Chapter 29: Oh My

Stretching out her hand, A Youyou climbed onto the mecha in two or three steps, quickly set the mecha to silent mode to return it to its original position, and closed the hatch and engine.

Just then, the main door opened, and the beam of a flashlight swept around; it was the warehouse patrol.

"Huh, was it just my imagination? I clearly heard a sound just now, strange."

"Probably a rat. Who would run here in the middle of the night? It's not like they could steal a mecha, right? Let's go, let's go."

"That's true, this is Tianjing Mecha after all."

The two patrolmen walked away laughing, while the two people hiding inside the mecha didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

After waiting a while longer to confirm the patrolmen had left, the two emerged from the mecha and snuck back the way they came. Li Hao, of course, had to take A Youyou back. On the way back this time, there was clearly a slight change.

"Senior, I think I've done the boldest thing of my life," A Youyou said with a faint smile. "Thank you, Senior. Today is a most special night; I will remember it forever."

It wasn't just for this that she was grateful, but also for Li Hao's politeness. Although there had been many unavoidable intimate contacts, Li Hao had been very mindful.

"This is also the happiest night for me. Life is actually quite interesting," Li Hao said with a heartfelt smile.

Perhaps Li Hao's words were too peculiar, making A Youyou unable to hold back a laugh. "Senior, can we take a photo together? The moon is beautiful tonight."

A Youyou said, looking at the night sky. Although the two deliberately walked slowly and couldn't even feel the presence of other students coming and going, the destination was still right before their eyes.

"Of course."

Li Hao and A Youyou stood together to one side, backs to the moon. A Youyou opened her SkyCom, popped up the automatic imaging mode, 3... 2...

The two had originally just been standing together, but suddenly, A Youyou gently hooked her arm into Li Hao's.

Piu~~~

A flash of light.

A Youyou let go of Li Hao's arm. "Senior, goodbye."

Walking toward the girls' dormitory, A Youyou waved her arm at Li Hao. Li Hao also waved back, watching A Youyou's figure disappear at the end of his line of sight.

Walking on the way back to the dormitory, Li Hao felt a bit elated. He liked A Youyou, but how should he pursue her?

As soon as he reached the dormitory, Li Hao immediately dialed Ma Long's SkyCom. It rang a few times before the other side answered.

"Hao Ge, what's up in the middle of the night? At this hour, you're very likely to delay my workout, haha."

"Ma Long, *cough cough*, there's something I'd like to ask for your advice on."

Ma Long on the other end suddenly perked up. "Holy crap, no way, Hao Ge, you've finally opened up? So, who are you trying to pursue? Ye Tong or Zhou Naiyi? You've asked the right person. In this regard, if I, Ma Long, claim second, no one dares to claim first."

"No, what are you talking about? I just met a junior today. How should I put it... it was love at first sight, I guess. How can I ask her out tomorrow without seeming abrupt?"

"Hao Ge, first of all, there's no such thing as abrupt when you like someone. Tell me what happened, what the other person is like, what her personality is..." Ma Long was quite proactive; deep down, Ma Laoshi still loved to impart knowledge.

Li Hao briefly explained what happened, though he naturally omitted what needed to be omitted.

"My god, Hao Ge, you're really going to drive me crazy. You had at least twenty chances for a 'finishing move' along the way! My heavens, where are you going to find conditions like that again? She didn't reject you. As a man, you have to take the initiative to close the distance, otherwise, once that feeling fades, the girl will categorize you as a friend, or a 'nice guy,' and then it's game over!" Ma Long was frustrated by his lack of progress. "You've been with me for a year, and you haven't even learned this much!"

Li Hao was a bit hesitant. "That doesn't seem right, it's only the first time we've met."

"Love isn't a marathon; it's a feeling, a flavor, that momentary shiver. Understand?"

Li Hao... didn't quite understand, but seemed to understand at the same time. "What if she rejects me? Wouldn't that mean there's absolutely no chance left?"

"Geez, listen up. This is a truth summarized by Ma Laoshi; I wouldn't share this with anyone who isn't one of my own. First, that girl definitely has a good impression of you. What is rejection? If a girl shows coldness or disgust when you get close, that's rejection. If she tells you very seriously that it won't work, that it's not allowed, that's a real 'no.' If she doesn't resist, or says something shy like 'that's not good' or 'I don't think so,' those all mean: Yes! Good! Hurry!"

Ma Long was quite emotional; such exciting opportunities were rare. Although Li Hao praised the girl like she was a flower, Ma Long didn't think so. Throughout Tianjing Mecha, from seniors to juniors, where would such a person exist? One could only say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The name A Youyou... it didn't sound like a Tianjing name at all.

"Then should I ask her to eat tomorrow?"

"You can. Since she's an exchange student, take her to visit some special places in Tianjing. Remember, don't stay in one place for more than an hour and a half. Change places often—eat, drink coffee, watch a movie, go to the Cloud Top Center. Anyway, you have to leave behind enough memories. And stop being a fool; you must take the initiative to close the distance. Of course, don't be a predator—that's a beast—but you need to show your affection." Ma Long spoke with great animation, and Li Hao nodded repeatedly.

A child worth teaching.

"Execute it well. Remember to report the results tomorrow. By the way, if there's anything you don't understand, ask me anytime. With Director Ma here, there won't be any accidents!"

Li Hao lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. Ma Long made it sound easy, but what should he actually say?

After brewing over it for nearly an hour, he finally sent a message: A Youyou, do you want to go out for a walk tomorrow?

Ding-dong.

A photo, the very one of Li Hao and A Youyou from just now. In the photo, A Youyou was so beautiful, so pure, and her whole being had a special "flavor" that attracted him.

"Senior, I have plans for tomorrow. I'll be busy for the next few days. I'm sorry. I'll message you as soon as I have time, okay?"

"Okay, no problem." Li Hao replied happily.

At this moment, the 69th and 70th floors of the Tianjing Cloud Top Center had been booked by a mysterious client.

In the only presidential suite on the 70th floor, which offered a 360-degree view of the entire Tianjing nightscape, a figure snuck into the room. Just as she poked her head in, she discovered someone standing at the door.

"A Youyou!" The woman's voice carried anxiety and a hint of anger.

A Youyou stuck out her tongue. "Aunt, I know I was wrong. It won't happen again. I was doing it for work, looking for inspiration!"

"Do you know what time it is? And why did you mute your SkyCom? I almost called Long Danni!" Su Yu said, looking at the completely oblivious A Youyou.

"I'm a grown woman, and my makeup is flawless; no one can tell. Don't worry, I really found inspiration. I've finished most of that dance; I'll dance it for you later." A Youyou grabbed Su Yu's hand and started her invincible act of acting spoiled.

"You really need to be more careful. You're going to scare me to death sooner or later. You can't go to Tianjing Mecha anymore. I'll talk to Principal Long about it. You know the family opposes your current career. If any situation arises, I won't be able to stop them."

"I know, I know. Aunt is the best," A Youyou laughed. "Aunt, since we're already here, how about we hold a small, special fan meet-and-greet in Tianjing?"

A Youyou was her childhood name, known only to family. The girl before her was none other than Arths. She had come to Earth to find inspiration for her new album's MV. Ever since the Mecha Tournament, she had been perfecting it, but it always lacked that certain something.

"I mentioned it before; weren't you uninterested?" Su Yu asked vigilantly.

"I wasn't very interested, but Aunt is so good to me, I feel I should consider you more. Plus, Principal Long was a big help with this research trip," A Youyou said.

Su Yu nodded, a knowing smile appearing on her face. "You've finally grown up. I'll start planning it. Let's limit it to five thousand people. But it's impossible to give it only to Tianjing; we'll focus on the Asia region. It will definitely make everyone fight tooth and nail for tickets. I'll give Long Danni two tickets to return the favor."

"Then can I continue to look for inspiration in Tianjing? This is the oldest origin of Humans; it's really different..."

"Don't even think about it. From now on, someone will follow you wherever you go. And this makeup of yours—you think it makes you look plain? You have a charm that makeup can't cover. Anyone with even slightly sensitive genetic perception will notice. Don't cause trouble!" On this point, there was no room for negotiation. Su Yu was Arths's manager and also the chairwoman of the management company. To put it bluntly, this company was set up for Arths. The family, especially the old man, had been firmly opposed to it, but Arths always had a way, which was why they were barely tolerating it. But if anything happened that made the old man dissatisfied, she would still have to go home and inherit the family business.

A Youyou sat in front of the mirror, wiping off her makeup. Her slightly dull skin became white as jade, the freckles on her face disappeared, and her slightly protruding forehead became smooth and even...

"Get some rest early. There's a schedule for tomorrow." Su Yu only left after confirming that A Youyou was fine.

After removing her makeup, washing up, and blow-drying her hair, A Youyou sat on the sofa, looked at the night view outside, and couldn't help but laugh.

Such a silly senior, but when he rushed down to save her, he was truly so handsome and so warm; if she were Arths, she believed many people would do that, but at that time she was just A Youyou, at most a cute-ugly A Youyou.

But she definitely couldn't let her aunt know about this, or something major would happen.

Even for a small meet-and-greet, it would take at least ten days or half a month, so she would always have a chance to slip out.

A Youyou's daily routine was very regular, but tonight she couldn't sleep at all, so she opened her Skylink and dialed her cousin's number.

"A Youyou, how is Tianjing? Is it pretty? I haven't been there yet." Dita on the other side of the Skylink had clearly just finished training and showering; she had a white towel draped over her, and her body was glowing, looking quite sexy.

"Sister Dita, even I feel my heart flutter looking at your figure."

(Five chapters updated at dawn.)