The training grounds were quieter these days.
Not because anyone wanted them to be.
Because reality had finally caught up.
"One month."
Qiū Huà Bǐ stared at the calendar on his phone.
Then at the mountain.
Then at the training equipment.
Then back at the calendar.
"One month."
Yè Yī sat nearby reading through lecture notes.
"You've already said that."
"One month."
"You said it again."
"Yè Yī."
"What?"
"We have exams in one month."
"...Yes."
"Why are you calm?"
Yè Yī looked up.
"Because I've been aware of that fact for several months."
Qiū Huà Bǐ hated this man sometimes.
---
June was approaching.
Second semester finals.
The entire university atmosphere had changed.
Libraries were packed.
Study rooms were impossible to reserve.
Coffee sales had somehow doubled.
Students who hadn't attended lectures all semester suddenly discovered religion.
And panic.
Mostly panic.
Even Violet had reduced training.
Which surprised both of them.
Especially Qiū Huà Bǐ.
"Wait."
He stared at her.
"You're actually letting us study?"
Violet looked at him.
"You're welcome."
"...This feels suspicious."
"Your grades matter."
"You know..."
He pointed.
"That sentence somehow feels more threatening than the combat training."
---
The sessions became shorter.
More focused.
Less physical.
More refinement.
Control.
Efficiency.
Precision.
No more mountain-breaking accidents.
Mostly.
---
One afternoon, Mù Xiāo Xiāo received a call.
She stared at her phone.
Answered.
Listened.
Then quietly hung up.
The others noticed immediately.
Mostly because she had stopped eating.
A terrifying event.
---
Qiū Huà Bǐ pointed.
"Why aren't you chewing?"
Mù Xiāo Xiāo looked at him.
"I have to return."
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
Yè Yī lowered his notes.
"Factor IV?"
She nodded.
"ET activity has stopped."
Qiū Huà Bǐ frowned.
"That's supposed to be good."
"It is."
Violet disagreed immediately.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
"What's wrong?" Yè Yī asked.
Violet crossed her arms.
"Nothing."
Qiū Huà Bǐ groaned.
"Whenever you say 'nothing,' something terrible happens."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Violet."
She sighed.
"ET isn't the type to stop."
Mù Xiāo Xiāo nodded slowly.
"Agreed."
"They're patient."
The word lingered.
Patient.
Not inactive.
Not defeated.
Patient.
"Which means?" Qiū Huà Bǐ asked.
Violet looked directly at him.
"They're planning something."
Nobody liked that answer.
---
Three days later—
Mù Xiāo Xiāo left.
The train station was crowded.
People moved everywhere.
Announcements echoed overhead.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo stood beside the platform with three bags.
One suitcase.
One backpack.
One large insulated bag filled entirely with snacks.
Qiū Huà Bǐ stared.
"You packed more food than clothes."
"Correct."
Yè Yī wasn't surprised.
At all.
The train arrived.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo picked up her luggage.
Then looked at the three of them.
"...Don't die."
Qiū Huà Bǐ blinked.
"That sounded strangely emotional."
She thought about it.
"...I've been practicing."
"..."
"..."
"...Okay that somehow made it worse."
Then she boarded.
And left.
The world became quieter afterward.
Not immediately.
But gradually.
No random chicken appearances.
No unexpected observations.
No mysterious buckets.
No crunching bones.
Qiū Huà Bǐ realized this after three days.
"...It's weird."
Yè Yī looked up from his textbook.
"What?"
"It's quieter."
Yè Yī paused.
Then returned to reading.
"...Yes."
Neither of them admitted they missed her.
Five days later—
ET moved.
The attack happened on a Thursday.
Because apparently even kidnappings respected business hours.
Classes had ended.
Students poured out across campus.
The afternoon sun hung low over the university grounds.
Qiū Huà Bǐ walked alone.
Earphones in.
Backpack over one shoulder.
Thinking about absolutely nothing important.
For once.
Then every instinct he had screamed.
Move.
Now.
A black van mounted the sidewalk.
"WHAT IN THE—"
BOOM.
The vehicle smashed through a row of bicycles.
Students screamed.
People scattered.
The side door exploded open.
Three figures emerged.
Fast.
Organized.
Specialists.
Qiū Huà Bǐ's eyes widened.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
One lunged immediately.
No warning.
No conversation.
No villain speech.
Just action.
A hand reached for his shoulder—
And stopped.
Midair.
Everyone froze.
The attacker's arm bent upward violently.
Like gravity had suddenly changed its mind.
CRACK.
The sound echoed across the street.
The Specialist screamed.
A familiar voice spoke from nearby.
"You know..."
Silence.
The afternoon air distorted slightly.
Space folded.
Students stumbled backward without understanding why.
Violet stepped out from behind a bus stop.
Hands in her pockets.
Expression blank.
"I leave you alone for twenty minutes."
She looked at Qiū Huà Bǐ.
Then at the van.
Then back at him.
"And immediately someone tries to kidnap you."
Qiū Huà Bǐ pointed at the attackers.
"To be fair, this feels more like their fault."
"Fair point."
The remaining Specialists immediately retreated.
Not out of fear.
But Training.
Discipline.
Recognition.
Because they knew exactly who was standing in front of them.
One whispered quietly.
"...Time & Space?"
The leader's face changed.
For the first time—
Actual concern.
Violet looked at them.
The same way someone might look at an annoying paperwork problem.
"Leave."
Nobody moved.
Bad decision.
The air folded.
Not dramatically.
Not violently.
Simply—
Wrong.
The leader's expression instantly turned pale.
Because suddenly—
The distance between himself and Violet no longer made sense.
Three meters.
Ten meters.
Twenty meters.
One meter.
All at the same time.
Reality had stopped behaving properly.
Violet sighed.
A genuine sigh.
"Exam season is next month."
The attackers froze.
"And you're becoming a distraction."
For the first time—
Qiū Huà Bǐ almost felt sorry for them.
Almost.
Far away—
Unseen by everyone—
A different figure watched from a rooftop.
Hands in pockets.
Wind moving through dark hair.
Silent.
Observing.
Watching Violet.
Watching Qiū Huà Bǐ.
Watching in the distance.
Then he turned away.
And disappeared.