Maxwell Jing leaned against the window, squinting in the direction of the noise, then turned and climbed into bed to sleep.
Though he often seemed reckless, Maxwell Jing knew well what could and could not be done. If he didn't, he wouldn't have survived this long!
Moonlight spilled gently across the ground outside the window—a scene of beauty, yet paired with the chilling screams, it became unsettling. No one could sleep soundly in such an atmosphere.
But Maxwell Jing fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately, the peace did not last long. Soon, the once-sleeping man began to toss and turn, cold sweat breaking out on his brow, his hands flailing as if trying to grasp something or push something away.
A man's incredulous eyes, a woman's manic laughter, a dagger gleaming coldly, flames raging everywhere...
Maxwell Jing jolted upright, gasping for breath, his eyes clouded with confusion—beneath that confusion, a fear and sorrow even he could not name.
After a moment, Maxwell Jing dazedly uttered two words, "Buddy..."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Maxwell Jing collapsed back onto the bed, but sleep would not come again. He was long used to this routine—sleep, nightmare, then wakefulness, staring at the ceiling until dawn.
Though the nightmares were frequent, he could never make out the faces of those within them. The only thing he remembered clearly was Buddy—and the dog's serene gaze.
Maxwell Jing shook his head, unwilling to dwell on the vague yet suffocating scenes from his dream. He rolled over, sat up, and quietly slipped out the door.
Sensing someone approach, Ethan Gu snapped his eyes open. His right hand shot out like a claw, grabbing the intruder's neck as he demanded coldly, "Who are you?"
Maxwell Jing ignored the hand that could end his life at any moment, crawling onto the bed and lazily remarking, "You only caught me because my neck is thin. Try grabbing someone with a thick neck and see how you do!"
It was true—Ethan Gu was still a child, his hands too small to grab an adult by the neck. But...
Ethan Gu released him, his voice still cold. "There are plenty of ways to kill someone."
Maxwell Jing sprawled out beside him, wrapping his arms and legs around Ethan. Ethan Gu frowned, "What are you doing?"
"Sleeping! It's easy to have nightmares when you sleep alone. Since we're friends now, isn't it reasonable to ask you to keep me company for a nap?"
Suddenly remembering something, Ethan Gu ignored Maxwell's words, slipped out of his grasp, and took a fist-sized luminous pearl from a black pouch by his pillow. The room lit up instantly.
Ethan Gu opened a hidden compartment in the headboard, took out a small booklet, and tossed it to Maxwell Jing. "Starting tomorrow, you'd better study martial arts and medicine properly. If you get dragged off and tortured, I won't be able to save you!"
A martial arts manual? Maxwell Jing raised an eyebrow. "What about Lucas Lu?"
Ethan Gu replied expressionlessly, "I can't take care of that many people."
Maxwell Jing shook his head. "You kept him around just to keep me in line? He looks up to you so much—how heartless!"
Ethan Gu frowned, warning, "You'd better take this seriously. There's a test every month. If you fail, even I can't protect you!"
Maxwell Jing replied, a little troubled, "Sanctuary Heir, are you sure this isn't hurting me? If I stay under your protection for too long, I'll just get weaker and be eliminated in the end!" Having survived on his own for so long, Maxwell understood truths that many adults never grasped.
Ethan Gu looked into his eyes and asked, "Will you?"
Maxwell Jing curled his lips. "Nope!"
After a long silence, Ethan Gu suddenly spoke. "How am I supposed to sleep like this?" He reached out, trying to pry Maxwell's arm off his chest.
Maxwell Jing clung to him stubbornly, unconcerned. "You'll get used to it. Buddy always slept soundly!"
"Buddy?" Ethan Gu frowned, sensing something was off.
Sure enough, Maxwell Jing's face was full of nostalgia. "Buddy was my big yellow dog. He was really smart..." Oddly enough, Maxwell couldn't remember his parents' faces, but he remembered a dog perfectly.
Ethan Gu twitched his lips, snapping, "Maxwell Jing, did you just compare me to a dog? Clearly I've been too nice to you!"
Ethan Gu realized this, and Maxwell Jing's tough days were about to begin!
Of course, Maxwell Jing didn't know that yet. Seeing Ethan Gu's furious expression, he grumbled, "What's wrong with a dog? Buddy was my savior and my best friend!"
Noticing Ethan Gu's sour mood, Maxwell Jing added innocently, "Buddy is gone, so I can't sleep with him anymore. Now that you're my friend, it's only natural for me to sleep hugging you!"
Maxwell Jing seemed no different than usual—maybe even more annoying—but the fleeting sadness in his eyes did not escape Ethan Gu's notice.
After watching him for a moment, Ethan Gu reached out and hugged Maxwell Jing around the waist, his voice cold. "Sleep."
Little did he know, his moment of softness meant he'd be tangled up with this octopus for life!
Maxwell Jing wondered why Ethan Gu suddenly stopped being angry. He wanted to say something, but saw Ethan close his eyes, so he shrugged and closed his own eyes to sleep.
Early in the morning, Luna Gu and Grace Gu came to help Ethan Gu get up, only to find the two boys tightly hugging each other in bed.
Ethan Gu had already woken up; he always got up at this time. Glancing at the boy clinging to him, sleeping soundly—nothing like someone plagued by nightmares.
Under Luna Gu and Grace Gu's gaze, Ethan Gu kicked out with his foot. With a thud, Maxwell Jing landed safely on the floor.
Luna Gu and Grace Gu gaped at Ethan Gu, who remained expressionless, their minds racing to guess what had happened.
Maxwell Jing rubbed his aching back, stood up, and frowned at Ethan Gu. "What was that for?"
Ethan Gu looked at his disheveled friend without a hint of sympathy. "I was just waking you up."
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