In the third match, I will kill her and give you the Yun family's property.

The voice was extremely soft, like a whisper in a dream.

After speaking, the person began gathering essence on their own, breathing steadily and deeply, completely oblivious to everything around them.

Although...

Su Qi felt somewhat grateful to Yun Huang for "stepping in to help."

But the problem was...

This wasn’t even about sleeping anymore!

Su Qi could clearly feel the "pillow" beneath him stiffen instantly.

Earlier, Liu Yuan had been a little tense too, but her body had quickly relaxed, carrying the soft warmth unique to a young girl.

Yet the moment Yun Huang sat down—especially after uttering those words, "Sleep now"—Su Qi could sense the muscles in Liu Yuan’s thighs tighten.

Without even looking, Su Qi knew his little sister was unhappy.

He stole a glance out of the corner of his eye.

Sure enough.

Liu Yuan’s cheeks were slightly puffed, her face resembling an angry little pufferfish.

Her eyes were wide open, tinged with... indignation?

Su Qi could even feel her small fists clenching subtly.

Was she preparing to throw a punch at her "former idol"?

"What’s wrong?"

Liu Yuan seemed startled, her body trembling almost imperceptibly before she quickly shook her head.

She looked like she wanted to say something but ultimately pressed her lips together.

Instead, she adjusted her posture slightly, trying to make Su Qi more comfortable.

Su Qi understood now.

This silly little sister was... jealous?

He felt both exasperated and amused.

He could empathize with Liu Yuan’s feelings.

Perhaps Yun Huang was simply too dazzling.

So much so that when Yun Huang herself appeared before them—and even formed some kind of subtle connection with Su Qi (or at least, what Liu Yuan perceived as subtle)—that sense of inadequacy and insecurity was magnified infinitely.

Can men and women ever have purely platonic friendships?

Su Qi couldn’t say for sure. Maybe everyone had their own answer.

But one thing he could state with certainty: at the very least, purely transactional relationships existed.

Because the moment Yun Huang sat down, Su Qi distinctly felt a small paper ball slip into his hand.

Clearly, Yun Huang wasn’t here for a casual chat.

Su Qi discreetly slipped his hand into his pants pocket. He’d check it out later when he woke up, somewhere private.

After all, nothing was more important than his nap right now.

...

Two and a half hours later.

Su Qi woke up.

The duration was just right—enough to recharge his energy.

By now, the first round of basic testing was nearing its end.

Each testing area held four hundred examinees, and with registration time factored in, each person took about thirty seconds.

The three test items themselves didn’t consume much time.

The first phase would wrap up between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Su Qi shifted slightly.

"Brother, you’re awake?"

Liu Yuan seemed to notice his movement.

Her earlier puffed-cheek glare at Yun Huang instantly vanished, replaced by her usual gentle demeanor.

"Yeah, I’m good now."

Su Qi responded softly, pushing himself up to sit.

Liu Yuan’s legs felt slightly numb—after all, she’d maintained the same position for so long.

Normally, she’d shift around.

Meanwhile, Yun Huang, still seated beside Su Qi, remained with her eyes closed, breathing evenly, completely unaware—or perhaps indifferent—that Su Qi had woken up.

Su Qi rubbed his still-sleepy eyes and looked at Liu Yuan.

"Thanks, my adorable little sister. I slept really well."

Liu Yuan’s cheeks flushed faintly.

She flexed her stiffened knees slightly before drawing her legs back a little.

Su Qi glanced at Yun Huang, then back at Liu Yuan.

The image of that "jealous little pufferfish" resurfaced in his mind.

"I... need to use the restroom."

Su Qi offered a perfectly reasonable excuse.

He really did need to deal with that paper ball Yun Huang had passed him.

Liu Yuan nodded.

Without lingering, Su Qi strode out of the lounge.

The hallway was bustling, far livelier than the lounge.

After all, people from Great Xia loved spectacles—less than half the lounge seats were ever occupied.

Su Qi followed the corridor, searching for the restroom sign.

The paper ball sat securely in his pants pocket.

Once he found the restroom, he entered and headed straight for an empty stall.

After confirming no one was inside, he locked the door behind him.

Su Qi pulled out the crumpled paper ball from his pocket and carefully unfolded it.

The paper was ordinary, likely torn from a random sheet.

The handwriting... was unremarkable...

Even a little...

Messy.

Well, it seemed a person’s penmanship could indeed be hit or miss.

Su Qi scrutinized the note. The message was brief but enough to make his eyes narrow slightly. It read:

"Round three I’ll kill her"

"Yun family assets yours"

No extra words. Not even a single punctuation mark.

Seriously?

Already showing your hand this soon?

But you’re only seventh-tier!

That woman, no matter how incompetent, is still ninth-tier.

This wasn’t like pre-sixth-tier gaps.

This was a full two major realms above.

Su Qi tore the note into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet.

So... should he help or not?