She couldn’t remember when she fell asleep. In any case, when she woke again, daylight was already bright.

Shen Mo wasn’t in the room.

Bai Youwei slowly yawned and saw a rinsing cup, toothbrush, and toothpaste on the table, along with a basin of prepared clean water.

She didn’t move immediately but sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then slowly changed clothes, got into her wheelchair, and brushed her teeth and washed her face.

The dirty clothes she’d changed out of had accumulated over two days. She really wanted to throw them away, but thinking that she no longer had the capital to be wasteful, she could only endure her irritable mood and take them into the dormitory’s private bathroom to wash.

This was really annoying. She had never washed clothes in her entire life.

Old Teacher Cheng was cooking in the hallway outside.

He had borrowed a wood-burning stove and iron pot from upstairs, with rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and various bottles and jars arranged beside them. Hearing the sounds of Bai Youwei getting up, he immediately said: “Weiwei, breakfast will be ready soon. There’s congee and eggs. Teacher Tu also gave us a package of dried noodles. Which would you like?”

“Either is fine…” Bai Youwei asked from inside the room: “Where’s Shen Mo?”

“He and Tan Xiao went to Yangzhou Port early this morning.” Old Teacher Cheng looked toward the school gate. “They should be back soon.”

Bai Youwei said “Oh,” casually scrubbed the clothes in her hands a few times, not caring whether they were clean or not, and hung them all up in the dormitory.

After that, having nothing else to do, she wheeled herself to the back of the dormitory building to pick mint leaves from the flower beds.

She picked a whole bunch.

She carefully washed each leaf and placed them on newspaper to dry in the shaded area of the hallway.

Perhaps because she and Cheng Weicai were just too leisurely—one cooking, one drying leaves—when the students came down from upstairs, the looks they gave them were somewhat indescribable.

Tu Dan was taking students to tackle the frog game today. She had been preparing since early morning, and the atmosphere was very tense.

Bai Youwei held her bowl, watching them bustle about while drinking congee, feeling slightly regretful because Old Teacher Cheng’s cooking skills were clearly not as good as Tu Dan’s.

She watched thirteen students plus Tu Dan, fourteen people total, mount their bicycles and raised her arm to wave:

“Bon voyage.”

Tu Dan also waved at her and departed with the students.

Fourteen bicycles left one after another, riding along the campus roads like a school of fish swimming through water, carrying a neat rhythmic sense, full of vitality.

Bai Youwei watched those speeding wheels, took a sip of congee, and murmured: “So enviable…”

…

Not long after Tu Dan’s group left, Shen Mo and Tan Xiao returned.

They had obtained gasoline and collected some daily necessities, stuffing the SUV even fuller than before—so full it was almost bursting.

“We’re done for.” Bai Youwei said coolly. “Looks like finding a refuge is out of the question. Otherwise, those two wouldn’t have specifically brought back so much food and supplies.”

Cheng Weicai looked at Shen Mo and Tan Xiao expectantly, hoping they could bring back good news.

Facing the old man’s gaze, Shen Mo’s normally decisive nature found it difficult to speak.

He pondered for a long time before saying: “…The boats didn’t come.”

Old Teacher Cheng’s eyes immediately dimmed.

Shen Mo continued: “The boats responsible for transferring people initially came every two hours, but in recent days, not a single boat has appeared. Some people couldn’t wait any longer and seized the work ferries at the shore. Others walked south along the Yangtze River embankment. Now only a dozen or so tents remain at Yangzhou Port. In another two days, the remaining people will probably leave too.”

“You mean… the boats will never come again?” Old Teacher Cheng asked tremblingly. “Those people aren’t planning to keep waiting?”

“They can’t wait anymore.” Tan Xiao sighed from the side. “They said the fog in the city keeps expanding. At first, it was only as big as a residential complex, but look now—the entire urban area has been swallowed! If we keep waiting, Yangzhou Port won’t be safe either!”

Old Teacher Cheng’s face showed confusion. “Then we… we…”

“My thinking is…” Shen Mo looked at them and said: “Should we go into the fog and take a look?”