The next morning, Mu Chen woke up with this weird tightness in his chest. It wasn't fear, though. It was more like... anticipation. Ye Fan had told him to train with him, and Mu Chen knew that meant being under a microscope, facing pressure, and going through tests that didn't just end when you passed. They'd just change.
He got dressed, clipped on his badge, and headed to the training hall. The lights were already on, bright and sterile. The glass room overlooking the floor was dark, but Mu Chen figured Ye Fan could be in there.
Zhou Xiao and Lin Lan were already there, along with two other quiet, focused team members. Nobody was really talking.
Ye Fan arrived exactly on time. He didn't say hi to anyone. He just walked straight to the center mat and stared at Mu Chen like he was the only person in the room.
"Lieutenant Mu," Ye Fan said.
Mu Chen stood up straighter. "Major."
Ye Fan's voice was flat. "You're officially a C-class guide."
"Yes."
"And you say you can observe."
"Yes."
Ye Fan pointed to the far wall. "Run."
Mu Chen blinked. "Run?"
"Ten laps," Ye Fan said. "Then we'll test your reaction speed."
Mu Chen nodded. "Yes, Major."
He started running. The track around the hall was just marked by lines. He kept a steady pace, nothing too fast, nothing too slow. Just normal. After the second lap, his breathing started to warm up. By the fourth, sweat was trickling down his neck. After the sixth, his legs felt heavy. But Mu Chen kept going.
Back at the orphanage, he'd run because he had to. Because someone stronger was chasing him, or he needed to get to food first, or because nobody cared if he got tired. Here, he was running because Ye Fan wanted to see what he looked like when he was pushed.
When Mu Chen finished his tenth lap, Ye Fan didn't tell him to rest. Instead, he tossed a training knife onto the mat. It landed with a dull thud.
"Pick it up," Ye Fan said.
Mu Chen picked it up.
Ye Fan stepped closer. "Show me basic defense."
Mu Chen held the knife in a standard grip. "I'm not trained for knives."
Ye Fan's eyes stayed cold. "Yes, you are. Or you're lying again."
Mu Chen paused. He decided to go with the safer option. "I know the basics."
"Good," Ye Fan said. "Attack me."
Mu Chen didn't move.
Ye Fan's gaze sharpened. "Now."
Mu Chen attacked. Not to win, not to hurt. Just to show his movement. He came in with a simple strike. Ye Fan dodged effortlessly, like Mu Chen was moving in slow motion. Mu Chen followed up with a second strike. Ye Fan caught his wrist, twisted, and took the knife away. Mu Chen let him.
Ye Fan held the knife and looked at Mu Chen. "Again."
Mu Chen attacked again. This time, he changed the angle, moving a bit faster. Ye Fan dodged again, but his eyes narrowed slightly, like he was actually having to pay attention now. Mu Chen pressed just enough to make it look like he was trying. Ye Fan disarmed him again.
"Again," Ye Fan said.
Mu Chen attacked. Ye Fan blocked. Mu Chen switched hands. Ye Fan's mouth tightened. Ye Fan struck Mu Chen's shoulder with the back of his hand, not hard, just a warning. Mu Chen stepped back, steady.
Ye Fan moved closer, his voice dropping so only Mu Chen could hear. "Stop pretending you're weak."
Mu Chen's face stayed calm. "I'm not pretending."
Ye Fan's eyes were sharp. "Yes, you are."
Mu Chen didn't answer.
Ye Fan stepped back and spoke louder. "Zhou Xiao. Lin Lan. Watch."
Zhou Xiao looked a bit uncomfortable. Lin Lan's face remained blank, but her eyes were alert. Ye Fan tossed the training knife back to Mu Chen.
"Disarm me," Ye Fan said.
Mu Chen caught the knife, his fingers tightening. This was dangerous. Ye Fan was A-class. Mu Chen was "C-class." The gap was way too big for Mu Chen to look skilled. So, he did the only thing he could. He made mistakes on purpose. He stumbled once. He let Ye Fan push him back. He let Ye Fan take the knife away, again and again. But each time, Mu Chen learned Ye Fan's pattern. Ye Fan's timing. Ye Fan's habits. Ye Fan was fast, but he was also predictable in a way: he used control as a shield. He never let himself get sloppy.
Mu Chen waited until Ye Fan did the same move for the fifth time. Then Mu Chen moved. He stepped in close, let Ye Fan grab his wrist, and rolled with it. He turned his shoulder and slipped inside Ye Fan's guard. For half a second, Mu Chen's body was pressed right up against Ye Fan's.
Ye Fan froze. Not because Mu Chen had surprised him physically. But because Ye Fan felt something else. A quiet calm, like a door slamming shut on all the noise. Mu Chen's power had brushed against Ye Fan by accident. A tiny leak. Mu Chen felt it and locked it down instantly. But Ye Fan had already sensed it.
Ye Fan's eyes snapped to Mu Chen's face. Mu Chen stepped back quickly and lowered the knife. "Sorry."
Ye Fan's voice came out harsh. "Don't."
Mu Chen kept his expression neutral. "Don't what?"
Ye Fan's jaw clenched. "Don't do that again."
Mu Chen swallowed. "I didn't—"
Ye Fan cut him off. "I said don't."
The hall went silent. Zhou Xiao stopped breathing for a second. Lin Lan's fingers paused on her tablet. Ye Fan stared at Mu Chen like Mu Chen had just stepped on a mine that only he could see. Mu Chen lowered his gaze slightly. "Yes, Major."
Ye Fan turned away sharply. He walked to the other side of the mat and stood there for a few seconds, like he needed some space to breathe. Then Ye Fan faced the group again, his voice cold and controlled.
"Training ends," Ye Fan said. "Report and leave."
Zhou Xiao blinked. "Major, we still have—"
"Now," Ye Fan snapped.
Nobody argued. The team dispersed quickly. Mu Chen walked out of the hall, his hands hanging calmly at his sides. Inside, his thoughts were racing. That tiny leak had been a mistake. A real mistake. Because Ye Fan had felt it. Not like a normal guide touch. Like something deeper. Like being underwater and suddenly hearing silence for the very first time. Mu Chen kept walking under the cold lights. And behind him, he could feel it. Ye Fan wasn't just watching anymore. Ye Fan was starting to want.