Chapter Eighty-six: A Gentleness Never Seen Before

Perhaps she was too frightened, for when she heard Wen Yichen’s voice, it was as if a ray of light had pierced the darkness. Jiang Muwen slowly opened her eyes, and in the instant she saw Wen Yichen, all the fear within her seemed to melt away. Without a second thought, she turned and threw her arms around him.

Her hands instinctively tightened around his waist, and she buried her face in his chest.

The sudden embrace made Wen Yichen tense up by reflex, and then, as if stirred by her nearness, his blood surged swiftly through his veins. He stared at her in astonishment, as though unable to react for a moment.

After a while, the surprise faded from his face, replaced by a rare gentleness. His large hand moved slowly to her back, gently patting her as one might soothe a frightened kitten.

“It’s alright now. See? There’s nothing here. Don’t be afraid,” Wen Yichen spoke softly, a tenderness that neither Gu Nianxi nor Yin Lizhe had ever seen before.

His chest vibrated slightly as he spoke. Pressed against him, Jiang Muwen listened to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart and gradually calmed down.

In the next moment, as Jiang Muwen regained her senses, she realized what she was doing. She quietly let go of him, stepped back, and deliberately averted her gaze. “I—I wasn’t scared.”

“Hey, Wen Yichen, didn’t you say you weren’t coming?” Yin Lizhe shone his flashlight in Wen Yichen’s direction.

The light fell across Wen Yichen’s face—soft, yet highlighting his striking features. Dust drifted aimlessly in the beam. The young man’s eyes were clear, his face flawless, as if he were a celestial being untouched by the world. Wen Yichen, hearing Yin Lizhe’s words, couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth and then cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was worried about you all.”

“Were you worried about us, or just a certain someone among us?” Yin Lizhe teased, waving the flashlight back and forth across Wen Yichen as if interrogating a suspect.

Everyone knew who Yin Lizhe was referring to. Wen Yichen’s ears flushed red at the implication. “Don’t overthink it. Aren’t we here to explore? Let’s get going.”

As he spoke, Wen Yichen moved to Jiang Muwen’s side and naturally took hold of her wrist.

The sudden warmth made Jiang Muwen’s heart tremble. She looked up at him quietly. His expression was unreadable—was he displeased? Perhaps she really should have listened to him and stayed back at the hotel.

Once Wen Yichen had finished, Yin Lizhe responded with a brief nod. “Then Gu Nianxi and I will go together; you and Jiang Muwen, let’s keep moving.”

Saying this, Yin Lizhe reached out and took Gu Nianxi’s hand. The moment he touched her, he was startled. “Why are your hands so cold?”

The unexpected concern left Gu Nianxi momentarily flustered. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was firm, so she gave up. She looked at him and managed a small smile. “I guess I didn’t dress warmly enough.”

She said it offhandedly, but Yin Lizhe took it seriously. Her clothes were indeed a bit thin—a light jacket in weather that was still chilly. After looking at her for a moment, he let go of her hand, handed his flashlight to Jiang Muwen, and then took off his own jacket.

He draped it gently over Gu Nianxi’s shoulders. The jacket was large and still carried his lingering warmth, seeping through her thin layers and sinking into her skin.

Just as Gu Nianxi finished shrugging on the jacket, Wen Yichen’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

The sudden sound made Jiang Muwen jump slightly. The movement was small, but Wen Yichen noticed. “It’s nothing, just a call.”

He pulled out his phone. “It’s Bai Xu.”

He put the phone to his ear.

“Yichen, where are you? Come back quick! The teacher is going to do room checks in fifteen minutes!”

“I’m in the abandoned building,” Wen Yichen replied calmly, as though the impending inspection didn’t concern him.

“Oh no, oh no! The teacher forbade anyone from going there and you all still went!” Bai Xu was nearly shouting in panic.

“If you don’t say anything, and I don’t say anything, who’ll know?”

“Yichen, please come back! If anyone’s missing when the teacher checks, he’ll mark it down!”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Hurry! If so many of you are gone, the teacher will definitely notice. I have to go now.” With that, Bai Xu hung up.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Muwen watched as Wen Yichen put away his phone, curiosity in her eyes. She’d caught some of Bai Xu’s anxious tone, though not his words, but she could sense his urgency.

“Bai Xu said the teacher will check rooms in fifteen minutes. We need to get back,” Wen Yichen explained, repeating Bai Xu’s warning to everyone.

“Then let’s go back,” said Gu Nianxi, clutching Yin Lizhe’s jacket around her. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling about the place, and with the teacher about to make rounds, being caught out of their rooms would be trouble.

“I agree,” Jiang Muwen chimed in.

She glanced at Yin Lizhe, who took the flashlight from her and shone it toward the door, looking a little disappointed. “If everyone wants to leave, then let’s go.”

Before the teacher arrived, the group made it back to their room. Jiang Muwen and Gu Nianxi put away the flashlight and other props, changed into pajamas, and climbed into their beds.

The teacher didn’t end up checking rooms as scheduled. No sooner had the two girls lain down than their phones vibrated.

They instinctively picked them up. The message was from the group chat of the “Study Alone Squad.” The sender was none other than Yin Lizhe.

“Hey, did anyone see my camera’s memory card?”

Memory card?

Jiang Muwen stared at the message in surprise. Wasn’t the card always in his camera?

Jiang Muwen: “Isn’t the memory card always with you?”

Gu Nianxi: “I don’t have it. Neither does Muwen.”

Wen Yichen: “I don’t have it either.”

Yin Lizhe: “Oh no, the memory card is missing!”