Sweet and tangy.
“There’s food in my bag—it’s safe to eat,” said Xiao Xing casually. “Dried mango. You like it?”
Chi Zhan eyed him warily for a few seconds, leaned in to sniff it, and only after confirming there were no toxins did he take a cautious bite.
“Thanks.”
Xiao Xing let out a light hum. Watching Chi Zhan chew with single-minded focus, his cheeks puffing in and out like a little squirrel, was almost unbearably cute.
“I want a bite too,” Xiao Xing murmured.
Chi Zhan blinked in confusion. “Hm?” Before he could process the meaning, Xiao Xing leaned in, turning his head slightly to bite the other end of the mango strip still in Chi Zhan’s hand.
One bite. Apparently found it tasty. Another bite. Then closer and closer—until the tip of his tongue just barely brushed against Chi Zhan’s fingertips, sweeping away a faint dusting of sugar.
“Very sweet,” Xiao Xing said simply.
***
Most of their training grounds were wide-open plains, so now, suddenly dropped on a strange planet, Chi Zhan remained on high alert. In contrast, Xiao Xing looked utterly indifferent to their surroundings, far more interested in feeding Chi Zhan.
Like some sort of Doraemon, Xiao Xing began pulling snacks out of his bag: beef jerky, canned fruit, chocolate, chips.
Are those… actually part of the resource pack? Chi Zhan glanced at the only item in his own bag related to food or drink—a freshwater collector—and fell into a momentary daze.
Xiao Xing was generous.
“Take whatever you want.”
Chi Zhan tore his eyes away with effort. This was supposed to be a high-stakes simulation exam—sitting here munching on snacks felt absurdly inappropriate.
Resolving himself, Chi Zhan was just about to resist when Xiao Xing held a piece of beef jerky to his lips.
“Eat more. Don’t want you fainting again later. I won’t be helping you next time.”
Who needs your help… Chi Zhan turned his face away silently, his rejection clear.
“Don’t like it?” Xiao Xing sounded a little disappointed. He popped the jerky back into his own mouth and mumbled around it, “You used to love this stuff.”
Chi Zhan frowned.
“What do you mean… ‘used to’?”
“Nothing.” Xiao Xing brushed it off like it was nothing.
But Chi Zhan remained puzzled. The way Xiao Xing had said that made it sound like they knew each other. And yet, Chi Zhan had no recollection of him. With that striking silver hair, if they’d met even once before, he would’ve remembered.
“I think someone’s coming.” Chi Zhan was listening closely. The footsteps were clear and deliberate—whoever it was wasn’t trying to stay hidden. Unlike Xiao Xing, who always moved like a ghost. He braced a hand on the ground, preparing to stand. “Take off the handcuffs.”
“He won’t see us,” Xiao Xing said lazily, one arm still looped around Chi Zhan’s waist to stop him from moving. “I set up a spatial barrier around us.”
As he spoke, a thin young man walked right past them without even a glance.
Chi Zhan’s expression turned odd.
“Spatial barriers burn through mechanical energy like crazy. They’re only used in crisis situations. You really used one here?”
Wasn’t that a bit much?
“It’s not ‘really used,’” Xiao Xing huffed, shooting him a sidelong glance, somehow sounding offended. “Anyway, don’t even think about slipping away on your own.”
“……”
Okay, fine. He had been planning to escape the moment a fight broke out. But Xiao Xing had him watched so closely, not a single opening to exploit—he was seriously running out of patience.
“If you keep me cuffed like this, you won’t be able to move either. We’ll both end up eliminated. Is that what you want?”
Actually… Xiao Xing kind of did want that.
The moment he realized Chi Zhan had landed just a short distance away from him, Xiao Xing felt like fate had smiled upon him.
He was being given two whole days to spend with his gege.
He had no idea how he managed to keep his giddiness in check as he silently crept closer, trailing after Chi Zhan with excruciating care, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
There was only one chance. If he missed it, there might never be another.
Even though his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode, and his fingers trembled from the adrenaline, Xiao Xing still managed to formulate a plan on the spot—and successfully captured his gege. He was on cloud nine.
But then he remembered—Qi Song was also in this simulation.
They had agreed not to interfere with each other. But his gege had always favored Qi Song. And last time, the two of them had been alone in the medbay for way too long…
If he didn’t intervene now, things were absolutely going to spiral out of control.
No way in hell.
“There’s no need to fight anyone else. Just beat the Crown Prince and you get the fast-track token, right?” Xiao Xing said nonchalantly. “Besides, that guy just now? He was bait. If you chased after him, you’d probably trigger a whole swarm of annoying little ants.”
Chi Zhan blinked. “How would you know…”
Xiao Xing smiled. “The anti-recon course in the Intelligence Division hasn’t started yet, has it? Sure, you’re great in a fight. But if a dozen people jump you at once, and every one of them has a tranquilizer gun or something like it, you’re not going to last long.”
Before he even finished speaking, a group of people began crawling low to the ground, following the exact path that skinny guy had walked. No doubt about it—they were hunting.
Even Chi Zhan couldn’t guarantee a win against that many opponents.
Seeing the shift in Chi Zhan’s expression—like he’d finally been convinced—Xiao Xing added, “I’ll unlock the cuffs when the time comes.”
Chi Zhan was quiet for a moment, then gave a soft “mm.” And when he looked at Xiao Xing again, it was with an entirely new perspective.
Being gazed at by his gege with those awed, admiring eyes made Xiao Xing feel like his chest had been clawed open by a kitten—ticklish and a little sore.
They were supposed to take these courses together. And his gege was way smarter than him—he would’ve excelled at them.
But the Imperial Military Academy’s curriculum was a complete mess. What was the point of molding people into mindless fighting machines?
Still, just sitting around here wasn’t going to work either. It felt like the whole world was busy taking the exam… and he was the only one cheating his way through it.
