Cliffside

Youcheng No. 3 Middle School, lunchtime.

The wind on the teaching building's rooftop was always stronger than below, sweeping up fine dust and the chill of autumn.

Lin Qingqiu leaned against the railing, watching her classmates running and playing on the field below, but her gaze was distant, focused somewhere unknown.

Footsteps came from behind her, light and familiar.

"Class Monitor Lin, thinking about life all by yourself?"

Qing Wuyan's cheerful voice rang out. He held two cartons of the school convenience store's best-selling fruit juice and handed one to her.

Lin Qingqiu came back to herself, accepted the juice, and quietly thanked him.

The icy chill seeped through the carton into her palm.

"So?"

Qing Wuyan leaned against the railing beside her and took a sip of juice. Seemingly casually, he asked, "Any leads on the Genetic Potion? Did your family... agree?"

Lin Qingqiu was silent for a moment, then gently shook her head.

Sunlight fell across the side of her face, illuminating the small shadow cast by her eyelashes.

"My parents... don't agree."

Her voice was a little hoarse. "They think it's too dangerous, and the official channels take too long to wait for... My dad tore that card to pieces right in front of me."

She tightened her grip on the juice carton, her fingertips pressing slightly harder. "They said... they'd rather I be an ordinary person, safe and sound."

Qing Wuyan gave an "Oh," then fell silent as well. After a moment, he sighed. "I can understand Uncle and Auntie's concerns. A place like the black market... really isn't somewhere good to be. When Hua Yin and I ran into trouble there last time, you didn't see how chaotic it was. Blood was spilled at the slightest provocation..."

Lin Qingqiu bit her lower lip.

Her parents' opposition had been within her expectations. It was their way of protecting her.

But the unwillingness and longing in her heart were like weeds—the more she tried to suppress them, the more stubbornly they grew.

"But..." she said softly, more to herself than anyone else, "when something happened at school last time, that feeling of helplessness, of being able to do nothing but wait for rescue... I really don't want to experience that again. I don't want to always be the one being protected."

Qing Wuyan turned to look at her seriously.

Sunlight spilled across his face. His eyes, usually filled with laughter and a touch of recklessness, now looked exceptionally clear and focused.

"Class Monitor Lin," he lowered his voice, speaking with the frankness of a friend, "do you really... want to take this path? Even if there are risks?"

Lin Qingqiu raised her head to meet his gaze and nodded firmly. Her eyes held a determination she had never shown before. "I do. At least... I want to see whether it's possible."

Qing Wuyan scratched his head, hesitation and conflict appearing on his face as though he were making a difficult decision.

He looked around, confirming that no one else was on the rooftop, before leaning closer and lowering his voice even further.

"Actually... losing that card doesn't mean there's no way at all."

Lin Qingqiu's heart skipped a beat as she looked at him.

Qing Wuyan licked his lips, seeming a little nervous. "The alley behind Old Records Bar, after one in the morning. I've never been there, but I've heard the rules there are strict. It's not as chaotic as the West District. They specialize in 'high-end' business, and security is much better too... Maybe we can really find a more reliable channel. At the very least, we can learn about the prices and how things work."

Seeing Lin Qingqiu's eyes widen slightly, he continued, "Your parents won't let you go because they're afraid something will happen to you. But if you don't go, you'll never know what it's really like. You can only wait around, or... give up completely."

He paused, his tone turning solemn. "Class Monitor Lin, I know this is risky, and I shouldn't be encouraging you to go. But... if you've really made up your mind, and there's truly no way for you to show up yourself..."

Qing Wuyan took a deep breath, as though he had finally made up his mind, and looked Lin Qingqiu straight in the eye.

"How about... I go take a look for you?"

Lin Qingqiu froze.

"You... go for me?"

"Yeah."

Qing Wuyan nodded, wearing his usual smile, both loyal and a little foolish. "I've seen some things, at least. I'm somewhat mentally prepared for places like that. Besides, I'm a guy. If something really happens, I can run faster."

"I can scout it out for you first and see whether that place is actually safe, whether they have the kind of 'leaked' potion you mentioned, roughly how much it costs, whether it's reliable... Anyway, I'm interested in those strange and unusual things too. I'll just treat it as broadening my horizons."

"Once I figure things out, I'll come back and tell you everything exactly as it happened. Then you can decide whether to tell your family, or... make other plans. It's better than you going in blindly and rushing into it on your own, right?"

His suggestion was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring ripples through Lin Qingqiu's heart.

Was she tempted?

Yes.

Qing Wuyan's words had opened a window for her—a window through which she could bypass her parents' outright opposition and reach that mysterious world.

Having someone else bear the risk of the first exploration for her was far too tempting.

But reason was also screaming that it was dangerous.

Let Qing Wuyan go in her place?

He was only a high school student too. Last time, he had nearly been hurt.

Was a place like the black market somewhere she should push a friend into?

The two emotions battled fiercely within her.

Qing Wuyan watched her expression without urging her. He simply waited quietly, drinking his juice and looking toward the distant sky as though he had merely made an ordinary suggestion.

Time passed bit by bit.

Finally, Lin Qingqiu raised her head. She looked at Qing Wuyan with a complicated expression, her voice soft and trembling with both hesitation and resolve.

"Qing Wuyan... this is too dangerous. I can't let you do this because of me..."

"Come on, I already said I'm curious myself!"

Qing Wuyan cut her off, putting on a careless air. "Just think of it as an adventure! Don't worry, I'm sharp. The second I see anything wrong, I'll get out of there! I definitely won't try to be a hero!"

He patted his chest. "Besides, we're friends! Hua Yin is in the Special Affairs Bureau now, dealing with demon beasts every day. We can't fall too far behind, can we? We'll just... get used to the other side of this world in advance."

Friends... Hua Yin...

Those two words touched Lin Qingqiu. She remembered Hua Yin with radiant wings on his back, blade in hand as he slew demon beasts. She remembered the confidentiality agreement, and the distance between them that could no longer be crossed.

If... if she could have power too, even if it was only a little...

Deep down, her desire to no longer be helpless finally overwhelmed her hesitation and guilt.

She looked into Qing Wuyan's clear eyes and slowly, very slowly, nodded once.

"...All right."

Her voice was so soft that the wind nearly carried it away. "But Qing Wuyan, promise me you'll be careful! If anything feels wrong, leave immediately! Don't take any risks! You're only going to check things out. Don't make any deals, and don't reveal any information about me!"

"Don't worry! Leave it to me!"

Qing Wuyan's eyes lit up. His smile was radiant as he nodded hard. "I promise, I'll only use my eyes and ears. I won't meddle in anything else! Wait for my good news!"

He reminded Lin Qingqiu a few more times to keep it secret and not let her family notice anything unusual. Then he shook the empty juice carton in his hand, hummed a tune, and turned to leave the rooftop. His back looked relaxed and cheerful.

Lin Qingqiu remained where she was alone, leaning against the cold railing. The juice carton in her hand had already been unconsciously squeezed out of shape.

She watched Qing Wuyan disappear through the rooftop door. The faint hope that had just risen in her heart at the possibility of finding a way forward was quickly drowned by a far greater sense of unease and guilt.

Letting a friend risk danger for her... was that really right?

But what other choice did she have?

The sunlight remained bright, and the rooftop was empty and quiet.

Yet Lin Qingqiu felt as though she were standing at the edge of an invisible cliff, with a mist-shrouded abyss beneath her feet.

She did not know whether the hand Qing Wuyan had extended would pull her back or... push her deeper.

She did not know.

And Qing Wuyan, who had already gone down the stairs, quietly let the radiant smile fade from his face once he reached an empty corner.