“Waaah, help!” Yuanyuan wailed, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to run, but was too scared to move, fearing she might provoke the little creature.

Chu Qi, who had remained calm throughout, reached over and casually grabbed the lizard with her hand. “So you’re scared of this, huh? You didn’t react at first, so I thought you weren’t afraid.”

“Yuanyuan’s really scared!” the little girl sobbed, hiding behind Chu Qi. Even though she was terrified, her curiosity got the best of her. Peeking her head out, she asked, “Why did it sneak up on me?”

“It probably fell on you when you were pushing through the vines earlier,” Chu Qi said as she walked back to the fence. Without hesitation, she tossed the lizard into the bushes.

Yuanyuan’s eyes widened in awe, watching Chu Qi’s cool, effortless movements. Her eyes sparkled. “You’re… you’re amazing! Super amazing!!”

Chu Qi shrugged nonchalantly, patting her hands. “It’s nothing, I’m not afraid of lizards.”

“You’re so awesome!” Yuanyuan cheered, her admiration overflowing with enthusiasm.

Chu Qi, flattered, tried to maintain her composure. “Eh, just normal stuff.”

Despite the over-the-top compliments, Chu Qi managed to keep her cool demeanor.

Yuanyuan, still shaken from the ordeal, quickly shuffled to the other side, far from the vines that had betrayed her.

There could be more scary little things lurking in the grass!

Lizards were terrifying enough—small, creepy, and they moved!

With these thoughts, Yuanyuan cautiously checked her shoulder, convinced she could still feel the lizard there.

When all the children in Class 2 had finally arrived, Teacher Su led them inside. As they walked towards the classroom, a boy suddenly ran up to Chu Qi and thrust his fist in front of her.

“Chu Qi, guess what I have in my hand?”

Without even looking, Chu Qi replied coolly, “Poop.”

The boy’s face fell. “Do you have to be like that?”

The boy, like most of the other kids, was about the same height as Chu Qi. Though his looks and hairstyle made him stand out, his appearance was boyishly charming, with a mischievous glint in his eyes that hinted at trouble.

When he smiled, dimples appeared, but there was always a mischievous gleam behind his innocent face.

Clearly, Chu Qi wasn’t in the mood to humor him. The boy pouted but persisted. “Aren’t you even curious?”

“No.”

“Come on, just say you’re curious.”

“No.”

“Say you’re curious! What’s in your hand?” Surprisingly, it wasn’t Chu Qi’s curiosity that was sparked, but Yuanyuan’s.

Yuanyuan, who had been walking beside Chu Qi, was now intrigued by the boy’s mysterious act. Her wide eyes shone with interest.

The boy, not realizing it was Yuanyuan who responded, grinned and opened his palm. Suddenly, a large black insect jumped out—a cricket, nearly the size of a thumb.

Caught by the breeze, the cricket leaped directly onto the middle of Yuanyuan’s bangs.

“Waaaaah!” Yuanyuan, who had barely stopped crying minutes ago, was now bawling again, tears flooding down her cheeks.

The entire line of children came to a halt. Her pitiful sobs startled Teacher Su, making her heart skip a beat.

“What happened?” Teacher Su rushed over to check.

There, perched awkwardly on Yuanyuan’s bangs, was a shiny black cricket, frozen in place.

“Waaah, there’s a bug attacking me! Teacher Su, help!” Yuanyuan cried, reaching out her trembling hands for rescue.

Teacher Su’s heart melted at the sight of Yuanyuan’s tear-streaked face. She bravely stepped forward, preparing to remove the pesky cricket that had terrified Yuanyuan. But before she could act—

Chu Qi, quick as lightning, snatched the cricket and casually tossed it into the boy’s hat.