The doll-faced boy smiled brightly, but a chill ran down Yuan Li’s spine.
His gaze was like he was looking at some interesting toy.
She wanted to back away again, but she had already retreated into a corner—there was nowhere left to go.
The doll-faced boy, however, seemed full of excitement. He said eagerly, “Look, Hong Yuan doesn’t even pay attention to you when she fights. She obviously doesn’t like you. Why don’t you just come out and play with me instead?”
He reached out, aiming for Yuan Li’s wrist.
But Yuan Li’s hands were faster than her brain. She moved first, crossing her arms over her chest, her nerves stretched taut, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush.
“Even if you like me, it’s useless! I don’t like older guys! I like Hong Yuan! Stay away from me, or I’ll report you for harassment!!”
The shock on the doll-faced boy’s face made Yuan Li want to cry, but she had no tears left.
She had messed up.
Wasn’t she supposed to be cautious, careful, and avoid attracting attention from anyone other than Hong Yuan?
She needed to keep a low profile now!
Why hadn’t she just endured it a little longer? Even if she didn’t want to go out, she could have called Hong Yuan!
Yuan Li scolded herself inwardly.
Before the doll-faced boy could even compliment her courage, he suddenly dodged to the side.
A curved blade sliced past his face, cutting with merciless intent.
He feigned shock. “Hong Yuan! Why are you ambushing me? I was just helping you watch over her. Is this how you thank me?”
“Get lost!”
Hong Yuan spat the word, swinging the curved blade in a wide arc.
The distance was too close; the doll-faced boy couldn’t dodge in time. He somehow produced a dagger and clashed against Hong Yuan’s blade.
The force from the curved sword pushed him back several steps, giving Hong Yuan space.
He still jabbed at Yuan Li: “See? Hong Yuan is so violent! Aren’t you afraid she might attack you one day? You’d be better off with me. I’m gentler. Being older means I’ll take care of you!”
Saying that with such a baby-faced appearance created a starkly awkward contrast.
Yuan Li’s alarm bells rang loudly. She feared that if Hong Yuan got angry, she might really ignore her. Her words stumbled over themselves.
“I like Hong Yuan! I want to stay with her! Even if she hits or scolds me, it’s for my own good!”
Hong Yuan’s hand holding the curved blade trembled slightly.
A fleeting complexity flashed in her eyes, but only for a moment.
She then turned her face back to Yuan Li, expressionless. “If you say something disgusting like that again, I’ll beat you too!”
Yuan Li felt wronged. She whispered softly, “I’m serious. I just want to stay with you.”
Better to stick with the familiar than the strange.
At least Hong Yuan was just cold and indifferent now, too lazy to respond.
The doll-faced boy, on the other hand, treated her like a toy!
Even a fool could tell who was better to follow.
“Little Li Li, you don’t understand romance, you hurt my heart~”
The doll-faced boy whined pitifully.
Hong Yuan’s brow twitched sharply. Without a word, she drew her blade and chased after him.
The doll-faced boy, though not as strong as Hong Yuan, was quick.
They began circling the training room in a chaotic chase, knocking over chairs and sending everyone scattering.
Someone who had been trying to stay out of it accidentally provoked him, and suddenly it became a three-way brawl.
Yuan Li: “……”
She wondered if she would ever get a chance to train if every session descended into chaos.
As it turned out—there was a chance.
The fight went on for over half an hour, ending with the doll-faced boy being thrown aside.
Yuan Li immediately glanced at Hong Yuan. Aside from her torn clothes and a scratch on her hand, she seemed unharmed.
She let out a sigh of relief.
The messy-haired young man grinned. “Wow, look at this girl, she’s so worried about you. Can you really let me take care of her?”
Their teamwork to beat the doll-faced boy had an unspoken agreement.
The agreement was: Yuan Li.
This group rarely left the Cleaning Department unless they were on a mission.
So boredom often found them.
Yuan Li’s presence stood out in these moments.
The messy-haired young man wanted to become her second teacher.
Hong Yuan glanced at Yuan Li from afar. Coldly, she said, “I don’t have time to teach kids.”
Besides, the messy-haired young man’s methods might suit Yuan Li better.
“So heartless,” the young man shook his head, watching Yuan Li approach. He smiled and held out his hand. “Hi, Yuan Li. I’m Fang Zhou. I’ll be your second teacher from now on.”
Confused, Yuan Li looked at Hong Yuan.
Seeing no objection from Hong Yuan, she hesitated, then lightly shook Fang Zhou’s hand. “Hello… thank you for your help.”
“No trouble at all,” Fang Zhou said. He studied her curiously. “Mind if I ask you some questions?”
“Not at all,” Yuan Li shook her head.
Fang Zhou led Yuan Li to a nearby table and chair, producing paper and pen from somewhere. He began asking questions seriously.
Questions like: What firearms did she like? Preferred melee weapons? How skilled did she want to become? Beyond combat, was there anything else she wanted to learn?
Yuan Li answered everything earnestly.
Fang Zhou reviewed his notes and said in surprise, “So… your main goal is self-preservation?”
Yuan Li nodded. Her obedient-looking face, when clouded with worry, softened even Fang Zhou’s heart.
“I don’t want what happened today to happen again.”
Meanwhile, Fang Zhou and Yuan Li chatted harmoniously.
Hong Yuan adjusted her earpiece, listening carefully. Then she asked concisely, “You mean that Mutant didn’t have a Mutant Core or was naturally defective, so its chest was its weak point? That means Yuan Li is fine?”
The reply was calm but cautious: “I just think her killing the Mutant was accidental luck. I can’t guarantee anything else.”
Hong Yuan hung up and approached Yuan Li and Fang Zhou.
“Done talking? Then let’s train.”
Yuan Li jumped up. “We’re done! Hong Yuan, how do we start? Do we begin with stamina training?”
“Follow me.” Hong Yuan led her to an open space.
She said, “I’ll attack you. You need to dodge and resist as best as you can.”
Yuan Li’s eyes widened. “Wait… shouldn’t we start with running and stamina first?”
Hong Yuan ignored her.
In a flash, she was in front of Yuan Li, grabbed her arm, and twisted forcefully.
Yuan Li spun through the air and slammed onto her back.
Pain shot through her spine, tears pooling in her eyes. Through the haze, she saw Hong Yuan standing above her.
“Get up. Keep going. Unless you want to end up like that woman today—bullied so badly that even dying would be considered lucky.”