"What about you?"
"Gathering data," she replied smoothly. "To confirm if the legendary Tian Shen has grown even lazier."
He chuckled, still not looking at her.
"And your findings?"
She tilted her head.
"Mixed. Lazy posture. But you're clearly working hard… in your own odd way."
Tian Shen finally turned toward her, playful glint in his eyes.
"Odd is the new genius."
"I thought arrogance was the old genius," she murmured.
"I'm a pioneer. I multitask."
A breath of shared amusement passed between them.
She leaned her elbows on the railing, chin tilted toward the horizon.
"The air smells different. Of anticipation and fear."
"Sounds like how people feel around you."
"Careful," she said, casting him a sideways glance. "I might mistake that for flirting."
"And if it is?"
He asked, turning to fully face her.
She didn't flinch, but her voice dropped.
"Then it's working."
For a moment, neither moved. The sounds of the training arena below faded into the wind.
