The mask covered most of Yu Mo's face, leaving only his slightly tired, gentle eyes visible. His pale and thin skin brought with it some minor issues, such as wrinkles. Yu Mo and Lorin were the same age, but when Yu Mo smiled, faint lines had already begun to form just below the corners of his eyes.
Ivy was pleasantly surprised. "Why are you here? Was there a transfer?"
"It's a collaboration between the research lab and the exploration team. A student was originally supposed to be in charge of drawing blood samples today," Yu Mo explained. "But when I saw your name on the list, I decided to come myself."
Ivy quickly rolled up her right sleeve, clenched her fist, and exposed her veins without hesitation under his gaze.
Lorin noticed that Ivy's usual fear and hesitation about drawing blood had completely vanished. The silent understanding between the two of them was reminiscent of siblings.
He sat down on a nearby chair, quietly waiting for the blood sample comparison and analysis report to be completed. Before their identities could be verified, all members of the exploration team had to wait here.
Given Lorin's military rank, he could have gone to the senior officers' lounge, taken a comfortable bath, and rested until the results were ready. But for as long as he had been here, Lorin had never chosen to wait there. He always stayed with his soldiers.
Yu Mo's technique for drawing blood was swift and precise. Without needing any prompting from Ivy, he had already tied the tourniquet around her arm. This traditional blood-drawing tool from a century ago was still something Yu Mo used with ease.
"This might hurt a little," Yu Mo said. "Bear with it."
Ivy nodded, letting out a soft "Mm" from her nose.
The sharp silver needle pierced accurately into the vein beneath her skin. Yu Mo quickly finished drawing the blood, removed the needle, and pressed a disinfectant cotton swab against the spot. He didn’t use the latest blood collection tools, but his skill was so refined that Ivy only felt a brief sting, like an ant bite, and it was over.
She stood up, making room for the next team member waiting to have their blood drawn.
"Auntie asked me to bring you some things," Yu Mo said as he labeled her blood sample and stored it away. "Where’s your dorm? I’ll take them to—"
"Doctor," Lorin interjected from the side, "faculty members need to apply in advance to enter the trainees' dormitory in the training base."
"Thanks for the reminder," Yu Mo said, turning back to Ivy. "Then come find me at the hospital when you have time. I’ll be there."
Ivy smiled. "Sure!"
That evening, she successfully picked up the items her mother had asked Yu Mo to deliver.
Inside were some cookies her father had baked and homemade jam he had prepared. Her mother had stuffed the package with Ivy’s favorite snacks and a few pieces of clothing.
The good news: Ivy had just sent all her uniforms and bedding to the cleaning robots, so the clothes her mother sent were perfectly timed for the season change.
The bad news: Her mother’s taste leaned toward the elegant and feminine, so the clothes she sent were all delicate little dresses.
Accustomed to wearing pants, Ivy felt a strange coolness around her legs when she put on the dress, as if something was missing. She dug out a pair of safety shorts to wear underneath, but her exposed calves still felt awkward.
At least she didn’t have to attend classes today, sparing her the discomfort of walking into the training hall feeling so out of place.
During dinner, Yu Mo invited Ivy to eat at the faculty cafeteria.
He only needed one sentence to win over both Ivy and her friend Nana:
"The sweet and sour squirrel fish here is really good."
Trainees, exploration team members, and faculty ate in separate cafeterias. Trainees didn’t need to pay extra for meals, but their options were limited to fixed dishes and fruits. The faculty cafeteria operated on a pay-per-meal system, offering a few more varied dishes each day compared to the trainees' meals.
Recently, the chefs responsible for Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine had fallen ill, and the Italian chef was still on vacation. Only the German and British chefs remained on duty, serving Western food for several days. Nana had been eating bread and salad until her eyes turned red, so when she heard they could have Chinese food at the faculty cafeteria, she practically wanted to carry Ivy there herself.
And so, wearing her purple dress, Ivy followed Yu Mo into the faculty cafeteria.
When the sweet and sour squirrel fish arrived, Nana’s eyes welled up with tears. She clasped her hands together and exclaimed, "Oh, praise the heavens, praise the earth, praise the kind-hearted Dr. Yu Mo, and the thoughtful Ivy!"
They had arrived early, and since it was a holiday, there weren’t many people in the cafeteria. Nana’s voice carried, and at the entrance, Lorin, who had been about to leave, paused.
Ivy didn’t notice.
She had just finished a few bites of fish when Yu Mo returned with a tray. He had generously ordered several dishes for the two girls and asked, "What would you like to drink? Or is there any fruit you’d like? I’ll get it for you."
Ivy raised her hand. "Qinggan Pu’er tea."
Nana raised hers. "Coconut milk."
Then, with surprise, she asked Ivy, "Oh my, don’t you think Qinggan and Pu’er tea have a strong metallic taste? It’s like drinking titanium steel with ice—cold and sharp."
"She’s loved it since she was a kid," Yu Mo said with a smile. "You two keep eating. I’ll go get the drinks."
"Since childhood," Nana mused. "Childhood sweethearts."
"Not exactly," Yu Mo said gently. "We were neighbors. I’m nine years older than Ivy, so that term doesn’t quite fit. I’m more like her older brother, or... a guardian."
Ivy sighed deeply, slumping in her seat. "Stop joking around. Don’t say those words."
...It really was strange.
The reason she and Yu Mo had broken up was precisely this. It was during their second week of officially dating. When Ivy had leaned in to kiss Yu Mo’s lips, he had looked at her calmly, gently pushed her away, and kissed her forehead instead.
He admitted that he couldn’t feel any sexual desire for Ivy. Perhaps because he had watched her grow up, she felt more like a younger sister or even a daughter to him.
Ivy thought to herself, you’d be hard-pressed to find another breakup reason like this anywhere in the world.
Yu Mo smiled, carefully confirming, "Miss Nana, you wanted a cup of coconut milk. Would you like extra sugar?"
After getting Nana’s answer, Yu Mo turned to Ivy. "Little Bao, your Qinggan Pu’er tea, no sugar, two ice cubes?"
"Right," Ivy nodded. "Same as always."
After Yu Mo left, Nana couldn’t help but marvel. "He’s so pale, and his hair is so beautiful. I’ve never seen such a perfect shade of silver-white hair before."
Ivy replied, "Yes, it’s very beautiful."
She didn’t explain to Nana that Yu Mo’s pale, translucent skin and unique silver-white hair were the result of a genetic defect. This defect affected the production of melanin in his body, including his light green eyes, which resembled the color of tsavorite gemstones.
It was subtly different from albinism. Yu Mo couldn’t tolerate prolonged exposure to sunlight, but if he didn’t get any sun at all, he would feel uncomfortable.
This genetic defect had caused him many troubles.
Ivy didn’t elaborate on this. Both she and Nana were D-level genes, and they were well aware of the invisible discrimination that permeated society.
Nana asked enviously, "Is he your arranged marriage husband?"
"Uh," Ivy hesitated. "No."
"We did date," she explained, "but we’ve since broken up amicably. Now we’re just good friends."
"Why?" Nana was deeply disappointed. "What a shame. You two look so perfect together. I don’t understand why your parents would want you to marry someone else instead of—Professor Lorin!"
Ivy was startled.
She turned around, following Nana’s gaze. Lorin was standing right behind her, holding a glass filled with something.
Even though there were no classes today, he was still in his uniform, his hands clad in black gloves, not exposing a single inch of skin.
Ivy suspected he hadn’t brought any casual clothes to the base.
Lorin asked, "Is this seat taken?"
"No, no," Nana quickly shook her head, intimidated by the professor’s stern reputation. "Please, sit."
Lorin nodded. "Thank you."
He sat down to Ivy’s right, placing the glass on the table. The ice cubes clinked against the sides, releasing a crisp sound and a refreshing coconut aroma. Ivy realized the glass contained coconut water.
How strange. She had always assumed he only drank plain water.
With the professor’s arrival, the previously relaxed and cheerful atmosphere slowly faded away.
Nana knew how strict and harsh Lorin was when it came to grading students. Attending his classes was the most grueling experience, and at this rate, it was inevitable that some of his students would fail to graduate. However, there was no doubt that only such rigorous teaching could ensure these students' survival—Lorin's students were all destined for the front lines, the most dangerous areas of the wasteland.
This natural sense of reverence made Nana focus on her meal, keeping her head down and her thoughts to herself.
Ivy decided to break the stifling atmosphere with some words.
She said, "I've received a notice from Xin Lan. He told me that I can resume the warrior training course tomorrow. Thank you, Professor."
Lorin responded indifferently, "Hmm."
His icy demeanor made Ivy hesitate to continue the conversation. Just like during their car rides in the wasteland, the two of them never engaged in idle chatter.
Ivy wanted to wait for Yu Mo to return before starting her meal. She quietly took out her phone and glanced at the draft of her divorce application.
She had just finished the initial draft and hadn't polished it yet.
Once the training here was almost over, she would send it to General Hector... her nominal, "assigned" partner, whose current whereabouts were unknown.
Her phone screen was large, and even as Lorin sipped his coconut water, he could clearly see the words "Dear Hector..."
The rest was unclear.
"The deadline for the analysis report is in two days," Lorin said calmly. "You don't need to rush to write it now."
"Ah," Ivy flustered, quickly putting her phone away. "It's not the analysis report."
"It's a love letter," Nana chimed in enthusiastically. "It must be a love letter to her husband..."
Ivy grew even more embarrassed.
She explained, "It's not—"
"Enough," Lorin interrupted. "I have no interest in your personal affairs. No need to explain."
Otherwise, she would awkwardly say something like, "I can get a divorce right away."
This strange and tense atmosphere was broken by the aroma of qinggan puer tea and coconut milk as Yu Mo, his silver hair tied up, returned with drinks.
Upon seeing Lorin, he paused for a moment, then quickly regained his composure and greeted him with a friendly smile, introducing himself as Ivy's good friend.
Lorin shook his hand through his glove.
Yu Mo sat down to Ivy's left.
With two men on either side, Ivy felt an inexplicable pressure.
She tried to figure out the source of this pressure—perhaps it was because both men were tall and held positions of authority over her, or perhaps it was because...
Lowering her gaze, she noticed the cold gleam of the metal buckle on Lorin's military belt. She took a sip of the qinggan puer tea, its icy metallic taste enveloping her completely, seeping into her very being.
Yu Mo asked politely, "Professor, may I ask who you are?"
"Lorin, Ivy's direct instructor," Lorin replied coolly, having finished his coconut water. "I was with her this morning for the blood sampling."
"My apologies," Yu Mo smiled. "It's been so long since we last met, I only remember our little treasure."
"Little treasure?" Lorin repeated the term in a completely emotionless tone, devoid of any affection.
He glanced at Ivy, who awkwardly lowered her head.
"After dinner," Lorin continued in his mechanically cold voice, "you need to come to my office."
Ivy's limbs felt numb and restless. "Yes, Professor."
"Also," Lorin stood up, his gaze falling on her purple dress, her long, well-toned legs, her slender ankles, and the pair of worn-out leather shoes she wore.
The purple dress was gentle and elegant, the kind a girl would wear on a date with someone she liked.
The hair tie Yu Mo used to tie up his silver hair was the same soft shade of purple as her dress.
"Your dress is beautiful today," Lorin said coldly. "Little treasure."
