Shen Jingqi's heart suddenly contracted, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
He pressed his back against the wall, motionless, fearing that even the slightest sound might alert Cong Nanxue.
Moonlight streamed through the door crack, spilling onto the ground and forming a narrow and dark band of light. In this band, Shen Jingqi's shadow looked distorted and bizarre, seemingly blending with the silent night.
Cong Nanxue's voice echoed in the room again, tinged with doubt and vigilance. "Who's there?" Her tone carried an indisputable firmness, as if ready to face any potential threat at any moment.
Shen Jingqi silently rejoiced that he managed to hide in time. He held his breath, not daring to relax even a bit.
Once discovered by Cong Nanxue, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Cong Nanxue, dressed in pajamas, walked lightly to the door. She gently pushed it open, peeking her head out to look around. Moonlight washed over her face, highlighting a pale visage, making her eyes appear bright and sharp.
But in this dreamlike scene, Shen Jingqi's eyes widened.
Cong Nanxue's head was devoid of an information bar!
According to Shen Jingqi's observations over recent years, in this world, everyone has an information bar above their heads, displaying basic information such as their name, age, and profession. This is a fundamental rule of this world, ubiquitous and indispensable like air. Yet, before him, Cong Nanxue seemed an exception. Her head was completely bare, as if forsaken by the world.
Shen Jingqi's eyes widened, staring intently at Cong Nanxue's head, trying to find traces of an information bar. But no matter how he looked, he could only see smooth hair and the pristine moonlight.
Cong Nanxue stood at the door for a while, not noticing anything unusual. She frowned, seemingly a bit displeased.
Shen Jingqi held his breath, not even daring to exhale, afraid that any tiny movement would reveal his presence. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, each second stretching into an eternity.
Finally, Cong Nanxue gently closed the door and returned to her room. Only when Shen Jingqi heard the click of the door lock did he let out a small breath of relief.
He carefully peeked out, watching Cong Nanxue retreat into the room and disappear from view. Then, he quietly stepped to the door, slowly opening it, preparing to leave this place.
However, just as he was about to step over the threshold, his gaze was drawn to a distant building.
It was a skyscraper towering into the clouds, with its facade densely covered in information bars. Each information bar glimmered with a faint light, as if narrating its own story.
Yet, when Shen Jingqi turned his gaze towards Cong Nanxue's room, he saw nothing.
In the bright light, every window lit up with the glow of information bars, like stars in the night sky.
But only Cong Nanxue's room stood like a dark island, without any gleaming light.
Unease surged through Shen Jingqi again. Why was there no information bar in Cong Nanxue's room? Could she really have been forgotten by this world? Or was she hiding some unspeakable secret?
Shen Jingqi's heart pounded like a drum, each beat seemingly reminding him that what mattered most now was to leave here as soon as possible to avoid being discovered by Cong Nanxue.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the waves within him, then cautiously looked around.
His gaze fell again on the slide, which appeared somewhat lonely in the dim light, like a pathway to another world. An inexplicable urge surged within Shen Jingqi, wanting to uncover the secrets behind the slide. But reason told him it wasn't the time, he needed to leave quickly.
However, just as he was about to turn and leave, his attention was caught by something beside the slide. It was a photo frame, lying there quietly, as if forgotten by time.
Shen Jingqi's heart raced once more, as he carefully approached the frame, wary of disturbing the peace.
The edges of the photo were slightly curled, but the boy's smile in the picture remained bright, with eyes so clear that they seemed to pierce through the dust of time, staring straight into Shen Jingqi's soul.
An indescribable emotion surged within Shen Jingqi, as if there was an indescribable connection between him and this photograph. He examined the boy in the photo closely, his eyes, his smile, evoking a feeling both familiar and strange.
"Brother, forever." The inscription on the back of the photo was somewhat blurred, yet the deep emotion resonated through the paper, touching Shen Jingqi's heartstrings.
Shen Jingqi quickly snapped a picture of it with his phone, then gently placed it back, as if afraid of disturbing something.
The room remained pitch-black, but Shen Jingqi had grown accustomed to the darkness. Guided by memory and intuition, he cautiously moved forward, step by step.
Just as he was about to step over the threshold, he stopped again. Conflicting feelings of attachment and curiosity surged within him. Who was the boy in the photograph? Why was it here? What was the connection between Cong Nanxue and this boy?
These questions weighed on his heart like a huge stone, suffocating him.
He couldn't leave , or he might never unravel Cong Nanxue's secret. He decided to take the risk and investigate again, even if it meant possibly falling into danger once more.
He quietly returned to the room, starting to search with the aid of the faint moonlight. He rummaged through every corner, leaving no stone unturned. Yet, to his disappointment, he found no information related to the boy in the photograph.
Just as he was about to give up, his attention was drawn to a diary on the desk. The cover was a bit worn, but the handwriting on it remained clear.
Carefully, he opened the diary and flipped through it page by page. It recorded snippets of daily life and moods, but what shocked him was that the boy was mentioned multiple times.
"Brother, I miss you.", "Brother, I will find you."
This boy held unparalleled significance to Cong Nanxue, possibly being the most important person in her life.
Perhaps this boy was Cong Nanxue's brother, whom she had lost contact with for some reason at a young age. Cong Nanxue had been searching for him but always remained without any clues.
Shen Jingqi gently closed the diary and placed it back in its original spot. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs ɴovel(ꜰ)ɪre.nᴇt
Quietly, he closed the door and began walking along the dark corridor toward the stairway.
Shen Jingqi circled around but couldn't find the elevator to go downstairs, feeling like he kept winding in the same area.