Xie Xie had no idea how he had gotten out.
It felt as though he had been expelled, or perhaps his soul power had run dry. The boundless ocean shattered into countless pieces before his eyes, its fragments scattering in every direction. Each reflected a silvery-white light, like a mirror smashed to pieces. The ground beneath his feet vanished, and his body plummeted. He fell for so long that he thought he would keep falling forever.
Then he felt warmth against his back. It pressed against his shoulder blades, warm and heavy.
Sensing the presence beside him, he slowly opened his eyes.
The dormitory ceiling hung above him. Several cracks stretched across its grayish-white cement surface from the corner of the wall, like a withered tree. Light squeezed through a gap in the curtains, laying a narrow strip of silvery white across the floor. Morning had come. The air held the chill peculiar to early dawn, along with the astringent scent of Chinese parasol leaves carried in by the wind.
Tang Wulin was behind him.
His chin rested on Xie Xie's shoulder.
Tang Wulin's face pressed against the back of his neck, his forehead against his shoulder blade. Both arms passed beneath Xie Xie's armpits, his palms resting against his back.
His breathing was shallow, warm puffs brushing the back of Xie Xie's neck, one after another. He was drenched in sweat. His soaked hair clung to his forehead and temples, and sweat trickled down his jawline onto Xie Xie's shoulder. Tang Wulin's shirt was soaked too, the fabric across his back plastered against his skin, uncomfortably cold.
And Xie Xie himself?
His injuries had been too severe, and with the enormous power unleashed during his recovery last night, he had no clothes left.
He lowered his head to examine