Jun Kai's gaze sharpened the moment he saw Ba Ryou's hand still wrapped around Jin Yue's wrist.
Without hesitation, he stepped directly between them.
"Is that a habit of yours?" Jun Kai asked coolly.
Ba Ryou did not release Jin Yue immediately. He merely tilted his head slightly. "Hm?"
"Grabbing people's wrists," Jun Kai clarified.
The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Huo Zhen blinked once, sensing danger. Mu Qing instinctively lowered his voice. Lei Fan's eyes flicked back and forth between them, already calculating how quickly this could escalate.
Ba Ryou finally released Jin Yue… slowly, as though the act required no urgency at all.
"I was steadying him."
Jun Kai's expression did not soften in the slightest.
"Steadying," he repeated.
Then, without warning, Jun Kai extended his own hand toward Ba Ryou.
"If it's your hobby," he said evenly, "you can hold mine instead."
The words were calm. The tone was not.
A few nearby participants subtly turned their heads.
