Chapter 35: Night Voyage on the River and a Late-Night Snack

On the other side of the globe, events that were never meant to occur were beginning to unfold.

Late at night, the tugboat *Moriah* shuddered amidst a storm in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It was a rare autumn tempest; thick fog had merged with the driving rain to shroud the river surface, leaving nothing within sight but swirling white mist and profound darkness. The turbid river water churned, resembling knotted veins on a bloated limb, colliding with even greater ferocity under the battering rain, as if countless pustules were swelling up only to burst with a dull thud.

Professor Mann Von Rundstedt, the captain of the vessel, stood before the bridge windows. Splashes of rain slammed against the glass, exploding upon impact. The wind howled and the ship rocked, but Mann stood firm, cigar in hand, waiting for news.

In the aft cabin, the sound of a baby’s incessant crying continued. Mann frowned. "Go see what’s wrong with that little one. It won’t stop crying. Is there no one among you who knows how to care for a child?"

Black clouds pressed down in silence, squeezing the *Moriah* between themselves and the murky water. The lights of the cities along the banks had long been swallowed by the fog and darkness; only the incandescent lamps on the ship cast a stark, intense glow between heaven and earth.

Yet, behind that pitch-black curtain, a sudden flash of intense reflection caught Professor Von Rundstedt’s eyes. It forced him to squint, and his heart, fueled by dragon blood, gave two violent thumps. A dark, deeply unsettling conviction took root—the rough, uneven reflective surface was neither a fish, nor debris, nor even one of those noble-blooded dragons.

The ship suddenly lurched more violently. This unnatural, fierce wave forced Captain Von Rundstedt to grab the handle of the bridge door to maintain his balance. For a fleeting moment, he even feared that this sturdy, heavy warship would capsize in the raging torrent.

Chilling darkness descended without warning. Not a shred of light remained between heaven and earth. The wind and rain battered the ship tirelessly, and massive waves lifted the *Moriah* high before dropping it heavily again. The baby’s terrified cries persisted.

Even a brave captain could not help but feel agitated in such maddening circumstances. He bellowed, "Third mate! Third mate! Get the crew to start the auxiliary power! Selma! Selma! Can you still receive signals from Ye Sheng and Yaki?!"

Damn these river waves! Damn this power failure! Damn this darkness! His two students were still diving deep beneath the river!

Power remained dead, and Captain Von Rundstedt was burning with anxiety. He looked around and fumbled in the dark, intending to go and start the auxiliary power himself.

The next moment, it was as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his fiery frustration; the violent thermal contraction nearly stopped his heart.

In the pitch-black void, where not a single glimmer of light existed, he saw a human-shaped shadow—darker even than the darkness itself—standing in silent wait.

***

Also deep in the night, the dining hall at Cassel College was quiet. This grand hall, topped with a massive dome, now held only two patrons.

Lu Mingfei sat at the end of a long dining table, gorging himself. On his table sat a whole roasted goose, glistening with oil, a large serving of golden-brown honey toast, and a massive bottle of fruit wine that looked expensive at a glance.

Sitting opposite him, Su Xi wore loose loungewear. The moonlight caught her jet-black hair, reflecting a soft sheen. Before her sat only a simple bowl of fruit oatmeal and a glass of milk.

Her delicate face remained expressionless. She poured the milk into her oatmeal and offered a reminder: "You shouldn't eat so much at night; it puts a heavy burden on your stomach."

Her voice was faint, like a breeze blowing softly through the night. It seemed she felt this was merely the duty of a girlfriend and had spoken out of obligation, yet because she disliked Lu Mingfei, she didn't want him to actually pay attention.

But Lu Mingfei heard her. He tore off a goose leg, took a deep gulp of the fruit wine, and said nonchalantly, "I have to live every day as if it were my last."

The heavy scent of alcohol must have drifted toward her. Su Xi frowned slightly, feeling that Lu Mingfei was merely a self-indulgent wastrel. Her disgust deepened, and she said nothing more, simply tucking a loose strand of black hair behind her ear and quietly eating her milk-soaked oats.

Cassel College had no curfew for dormitories, and the canteen was open twenty-four hours a day. Lu Mingfei had agreed to meet Qilan at one in the morning; since it was still early, he had decided to grab a late-night snack.

On a whim, he had sent a text inviting his nominal girlfriend, Su Xi, to join him. To his surprise, she had actually shown up. Perhaps she felt that accompanying him for a late-night snack was also a "girlfriend duty"?

The portion of oatmeal before Su Xi was small. Even though she ate very slowly, Lu Mingfei still had more than half of his meal left by the time she finished. She watched him eat and drink in large gulps for a moment, then stood up and left the table.

Lu Mingfei wiped his hands on a napkin and pulled out his N96 to check the time—it was past twelve. Perhaps Su Xi felt her "girlfriend duties" ended at midnight, so she had gone back to the dorm to sleep?

Lu Mingfei didn't mind her unannounced departure at all. In fact, he had never expected her to show up in the first place. This "couple game" with Su Xi was quite interesting; he liked to guess how far her internal "girlfriend duties" would go and then see if her actions matched his predictions.

***

The moonlight was bright, casting long shadows through the canteen windows. Lu Mingfei continued to eat with his head down when suddenly, his ears twitched.

There were faint footsteps.

Ever since his meeting with the boy after the 3E exam, his mental state had improved, but his sensory processing disorder had not fully healed.

With no one else around, Lu Mingfei’s brain took the liberty of embellishing the information he perceived, piecing it together in a grotesque manner. He caught the scent of something damp and hot.

Damp and hot—it was always accompanied by other hideous scents, like decay.

At the thought, Lu Mingfei felt as if he could actually smell something, a sensation that made his nasal passages tingle. The shadows cast by the moonlight began to warp, stretching toward him. The veins on the back of Lu Mingfei’s hands bulged, and his entire body coiled tight like a bow.

Closer.

He lunged from the side, rolling without regard for his image, and tapped the hidden weapon at his waist, preparing to flee. Facing an unknown existence, never mind the details—run first, and if you can't escape, then think about a counterattack.

Just then, a soft voice spoke up:

"Uh… are you okay?"

Su Xi’s slender, pale fingers gently placed a white porcelain bowl filled with a reddish broth onto the table where Lu Mingfei had just been sitting. Her expression was a bit strange, cautious as if afraid to startle him.

"Drinking too much alcohol at night will make you feel unwell in the morning. I asked the canteen staff to boil some sobering soup. Make sure you drink it after you finish your snack."