Lin Chuan accepted the map.
He studied it for several seconds, turning it this way and that, trying to match the printed grid to the buildings around them. The library was supposed to be here. The science building was supposed to be there. Nothing lined up.
He looked up.
"...I think we're both lost."
The other student blinked. His glasses had slipped down his nose again. He pushed them back up with one finger.
"You don't know either?"
Lin Chuan shook his head. The admission felt strange. He was used to knowing things. Used to being prepared. But this campus was a maze, and Ling Mu's memories were useless. The original Ling Mu had never paid attention to directions. He'd always had someone to guide him.
"It's my first day back. I've been out sick."
A moment of silence passed.
Then he laughed. Not loudly. Not mockingly. Just enough to make the situation feel less awkward.
"I've been here for a week. And I'm still getting lost. I walked into the wrong lecture hall twice yesterday."
Lin Chuan found himself smiling. It was a small thing. A slight curve of his lips. But it felt genuine.
"I suppose that makes two of us."
"My name's Shen Yao. Computer Engineering. First year. I'm from the south. The weather here is much colder than I expected."
"Lin Mu. Literature. Second year. I'm from... here."
Shen Yao's smile was warm. It crinkled the corners of his eyes behind his glasses. "Nice to meet you, Lin Mu. Now, shall we move?"
The two of them spent the next twenty minutes wandering across campus, stopping every few minutes to compare the map against the signposts. Neither had much sense of direction. By the time they found the Engineering Building, they had accidentally discovered the library, the student center, and three cafés.
"I'll remember this route tomorrow." Shen Yao looked around, his expression hopeful. Then he laughed again. "...Or maybe not."
Lin Chuan nodded seriously. "We should probably get another map. And maybe mark the route with string. Like in a maze."
"Agreed. I'll bring the string. You bring the breadcrumbs."
The two exchanged phone numbers before parting ways. As Shen Yao disappeared into the building, Lin Chuan realized he had made his first friend in this world. Not because of a shared tragedy. Not because of family status. Simply because they had both been equally hopeless with directions.
It felt refreshing.
---
Walking toward his next lecture, a familiar figure caught his eye.
Xu Jian.
He stood beneath a tree talking animatedly with several classmates. His hands moved as he spoke, emphasizing some point. The others laughed. He was the center of attention, as always.
As though sensing the gaze, Xu Jian looked over. Their eyes met for only a second.
Xu Jian immediately looked away.
Lin Chuan understood. He must still be angry about being stood up at the club. The missed meeting. The unanswered messages. It wasn't the first time Ling Mu had canceled plans at the last minute. The original Ling Mu had been flaky, unreliable, always pulled in different directions by family obligations and social pressures.
There was no point forcing a conversation. Not today. He wasn't ready. Not until he decided what to do about Xu Jian, because the thought of him made his heart ache.
He quietly continued walking.
He didn't notice the other looking back in shock as if he had expected him to apologise.
---
By afternoon, Lin Chuan stood outside the Academic Affairs Office.
The administrator stared at the course selection form. Then at him. Then back at the form. Her pen hovered over the paper. She blinked several times.
"...Young Master Ling. Are you certain?"
"I am."
"You've added another major. You're already enrolled in Literature. Now you're adding History. And these elective units..." She adjusted her glasses, scanning the list. "...Ancient History. Advanced Economics. Introduction to Mechanical Design. Organic Chemistry. And three foreign languages. That's... that's more than a full course load. That's almost double."
Lin Chuan nodded. His face was calm. His voice was steady.
"Is there a problem?"
The administrator looked genuinely concerned. Her brow was furrowed. Her lips were pressed together.
"Most students struggle with their required courses. They take four or five classes a semester. You've nearly doubled your workload. The reading alone would be impossible. The lab work would consume your evenings. The language classes require daily practice."
Lin Chuan's expression didn't change. He needed this. The restlessness in his mind wouldn't quiet otherwise. The hunger for knowledge, for purpose, for something to fill the empty spaces left by Ling Mu's grief and his own memories.
"I understand. I'll manage."
She hesitated. Her pen hovered for another moment. Then, with a sigh, she stamped the paperwork. The ink was red. Official.
"...Very well. Please remember that changes after the second week won't be permitted. You'll be locked into this schedule for the semester."
"Thank you."
Lin Chuan accepted the updated timetable. He scanned the list. Mondays and Wednesdays were packed. Tuesdays and Thursdays were worse. Fridays were a marathon of back-to-back lectures.
For the first time since returning to campus, the restless feeling in the back of his mind finally quieted. His brain had been nagging him since morning. Study, read, learn. Do something more. Now it was satisfied.
He folded the timetable carefully and slipped it into his bag.
"...Much better."
---
Classes ended just before five.
The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the campus pathways. The air had cooled. Students were streaming toward the gates, their voices blending into a low hum of conversation.
Lin Chuan stood near the front gate, taking out his phone. He was about to call the driver when a black sedan rolled to a stop beside him.
The rear window lowered smoothly. Before he even saw the person inside, he caught the familiar scent. Cedar, sandalwood that made his heart flutter with the thought of Warm. Steady. Safe.
Ling Xu looked at him from the driver's seat. His face was calm. His hair was neatly combed. His tie was perfectly knotted. He looked like he'd just stepped out of a boardroom.
"Get in."
Lin Chuan blinked. He opened the passenger door and climbed inside. The leather seat was warm. The car smelled like Ling Xu. Like cedar and sandalwood and something faintly clean.
"Weren't you working? I thought you had meetings all afternoon."
Ling Xu started the car. The engine purred to life.
"I'm finished. The meetings ended early."
"I thought you were busy. The driver was supposed to pick me up."
Ling Xu pulled away from the curb. His movements were smooth, precise.
"I was. I'll be picking you up from school from now on."
Lin Chuan looked at him curiously. The statement was matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"...Personally?"
"Mhm."
"It's on my way."
Lin Chuan wasn't convinced. The Ling Corporation headquarters was nowhere near the university. It was on the other side of the city. Ling Xu would have to drive an extra hour each way. But he didn't argue. The offer was kind. He didn't want to question it too closely.
The car eased into traffic. Inside, the familiar cedar and sandalwood scent became more noticeable. Comforting. Without realizing it, Lin Chuan leaned back into the seat. His shoulders relaxed. His breathing slowed.
His gaze drifted toward the man beside him.
Ling Xu's profile was striking. His features were clean and sharp. A straight nose. A defined jawline. Brows that naturally carried a hint of sternness. His black hair was neatly combed back, revealing a broad forehead that somehow made his calm eyes appear even steadier. The afternoon sunlight slipped through the windshield, tracing the lines of his face in warm gold.
There was nothing soft about his appearance. He looked like someone born to command. Someone impossible to approach. Yet whenever those dark eyes looked at Lin Chuan, they always seemed gentler.
Lin Chuan stared a moment too long.
A metallic click snapped him back to reality. He looked down.
Ling Xu had leaned across him. One hand rested lightly against the seat beside his hip. The other drew the seat belt across Lin Chuan's chest. The buckle clicked into place.
Only then did Ling Xu straighten.
Lin Chuan's ears grew warm. His heart was beating faster. He could still smell the cedar. The sandalwood. Ling Xu's scent was stronger up close. It wrapped around him like a warm blanket.
"I... I could have done that myself."
Ling Xu glanced at him. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. It was brief. Low. Unexpectedly pleasant.
"I know. It wasn't any trouble."
Lin Chuan looked out the window to hide the faint blush creeping across his face. The city blurred past. The sky was turning orange and pink. He watched the colors shift and tried to calm his breathing.
For some reason, the cedar and sandalwood scent seemed stronger than before.