The scorching sun hung high in the sky, distorting the air, as the last wave of high temperatures before autumn descended upon K city.

Library.

The university library is supposed to be a place for studying, but with the development of the times, it has become a self-study room for postgraduate entrance examination candidates, a rescue house for end-of-term exam students, a place for like-minded people to communicate, and someone's air-conditioned room.

Because there was no air conditioning in the dormitory, Xu Fang came here.

There was still some time before the end of term, and it wasn't yet crowded at the library. Xu Fang could find a secluded spot where the surveillance camera couldn't catch him, enjoy the air conditioning, and use the free WiFi.

In order to blend into the study atmosphere of the library, Xu Fang took a copy of "Logical Philosophical Treatise" from the bookshelf and placed it next to him.

Some people choose to endure for a more comfortable future, some only care about immediate pleasures and indulgence, and some calculate the "comfort value" they can obtain in their lifetime and choose the maximum value. Regardless, seeking comfort in adverse environments is human nature.

After only a month at university, Xu Fang had mastered all the ways to enjoy the convenience of the school.

Clubs and student union? Nonexistent.

Xu Fang didn't want to nod and bow to the student union officials for a few credits, fueling the campus bureaucracy; he wasn't interested in clubs either, they were just social gathering places for outgoing and proactive individuals.

...

At this moment, a figure sat down next to Xu Fang.

Xu Fang turned his head slightly and was slightly surprised. It was Luo Xiao Ming.

Did he also discover this summer retreat? But according to the habits of these roommates, they would definitely go to an internet cafe to enjoy the air conditioning.

"What a coincidence." Luo Xiao Ming greeted casually.

"Yeah." Xu Fang replied, then shifted his gaze back to his phone.

If it weren't for someone who could speak well, conversations with Xu Fang usually wouldn't last long. But Xu Fang was not introverted or motivated by personal gain, he just felt that "meaningless chatting" had already stepped out of his comfort zone. Instead of struggling to find topics to chat about, he preferred silence.

However, Xu Fang didn't like being too withdrawn either. He maintained a minimum level of social interaction. When others mentioned Xu Fang, they would remember that there was such a person, but they wouldn't have any other stronger impression.

Xu Fang looked at his phone and could catch a glimpse of the person next to him observing him from the corner of his eye.

Strange, Luo Xiao Ming seemed a bit different today, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different.

"I have a book here, do you want to read it?" Xu Fang pointed to "Logical Philosophical Treatise," gently reminding Xiao Ming not to stare at him.

"Ah, sure." Xiao Ming picked up the book and flipped it open in the middle.

...

Ten minutes passed, and Xu Fang felt a bit tortured.

He was certain that Luo Xiao Ming was still observing him, just that he had switched from being openly evident to being secretive about it.

Could it be that my image is really bad? Or maybe the other person is conducting a "lonely college student record" investigation?

Putting aside the former, the latter was clearly an invasion of personal privacy and a waste of leisure time that required payment.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Xu Fang suddenly asked.

Xiao Ming probably didn't expect Xu Fang to ask so directly, and for a moment, he seemed flustered. He asked in a probing tone, "Xu Fang, do you remember those things?"

Xu Fang was taken aback, "What things?"

"The things from before."

"Before?"

"It seems you've really forgotten..."

Just as Xu Fang was about to inquire further, Luo Xiao Ming suddenly did something unexpected—he stood up, lightly resting his hand on Xu Fang's shoulder, and lightly kissed his cheek. Then, he quickly turned around and left, leaving behind a faint scent reminiscent of shampoo.

"This..."

Xu Fang touched his cheek, shocked and confused, watching as Xiao Ming's figure disappeared at the doorway.

Was this their way of greeting, imitating Westerners?

Even with a reason, Xu Fang couldn't stay calm. In fact, he felt a damn heartache. His rationality was considering the rationality of this behavior between two people of the same sex, questioning the other person's orientation and motive; while his sensitivity made Xu Fang recall the incredible moment, full of thoughts.

Xu Fang thought about this all morning.

At noon, Xu Fang returned to the dormitory and surveyed the surroundings.

Wen Jian, Fatty, and Big Tooth were all having lunch and discussing the idiotic teammates in the game.

He didn't see Luo Xiao Ming.

"Xiao Fang, what's wrong? You seem absent-minded. Did some girl reject you again?" Wen Jian joked, as usual.

Xu Fang didn't retort as usual, but had a pensive expression. "Do you guys think I've forgotten something? My memory seems to be faulty...I have this feeling of unreality."

Before he could finish his words, Wen Jian, Fatty, and Big Tooth stopped eating and looked at Xu Fang, their piercing gaze sending shivers down his spine.

"Xu Fang, why would you think that? Did someone say something to you?" Wen Jian's tone no longer carried his usual levity, instead, it had a sense of oppression.

"No...what do you mean?" Xu Fang asked.

"To be frank with you, who implied something to you?" Big Tooth's tone was cold.

"Don't make jokes like this..."

"Tell us!" Fatty demanded.

What happened to these people? They suddenly changed their demeanor, as if my memory was something terrifying.

Even if it was a joke, it was going too far.

Xu Fang didn't explain the whole situation, both because of Wen Jian and the others' terrible attitude, which caused a rebellious mentality to rise within him, and because he vaguely felt that revealing Luo Xiao Ming's situation would lead to bad consequences.

Xu Fang suddenly slapped his thigh, realizing something. "I remember now. I forgot to save the game yesterday, and I wasted so much effort on the storyline."

Wen Jian and the others exchanged glances, sighed, and muttered to themselves, "What a waste of time."

They cleaned up the table and left the dormitory.

As they were leaving, Wen Jian said to Xu Fang, "If someone really said strange things to you, be careful of that person. They might want to harm you, we're just looking out for you."

Xu Fang felt that he and Wen Jian were not on the same wavelength.

Someone wants to kill him? Is this a game script? Besides, you're the one who says the strangest things the most.

Not just Luo Xiao Ming, but the people around him were also acting abnormally.

Could he have really forgotten something?

He felt a bit tired and gradually fell into the abyss of dreams.

Normally, Xu Fang's sleep was shallow, easily disturbed, but this time he slept deeper than usual.

He dreamt of himself standing under a gloomy sky, surrounded by a desolate plain with withered brown grass.

The world was silent, and within the silence, there was a faint and ambiguous murderous intent.

Suddenly, a drop of water fell on Xu Fang's face. He looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, which momentarily subsided, and lightning struck straight down.

Alarm bells rang in Xu Fang's heart, and he abruptly opened his eyes, only to see a shining object descending from above, aimed at his neck. The sense of crisis made him instinctively reach out his hands to catch that deadly flash of the blade.

However, the spectacular skill of "catching a blade with bare hands" in movies is difficult to achieve in reality.

Starting from the palm of his hand, the blade pierced through the muscle tissue at the base of his left thumb, finally grazing his wrist and entering Xu Fang's neck. But due to his hand blocking the way, the blade didn't pierce his crucial neck artery, instead leaving a wound on the edge.

Xu Fang had no time to concern himself with the wound, he just stared in horror at the person attacking him. He never could have imagined that the person trying to kill him was...Luo Xiao Ming?!

"Why...?" Xu Fang resisted, not allowing the knife to penetrate his neck artery, uttering these words from his throat.

"I'm sorry..." Luo Xiao Ming had tears in his eyes, his voice low as he apologized, but his hand didn't stop. He exerted half of his body weight onto the hilt of the knife, as long as Xu Fang let go, his neck would be instantly pierced.

"Oh no, this position is so uncomfortable, being pinned down by Luo Xiao Ming, I can't exert any strength..."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Xu Fang gritted his teeth and asked in pain, "Do you want to kill me?"

"... "

"As you can see, my blood has already stained half of the bedsheets. If you don't let go soon, I will die."

Perhaps it was due to Xu Fang's words of interruption, or perhaps it was the sight of blood that stimulated Luo Xiao Ming's vision, causing him to hesitate for a moment and relax the pressure on the knife.

Xu Fang didn't miss this opportunity. He forcefully lifted his elbow and slammed it into Luo Xiao Ming's left shoulder, causing him to lose balance and fall to the right. With a startled cry, Luo Xiao Ming tried to retrieve the knife, but Xu Fang had already flipped over and pinned him down. Xu Fang grabbed his wrists with his free hands.

Now it was purely a matter of strength. Obviously, Luo Xiao Ming's strength was no match for Xu Fang's. After struggling for a few seconds, the knife ended up in Xu Fang's hands.

Xu Fang slowly stood up and looked down at Luo Xiao Ming from a higher position. Half of his face was stained red with blood, his injured left hand hanging down and dripping with fresh blood, while his right hand tightly gripped the knife.

"Luo Xiao Ming, why did you want to kill me? Can you tell me?"

"I just... wanted to 'awaken' you."