That boy was digging too deep. She'd seen him in the library, looking at old student files. His eyes lit up when he found the photo labeled Xu Xiyan, dated three years ago.
Her old self.
He was close.
Too close.
"Target, twenty meters. Moving. Wind, 7.2 south-southwest."
Sergeant Zhang's voice cut through the tension.
Yan Xiyan adjusted her scope without hesitation, calculating the lead instinctively. Her breathing slowed. One heartbeat… two… trigger squeeze.
Bang!
The dummy's head jerked back. Bullseye.
"Perfect. But remember, little hawk," Sergeant Zhang murmured, stepping closer. "Out there, hesitation is death. And secrets? Secrets are a heavy weight in the battlefield."
The Next Day – School Courtyard
The cherry trees were in full bloom, pink petals dancing across the courtyard in the warm afternoon breeze.
Yan Xiyan leaned against the railing, sipping from a water bottle. Her body ached from the midnight training, but her expression remained composed.
"You didn't do too bad in the mock test," Qiao Zeyan's voice cut into her thoughts.
She didn't look at him. "Neither did you."
He walked up beside her, eyes scanning her face. "You erased the same problem twice before settling on the right answer. Most students panic when they second-guess themselves. But you? It looked like you were verifying an equation you'd already solved in your head."
Yan Xiyan turned to him slowly. Her eyes were calm, unreadable. "You watched me during the test?"
"I observe everyone," he said with a sly grin. "But you're different."
There it was again—that glimmer in his eyes, like he already knew the truth but was enjoying the chase.
"I'm not different," she said quietly. "You're just looking too hard."
Qiao Zeyan leaned in just slightly, his voice low. "Or maybe I'm seeing something everyone else missed."
Their eyes locked.
For a moment, it felt like a sniper standoff. Neither blinked.
But then the school bell rang, slicing the moment in half.
Yan Xiyan turned without a word and walked away, her shadow stretching long behind her as she disappeared into the crowd.
Qiao Zeyan stood still, watching.
Just who are you, Yan Xiyan…?