Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 350: Chapter 340: A Crude Trap

He was Qi Jiaming—the guy who had first asked Tang Mo about sharing food and had also been the first to enter the tunnel to move rocks.

Qi Jiaming had been curious about Qiao Jin for a long time.

’Why are dozens of feet of new rubble appearing in the tunnel every day? It’s obviously man-made, but who’s doing it? How? And what does any of it have to do with Qiao Jin?’

It wasn’t that no one was curious or suspicious about the rubble in the tunnel. It was just that most people didn’t care—or rather, they knew caring was pointless.

Life was already hard enough. People were just trying to get by, and they had little curiosity left for things that didn’t directly concern them.

But Qi Jiaming was different. He was the persistent type, and he had a gut feeling that the answers to everything could be found with Qiao Jin.

So, he had been secretly observing Qiao Jin all day. Naturally, her leaving now didn’t escape his notice.

There was just one thing...

’Is that Zhang Siyang with Qiao Jin?’

Qi Jiaming knew Zhang Siyang; his family had some business dealings with hers. But he didn’t particularly like her.

’But didn’t Qiao Jin and Zhang Siyang have a falling out over that competition? Why are they together now?’

This was all getting more and more interesting. Qi Jiaming wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this pass, so he secretly followed them.

”So where are we going?”

They were getting farther and farther away. Tang Mo was growing impatient. ’I still have to go blast the tunnel tonight,’ she thought. ’Wasting so much time playing along with this girl is a real pain.’

Zhang Siyang said nothing, just walked forward cautiously, one step at a time.

The night was too dark, and the marks Zhang Siyang had made on the path during the day were hard to see. She was completely focused on finding her way and had no time to pay attention to Qiao Jin.

’This is just ridiculous.’ Tang Mo was genuinely curious how the original Qiao Jin had interacted with Zhang Siyang to make the girl think Qiao Jin was a total idiot.

If Tang Mo weren’t so curious about what Zhang Siyang was plotting, she would’ve stopped indulging her long ago.

After what felt like an eternity, Zhang Siyang finally stopped.

”This is it?”

Seeing Zhang Siyang finally stop, Tang Mo scanned the area. ’What’s so special about this place that she was so determined to bring me here?’

”You can talk now, right? Why did you get close to me and steal my painting?”

Eager to get this over with and hurry back to blast the tunnel, Tang Mo decided to move things along and asked directly.

She wasn’t actually curious about the answer. What other motive could Zhang Siyang have? ’Obviously, she saw that Qiao Jin had Talent for painting and was easy to bully, so she did all this just to win.’

It wasn’t hard to understand. It was just an answer that the naive Qiao Jin, who had yet to be beaten down by the harsh realities of the world, couldn’t accept.

”Qiao Jin, I’ll admit that painting of yours, *Black*, was pretty good. But so what? I’m still the one who won in the end. You didn’t really think someone like me would actually want to be your friend, did you?”

Now that they had arrived, Zhang Siyang dropped the act.

Just as Zhang Siyang was saying this, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind her, like wind brushing through leaves.

”So you got close to me just for that painting? You copied it and submitted it early, all just to win the competition?”

Tang Mo heard the sound from the bushes and decided to play along, following Zhang Siyang’s lead.

”That’s right. Winning the competition means I can apply to better schools abroad. What’s the point of you winning? Would your parents even let you leave the country? You might as well just give the opportunity to me.”

What kind of logic was that? Tang Mo almost laughed out of sheer anger at her twisted reasoning.

’What kind of family raises such a freak?’ Tang Mo thought. ’She’s not just a bully, she’s an idiot.’

”This whole thing should have been over with, but then the school had to go and hold this new competition. You just drop out, and we’ll call it even. I won’t make things hard for you. How about it?”

Zhang Siyang continued, lost in her own monologue.

”And how would you make things difficult for me?”

Tang Mo found this genuinely laughable.

”You’re not dropping out?”

”Why should I drop out?”

Dropping out meant losing access to the food the school provided. Zhang Siyang wasn’t willing to give that up herself, so she was trying to force Qiao Jin to quit instead.

”Then don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Seeing Qiao Jin’s completely unfazed expression, Zhang Siyang seethed. In a fit of rage, she lunged forward, shoving with all her might.

But when it came to physical combat, there was no one in this world who could be Tang Mo’s opponent.

The instant Zhang Siyang reached out, Tang Mo’s hand shot out and clamped down on her wrist. With a sharp tug, Tang Mo pulled her forward and to the side, sending Zhang Siyang tumbling straight into a large, deep pit that had been right behind her.

The pit had been concealed with a layer of dead branches. As Zhang Siyang fell in, the branches and leaves rained down on top of her, leaving her looking utterly wretched.

”Oh my, how did you fall in there? Hurry and get out!”

Tang Mo gazed down with mock concern at Zhang Siyang, who was now sitting at the bottom of the deep pit.

”I’m going to kill you!!”

Zhang Siyang was livid. She had spent days searching the mountain for the perfect trap to push Tang Mo into. She never imagined she’d be the one to fall into her own pit.

The pit was over ten feet deep with nothing to grab onto. A girl on her own would have absolutely no way of climbing out.

Moreover, to make sure Qiao Jin suffered, Zhang Siyang had even deliberately thrown sharp rocks into the bottom. And now, all those rocks and branches were there to welcome her instead.

Watching Zhang Siyang flailing about and screeching like a cornered animal below, Tang Mo’s expression grew even colder.

This had started as a simple conflict between classmates, but now Zhang Siyang was revealing just how vicious she truly was.

It was only because she, Tang Mo, was in this body now. If it had been the real Qiao Jin, she would be the one at the bottom of that pit.

Trapped in this deep pit, with no one to hear your cries, without any food or water... you would truly die.

”Hurry up and pull me out!” Zhang Siyang shrieked, stomping her foot furiously in the pit. Her tone was still demanding, ordering Tang Mo around.

”Hmph. If your brain’s broken, get it fixed. Don’t go around showing everyone how dumb you are.”

’Didn’t Zhang Siyang spend a long time preparing this pit? Well then, she can just stay in it.’

”Come on out.”

Tang Mo said to the bushes.

Since coming to this world, she hadn’t kept up the habit of constantly extending her spiritual power to sense her surroundings. This world wasn’t nearly as dangerous as her last one.

She genuinely hadn’t noticed someone following her all the way here. It was only the sound from the bushes moments ago that alerted her to the presence of a hidden person.

”I can’t believe you found me.”

Realizing Qiao Jin had spotted him, Qi Jiaming didn’t bother hiding anymore and stepped out openly from the bushes.

He didn’t have any sinister intentions to begin with, so there was no real reason for him to stay hidden.

Besides, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a unique aura about Qiao Jin, one that inexplicably drew people in.