Qiu Yue walked down the corridor, quiet and half-distracted, the faint buzz of conversation still lingering in his ears from the room he'd left behind.
He adjusted the strap on his bag, already thinking about rest and maybe reviewing some notes—anything to clear his head. But just as he turned a corner, something made him stop.
A faint noise ahead. A scuffle. Something dragging. A low thud against the floor.
At first, he meant to ignore it. This place was tense already, and people were always pacing around, moving supplies, arguing. It wasn't his business. But then— he heard it.
A soft whimper.
Qiu Yue froze.
His steps hesitated, then cautiously moved forward, his brows drawing together with worry. As he got closer, the sound sharpened into sniffling.
Around the bend in the hallway, he finally saw them.
A man was crouched over a woman who lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving. At first glance, it looked like maybe he was helping her, shielding her.
