It’s normal to have skills in Wangwang, right?

The center of gravity was instantly lost.

The mocking smile froze on his face, turning into astonishment. His outstretched arm instinctively flailing wildly in the air, only grasping at the cold air.

"Well--!"

With a short gasp, Kirihara Akaya fell backward, behind him a dark, downward-sloping staircase.

Time seemed to stretch out in the wide, terrified pupils of Tachibana An and the unsteady figure of Kirihara.

"Whoa!" Kirihara missed a step, lost his balance instantly, and fell backward.

The stairs! His mind flashed with Vice-Captain Sanada's stern warning and Senior Yanagi's cold data. In his terror, he only had time to instinctively cover his head with his hands, curl up his body, and prepare to endure the excruciating pain of falling down the stairs.

However, the expected impact and roll did not occur.

His collar seemed to be tugged by a small but extremely subtle force, which strangely slowed his descent for a moment. At the same time, he felt as if his feet, which had lost their footing, had stepped on something elastic and slightly rough, providing a tiny but crucial bit of support and friction.

It was this slight pause and support that allowed Kirihara to finally stumble and lean against the railing on the next step. Although his posture was messy and his knees and elbows were bruised and sore, he did not roll all the way down.

"Who?!" Kirihara, still shaken, turned around in shock and anger to look at the dimly lit corner above the stairs.

There was no one there, only the emergency exit indicator light emitting a ghostly green glow. The force that had tripped him and pulled him seemed like his imagination.

But on the ground...

Kirihara squinted, and in the dim light, he seemed to see something small and dark darting past in the shadows around the corner, disappearing into the cracks in the wall, leaving only a faint, indescribable scent of grass and trees.

Kirihara stood frozen in place, his heart pounding. He touched his elbow, which ached but was clearly just a superficial injury, and looked at the long staircase. A belated chill crept up his spine.

If I had really fallen without any resistance...

Anju's terrified gaze subsided after Kirihara escaped unharmed. She glanced down at Kirihara, who was leaning against the stair railing, panting heavily, still shaken. Hearing footsteps approaching from the next floor after hearing the noise, she paused for a moment before running away in a panic.

*******

The Sakaki residence appears exceptionally spacious and quiet at night.

Liu Lingyin ate dinner alone—a light Japanese meal prepared by the housekeeper, three dishes and a soup, simple yet exquisite. She was the only one in the large dining room. She ate slowly, occasionally glancing up at the completely dark courtyard outside the window, listening to the rustling of the bamboo grove in the evening breeze.

After dinner, she went straight to her room. Sakaki Chiharu had taken on a new role and needed to film on location for a few days; Uncle Sakaki Taro, needless to say, would most likely be staying at the training base during the academy selection process. This beautiful mansion would be hers alone for the next few days.

Liu Lingyin adapted well to this, even finding it somewhat enjoyable as planned. Her trip to Europe, while rewarding, was certainly mentally taxing.

If it weren't for the Kirihara Akaya incident constantly on her mind, she wouldn't have wanted to go out at all today. She'd done what she needed to do—the warning had been issued, and "Komurasaki" had quietly made arrangements through Atobe's connection—that was all she could do for now. For the rest of the time, she just wanted to completely relax, comfortably stay home, and be a happy "lazy bum" for a few days.

Time always flies when you're not studying. I scrolled through my phone for a while, checking news and social media; then I organized the photos and notes from my European trip on my computer; and I also exchanged an email with Huang Shiyu to confirm our online schedule for the coming week…

In the blink of an eye, the sky outside the window had changed from a dusky yellow to a deep, dark blue, and was finally completely enveloped by night.

Liu Lingyin rubbed her slightly sore eyes, put down her laptop, picked up her phone, got up and walked to the wardrobe, taking out a set of soft, comfortable cotton pajamas. Then, she went into the bathroom connected to the bedroom.

The bathroom was ready. The large white bathtub was filled with just the right amount of warm water, steaming gently with the faint scent of lavender bath salts that the Sakaki family often used.

She placed her phone on the waterproof wooden shelf next to the bathtub, then took out a small glass bottle containing a concentrated bath solution she had prepared herself using several calming and fatigue-relieving herbs. She dripped a few drops into the bathtub; the clear liquid quickly spread as it entered the water, releasing an even more delicate and soothing herbal aroma.

She took off her clothes and stepped into the bathtub. The warm water instantly enveloped her entire body, the perfect heat seeping into her skin, gently soothing the subtle tension in her muscles, and seemingly calming away the day's weariness and anxieties. Liu Lingyin sighed comfortably, slowly sliding down to sit, letting the water cover her shoulders, with only her head resting on the edge of the bathtub.

She closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift. The soothing warmth and the aroma of herbs relaxed her completely, her consciousness gradually becoming hazy, as if floating on a warm sea, drifting off to sleep.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep in this comfort, her cell phone on the locker suddenly rang.

The crisp ringtone echoed in the quiet bathroom, breaking the stillness of the tub. Liu Lingyin frowned, somewhat reluctantly pulled back to reality from her half-asleep state. She wiped the water droplets from her hands with the towel draped over the edge of the bathtub, stretched out her arm, and reached for her phone.

The name flashing on the screen made her pause slightly—Genichiro Sanada.

This time?

A fleeting question crossed Liu Lingyin's mind as she swiped to answer the call and brought the phone close to her ear.

"Moshi moshi, I'm Liu Lingyin." Her voice still carried a hint of languor from a bath and a slight nasal tone.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

The brief silence made Liu Lingyin's heart skip a beat. Sanada wasn't the type to call and chat for no reason.

Then she heard Sanada's voice, which seemed lower than usual, coming through the radio waves with a rare, clear solemnity:

"Rin, thank you."

These four simple words, without a prefix or explanation, carry immense weight.

Liu Lingyin's body, soaking in the warm water, paused slightly. Her slightly dazed mind raced, connecting those two words with the time of his call and the events she had warned about earlier that day. The answer came almost instantly.

Thank you? Thank you for what? It can only be for... Akaya's matter.

She tilted her head, her wet hair brushing against the edge of the bathtub, and the languidness in her voice faded, becoming clear and serious: "Little Seaweed... did this happen tonight?" She needed to confirm.

"Yes." Sanada's answer was crisp and decisive.

As expected. Liu Lingyin took a deep breath and asked, "Is she alright?" Although she had confidence in "Xiao Zi" and in Atobe's execution capabilities, she was still worried until she heard definite news.

"Aside from some minor abrasions and bruises on his hands and feet, he's fine." Sanada's voice was steady, but Liu Lingyin could detect a hint of relief beneath that calm.

“He’s in great spirits, even…” he seemed to choose his words carefully, “…overly active.”

Liu Lingyin finally breathed a sigh of relief, her body relaxing and sinking back into the warm water. A minor abrasion was the best possible outcome in that situation. She could even imagine Kirihara's reaction afterwards—a mixture of fear and excitement—as he gesticulated wildly as he described his "miracle."

"You're still injured..." she said softly, her tone tinged with helplessness and heartache, then asked, "Can you tell me the details? What did he tell you?"

“Hmm.” Sanada responded, then began to recount what Kirihara had told him in his concise yet clear style, “Here’s what happened: Akaya encountered Tachibana An from Fudomine in the hallway while returning to his dormitory alone…”

Liu Lingyin listened quietly, the warm water gently rippling. She heard Ju An's questioning, Kirihara's impatient reply, the topic inexplicably shifting to her, Kirihara's sharper rebuttal in defense of her, Ju An's emotional breakdown and accusations, and finally, the out-of-control slap and the dramatic moment when Kirihara missed a step...

Her brows furrowed slightly as she narrated, then slowly relaxed, finally revealing a complex expression of mixed emotions—a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

If you say the plot has gone off-topic, you'd say it has. In the original work, the conflict seemed to be more directly related to old grudges from the competition, but this time, part of the reason is actually Tachibana An's resentment towards her, and Kirihara's more intense words in order to protect her.

It's fair to say that things didn't go astray. The crucial escalation point of conflict—when Tachibana An raised her hand to hit someone and Kirihara retreated to avoid it—still occurred, and the location was still the dangerous stairwell.

"Ah……"

Liu Lingyin couldn't help but let out a soft snort, tinged with self-mockery and a sense of absurdity, "Is this even related to you?"

She never imagined that she, as the "early warning provider" and "person who arranged the backup plan," would also play such a "catalyst" role in the cause of the incident.

“No,” Sanada’s voice rang out decisively from the other end of the phone, interrupting her self-deprecation with an undeniable seriousness, “It’s none of your business.”

He paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts for more precise language, and then continued, each word clear and forceful: "It was the other party's failure to manage their emotions and their loss of control. Although Akaya's words were inappropriate, the root cause lay in the other party's unwarranted accusations and provocations."

In Genichiro Sanada's worldview, right and wrong are clearly defined, and responsibility is clearly discernible. He will not obscure the right or wrong of the cause just because the result is acceptable.

In this matter, he clearly drew the line of responsibility: Tachibana An's loss of control was the main cause, Kirihara's response, though flawed, had its reasons, and Yanagi Suzune was the one who prevented the worst outcome.

Upon hearing his serious and straightforward "judgment," Liu Lingyin's subtle awkwardness suddenly dissipated.

Warm water soaked her body, while Sanada's words, like a different kind of warmth, soothed a corner of her heart.

Liu Lingyin's voice returned to calm, "Yes, I understand. It's good that Chi is alright. Let him take good care of the scrapes. Before going to bed tonight, you can apply a warm towel to the bruises, but don't rub them too hard."

Suddenly, her tone shifted slightly, her voice rising at the end, as if coated in honey, yet with a hint of mischievous sweetness: "Brother Genichiro~"

The voice was soft and gentle, as if it did not come from the air, but had become a tangible thing, gently lingering around his ear, like a feather or a fine silk thread, slowly drilling into his ear canal.

Sanada froze abruptly. The overly sweet call slammed into his ears, momentarily stunning him. A tingling sensation spread rapidly from his ears, his earlobes feeling as if they had been gently pinched by invisible fingertips, uncontrollably blushing. The blush started as a faint tinge, but quickly spread, like ink dripping into water, uncontrollably spreading across his ears and his entire face—even his usually dark, resolute, and sharply defined cheeks took on a blushing dark red.

He felt his face flush, his heart skipped a beat, and his mind went blank. All his usual serious lectures and admonitions vanished instantly. In his panic, his favorite phrase almost slipped out, but its lack of conviction made it sound like a futile attempt to cover up his mistake:

"No...don't let your guard down!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how abnormal his reaction had been.

What made him even more uncomfortable was that he keenly sensed that Liu Lian'er's gaze had quietly fallen on him, a gaze that carried his usual calm scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

Sanada could almost picture Renji squinting his eyes as data raced through his mind.

He hurriedly and awkwardly raised his hand, forcefully pulling the brim of his hat down to try and cover his burning cheeks, and also to block that all-seeing, questioning gaze. In the shadows beneath the hat brim, his lips were slightly pursed, and only the pounding of his heart could be heard in his ears.

"Hehe! Of course we can't let our guard down! Since Little Seaweed is still injured, we can't waste the 'candy' I gave you! He has to eat at least one."

Liu Lingyin's cheerful voice came over.

Sanada quickly nodded in agreement. He didn't care what the 'candy' tasted like, as long as he didn't eat it. Besides, that kid Kirihara Akaya needed to be punished. He had been told to go back to the dormitory, but he still couldn't stay put and sneaked out.

“I’ll make him eat.” Sanada agreed, then paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he only said, “…Get some rest.”

"You guys too, training must be tough, get some rest too!" Liu Lingyin replied.

"Ok!"

The phone hangs up.

The bathroom returned to silence, broken only by the gentle patter of water. Liu Lingyin placed her phone back in the locker, then slid into the water, letting the warm water submerge her chin.

She stared at the misty steam rising from the bathroom ceiling, the terrifying scene Sanada had described replaying in her mind...

It seems "Little Purple" did a good job with the mission. Atobe has probably received the "results report" by now, right?

She exhaled softly, creating a small ripple on the water's surface.

Although the process was somewhat unexpected, at least the worst-case scenario didn't happen.

Now I can finally have a good, long nap!

The night outside the window gently enveloped the tranquil Sakaki residence, and also the distant building with its scattered lights, where some people slept peacefully, while others were restless with worry.