The remaining students stared at one another in stunned silence.
Then, as though finally realizing the gravity of the situation, they scrambled to their feet and fled after him, leaving the warehouse in complete disarray.
Professor Feng paid them no attention.
His entire focus had already shifted to Gou Feng.
He hurried over and knelt beside him, quickly unlocking the cuffs around his wrists before moving to his ankles.
The metal restraints fell to the floor with a dull clang.
Professor Feng carefully looked Gou Feng over, his expression softening with concern.
"Can you stand?"
His voice had calmed, though the anger simmering beneath it was still unmistakable.
"If not, don't force yourself. I'll help you."
Relief washed over Gou Feng. He let out a quiet breath before giving a small shake of his head.
"No, Professor... I'm alright."
His voice was slightly hoarse.
"I can still stand."
Professor Feng gave a small nod.
Without another word, he removed his white lab coat and draped it over Gou Feng's shoulders.
"Here."
Gou Feng quietly accepted it, pulling the coat around himself to cover his torn uniform.
Professor Feng then extended a hand.
"Easy."
Gou Feng grasped it and slowly pushed himself to his feet.
The moment he stood upright, however, a sharp wave of dizziness struck him.
His vision swam.
His knees buckled beneath him.
Before he could collapse onto the concrete, Professor Feng caught him by the waist and steadied him, guiding one of his arms over his shoulder to support his weight.
"I've got you."
Professor Feng adjusted his grip to make sure Gou Feng wouldn't fall again.
"Let's get you to the infirmary first. You need those injuries treated, and you should rest for a while."
His expression darkened as he glanced toward the warehouse entrance where Adrian had fled alongside the other five students.
"As for those boys..."
His jaw tightened.
"They're going to answer for what they've done. I'll report this to the principal immediately."
In the parking lot area, Huan Zhan frowned.
"He's taking too long."
He pulled out his phone and called Gou Feng once more.
The call rang and rang but no answer.
A crease formed between Huan Zhan's brows.
He ended the call and dialed again.
But the result is the same, no answer.
Beside him, Shen Jiu's expression gradually hardened.
"Locate him."
Without hesitation, Huan Zhan pulled out his phone and opened the tracking application linked to their devices.
Within seconds, a blinking dot appeared on the screen.
"There."
He zoomed in on the map.
"He's nearby."
His finger tapped the blinking location.
"The signal is coming from the secluded corner beside the parking lot."
Shen Jiu leaned over to look.
"Then why isn't he answering his pho—"
His words died in his throat.
The two exchanged a brief glance.
Neither of them spoke, instead they broke into a sprint.
Their footsteps pounded against the pavement as they raced toward the location.
Less than a minute later, they rounded the corner, only to come to an abrupt halt.
The narrow passage was empty.
"...Where is he?" Huan Zhan frowned and glanced down at his phone.
"The tracker still says he's here."
Shen Jiu's sharp gaze swept across the area, and spotted something near the base of a concrete wall, a familiar black backpack lay discarded on the ground.
Beside it was a phone with a spiderweb of cracks across its screen.
"...He's here."
His voice turned cold.
"His phone."
Huan Zhan immediately looked in the same direction.
"The hell..."
He hurried over and crouched beside the abandoned belongings.
The backpack was unzipped, as though it had been dropped in a hurry.
He picked up the phone.
The screen was badly cracked, but it remained powered on.
The blinking location on his own tracker stopped moving.
An eerie silence settled over the narrow passage.
Huan Zhan's expression darkened.
"Someone took him."
Shen Jiu didn't answer. His eyes were already scanning the surroundings with renewed intensity.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
His heightened senses reached outward, separating one scent from another.
Students, freshly cut grass, concrete, and… His eyes snapped open.
"Unfamiliar scent."
There were several of them. More importantly, Gou Feng's scent continued beyond this spot.
"This way!"
Huan Zhan slung Gou Feng's backpack over his shoulder, pocketed the damaged phone, and immediately chased after him.
The two raced through winding pathways and deserted corners of the campus before arriving behind the gymnasium.
An abandoned warehouse stood silently before them.
As they drew closer, the unfamiliar scents grew stronger.
So did Gou Feng's.
Shen Jiu's expression turned cold.
"...They're inside."
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere between them shifted.
A low growl rumbled from Huan Zhan's chest.
His shoulders tensed, every muscle in his body tightening as his wolf instincts surged to the surface.
Dark fur gradually spread across the backs of his hands, and sharp claws slowly extended from his fingertips.
His amber eyes narrowed toward the building.
Shen Jiu's gaze quickly flicked to him. Without a word, he reached out and firmly caught his cousin's wrist.
"Calm yourself," he said evenly.
"They're only humans."
Huan Zhan snapped his head toward him.
"Are you calm yourself?" he shot back, his voice carrying the unmistakable rasp of his wolf.
"They took A-Feng!"
For the briefest moment, Shen Jiu's eyes hardened.
Of course he wasn't calm.
The urge to tear through the building and drag Gou Feng out by force was clawing at him just as fiercely.
But he couldn't afford to let instinct take over.
"We have to be," Shen Jiu replied, his voice low but unwavering.
"The moment we lose control, we become the ones who break the pact."
Huan Zhan's jaw clenched.
A tense silence stretched between them, before finally, he released a sharp breath through his nose.
The fur receded, his claws gradually withdrew, and the tension in his shoulders eased, though the anger burning in his eyes remained.
"Fine," he muttered.
"But if they hurt him..."
He left the sentence unfinished.
Neither cousin needed to hear the rest. The fury burning in their eyes said everything that remained unsaid.
Without wasting another second, they sprinted toward the open warehouse entrance.
Just as they're about to reach it, a man in a black turtleneck emerges from inside.
He was supporting Gou Feng.
The moment Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan caught sight of him, both of them stopped in their tracks.
Gou Feng's complexion was deathly pale.
Fresh bruises marred his face, while dried blood stained the corner of his lips.
His clothes were disheveled, and he leaned heavily against the man supporting him, barely able to stay on his feet.
His breathing was shallow.
His eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion.
"A-Feng!"
They rushed forward simultaneously.
Huan Zhan reached him first, carefully taking Gou Feng's weight onto his own shoulders, while Shen Jiu's sharp eyes swept over him from head to toe, silently assessing every visible injury.
"A-Feng."
Though his expression remained composed, the worry in his voice was impossible to miss.
"What happened?"
Gou Feng slowly lifted his head.
Seeing the familiar faces before him, the last of the tension in his body eased.
"...I'm fine," he murmured hoarsely.
The lie was so unconvincing that neither of them dignified it with a response.
Professor Feng looked at the two young men before answering.
"I found him inside this warehouse."
He explained.
"There were six students surrounding him. They had restrained him and were attempting to assault him."
His brows furrowed.
"Fortunately, I arrived before anything worse could happen."
The two cousins fell silent.
The air around them seemed to drop several degrees.
Professor Feng noticed the murderous expressions on the two cousins' faces and quietly cleared his throat.
"You two should take him to the infirmary first," he said calmly.
"I'll notify campus security and the principal. Those students will be dealt with appropriately."
His gaze lingered back on Gou Feng's bruised face before dropping to the way he struggled to remain standing.
"He shouldn't be on his feet any longer than necessary."
Both cousins nodded.
"We understand."
Professor Feng adjusted his glasses before offering a polite smile.
"I'm Professor Wu Feng. I teach Science and Technology here. We probably haven't met before since you're from a different department."
"Thank you for helping him, Professor Wu," Huan Zhan said sincerely.
Shen Jiu inclined his head in gratitude.
"We appreciate it."
Professor Wu waved a hand dismissively.
"It was the least I could do."
Gou Feng managed a faint smile despite his exhaustion.
"Thank you... Professor."
Professor Wu smiled back.
"You're welcome."
He stepped aside to clear their path.
"Go ahead. I'll meet you at the infirmary after I've finished reporting those troublemakers."
Just as they were about to leave, he suddenly remembered something.
"Oh."
His expression grew serious.
"Be careful with his right shoulder. It took a hard hit."
"We will."
Shen Jiu immediately moved to Gou Feng's other side, gently guiding one of his arms over his own shoulders to help support his weight.
"Easy..." he said.
"We've got you, A-Feng."
Gou Feng let out a weak chuckle.
"I know..."
A moment later, he sniffed lightly before adding in a hoarse voice,
"I can even smell both of your terrible breaths from here."
Huan Zhan sighed helplessly.
"This really isn't the time to joke."
"Your timing has always been terrible," Shen Jiu added, unable to suppress the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Even battered and exhausted, Gou Feng still found the energy to tease them.