"Ha ha, nice to meet you!" I hastily wiped the drool from my mouth with my hand and extended it toward Xiao Yueyue as a friendly greeting.

She frowned, took three steps back, then sat down at her seat.

Only now did I realize how rude I'd been. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and awkwardly smiled at her.

She returned the smile. Don't let Xiao Yueyue's hefty appearance fool you - when she laughed it was surprisingly soft, nothing like the neurotic version of "Xiao Yueyue" we commonly see online.

"My name is Bai Huaqian."

"I'm Ming Xiaoyu."

"Bai Huasheng? You're at it again with the new guy!" A sudden voice cut through our impending conversation.

The girl frowned.

Looking toward the source, a thin wiry figure like a black monkey was hopping forward from the front row. Jumping over us, he slammed his palm against my shoulder so hard I nearly fainted. This monkey had surprising strength!

"I'm Hou Dayong - call me Dayong! This lady here is our class' famed Bai Huasheng, 150cm tall, 62kg in weight, and a perfect 100-100-100 body!"

"Please stop talking nonsense," objected Xiao Yueyue, I mean, Bai Huasheng.

"Haha, who doesn't know your outfit was custom-made at Amaiden from Jin Xing International? Even if you had it made in the US, it's still money down the drain. You see, your first problem is weight - tough advice but true."

Hou Dayong's rapid-fire monologue turned Bai Huasheng's face deathly pale.

Earlier I'd been slightly startled by his shoulder slam and suddenly felt thirsty, so I was mid-sip from my cup when this verbal barrage started. Trying not to laugh while holding back a coughing fit, I nearly choked on plain water.

"Mark my words, you'll regret it!" Bai Huasheng stomped her feet and stormed out of the classroom.

Now only Dayong remained with me. He placed his hand on my shoulder again but this time with more restraint.

"Brother, if anything comes up just find me. I may not be a big shot around campus, but as one of the most well-connected information brokers - who's the class flower dating whom, which guy is cheating behind his girlfriend's back? Just ask me. By the way, this Bai Huasheng is definitely someone to avoid! She has an eccentric older brother. If any guy gets too close and he catches wind of it, that guy will lose a limb by next day."

Originally, given Xiao Yueyue's appearance, I had no interest in her whatsoever. But after hearing Dayong's warning, my curiosity spiked like an Olympic pole vaulter.

"Why exactly?" I asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"This goes back to middle school," he said dramatically, settling into Bai Huasheng's seat as we faced each other across the narrow corridor.

"Then she wasn't called Bai Huasheng yet - a bit shorter in height, only two-thirds of her current weight. Pear-shaped face, small lips, still those tiny eyes but with a sweet smile when laughing. She was always smiling, and during PE class would wrestle playfully with boys. One afternoon after school, an upperclassman came to take her home voluntarily. We several guys were present that day, and immediately started teasing him. Two troublemakers pushed her into the guy's arms while shouting behind them 'Bai Huaqian becomes bride! Bai Huaqian gets taken away!' She blushed and ran off, with the upperclassman following to escort her home. We were all excited about this development, rushed back to tell the other girls in class and planned to interrogate Bai Huaqian together next day."

"The next morning," continued Dayong, "she didn't come to school at all. Not just her but those two guys who pushed her into his arms also failed to appear. During afternoon's class meeting, teachers announced that some students had been in an accident - one was hit by a car and lost a leg, the other got electrocuted at home and lost a finger. When we first heard these incidents, it just seemed too coincidental for two people to meet such accidents on same day. But when third news came through, everyone who wanted to question Bai Huaqian could no longer laugh."

"What was this third piece of news?" I pressed eagerly.

"Somebody drowned in the city's swimming pool at the stadium. According to police reports, it was that upperclassman who had escorted Bai Huaqian home!"

Ding-dong... The bell interrupted our conversation as students flooded into classroom. Dayong returned to his seat and half a minute later, Bai Huasheng also came back in. I studied this girl closely, watching how she frowned repeatedly while taking out books one by one from her desk. Within just two hours of meeting this girl, I'd already seen her frown four times. What kind of reason had made her so accustomed to furrowing those eyebrows? Had this plump sister been a slender lady three or four years ago? How did Dayong's story continue after that day? What actually happened at the school gate in the evening? What connection existed between the upperclassman's murder and her older brother? And what about those two classmates who had accidents? All these questions kept flashing through my mind. I really wanted to grab Hou Dayong and drag him somewhere secluded so no one could interrupt me hearing this story!