It's... it's okay, just... a bit crowded.

The next day.

Liu Yuan curled up in Su Qi's embrace, her small head nestled against him.

A faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips, as if she had dreamed of something delightful.

"Mmm… Brother…"

Her murmur was soft and indistinct, sweet enough to melt anyone's heart: "Hug me~"

Her long lashes fluttered lightly.

Unconsciously, she nuzzled her nose against Su Qi's arm, which was wrapped around her. Catching the comforting scent, her smile deepened.

Dawn gradually broke.

The darkness inside the tent had almost entirely faded.

Liu Yuan's eyelashes trembled faster and faster until, finally, her eyes slowly opened.

Her drowsy gaze reflected the slightly unfamiliar surroundings of the tent, blurring the line between dream and reality.

"Mmm… Brother~ I like this."

The words slipped out instinctively, her voice still thick with sleep.

Then, realizing what she had just said, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her drowsiness vanished.

She quickly covered her mouth.

She had spent the entire night in Su Qi's arms…

They were so close that she could hear his steady breathing.

Liu Yuan's face burned, her heart pounding like a drum. Flustered, she tried to shift away, but the movement only made Su Qi tighten his hold, pulling her even closer.

"Uh… Brother?"

She called out softly, her voice tinged with shyness and uncertainty.

"Your… arm…"

But halfway through her sentence, she noticed Su Qi's deep, even breathing.

It was hard to fake the rhythm of genuine sleep.

So… he was still asleep.

Good.

If he had heard what she just said…

At that thought, she couldn’t help but secretly smile to herself.

Still, she had to get up!

If Su Qi woke now, things might get awkward.

Wriggling carefully…

Liu Yuan attempted to free herself from his embrace.

Soon, a problem arose.

She tried to slide downward to slip out, but…

Su Qi’s arm trapped her slightly.

Only a little, though—just a bit more effort, and she could break free.

But she didn’t want to wake him.

After all, Su Qi loved sleeping in…

Taking a deep breath, she leaned back slightly.

The struggle was real, but let’s skip the details.

Five minutes later.

Liu Yuan finally felt solid ground beneath her feet again.

Before she could even catch her breath, Su Qi stirred, apparently disturbed by her movements.

His eyes slowly opened.

The moment their gazes met,

Liu Yuan felt her face burn.

All that effort… wasted?

She had woken him after all.

Su Qi blinked at his sister’s slightly pouty expression, then pretended not to notice. "Morning. Sleep well?"

(Note to self: Never ask why she’s upset. Don’t give her an opening.)

Liu Yuan’s ears burned as she mumbled, "It was… okay. Just… a little cramped."

Su Qi teased her deliberately: "Well, next time we’ll get a bigger one."

Liu Yuan glared at him. "There won’t be a next time!"

"Last night was just because you looked exhausted, and I didn’t want you sleeping on the floor. Don’t overthink it!"

(Seriously, tsunderes are so outdated. Might as well be a—)

"Then next time I protect you, we’ll upgrade to a bigger one."

Ahhh!

Liu Yuan felt herself slipping into that inexplicable state again—

equal parts annoyed and amused.

But honestly?

Most of her embarrassment had already dissipated, leaving only a stubborn flicker of defiance.

She busied herself with folding clothes, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

Su Qi stood up as well, stretching—

but then abruptly stopped mid-motion and turned away.

Liu Yuan noticed but, with zero life experience, didn’t connect it to anything inappropriate. "It’s only past seven, right? You’re not going back to sleep?"

Su Qi turned back after a pause. "Can’t sleep now."

Liu Yuan startled. "Can’t sleep?"

Her eyes filled with concern. "Is there danger again?"

Su Qi walked over and ruffled her hair. "Not that. You’ll see when we go out."

……

The two stepped out of the tent side by side.

The camp’s atmosphere was unusually somber.

Many students, sporting dark circles, rubbed their sore backs and grumbled:

"This straw mat was so hard, I tossed and turned all night."

"Tell me about it. My whole body aches—worse than a full day of training."

"Ugh, some bug bit me. It’s so itchy."

Old Li stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back.

His brow was furrowed.

His left hand absently fiddled with the communicator at his waist.

When he spotted Su Qi and Liu Yuan emerging, he finally moved.

He had expected to wait longer.

After all, the tent had rocked quite a bit last night.

And a broken hammock had been tossed out at some point.

Ah, youth…

Sibling bonds these days were something else.

At least no one had been "defeated by a lower-level opponent."

This wasn’t favoritism—just respect and gratitude toward the strong.

Without Su Qi last night, these kids might’ve been wiped out like minor NPCs.

"Everyone here?" Old Li cleared his throat, his voice deeper than usual.

He scanned the group, pausing briefly on each face.

At the sight of several sleep-deprived students, his lips twitched.

Harsh? Maybe. But it always left a lasting impression.

He quickly schooled his expression back to stern.

"Bad news, I’m afraid." Old Li coughed lightly. "I’ve just been informed that the Six Academies’ combat exam training will end early."

The crowd erupted.

"Why?!"

"What’s the reason?!"

"Are we being punished? If we messed up, just tell us! Give us a chance to fix it!"

"If other academies keep training while we stop, doesn’t that put us at a disadvantage?"

"Face it, we’re already bottom-tier. Might as well kiss this exam goodbye."

"Quiet!" Old Li raised a hand.

Once the murmurs died down, he continued, "I’ve seen your performance."

"It wasn’t outstanding, but it certainly doesn’t warrant cancellation."

"The issue lies with the staff’s oversight, which introduced… unpredictable risks."

"I can no longer guarantee your safety."

"Therefore, we must terminate the session."

"If arrangements are made later, you’ll be notified. We’ll try to compensate for the disruption."

(No way he could mention the cultists to these kids.)

Apart from causing panic and making them blabber everywhere, alerting the enemy, it serves no purpose.

"Why should we pay for the staff's mistakes?"

"Yeah, why? If you're not capable enough to ensure our safety, then let someone who is protect us! What kind of solution is kicking us out..."

No exaggeration here.

This is just human nature—where nobility is engraved, so too is the shadow of baseness.

The tale of "a little kindness rewarded with great enmity" has persisted since ancient times.

Slap!

The student who spoke last was struck hard across the face by Old Li.

The blow was so forceful it sent the student sprawling to the ground.

Lying there, one hand propping himself up, the other clutching his cheek, the student stared at Old Li in terror.

Old Li shot him a look of contempt. "First, if arrangements could be made, the higher-ups would’ve already done so—not left it to me to inform you here."

"Second, go check how much it costs for an ordinary superhuman to enter this Origin Realm for a single day."

"You’re only Tier 3, and your performance in class is mediocre at best. The only reason you’re here is because my selection criteria differ from others’, and I gave you a hand."

"Never mind, don’t bother checking. I’ll tell you—10,000 a day."

"Even if you don’t take a single resource with you, a full month and a half would still cost you 30,000 to 50,000."

"Now, I’m no big shot, but I haven’t charged you a single cent for this training."

"You’re enjoying free instruction—what gives you the right to point at me and say I’m incompetent?"

"If you’ve got the guts, go hire some Tier 8 or 9 expert to protect you personally!"

"Damn it, you call me ‘Old Li’ here, and I let it slide."

"Strip away your status as a Six Institutes student, and even if your father begged everyone he knew, he might not be able to get me to train you."

"Ungrateful brat. You’d be the first to desert on the front lines."

"Pah." Old Li spat, his shoes crunching on the ground as he walked away.

Su Qi thought Old Li was a decent teacher—just a bit too fond of cursing.

And he always defaulted to "you’d desert on the front lines."

Old Li opened his mouth as if to say more, but in the end, he just sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Go pack your things. We assemble in an hour to head back."

Only then did he turn to Su Qi. "Sorry you had to see that. If you don’t want to wait, you and your sister can leave first."

Given Su Qi’s strength, he didn’t need Old Li’s supervision, and Old Li wasn’t the rigid type anyway.

"It’s fine. Strict teachers produce outstanding students."

Old Li shook his head. "That’s not it."

"I just don’t want to see students like that on the front lines."

Then, his composure cracked.

"I’d love to enjoy life too, instead of being drained dry by it."

"Life’s a real damn [expletive]."