The sharp sting of disinfectant made one instinctively uncomfortable.
Bright lights washed the hallway in cold white.
A faint hum came from the ventilation at the corner, and every now and then a rolling hospital bed let out a soft clatter as it passed.
Yi Lin sat on a bench along the corridor, dazed.
Beside him, Yuqing Su spoke softly to comfort him, though she also looked tired.
After the stampede and the vortex incident at school, the distance between the two had noticeably shortened.
But whenever he thought of Yan and Mausen, who were separated from them in the chaos, Yi Lin's heart still clenched.
"Yi—!"
A familiar voice called from the end of the hallway.
Yi Lin looked up and saw a woman jogging toward him, the hem of her white coat fluttering under the lights.
"Mom—!"
The word burst from him before he even thought. He jumped to his feet and ran into her arms.
In that moment, all the emotions bottled up in his chest finally found an outlet.
Before he even let go, he noticed a middle-aged man walking slowly behind her.
"Dad…"
Yi Lin's voice trembled. He moved forward instinctively—but the man took a half step to the side, deliberately avoiding the embrace.
With a frown and a stiff face, he said, "What kind of grown boy clings to his parents like that? You're not a kid anymore."
After speaking, his gaze swept over his son and then landed on Yuqing Su.
The initial confusion in his eyes turned into surprise—and finally something more complicated.
Yi Lin blinked, then hurriedly introduced, "Dad, Mom—this is our class monitor, Yuqing Su."
Yuqing Su stood politely, gave a small bow, and smiled gently.
Hello, Mr. Lin. Hello, Ms. Lin.
Mrs. Lin's eyes lit up immediately.
She looked at the gentle, graceful girl in front of her, saw the nervousness on her son's face, and instantly understood—these two weren't together yet, but something was there.
Mr. Lin nodded slightly.
He had heard from his wife that Yi Lin seemed to like a girl.
He just hadn't expected it to be someone like this—well-mannered, elegant…the kind of girl who sparked a sigh in his chest:A girl like her is way out of Yi Lin league.
After a brief conversation, silence settled awkwardly over them.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from the far end of the hall.
A man in gray civilian clothes walked toward them with quick steps, holding a tablet the size of a brick.
He scanned the corridor, lowered his head to check the screen, and his gaze paused briefly on Yi Lin and Yuqing Su.
He nodded lightly and approached.
Mr. Lin instinctively frowned and stepped forward, placing himself between the stranger and the two students.
"Excuse me, you are—?"
The man blinked, then gave a slightly awkward smile.
He moved sideways to a position where they could all see him and spoke:
"Yi Lin, Yuqing Su, correct? My name is Zhuie Cuen. assistant investigator with the Public Safety Bureau."
"I'm here to collect information regarding the campus incident."
As he spoke, he took out a police identification card and handed it over.
Mr. Lin studied it closely. He couldn't tell if it was real, but figured no one would risk impersonating law enforcement, so he stepped aside a little.
Zhuie exhaled in relief, put away his badge, and took out a notebook, his manner turning professional.
"Just a few questions, won't take long. Could you describe what you saw when it appeared?"
Yi Lin nodded.
Zhuie flipped to a blank page.
"When did that… vortex appear?"
Yi Lin thought for a moment.
"Around ten-thirty in the morning, I think."
Zhuie jotted it down.
"And could you describe what it looked like when it appeared?"
Yi Lin frowned, trying to recall—but his mind was full of the conversation with Yuqing Su. He had no impression at all.
Seeing his expression, Yuqing Su stepped in softly, "Before the vortex appeared, I think I heard two sounds from the field. They sounded like… a reactor starting. The first was faint, the second was louder. Maybe that's when it began."
Zhuie looked at her, nodded, and wrote everything down.
After confirming the records, he closed the notebook and visibly relaxed.
"Alright. Thank you for your cooperation."
He pocketed the pen and gave a professional smile.
"For the next few days, please avoid going out if you can. We're still sealing the school zone. There will be an official announcement tonight—nothing to worry about."
"Excuse me—" Yi Lin suddenly spoke, his voice tight.
"About the portal… the rescue efforts—how are they? Has anyone been brought back?"
Zhuie froze. He turned around, looking troubled.
"That… I'm not sure. I'm only a temporary assistant doing registrations. I'm not even officially hired yet."
He scratched his head earnestly.
"But the Public Safety Bureau and the Research Department have both taken over the investigation.Wait for tonight's announcement—there should be answers."
With an apologetic nod, he hurried off.
Silence returned once more, leaving only the sting of disinfectant and the hum of fluorescent lights.
Yuqing Su could see Yi Lin's heart had dropped again.
She wanted to comfort him—but with Mr. and Mrs. Lin watching, she felt a bit embarrassed.
At that moment, sharp footsteps echoed from the hallway's far end.
A tall woman rounded the corner.
She was nearly two meters tall, dressed in a fitted charcoal-gray suit.
Short hair, sunglasses, earpiece—clearly a trained bodyguard.
She stopped beside Yuqing Su, bent slightly, placed one hand at her chest in a formal salute, and whispered:
"Miss, your father sent me to bring you home."
Yuqing Su nodded. She looked back at Yi Lin—her eyes filled with hesitation and apology.
Then, as if making a decision, she glanced toward the bodyguard and said,
"I'd like… a moment to say goodbye to my friend."
The bodyguard's eyes rested on Yi Lin briefly.
Then she nodded and stepped back several paces, feet apart, hands behind her back, staring straight ahead.
But her presence was too obvious—like a glowing signboard in the hallway.
Yuqing Su sighed inwardly.
She never understood why her family insisted on dressing bodyguards so formally.It looked less like "protection" and more like "Hi, we're rich—please rob us."
With no better option, she tugged gently at Yi Lin's sleeve and whispered,
"Let's talk over there."
She led him into the stairwell beside them.
Mrs. Lin moved to follow, but Mr. Lin caught her arm.
"Let them talk," he said quietly.
Inside, the stairwell was so silent they could hear the faint hum of the lights.
Yuqing Su looked at him earnestly and said softly, "Yi Lin… thank you. And also…"
She hesitated, her face turning slightly pink.
After a moment's struggle, she whispered,
"…take care of yourself."
Yi Lin froze.
Instinctively, he reached out and held her wrist.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say so much—but everything melted down to one dry whisper:
"You too…"
Yuqing Su smiled, nodded, squeezed his hand briefly, and then turned to leave.
As the door closed, a strip of light spilled through the gap, leaving a long bright line across the stairs.
Yi Lin stood there for a long moment before finally walking out.
He emerged into the hallway, still stunned.
Only when he heard his mother's suppressed giggle did he snap back, slightly embarrassed.
The moment he stepped forward, Mrs. Lin's expression turned suggestive, while Mr. Lin's was the universal "I understand everything" look.
Mrs. Lin grabbed Yi Lin's hand immediately, asking what was going on between the two of them.Yi Lin twitched at the corner of his mouth, sat down, and began recounting what had happened at school.
Mrs. Lin listened with tense, teary-eyed attention, gasping from time to time.
Mr. Lin didn't interrupt—just listened quietly.
With his experience, he could tell—that girl did have feelings for his son.
But he didn't consider it love.
Just the suspension bridge effect.
Temporary dependence formed in a crisis—soon to fade.
He sighed. Seeing his son's bright expression, he said nothing.
After all—
a girl like that was clearly from a very different world.
If not for the Federation's public education program, their paths would likely never have crossed.