Han Jiaxue shuddered, not from the cold. As a delicately nurtured girl, she had never witnessed such a scene before. The dead in the classroom were all her classmates who had just been sitting by her side not long ago, worrying about the difficulty of the final exam together and participating in group assignments with her. But now, most of them were dead.
She couldn't help but look at the senior who was holding her, his head, shoulders, and arms covered in dust. Even though he looked extremely disheveled at that moment, Han Jiaxue thought he looked incredibly handsome. If it weren't for him, she might have also died in that classroom.
The path they had come by was blocked off, yet Bai Zhongqi remained calm. Holding Han Jiaxue, he pondered for a moment, also waiting to observe if there would be further collapses.
"It's okay, I know another way out," he said.
To Han Jiaxue, her trust in Bai Zhongqi was now absolute. The shoulders of this fair-skinned boy seemed capable of bearing everything. Han Jiaxue had seen many boys of her age or slightly older, with over a hundred of them pursuing her, but she had never felt this kind of allure from any of them.
The most important thing a man can give a woman is a sense of security.
The collapse had led to more associated disasters, including fires and burst pipes. Bai Zhongqi took off a sleeve and gathered some clean water from a damaged water fountain in the hallway. The school's water fountains were just like those in airports, with no hot water—a push would send a jet of water shooting upward, which students caught with their mouths.
Now, after being smashed, the water gushed out. He took off his jacket, doused it with water, and draped it over himself and his junior.
The wet fabric could somewhat block out the dense smoke. Bai Zhongqi didn't know if the road ahead would lead them into a fire, but he was prepared.
The situation was better than he had expected. The route he chose had seen collapses and fire, but it was not severe; the open windows had dispersed the deadly smoke.
Han Jiaxue soon recognized it as the path leading to the underground parking garage of the building. She couldn't help but wonder why they were heading to the very bottom when the building was already in such a state. However, she wisely chose not to question Bai Zhongqi and decided to trust him. There was no time to waste.
Bai Zhongqi carried Han Jiaxue all the way to the second basement level of the underground parking garage. Compared to the chaotic scene upstairs, the garage looked almost unchanged. This was natural; the impacts and explosions had affected the above-ground parts of the building, while the sturdiest part of any structure is always its foundation.
This collapse was not due to an earthquake, and the massive rocks were unlikely to penetrate the underground parking, especially since Bai Zhongqi's chosen escape route did not lie directly beneath the severely collapsed sections of the building.
The underground parking had exits to the roads outside the building. This was not some apocalyptic disaster affecting everywhere; only this academic building was unlucky. The surrounding areas were untouched, a fact that Bai Zhongqi was aware of.
When Han Jiaxue and Bai Zhongqi emerged from beneath the ground to the surface, the midday sunlight falling on the young man and woman made them exchange looks, both feeling the relief of having survived a catastrophe.
"The car keys are in my bag; we can only walk back," Han Jiaxue said, slightly out of breath, a thin layer of sweat on her delicate forehead still making her skin look as clean as porcelain.
Bai Zhongqi nodded, "The buses definitely won't be running now. San Francisco must be in chaos by now."
Han Jiaxue didn't know what had happened. She asked Bai Zhongqi, "Senior, has our school been attacked by terrorists?"
Bai Zhongqi shook his head, pointed at the school building which was now hundreds of meters away from them, and said, "A plane crashed into it, but I wouldn't call it a terrorist attack."
Han Jiaxue was about to ask more when suddenly her phone chimed, displaying a push notification from the Tencent News app.
The headline was particularly jarring: "Breaking: An F-22 fighter engages in an aerial battle with an unidentified flying object over San Francisco; two F-22s shot down, crashing into the San Francisco urban area, causing numerous casualties."
Han Jiaxue was stunned; she looked dumbfounded at her senior. "UFO?"
Bai Zhongqi nodded silently, saying nothing more because he too was unclear about what exactly was happening or how to resolve such a matter. He said, "Anyway, let's head back quickly."
Disasters inevitably lead to chaos. Even in the prosperous and peaceful San Francisco, where people usually seemed courteous and dignified, in times like these, no one could guarantee there wouldn't be those who'd exploit the situation. Bai Zhongqi had to protect his junior sister. Staying outside, even without aliens shooting lasers, would likely expose them to violent looters.
Bai Zhongqi still held his junior sister's hand, not letting her stray half a step from him. Han Jiaxue didn't pretentiously withdraw her hand from Bai Zhongqi's grasp. Her senior could have fled when the disaster struck, but he chose to come back for her. From the phone, Han Jiaxue could feel his concern and care for her, making her quite happy.
She harbored some fondness for Bai Zhongqi, but was exasperated by his dull and clueless nature. Han Jiaxue was highly sought after and felt that she needn't overthink anymore. In crucial times, when no one else could be relied upon, she could count on this person.
Even though Bai Zhongqi wasn't particularly tall or handsome, and didn't come from a wealthy family, a girl would highly appreciate it when a guy she liked was particularly anxious and considerate of her and willing to do anything for her.
As Han Jiaxue watched Bai Zhongqi pulling her along as they ran, she thought to herself. Forget it, although chasing him didn't quite fit her personal branding, this guy was genuinely a good man. Since he hadn't learned to take the initiative for so long, she might as well be more proactive.
It was precisely these tender musings that momentarily made Han Jiaxue forget the pain and fear brought about by the disaster, immersing herself in her own little world.
The entire neighborhood was in disarray, crowded with people fleeing for their lives. Bai Zhongqi was extremely tense, having no time to think of anything else; he had no idea that the junior sister he liked had already decided to pursue him.
The small apartment they rented wasn't very far from the school; it took them just over ten minutes to run back.
They were neighbors, and Han Jiaxue's keys were buried in her bag under the rubble. She couldn't get into her own place and had to go to Bai Zhongqi's apartment. It was then that Bai Zhongqi's heart began to race. He realized he'd been running hand in hand with the girl he liked, and had even brought her to his home.