, eventually letting out a helpless sigh. "Jinxia, some things are far more complicated than you imagine."

Time slipped away, and the night passed quietly. The next morning, Li Jinxia rose early and headed for school, but as soon as she stepped inside, a group of classmates swarmed her, their thirst for gossip burning brightly.

"Li Jinxia, is it true that you and Lin Beiye are dating?"

"Photos of you two on the rooftop yesterday were leaked! The whole school knows!"

Li Jinxia’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "What photos?"

A classmate immediately whipped out a phone and thrust it in front of her. The screen showed the scene from yesterday where she had grabbed Lin Beiye by the collar, interrogating him with a stern expression. Due to the camera angle, it looked exactly as if they were kissing!

Seeing the image, Li Jinxia quickly denied it. "No, no! I have absolutely no relationship with Lin Beiye!" She then broke through the "siege" and ran away.

In contrast to Li Jinxia, Lin Beiye was having a much harder time. He was currently trapped in a corner of the classroom by a group of boys. One of them didn't waste any time. He grabbed Lin Beiye by the hair and snarled, "Lin Beiye, aren't you a bit too full of yourself? Don't you know Li Jinxia is someone Brother Qiang has his eye on? Who do you think you are to touch her?"

Lin Beiye had intended to clarify the misunderstanding, but before he could speak, he was met with a heavy kick.

"You coward, you dare compete with Brother Qiang for a girl? Why don't you go take a piss and look at your own reflection to see if you're even worthy!"

Lin Beiye was agile enough to protect his vitals. Although he wasn't injured, he was inevitably at a disadvantage against the sheer number of opponents. The student known as Brother Qiang watched the scene with great amusement.

Just then, Li Jinxia appeared. She decisively put a stop to the bullying. However, Zhao Qiang stretched out his arms, blocking her path.

Li Jinxia frowned slightly. "Zhao Qiang, what do you think you're doing?"

Zhao Qiang was the notorious gang leader of Tianzhou Middle School. He glanced sideways at Lin Beiye, who was in the corner, and a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Li Jinxia, look at this coward. He actually dared to compete with me. I just wanted to teach him a lesson so he’d know his place."

Ignoring Zhao Qiang entirely, Li Jinxia walked to the corner and helped Lin Beiye up. "Are you okay?" she asked curtly.

"Thanks, I'm fine," Lin Beiye muttered. He felt like cursing. He had tried his best to keep a low profile, yet trouble still found him. In this moment, he deeply understood the meaning of the phrase "a beautiful woman is a bane." He glanced at Li Jinxia, then deliberately kept his distance from her.

Li Jinxia noticed the gesture, her eyes widening in indignation. "You!"

She had saved him, yet he had the audacity to look at her with such bitterness. He was truly ungrateful! Li Jinxia glared at him, arms crossed. "You really are a coward."

Lin Beiye couldn't be bothered to deal with them. He dusted off his clothes, turned around, and walked out of the classroom. The scene drew raucous laughter from the entire class.

"Lin Beiye actually ran away."

"I really don't know what Li Jinxia sees in him."

"He only survived that B-rank anomaly yesterday because he got lucky!"

Zhao Qiang roared with laughter from behind. "Jinxia, your taste in men really needs some improvement."

Unable to take the humiliation, Li Jinxia retorted, "I have nothing to do with Lin Beiye! That photo was just a misunderstanding!"

She didn't have much time left in Tianzhou City, and being dragged into such nonsense left her feeling incredibly stifled. A trace of ghostly aura leaked through her anger, as if it were pouring out from the depths of the abyss. The classroom was instantly filled with a suffocating, eerie atmosphere, thick like a fog that refused to dissipate. Everyone present fell silent, not even daring to breathe.

Zhao Qiang, however, stared at Li Jinxia with eyes burning with desire, as if he wanted to devour her whole. Just then, one of his lackeys whispered cautiously, "Brother Qiang, the teacher is coming. We should get back to our seats."

Zhao Qiang reluctantly tore his gaze away from Li Jinxia and sat down.

The teacher swept his gaze over the students. When he noticed Lin Beiye’s empty seat, he frowned. "Where is Lin Beiye? Why isn't he in class?"

Before the words had even faded, someone chimed in, "Heh, maybe he’s hiding in some corner crying his eyes out."

The comment was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly igniting the classroom. Students began to gossip, with some jeering, "If it were me, I wouldn't even have the face to show up." Others shook their heads, sighing, "Lin Beiye really had a good hand and played it into a complete disaster."

The teacher didn't care to get involved in the drama. He tapped the lectern and shouted, "Alright, settle down. In two days, you will all be taking the fear test. This lesson will focus on that. By the way, Li Jinxia, since you’ve already taken the test, feel free to share some helpful advice with your classmates. Now, let’s begin the lesson."

The classroom returned to its usual calm. Meanwhile, Lin Beiye had retreated to a bathroom stall. He sat on the toilet, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "These days, there are wolves in front and tigers behind."

He pulled out the card Li Yan had given him and muttered, "Perhaps... joining the Ghost Slaying Division is a decent choice after all."