"Good morning, Brother Lin."

"We're still on vacation. Why did you come back to school?"

Lin Bai sat on the basketball hoop in the school playground as his former roommate Li Mingzhe greeted him.

"Waiting for someone. What about you? Why didn't you go home?"

"Ah, you know my home is really far. I plan to only go back once for New Year. I won't go back for Tomb Sweeping Day."

Just then, a girl in tight athletic wear and high ponytail came running over—it was Chi Xiaoyu.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"You two chat. I'll leave first."

Knowing it wasn't good to be a third wheel, Li Mingzhe quickly made his escape.

Lin Bai looked at the gasping girl before him and couldn't help but sigh. She really loved exercising.

"Why choose to meet here?" Chi Xiaoyu was somewhat confused.

"Just simply wanted to come see the school."

"Really? You just went on vacation and you haven't seen enough of this school?"

Yes, as a student studying here, Lin Bai didn't know why he suddenly wanted to come see this place. It was like a drowning person grasping a lifeline. For him now, past memories were his anchor point, the lifeline against the Blood Witch's erosion.

"Did you ask me out today for something specific?"

Early in the morning, Chi Xiaoyu had asked Lin Bai out mysteriously, not knowing what for.

"Hmph, can't I ask you out if there's nothing specific?"

"Do you know how many people in this school want to ask me out? I'm taking the initiative to ask you out—you should feel honored!"

"Yes, yes, yes. I, Lin Bai, feel extremely honored. What can I help you with, miss?"

This wasn't their first verbal sparring. As childhood friends for over ten years, they knew each other's habits inside and out. Chi Xiaoyu understood that Lin Bai wasn't in a good mood right now.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Maybe I can help you."

"Nothing."

"Really nothing?" Chi Xiaoyu was certain Lin Bai was in a bad mood today. She moved closer to Lin Bai and touched his forehead.

"You don't seem sick. Did yesterday's events traumatize you psychologically?"

"Really, nothing."

"Alright, actually I asked you out today because I wanted to take you for training, but seeing you're in a bad mood, I changed my mind."

"Ah?"

"Let's go have fun together!"

"I suddenly think training wouldn't be bad..."

【Compared to having fun, he needed to know more about various anomaly knowledge】

"Let's postpone it to tomorrow. Today I'll accompany you. Whatever you want to do, we'll do."

"Whatever I want to do?" Lin Bai looked at Chi Xiaoyu suspiciously.

"Mm-hmm."

Chi Xiaoyu nodded. She rarely saw Lin Bai in such a bad mood. It seemed the recent pressure was too much and he needed proper relaxation.

"Let's walk around our high school, then watch a movie."

"Eh? That simple? You're not making any other requests?"

Chi Xiaoyu lowered her head, unconsciously extending two fingers to fidget, somewhat shyly.

"I don't really have anything else I want to do." Lin Bai pondered whether there was anything else that could strengthen his anchor point.

"Alright then." Chi Xiaoyu was somewhat disappointed. When would Lin Bai become enlightened?

...

"Are you sure we're going on this?"

"What's wrong with it?"

Lin Bai sat on the shared bike and patted the back seat, motioning for Chi Xiaoyu to get on.

"How about I ride my motorcycle and take you instead?"

"Your motorcycle isn't here right now. Hurry up and get on."

"Fine."

Chi Xiaoyu tried hugging Lin Bai's waist, then saw Lin Bai's head move slightly. Seeing Lin Bai react, Chi Xiaoyu let go like she'd been electrocuted, but Lin Bai didn't turn around. Instead, he looked at the kickstand and lifted it with his foot, starting the bike. Seeing that hugging Lin Bai wouldn't be criticized, Chi Xiaoyu firmly hugged his waist.

"It's only 25 mph! Why are you hugging so tight!"

"I, I'm scared."

Chi Xiaoyu pouted, holding Lin Bai tightly with her hands.

"Come on, dude."

Chi Xiaoyu felt that warm body and felt warmth in her heart. This was her first time hugging Lin Bai since growing up, though she'd hugged him plenty as a child. But why did Lin Bai have a fragrant scent, just like, just like the scent on Bai Ling!

...

"Why aren't you eating?"

They were in the high school cafeteria.

"I came back to look around, not to eat."

"But you haven't eaten anything all day. Aren't you hungry?"

Chi Xiaoyu ate the school cafeteria's 15-yuan set meal—just a few pitiful pieces of meat and a large plate of vegetables. If there weren't any restaurants nearby, she absolutely wouldn't eat this kind of lunch!

"Though it doesn't look great, it's quite nostalgic."

"Are you really not going to eat anything?"

"Thank you, I'm not hungry."

"Alright."

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle—"

"Your stomach is growling!"

"Thank you, really not hungry."

Even the cafeteria lady couldn't stand watching this.

"If you don't want to eat the school cafeteria food, just say so!"

"Sorry."

【Am I not hungry? I just can't eat at all.】

...

"Look, that's our old classroom, though it's probably someone else's classroom now."

"Here, here, we used to buy snacks from outside vendors through this fence."

"Look quickly, it's Teacher Ou. Let's go say hello."

"The office—you came here plenty before, heh heh heh. I definitely never reported you."

"The dormitory building. How is it? This is your first time in the girls' dorm, right? Actually, there's no difference."

"Let's go, let's go. Nothing much to see here. We've seen everything we should. I didn't expect Teacher Ou's child to be so big now."

"Want to watch a movie? Great!"

"You won't even drink the peach fruit blast? Is it because I drank from it and you find me disgusting? You used to fight to drink it."

"You won't even eat popcorn? Watching a movie without popcorn loses half the fun."

"You haven't eaten anything all day. Is there something wrong with your stomach?"

"You don't have some terminal illness and are going to die, having a final farewell with me, do you?"

"The movie was so touching. Lin Bai, why aren't you crying? Cry for me, you bastard."

"Lin Bai, tell me, if I had accepted your confession in high school, would we be married by now?"

They played until 6:59 PM—

"Lin Bai? Do you—still like me?"

The girl asked the question she'd always wanted to ask. Chi Xiaoyu didn't dare turn around. She was afraid of seeing Lin Bai's expression, afraid of losing her best friend forever.

"Lin Bai?"

The girl couldn't help but turn around. Behind her was empty space, no one there.

"Huh?"

The girl quickly took out her phone and frantically typed.

"Lin Bai, you don't really have a terminal illness and are pulling a disappearing act on me, do you?"

"Where are you? Answer me."

"Beep—beep—"

"Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable..."

"Lin Bai... please don't let anything happen to you." Chi Xiaoyu couldn't help but cry sadly. She was afraid of losing this friend. In this world, he was her only friend from childhood to adulthood.

At this moment, Lin Bai was hiding under a bridge.

"I am the Blood Witch, guide of the crimson moon..."

【My head hurts so much】

【But it's not as intense as last time】

【It seems finding anchor points was the right choice】