They marked the path and then switched to a different tunnel, heading deeper into the maze once more.
They explored until evening and returned the same way.
Back at the center of the maze, everyone was tired. Teacher Cheng didn't cook, and because of Lin Zihang's incident, no one had much appetite. They simply ate instant noodles for dinner.
Just as they were about to go to sleep, another incident occurred—two students were missing from Tu Dan's group.
During the day, everyone was free to move around. Tu Dan didn't restrict the students too much, only reminding them not to go anywhere alone, whether it was finding food or going to the toilet, they had to go in groups of at least two.
As a result, when they counted the number of people in the evening, they found that two were missing.
Tu Dan was in a dilemma.
It was so late, and the missing students hadn't returned yet. Should she search for them or not?
-- If they went to look for them, what if something else happened?
-- But if they didn't look for them, what if the students were in danger?
At this time, a girl stood up and said, "How about… I go find them?"
The speaker was Liao Jingjing.
Tu Dan's face immediately sank. "You sit down. Girls shouldn't run around at night, it's dangerous."
"It's fine…" Liao Jingjing smiled reluctantly and pulled a boy beside her, saying, "Yang Yi and I will go look together, nothing will happen."
Yang Yi?
Tu Dan looked over in surprise. Yang Yi lowered his head and mumbled "En" in agreement, without giving any explanation.
Liao Jingjing took his hand and said to Tu Dan again, "Maybe they are trapped somewhere and lost their way. Although everyone is familiar with the nearby area, there are many places that haven't been marked. Yang Yi and I will search nearby first and come back soon…"
As she spoke, she pulled Yang Yi towards the maze tunnel.
"Stop right there!" Tu Dan's face darkened, and she stared at Liao Jingjing's face and asked, "Do you want to go to the door?"
Liao Jingjing's face stiffened for a moment, she tugged at the corner of her mouth, and said in a low voice, "If we can't find them nearby… maybe we will go and have a look, maybe they also went to the door."
"Liao Jingjing!" Tu Dan stood up.
Her voice was suppressed with anger that could no longer be contained, and all the students looked over.
"I said, before we come to a decision, no one is allowed to go there!" Tu Dan sternly questioned Liao Jingjing, "You want to take this opportunity to go to the exit, right? Have you forgotten everything I said last time?"
Liao Jingjing's face flushed red and then turned pale.
Tu Dan asked Yang Yi again, "Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Do you want to go yourself, or is she forcing you to go?!"
Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and strongest in the class, he was the most easily influenced. After Lin Zihang's incident, he was even more at a loss and could easily be persuaded by Liao Jingjing.
Sure enough, after her questioning, Yang Yi sheepishly pulled out his arm and said to Liao Jingjing awkwardly, "Why don't you go by yourself… I, I won't go…"
"You clearly promised me just now!" Liao Jingjing said, ashamed and angry.
"Liao Jingjing, go back to your tent!" Tu Dan scolded her sternly, "Stop making trouble! That place is dangerous! What are you thinking?!"
"Teacher Tu is the one who doesn't know what she is thinking!" Liao Jingjing shouted anxiously, "We have already found the exit, but you are not doing anything! What's the point of staying in this place?! Waiting to die? Ah?!!"
She glared at Yang Yi with resentment and anger, and said, "Forget it if you don't want to go! I'll go by myself!"
After saying that, she turned and ran towards the tunnel!
"Liao Jingjing! Come back!" Tu Dan was so angry that she got up and chased after her.
The two of them were pushing and shoving at the fountain.
Liao Jingjing was annoyed by Tu Dan's pulling. In a fit of anger, she pushed her with all her might!
"Leave me alone!!!"
"Teacher Tu!—" the students exclaimed!
Tu Dan's body leaned back, her pupils constricted, and in the next instant, her entire body fell into the fountain!