Chapter 47: An old friend from Qington

When Xueqiu came to, only wind and dust surrounded her.

The wind flung sand against her, each grain stinging her body with precision.

Seconds later, her face ached.

Why was she here?

Xueqiu was tired of finding herself in strange places.

Last time, a forest. The time before, another forest.

But one was a dream, the other a Contract test simulation.

What was this?

Her first thought was Youdu.

Youdu had wind and dust too, fierce and pervasive, but Old Gu’s presence had shielded them then.

Before preparing to shower, she’d stripped to a white shirt and pants.

But looking down, she wore shoes, socks, and the black coat Old Gu gave them.

Another dream?

Did dreams have pain?

As she pondered, a blurry figure appeared in the distance.

Visibility was low, sand swirling everywhere.

Facing the figure, Xueqiu neither advanced nor retreated.

The figure moved slowly, yet felt familiar, stirring an inexplicable sense of safety.

Indeed familiar—its slouched walk was unmistakable.

She knew someone like that.

“June’s breeze scatters…” Xia Yin hummed off-key, his voice muffled, blending into the howling wind.

“Xia Yin?” Xueqiu called, her voice trembling.

It was just a simple outing—why this?

Maybe I’m just unlucky.

Maybe Xia Yin was right—I should’ve stayed behind.

The figure jogged toward her.

It was Xia Yin.

But he didn’t call her name first. Instead, he studied her from head to toe, like appraising art.

“So alike…” he muttered.

“Sen… Senior?” Xueqiu faltered, wondering if her address was wrong.

Maybe a different approach? Call him “Brother” or “Mentor”?

Xia Yin had said she didn’t need formal titles, but it was habit.

Yet he didn’t slap his forehead and say, “It’s really you!” or step back joking, “This dream’s too real.”

Instead, he stepped forward, pinching her cheeks hard, growling, “Real or fake? Are illusions this lifelike now? What about other parts…”

His words stopped.

He jumped back, hand to mouth, faking a cough.

“Ahem, shouldn’t you be in the bathroom…? Sorry, I should’ve recognized you, Snowball, yeah…”

“Your eyes—they’re all confused, embarrassed, and a bit resentful, right? You don’t know where you are, do you? You won’t hold a grudge for four years and backstab me during some internship, right?”

Xueqiu lowered her head, embarrassed.

Why was Xia Yin here?

And why was she here?

On Youdu’s barren, wind-swept surface.

“How do we get back?” she asked loudly, fighting the wind’s roar.

She rarely spoke, always soft, but the wind demanded volume, or Xia Yin wouldn’t hear.

“Back? Why? This… oh, you don’t know where we are, right? You think this is Youdu?” Xia Yin said.

He pulled her to a nearby ruin, up to the second floor of a barely intact building.

Sand and dirt covered the floor, but it blocked some wind.

“We’re not in Youdu?” Xueqiu asked.

“Nope, definitely not. We’re in a dream… uh, let me explain.”

Xia Yin glanced around, his eyes evasive.

“I was looking for Su Xi, knocked for ages, no answer. The door wasn’t locked—half-open, even…”

“Then I heard a ‘thud,’ like a wrench hitting the floor… not saying you’re a wrench…”

“Anyway, I went in, saw you by the bathroom. Took two steps, and here we are.”

He said a lot but not where here was.

If not Youdu, why this landscape?

“Technically, we’re hit by a Contract. Me too,” he said.

“A Contract?” Xueqiu’s mind froze.

Since entering that building, she’d felt an odd unease.

Now, it seemed external.

This wasn’t the Academy—no principal’s suppressive Contract.

Anyone could use a Contract on another here.

Who’d target her? She couldn’t fathom.

But what kind of Contract would send her here, dressed as she was this afternoon?

“You’re wondering what Contract’s this strong. So am I. The Contract list updates every few decades—over a hundred types. I can’t know them all…”

“This can’t be a domain-type, since your body’s likely still in the bathroom. As for me… let’s not go there…”

“It’s likely a dream-related Contract. But that doesn’t explain who hit us.”

“Why target me of all people…” Xia Yin muttered to himself.

“How do we get out?” Xueqiu asked, leaning against the wall.

A faint powerlessness lingered in her.

Without Xia Yin, it might’ve consumed her.

At least he was here.

He hadn’t left her.

A strange satisfaction warmed her.

“No worries. Dream-related Contracts are rule-type. They can’t last forever. If we wait, it’ll hit its cooldown and…”

Xia Yin stopped.

In an instant, he tensed, ducking in front of Xueqiu in under half a second.

What alarmed him? Xueqiu jumped.

She’d thought he deemed this “safe,” or he wouldn’t be joking while explaining.

But his jokes scattered like mist in the wind.

Behind the mist, he was emotionless.

Xia Yin stood rigid, shielding her.

His back to her, body taut like a drawn bow, leaning forward, ready to charge.

Another dizzy spell hit.

Xueqiu heard faint footsteps.

An illusion? In this noisy place, how could footsteps be so clear?

She looked at Xia Yin, who stared dead ahead.

Unnoticed, faint black wisps seeped from his clothes.

Unknown to her, his domain had silently unfurled.