The Silent Truce and the System's Overt Scheme

In the final days of the Christmas holiday, Hogwarts remained shrouded in the tranquility following the snowfall. Ever since the incident of magical backlash in the dungeon corridor, Snape seemed to have vanished. Lin Yanqing could vaguely sense through their bond that he spent most of his time in the Slytherin common room or his dormitory. His emotions were like a deep pool, calm on the surface but with turbulent currents beneath—a sense of frustration forcefully suppressed, resentment, and continuous, highly focused thought.

He hadn't sent any new book lists, nor had he appeared in any public spaces. This silence wasn't his usual avoidance; it was more like a wounded beast retreating to its den to lick its wounds.

The countdown for the System's [Crisis Rehearsal] mission was slowly ticking away. Lin Yanqing welcomed the peace. He knew that as long as Snape stopped those dangerous solo experiments, the mission would essentially be completed. He used these days to organize the limited knowledge about their bond he had received from the System and to preview the potential Charms content for the next semester.

On the evening of the day before the holiday ended, Lin Yanqing was reading Standard Spells, Elementary by a window in the library when a black figure silently appeared beside the seat opposite him.

It was Snape.

He looked slightly better than a few days prior, but his face was still pale, with shadows of fatigue under his eyes. He carried no books, merely sat down in silence, his hands resting on his knees, fingers slightly curled. He didn't look at Lin Yanqing, his gaze fixed on the snowy landscape outside the window in the twilight, as if he had simply chosen an empty seat at random.

But Lin Yanqing knew this was no coincidence. This was the first time Snape had actively approached him since their bond was formed, and it was in a context free of conflict or demand.

The library was quiet, with only the rustling of quills on parchment and the occasional soft sound of turning pages. A wide oak table separated them, like an invisible boundary.

Snape remained silent. He seemed to be struggling, organizing his thoughts, or rather, overcoming some immense psychological hurdle. Through their bond, Lin Yanqing could feel a strong sense of humiliation warring with his rationality. His reason told him that some exchange of information was necessary; his pride, however, made the prospect of speaking first incredibly embarrassing.

Lin Yanqing didn't urge him or break the silence. He lowered his head and continued reading his book, as if the seat opposite him were empty. He knew that any pressure might cause this startled (and extremely proud) bat to fly away again.

Time ticked by. The sky outside grew darker, and warm lights flickered on inside the library.

Finally, just as Lin Yanqing was preparing to pack up and leave, Snape spoke. His voice was low, with a deliberately maintained flatness, as if discussing the weather, but the tense line of his jaw betrayed his discomfort.

"Obscure Connection... Chapter Four," he said abruptly, still not looking at Lin Yanqing, "mentions a... possibility. Regarding the temporary... stabilization of magical channels."

He spoke very vaguely, not even forming a complete sentence, more like tossing out a keyword to gauge the other's reaction.

Lin Yanqing's page-turning motion paused. He looked up at Snape. Snape's profile appeared somewhat stiff in the lamplight.

"I saw it," Lin Yanqing replied calmly, his tone also devoid of discernible emotion. "It requires 'Twin Moonlight Moss' and 'Resonance Crystal Powder' as mediums, and demands that both parties' magic achieve initial synchronization at a specific frequency." This was precisely what he had read previously in A Brief Analysis of Ancient Pacts, a book rewarded by the System. Though brief, it had touched upon the basic requirements for this stabilization ritual.

Snape's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Lin Yanqing's ability to accurately state the key points clearly confirmed that he was indeed researching it and possessed some information Snape didn't know. This didn't relax him; instead, it made him more wary—this Ravenclaw likely knew more than he let on.

However, it also meant that the direction of "stabilizing the bond" was not merely his own conjecture.

Another silence fell. This time, the silence held less confrontation and more deliberation.

"The materials are hard to find," Snape finally squeezed out another sentence, almost a whisper. This was the closest he could get to a "discussion." He didn't ask, "Do you have them?" nor did he make a request, merely stating a fact.

"Mm," Lin Yanqing responded, indicating he had heard. He made no promises. He knew that what Snape needed at this moment wasn't an enthusiastic partner, but an "informed party" who wouldn't be a hindrance and might offer limited assistance.

After this brief, almost encrypted exchange, Snape immediately stood up, as if he had completed an extremely taxing task, and swiftly left the library without looking back.

Lin Yanqing watched his retreating figure disappear and let out a soft breath. In his mind, the System's prompt sounded.

"Mission [Crisis Rehearsal] Complete! Rewards issued! (★ ω ★) Host, he proactively came to talk to you! Although it was about a dangerous topic, this is a historic breakthrough!"

Two bottles of faintly blue, shimmering [Magic Stabilization Potion (Elementary)] appeared in his storage bag. More importantly, he felt that the soul bond, which had been constantly taut, seemed to have... relaxed ever so slightly. It hadn't become friendly, but rather transitioned from "absolute hostility" to a state of "cautious, pragmatic temporary truce."

The next day, the Hogwarts Express roared in with the returning students, and the castle was once again filled with noise. The new semester had begun.

The first class was Potions. As Lin Yanqing entered the underground classroom, he found Snape already seated in his usual corner. Unlike before, when Lin Yanqing chose a workstation not too far and not too close, Snape merely glanced up at him with a cold look before lowering his head to prepare his own equipment, no longer exuding that strong sense of repulsion.

Professor Slughorn assigned the brewing of a new healing potion. During the process, the timing of adding armadillo bile needed to be precisely controlled. As Lin Yanqing reached this step, he could vaguely sense an extremely faint emotional fluctuation of attention coming from Snape's side, as if silently monitoring his progress and assessing whether he would once again trigger the bond's interference.

This was silent supervision and a form of tacit acknowledgment—acknowledging the fragile balance now formed between them, based on "avoiding mutual risk."

At the end of class, while tidying up, Lin Yanqing casually placed a small packet, carefully wrapped in brown paper and shimmering faintly (it was the "Resonance Crystal Powder," part of the materials pack rewarded by the System), on an empty stool between their workstations.

He didn't speak. After packing his things, he left the classroom.

As he reached the doorway, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye: Snape, with lightning speed, swept the packet into his robes. The movement was so fast it was almost illusory.

The new semester, the new mode of "cooperation," began quietly amidst this silence, probing, and extremely limited exchange of goods. The System Cub excitedly planned the next mission, while Lin Yanqing knew that the seemingly calm path beneath their feet was actually fraught with greater traps and unknowns.