"Long time no see..."
Mu Chen smiled.
A thin smile.
The kind that never reached his eyes.
"...Tia Xu."
Silence.
The hallway suddenly felt smaller.
Mu Chen looked him over once.
Then again.
Eyes roaming everywhere.
Then he laughed.
A short one.
"Impossible...."
"You know..."
He shook his head.
"Out of everyone..."
His eyes narrowed.
"I never expected it to be you."
Tia said nothing.
He simply stood there.
Still.
Calculating.
Three in front.
Two behind.
No witnesses.
Annoying.
Mu Chen took a step forward.
"Back in high school?"
A pause.
"You always sat in the back."
Another step.
"You always came last."
" Always invisible."
The smile disappeared.
"So explain something to me."
Now they stood face to face.
"How did someone like you end up ranked first?"
Silence.
Tia met his gaze.
Unmoved.
Mu Chen's expression darkened.
That calm look irritated him more than any insult.
"Nothing to say?"
Still nothing.
A vein twitched slightly on Mu Chen's forehead.
Before anyone reacted—
he grabbed Tia's collar.
Hard.
"Hey."
His voice dropped.
"Answer me."
"What kind of tricks did you use."
"Who helped you."
Tia finally looked down at the hand gripping his uniform.
Then back at Mu Chen.
"...step back."
The hallway fell silent.
One of Mu Chen's followers frowned.
Another laughed nervously.
Mu Chen's eyes narrowed.
"...What?"
Tia gently removed his hand.
Not aggressively.
Not forcefully.
Just enough.
Then adjusted his collar.
His voice came calm.
Controlled.
"Do you always speak this close to people?"
Silence.
The air tightened.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then—
a laugh echoed through the hallway.
"...Seriously?"
Everyone turned.
"...You're doing this in a hallway?"
A figure leaned against the wall.
Eyes curved slightly.
Hands in his pocket.
Watching.
Amused.
Sung Ling Mu.
He sighed dramatically.
Honestly disappointed.
"…I expected better from you, Mu Chen."
One of the bullies clicked his tongue.
"Watch your mouth."
Sung ignored him.
His attention never left Mu Chen.
Mu Chen furrowed.
"Mind your business."
Sung tilted his head.
Slowly.
"Why?"
A pause.
"What are you afraid of."
Silence.
Mu Chen clicked his tongue.
But sad nothing.
Mu Chen didn't answer.
He knew the truth but refused it.
That was exactly why he was angry.
Not because he wasn't in the top ranks.
Because he lost to Tia.
Someone he had never considered a rival.
Someone he had never considered anything.
Sung pushed off the wall.
Not rushing.
"Let me give you a little advice."
Mu Chen.
he said lightly.
"When next you pick a target…"
his gaze flicked briefly to Tia—
then returned.
"… make sure it's convenient and far more entertaining to watch."
Hmmm
Mu Chen was still silent.
Then
He smiled
A thin curve.
eyes sharpened instantly.
Focused directly on sung .
"Seriously."
"I was getting bored."
He looked Sung up and down.
evaluating
"How about being the first one I deal with."
" It would be more than entertaining."
The hall went quiet.
the air seemed heavier.
Their eyes locked.
Invisible pressure exploded outward.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
No one dared speak.
Everyone knew.
The next movement would start a fight.
Then sung laughed.
A heartfelt one.
"You?"
"Did you forget something important?"
"The top scorers can't be touched."
A pause.
"And unfortunately…"
"…I'm one of them."
His tone lowered slightly.
"Unless…"
A step forward.
"You want your first duel in this academy…"
"…to be your last."
Silence.
Mu Chen went silent.
His expression stiffened.
For the first time—
he had no response.
Hands turned to fist.
Clenching it tightly.
At this point he was far from angry
Then—
He turned away.
"Enjoy your position while it lasts."
His voice was cold.
"You'll fall eventually."
He started walking.
His followers immediately followed behind.
A pause.
Mu Chen stopped walking.
"Tia Xu."
Silence.
"Ten months."
"That's how long I'll give you."
He looked back.
His eyes cold.
Certain.
"After that..."
"I'll prove this ranking was a mistake."
And with that he finally left
Soon the hallway grew quiet again.
Sung glanced at Tia.
For a moment.
Just a moment.
Then he chuckled.
A light one.
"...Interesting."
Tia frowned.
"What."
His voice came flat.
" people like you…"
a glance at Tia again—
"…tend to become very useful…"
"…or very disappointing."
Sung walked past him.
Didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
"Try not to get defeated by trash like him this early..."
"…it lowers my future value.'
He waved slightly.
"And....
A pause.
"Don't die too early."
" It's less fun to watch."
And walked away.
Tia watched him leave.
Expression unchanged.
"…Annoying fox."