Qi An’an saw Jiang Lu staring at her blankly, as if he hadn’t processed what was happening. Maybe her sudden appearance had startled him, as he just stood there in a daze, his expression carrying an innocent air.

Somehow, the worry that had been weighing on Qi An’an’s heart eased a little. This was still the Jiang Lu she knew.

“Jiang Lu, what are you standing here for?” Qi An’an asked. She had been afraid she had come back too late and that he might have already returned to the dormitory. It had been at least twenty minutes since she received Yu Tianyang’s message, yet Jiang Lu had been standing there alone all this time.

He hadn’t even had dinner. He looked pitiful.

Jiang Lu’s hand, hidden behind his back, was clenched tightly. Even though this place faced a window, he wasn’t sure whether the smell of smoke on him had dispersed. “It’s nothing. You should go.” He said.

His voice was low. He just wanted Qi An’an to leave quickly. The more beautiful the dream, the more greedy one became.

But Qi An’an didn’t leave. She smiled at him and held out the wontons. “Jiang Lu, are you hungry? Have some wontons.”

She couldn’t say they were bought especially for him, so she rubbed her nose and explained, “I bought too many. I originally wanted to share them with the girls in the dorm, but they all said it was too late and they were on diets. No one wanted to eat. Wouldn’t it be a waste? Help me out. Let’s eat together, okay?”

Jiang Lu knew he should’ve refused. He was someone walking alone in the abyss, and yet the person he couldn’t let go of most had unknowingly followed after him.

She didn’t even know the danger. If he reached out, he could pull her into the abyss with him.

But managing to harden his heart twice already was a miracle in itself.

The warm, dim light fell across the girl’s clean cheeks, soft and gentle. Rationality fell just a step behind. Before he realized it, Jiang Lu had already nodded.

Seeing that he didn’t reject her, Qi An’an immediately beamed and tore open the packaging. There were no tables or chairs there, so she sat down on the highest step and patted the spot next to her. “Come sit.”

Jiang Lu sighed helplessly and turned his face away. After a moment of hesitation, he took off his jacket, folded it casually, and walked over. “Get up and sit on this. It’s too cold.”

The September night air was still chilly, and under his jacket, Jiang Lu was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Qi An’an didn’t move, instead urging him, “You wear your jacket. Don’t catch a cold.”

Jiang Lu said, “If you don’t sit on it, I’m leaving.”

If it meant letting Qi An’an sit on the cold steps just to keep him company, he’d rather give up the moment altogether.

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be joking at all, Qi An’an had no choice but to obediently stand up and let him place his jacket on the step where she had just been sitting.

Only then did Jiang Lu sit beside her. Qi An’an handed the wontons over. “Go on, eat.”

Jiang Lu accepted them in silence. The freshly cooked wontons were hot in his hands, releasing wisps of steam. Through the rising warmth, he said quietly, “You eat. I’m not hungry.”

But he had already touched them, so how could she still eat them?

“You eat first. I actually had a full dinner. This is just a late-night snack. I don’t have to eat it.” Qi An’an said with a smile. “But if you finish it, that’s even better. The girls were so determined not to eat, and I can hold out too.”

Her smile was dazzling in the dim stairwell. Jiang Lu lowered his head again. The warm, fragrant steam gently caressed his face, and at an angle where Qi An’an couldn’t see, his lips curved slightly.

Qi An’an sat quietly by Jiang Lu’s side. She didn’t rush him or ask anything, just sat silently next to him. After Jiang Lu finished eating, Qi An’an reached for the lid to clean up, but he was faster. He collected the takeout box, threw it away, and came back.

“Jiang Lu.” Qi An’an paused for a moment, carefully choosing her words, “Have you been upset about something lately? You can talk to me if you want.”

Jiang Lu’s hand, resting on his knee, twitched slightly. He had known Qi An’an had something to ask him, which was why he hadn’t left. But…… she didn’t ask why he got into a fight, or why he had become like this. She simply asked if he was unhappy.

How was he supposed to answer that?

His heart softened uncontrollably. When he finally spoke, his voice turned gentle without him realizing it, “I’m not unhappy about anything.”

He paused for a moment, then asked, “Are you disappointed in me for being like this now?”

Qi An’an immediately shook her head. “No, no! Don’t overthink. I’m not disappointed at all. I know you hit that guy— whatever his name was— because he disrespected you first. He deserved it. And that guy we bumped into in the alley the other time…… well, even though I don’t know what happened before, he brought a whole group to block you. If you weren’t good at fighting, you would’ve been in trouble. That’s totally unfair. He was in the wrong too.”

Jiang Lu couldn’t help but chuckle as he listened to her serious analysis. For the first time in what felt like ages, a genuine smile spread across his face, even reaching his eyes.

He looked so handsome when he smiled. It was such a shame that it vanished too quickly. Before Qi An’an could get a proper look, he had already returned to his usual cold and calm expression.

She had to keep going, “If someone bullies you, you should beat them so they won’t dare try again. That’s perfectly fine. Why would I be disappointed in that?”

Qi An’an hugged her knees and looked at Jiang Lu, her eyes bright and gentle. “I just worry that you’re unhappy. If you’re going through something hard or have anything bothering you, and you don’t mind, you can talk to me about it.”

Jiang Lu silently gazed into her eyes. Outside, the bright moon hung high in the sky, but even it couldn’t compare to the glow in her eyes.

In the end, he shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not that fragile.”

He offered a reasonable explanation to ease her concern, “Really, it’s nothing. I’m not attached to any class. It’s just been hard juggling school and drawing lately. Once this busy period passes, I’ll be fine.”

Qi An’an blinked. Jiang Lu made it sound so casual, but it still felt heavy to her. Her heart ached. Jiang Lu wasn’t like most kids their age. He didn’t have parents to protect him and had to support himself. His job required late nights and was clearly exhausting.

But with things like this, she had no idea how to help.

After thinking it over, she decided to take it one step at a time. Pressing her lips together, she said, “Then…… I want you to promise me one thing.”

Jiang Lu didn’t expect her to say that and gently asked, “What is it?”

He would promise her anything.

“Please don’t smoke anymore, okay? Smoking’s bad for your health.” Qi An’an looked at him seriously as she made the request.

She had smelled it earlier but waited until after he finished eating to bring it up. Jiang Lu felt a pang in his chest and nodded softly. “Alright. I won’t smoke anymore.”

He agreed so quickly that Qi An’an’s eyes lit up. She added, “You probably smoked because you were in a bad mood, right? Next time you’re feeling that way, don’t smoke. You can…… you can call me instead.”

They were friends. She was willing to listen to whatever he wanted to say, and if he didn’t want to say anything, she could at least stay by his side.

Jiang Lu looked at her for a moment, then turned his head away. “Don’t look at me like that.”

His voice was low and hoarse, full of restrained emotion.

What truly bound him wasn’t Qi Yan’s threats or his own conscience— it was the girl in front of him. Someone as good as Qi An’an shouldn’t be tainted by someone like him.

“Jiang Lu, I wasn’t—” Qi An’an didn’t know what expression she had made just now, but she panicked, worried that he might misunderstand her concern as pity. She was about to explain when suddenly a stern voice rang out nearby.

“You two over there! What class are you from?! Why are you out here so late instead of in the dorm?!”

Qi An’an had been a model student all her life. The second she heard the unmistakable tone of a discipline teacher, her first instinct was to run.

Her mind went blank. She grabbed Jiang Lu’s hand and ran.

Jiang Lu’s heart also sank. If it had just been two boys or two girls, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But a boy and a girl? That was impossible to explain. If the school thought they were dating, it would lead to disciplinary records and announcements. He didn’t care about getting written up, but he absolutely couldn’t let Qi An’an be listed in a school bulletin for something like this.

The two of them were completely in sync— just running in opposite directions. Jiang Lu had originally meant to pull Qi An’an upstairs, but when he reached out to grab her hand, he hesitated. That split second gave Qi An’an the chance to grab his hand first and drag him downstairs instead.

“Stop right there!!!”

The teacher roared behind them, flashlight beam chasing after them. The stomping footsteps echoed like thunder in their ears.

By the time they reached the second floor, Qi An’an still wanted to go down further, but Jiang Lu pulled her back. “An’an! The side gate locks at eight!”

Qi An’an felt like a giant red exclamation mark just popped into view in her mind. They’d run themselves into a dead end— right into a trap.

If they couldn’t go down, they’d have to run into the corridor and take the stairs on the other side.

This time Jiang Lu understood her plan, but the teacher’s footsteps were already dangerously close above. He pulled Qi An’an toward the washroom at the corner of the second floor. “We won’t make it. Hide in here.”

There was a narrow gap behind the washroom’s door panel, just enough for two people to squeeze into. Jiang Lu pushed Qi An’an in first. Looking at the remaining space, he bit his lip and hesitated.

There’s no time for hesitation! Qi An’an was frantic. “What are you standing there for? Get in!”

She grabbed him and yanked him in with her.