The appendage inching toward her shoe was still probing forward.
Jiang Nuan’s scalp prickled, and a crescent blade immediately condensed in her palm.
The thing was truly revolting.
But at least it had finally shown itself. Anything she could see was easier to deal with than something that remained hidden in the darkness.
Beside her, Qi Sui abruptly raised his left hand.
Silver threads shot soundlessly from between his fingers, pinning themselves into the surrounding surfaces. In the next instant, they wove into a net above the monster and slammed down.
The creature crouched on the floor was caught in place and began to writhe violently.
Its limbs, folded in the opposite direction, frantically scraped against the floor tiles, producing a sharp, grating shriek.
The sound made every hair on the back of Jiang Nuan’s neck stand on end.
She gave it no second chance. The crescent blade left her hand in a streak of silver-white light and plunged straight into the struggling mass.
It pierced the hideously ugly black thing, leaving a long, narrow gash in the floor tiles behind it.
The grating abruptly stopped.
Its limbs twitched twice more before slowly collapsing, flattening completely against the floor.
“Nuannuan, nicely done.” Only then did Qi Sui withdraw his threads, his tone still gentle.
But the hand hanging at his side was trembling faintly, and the worry in his eyes had grown even heavier.
Jiang Nuan knew he was worried about Qinian.
“How is Qinian?”
Qi Sui closed his eyes and focused on the sensations transmitted from his other body.
A moment later, he opened them again.
“He’s still conscious, but his awareness is growing increasingly hazy.”
Jiang Nuan’s heart sank. She immediately picked up the document on the table bearing her signature and slipped it into the inner pocket of her clothes.
“Let’s go.”
The two of them did not linger. They quickly left the infirmary, recounting their respective experiences after entering the restricted zone as they hurried along.
After entering the restricted zone, Qi Sui and Qinian had immediately tried to find Jiang Nuan.
But the campus was enormous, and there were new students everywhere, dragging suitcases as they reported for enrollment. There was no way to locate Jiang Nuan.
Later, Qinian had grabbed someone who looked like an upperclassman and forced him to reveal the location of the broadcasting room.
The brothers hurried there, and only then were they finally able to contact Jiang Nuan through the campus broadcast system.
By now, every light on campus had gone out.
The beams of their flashlights swept across both sides of the road, illuminating only the blurred, distorted outlines of the trees.
The dormitory buildings soon appeared in their field of vision.
There was not a sound from the dormitory area. Every window was dark.
Qi Sui suddenly stopped.
He closed his eyes to confirm it, then pointed toward the nearest boys’ dormitory.
“He’s inside.”
The moment he finished speaking, the campus speakers suddenly emitted a burst of harsh static.
Krrr—
Immediately afterward, a gentle female voice, almost mechanical in its softness, rang out.
“All students who have not yet returned to their dormitories, please return to your assigned rooms immediately.”
“Nighttime dormitory inspections are about to begin.”
“Those who fail to return on time—”
The female voice paused. Then she let out a soft laugh.
“Will have their enrollment canceled.”
Jiang Nuan took her student-status certificate from her pocket. The document, marked with student number 0001, was still perfectly clear.
According to the rules of this campus, she was now a genuine “student.” That meant the order to return to the dormitories likely applied to her as well.
Jiang Nuan frowned. “Do I have to go back to the dormitory?”
Qi Sui’s gaze fell on the student-status certificate in her hand.
“When people on campus see your name, their attitude changes. That means your student identity is still protecting you for now.”
Qi Sui looked toward the girls’ dormitory beside them.
A blurred sign hung on the outer wall. When the flashlight shone on it, the words “Building Three” could just barely be made out.
“We still don’t know what the student-status verification at midnight will involve.”
“Nuannuan, go back to your dormitory first and preserve your student status.”
Jiang Nuan did not agree immediately.
Qi Sui had no student status.
Not only did he have to enter the pitch-black boys’ dormitory, he also had to find Qinian, whose consciousness was gradually fading.
Compared with her, who merely had to return and undergo a dormitory inspection, he was the one who seemed more likely to be erased by the campus at any moment.
But no one knew what the midnight student-status verification would entail. It was indeed safest to preserve the only valid student status among the three of them first.
Jiang Nuan did not hesitate. “All right.”
“It’s a good opportunity to confirm whether my suitcase is really there.”
Teacher Zhao had initially required her to retrieve her luggage before she could complete the student-status verification.
But after hearing Jiang Nuan’s name, the other party had skipped that step entirely.
If there really was a suitcase prepared for her in the dormitory, it might contain other clues as well.
“I’ll come out as soon as the inspection is over and meet up with you and Qinian.”
Qi Sui looked at her.
His eyes, which usually held a gentle smile, were unnervingly still now.
He did not tell Jiang Nuan not to worry.
In a place like this, promises were meaningless.
“Once you’re inside, don’t answer anyone’s questions.”
Qi Sui raised a hand and tucked the hair the night wind had tousled behind Jiang Nuan’s ear.
“Even if you hear my voice or Qinian’s, don’t open the door right away.”
“I know.” Jiang Nuan glanced at the dark boys’ dormitory. “You’re the one who needs to be careful.”
Qi Sui nodded lightly. “All right.”
He withdrew his hand, turned around, and walked alone toward the boys’ dormitory.
He summoned the black scythe into his right hand, while several silver threads hung from his lowered left hand.
Qi Sui’s back soon disappeared through the entrance.
The light from his terminal illuminated a small section of the wall inside.
The next second, the beam seemed to be swallowed whole by the darkness.
The entire dormitory building became pitch-black once more.
Jiang Nuan stood there for several seconds before finally looking away.
A crescent blade condensed in her hand, and she walked alone toward the girls’ dormitory beside it.
The entrance to Building Three was likewise wide open.
From the outside, not a single light could be seen anywhere in the building.
But the instant Jiang Nuan crossed the threshold, the area around her suddenly lit up with warm yellow light.
She paused.
The lobby on the first floor was almost excessively bright. A few potted plants with glossy leaves even stood against the wall.
The clock above the stairwell read nine-thirty.
Jiang Nuan turned to look at the glass doors behind her. The campus remained pitch-black, without a trace of light.
Strangely, when she had been standing outside, she had not seen any light inside the dormitory.
Now the lights were glaringly bright, yet not a single ray shone through the glass onto the outside.
It was as if these were two completely different worlds.
“You’re back.”
Someone suddenly spoke beside her.
Jiang Nuan turned her head.
A duty desk stood near the entrance to the lobby. Behind it sat a plump female teacher, smiling warmly at Jiang Nuan.
“Go back to your room quickly. The dormitory inspection is about to begin.”
Jiang Nuan did not answer. She simply walked toward the stairs.
Her room was 307.
The female teacher did not speak again before Jiang Nuan reached the first step.
But Jiang Nuan could feel the woman’s gaze fixed on her back, never moving.
The first-floor lobby was soon blocked from view by the bend in the staircase.
Jiang Nuan continued upward.
The lights in the stairwell were warm as well.
Every floor was brightly lit, and she could even hear the chatter of girls. This eased Jiang Nuan’s mind somewhat.
But the farther up she went, the quieter the surroundings became.
When Jiang Nuan passed the landing on the second floor, she could not resist glancing down the corridor.
The doors to all the dorm rooms on either side were tightly shut, their room numbers lined up in neat succession.
201.
202.
203.
A light glowed at the end of the corridor. It seemed much longer than Jiang Nuan remembered, and the room numbers at the farthest end had already blurred beyond recognition.
Jiang Nuan withdrew her gaze and continued toward the third floor.
The soles of her shoes landed on the steps with a faint sound.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
After climbing a few steps, Jiang Nuan suddenly realized that something was wrong.
There was another set of footsteps behind her, soft and light.
It sounded as though someone was matching her pace, following her up one step at a time.
She put forward her left foot, and the sound behind her fell in step. She put forward her right, and the footsteps followed just as closely.
The two sets of footsteps nearly overlapped.
Jiang Nuan slowed down, and the footsteps behind her slowed with her.
Frowning, she deliberately stopped before the next step.
The footsteps stopped as well.
The stairwell fell silent again.
She had heard no dormitory door open, nor anyone enter the stairwell from the first floor.
When exactly had the other person started following her?
Jiang Nuan stood still, the Moonblade pressed tightly against her palm.
She lifted her foot again and stepped onto the next stair.
Tap.
The footsteps behind her sounded once more.
This time, they were closer.
So close it seemed the person was already standing right behind her. One more half-step forward, and their shoulder would brush against hers.
