Opting for the path of least resistance, Wen Qian flashed Gu Mian a brilliant smile. "My phone… I mean, Professor Gu, have you seen my phone?"
He stared at her for a moment before a hint of a smile touched his lips, as if he'd just thought of something. But the smile seemed to hold a deeper meaning.
"I, uh, I can just find it myself…" Seeing Gu Mian's silence, Wen Qian started to feel her confidence waver.
"Here." Reaching into his pocket, Gu Mian pulled out a phone with a pink case. Then, he added calmly, "It seems to be dead."
Staring at the black screen, Wen Qian was about to ask if there was a charger in the lab when she saw Gu Mian open a drawer again and pull out a notebook.
It was her own notebook.
Wen Qian's face lit up. With all the commotion, she'd almost forgotten the real reason she was here.
"Your notes are very detailed, but if you have any questions in the future, you can come ask me directly." Lowering his head, his gaze brushed past the bite mark on the nape of her neck. The corner of Gu Mian's mouth quirked up. He paused, then continued, "After all, the material we cover in class is limited."
"Thank you, Professor!" Wen Qian nodded enthusiastically. She definitely wasn't going to pass up this chance for some special attention. Gu Mian's resume was no secret at University A—it was even pinned to the top of the student forum's homepage. For someone as brilliant as him, even getting a seat in one of his classes was a challenge if you weren't a student, let alone getting to ask him questions in private.
Thanks to this pleasant interruption, Wen Qian soon forgot all about the Snake Beast.
She began to look around the lab with great interest, trailing after Gu Mian and asking about everything she saw.
She was a curious soul, and learning that much of the lab's equipment was related to Beastmen only made her more excited.
The latest experimental instruments, the newest lab benches, high-tech display cabinets fitted with measurement devices, and…
"What's this?" Her gaze was drawn to the inside of a display cabinet. The semi-transparent case was filled with glass jars, and each jar held two crystal-clear objects…
As if compelled by an unseen force, Wen Qian took a couple of steps closer. When she got a clear look at what was inside the jars, the smile on her face instantly froze.
A shiver ran through her. She blinked hard, trying to confirm she wasn't seeing things, and a fine sheen of sweat broke out on her palms.
Eyeballs.
'Are… are these animal eyeballs?'
'But their size is strange. They're supposedly from different animals, yet they're all roughly the same size.'
'Could it be… they're from Beastmen?'
Wen Qian was horrified by her own thought. She knew labs kept specimens, but she'd never imagined they would include organs from Beastmen…
"The lab's previous owner liked to collect these." A calm voice sounded from behind her. Wen Qian turned to see Gu Mian leaning against a lab table, his expression perfectly serene. He looked at her pale little face and added in a low voice, "What, are you scared?"
Wen Qian thought for a moment. She seemed to recall hearing that many labs in University A's science building were assigned to specific individuals for their personal research. The instruments and decor were all purchased by those individuals, but as for how the labs were allocated or who truly owned them, she had no idea.
Wen Qian shook her head, then pulled her gaze away from the jars. "So, Professor Gu is the one using it now?"
"Mhm." Gu Mian's expression was placid. After a moment, he added, "The previous one… ran into a bit of an accident."
His gaze fell upon a jar at the far end of the display case. The eyes soaking in the formalin were wide with terror. They had sclera and black pupils. They looked like… human eyes.
If one were to look closer, one would find even more horrifying details…
But Wen Qian's thoughts were preoccupied by something else. She stared at the vivid colors of the eyes in the glass jars, her expression somber.
An animal's pupils change after death—both their diameter and their color. But the eyes in these jars were still vividly colored, with no obvious change in volume… which meant these Beastmen were still alive when their eyes were gouged out.
Wen Qian's lips formed a tight, grim line.
From what she knew, Beastmen could freely manifest their ears and tails, but they couldn't change the color of their eyes. It was this very trait that was often exploited by those with ulterior motives… She just never imagined anyone could be so cruel.
'Beastmen possess human emotions and intelligence. Aside from their animalistic features, they're no different from humans. How is mutilating them like this any different from murder?'
At this thought, the color drained further from Wen Qian's face.
"Let's go. I'll take you home." The man's deep voice came from behind her. Wen Qian snapped out of her thoughts. She was about to refuse when she saw the corner of his mouth lift. "You can charge your phone in the car."
Wen Qian fell silent instantly. Clasping her small hands together in front of her, she looked the very picture of obedience.
...
A black sedan cut through the inky night, a blur of light and shadow. Wen Qian sat primly in the passenger seat, cradling her phone. She kept glancing over at Gu Mian, her eyes filled with admiration.
Gu Mian's profile was already one in a million, and seeing him drive one-handed was like he'd activated a buff.
Her gaze drifted from his slightly open collar, down to his veiny forearm and the pale white of his knuckles… She desperately wanted to swap the soothing car music for some thumping BGM.
Right now, Wen Qian's mind was flooded with images of hot influencers doing viral dances, only every single one of their faces had been replaced with Gu Mian's.
"Enjoying the view?"
The deep voice was laced with amusement, snapping Wen Qian out of her reverie. She nodded emphatically before she could stop herself, then immediately denied it. "No! I wasn't looking at you."
'She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. 'Talk about a dead giveaway!''
'What if he was just asking about the scenery?'
Wen Qian's cheeks burned. She decided to just close her eyes and pretend to be asleep. If she let herself get any more mesmerized by his good looks and said something else humiliating, she'd never be able to face Gu Mian again.
Gu Mian drove with remarkable stability. Every lane change and every turn was executed with smooth precision.
Over the course of the twenty-minute drive, Wen Qian actually did almost fall asleep.
"Are we here?" Wen Qian opened her eyes, still groggy, and glanced out the window. When she saw that it was indeed her apartment complex, she immediately reached for her seatbelt.
"It's too late. I'll see you to your door." A hand caught hers. Wen Qian looked up to find Gu Mian wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the gate barrier ahead. The moment it lifted, he started the car again.
"Yes, go straight… then turn left."
"After this intersection, turn right and keep going…"
"It's just up ahead."
The car pulled up right in front of her apartment building. Wen Qian let out a subconscious sigh of relief. As she unbuckled her seatbelt, she turned to thank Gu Mian.
But to her surprise, as she turned, she saw that Gu Mian had gotten out of the car as well.
Wen Qian blinked. "Professor, is there something else?"
Gu Mian didn't speak. He lifted his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping past her to fix on something in the distance. His expression turned cold, and a chill seemed to settle over his thin, reddish lips.
'So, it was him.'