When Qin Yue woke up the next room, he was alone in the room.
Assuming Xu Wei had things to do, Qin Yue got dressed and went to class.
After the lecture, he was returning to his room when he heard someone calling out to him from behind.
Qin Yue stopped and turned around, rasing an eyebrow in surprise.
"Bai Jinhai?"
Bai Jinhai nodded curtly and stretched out his hand.
"I don't think we've formally met. My name is Bai Jinhai."
Qin Yue met his handshake in the middle.
"Qin Yue."
They both let go st the same time and Qin Yue looked at Bai Jinhai with slight confusion.
"Cab I help you?"
"Umm. I'm here about your friend. Can you please ask him to stop bothering me?"
Qin Yue blinked.
"Why don't you tell him that yourself?"
"He doesn't listen."
Bai Jinhai's frustration was apparent.
Qin Yue pinched his nose.
"I'll try. Where is he?"
Bai Jinhai shook his head.
"I don't know."
Qin Yue frowned.
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"Yesterday. But he didn't see me."
Qin Yue's expression turned serious. If he wasn't out chasing Bai Jinhai then where had Xu Wei gone?
Bai Jinhai noticed something was wrong with his expression and asked cautiously.
"Did something happen?"
"He wasn't there when I woke up this morning and I assumed he went looking for you."
If it were someone else, Qin Yue wouldn't have been bothered but leaving without a word was not like Xu Wei's character.
Although Xu Wei annoyed him, Bai Jinhai didn't hate him.
"I'll help you look"
"Thank you."
They moved through the campus, splitting up to cover more ground.
The campus had its usual morning buzz but neither of them noticed much beyond the goal of finding Xu Wei.
They checked the lecture halls first. No sign of him. Then the library. Still nothing. Even the cafeteria showed no trace.
Each place they checked added to Qin Yue's unease, a sinking feeling in his chest he hadn't expected.
By mid-morning, the two regrouped at the central courtyard.
"Any luck?" Qin Yue asked.
Bai Jinhai shook his head.
"Nothing. He's gone somewhere. He sure knows how to pick hiding spots."
Qin Yue nodded.
"Let's split again," Qin Yue suggested. "I'll check the east side of the campus. You take the west. We'll meet back here in twenty minutes."
Bai Jinhai nodded, and they went their separate ways.
As for why they didn't try calling, neither of them had Xu Wei's number.
Qin Yue's eyes scanned every corner that Xu Wei might have gone into.
He finally spotted him near the small garden behind the art building.
Xu Wei was sitting on a bench, hunched over, face buried in his hands. His shoulders shook slightly.
"Xu Wei…"
At the sound of his name, Xu Wei lifted his head slowly. His eyes were red, puffy, and glossy, his usual brightness gone entirely.
He didn't speak at first, as he completely registered Qin Yue's presence, he broke into heavy sobs.
He stood up and three himself in Qin Yue's arms, his whole body shaking.
"Qin Yue my mom is gone. She's dead and they kept it from me. No one told me. Today is her funeral. I'll never see my mom again."
Qin Yue's chest tightened. He didn't want to believe that the smiling woman from a weeks ago was dead.
He patted Xu Wei's back in comfort.
"I'm sorry."
Not knowing how to be consoling, he let Xu Wei cry on his shoulder while patting hus back gently.
Bai Jinhai arrived moments later, his expression hesitant. He approached quietly, hands in his pockets.
Xu Wei raised his head and blinked up at him, tears still glistening in his eyes.
"You… why are you here?"
Bai Jinhai shifted awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
"I just wanted to make sure you're alright . If you need anything, you can ask"
Xu Wei shook his head slightly, the haze in his eyes thickening.
"Don't feel sorry for me. I know you don't really like me. I was just being stubborn."
Bai Jinhai's gaze met Qin Yue's briefly before returning to Xu Wei.
"I'm not acting out of pity. And you're not the stubborn one, it was me."
Xu Wei's lips trembled, a weak smile forming. He felt like everything around him was hazy.
"I don't know what to do. I've never been this confused before."
Qin Yue placed both hands gently on Xu Wei's shoulders now, lowering his voice to a calm, steady tone.
"It's okay to feel like that. You don't need to understand everything right now. Anything you need, we'll try our best to help."
Xu Wei shook his head.
"What can you do? You're no match for them."
"Yes, but we'll be here for you every step of the way. You won't have to walk it alone."
Xu Wei's head bowed, letting out a shaky breath.
"It doesn't feel real…"
"Nothing has to feel real yet," Qin Yue said quietly. "The funeral… we can go together. You don't have to do this alone. We'll stay with you the entire time, and after it's over, we'll return together. Alright?"
Xu Wei's hands trembled slightly as he gripped the hem of his clothes.
"T-together?"
Bai Jinhai stepped closer, offering a nod.
"Yes. You won't be alone. We'll make sure you get through today."
Xu Wei's lips quivered, tears finally spilling freely.
"I don't know what to say"
"You don't have to say anything. Just know that we're here. That's enough."
Xu Wei wiped at his eyes roughly, trying to regain composure.
"I… I just… I didn't even know… they kept it from me all this time…"
Any comfort at this time would seem pale in comparison to what he was feeling so they just decided to keep him company.
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the news pressing down but the presence of each other easing the isolation. Xu Wei's breaths became steadier as he gradually allowed himself to accept their support.
After a few minutes, Xu Wei lifted his head, the haze in his eyes slightly thinning.
"Thank you."
Qin Yue only smiled. He exchanged a look with Bai Jinhai and together they said;
"What are friends for?"