Zi Xi looked out the window from above his shoulder and saw Wen Wan stagger back a few steps, seemingly startled by her own actions.

"Are you satisfied now? Everyone thinks I'm crazy!"

But the next second, Wen Wan lunged at Su Yao again.

Before Wen Wan could even touch her, Su Yao was grabbed by Ji Chen's other hand, avoiding her attack.

But Wen Wan, enraged and somewhat bloodthirsty, chased after the two, shouting and threatening to kill them.

In an instant, chaos erupted inside the library, with the sounds of security guards' whistles, onlookers' gasps and scrambling to make way, and the clicking of cell phones taking pictures all blending together.

Zi Xi felt Xue Xunzhi's hand quietly grasp her wrist, warm and firm.

"Should we...still watch it?"

Although Zi Xi asked this question, she did not move her feet.

She saw that Ji Chen and Su Yao had already separated, and Wen Wan was now indiscriminate in her attacks, even hitting strangers.

"Someone has already called the police."

Xue Xunzhi shook his head and pointed to the flashing police lights in the distance.

As the sirens grew closer, the crowd began to disperse, making way for them.

Wen Wan finally stopped chasing, slumped to the ground and wept silently, her carefully styled hair sticking to her tear-stained face.

Ji Chen covered the wound on his hand, but still stubbornly stood in front of Su Yao.

Let's go.

"This place will definitely be sealed off soon."

Xue Xunzhi gently tugged at Zi Xi's wrist.

Zi Xi nodded, taking one last look at the mess.

As she turned around, she suddenly realized that her fingers were now intertwined with Xue Xunzhi's.

His palms were slightly sweaty, yet they conveyed a reassuringly warm touch.

"You little brat... trying to take advantage of the situation, huh?"

Zi Xi's ears turned red, and she deliberately shook their intertwined fingers.

Xue Xunzhi was taken aback at first, then caught the shyness that flickered in her eyes.

He smiled slightly, and instead of letting go, he gripped her fingers even tighter.

Golden ginkgo leaves fluttered down, and the commotion in the library gradually faded away.

Zi Xi and Xue Xunzhi discussed what had just happened, feeling the warmth from her palms.

Some things, like autumn leaves, friendship, and the flutter of the heart at this moment, are fragile yet beautiful and need to be carefully protected.

*

At 3:27 a.m., Xue Xunzhi's fingertips were swiping across the phone screen. Coffee cups were lined up neatly on the table, each cup filled with only bitter residue.

His eyelids felt like they were filled with lead, and each blink required the use of all his willpower.

"I can't sleep...I can't sleep..."

My fingernails dug deep into my palm again, the pain bringing a brief moment of clarity.

This is a tug-of-war between him and that person; every deep sleep could be the key to unlocking the prison door for the other party.

The book "Introduction to Neuroscience" was open on the desk, turned to the chapter on sleep cycles, and covered with dense red annotations.

Outside the window, the morning light has begun to erode the darkness of night.

Xue Xunzhi stood up unsteadily and splashed cold water on his cheeks.

He looked terribly haggard in the mirror, with bloodshot eyes and coffee stains on the corners of his mouth.

He reached out to wipe it, but found his fingers were trembling violently.

"Hold on for just one more hour... It'll be safe when it's light..."

Based on past experience, that person only came out at night.

Just as he turned around, a sudden wave of dizziness struck him.

His vision began to darken at the edges, and Xue Xunzhi staggered to grab the bed frame, realizing with horror that his body was being forcibly shut down.

"No...not now..."

He pinched his thigh desperately, but the pain had no effect on him.

In his last moments of consciousness, he saw his hand uncontrollably reaching for his phone on the pillow, as if another soul was controlling his body.

Then, darkness completely engulfed him.