After recess exercise ended, Zhou Shiyi moved slowly with the flow of people on the stairwell.

Gu Sheng caught up from behind and walked alongside Zhou Shiyi, casually whispering a sentence.

The remark was a bit out of the blue; Zhou Shiyi glanced back at Gu Sheng, who looked at him as if seeking praise.

Zhou Shiyi had been wearing the attire for some time; he and Grandma Zhou relied on each other, so he didn’t seem to have any particular needs.

But finding that hit-and-run driver was a kind of solace for the original body, and it was also a form of closure for Zhou’s deceased parents.

“Wait for me in the classroom after school today; I’ll take you there.” Gu Sheng left that sentence and hurried off, not giving Zhou Shiyi a chance to ask questions.

At noon, students in the classroom paired off in threes and twos to go to the canteen to eat, and those who lived nearby rode their bikes home for a midday rest.

Zhou Shiyi stayed seated in the classroom without moving, politely declining He Yanqing’s invitation to go to the canteen together, and then he worked through another problem.

He Yanqing felt a little wronged; he could sense Zhou Shiyi slowly distancing himself from him. But he had always been popular, so he still got along fairly well with the classmates. Seeing that Zhou Shiyi didn’t agree, he went to eat with a few omegas from the class.

Gu Sheng, after the morning exercises, had slept through two class periods. He sat up from his desk and stretched his stiff arms.

Seeing that it was already late, his face marked by sleep, he looked around—the classroom had only him and Zhou Shiyi, and Zhou Shiyi truly had stayed behind waiting for him.

It had been about ten minutes since school finished, and the entire teaching building had grown very quiet.

There were only the two of them in the classroom, each sitting on a side; Zhou Shiyi was doing practice problems while Gu Sheng had just woken up.

It was as if Zhou Shiyi had been waiting for him to wake up—Gu Sheng’s insomnia had left him unable to wake during the day, so he had to catch up on sleep in class. The low spirits from a sleepless morning suddenly lifted, and Gu Sheng was in a good mood.

Although they both knew exactly why Zhou Shiyi had been waiting in the classroom, that didn’t stop Gu Sheng’s rare good mood.

Seeing that he was finally awake, Zhou Shiyi let out a sigh of relief.

He had reserved fifteen minutes in his mind; if Gu Sheng still hadn’t woken by then, he’d go over and shake him awake.

Gu Sheng wiped his face, steadied himself on the desk, and stood up. “Sorry for keeping you waiting so long.”

Zhou Shiyi packed his books, snapped the pen cap back on, shook his head and said, “It’s not that long.”

Hearing that, Gu Sheng felt pretty good. He said, “Let’s go,” then squinted through his drowsy eyes and led the way.

Zhou Shiyi followed behind him, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

For some reason, Gu Sheng suddenly remembered that previous afternoon—he walking ahead, Zhou Shiyi trailing him, afraid he might pass out.

At that time, his heart was full of resentment, and he resented Zhou Shiyi’s closeness.

Now it was different: if he wanted to know whether Zhou Shiyi had contact with the people from that organization, he needed to take the initiative and get closer to him.

Gu Sheng slowed his pace and turned slightly to the side.

Zhou Shiyi thought for a moment, then quickened his step and walked alongside Gu Sheng.

The two walked together; aside from stopping at the school gate, Gu Sheng didn’t call his driver, but instead checked the bus routes nearby.

They transferred buses three times and finally got off in the suburbs of H City.

This place was very different from the bustling traffic of the city; the surrounding old houses, now, he didn’t even know if anyone lived inside. Occasionally someone passed by and saw two boys in school uniforms and found it very odd.

Gu Sheng held his phone, looking at the location on it, and led Zhou Shiyi through alleyways and side streets, finally stopping at a small building.

Seeing that the stairwell was pitch black, Zhou Shiyi frowned and grabbed Gu Sheng’s left arm. “Are you sure you want to go in?”

Gu Sheng lowered his head to look at Zhou Shiyi’s hand, forcing himself to control the body that trembled at Zhou Shiyi’s touch. He looked down at that hand, and fireworks exploded in his mind; he could feel his brain buzzing, adrenaline surging.

Zhou Shiyi saw Gu Sheng keep staring down at the hand clutching his, remembered that Gu Sheng disliked being touched, so he let go and said, “Sorry.”

Gu Sheng slowly withdrew that hand and used his right to smooth out the creases on the left sleeve one by one.

Zhou Shiyi couldn’t put his feelings into words; his instinct told him that Gu Sheng had become utterly dangerous and unpredictable.

Although Gu Sheng’s movement looked perfectly ordinary—especially since he’d been well-bred, which made the gesture seem particularly refined—Zhou Shiyi felt the hairs on his arms stand on end because of it.

But soon, Gu Sheng acted as if nothing had happened, flashing a slightly mischievous smile. With his gently drooping puppy eyes, he looked exactly like a fox that had just shifted forms.

Especially since this little fox’s tone was so light and lively, as if filled with curiosity about the world, every action driven by youthful adventurousness—hard to feel any annoyance toward him.

“Of course. My big brother had someone look into it for a long time. Last night, as soon as he got the information, I noted the location myself—just so I could tell you before he did.”

If Gu Sheng genuinely wanted to get closer to someone, that person would find it impossible to refuse him harshly.

Zhou Shiyi gave a wry smile. “But you can’t just come and take me along alone like this. What if he has accomplices?”

Zhou Shiyi had no doubt about Gu Sheng’s background — in a prominent family like his, they’d have their own channels of information, and Gu Sheng wouldn’t joke about something like this.

Besides, if he remembered correctly, the negligent driver’s family lived in the suburbs, only about three kilometers from here.

However, when the original person went with Grandma Zhou to look for his family, the driver’s relatives all said they hadn’t seen him since the incident. After being shut out several times, the matter had just fizzled out.

Gu Sheng seemed to be reminded by Zhou Shiyi, frowning: “What should we do then? What if he finds out and runs away early?”

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered: “Then let’s call the police.”

Zhou Shiyi nodded, took out his phone, and called the police, reporting his location.

Before he could hang up, Zhou Shiyi looked up and suddenly noticed a room on the third floor that had always been kept hidden by its curtains. The curtains were now moving slightly—obviously someone had been standing there a moment ago.

Zhou Shiyi realized that when they had arrived just now there was only one road in, so when the culprit saw them he had tried to run.

“He ran — go after him!”

Gu Sheng charged ahead like a cavalryman, like a cannonball blasting forward.

There was no time to stop him; Gu Sheng had already rushed into the pitch-dark stairwell.

Zhou Shiyi was anxious and chased in from behind.

There were no lights along the way; Zhou Shiyi relied on the faint light and his sense of direction to move.

Before he could catch up, he heard the sound of glass shattering. In three strides he crossed the steps.

He saw Gu Sheng fighting with a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was burly, one foot propped on the windowsill, his body held from behind by Gu Sheng.

Obviously, the man had heard the noise and tried to jump out through the shattered window—he didn’t seem to care if he’d break himself falling.

When the middle-aged man saw Zhou Shiyi join the fray, he realized his chances were slim and quit the idea of jumping. He turned, pinned Gu Sheng to the ground, and pulled a □□ from his pocket.

Zhou Shiyi hurriedly moved to control the middle-aged man’s right hand, and the three of them wrestled together.

The ground was littered with broken glass, stained with blood—whose blood it was couldn’t be told.

One was an alpha nearing adulthood, the other a beta with innate super strength; the middle-aged man suddenly fell into the weaker position.

He too was provoked into savagery, and at the cost of twisting his own right hand, he summoned all his strength to make Zhou Shiyi pay.

He twisted his arm and stabbed upward toward Zhou Shiyi.

“Watch out!”

Zhou Shiyi had intended to duck back, but upon hearing Gu Sheng’s voice, someone suddenly stepped in front of him.

Hearing a muffled groan from Gu Sheng, Zhou Shiyi hurriedly caught him.

The middle-aged man, seeing his blow land, shoved the two of them violently and then grabbed the knife and jumped out the third-floor window to escape.

Zhou Shiyi didn’t know what was wrong with Gu Sheng. When he saw Gu Sheng’s face drained of color, he reached out and, feeling around the shoulder blade, Gu Sheng gave a muffled groan—he also felt the damp liquid.

Zhou Shiyi drew his hand back and saw the blood on it. He couldn’t chase after that man; he could only sling Gu Sheng onto his back, turn on his phone flashlight, and carry him down the stairs of the nearly abandoned old building.

Zhou Shiyi didn’t stop once along the way; he kept checking whether Gu Sheng was conscious as he ran outward.

“Don’t—don’t call an ambulance, I’m fine.”

Gu Sheng lay across Zhou Shiyi’s back, speaking in fits and starts.

Seeing the sweat on Zhou Shiyi from his anxiety and running, Gu Sheng rested on his back and offered a somewhat weak smile.

Zhou Shiyi’s mind went a little blank; hearing Gu Sheng’s voice, he calmed down.

“Let me see your wounds first.”

He found a place to set Gu Sheng down, and through it all Gu Sheng cooperated with his movements.

Zhou Shiyi saw Gu Sheng’s wounds; Gu Sheng’s school uniform was stained red with blood.

If the wound had been an inch lower, Gu Sheng’s hand would have been ruined.

Zhou Shiyi suddenly grew a little angry: “Why did you charge in like that? Even if he got away today, there’s plenty of time ahead—he’ll be caught someday. What if something happened to you? What would you do then?”

Gu Sheng gave a weak smile: “I was reckless. I didn’t think at the time, I just rushed forward. Don’t be mad at me anymore, my wound really hurts.”

Zhou Shiyi pursed his lips, took off his school blazer, did a simple dressing to stop the bleeding, then squatted down in front of Gu Sheng.

“Come up.”

Gu Sheng forced himself to stay conscious and lay across Zhou Shiyi’s back. He lifted his eyelids to look at Zhou Shiyi’s strained profile, then slowly closed his eyes.

Zhou Shiyi took a taxi with Gu Sheng and headed straight for the nearest hospital.

He watched Gu Sheng’s condition the whole time in the car.

The driver realized the urgency as well and floored the gas, driving at top speed to the city.

When they reached the hospital, Zhou Shiyi registered Gu Sheng for an emergency alpha slot.

The doctor, a beta, examined Gu Sheng’s wounds and grew serious: “This wound will need stitches, and those shards of glass in his arm will have to be removed.”

“You young people don’t know how to take care of your bodies. Don’t be so impulsive when things happen.”

They had indeed been impulsive this time, so neither of them argued.

This doctor had treated a few teenagers the day before yesterday—boys who came in after fighting under an overpass—so seeing the two still in their school uniforms, he said earnestly that young people shouldn’t be rash.

Zhou Shiyi and Gu Sheng listened modestly.

Aside from the area around his shoulder blade, the exposed skin on Gu Sheng also bore scratches from shattered glass.

The doctor cleaned Gu Sheng’s wounds, and seeing Zhou Shiyi use his school uniform to make a simple pressure bandage, clicked his tongue in surprise.

“Your technique’s pretty textbook, but you’re still students, right? If anything happens, go to the police, got it?”

Zhou Shiyi also had some small cuts on him. They had rolled around on the broken glass, so they were afraid shards might have lodged in their wounds; they separated to have the wounds cleaned and dressed.

Gu Sheng’s wound stitches required anesthesia. While the anesthetic took effect, he glanced down at his phone and, seeing the message, the corner of his mouth lifted.