Later, I finally found Xia Jiawen.
He stood on the rooftop, leaving me with a tall and slender silhouette, his long shadow dragging on the ground, surrounded by the sound of alarms.
In his left hand, he held a flower— a white morning glory. The soil of the Nine Serenities wasn't good, yet he managed to cultivate a flower over these years.
The screen displayed complex codes. I recognized it— it was the command to deactivate the Nine Serenities.
"...Is this your final decision, Fifth Principal?" I said.
At that moment, I no longer addressed him as "Mr. Xia" or "Jiawen," but solemnly as "Fifth Principal."
He heard my voice but didn't turn around, like a wooden post driven into the ground. I could only vaguely see through the reflection in his lenses the slight trembling of his eyelashes, moistened.
