Jiang Nuan continued upward, the steps beneath her feet stretching so far that she could not see the end.
The footsteps behind her followed without pause. Whenever she took a step, the person behind her took one too.
Since Ji Chuying had appeared, she had never made a move against Jiang Nuan. Instead, she had been worried that Jiang Nuan would return too late and had urged her to get back to the dormitory as soon as possible.
Setting aside the uncomfortably close distance between them, and ignoring the fact that Ji Chuying had no shadow beneath her feet… everything she did truly fit the role of a good friend.
At least, it fit Ji Chuying’s understanding of what a “good friend” was.
But for someone worried that her friend might return to the dormitory too late, trapping her on the stairs made no sense.
This was an endlessly extending staircase, with no exit visible in either direction.
Ji Chuying would have been better off pouncing on Jiang Nuan the moment she turned around. That would have been far easier than accompanying her up the stairs for so long.
Jiang Nuan pressed her palm against the cold edge of the Moon Blade.
Perhaps the problem did not lie with Ji Chuying at all.
Jiang Nuan lowered her eyes to the steps stretching endlessly beneath her and suddenly stopped.
The footsteps behind her vanished at the same time.
Jiang Nuan turned around.
Ji Chuying stood on the step below her, still maintaining that disturbingly close distance.
Too close.
If Jiang Nuan leaned even slightly, the other girl would be able to touch her.
Jiang Nuan suppressed the urge to greet her with the Moon Blade.
“It’s only the first day of the semester. I’ve only been to the dormitory once, so I’ve forgotten the way back to my room.”
She deliberately softened her voice.
“Ji Chuying, you’re my good friend. Can you show me the way?”
She was gambling now.
Gambling that Ji Chuying’s actions were bound by the identity of “good friend.”
If she lost, she might have to engage in a friendly hallway spar with this shadowless girl tonight.
If she won, she would save quite a bit of energy—enough to deal with a few more monsters.
Ji Chuying did not answer immediately.
Standing on the step below, she stared fixedly at Jiang Nuan.
The wait dragged on for a long time.
Several seconds later, Ji Chuying finally blinked slowly.
“Good friend…”
She repeated the words, sounding delighted.
The corners of her lips gradually stretched outward. The curve grew wider and wider, almost reaching her ears.
Jiang Nuan’s hand pressed tightly against the Moon Blade.
Wonderful.
If this good friend smiled any more enthusiastically, Jiang Nuan might lose control of her hand.
But Jiang Nuan did not move.
At least for now, Ji Chuying was merely smiling in a way no human should. She had not pounced, nor had she grown any sharp, jointed limbs.
She truly seemed happy simply because Jiang Nuan had called her a “good friend.”
At last, Ji Chuying lowered the corners of her mouth somewhat.
“Yes, we’re good friends.”
After saying this, she no longer stood pressed so tightly against Jiang Nuan. She took two steps upward, passed Jiang Nuan, and stopped in front of her.
Tap.
Tap.
For the first time, the footsteps did not overlap with Jiang Nuan’s.
Ji Chuying stood ahead of her and glanced back slightly.
“Room 307 is on the third floor.”
“I’ll take you back.”
Jiang Nuan did not answer. She only watched as Ji Chuying turned and continued upward.
When Ji Chuying took her third step, the light overhead suddenly flickered.
The staircase, whose end had originally been nowhere in sight, began to shrink. A landing appeared in Jiang Nuan’s field of vision.
The familiar “3F” sign appeared above the stairwell entrance, and a quiet corridor stretched away at the end.
As expected, it was not Ji Chuying who had trapped her.
There was something wrong with this section of stairs itself.
Ji Chuying was a local “student” here, familiar with the dormitory’s layout. By following her, Jiang Nuan could naturally leave this stretch of stairs.
Ji Chuying had already reached the edge of the landing. When she noticed that Jiang Nuan had not followed, she stopped and waited.
She did not urge Jiang Nuan along. She simply continued gazing at her with those dark, sunken eyes.
Jiang Nuan endured the discomfort and walked over.
The smile on Ji Chuying’s face became several degrees more genuine.
“We’re going back together.”
She emphasized the words softly.
“That’s what good friends are supposed to do.”
*
The door to Room 307 was ajar.
Ji Chuying stood at the entrance and pushed the door open.
She turned sideways, allowing Jiang Nuan to enter first.
Jiang Nuan stepped inside and paused slightly.
The dormitory’s layout and furnishings were exactly the same as those in the room she had lived in before crossing over.
A four-person room, with beds above and desks below. Books and assorted belongings sat on the shelves, while freshly washed clothes hung out to dry on the balcony.
Two girls were making their beds.
At the sound of the opening door, they both stopped what they were doing and turned to look over.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, as though performed by a single person.
“You’re back.”
Jiang Nuan did not respond. Her expression unchanged, she walked into the dormitory.
Only after she passed between the two desks did the sound of fabric brushing against fabric come from behind her again.
The two girls lowered their heads at the same time and continued making their beds.
Jiang Nuan sat down at her desk. She glanced around the room and quickly spotted a suitcase in the corner.
A label was stuck to the side of the case.
“Jiang Nuan, Room 307.”
She really did have luggage here. Her heart gave a sudden, violent beat.
She was just about to stand when Ji Chuying leaned over.
“Jiang Nuan, if you don’t wash up now, the lights will go out and the dorm inspection will begin.”
Jiang Nuan glanced at the electronic clock on the desk.
9:45 p.m.
The time on her terminal differed greatly from that on the dormitory clock, but apparently, the campus time was the one that mattered inside the restricted zone.
She walked straight to the corner and laid the suitcase flat on the floor.
The other two girls in the dormitory stopped what they were doing again and looked over.
“Everyone has to be in bed when they inspect the rooms.”
Ji Chuying followed behind Jiang Nuan, so close that she was practically pressed against her back.
Jiang Nuan lowered her eyes and placed her fingers on the suitcase lock.
It would be best to send her away.
Jiang Nuan crouched on the floor and turned her head toward Ji Chuying.
“It’s a good thing you came to find me today. Otherwise, I would have gotten lost on the stairs.”
“It’s wonderful to have a friend like you.”
The corners of Ji Chuying’s lips stretched wide once again.
She seemed completely unaware of how frightening the expression was, absorbed entirely in the joy of being acknowledged as a good friend.
“That’s what good friends are supposed to do.”
Her gaze slowly shifted from Jiang Nuan’s face to the suitcase, then lifted back up.
“Then I’ll go wash up first.”
“You need to hurry back to bed later.”
Jiang Nuan did not answer. She merely curved her eyes in a smile.
Ji Chuying turned, walked to her desk, picked up her toiletries, and left the room.
With her back to the other two girls, Jiang Nuan used her body to block their view.
The suitcase had no combination lock. She gave the latch a gentle twist, and it sprang open.
Inside were several sets of dresses, along with… a cup.
A chubby little deer was printed on the side of the cup.
Jiang Nuan’s breathing stopped for a moment.
This cup…
She had seen it before.
