Chapter 114: Not Wishing to Involve the Innocent

Gao Zixi was truly overthinking it.

Li Sichen did not care in the slightest whether she had been peeking at him. Having been the object of such stares countless times before, he had long since grown accustomed to it.

Li Sichen had originally intended to say something, but upon seeing Gao Zixi’s current state, he couldn't help but furrow his brows and ask with concern, "Teacher Gao, are you alright?"

"I... I'm fine. Haha, what could be wrong with me?" Gao Zixi replied with a dry laugh.

"Are you sure? Your complexion looks very strange," Li Sichen said, still feeling uneasy.

Assuming she had been caught staring, Gao Zixi’s face was now burning red. This flush was caused by the rush of blood brought on by shame, but Li Sichen, unaware that she was embarrassed, assumed she was feeling physically unwell.

"My complexion is strange?" Gao Zixi touched her face. It was indeed scorching hot, as if she had a fever.

This made her silently chide herself: "Gao Zixi, oh Gao Zixi, how can you be so pathetic? You were just showing concern for your student—what’s wrong with that? Why are you blushing?"

She could never tell Li Sichen that her blush was due to spying on him. After stammering awkwardly for a moment, she finally found an excuse: "Ah... my face is only red because of the heat radiating from this fire."

Since leaving the KTV, they hadn't moved far. They were standing only twenty or thirty meters away from the raging inferno, and the intense heat was clearly palpable. Under such circumstances, it was no surprise that her face would be flushed.

Li Sichen nodded, deciding not to press the issue further. He shifted to the matter at hand: "Teacher Gao, let’s end tonight’s activities here. Please take the students home. This fire is dangerous, and there's no point in staying."

"Alright, I'll take them away now," Gao Zixi agreed. Compared to watching the spectacle, the safety of her students was undoubtedly more important.

Gao Zixi turned to organize the students, but after only a few steps, she suddenly remembered that Li Sichen was also a student. She stopped and looked back, asking, "What about you? Aren't you coming?"

"You all go ahead. I'll stay here and wait until the fire is extinguished," Li Sichen replied.

His reason for staying wasn't to witness the complete destruction of the KTV. He needed to ensure that no innocent lives were lost in the blaze. This fire had been triggered by a Feng Shui formation he had set up. If any innocent person were to perish in the flames, it would have a profound and negative impact on the new destiny he was shaping. Moreover, it would leave him with a sense of guilt, planting the seeds of a mental demon.

Heaven values life. Feng Shui and physiognomy also emphasize the concept of "benevolence." Even when punishing the wicked, one should not involve the innocent. Otherwise, an act intended to punish evil and promote good would turn into something malevolent.

Li Sichen chose to stay to prevent any such tragedy.

"No, it's far too dangerous here. You should come with us," Gao Zixi insisted. She didn't know his true intentions; her only concern was the safety of her students, Li Sichen included.

Sensing her intent, Li Sichen smiled. Instead of offering a long explanation, he countered with a question: "Teacher Gao, don't you trust me?"

"This..." Gao Zixi was stunned.

Judging by his performance tonight, he was a boy with the maturity of an adult. In terms of calmness, composure, and maturity, the fifteen or sixteen-year-old Li Sichen actually surpassed her—an adult and a teacher. There was indeed no reason to worry about such a student.

Convinced, she relented: "Very well. Stay here, but be careful. If anything unexpected happens, call me."

"I will," Li Sichen nodded.

Gao Zixi turned and walked into the group of students, leading them away. The students of Class 3, Grade 1 were quite obedient. Even though many wanted to stay and watch the excitement, they eventually followed Gao Zixi’s instructions and left together.

Although the students had departed, the crowd of onlookers showed no signs of thinning. Being in a busy downtown area, the intensity of the blaze made it impossible not to draw attention. In just a few minutes, people had swarmed from all directions, packing the surrounding streets tight.

After struggling through the crowd, Gao Zixi led the students to the subway entrance, intending to see them off one by one.

At the entrance, Lin Siyu pulled Tan Xiaoxiao to a stop and said, "Teacher Gao, Xiaoxiao and I are going to take a taxi home. We won't be taking the subway with everyone else."

Gao Zixi looked at them with suspicion. "Are you really taking a taxi? You aren't just making excuses to stay and watch the fire, are you?"

Lin Siyu replied, "Teacher Gao, do you really distrust us that much? Oh, look, an empty cab is coming. We'll get in right now, will that satisfy you?"

Just then, an empty taxi pulled up. Lin Siyu quickly flagged it down, pulled Tan Xiaoxiao inside, and waved at Gao Zixi. "Goodbye, Teacher Gao!"

Seeing the taxi drive away, Gao Zixi felt at ease and led the rest of the students into the subway station.

Meanwhile, inside the taxi, the driver asked, "Where to, ladies?"

Lin Siyu watched the subway entrance through the rear window until she saw Gao Zixi and the group descend. Only then did she turn back and reply, "Just drop us off anywhere nearby."

"Huh?" the driver was stunned.

"What 'huh'?" Lin Siyu said. "Just do as I say; I'm not shorting you on the fare."

"Siyu, what is going on?" Tan Xiaoxiao was utterly bewildered, confused by her best friend's erratic behavior.

Lin Siyu’s expression turned solemn. She said in a low voice, "I don't know why, but I’ve been feeling an overwhelming sense of unease. I have a feeling that Li Sichen staying behind is going to lead to trouble. If we stay and nothing happens, that’s great. But if something does go wrong, at least we might be able to think of a way to help."