21 With me here.

The meeting was scheduled for 1:30 PM. After lunch, Jiang Ci sat in her room for a while before she began to tidy herself up.

Just as she stepped out of her house, she received a message from Zhang Heyu. She paused, then tapped on their chat interface.

【Zhang Heyu: I’m downstairs.】

Jiang Ci hurried downstairs, her heart filled with irrepressible excitement. Just as she jogged out of the stairwell and stood in the sunlight for a few seconds, she suddenly heard a languid laugh behind her.

"What’s the rush? Why are you in such a hurry?" Zhang Heyu reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back into the shade. "Aren't you afraid of falling again?"

Startled by his movement, Jiang Ci stumbled back two steps. The heat from his hand on her wrist sent a tingling sensation through her, making her heart race.

"…I’ll be slower next time," Jiang Ci murmured, shrinking her neck slightly.

Zhang Heyu released her wrist, his Adam's apple bobbing twice as he resumed his teasing tone. "In such a rush—were you in a hurry to see me?"

"That’s not it," Jiang Ci explained, feeling guilty. "I was afraid you'd get angry if you waited too long."

Zhang Heyu curled his lips, though it looked like a smile. "Jiang Ci, do you really think my temper is that bad?"

Just as she was about to deny it, she heard him say cheekily, "Unbelievable. And here I was, treating you so well."

Jiang Ci froze. At that moment, Zhang Heyu’s phone rang. He answered it calmly, and Jiang Ci only heard him responding to the person on the other end.

"Mm, just pull in a bit further."
"..."
"We’re coming out now."
"..."

Zhang Heyu hung up and looked down at her. "Let's go, the car is here."

Jiang Ci blinked. "Aren't we taking the bus? Taxis are so expensive."

"We won't make it if we take the bus," Zhang Heyu chuckled. "Just consider it an opportunity to enjoy life with a young master like me."

With him putting it that way, Jiang Ci had no reason to refuse.

They got into the car, and after Zhang Heyu gave the driver the last digits of his phone number, he glanced at Jiang Ci. She had shed her usual school uniform for a simple grey, layered-look short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts. Her long hair fell loosely, covering her collarbones and giving her a look that was both aloof and gentle.

It must be said, Zhang Heyu had rarely seen this side of Jiang Ci. He looked away, swallowing instinctively as his Adam's apple bobbed. Even his breathing grew heated.

Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled up smoothly in front of a shopping mall. As soon as Jiang Ci and Zhang Heyu stepped out, they saw Huo Chensi and Yu Xijin waiting at the entrance.

Seeing Jiang Ci, Yu Xijin rushed over and grabbed her arm. "Oh my god, Ci-Ci, you look so beautiful!"

"Thank you! You look beautiful too!" Jiang Ci replied, her compliment sincere and heartfelt.

Huo Chensi walked over to Zhang Heyu and nudged him with his elbow. "She’s my goddess, after all. Tell me, is your heart racing yet?"

"Get lost," Zhang Heyu said, noting that Huo Chensi was teasing him on purpose.

Huo Chensi tsked. "If I didn't know you, I'd say a playboy like you has absolutely no chance with someone like Jiang Ci!"

"You think I don't?" Zhang Heyu shot him a cold look. "Are you some kind of deity in charge of Greek love?"

Huo Chensi: "..." That was a sophisticated insult!

Huo Chensi shrugged, undeterred, and reminded him, "I heard Jiang Ci had many admirers in her sophomore year, but they all said she was incredibly hard to pursue. Good luck, Comrade Zhang!"

Zhang Heyu: "..." Actually, he thought her being hard to pursue was a good thing; it showed the girl wasn't just anyone. That simply meant he needed to be more sincere in his approach and show her more respect and understanding.

The four of them took the elevator to the fifth floor for the escape room.

"Huo Chensi, do we have to wait? It looks pretty crowded," Yu Xijin said, looking around at the bustling, noisy crowd.

"Don't worry, I booked the tickets long ago. We just need to go pick them up," Huo Chensi said with a lift of his brow, walking toward the service desk. Seeing this, Yu Xijin followed him.

Jiang Ci stood waiting, and as she watched them walk away, she suddenly remembered something and turned her head to look for someone.

"Looking for me?" Zhang Heyu approached, tapped her on the head, and smirked. The flickering light made him look roguish and devil-may-care.

The scent of tea lingered in the air. Jiang Ci licked her lips, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her shirt. "…No, I, I was just looking around."

"I don't mind if you look at me more," Zhang Heyu teased, his eyes unreadable.

Jiang Ci looked up at him, a faint flush creeping onto her fair cheeks. "Stop joking. There are so many people looking at you; you don't need me to join them."

"Oh," Zhang Heyu replied, then laughed at himself. "Jiang Ci, I actually do."

His low voice teased her heart silently. She looked up at him, and he looked down at her as he spoke. Just as Jiang Ci opened her mouth to say something, Yu Xijin and Huo Chensi returned with the tickets, followed by an escape room staff member.

After Yu Xijin handed out the tickets, she stood next to Jiang Ci. Noticing something amiss, she looked at Zhang Heyu and then at the crimson-faced Jiang Ci. "Ci-Ci, your face is so red!"

Jiang Ci said "Ah," and touched her cheek; it was indeed hot. "Maybe it's just stuffy in here."

"No, did Zhang Heyu say something to you?" Yu Xijin smiled. "I don't know why, but I find you two kind of shippable!"

Jiang Ci was embarrassed and annoyed. "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Alright, alright, I won't!" Yu Xijin replied.

The staff member checked their headcount, confirmed it was enough to start the game, and explained the rules. "This story is of medium horror with live NPCs. The plot focuses primarily on reasoning and decryption. You need to form pairs, as the first few segments require you to split up."

Huo Chensi thought for a moment and suggested, "How about you and Ci-Ci pair up, Brother Yu?"

Zhang Heyu raised an eyebrow. "Sure."

Seeing he didn't refuse, Jiang Ci nodded as well.

The staff took Huo Chensi and Yu Xijin in first, while another staff member handed eye masks to Jiang Ci and Zhang Heyu. As Jiang Ci was led into a room, the darkness deepened even behind the mask. A chill hit her, and she couldn't help but shiver. When she heard the door slam shut, she jumped reflexively.

After hesitating for a long time, she whispered, "Zhang Heyu, are you there?"

Zhang Heyu took off his eye mask and hummed. His voice was cold as usual, but with a hint of softness. "I'm here."

"Can I take off the mask?"

Jiang Ci reached up to fumble with it, but suddenly, a warmth brushed against the back of her hand, and her vision cleared. She looked up to see Zhang Heyu, half of his face hidden in the shadows.

"It's me." Thinking she hadn't recognized him, he reached out and pinched her cheek. "You weren't scared by just that, were you?"

Jiang Ci shook her head. "I'm not that timid."

"Is that so?" Zhang Heyu’s lips curled into a smirk. "If you're scared, you can take advantage of me."

Jiang Ci’s face heated up. She retorted, "I'm not Huo Chensi; don't say those weird things to me."

"Huo Chensi doesn't have that kind of privilege," Zhang Heyu laughed. "Jiang Ci, my sexual orientation is perfectly normal."

Jiang Ci pouted and ignored him. He was nothing like the unapproachable Zhang Heyu she had first met. Seeing her walking around looking for clues, Zhang Heyu quickly followed.

After searching, Jiang Ci couldn't find any clues to solve the first puzzle. Zhang Heyu, however, stood before a mechanism, entered something, and with a click, the tracked wall shifted.

"How did you find that?" Jiang Ci asked in astonishment, shocked by how calmly he had solved the riddle.

Zhang Heyu curled his lips and chuckled. "My brain."

Jiang Ci: "..."

Jiang Ci bit her lip and walked toward the next room. Her pace was so fast that Zhang Heyu couldn't stop her in time. Suddenly, an NPC in a bizarre costume jumped out, and Jiang Ci was startled.

"Ah..."

In the darkness, heightened by the eerie atmosphere, Jiang Ci couldn't help but scream and run back. Zhang Heyu’s heart skipped a beat, fearing something had happened to her, and he rushed toward her. He hadn't taken two steps before the girl came running out, her hair flying and carrying the scent of sweet osmanthus, and she threw herself into his arms.

He lost his balance and was forced to take a few steps back. She didn't just throw herself into his arms; she grabbed his clothes. Feeling the heat radiating from her, he felt how soft she was. Zhang Heyu had never experienced anything like this; although he had had a few "relationships" that weren't really relationships, he had never even held hands.

This sudden contact made his heart stop, and a flush spread from his neck to his earlobes. The live NPC who followed Jiang Ci out gave Zhang Heyu a thumbs-up.

Zhang Heyu looked down and saw the girl trembling. He sighed, patted her back lightly, and comforted her in a husky voice. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Jiang Ci was truly terrified. "I, I didn't know something would jump out..." She buried her head in his chest, her voice trembling.

The girl huddled in his arms was still very polite, only daring to tug at the hem of his shirt. This left Zhang Heyu feeling helpless. A mischievous thought crossed his mind, and he looked down at her with a raised brow. "Then stay close to me later, okay?"

Still in the grip of fear, Jiang Ci nodded repeatedly, looking incredibly obedient. When she finally let go of him, she realized what she had done, her face burning so fiercely she didn't dare look at him.

As they prepared to move to the next room, Zhang Heyu held out his hand, gesturing for her to grab it. Jiang Ci misunderstood and simply took his arm. This action left Zhang Heyu very satisfied.

In the next room, after they finished a task and pressed a button, a scream echoed from the room next door.

"Ah! Oh my god!!"

Jiang Ci recognized the voice. It was Yu Xijin.

"It's Jin-Jin," Jiang Ci blinked. In the faint light of the room, her face was bright red.

Zhang Heyu lifted his chin. "What did you get on that chemistry quiz last time?"

Jiang Ci hadn't reacted yet and tilted her head, confused by the sudden question. "What did you get?"

"Eighty," Jiang Ci replied.

Zhang Heyu nodded and pointed to a tablet on the table. "Chemistry problem. Want to try?"

Jiang Ci looked down. The code to unlock the tablet consisted of four chemistry problems, requiring them to derive a numerical password based on colors and element oxidation states. Relying on her basic knowledge, it didn't take her long to solve it.

"Zhang Heyu, is the code 0451?"

Zhang Heyu’s lips curled, but he didn't say anything, merely raising a brow. Jiang Ci entered the numbers into the tablet and successfully unlocked it.

"Good job." Zhang Heyu reached out and rubbed her head, his touch exceptionally light. "Jiang Ci, you're amazing."

Jiang Ci’s cheeks burned. "…Thank you."

The remaining puzzles weren't too difficult. After solving the third room, they finally reunited with Yu Xijin and Huo Chensi. Once reunited, Jiang Ci kept her distance, fearing that Yu Xijin would notice something. Thinking back to the moment before, she didn't dare look at Zhang Heyu.

With Zhang Heyu and Jiang Ci there, the puzzles were solved easily. They had expected to take two hours, but they finished in just over an hour. As they walked out of the exit and stood in the lobby, the staff member took off his mask, and Jiang Ci immediately recognized him as the one who had scared her.