Chapter 5: Strange

After returning home, Ning Shuang filled Ning Dundun’s bowl with dog food and made sure all the doors and windows were securely closed before heading to school with Ji Huaizhi.

Ji Huaizhi had a strikingly handsome face that drew eyes wherever he went, making Ning Shuang feel deeply uncomfortable under all those stares. As soon as they passed through the school gates, Ning Shuang made an excuse to part ways.

“Oh, right—I’ll be heading home late tonight. Text me if you need anything.” Ning Shuang pulled the Student Council Duty Badge from his pocket and hung it around his neck. Then, as he jogged off, he turned back to call out a reminder to Ji Huaizhi.

The wind tousled the hair across his forehead, leaving it delightfully messy. He grinned, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons, twin dimples blooming symmetrically on his cheeks. He looked just like a radiant sun, warm and glowing.

Ji Huaizhi didn’t reply. He simply stood there, gaze fixed quietly on Ning Shuang’s retreating figure until it vanished from sight. Only then did he brush back the stray hairs by his ear and turn toward the Abandoned Lab Building.

His expression was icy, utterly ignoring the stares around him.

The onlookers kept their distance, with almost no one daring to approach him.

~~~

Ning Shuang attended a quick Student Union meeting and barely made it to class before the second period started.

He slipped in through the back door and spotted Lu Yuyang holding a seat for him.

Ning Shuang hunched down and settled into the empty spot.

Before he could even get comfortable, Lu Yuyang leaned over with his head cocked, whispering eagerly, “So, how’s it going with your little underclassman?”

“Super awkward,” Ning Shuang said, rubbing his nose.

Lu Yuyang stifled a laugh. “Awkward? So what did you two get up to after I left?”

“Took the dog for a walk,” Ning Shuang replied honestly.

Lu Yuyang raised an eyebrow. “You went for a walk with the dog, and he tagged along? Sounds promising to me. It’s not like he has some crush on Ning Dundun, right?”

Ning Shuang explained, “I asked if he wanted to go, and he just couldn’t say no. From the walk back home all the way to school, he didn’t crack a single smile. His face was stone-cold the whole time.”

“You came to school together too?”

Ning Shuang nodded. “Yeah, but we split up at the gates. You should’ve seen it—from the bus stop to campus, so many people were gawking at him.”

Lu Yuyang looked exasperated. “No wonder you’re still single. With all those eyes on him, why didn’t you walk a little farther together? Even if you’re not dating, it could’ve shown everyone you’re close. Might’ve scared off a few rivals.”

“Oh yeah!” Ning Shuang’s voice lit up with sudden excitement as the idea hit him.

Lu Yuyang ducked his head, subtly putting some distance between them. The teacher at the front of the room pushed up his glasses in irritation, but upon seeing it was Ning Shuang talking, his annoyance faded. He tapped the desk lightly and said amiably, “Ning Shuang, no chatting in class.”

“Sorry, got it, Teacher!” Ning Shuang scratched his head and apologized profusely.

The teacher turned back to the lesson.

“I didn’t think of that, Lu Yuyang. What should I do now?” Ning Shuang whispered, leaning close again.

Lu Yuyang propped up his book to shield his face. “Just play it cool.”

“I’ll come to school with him tomorrow, then.” Ning Shuang wasn’t discouraged.

Lu Yuyang cut straight to the point. “You want to come together, but will he actually agree?”

“Good point…” Ning Shuang rubbed his chin, face full of regret. “Sigh.”

“Look on the bright side—you’ve got the home-field advantage,” Lu Yuyang said, not wanting to crush his friend’s spirits. Seeing Ning Shuang so downcast, he added some encouragement.

In Lu Yuyang’s view, though, a naive guy like Ning Shuang would be an easy mark for a smooth operator. They’d only known Ji Huaizhi for a day, after all, and had no real sense of what he was like. “That said, don’t act too into him or smother him with attention.”

“Why not? I like him—shouldn’t I focus on him all the time?” Ning Shuang asked, puzzled.

Impossible to reason with this straight guy. Lu Yuyang took a deep breath. “Imagine someone crushing on you hard, always hovering—through meals, school, after classes, even bedtime. How would you feel?”

Ning Shuang thought for a second. “Annoyed.”

“Exactly. So play it cool. Don’t look like a pushover. Repeat after me: don’t be a lapdog.”

Ning Shuang echoed, “Don’t be a lapdog.”

Lu Yuyang leaned back. “Now you’re getting it.”

Truth be told, Ning Shuang still didn’t quite grasp it. He just liked Ji Huaizhi—how did that turn into talk of dogs?

He mulled it over but decided not to ask.

The class flew by.

Afterward, Lu Yuyang vanished, and Ning Shuang grabbed lunch at the cafeteria with some Student Union friends.

The morning meeting had mentioned that freshmen would start Military Training next Monday, so Ning Shuang needed to head to Building 8 after lunch to inventory the uniforms.

Building 8 was the farthest from the academic buildings, used mainly for storage, and sat close to that Abandoned Lab Building.

Ning Shuang and his friend had planned to take a shortcut, but at the fork in the path, they found a warning sign blocking the way, with the entrance cordoned off.

It had been open just yesterday.

“Why’s it sealed off?” Ning Shuang wondered aloud.

Zhao Wei Liang, walking with him, adjusted his black-framed glasses. “You haven’t heard?”

Ning Shuang glanced at him. “What happened?”

“There was an anonymous post on the School Forum this morning, dredging up that rumor from last semester,” Zhao Wei Liang said. He was slim and upright, but his voice carried an eerie tone.

A chill ran down Ning Shuang’s spine; he suddenly felt eyes watching him from the nearby bamboo grove. “No way—the school debunked that already.”

As soon as he spoke, Zhao Wei Liang pulled out his phone, opened his gallery, and showed him two photos.

Ning Shuang leaned in to look.

“With that much buzz, of course they’d issue a denial first. Whether they actually investigated? Who knows.” Zhao Wei Liang shrugged.

One photo was a screenshot of the anonymous post, bluntly claiming the guardian god of the Experimental Building had granted someone’s wish. The other was an attached image, clearly taken at night amid pitch blackness, with an eerie blue glow emanating from the ground near the Experimental Building.

Ning Shuang’s eyes lingered on the glow.

It felt strangely familiar.

“Did the school track down the poster?” Ning Shuang asked, pulling his gaze away and feigning indifference. After all, it was the school’s issue, not his.

“They deleted the post, and the IP was masked through some foreign VPN. Why do you think I only have screenshots?” Zhao Wei Liang pocketed his phone.

Ning Shuang yawned, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He quickened his pace. “Anyway, I don’t buy it.”

“Me neither. I’m a staunch atheist,” Zhao Wei Liang said, catching up.

They walked side by side, discussing Student Union business, when someone barreled into Ning Shuang’s shoulder. He stumbled forward several steps, and Zhao Wei Liang grabbed his hand to steady him.

They both turned toward the culprit.

It was a gaunt, listless-looking guy with long hair hanging over his eyes, exuding a gloomy aura.

“Sorry, sorry, so sorry…” The guy apologized repeatedly before crouching to gather his scattered books.

“No worries!” Ning Shuang said with a smile.

He knelt down to help pick them up. As he got close, a peculiar scent wafted over him.

It was odd—unpleasant at first whiff, but then oddly familiar. Over those few seconds of gathering books, Ning Shuang subtly tried to place the smell.

Even after the guy took the book from his hand and walked far away, Ning Shuang suddenly froze and looked back.

Gu.

It was gu.

No mistaking it.

He should have recognized it instantly, but living outside for so long, he’d subconsciously assumed this place was different from the village. It took him a moment. But now that policies had changed and anyone could enter or leave the village freely, if he could be here, so could they.

So was that guy a gu master? Or had he crossed one…

“Ning Shuang? You okay?” Zhao Wei Liang waved a hand in front of his face, seeing him lost in thought.

Ning Shuang snapped out of it and yawned again, tossing out a quick lie. “Nothing. Just thinking about the class assistant assignments.”

“The roster’s not out yet. Which first-year class do you want?” Zhao Wei Liang asked.

Class assistants basically helped first-year advisors manage their groups. They handled roll call, supervised training, and other tasks during Military Training—until the midterms, when class committees were elected based on recommendations and grades.

Ning Shuang, as the vice minister of the Student Union Disciplinary Department, naturally had to step up and take responsibility.

Zhao Wei Liang was fine if he didn’t ask, but the moment he did, Ning Shuang suddenly remembered something.

Before this, Ning Shuang had figured he’d go wherever the president assigned him as a class assistant. But now that he had met Ji Huaizhi, of course his selfish preference was Business Class 1.

Still, he couldn’t let it show too obviously, or Zhao Wei Liang would pick up on it.

“Whatever, I’m not picky,” Ning Shuang said.

Zhao Wei Liang replied, “You’re always so easygoing. You know, this time a bunch of people went to the president, all wanting to be class assistants for Business Class 1.”

The words “Business Class 1” hit Ning Shuang like a trigger. The instant Zhao Wei Liang finished speaking, he pressed, “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t heard? Among the freshmen this year, there’s this super handsome underclassman in Business Class 1.”

Of course Ning Shuang knew!

He knew all too well—he was planning to pursue that underclassman!

No, no, he had to become the class assistant for Business Class 1 no matter what!

Some people might look calm on the surface, but inside, they were already plotting how to phrase their request to the president for the Business Class 1 position.

“Why’d you go quiet again?”

Ning Shuang coughed dryly. “I was just wondering how handsome this guy is. I’ve never seen him.”

Zhao Wei Liang looked surprised. “You don’t check the forums? There are already a ton of threads thirsting over him!”

As he spoke, Zhao Wei Liang pulled out his phone, opened the forum, slung an arm around Ning Shuang’s shoulders, and scrolled through several of those posts for him.

Truth be told, Ning Shuang wasn’t all that eager to see them…

~~~

The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly.

All the military training uniforms for the freshmen had to be inventoried and sorted by them, and they were so busy they barely had time for a sip of water. By the time they finished, first period was almost over.

Ning Shuang had a class soon, so he didn’t stick around long.

The breeze off the river felt sticky against his face as he walked, and Ning Shuang tapped out a message to Student Council President Shen Qinghui.

【President, do you have time this afternoon? I’d like to treat you to a cup of coffee.】

Ning Shuang actually got along pretty well with Shen Qinghui. He had a great personality, a sharp mind, plenty of ideas, and excellent communication skills. On top of that, he was hardworking and reliable, so whenever there was something that came with perks, Shen Qinghui would bypass Ning Shuang’s superiors and give it to him directly.

That was why Ning Shuang was confident Shen Qinghui would approve if he messaged outright about wanting to be the class assistant for Business Class 1.

Still, out of respect for Shen Qinghui—and responsibility toward the role—Ning Shuang felt he ought to follow proper procedure. That’s why he wanted to buy him coffee and hand over the application form in person.

By the time Ning Shuang wrapped up his chat with Shen Qinghui and made it to the classroom, first period had just ended. The hallway teemed with students heading out from class or arriving for the next one.

The summer heat had everyone slick with sweat, and the air in the corridor carried a jumble of unpleasant odors.

As Ning Shuang wove through the crowd, someone brushed past him, leaving a strange scent lingering at the tip of his nose.

Gu again.

Ning Shuang whipped around, but the hallway was too packed—he had no way of picking out who it had been.

How odd.

He hadn’t encountered a single person from the Miao Frontier in all his year at school so far, and now, not even a week into the new semester, he’d crossed paths with two who seemed to be from there.

“Ning Shuang, what are you spacing out here for? Not hot enough for you?” Someone clapped him on the shoulder, and a familiar voice rang in his ear.

“Little Yang?” This was the first time Ning Shuang had seen Xu Heyang this semester. They were in different classes, but since they were both in the Badminton Club, they’d gotten to know each other over time and become friends.

Xu Heyang touched his nose. “Why so surprised? You here for the elective, right?”

Ning Shuang nodded. “Don’t tell me you are too?”

“Nah, heh, I just got out of class. You better head in—class is starting soon.” Xu Heyang added, “Oh, and when you’re in there, keep an eye out for anyone you know. Otherwise, if you can’t find groupmates, the teacher will randomly assign you partners for the group project. Fine if they’re diligent, but if they’re slackers, you’re screwed.”

“Got it, I’ll look around.” Truth be told, Ning Shuang wasn’t picky about group project partners. As long as they didn’t cause trouble and he didn’t have to aim for perfection, he’d usually handle the work solo and slap their names on it anyway.

With a few minutes still before class, Ning Shuang wasn’t in a rush to get back inside. The two of them strolled over to the railing to chat, leaving space for passersby.

They’d barely exchanged a couple sentences when Ning Shuang caught sight of someone familiar in the crowd from the corner of his eye.

It wasn’t just the guy’s rare height—it was that striking, aloof aura that drew the eye.

Ji Huaizhi!

Ning Shuang quickly said goodbye to Xu Heyang and pushed through the throng to chase after him.

“Ji Huaizhi, Ji Huaizhi.” Ning Shuang called softly.

Ji Huaizhi didn’t seem to hear, so Ning Shuang picked up his pace, still murmuring his name.

“Ji Huaizhi!” He raised his voice a bit this time, and just as the words left his mouth, the figure ahead halted. Ning Shuang couldn’t stop in time and barreled straight into his back.

Ji Huaizhi stumbled slightly before turning around. Seeing Ning Shuang clutching his forehead and grimacing adorably, a hint of warmth softened those cool eyes of his.

Still as clumsy and impulsive as ever.

“Sorry about that, Ji Huaizhi. I really didn’t mean to,” Ning Shuang said, holding his forehead and looking genuinely apologetic.

Ji Huaizhi shook his head, his tone unconsciously gentling. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt.”

Ning Shuang grinned and dropped his hand. A faint red mark lingered on his smooth forehead, and his hair was a total mess.

“What are you doing here? Here for class?” Ning Shuang asked.

Ji Huaizhi paused, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Ning Shuang lit up at the confirmation and ventured, “Are you… taking Professor Zhang’s class?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Awesome!” In his excitement at the answer he’d hoped for, Ning Shuang nearly let his enthusiasm slip too far. He covered with a quick cough. “What a coincidence—me too. Let’s head to the classroom together.”