The next day, they both acted as if nothing had happened.

Cheng Shuo's original plan was to go to the bathhouse, but Cen Zeng sat beside him, looking at him calmly, so he coughed and said, "How about we go to Signal Hill Park? Maybe we can see the sunset."

The person opposite him of course said yes.

His voice was gentle, yet indifferent.

They climbed up, spending ten yuan to go up the viewing tower.

Cheng Shuo walked very quickly. He wanted to be a little farther from Cen Zeng, yet he was afraid of truly losing sight of him. So he simply walked behind, watching the man's back.

Tall and thin, like a silent snow pine in winter.

He stumbled on a small pebble and instinctively tried to keep his balance, but a hand suddenly reached out from beside him.

He grabbed it, and Cen Zeng pulled him up.

It was a little cold. He paused for a moment, then, as if possessed, he instinctively shook it off.

He couldn't touch him. When he touched him, he would remember his eyes, and the slight tremble of his hand when it rested on his chin.

What kind of sensation was that, Cheng Shuo had never imagined. When it fell upon him, he only felt it was breathtakingly intense.

Cen Zeng's hand was left hanging. He just smiled faintly, "Don't be afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Cheng Shuo walked to his side. "Be clear."

"I won't do anything to embarrass you regardless of the situation."

"I don't feel embarrassed." Cheng Shuo felt like his tongue was practically tied.

Cen Zeng looked at him with a smile. This person was well-suited for winter; when his features relaxed, they carried a hint of inexplicable detachment and vulnerability.

"Then what was it?"

Cheng Shuo was stunned.

He had nothing to say, only honesty: "I don't know."

He had never received this kind of kiss—one with no prelude, no mental preparation, where one moment the person opposite him was discussing despair, and the next, without any warning, they were leaning in.

But he couldn't just kiss him like that, so vaguely and uncertainly. It was too disrespectful.

Cen Zeng just nodded and said, "It's nothing, let's go."

Shoulder to shoulder, they ascended the tall building.

Red tiles and green trees. Ascending to the top to gaze into the distance, the city appeared so peaceful and indifferent.

The setting sun was about to rest. Smoky violet clouds filled the sky. At the end of a vibrant, multicolored winter day, he turned his head to look.

Cen Zeng's face was enveloped in the sunset glow—beautiful, and as if not of this world.

Cheng Shuo subconsciously reached out, wanting to brush away the overly complex light, but his hand couldn't bring itself to land.

It hovered in mid-air. Just as it was about to touch the other person's skin, as if suddenly realizing something, he just sighed.

Cen Zeng took his hand.

He used almost no force, yet Cheng Shuo couldn't break free.

So he caressed him carefully, following the pressure from Cen Zeng, stroking over his beautiful peach-blossom eyes, his high-bridged nose, and his pale-colored lips.

"Don't tremble." Yet this person was still talking. "You can let go of me."

But he didn't stop at all, still holding his fingers, guiding them across his own face.

'How am I supposed to let you go?' Cheng Shuo almost wanted to ask. Cen Zeng's eyelashes brushed across his dry palm, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis in winter, unconcerned with life or death. It fanned his senses, an itch that made his entire body tremble.

People shouldn't be like this. They shouldn't be like this—on the edge of a completely messed-up life, while fate played its jokes, throwing him back again and again—slowly, almost lingeringly, making him memorize Cen Zeng's face.

When Cen Zeng let go, he finally felt like he had landed back on solid ground.

The sky had already darkened. They looked into each other's eyes. Cheng Shuo put his hands in his pockets and coughed, "Let's go get dinner."

In the following days, they didn't bring it up again. Cen Zeng was an excellent travel companion, not caring what they ate or where they went. Cheng Shuo drove, and wherever he drove to was their destination.

The city had a kind of pure tranquility in winter. So much so that when it was time to leave, he even felt a little reluctant.

At the airport, eating a much more expensive McDonald's, Cheng Shuo gnawed on McSpicy Chicken Wings. He said, "I think I completely forgot about Li Aimin's matter."

As he said it, Cen Zeng opposite him was patiently squeezing out ketchup, carefully pushing it all out from the corners.

Then he looked up. "It's fine. I haven't replied to his WeChat these past few days either."

Saying this, he actually smiled, a hint of slyness in it.

"So, we should act fast," he continued. "Otherwise, even if I go back and continue to feign compliance, if I've already alerted him, he'll definitely be prepared."

"Ah..." Cheng Shuo said. "Have you thought it through? Do you want to expose him? It's okay if you don't. We can see if we can help you transfer departments."

"Transferring departments in the third year requires special approval, and changing advisors requires the consent of both parties. Li Aimin will definitely not agree, and from what I recall, no advisor would be tactless enough to offend him. Reporting him within the department is even more of a joke." Cen Zeng thought for a moment and said, "Actually, we don't have any other options."

The warm air from the heater made Cheng Shuo's heart feel heavy. He thought of the useless suggestions he had made, not knowing how Cen Zeng had felt hearing them.

He could only nod. "Is that so? Then I'll ask some other people."

Zheng Yi probably knew they were out having fun and had thoughtfully not sent any new messages. Just as he was about to type a line to him, Cen Zeng said, "Do you want to ask Senior Sister what she thinks?"

Cheng Shuo paused. "Yes."

"I'll ask her after I get back. She should be very busy today," Cen Zeng replied. "But if I decide to stand up, she definitely won't back down. Even if... she can't speak out just for herself."

He said this very calmly, his brow furrowed slightly.

"So certain?"

"She's a very good person." Cen Zeng thought for a moment. "Actually, before I chose my advisor, when she met with me, she probably wanted to say something."

He seemed to be lost in memory, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face. "But I was probably too cold back then, and she was likely afraid Li Aimin would notice something. In the end, we still met in the laboratory."

He said, "Don't be afraid. If we speak out, I guess at least half the people in the laboratory will stand with us."

"As for the other half, we'll see. There will definitely be some who side with Li Aimin."

"Why?" Cheng Shuo asked.

"What?"

"Why would anyone still side with Li Aimin?"

"Everyone has their difficulties." Cen Zeng smiled. "After studying for so many years, people always want to just endure it."

"What about you?"

"I just can't endure it anymore," Cen Zeng replied. "But there are always people with more endurance, or... who are more afraid."

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes." Cen Zeng thought for a moment. "But I should already be the least afraid person in the laboratory."

Having said this, he passed over a french fry dipped in ketchup, gesturing for Cheng Shuo to eat it.

"Don't worry," Cen Zeng said. "I feel that... things can't possibly get any worse."

He smiled at Cheng Shuo. It was a good-looking, beautiful, and precious smile.

Cheng Shuo couldn't say anything. He stared at the innocent french fries, subconsciously thinking, 'The ketchup is too red, like human blood.'