Meeting

Standing at the door of his dormitory, Ji Ning fumbled for a long time before finally finding his key. As he opened the door, he explained, “I reported to school a bit late, so this single room was all that was left. Since I live alone, it might be a little messy.”

Qin Mo had thought he was just being modest, but upon seeing the state of the room, she gained a profound understanding of a single man’s living environment—it was truly chaotic. While there wasn’t any obvious trash, it was clear Ji Ning never put things back where they belonged. You could find anything you could imagine on his nightstand.

Clothes that should have been folded and put away in the wardrobe were left out to air-dry, books half-read were propped against his pillow... Qin Mo, who was naturally tidy, frowned. As she was considering how to persuade Ji Ning to clean up, he received a phone call.

Ji Ning answered openly, not avoiding her at all. “Hello, Sylvia...”

Qin Mo watched as Ji Ning was abruptly hung up on after barely a few words. He sighed. “My professor needs me for something. Sit here and wait for a while; I’ll be back in a bit. It might take some time.” With that, he jogged off and disappeared from Qin Mo’s view.

Only once Ji Ning was gone did Qin Mo mutter quietly, “Sylvia... sister?”

So, it was a woman—one who sounded quite young.

Qin Mo felt an inexplicable sense of irritation. She sat in a chair, then immediately stood up again, gazing at the messy room as a thought quietly formed in her mind.

Since she couldn’t repay her debt for now, wasn’t it only right to play the role of a helpful little housemaid?

After all, she was a diligent, tidy girl!

Ji Ning and Sylvia met at the indoor training hall. After a brief warm-up, neither wasted words. Sylvia had made it clear—here, they spoke with their fists.

Glancing at the still-breathless Ji Ning, Sylvia’s sharp eyes assessed his condition in seconds. Not only was he uninjured, he’d also been slacking off in his daily training. In just a week, he’d even put on a little weight.

So young, and yet even if you slack off a bit, you should still pay attention to your physique!

But she didn’t say anything, because she noticed a childlike pride in Ji Ning’s eyes—the kind of pride of someone who has a new toy to show off but is too shy to speak first.

Ha, all this just for passing a final exam.

You’re no child anymore; do you still need praise and hugs for passing a test?

Sylvia decided to teach this young student a good lesson. Pride, after all, was the downfall of most young trainees at Hart College. With hands clasped behind her back, she strode forward, her presence overwhelming, so different from before. “Let me see the results of your training these past days.”

Ji Ning’s lips curled in an unreadable smile. “There’s an old saying from China: ‘After three days apart, look at a man with new eyes.’” Then he silently chanted, “655, number one under heaven,” and charged at Sylvia.

And then, unsurprisingly, the unexpected happened. SCP-CN-655, citing insufficient energy and no need to overexert itself in this situation, offered him only a slight boost to his neural reflexes. Though his reactions were quicker, the smile on Ji Ning’s face vanished in under three seconds, and he began to suspect SCP-CN-655 was up to no good.

The neural boost only made him a little faster and heightened his sense of touch, so getting hit hurt even more.

Sylvia found that Ji Ning had indeed put on some weight—he felt even better to hit now. Though, she preferred a firmer build. As she thought this, she was mercilessly beating the cowering Ji Ning.

“I don’t know what method you used to enhance your physique, but can you really handle this speed? Relying solely on brute force without sufficient technique or body control is pointless. If you want to defeat me, it’s just wishful thinking. There’s a lot you still need to learn from me. In fact, now that I’m sure you have extraordinary abilities, there’s even more I need to teach you. Remember, no matter how great your strength, without the right way to use it, it’s just an empty show.”

By the time Qin Mo had finished tidying everything, the stars across the sky were already dragging themselves toward the horizon. The westerly sunlight poured in through the window, pausing on the Victorian-patterned curtains and their braided cords. The sunlight, five hundred seconds old, filtered through the twilight atmosphere in ribbons and bands, casting transparent beams across the room, landing softly on her serene face. Like gold leaf scattered across a still-life, the quiet girl sat at Ji Ning’s desk, waiting for his return.

Qin Mo waited so long she almost felt like a housewife awaiting her husband’s return from work. At last, Ji Ning, limping and battered, was helped back to the dormitory by Sylvia.

At the sight of Ji Ning’s appearance and Sylvia’s expression, Qin Mo instantly guessed what had happened. Usually so polite, her eyes passed right over Sylvia and focused on Ji Ning. “What happened to you?”

“Fell into a hole while walking,” Ji Ning replied, every bone in his body creaking with each step, though he pretended not to be in pain at all.

As a woman, Sylvia sensed the hostility from the unfamiliar girl the moment she entered the room—how adorable. She smiled and said, “My name is Sylvia Bennett. And what’s your name, pretty girl?”

“Qin Mo.” Her reply was cold. With a stranger present, she tried hard to control her expression, not wanting her worry for Ji Ning to be seen.

“Are you Ji Ning’s girlfriend?” Sylvia teased.

“I— I’m not! We’re just friends.” In an instant, the fierce tigress became a shy little kitten.

Sylvia tossed a bottle of medicine to the little kitten with a light flick, then exited the dorm with a spring in her step. “This is for bruises—originally I was going to apply it for him, but since you’re here, I’ll leave it to you. I have other things to do. Goodbye, Miss Qin Mo—just a friend.”

Qin Mo took the medicine, reading the instructions on the bottle before turning to Ji Ning. Looking at his bruised and swollen face, her voice was laced with annoyance.

“Take off your clothes!”

Ji Ning froze, confused by her anger, but obediently did as she said.

“What are you doing! Just your shirt!”

Qin Mo’s movements were awkward and her cheeks flushed red, but that didn’t matter. They had plenty of time—enough to grow familiar with each other.