Chapter 7: Station 21: Betrayal

Chapter 7: Betrayal

With both of Hu Gaoming's wrists securely bound behind his back, Ming Yiyang finally relieved his frustration with a mocking laugh, "Hu Gaoming, you should go take a shower first. It seems Yan Qiling still has some time."

Being directly addressed under these circumstances sent a bad feeling through Hu Gaoming's intuition.

Just as he was about to speak up and try to reason, the young man's sharp gaze intimidated him into silence. He picked up his belongings and retreated into the bathroom, closing the steamy door behind him.

Yan Qiling, overwhelmed by the stench on his body, squeezed his eyes shut in discomfort. He resisted the urge to lash out and issued a restrained warning, "Let go."

"Why should I? Didn't you say you'd intervene if anyone smoked? You talked a big game, but this is all you've got?"

Like a venomous snake slithering from its den, the rope in Yan Qiling's sleeve lunged for Ming Yiyang's neck!

Damn, almost forgot about that move.

Ming Yiyang was about to dodge when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

He wasn't entirely sure what had happened either. It seemed as if a fleeting notion had triggered a reaction, and the rope twisted mid-air, abruptly turning back to charge at Yan Qiling, tightly binding his wrists with a rustling sound!

Everyone was stunned by this unforeseen turn of events, Yan Qiling included.

His slender peach blossom eyes widened slightly, softening the sharpness of his features, transforming them into something resembling a deer's gaze. He appeared unexpectedly endearing in his astonishment.

Struggling with his bound hands, he turned his head to figure out what had just transpired.

Ming Yiyang exerted more force, pressing firmly against his back with his shoulder, slamming him back into the locker with a thud.

Both were strained, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they continued to vie for dominance.

The young man, having gained temporary victory, laughed wickedly.

"Look, even your own rope can't tolerate you! I'm an adult; smoking indoors isn't illegal. Even if it were, it's none of your business! Nobody is your son."

He leaned in and asked,

"Are you going to intervene or not?"

Seeing that Yan Qiling ignored him, Ming Yiyang recalled that this person seemed to have an obsession with cleanliness. He deliberately pressed the unwiped side of his face towards him and asked,

"Answer me, are you going to do something about it or not?"

Yan Qiling's heterochromatic eyes, one red and one blue, glanced at him with undeniable impatience.

His beautiful dual-colored irises usually resembled two pieces of glass embedded in his sockets, accompanying that insincere smile that never wavered – he appeared much like a lifeless doll displayed in a window, revealing almost no genuine emotions.

But at this moment, a chilling aura seeped through those eyes like never before. The way he looked at Ming Yiyang was as if he were staring at a corpse.

However, when that gaze fell upon the untouched dirt on the young man's face, an uncontrollable disgust surfaced.

In the end, Yan Qiling could only turn his head away.

Ming Yiyang nearly burst out laughing.

This fussy pretender really did have a cleanliness fetish; he had just been exposed.

He found it particularly amusing, intentionally swaying left and right to block Yan Qiling's line of sight, pushing the other person to his limits.

"Speak up."

He lazily teased the shorter man, taking advantage of his height difference.

Yan Qiling wasn't tall, standing only around 1.7 meters, two heads shorter than Ming Yiyang. His slender figure appeared doll-like against the towering Ming Yiyang.

At that moment, with both hands bound behind his back and pressed against the locker, he had no choice but to crane his neck upward.

Yet, Ming Yiyang shamelessly approached him, threateningly, and attempted to dirty the face he had just cleaned. How could Yan Qiling tolerate that? The two tussled in the corner, their movements entangled in a fierce struggle.

If it were anyone else, Si Shuhao might have cheered them on. But the aggressor was none other than Ming Yiyang!

She covered her chest, feeling deeply embarrassed—after all, Ming Yiyang was her... family's hired bodyguard!

"Ming Yiyang, enough is enough! Can't you see how uncomfortable Yan Qiling is? You can't behave like a hooligan at any time! Do you even have any humanity left?"

Hu Zhicheng also tried to mediate from the side:

"Brother Ming, Little Yan didn't mean it either. Smoking indoors is indeed not good. If you want to, we can go outside to smoke..."

Ming Yiyang raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I? Did he open this dormitory? I'm not going out."

Yan Qiling's gentle voice was laced with frost.

"Fine, I'll go out. Is that okay?"

Startled, Ming Yiyang's dark eyes were momentarily blinded by the silver glow. He slightly loosened his grip.

Two rustling sounds echoed as the silver ropes dropped to the ground. The man with black hair elbow-jabbed him away and took a few steps back, his handsome face devoid of any amusement.

For some reason, Ming Yiyang felt a bit guilty. Uncharacteristically, he asked a foolish question,

"...Are you angry?"

Yan Qiling responded with a brief, icy glare before leaving without another word.

Yet, he didn't seem to be venting his anger, as the sound of the door closing was gentle.

Click.

The air in the dormitory seemed to have been sucked dry, so quiet that one could hear their own breath.

"Ming Yiyang, you're already upset."

Muttered Ming Yiyang, to which Si Shuhao rolled her eyes dramatically.

"How can he not be angry? Smoking in the dormitory is already wrong. Why did you provoke him? If I were him, I'd definitely sneak up on you tonight!"

Disregarding the girl's complaints, he picked up the silver rope that its owner had abandoned on the floor.

The object felt cold to the touch and was made of metal, yet it could be bent and folded freely without breaking.

He tried winding it around his wrist, and surprisingly, it was effortlessly done. It had remarkable flexibility, but he had no idea what material it was crafted from.

Ming Yiyang attempted to animate it like he did just now, but the rope remained still, showing no response at all.

An empty vase indeed conceals many secrets.

But it was a valuable item, nonetheless.

Just like Yan Qiling, he looped the rope around his wrist and tossed the lighter towards Hu Zhicheng before settling back into his chair:

"Brother Hu, smoke if you will; don't mind him."

Feeling the cigarettes in his pocket, Hu Zhicheng glanced at the two girls with contrasting expressions and waved his hand dismissively:

"Never mind, the lights will be out soon. Didn't you say it's best to sleep right after the lights go off... How about tomorrow?"

Ming Yiyang found the situation utterly dull, but he didn't insist.

He had intended to light one up in celebration of victory, but even with a new cigarette between his lips, it failed to alleviate his restlessness. Noticing the trampled tobacco bits on the floor, he roughly stuffed the cigarette back into its pack and stood up:

"Forget it, I'll take a shower first."

Hu Zhicheng nodded in agreement, casting a worried glance towards the door.

He was somewhat concerned that Yan Qiling might storm off in a huff and not return.

Although his previous words contained a touch of flattery, they were indeed his genuine thoughts.

When Yan Qiling had first alighted from the vehicle, his methods were indeed harsh. But after truly realizing the terror of their current world, Hu Zhicheng understood the necessity of extreme measures during desperate times.

Though Yan Qiling's actions were unconventional, they were genuinely saving lives.

Moreover, for someone like Yao Kunrui, who could be quite unreasonable, Yan Qiling was still willing to help, indicating his broad-mindedness as a good person.

It was just unforeseen... that Yan Qiling could remain composed even when Yao Kunrui was being utterly unreasonable, yet he would get upset over Ming Yiyang's lack of hygiene...

Truly, it left one speechless.

Before lights out, Yan Qiling returned with a relatively clean basin.

He entered the room wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black dress pants, the standard summer uniform for male students.

Perhaps feeling the heat, he unfastened the top button, revealing red, heat-ravaged skin.

His original clothes were nowhere to be found, but the white paper fan, the smoking pipe, and the silk purse were all accounted for in the basin.

His loose black hair was still dripping with water, and the blue ribbon that had once held it in place was now tied around his wrist, its silver-gray bamboo leaves embroidered design catching Ming Yiyang's sharp gaze.

This person was handsome, and with the dark outer garment removed, replaced by a school uniform, coupled with his height, he truly looked like a high school student.

At that moment, Yan Qiling sat on the edge of the bed, toweling off his hair.

He didn't roughly towel dry his hair like others; instead, he bundled small sections with the towel and stroked downward from the roots, following a single direction. This way, his hair looked as if it had been meticulously brushed.

Ming Yiyang found this irritating once again.

With the intention of provoking a reaction, he suddenly met Yan Qiling's icy gaze—

His interest waned instantly, and he lay listlessly on the narrow bed, resuming his phone usage.

Si Shuhao, however, was delighted by Yan Qiling's return and even went over to whisper with him.

Ming Yiyang endured listening for a while, only to discover that their conversation revolved around clothing, shoes, accessories, and hairstyles.

Though Yan Qiling's tone and manner of speaking remained unchanged, after discussing such topics, Ming Yiyang couldn't shake off the feeling that this person exuded an excessively feminine aura.

He refrained from labeling the other as effeminate, for this man was indeed skilled enough to engage him in several rounds of combat.

Resorting to turning away, he covered his ears with the blanket, unwilling to listen to their idle chatter.

Once he had memorized the layout of the map, he gently traced the cold rope on his wrist with his knuckles. After a moment's thought, he threw back the covers and peered outside.

Everyone had returned to their designated spots. His and Yan Qiling's beds faced the door directly; a simple turn of the head would reveal each other's activities.

This arrangement had been decided when their dorm number was first assigned. He had positioned himself to ensure Si Shuhao's safety. As for Yan Qiling, it was likely due to his ever-vigilant protective instincts.

The man's hair was completely dry, hanging loosely behind him, its lustrous sheen resembling that of a brand new wig straight out of the factory.

Ming Yiyang thought that if the fake vase could hear his thoughts, it would probably fight him tooth and nail.

Then he reconsidered – realizing that his words were indeed provocative, which was quite fitting for him.

Yan Qiling leaned against the headboard, wiping the pipe, seemingly sensing his gaze and returning a fleeting glance.

It was as chilling as an icy ray.

Ming Yiyang swallowed back the words "your rope is still with me," turning around in confusion to lie flat on his back.

He had to admit that at first, he was genuinely angry, but later, there was a hint of jest in his tone.

Was it because the fake vase was truly that fastidious, or was it because the one joking with him was himself, making this situation so unforgivable?

Ming Yiyang couldn't figure it out.

Forget it, things would sort themselves out eventually. They still had to work together tomorrow, so he'd deal with it then.

He closed his eyes without a care in the world.

But not everyone was as insensitive as he was.

Huddled under a single blanket, the two girls recited the dormitory rules in hushed tones, fearful of forgetting:

"No leaving the room after lights out. If you hear the dorm supervisor checking, do not open the door... The supervisor will clean the room in the morning, so be sure to unlock the door... The supervisor never wears socks of the same color..."

Si Shuhao whispered softly,

"Did you memorize them?"

Su Bo replied just as quietly,

"I did."

"Then let's get some sleep quickly."

"Mm-hmm, hold me tight."

Their breathing slowed, harmonizing with one another.

The rhythm of breaths in the entire dormitory seemed to quieten accordingly.

Yet, this was a night that defied slumber.