Gu Jin carried Long Yifan carefully through the quiet halls, his head resting weakly on her shoulder.
"You’re lucky I showed up when I did," she said coldly. "You really are an idiot sometimes."
"I know," Long Yifan mumbled. "I wasn’t thinking straight..."
He didn’t argue. Instead, he just nodded like a scolded child.
They turned the corner toward the dormitory wing. His skin felt hotter against her arm. Sweat dripped from his temple.
"Gu Jin..." he murmured, voice strained, "I feel... hot. Everything’s burning."
Gu Jin frowned. "Hold it in."
He gave a small, helpless sound and shifted in her arms, trying not to rub against her — but he couldn’t help it.
"Don’t move," she warned. "If you try anything stupid, I will drop you. Or worse—call Amelia back."
Long Yifan flinched. "No... please don’t..."
By the time they reached his room, his whole body was trembling. Gu Jin kicked the door open and laid him gently on the bed.
"You need to stay still," she said. She pressed two fingers on the side of his neck, then another point on his chest. His muscles twitched in response.
"Acupuncture to suppress some of the symptoms," she explained.
But just as she leaned over him, Long Yifan’s hand weakly reached out, brushing her sleeve.
He turned his head, trying to lift himself enough to reach her face.
Gu Jin stepped back sharply.
"Stop," she said. "I don’t want anything like that."
His eyes flickered with shame. "I... I can’t help it. It’s like something’s pushing me..."
"Then bite your hand. Do whatever you have to," she said flatly.
Long Yifan turned his head away and did just that — his teeth clamping down hard on the flesh between his thumb and index finger. The sharp pain made his eyes water, but it helped.
Gu Jin watched him for a moment, then sighed.
"...It’s a drug," she said. "A rare one. Lustshade."
Long Yifan blinked at her. "What... what does it do?"
"It triggers desire," she said.
"Strong, uncontrollable urges. And here’s the worst part — if you give in, even once, the drug will settle into your system.
From then on, every night at that same hour, your body will feel . Again. And again."
Long Yifan stared at her in horror. "That’s... that’s insane."
Gu Jin’s voice was cold, but not unkind. "That’s why I told you to hold it in."
He lay there in silence for a few seconds, then his fists clenched.
"Bai Qing... and Li Mian. They did this."
"Not sure how much Li Mian knew," Gu Jin said quietly. "But Bai Qing? Definitely."
Rage and betrayal twisted on Long Yifan’s face.
"They wanted to control me," he said through gritted teeth.
"They failed," Gu Jin replied.
She reached for a small pouch from her belt.
"This will help you sleep. You’ll be weak for a few more days, but the drug won’t have a hold on you as long as you resist."
He looked up at her, eyes filled with quiet pain. "Thank you..."
Long Yifan’s breathing evened out not long after Gu Jin gave him the pouch.
His body, still flushed with heat, finally stopped trembling.
He drifted into sleep, his brow furrowed even in rest.
She didn’t trust leaving him alone, not yet. She pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat with her arms folded, her sharp eyes fixed on him like a hawk.
At exactly 2 a.m., Long Yifan stirred.
It started with a twitch of his fingers.
Then his legs moved, restless under the blanket.
Gu Jin straightened in her chair, instantly alert.
Long Yifan’s face twisted in pain. A small sound escaped his lips—half whisper, half plea.
His hand clenched the bedsheet tightly.
"Don’t... don’t touch me..."
Gu Jin narrowed her eyes. Her mind immediately went to the earlier events—but this felt different. His voice had changed. Softer. Younger.
He flinched suddenly, curling in on himself as if expecting a blow.
Gu Jin’s fingers gripped the armrest tightly. She didn’t speak, just listened.
"I didn’t want to..." he muttered, voice broken. "I told him..."
His breathing became shallow. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
Gu Jin’s expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes shifted.
Long Yifan whimpered in his sleep.
"I hate him... I hate him..."
Then, with a quiet, choked breath, he whispered something that made Gu Jin’s stomach tighten.
"...But he said... if I told anyone... no one would believe me..."
Gu Jin stared at him.
Her hands slowly uncurled from the armrest. She reached over and placed two fingers on his wrist, checking his pulse. Fast. Uneven.
She leaned forward slightly, voice low.
"You’re safe now," she said.
He didn’t respond. Still lost in the nightmare.
Gu Jin stood up and adjusted the blanket gently over him, careful not to touch his skin.
Her eyes stayed on his face. Not with pity. Not with softness. But with a calm, quiet understanding.
A long silence passed.
Finally, Long Yifan’s breathing steadied again. The panic faded. He shifted once more, this time relaxing into the bed.
Gu Jin sat back down.
But she didn’t leave, either.
She kept watching—protective, unshaken, and still as stone.
...............................
The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a soft golden light over the quiet room.
Long Yifan stirred. His eyes fluttered open slowly, heavy from exhaustion. For a moment, he lay still, taking in the silence.
The burning heat from last night had faded, but his body still felt sore, as if he’d been through a storm.
Curled slightly in the chair beside him, arms folded, chin resting lightly against her shoulder.
Her long dark hair framed her face, and the faintest rise and fall of her chest told him she had finally dozed off.
Long Yifan sat up carefully, trying not to make a sound. He looked at her for a long time, his chest tightening in a way he didn’t fully understand. There was something peaceful in her expression, even if it was guarded. Even asleep, she looked strong.
He leaned forward, slowly, hesitantly.
Then, as if pulled by something he couldn’t fight, he brushed his lips gently against her cheek.
"Good morning," he whispered.
The words barely left his mouth before Gu Jin’s eyes snapped open.
She locked eyes with him instantly, and Long Yifan froze.
"...Morning," he said sheepishly, still close.
Her heart gave a strange, unwanted flutter. His face was inches away—too close. His deep blue eyes stared into hers, soft and warm in the morning light.
She hated how it made her breath catch.
Then, without waiting, Long Yifan reached forward and hugged her.
"You really stayed..." he said quietly into her shoulder. "Thank you."
Gu Jin’s heart pounded. It felt ridiculous. She could handle poison, war, alchemy disasters—but this? A boy’s hug? Absolutely not.
"Get off," she said quickly.
When he didn’t let go, she shoved him back with one hand. Not hard, but firm.
Her voice returned to its usual cold tone.
"Get dressed. We have somewhere to go."
Long Yifan blinked. "Wait, what? Oh! Right! The English team is about to leave today!"
"We’re not going to the hall," Gu Jin cut him off. "We’re going to see Instructor Luo."
Ten minutes later, the two of them stood in the instructor’s office.
Instructor Luo was halfway through organizing scrolls when Gu Jin pushed open the door without knocking.
He looked up, surprised.
"Gu Jin? Long Yifan? What’s going on?"
Gu Jin didn’t waste time. "I’m reporting an incident. Last night, Long Yifan was drugged with Lustshade. Bai Qing was involved. Possibly Li Mian too."
Instructor Luo’s face turned pale.
"Lustshade?! That’s banned—how did—"
"I caught him just in time," she said. "The symptoms were strong. He was barely coherent."
Instructor Luo turned to Long Yifan, stunned.
Long Yifan nodded slowly, as if his mind was still catching up to reality. "Yes... I didn’t know what was happening until it was too late."
Instructor Luo stared at him for a moment, then slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh.
"This is serious... very serious. Do you have proof?"
Gu Jin shook her head. "Not yet. But I will get it. This was premeditated. Bai Qing wanted to manipulate him—and possibly trap him under the drug’s influence long-term."
Long Yifan looked away, his jaw tight.
Instructor Luo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I’ll start an internal investigation. For now, say nothing to anyone. Not a word."
Long Yifan nodded again, slowly.
Gu Jin’s eyes were like ice. "If they try anything again, I won’t wait for permission."
Instructor Luo didn’t argue. He just looked between them—Gu Jin calm and composed, Long Yifan shaken but steady—and nodded.
As they left the room, Long Yifan glanced at Gu Jin.
"I could have dealt with it on my own."
"We will do it now." Gu Jin said with a cold smirk.