Combining the scent he had smelled on the boy who accidentally bumped into him yesterday, Ning Shuang easily guessed that there was a Gu master at the school.
Ning Shuang had mentioned before that it was perfectly normal for someone versed in Gu Technique to be at the school. After the reforms pushed by the clan leader, the Miao Clan was no longer as restricted in their movements as they had once been.
It was entirely possible to encounter Miaojiang people anywhere now.
But someone was currently using Gu to break clan rules.
That was the conclusion Ning Shuang quickly reached.
The boy from yesterday… Ning Shuang recalled that when the books had fallen to the ground, he had glimpsed the name on them.
Chen Lu.
“Lu Yuyang.” Ning Shuang called out to him suddenly.
Lu Yuyang had watched Ning Shuang zone out for a bit, then furrow his brows in deep thought. Now that he had finally remembered him again, Lu Yuyang asked, “What’s up?”
Ning Shuang looked up at him, his expression and tone both utterly serious. “Help me look someone up.”
As a member of the Student Union, Ning Shuang could certainly handle investigations like this, but as just the vice minister of the Discipline Department, it would take him some time. With Lu Yuyang’s family background and status, though, it would be a matter of minutes.
Seeing the unexpectedly earnest look on Ning Shuang’s face, Lu Yuyang dropped his usual carefree demeanor. “What’s going on? Who are you looking for?”
Ning Shuang replied, “Chen Lu. The ‘Lu’ from white egret.”
Lu Yuyang ran the name through his mind, then nodded. “Got it. Give me three minutes.”
He pulled out his phone and sent off a message to his contacts.
Less than three minutes later, Lu Yuyang received replies from two students. “There are two Chen Lus. Which one?”
Ning Shuang thought back. “A guy, short hair, mole on the left side of his nose.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s the one.” Lu Yuyang handed over his phone.
“Which class?” Ning Shuang only cared about his current class.
Lu Yuyang answered, “Freshman Accounting Class 4.”
Ning Shuang immediately opened the campus app and started checking the leave requests for Accounting Class 4 today. As part of the Student Union, they received copies of all student leave slips, so he could access their records.
Sure enough, the guy had requested leave starting from yesterday afternoon—today’s was a sick leave.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so serious?” Lu Yuyang pocketed the phone Ning Shuang had handed back and asked, puzzled.
Ning Shuang couldn’t possibly tell Lu Yuyang the real reason. It wouldn’t be good to drag him into this.
“It’s nothing. This place just feels really creepy,” Ning Shuang said.
Lu Yuyang shrugged it off. “Then why don’t we check it out tonight?”
“No way, I need to sleep.” Ning Shuang had no intention of going. He vaguely suspected the rumors about the Abandoned Lab Building were connected to Gu. As a Miaojiang person himself, he had zero desire to get involved. If things blew up, the Miao Frontier side would surely send elders to investigate. As a mere branch family descendant, he had no reason to wade into the mess.
He just needed to warn his friends to steer clear for now.
“You’re not scared, are you?” Lu Yuyang’s attempt at goading him was so transparent that Ning Shuang wasn’t moved at all. Instead, he rolled his eyes at Lu Yuyang and played along sarcastically. “Oh nooo, I’m terrified.”
Lu Yuyang: …
“Whatever. If I ran into that Guardian God, I’d be the one asking it what wish it wanted granted.” Lu Yuyang spread his hands with a look of indifference.
And with that, the matter was dropped.
After class, Lu Yuyang headed home for lunch. Ning Shuang ate in the cafeteria, then volunteered for the midday dorm safety check for the freshman Accounting Department dorms.
The school conducted these checks every Friday noon to inspect for prohibited appliances and items.
Though it was technically another department’s job, Ning Shuang took some on, lightening their load.
He saved Accounting Class 4’s Chen Lu’s dorm for last.
The moment he stepped into the room, a thick, cloying fragrance wafted over. It wasn’t unpleasant—actually somewhat sweet and sticky—but it didn’t smell like perfume.
It was a four-person dorm, but only two guys were there: one washing clothes on the balcony, the other Chen Lu, lying on his bed.
Ning Shuang glanced around perfunctorily, then asked the one washing clothes, “Is the guy on the bed not feeling well?”
“Yeah, he’s sick,” the student replied.
Ning Shuang nodded. “He looks like he has a pretty bad fever. Has he taken any medicine?”
“We took him to the doctor. It’s just a cold. He took some meds just now—should be better in a couple days.” The student hadn’t expected Ning Shuang to notice so closely or speak so gently. He seemed genuinely concerned about his sick roommate.
“Okay, let me check on him.”
The student gave a quick rundown. “Sure. He actually started feeling off yesterday morning. He saw the doctor at noon and requested leave then.”
Ning Shuang’s brows furrowed. He climbed the cabinet ladder to Chen Lu’s bedside, reached out, and felt his forehead. It wasn’t hot… but his face was unusually flushed, his lips dry and cracked.
“Hey, how are you feeling? Want to see the doctor again?” Ning Shuang put on a show, leaning in to nudge Chen Lu’s shoulder. But as he got close, he sniffed.
Sure enough, the scent of Gu.
“Who are you…” Chen Lu was roused, struggling to open his eyes. They met a pair of clear, gentle ones. Ning Shuang’s handsome face was just half a meter away. Instinctively, he reached to grab the hand on his shoulder.
Ning Shuang pulled back—hand and all—and grabbed the roster nearby to fan him. “I’m from the sophomore Student Union, checking for violations. You look pretty sick, so I thought you should see a doctor again.”
It was an excuse off the top of his head.
Chen Lu’s gaze softened with gratitude. In a raspy voice, he managed, “Thanks, Senior. I already got some medicine.”
“Oh, alright then.” Ning Shuang racked his brains, trying to recall the scent.
Damn, he hadn’t paid attention in class back then. Now he needed that knowledge and couldn’t remember a thing. What kind of Gu was this??
In his mind, a tiny Ning Shuang knelt on the ground, tearing at his hair and sobbing.
If he didn’t whip up some Gu-Dissolving Medicine soon, who knew what might happen to Chen Lu in this state.
If it escalated, it could drag down the other Miao Clan folks at the school—not to mention Ning Shuang himself…
Ning Shuang left the dorm thoughtfully.
That afternoon, he covered Zhao Wei Liang’s elective class. The teacher took roll before starting, so Ning Shuang slipped out during the break. He spent half an hour poring over clan records and finally figured out what Gu was on Chen Lu.
Intelligence Gu—the same one he’d mentioned to Lu Yuyang before, the kind that could boost intelligence. But under normal use, there shouldn’t be backlash like this. Either the guy was an amateur, or he’d done it on purpose.
Now that Ning Shuang knew what it was, he knew how to dispel it too.
Slipping out again, he headed back to check on Chen Lu. Dispelling the Gu would be ideal.
Accounting Class 4 was in session, so Ning Shuang used his Student Union status to make up an excuse and head straight to Chen Lu’s dorm.
He borrowed a key from the dorm supervisor and let himself in.
The room was quiet. Chen Lu lay still on the bed, breathing laboriously. The Gu “fragrance” hung thick in the air. No AC was on, and with the blazing sun outside, the room felt unnaturally cold.
Ning Shuang went to the balcony and drew open the curtains. Sunlight flooded the dim space instantly. A butterfly fluttered its wings and alighted slowly on the windowsill.
Ning Shuang returned, climbed the ladder, and sat on the cabinet by Chen Lu’s bedhead. “Chen Lu, you okay?”
The man was delirious from the fever, mumbling something with parted lips. Ning Shuang pulled a damp stack of handkerchiefs from his pocket and held them to Chen Lu’s nose, letting him inhale the scent deeply.
Chen Lu felt like he was trapped in a heavy dream. Torrential rain poured down; the air was humid and sticky, the sky overcast. Crowds surged around him on the street, his breathing growing harder and harder.
Then, a fresh floral-fruity aroma pierced the air. The refreshing scent chased away the rain, cleared the smog overhead. The weather brightened, the crowds thinned, and the oppression lifted.
His breathing eased.
Ning Shuang watched Chen Lu’s furrowed brow relax, his color return to normal, then withdrew the handkerchiefs.
Back when he’d studied Gu Technique—skipping more days than he attended—basic ones like this were still within his ability to dispel.
Chen Lu slowly opened his eyes. The vacant look cleared, gaining a spark of awareness until it fixed on Ning Shuang by the bed.
“You’re the one from noon…” Before he could finish, Chen Lu realized his throat didn’t sound as hoarse anymore.
Ning Shuang nodded. “Rest up some more. I was in the building on union business and heard you coughing as I passed your door, so I looked in.”
“I was coughing?” Chen Lu pushed himself up slowly, touched his throat, and looked at Ning Shuang in confusion.
Ning Shuang nodded firmly. “Of course. Why else would I come in out of nowhere?”
“Feeling better?” Ning Shuang steered the conversation firmly.
Chen Lu said, “I’m feeling much better.”
“Good to hear,” Ning Shuang replied. “Want some water? I’ll pour you a glass.”
Truth be told, from Chen Lu’s perspective, he and Ning Shuang had only just met that day. He hadn’t expected the other young man to show such concern, and it brought a faint warmth to Chen Lu, who had always been invisible in his class and even in society at large.
He stared blankly at Ning Shuang, lost in thought. Ning Shuang, however, had no idea what was going through his mind. It simply wasn’t in Ning Shuang’s nature to stand idly by, especially since this incident tied back to his maternal clan from the Miao Frontier. He had no desire to let those people’s actions drag his own reputation down with them. Helping Chen Lu out was only natural.
“Chen Lu?” Ning Shuang called out again when he noticed the blank stare.
Chen Lu snapped back to reality, his voice hoarse as he said, “No need, thank you, Senior…”
Ning Shuang nodded. “As long as you’re okay. Still, if you’re sick, you should go see a doctor more often. Staying holed up in your dorm all the time isn’t healthy.”
He gripped the edge of the bed and slowly climbed down the ladder.
Chen Lu quickly propped himself up on the bedrail, watching Ning Shuang below. But Ning Shuang walked over to his desk, picked up his water cup, filled it at the dorm’s water dispenser, and then climbed back up with the cup in hand.
He handed the water to Chen Lu. “Here, drink some. Your throat sounds parched.”
Chen Lu might not have realized it, but his voice was so raspy it sounded like nails scraping across a chalkboard.
Overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness, Chen Lu took the cup with both hands.
Ning Shuang had no intention of lingering. Seeing that Chen Lu’s spirits had improved quite a bit, he started climbing down to leave. Chen Lu hurriedly called out, “Senior!”
Ning Shuang turned back. “What’s up?”
His features were sharp and refined, his brows straight and eyes clear, with dimples that appeared on his cheeks when he smiled, lending him an air of gentle warmth. Without even trying, he had drawn the two of them closer. Chen Lu clutched his cup tightly, his words stumbling out. “Senior… could you tell me your name?”
Ning Shuang had some questions of his own, so he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed as he looked at Chen Lu. “Sure, but first, answer a few questions for me.”
Chen Lu nodded eagerly. “Okay.”
Ning Shuang asked, “Have you ever gone to the Abandoned Lab Building to make a wish?”
Chen Lu’s expression stiffened. He didn’t even need to answer—Ning Shuang could tell from his face.
“Senior, did the school find out? Are they sending you to talk to me? Am I going to get a formal warning?” Chen Lu looked utterly panicked and at a loss.
Ning Shuang reassured him. “No, relax. Nothing like that.”
“Though when it comes to studying, only the knowledge you truly absorb is yours. Anything forced on you from the outside will fade away in time.” With those cryptic words, Ning Shuang left.
As the door clicked shut, Chen Lu suddenly understood what Ning Shuang had meant.
~~~
After leaving Chen Lu’s dorm, Ning Shuang pieced the whole matter together from start to finish. Last semester, that rumor must have been connected to gu poison. The school had cracked down on it, let them out early for break, and soon clarified the rumor.
But this semester, right from the start, the rumors had resurfaced.
Ning Shuang hadn’t noticed the gu poison connection last semester, probably because the culprit had been paid to do it back then. The dosage had been just right—not like now…
Zhao Wei Liang was sick?
The thought led Ning Shuang straight to Zhao Wei Liang, who had taken sick leave that day.
Clearly, Zhao Wei Liang’s illness was gu-related too.
But class was already over, and Ning Shuang had professional classes to attend, followed by handing out military training uniforms to Business Class 1. He’d have to wait until after that to check on Zhao Wei Liang.
Before heading to class, he called Zhao Wei Liang to confirm he was holding up okay, which eased his mind a little.
~~~
It was late summer now, but the weather was still sweltering. In the late afternoon, as the sun hung low in the sky, classes let out, filling the campus with the bustle of students coming and going.
A gust of wind lifted fallen leaves into the air, sending them spinning before they fluttered down onto shoulders. Ning Shuang brushed a leaf off his own.
He looked up just in time to see Ji Huaizhi approaching from afar.
Ji Huaizhi had thrown a black trench coat over his clothes, his long hair draped over one shoulder, stray locks framing his face and giving him an added air of aloof elegance.
He was a bit late. Ning Shuang had already distributed all the military training uniforms and told everyone to head back to their dorms to prepare for evening self-study.
Ning Shuang was just about to text Ji Huaizhi not to bother coming—he’d take the clothes back himself—when he spotted Ji Huaizhi hurrying over.
It was clear Ji Huaizhi was in the class, but most people didn’t seem familiar with him. At least, aside from Ning Shuang the class assistant, no one approached him to chat, though plenty stole glances his way.
As the crowd dispersed, Ning Shuang stepped forward and handed over the uniform. He murmured to Ji Huaizhi, “I’ll probably be heading home late tonight, but not too late.”
Ji Huaizhi took the uniform and nodded, then asked, “Are you busy?”
“One of my friends is sick. I’m going to check on him,” Ning Shuang explained.
Ji Huaizhi pressed his lips into a thin line, gazing into Ning Shuang’s eyes before suddenly saying, “Can I go with you?”
