Chapter 29: A Stormy Night

The rain pounded against the academy windows, a relentless downpour that blurred the outside world into nothing but streaks of water and flashing lightning. The power outage had left the school shrouded in near darkness, with only the occasional flicker of emergency lights casting eerie shadows along the hallways.

And somehow, of course, Shen Yu found himself trapped in the library with none other than Lu Zhixuan.

"Great," Shen Yu muttered, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. "Just what I needed."

Lu Zhixuan, lounging against one of the bookshelves, raised an eyebrow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is a bad thing," Shen Yu shot back.

Lu Zhixuan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took in Shen Yu's shivering form before sighing. With a casual motion, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Shen Yu's shoulders.

Shen Yu tensed. "I—what are you doing?!"

Lu Zhixuan stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You're cold."

Shen Yu blinked. "So? What does that have to do with you?"

Lu Zhixuan tilted his head, as if the answer should be obvious. "Do you always ask so many questions when someone helps you?"

Shen Yu's heart pounded as he clutched the warm fabric around him. It smelled faintly of Lu Zhixuan—clean, with a hint of something sharp and undeniably him. It made his head spin.

He was about to shove the jacket back when—

CRACK!

A jagged bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening boom of thunder. The sound rumbled through the library, making the shelves tremble.

Without thinking, Shen Yu grabbed onto the closest thing—Lu Zhixuan's arm.

Silence.

It took a second for Shen Yu to realize what he had done.

Slowly, hesitantly, he glanced up. Lu Zhixuan was staring down at him, expression unreadable.

Shen Yu's face burned. "I—I was just—!"

Lu Zhixuan smirked. "Holding onto me for safety?" His voice dropped to a murmur, teasing yet strangely gentle. "How cute."

Shen Yu's brain short-circuited. Then, with a mortified noise, he shoved Lu Zhixuan away. "Shut up!"

Lu Zhixuan chuckled but didn't press further.

Outside, the storm raged on. Inside, the library was quiet, save for the occasional flicker of lightning that illuminated the space.

And despite Shen Yu's earlier protests, he didn't take off the jacket.

Nor did he move too far from Lu Zhixuan's side.