When he finally snapped out of his thoughts, Li Xiao realized that the few people surrounding Song Jin were all familiar faces.

Qian Can and Qin Le had both come, along with that sharp-headed second-year student, Zhao Cheng.

No wonder Song Jin had acted so tough and unyielding when they parted ways a few days ago; as it turned out, he had known all along that they would be meeting again very soon.

Over on the other side, the Omegas followed the direction of Song Jin’s gaze, their faces suddenly frozen in an expression of sheer disbelief.

Isn’t that Li Xiao?! Why on earth is he here at the First Military Academy?!

Li Xiao walked over, looking at Song Jin with a faint, knowing smirk as he spoke in the Danse language, “My Shengya is terrible, I can’t translate a single bit. You’d better find someone else.”

Seeing how Li Xiao was deliberately giving him a hard time, Song Jin smiled brilliantly, “I insist on having you translate for me.”

Li Xiao asked, “Translate what?”

Song Jin replied, “Help me tell them that I’m already a family man. I don’t accept advances from the opposite sex.”

To be able to gather around and join the excitement on the very first day of the exchange students’ registration, most of the Danse military academy students present understood at least a little bit of the Shengya language.

A few of the Omegas managed to piece together and guess Song Jin’s meaning, looking immediately crestfallen.

Previously, they could only see Song Jin through videos or live streams. Now that they had finally managed to see him in person, they wished nothing more than to attach themselves to him like accessories.

However, the news of Li Xiao and Song Jin’s marriage had made such a massive uproar that it was impossible for them to pretend they didn’t know.

Song Jin’s words were less of a statement to the Omegas and more of a direct jab aimed at Li Xiao.

Standing off to the side, Qian Can caught a heavy whiff of romantic public display of affection. He immediately nudged his best friend, Qin Le, to step back a bit, wanting to save themselves from getting struck dead center by the flying couples’ sparks.

Li Xiao looked at the group of Omegas and spoke smoothly in the Danse language, “He says he likes Danse Omegas very much and hopes everyone can get along well in the future.”

The Omegas perked up in delight, “…Is that what he meant just now?!”

Li Xiao turned back to look at Song Jin, “Didn’t you say you don’t accept advances?”

Song Jin: “…”

What a childish act of petty revenge.

While the crowd waited with bated breath for Song Jin’s reaction, Song Jin threw an arm over Li Xiao’s shoulder and leaned in, planting a firm, uncompromising kiss right onto his lips.

“Whoa—!!!”

A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed through the surrounding area.

Two Alphas possessing the absolute pinnacle of jaw-dropping visuals kissing passionately in broad daylight—the sheer visual impact was staggering. No one could possibly look away unaffected!

Li Xiao had truly not expected this brat to pull a surprise attack.

Catching the victorious glint of triumph in Song Jin’s eyes, he muttered under his breath, “I’ve been meaning to ask this before—with strength like yours, don’t your teeth hurt?”

Song Jin let out a soft snort, replying in a pitch-low volume that only the two of them could hear, “If you dare talk nonsense again, I’ll smash your front teeth open.”

What kind of adorable threat is this?

Li Xiao couldn’t help but be amused, “Don’t you think this is a kamikaze tactic that inflicts a thousand damage on the enemy while sacrificing eight hundred of your own?”

“I don’t care,” Song Jin smiled recklessly. “At worst, we’ll just hold hands and go get our teeth capped together. We might even enjoy a ‘second person half price’ discount. Saves us a hundred years of beating around the bush.”

Li Xiao: “…”

You certainly know how to manage a thrifty household.

Not far away, General Affairs Director Zhang Bin secretly snapped a picture of this exact scene, brought up a specific number, and hit send.

The moment Song Jin and Li Xiao appeared in the same frame, the entire area practically exploded with hype. All the military academy students who had been assigned to welcome the exchange students began snapping photos like crazy and flooding their chat groups.

By the time the group stepped into the administrative office, the photo of their public kiss had already circulated throughout the entire school campus. Even the faculty members were huddled together in tight circles discussing it, several middle-aged Omega teachers wearing massive auntie smiles as they gossiped and swallowed their saliva.

“If I were twenty years younger, I would have charged forward too.”

“How can a real human exist with such a flawless face and body proportions? He’s handsomer than my AI butler at home!”

“The avatars I customize in video games don’t even look half as good as them. My aesthetic sense truly limits my imagination.”

“And their combat power is top-tier too!”

“Which class are they going to? Can we apply for a schedule transfer? I want so badly to go see them in person, sob sob.”

“What are you all looking at?” A middle-aged male Omega pushed open the door and stepped into the office.

The Omega appeared around forty years old, standing at roughly one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. He possessed a gentle, approachable aura, dressed in a standard teacher’s uniform while holding a few copies of history lesson plans in his hands.

“Director Yan.” Over there, a thirty-something Omega waved him over. “You’re in for a visual treat. Two absolute top-tier prodigies have just arrived in the first-year batch.”

Yan Qing passed by his own desk, casually setting down his lesson plans before picking up his teacup to walk over. Listening to a group of middle-aged adults getting as excitedly worked up over Alphas as teenagers experiencing their first love, he couldn’t help but find it rather amusing.

“Who is it?”

“It’s them. One is the exchange student from Shengya named Song Jin.” The Omega teacher sitting before the desk magnified the photo. “The other is the Second Prince, Li Xiao, who just got injured a few days ago. They are a married couple, and the moment they met, they kissed right on the spot. Ah—I’m dying!”

The moment his eyes fell upon the photo, Yan Qing’s grip on his teacup tightened imperceptibly.

In the photograph, the vast majority of Li Xiao’s face was obscured. His half-closed eyes looked as though he was deeply enjoying his partner’s closeness, his entire form radiating a lazy, effortless sense of relaxation.

The teachers chatted excitedly for a long while before noticing that Yan Qing hadn’t uttered a single word. They couldn’t help but ask, “Director Yan, don’t tell me you have absolutely no reaction to beautiful young boys?!”

Yan Qing snapped out of his trance, popping open his cup lid to take a sip of the strong tea before murmuring nonchalantly, “Generally, children of this caliber are very difficult to manage. It’s bound to be a headache.”

The crowd: “…”

Facing such celestial beauty, the only thing you can think about is work?

Over at the political and education office, seeing that Li Xiao and the exchange student were closely acquainted, General Affairs Director Zhang Bin went ahead and personally escorted them to complete their enrollment procedures.

Song Jin had originally wanted to request sharing the same dormitory room with Li Xiao. However, the school regulations strictly stipulated that exchange students could only room with fellow exchange students. On the surface, it was claimed to be for safety considerations; in reality, everyone knew the true intent was simply to isolate the exchange students and prevent them from having excessive contact with the local military students.

Ultimately, Li Xiao was assigned to room with Jiang Hao, while Song Jin roomed with Qian Can—one in Room 609, and the other in Room 610.

The moment they arrived at the dormitory area, Song Jin followed Li Xiao straight into Room 610.

Sensing that the two had matters to discuss, Jiang Hao consciously turned to strike up a conversation with Qian Can, “Long time no see. How have you been lately?”

Qian Can: “…Yeah, gained a little bit of weight.”

It’s only been three days since they last saw each other. Truly a ‘long time’.

Jiang Hao looked toward Qin Le, “You’re the Student Council President. Is it really fine for you to come over to Danse like this?”

Qin Le replied, “General affairs can be handled remotely, and urgent matters have already been entrusted to the Dean.”

While the three of them were chatting, Meng Tao and several other students approached from the far end of the corridor.

“Well, if it isn’t some old acquaintances?” Meng Tao had failed to intercept Li Xiao earlier, so he turned around to look them up and down with deep disdain. “I didn’t expect that the ones coming this time would be you guys.”

This gaze and tone were clearly looking to stir up trouble.

Qian Can was just about to snap back when Qin Le held him back.

They were on someone else’s turf now. Before getting a clear grasp of the situation here, it was better not to make enemies needlessly.

Seeing this, several students standing behind Meng Tao chimed in with mocking laughter.

“Brother Tao, are these your classmates from Shengya? They don’t look like much at all.”

“They aren’t wearing a single accessory. How miserably poor, looking practically no different from the refugees on the news broadcasts.”

“I really don’t understand what the point is of sending people from Shengya over here. These people are bound to steal our military secrets.”

“Better keep our distance. I feel like they might be carrying some sort of virus.”

“What did you say?!” Ignoring Qin Le’s restraint, Qian Can bellowed, “You’re the ones carrying a virus! Have you forgotten how your own exchange students ended up returning to your country?!”

“Wow, people from Shengya are so barbaric.”

“And they actually understand the Danse language!”

Hearing the two lackeys clad in gold and silver mock them, Qian Can’s fury surged violently.

Meng Tao raised a hand to signal his lackeys to stop there, looking at them with an air of relaxed superiority, “The training at our First Military Academy is exceptionally harsh. You lot better be fully prepared.”

“Since we’ve already come, we have naturally made our psychological preparations.” Qin Le met Meng Tao’s gaze, speaking up with perfect poise. “However, since we are guests, we naturally cannot allow our hosts to look too miserable. In that regard, you guys have done an excellent job, and it’s something worth learning from.”

A single sentence struck Meng Tao’s group completely dumb.

It was no secret what kind of dismal grades the Danse military students had brought home from Shengya. Being mocked by Qin Le like this, they had no choice but to swallow their resentment into their stomachs.

Meng Tao sneered, “I shall wait and see.”

With that, he led his group of lackeys away.

“That brat has become even more arrogant now that he’s back in Danse.” Qian Can glared at Meng Tao’s retreating back. “Pulling a power play on the very first day. Who knows how many dirty tricks they’ll try to play on us moving forward.”

Qin Le unlocked their dormitory door and gestured for them to step inside, “Just stay away from him. He’s nothing but a mad dog.”

Jiang Hao nodded along, feeling that Qin Le’s summary was incredibly accurate.

When dealing with someone like Meng Tao who looked for trouble purely for the sake of it, the absolute best method was to beat the individual until they ran out of breath. However, this was a military academy where killing was against the law; since they couldn’t beat him, they could only steer clear.

Inside Dormitory 610.

The automated robots had already delivered the luggage from the spaceship ahead of time, leaving several trunks piled up along one side of the living room.

The dormitory layout consisted of three bedrooms and one shared living room. However, compared to the Shengya Central Military Academy, the interior decoration here was far more luxurious, practically screaming the word “wealthy” at every turn.

“Pretentious garbage.” Song Jin kept his hands tucked inside his pockets as he followed behind Li Xiao, looking around while tossing out criticisms.

Li Xiao waited for 09 to confirm that there was no active monitoring or surveillance inside the room before turning around to face Song Jin, “What did you come here for?”

Song Jin marched up right in front of him, “To demand an explanation?”

Seeing that he wasn’t taking the matter seriously, Li Xiao said in a deep voice, “It is very dangerous here.”

Meng Jian had long since set up a trap, simply waiting for him to leap inside.

Song Jin shared a highly specific relationship with him, meaning he could very easily become one of their targets as well.

Setting aside the modified humans for a moment, this place was an active military base. In the event that Meng Jian decided to deploy large-scale weaponry, it would be exceptionally difficult to handle even with combat armor.

Song Jin’s face darkened instantly, “Chasing me away? Do you really not want to see me that badly?”

Li Xiao sighed, “You know that’s not what I mean.”

Song Jin snapped back, “Then what do you mean?”

Li Xiao fell silent for a brief moment before whispering, “Find an excuse to head back early. The sooner, the better.”

Song Jin gave an impatient nod, turning on his heel to storm off, “My business is none of your concern.”

“Song Jin!” Li Xiao reached out to grab Song Jin’s hand, only to be violently brushed off.

Watching the dormitory door swing wide open and slam shut with a resounding crash, Li Xiao felt a massive headache coming on.

The little lion was precisely at a rebellious age; the more you forbade him from doing something, the more he dug his heels in to do it. The only way to handle him was to stroke his fur along the right direction.

09’s voice rang directly inside Li Xiao’s ear.

[You’re completely finished. He’s going to ignore you from now on.]

Li Xiao: “…”

You certainly seem to know him well.

Next door, Jiang Hao and the other two watched as Song Jin marched inside, violently kicked over a trunk of luggage with one foot, and stormed furiously into the bedroom on the right side.

Jiang Hao and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

Jiang Hao’s eyes asked: What's the situation? They were perfectly fine just a moment ago.

Qin Le shook his head helplessly.

Qian Can stroked his chin, raising an eyebrow: [The young couple is having a lovers’ quarrel.]

Jiang Hao & Qin Le: “…”

Did you really need to state the obvious?

When lunchtime rolled around, Qian Can steeled his nerves to go call Song Jin out for food.

Just as Li Xiao stepped out of his dormitory, Song Jin happened to emerge from the neighboring unit. As he passed by, he didn’t cast so much as a single glance toward Li Xiao, executing a flawless display of turning a cold shoulder.

Jiang Hao walked beside Li Xiao, asking in a hushed tone, “What happened between you two?”

Li Xiao replied, “A minor disagreement.”

As they exited the dormitory building, Da Bei came running over from the distance, waving a hand toward them, “Long time no see!”

Ever since Li Xiao had returned to the country, Da Bei had completed his assignment and returned to the academy to focus on his classes peacefully.

Since the newcomers had all just arrived at the military academy and were unfamiliar with the layout, Da Bei naturally assumed the role of a tour guide.

The school cafeterias mostly served heavily flavored dishes. Under Qian Can’s intense prompting, Da Bei led them to Dining Hall 107, which offered relatively light flavors.

By the time they stepped inside, a significant number of students were already dining there.

The group maintained a unspoken consensus to leave the seats immediately adjacent to Li Xiao empty. Unexpectedly, Song Jin marched right over and sat directly across from him.

Sensing a slightly subtle tension in the air, Da Bei forced a smile and encouraged them to order, “The vegetarian dishes here are incredibly famous. They’re grown directly by the military academy’s research institute, and they taste absolutely amazing.”

Li Xiao flipped through the menu. The so-called light flavors were only relative; for Song Jin, there was practically nothing suitable to eat.

“Let’s switch to a different dining hall.” Li Xiao turned to look at Da Bei, “Are there any dining halls that lean toward sweeter flavors?”

Da Bei hurriedly replied, “Let me think—”

“No need to switch.” Qian Can cut him off, shooting a subtle look toward Li Xiao. “The few of us have already completed our orders.”

Li Xiao looked across at Song Jin, noting that the youth had already placed his order and was currently propping up his chin while staring blankly out the window.

Before long, a service robot delivered the dishes. Li Xiao kept a close eye on Song Jin, and sure enough, the youth took a single bite before completely ceasing his movements.

“It’s a bit spicy.” Qin Le poured himself a glass of water, asking Qian Can if he wanted some.

Qian Can shook his head, “Mine is perfectly fine, and besides, I can handle spicy food.”

Qin Le turned to Song Jin, “Brother, do you want some?”

Song Jin muttered, “No need.”

Li Xiao slid a plate of vegetable salad right in front of Song Jin, “Eat this instead.”

Song Jin completely ignored him, stubbornly picking up his utensils to continue eating the heavily spiced dish he had ordered for himself.

09 chimed in: [He won’t even accept the food you offer him. It’s over. This time, it’s going to be very hard to settle this without getting a divorce.]

Li Xiao: “…”

“Cough, cough…” Song Jin was choked by the spice into a couple of soft coughs, yet he steeled his nerves to keep eating.

Li Xiao clamped a hand around Song Jin’s wrist, “Stop eating.”

Song Jin turned a slow, chilly gaze toward him, “Mind your own business.”

Seeing that persuasion was entirely useless, Li Xiao simply reached over with his chopsticks to snatch the food directly off Song Jin’s plate.

It really was quite spicy; for Song Jin, it was likely bordering on an unhinged level of heat.

And yet, he was still throwing a tantrum and forcing himself to eat it, purely inflicting misery upon himself.

“Let go of my food!” Song Jin tried to block him.

Li Xiao’s chopsticks slipped through a gap like a needle, snatching a mouthful and sliding it straight into his mouth.

While they were bickering, the resounding crash of a plate shattering against the floor echoed out from a short distance away, followed by an absolutely furious roar.

“I’ve already said I don’t eat this garbage! Who the hell ordered this for me?!”

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Li Xiao and Song Jin paused simultaneously, turning their heads to look over.

At a booth diagonally across from them, Lin Zhou was currently dining with three companions. After sweeping his plate to the floor, Lin Zhou proceeded to violently smash the water pitcher and glasses onto the ground, before turning around to land a heavy fist right onto the head of the student sitting next to him.

“Are you trying to freaking kill me?!” Lin Zhou bellowed, raining blows down upon him.

The adjacent student had been caught entirely off guard. Struck squarely by the first punch, he could only scramble to cover his head, howling in agony, “It hurts! Stop it! Lin Zhou, what the absolute hell are you going crazy for?!”

Seeing this, the students sitting opposite them scrambled to their feet to pull Lin Zhou back.

“Lin Zhou, calm down!”

“Are you trying to beat him to death?!”

Lin Zhou swung his arms violently to shake them off, still trying to surge forward to strike, “What if I beat him to death?! He’s the one who made a move against me first!”

The student who had been struck looked on in utter disbelief. Clutching his bleeding, scraped forehead, he roared back fiercely, “You’re the one who ordered the food yourself, what the hell does it have to do with me?! Ever since you came back from Shengya, you’ve been completely unhinged! Did you take the wrong medication?!”

The commotion was far too massive, drawing the attention of the entire dining hall.

Countless students craned their necks to watch the unfolding spectacle.

“How many times has it been already? What on earth is wrong with Lin Zhou lately?”

“I heard he got utterly crushed back in Shengya. His self-esteem probably took a massive hit, and his mental state went down the drain.”

“It was just losing a competition, that’s all. His psychological resilience is simply pathetic.”

“Could it have something to do with him being taken hostage by those space pirates before?”

Listening to the quiet murmurs passing around the neighboring booths, Li Xiao focused his observation on Lin Zhou’s actions.

The youth’s entire being was in a state of sheer hysteria; he truly did not resemble a sane individual.

When they had been at the helipad upon returning to Danse, his mental state had still appeared perfectly normal. How had he transformed into a completely different person in a matter of a few days?

Lin Zhou was struggling with immense violence, so much so that two large students were struggling to hold him down, hurriedly shouting for the bleeding student to leave first.

Covered in blood, the student passed right by Li Xiao’s table, cursing under his breath.

“I’m genuinely cursed with rotten luck today!”

“Don’t you dare run!” The moment Lin Zhou broke free, he scrambled to give chase. Out of the corner of his eye, something caught his attention, causing his footsteps to stutter as he snapped his gaze sharply toward Li Xiao.

The exact instant their eyes met, Li Xiao experienced a fleeting illusion of being targeted by a rabid, wild beast.

That look of sheer madness was not something a normal human should possess.

“Li Xiao?” Lin Zhou completely abandoned his fleeing companion, glaring at Li Xiao with venomous hatred. “Why are you here?!”

The moment the name Li Xiao was uttered, even the students who previously held zero interest in the commotion stood up from their seats, all wanting to catch a glimpse of this Second Prince who had triggered massive breaking news the moment he entered the military academy.

Li Xiao set down his chopsticks unhurriedly, “I’ve just transferred over. We’ll be fellow schoolmates moving forward, Senior Lin.”

“Transferred?”

Lin Zhou’s eyes narrowed into tight slits, a twisted, distorted smirk curling at the corners of his mouth, “Transferring is good. I’ve been wanting to test my skills against yours again for a long time. Why don’t we head to the training room right now?”

Li Xiao replied smoothly, “My injuries haven’t fully healed yet. The doctor stated I require a full week of quiet rest.”

“Quiet rest my ass!” Lin Zhou slammed both hands heavily onto the tabletop, leaning forward to glare down at Li Xiao. “Get your ass to the training room with me right this instant!”

With the close proximity, the volatile aura radiating off Lin Zhou’s form washed over them, so intense that it even caused a stinging sensation against the skin.

Li Xiao was certain his initial assessment hadn’t been wrong—Lin Zhou’s body had encountered a catastrophic issue.

Woven into his rotten-tomato-scented pheromones was an additional stench of a rotting corpse, causing a deep sense of revulsion.

“My apologies,” Li Xiao declined politely.

Yet Lin Zhou refused to let the matter rest, thrusting a hand forward to grab Li Xiao by the collar.

The extended hand was violently struck away by a pair of chopsticks. Wincing from the sharp pain, Lin Zhou subconsciously recoiled, before thrusting his hand forward once more in a fit of rage. The chopsticks slipped directly through the gaps of his fingers, executing a few lightning-fast turns that wrapped around his hand and slammed it directly into the table.

“Ah—!” Lin Zhou’s hand was pinned backward in a brutal twist, forcing his entire body to tilt sideways. His fingers were locked in a completely mangled contortion between a pair of chopsticks, unable to be extracted no matter how hard he pulled.

Song Jin withdrew his hand, speaking in a bone-chilling tone, “Where did this piece of trash come from, daring to interfere with my meal?”

The oppressive weight of pressure released in that single split second caused everyone’s breathing to hitch, leaving the spectating students in the dining hall daring not to breathe a word.

Song Jin’s technique had been so blisteringly fast that it was impossible to track with the naked eye. Furthermore, the sheer force behind driving those chopsticks into the tabletop had been immense, yet the utensils hadn’t snapped in the slightest.

This casual display of skill alone was more than enough to give them something to analyze for a very long time!

Lin Zhou was a top-tier second-year student, yet in Song Jin’s hands, he hadn’t even possessed the slightest room to mount a counterattack.

At the entrance, Meng Tao and his group had rushed over upon hearing the news, arriving just in time to witness the scene of Song Jin suppressing Lin Zhou.

With nothing more than a single move, he had reduced Lin Zhou to a miserable state where he couldn’t even stand up straight.

The three lackeys standing behind Meng Tao exchanged nervous glances, suddenly feeling that their active provocation of the Shengya exchange students earlier had been incredibly foolish. With this kind of strength, these newcomers could easily crush them into oblivion!

Lin Zhou’s fingers were trapped in a vice-like grip, turning a deep purplish-red from the restriction of blood flow. The moment he pulled, the pressure ground directly against his bones, causing him to howl in agony while shouting a string of curses.

Seeing this, two of Lin Zhou’s companions steeled their nerves to approach, offering apologies in broken, hesitant Shengya.

“Sorry, so sorry. His mental state hasn’t been very stable lately.”

Song Jin countered coldly, “If he’s mentally ill, lock him up in a psychiatric hospital. Why release him into the wild to harm others?”

The two students were struck completely flush by the retort. One of them hurriedly contacted the school infirmary to have medical staff come carry him away.

Before long, medical personnel arrived on the scene. However, they spent a long while struggling to extract Lin Zhou’s fingers. The trap resembled a dead knot; if they used excessive force, they risked snapping Lin Zhou’s finger bones entirely.

“Who deployed such a ruthless hand? This hand is going to be crippled!” The medical staff member knitted his brows, scanning the surrounding area.

Jiang Hao spoke up to offer a concise explanation of the incident, “Student Li Xiao is suffering from severe injuries that haven’t healed yet. Senior Lin was unable to secure a challenge and immediately resorted to violence. Student Song Jin only acted in this manner to protect him.”

Qian Can chimed in, “Exactly! If it weren’t for my brother’s rapid speed, Li Xiao would have already been harmed by Lin Zhou.”

Though in reality, the boss most likely just found Lin Zhou an eyesore and used him as a punching bag to vent his frustrations.

A few students who had witnessed the entire sequence from the sidelines spoke up.

“It really was Lin Zhou who made a move against Li Xiao first.”

“Lin Zhou even struck his own companion just a moment ago.”

“He was terrifying just now!”

Hearing this, the medical personnel didn’t know what else to say. Listening to Lin Zhou’s agonizing shrieks, they could only instruct a colleague to fetch a saw to cut the chopsticks apart first.

“No need for such trouble.” Li Xiao picked up another chopstick, wedging it into the gaps of Lin Zhou’s trapped fingers before executing a rapid series of twists, unlocking the dead knot in a matter of moments.

Who would have thought it could be so easy?!

Several students secretly recorded the sequence, preparing to study the technique later.

After Lin Zhou was escorted out, a digital display popped up within Li Xiao’s line of sight, mapping out Lin Zhou’s movement tracking.

Ten minutes later, 09’s voice materialized beside Li Xiao’s ear.

[Lin Zhou has been delivered to Medical Center Number Six, eighth floor, Alpha Psychiatric Department.]

On the journey back to the dormitory area, Li Xiao walked along while listening to the agonizing shrieks and weeping echoing from Lin Zhou’s ward.

“Give it to me… hurry up and give it to me! My head hurts so much… hurry up and give me the blood! I can’t take it anymore, I beg of you…”

Aside from his voice, there were several other muffled voices present, none of whom understood what blood Lin Zhou was raving about. They were currently discussing administering a sedative first to stabilize his emotional state.

Hearing the word blood, Li Xiao’s gaze flickered slightly. He raised his eyes just in time to meet Song Jin’s gaze, both of them harboring the exact same look of profound surprise in the depths of their eyes.

Lin Zhou had already undergone modification, so why was he still screaming for blood?

Did this confirm their previous hypothesis—that modified humans required the problematic blood to stabilize the PRM levels within their bodies?

Song Jin belatedly remembered that the two of them were currently locked in a cold war. He immediately snapped his head back around, presenting him with nothing but the back of his head.

Li Xiao: “…”

A child throwing a temper tantrum.

They didn’t have any classes assigned for today, leaving the remaining half of the day open for them to organize their belongings.

Upon returning to the dormitory area, seeing Song Jin march straight into Room 609 without a single backward glance, Li Xiao called out to Qin Le and followed him into Room 612.

“Was your arrival as exchange students this time a temporary decision?” Li Xiao asked in a low voice.

Qin Le replied, “No, the protocol was signed long before you guys ever departed for Shengya. After all, this involves studying at the primary military academies of both nations; it was impossible to sign a unilateral agreement.”

Li Xiao could naturally deduce this point. He had simply considered that the proposal might face a veto from the Meng family, reducing a bilateral protocol down to a unilateral one.

“What about the roster of exchange students?” Li Xiao pressed further.

Qin Le noted, “That was also determined right from the start.”

Li Xiao inquired, “Song Jin as well?”

Qin Le nodded, “It was an explicit command issued by His Majesty. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn’t necessarily have been willing to come. Staying on someone else’s turf means inevitably taking some flak.”

This statement was certainly no lie.

Song Jin was by no means an individual built for quiet endurance.

And it was precisely because he understood this point that Li Xiao had mistakenly assumed the little lion had come explicitly for his sake.

Inside Dormitory 609, Song Jin listened to the audio feedback from Lin Zhou’s ward, while simultaneously reviewing the video recording captured by 07 at the Z152 abandoned base, wanting to double-check if any minor details had been overlooked.

The appearance of Wei Feng’s DNA report inside that base forced him to treat the matter with immense gravity.

Although he had offered comforting words to Li Xiao suggesting that Wei Feng might have been a captured member of the BiQue tribe, considering that Li Xiao carried Wei Feng’s genetic material, there was a high probability that Wei Feng hadn’t been a mere prisoner brought inside to be slaughtered, but rather a direct subject of research.

There remained an even worse possibility—that Wei Feng had been breeding stock.

The base had suffered a catastrophic explosion thirty years ago, when Wei Feng was a mere three years old. It was impossible for him to have escaped entirely on his own strength.

If he had been smuggled out by one of the base’s research personnel, then he should still be in their hands. Why had he surfaced within the Raven organization instead?

“Cough, cough, cough…” A persistent itch flared up in his throat, causing Song Jin to casually down several mouthfuls of coffee.

By the time five in the afternoon rolled around, the itching sensation in his throat had morphed into a throbbing, swollen ache, its presence growing increasingly impossible to ignore.

Song Jin set aside the work at hand and rose to his feet, rummaging through his luggage to locate some medication to swallow.

His terminal suddenly vibrated with an incoming message from Li Xiao.

[Come have dinner.]

The moment he recalled the flavor profiles of the dining halls here, Song Jin lost every shred of appetite. He casually closed the interface and ignored it.

Just as he fished out his medicine box, a rustling noise echoed from the balcony area.

He hadn’t even been here a full day yet, and he had already managed to get into a fight with Li Xiao, suffer a sore throat, find zero edible food, and now a thief was potentially infiltrating his dormitory.

Song Jin’s rage meter instantly redlined. He threw down the medicine box with immense irritation, prepared to snap the intruder’s neck on the spot.

Just as Li Xiao raised a hand to knock on the glass door, the floor-to-ceiling window swung open ahead of him, revealing Song Jin’s thoroughly enraged face.

“You knew it was me?”

Song Jin, who had nearly launched a lethal strike: “…”

Song Jin cast a brief glance next door. The space separating the balconies of the two units consisted of nothing more than a short partition wall, making it incredibly easy to vault across.

“What did you come here for?”

The moment the words left his mouth, both of them froze.

His voice had turned incredibly raspy, reduced to a strained, gravelly whisper that sounded completely different from his usual tone.

“Why is your voice so hoarse?” Li Xiao knitted his brows, reaching out a hand to tilt his chin upward. “Did your throat get inflamed from eating that chili earlier? Open your mouth and let me take a look.”

Song Jin leaned his upper body backward, flatly refusing to cooperate, “Let go.”

Li Xiao guided him back into the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Song Jin’s luggage remained scattered around in a chaotic mess; he hadn’t organized a single thing the entire afternoon.

“Cool down your anger, I apologize for the words I spoke at noon,” Li Xiao offered with perfect sincerity.

Song Jin demanded in a chilly tone, “So you aren’t chasing me away anymore?”

Li Xiao looked into his eyes, “The composition of the military academy is highly complex. I was simply worried something might happen to you.”

Song Jin pressed, “Worried about me?”

Li Xiao didn’t deny it, “No one can remain indifferent to their partner’s safety.”

Song Jin countered with a question of his own, “Then do you think I could possibly remain indifferent toward yours?”

Li Xiao sighed softly, “Which is why I’m offering my apology. Shall we call this round a draw?”

Song Jin remained deeply irritated, “The two of us are currently in a relationship where we have kissed. You better etch that firmly into your mind.”

Li Xiao: “…”

What kind of utterly adorable threat is this?