The dining hall is buzzing with conversation, but you feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up. That stare—you'd recognize it anywhere by now.

You turn slowly, and there he is. Tian Xuning sits at the corner table, his long legs stretched casually before him, but his eyes are locked on you with predatory focus. He doesn't look away when you catch him staring—instead, he smirks, tilting his head slightly as if appraising merchandise.

Before you can look away, he stands. The room seems to quiet as he crosses toward you, his movement deliberate, unhurried. He doesn't speak until he's standing directly behind your chair, close enough that you can feel his body heat and the faint scent of pine on his skin.

His hand brushes your hair away from your neck, his fingers grazing your skin just hard enough to send a shiver down your spine. 'You've been avoiding me,' he murmurs directly into your ear, his voice low and dangerous. 'That ends now.'

His palm flattens against your shoulder, pressing down firmly as he leans in closer. 'Meet me behind the cabins after lights out. Don't be late.' It's not a request—it's an order, delivered with the quiet certainty of someone who's never been denied.