Chapter 22: “Do You Have Someone You Like?”

Seeing the puzzled look on Ning Shuang’s face, the two men exchanged knowing glances.

“Looks like he doesn’t remember.” They murmured to each other.

Ning Shuang furrowed his brows, about to press them for answers, when they spoke up again. “We’re heading out. What happened today stays between heaven and earth—you and us.”

Ning Shuang pursed his lips in exasperation. Then he watched as they each pulled duckbill caps from their bags and slipped on masks. The brims shaded their eyes, making them look distinctly shady.

They hunched their shoulders and walked side by side, peering around cautiously as they left the neighborhood.

Ning Shuang put his hands on his hips and let out a sigh. What a coincidence—they had to show up right when he came here.

What was all this about?

Still, it proved one thing: the incident at the Abandoned Lab Building had probably been handled by the clan’s Elders. Seeing Ji Huaizhi there might really have been a hallucination from the Gu poison.

He’d almost wrongly accused an innocent man.

Ning Shuang pulled his jacket tighter and rubbed his arms for warmth before heading out himself.

It was just past three-thirty in the morning when he got home. The building below was deathly quiet. He glanced up at Ji Huaizhi’s room. No light seeped from the door crack, so Ji Huaizhi must be asleep.

Of course—what else would he be doing at this hour? Ning Shuang changed out of his shoes, shrugged off his jacket, and crept upstairs quietly.

Lately, Ning Shuang felt like he’d fallen into some kind of loop.

Before rooming with Ji Huaizhi, he’d sneak home late to avoid his parents.

Now that they were roommates, he sneaked home late to avoid Ji Huaizhi. He didn’t even know why he instinctively hid it from him.

But avoidance had its limits…

“Wahhh!” As he passed Ji Huaizhi’s room, the door suddenly swung open from inside. Ning Shuang jumped in fright, his features twisting in panic. He clutched his shoulders, crouched defensively, and stared warily at the person who’d opened the door.

Ji Huaizhi wore a long nightshirt, his long hair tousled over his shoulders. He looked like he’d just woken up. Ning Shuang’s startled squeak sharpened the clarity in his eyes.

“You scared me half to death.” Ning Shuang’s knees buckled, and he sank to the floor.

Ji Huaizhi’s hand tightened on the doorknob. He stepped out, squatted down in front of Ning Shuang, and said, “You’re back? I thought you’d come home in the morning.”

Ning Shuang patted his racing heart to calm it. “I wasn’t out doing anything bad. I finished up and came straight home.”

Ji Huaizhi extended his hand toward him. “Get up. The floor’s cold.”

Winter hadn’t fully set in yet, and the complex had no underfloor heating. The tiles were about as chilly as the outdoor concrete.

Ning Shuang eyed the hand in front of him. It was pale and elegant, with clearly defined knuckles—it looked reassuringly steady. How embarrassing.

That was what he thought, but Ning Shuang still grumbled under his breath as he took hold of Ji Huaizhi’s hand. A chill raced from his palm straight to the top of his head, raising goosebumps all over his back. Ji Huaizhi’s hand felt even colder than the floor.

Once he was on his feet, Ning Shuang pulled his hand back. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? It’s past three.”

“I woke up to use the bathroom.”

“Oh, right. Go ahead.” Ning Shuang sidestepped like a crab toward his own door. After slipping inside, he poked his head back out and told Ji Huaizhi, “Goodnight. Get some sleep.”

“Good.” Ji Huaizhi nodded.

Back in his room, Ning Shuang shed his outer layers in short order. He returned the Mother-Child Gu to its glass jar, hid it in the drawer, changed into pajamas, adjusted the air conditioner, and dove under the covers.

Exhaustion hit him hard. His afternoon nap hadn’t been restful, and he’d spent half the night running around. The moment his head hit the pillow, sleep crashed over him.

A few minutes later, his breathing evened out as he drifted off.

The man emerging from the bathroom glanced back at Ning Shuang’s closed door. His gaze darkened. He lifted his wrist to check the mark there. Its color had deepened imperceptibly.

~~~

A week passed.

No more strange incidents cropped up around Ning Shuang.

Zhu Ran was discharged from the hospital and returned to continue Military Training.

That afternoon, the school announced that all freshmen would have the next day off. The day after, they’d head to the City Protection Forest for a two-day, one-night camping trip to build their wilderness survival skills.

To give them time to prepare, classes were dismissed early around three.

Ning Shuang had nothing else to do, so he went home with Ji Huaizhi.

While waiting for the bus, Ning Shuang scrolled through his phone. “We should hit the supermarket on the way.”

“Grab some instant food, energy drinks, that sort of thing.”

Ji Huaizhi asked, “Do we really have to overnight in the wild?”

Ning Shuang nodded. “Yeah. The school provides tents and sleeping bags, and there’ll be staff watching over us. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh.”

“Are you scared?” Ning Shuang tilted his head to look at him.

The wound on Ji Huaizhi’s head had fully healed without a scar. His face was as handsome as ever.

Ji Huaizhi shook his head. “Not scared.”

“No worries even if you are—I’ve got your back.” The bus arrived. Ning Shuang grabbed Ji Huaizhi’s wrist and hustled them aboard, dropping coins into the fare box for both.

From what he’d seen so far, Ji Huaizhi seemed like he’d been carefully sheltered by his family from a young age. He looked a bit frail and delicately handsome.

They made their way to seats in the back and sat down. Ning Shuang continued, “For the forest trip, I’ll bring my camera. We can knock out that elective project too.”

“Good.”

A gap in the bus window let in a breeze that ruffled Ning Shuang’s bangs. He grinned and chattered away at Ji Huaizhi, his tiger teeth flashing now and then, dimples deepening with his energy. Ji Huaizhi’s gaze lingered on Ning Shuang’s face. Sometimes he didn’t even register what the other man was saying.

A shrill phone ring shattered the moment.

Ji Huaizhi looked away. Ning Shuang fished the phone from his pocket and answered.

“Senior Sister Qingning, feeling better?” He was a bit surprised to see the call from Ming Qingning.

She laughed on the other end. “I’ve been fine for ages. Didn’t I say I’d treat you to dinner after I got discharged? You’ve been busy herding freshmen every day. I heard tomorrow’s a rest day, so how about dinner tonight with you and the friends who visited me in the hospital?”

Ji Huaizhi sat close enough to overhear, even without speakerphone.

Ning Shuang asked, “Dinner? Tonight?”

“Yeah! Eat now, rest tomorrow.”

Ji Huaizhi’s hand clenched on his knee. He hoped to hear Ning Shuang turn her down. But what reason did Ning Shuang have to refuse?

Sure enough, after a brief hesitation, Ning Shuang agreed. “Sure. Send me the location. I’ll go home, change, and head over.”

“Great. I’ll WeChat it to you. Gotta go!”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Ning Shuang pocketed his phone, intending to tell Ji Huaizhi about it. But Ji Huaizhi kept his head down and said coolly, “I heard. You’re going out to dinner with your friends tonight.”

Ning Shuang chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. “I promised her ages ago. Felt bad turning her down.”

“I’ll try to get home early. No supermarket today—tomorrow instead.”

Ji Huaizhi asked, “Are you still coming back to walk Ning Dundun?”

“Skipping one day won’t hurt.”

“Will it be late?”

“Not too late. Mostly girls, and they don’t drink much.”

“A lot of girls?”

“Uh… probably.” Ning Shuang thought about it. Ming Qingning’s friends were mostly girls, of course.

Ji Huaizhi wished he hadn’t pried so much.

The next moment, a warm hand settled lightly on the back of his. Ning Shuang gave it a gentle pat. “I’ll be home early. Anything you want me to bring?”

The warmth soothed Ji Huaizhi’s unease. He turned his head and met a pair of agate eyes, shimmering like glass, his brows arched in a smile.

Ji Huaizhi’s throat bobbed. He looked away. “No.”

Ning Shuang withdrew his hand. “Alright then.”

Ji Huaizhi bowed his head, stared at his hand, and fell silent, lips pressed thin.

When they got home, Ning Shuang went to his room to change. The weather had warmed up lately, and evenings weren’t as chilly. He wore a white T-shirt under a thin blue jacket, paired with baggy brown pants—a casual, youthful look.

He came downstairs to find Ji Huaizhi on the sofa’s edge, playing with Ning Dundun.

When they’d first met, Ning Dundun had been a bit standoffish with Ji Huaizhi. Seeing man and dog getting along so well now relieved Ning Shuang.

He came down the stairs and struck up a conversation with Ji Huaizhi of his own accord. “Well, I’m off then? There’s still some veggies from yesterday in the fridge. Remember to eat something soon.”

Ji Huaizhi looked up at Ning Shuang, his expression complicated and shadowed. Ning Dundun lifted its head too, its big round eyes staring unblinkingly at Ning Shuang.

For some reason, Ning Shuang found the sight utterly adorable.

And so he walked over to Ji Huaizhi’s side, crouched down, and gently stroked Ning Dundun’s head. With a smile, he said, “Ning Dundun, I’ll be home early.”

“Woof.” Ning Dundun nuzzled into Ning Shuang’s arms.

Ning Shuang burst out laughing.

“You dumb dog.” He pinched Ning Dundun’s ears as he spoke.

The look on Ji Huaizhi’s face softened a touch as well. After chatting with Ning Dundun, Ning Shuang glanced at his watch and announced that he needed to hurry off to the dinner gathering.

With that, he bid Ji Huaizhi farewell once more, headed to the entryway to change his shoes, and stepped out the door.

Ji Huaizhi leaned against the doorframe, watching Ning Shuang’s retreating back with an impassive expression. Ning Dundun padded out and plopped down at his feet.

Well now. Before, Ning Dundun had waited alone at home for Ning Shuang. Now it had a companion to keep it company while they waited together for his return.

~~~

“Senior sister.” Ning Shuang was among the last to arrive. Most of the dishes had already been served by the time he got there.

“Sorry I’m late.” Ning Shuang could tell everyone had been holding off on eating to wait for him, so the moment he sat down, he apologized to the group.

Fortunately, Ming Qingning and the others didn’t mind in the slightest.

“No worries at all,” Ming Qingning said.

A male senior seated nearby grinned. “You showed up late, so you’re drinking an extra glass later.”

Ning Shuang’s face fell, and he waved his hands frantically. “I don’t drink!”

“Just messing with you. Who doesn’t know you can’t hold your liquor?”

Only then did Ning Shuang relax with a sigh of relief. “In that case, I’ll just have a few extra cups of tea.”

The final dish arrived, and everyone dug in.

After the meal, they headed to a nearby KTV, pooling their money for a large private room.

Ning Shuang was roped into singing a few songs and ended up reeking of booze. He felt like the smell alone was enough to get him tipsy.

Thankfully, they didn’t party too hard for long before someone brought over a deck of cards to play a game.

Ning Shuang sat off to the side, listening intently as they explained the rules.

It was basically a game of comparing card values—loser picks truth or dare.

After a few rounds, Ning Shuang had gotten the hang of it and was playing more smoothly. Luck was still a factor, though, and he had his share of bad draws.

At first, the questions were all light and harmless. But as the alcohol kicked in, one of the guys playing suddenly turned to Ning Shuang. “Do you have someone you like?”

They’d asked him the same thing last year, and his answer back then had been no.

This time…

Ning Shuang thought it over seriously for a moment, then nodded.

The room went quiet for a few seconds before erupting in an uproar of shock. Everyone started hooting and teasing. “What? The iron tree is finally blooming? Who’s the girl? Someone from our year? A freshman? Don’t tell me it’s senior sister?”

A barrage of questions came flying at Ning Shuang. He just smiled mysteriously. “I lost one hand, and now you all hit me with this many questions?”

His implication was clear: beat him at cards, and he’d keep answering.

“Alright! Today, I’m digging that out of you for sure!” The guy across from him rolled up his sleeves, instantly fired up.

The others chimed in with agreement.