Chapter 128: Chapter 128 - Lu Zhi

Muchen squinted, trying to get a better look at the boy standing on the balcony across the courtyard.

He was young—probably around sixteen or seventeen—wearing a wrinkled school uniform stained with sweat and grime. His face was pale under the dim sunlight, but his eyes were desperate, hopeful.

"Hey! We're here!" the boy shouted, waving both arms frantically.

Shao, who had been bracing against the door with Muchen, turned sharply toward the window, his heart pounding. His breath hitched with hope—Was it him? Was his brother still alive?

But the moment his gaze landed on the unfamiliar face, that hope shattered.

His hands clenched into fists as a hollow feeling settled in his chest.

Not him.

Not his brother.

A dull sense of dread replaced the rush of adrenaline, weighing heavily in his stomach.