However, the corridor was already devoid of Jun Beibei's figure, Wen Nan looked left and right, unsure of which staircase the other had taken down. While hesitating, he overheard the hushed murmurs from Class Two's clamshells.
Perhaps not expecting Wen Nan to have such good hearing, they didn't bother to lower their volume. Every word clearly reached his ears.
"No way, is there really something going on between them?"
"Just arrived and already..."
"The two of them are quite the pair, don't you think? They're both... not right in the head."
"Is it true that they're both mentally off?"
"Isn't it obvious? If their heads were fine, how could they think they have spines growing all over themselves?"
This comment sparked another round of laughter in the class.
Wen Nan shrugged nonchalantly, quickened his pace, and made for the nearest staircase heading to the cafeteria.
After he left, the classroom clamshells' discussion continued—
"Ye Shenshen admitted it himself, and even the school leaders hinted as much, so it's not surprising. But saying there's something wrong with Jun Beibei too, that's... without evidence, don't go spreading rumors."
"Who's spreading rumors? Jun Beibei's got to have something wrong in her head too. Otherwise, why did she suddenly freak out this morning, calling us all seafood and claiming she's allergic? And what's worse, she just said I smelled like a scallop! Isn't that just her losing it? She acts all high and mighty, as if getting close to us would sully her precious shell meat."
"Hahaha, Hai Xiaobei, have some decency."
"What? Am I wrong? She thinks she's great just because she's top of the class, but who knows who that scowl is even for. Plenty of people in class have been fed up with her for a while; I'm just the one brave enough to say it."
"Why don't you have the guts to say it to her face? What's the point of badmouthing behind her back?"
"You think I wouldn't dare?"
…
…
Wen Nan rushed to the cafeteria but didn't spot that bright white clamshell.
Even though it was dinner time, Jun Beibei hadn't gone to the cafeteria.
She went to the small shop by the school gate, skillfully took a sausage bun and a bottle of mineral water from the bottom shelf, and turned to head to the checkout, only to find a long line had formed by the counter.
Jun Beibei usually avoided such bustling places, and this time was no exception. She was about to return the sausage bun and water to the shelf and leave when she overheard the conversation at the end of the line, causing her to pause.
"People are lining up this long to buy something?"
"Don't you know? It's the new Youle Ice."
"Youle Ice? Isn't it just crushed ice?"
"No, it's the crushed ice endorsed by Boss Zhou. Haven't you heard the line, 'What am I to you? You're my Youle Ice. Oh, so I'm crushed ice? This way, I can cradle you in my embrace.'"
"Oh, that's so cheesy."
"Hurry and line up. The weather's been odd, all the other stores' crushed ice melted. Only this store has any because of that old antique freezer. It'll be sold out soon if you don't hurry."
Upon hearing this, the hem of Jun Beibei's skirt turned as she quietly lined up at the end.
A bright white Arctic Clam appearing abruptly among the predominantly brown seafood quickly drew all eyes on her in the line.
"She's so strange."
"Yeah, she just seems different from us somehow."
"Don't you know? That's Jun Beibei."
"Jun Beibei? The oddball? Figures..."
Jun Beibei stood in line like a statue, back straight, not showing any sign she heard the comments, though the sausage bun's packaging in her hand was unknowingly crushed, and the mineral water bottle warped from her grip.
When she finally reached the freezer, she looked at the dwindling supply of Youle Ice inside, breathed a sigh of relief, and pointed, "Boss, one Youle Ice, please."
"Sure thing," the boss looked at the bread and water in her hand, "three fifty in total."
Jun Beibei was about to pay when a figure stepped between her and the freezer, along with a familiar fishy smell.
It was that Bay Scallop, Hai Xiaobei.
"Boss, did my pre-ordered Youle Ice arrive?" Hai Xiaobei asked.
"Yes, yes, you ordered two, right? Here, I saved them for you. Two bucks."
Hai Xiaobei slapped a ten onto the counter with a smack, "Boss, you remembered wrong. I pre-ordered ten!"
"I distinctly remember you said two. I only have eight left now. The little girl behind you just bought one, so there are seven left. Want to take them?" The boss tried to negotiate.
Unyielding, Hai Xiaobei said, "I ordered first, so all eight are mine."
The boss, unsure how to proceed, looked apologetically at Jun Beibei, "How about coming back next time?"
Without a word, Jun Beibei quietly pulled out three fifty, placed it on the counter, and without acknowledging anyone, went to the freezer and took out a Youle Ice.
As she was turning to leave, Hai Xiaobei grabbed a corner of her skirt, "Hey! Jun Beibei, you stop right there! Who gave you the nerve to grab my—"
Snap!
Mid-sentence, Jun Beibei's two robust shells clamped shut.
With a crisp sound, a piece of the skirt held by Hai Xiaobei got snipped off.
"Ahhhhh!"
Hai Xiaobei screamed, writhing on the floor with her shell closed.
In the stunned silence of the onlookers, Jun Beibei firmly stepped out. The surrounding seafood seemed to part as if seeing a ghost, quickly clearing a path for her.
…
…
Wen Nan exited the cafeteria, just in time to hear the commotion at the school gate, with seafood scurrying all around.
He casually caught a sprinting sea snail to inquire about the situation.
And thus, he heard of the "Arctic Clam Bite Incident."
Following the chaos, he reached the school gate's small shop but didn't see the familiar white figure.
After searching around campus, he finally found the familiar figure at the sandpit by the playing field.
Jun Beibei had half-buried herself in the sand, revealing only a white semicircle that looked like a half-moon against the night sky.
Wen Nan approached, bent down close to look at her, noticing changes on her panel—
[Candidate: Number 1; Testing Phase: First Stage; Obsession Value Accumulation Progress: 45%.]
Just in this short time, it had risen by 30%?
Wen Nan sat beside her and asked, "Want to talk?"
The Arctic Clam said nothing, merely closing her shell a little tighter.
Wen Nan said no more, simply sat silently with her.
After a while, a little bit of soft flesh extended from the shell gap, pushing a hard thing toward Wen Nan.
Looking down, Wen Nan found it was actually a frozen crushed-ice treat.
"For me?" Wen Nan picked up the treat, "Thanks."
He extended one end to her, "Half for each of us?"
The shell reluctantly opened, and the soft flesh reached out, grasping the treat's other end. They both pulled together.
With a "snap," the treat split in two.
A bit of the shell's soft flesh emerged, delicately licking at the middle break.
Wen Nan couldn't help but laugh.
"What's funny?" The shell finally spoke.
Wen Nan said, "Do you know what implication giving a Youle Ice to the opposite sex has?"
The shell's licking paused, and after a moment, she said, "No idea."
Although she said that, her mood visibly improved as she took out a sausage bun from the other side, tearing the package and nibbling on it.
Noticing she was only eating a bun for dinner, Wen Nan couldn't help asking, "Why not go to the cafeteria?"
The shell paused again while eating the bun.
She never went to the cafeteria because she couldn't stand the strange looks from all the teachers and students every time she went inside.
But she didn't want to disclose this to the sea cucumber beside her, so she coldly said, "None of your business."
The sea cucumber took out three lunch boxes, placing them in front of the shell.
The shell was stunned for a moment, looking at the hot meals freshly brought from the cafeteria arranged before her.
"I just got these," Wen Nan said, pointing with a spine, "Can I trade for your sausage bun?"