Chapter 37: LATE NIGHT PURSUIT.
The bridge stretched out beneath the night sky, bathed in the cold glow of the full moon. A thin mist hovered over the empty pathways, and the rhythmic hum of distant crickets filled the silence. The institution's CCTV cameras had long since scanned the area, and by now, all students were expected to be asleep in their dormitories.
But Hua Rong wasn't asleep.
She stood at the edge of the bridge, her arms crossed, shifting on her feet impatiently. The wind carried a slight chill, but it wasn't the cold that made her anxious—it was the risk they were about to take.
Then, from the darkness, a figure appeared, running toward her.
Zinchen Liu.
His strawberry-colored hair glistened under the moonlight, slightly disheveled from running, and a backpack was slung over one shoulder. He was slightly out of breath when he reached her, but the excitement in his eyes remained undimmed.
"How will we get out?" Hua Rong asked in a hushed voice, her gaze flickering toward the academy entrance. The watchman sat at his usual spot, half-drowsy, his head occasionally bobbing forward before jerking back up.
Zinchen grinned. "Obviously, the same way the others go."
Hua Rong's lips parted slightly in realization. Of course. She had heard the rumors—students sneaking out at night and returning before the CCTV cameras turned back on—but she never thought she'd be one of them.
Tonight, she was.
Without another word, they moved swiftly through the academy grounds, their steps light against the pavement. They reached the outer wall, where the real challenge awaited. It was high, but not impossible to climb. Zinchen Liu went first, his movements quick and practiced, scaling the wall effortlessly before landing on the other side with a soft thud.