The hallway was pitch-black and packed with people. Jiang Xia had just come to his senses when a force swept him forward with the crowd.

It had to be said, the situation was dangerous. Almost everyone could only rely on their daily familiarity with the surroundings, fumbling their way downstairs bit by bit.

If some malicious person were to suddenly scream, "Run, there’s a ghost!" it could easily cause a panic in the crowd, leading to a stampede.

"Everyone, head downstairs slowly! Don’t push or shove, and watch out you don’t fall! If you have a phone, turn on your flashlight to light the way!"

A teacher suddenly shouted in the darkness. Jiang Xia let out a small sigh of relief. As long as order was maintained, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

A few seconds later, some students raised their arms high, and scattered beams from phone flashlights pierced the gloom, illuminating small patches of darkness.

Using the light, Jiang Xia turned his head to look for Wang Ming, but after scanning the area, he couldn’t see him. He decided to stop looking. ’That guy is cunning as a fox; he should be fine on his own.’

He moved slowly with the crowd, sticking as close to the wall as possible to ensure every step was steady. In the sparse light, the shadows of many bobbing heads were cast on the wall at the turn of the stairwell.

But it was at this very moment that a few troublemaking boys started making strange noises, like the winter wind howling through a window. In the dim environment, it was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

Panic quickly spread through the crowd. The previously orderly line was instantly thrown into disarray. People started pushing and shoving, and Jiang Xia immediately felt forces from all directions pressing in on him.

"Don’t shove, don’t shove, fuck! I dropped my phone!"

Following the cry of alarm, the only source of light in the stairwell went out. The packed crowd immediately lost control, and everyone began shoving each other as they rushed downstairs.

A cacophony of noise became the dominant sound, drowning out the many grumbled complaints.

Jiang Xia felt a surge of anxiety, but there was nothing he could do to improve the situation. He was like a rootless duckweed himself, able to do nothing but be forced forward.

Suddenly, a soft, warm body was pushed into his arms. From between the strands of her silky hair, Jiang Xia caught a scent that had long since been imprinted on his very soul.

On so many nights lost to passion, he had buried his head in the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her scent.

"Don’t panic. Plant your feet."

Jiang Xia held her shoulders, bracing his back to resist the pressure from behind as his low voice murmured softly in Lin Yanwan’s ear.

Hearing his voice, Lin Yanwan subconsciously let out a breath she’d been holding. An intense feeling of security instantly washed over her, exactly the same as when he used to protect her in his arms in a crowd.

"Mm..."

She responded softly. After she steadied herself, the surging crowd gradually pushed them into a corner. Jiang Xia braced his hand against the wall, single-handedly bearing the force of the people pushing from behind.

Only when the crowd began to thin did the two of them let out a long breath, walking out of the academic building one after the other.

Thankfully, there were no reports of any terrible accidents.

◇

In the night sky, a crescent moon hung high and alone, its faint light casting their two blurry shadows.

"Just now... thank you."

Lin Yanwan gently tucked her hair back. A few messy strands settled smoothly over her shoulder, conveniently hiding her slightly flushed cheeks—not that anyone could see in this darkness.

’This guy saved Xiao Man just this morning, and now he’s protected me. We clearly agreed to break up, so why are we still so tangled up with each other?’

Thinking of this, Lin Yanwan felt helpless.

’The world is so big, so why do I run into him everywhere I go?’

"...You’re welcome."

The night breeze blew, and the two of them subsequently fell into an awkward silence.

Lin Yanwan looked at his side profile. Her lips moved slightly, and several times she looked as if she were about to speak, only to stop herself.

’Looking back, when they were dating, they could talk about anything and everything. After getting married, their daily life had an extra layer of playful affection. Even later, when arguments became more frequent, it was never like this, where a single sentence would be followed by nothing.’

’So, is this what it’s really like for a couple after they get divorced?’

"It was so dark just now, how did you know it was me?" she asked, pursing her lips, not wanting the awkward atmosphere to grow even colder.

Jiang Xia hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly. "Your scent."

Lin Yanwan’s cheeks flushed. ’If I’d known that would be his answer, I would’ve just kept my mouth shut.’

It didn’t sound like something a divorced couple would say at all. It was more like something exchanged between lovers in the throes of passion, playfully flirting with each other.

"It’s a subtle fragrance, like osmanthus. Very easy to recognize," he added.

Lin Yanwan couldn’t help but fall into a daze. She recalled that he had said the exact same thing when they were dating.

"Mm..."

She clenched her fingers, not knowing how to respond, and could only offer a faint acknowledgment to hide the turmoil in her heart.

For the next stretch of the walk, neither of them spoke, and they left the school gates in somber silence.

"I’m going home now," Lin Yanwan said suddenly, standing at a crossroads.

"Okay. Be careful on your way."

Jiang Xia said lightly, his gaze fixed on Lin Yanwan as she turned and walked into the darkness.

’In his memory, she had always been afraid of the dark. The entire city was without power now, and it was pitch-black everywhere. Did she really have the courage to go home alone?’

A few dogs barked in the night. Just as he was about to look away, he saw Lin Yanwan silently walk back out of the darkness.

’He really hadn’t left.’

Their eyes met, and they instantly guessed what the other was thinking.

"Can you walk me home?" she asked, turning her head away, her voice barely a whisper.

Jiang Xia didn’t answer, simply walking over to her. "And here I thought you’d suddenly gotten brave."

"I’m just scared of dogs!" Lin Yanwan said through gritted teeth, her pride making her unwilling to admit her predicament to Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia rolled his eyes, too lazy to call her bluff.

’Eight years of marriage, four years of dating. He could figure out her little schemes with his eyes closed.’

"You’re scared of plenty of things. Dogs, the dark, thunder, ghosts, bugs, snakes, needles, pain, hot oil..."

Hearing him list her fears as if they were precious family heirlooms, Lin Yanwan’s face turned beet red. ’I’m not that pathetic!’

’Alright, I guess I am.’

’Not only that, I’m also afraid of sleeping alone. For the past two nights, I’ve only managed to fall asleep by leaving a nightlight on.’

"Let’s go."

Jiang Xia walked into the darkness without looking back. A dog suddenly barked up ahead, startling Lin Yanwan into hurrying after him.

Watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, Wang Ming stroked his cheek, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’Wasn’t that guy just now Jiang Xia? And that girl with the killer figure next to him, could that be Lin Yanwan? He’s going the wrong way for his home, too. Wait, wait, wait... Could he be walking Lin Yanwan home?’

’No way, when did those two get together?!’

Like someone who had just discovered his best bro’s secret, Wang Ming looked excited. He would definitely have to grill the hell out of him tomorrow.