Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Bai Xingshu stared at Luo Yu's expression, clearly seeing the starstruck awe in his eyes.

Basically, it was exactly the same look Cheng Yunxi's fans had when they gazed at Cheng Yunxi.

But...

Bai Xingshu still remembered how he had once misunderstood Song Xiyan's feelings toward him.

Faced with Luo Yu's emotional "confession," Bai Xingshu's expression turned serious, and he cautiously asked, "Like, how?"

Luo Yu froze, completely unprepared for such a counter-question. It took him a moment to process before he grasped Bai Xingshu's meaning.

Instantly, Luo Yu's eyes widened, and he took a step back. His reaction was so intense that he looked ready to explode.

"Not like *that*!!" Luo Yu's face flushed red as his voice rose sharply.

Seeing Luo Yu's reaction, Bai Xingshu shot a glance at Shen Geng, who glanced over, puzzled by the commotion. He coughed and quickly pulled the sputtering Luo Yu back.

Suddenly feeling a bit guilty, Bai Xingshu hurriedly tried to soothe Luo Yu, "Okay, okay, I got it."

Luo Yu hadn’t expected his words to cause such a misunderstanding. Thinking back on his wording, he wanted to facepalm.

...Okay, yeah, that came out weird.

But after a moment of embarrassment, Luo Yu realized something odd about Bai Xingshu's reaction.

Who even jumps to that conclusion??

Why had Bai Xingshu misunderstood him like that?

As this question surfaced, Luo Yu naturally recalled the sentence he had used as a comparison when expressing his "like."

—"Senior, don’t you really like Shen Geng?"

Wait—

His mind blanked.

Thinking back to all the interactions he had observed between Bai Xingshu and Shen Geng, he had initially assumed their closeness was just due to being old roommates and having known each other for a year.

But now...

"Senior..." Luo Yu began flailing a little, his words stumbling as he tried to phrase his question indirectly, "You’re not into Shen Geng, are you?"

Bai Xingshu had been through this before, so he answered without hesitation, "No."

After the denial, he coughed lightly and added, "It’s just that I messed this up before—mistaking someone's romantic feelings for friendship. So I'm kinda paranoid now."

Hearing this, Luo Yu exhaled hard.

Oh thank god.

It was all... a misunderstanding.

Otherwise...

Luo Yu thought about it for a moment—if Bai Xingshu had actually liked Shen Geng, and he had suddenly pulled strings to move in with them, turning their romantic bubble into a trio...

His original plan to build a good relationship with the royal family would have been a disaster from the get-go!

After clearing up the misunderstanding, both of them relaxed. Bai Xingshu then returned to what Luo Yu had first said.

"So, you imitated Shen Geng because you wanted me to... um..." Bai Xingshu paused, searching for the right words, "be pals with you?"

Luo Yu shook his head firmly, pumping his fists with determination. "No! I want to be your right-hand man! Your rock!"

Bai Xingshu blinked. '...'

Wait, what?

This response caught Bai Xingshu completely off guard.

The impact of Luo Yu's words was no less shocking than when he had blurted out "like" earlier.

Back in the apocalypse, sure, but now, in this interstellar era, he was just an ordinary student. Why would an elite Alpha from a prestigious family want to be his rock?

Bai Xingshu studied Luo Yu, who was once again brimming with enthusiasm, and nodded slightly, confirming one thing.

Yep, his soon-to-be junior was clearly still in his edgy teen phase.

During his time on duty, Bai Xingshu had encountered many new ways to describe people that he’d never heard of in the apocalyptic world.

It was quite interesting.

Anyway, as long as Luo Yu was happy.

Bai Xingshu patted Luo Yu on the back, with a teasing grin. "So, all this time, you’ve been copying *Shen-ge* because of this?"

Luo Yu scratched his head sheepishly. "I messed it up, didn’t I?" His tone carried a hint of dejection.

He really wasn’t skilled at this kind of thing.

Bai Xingshu looked at him, his eyes curved into amused crescents. The boy’s teenage angst was rather endearing.

However, in Bai Xingshu’s view, Luo Yu’s mindset was off-base.

He shook his head slightly. "It’s not about whether you messed it up or not."

"Even if you succeeded, is it worth changing who you are just because you admire someone and think they’d like it that way?" Bai Xingshu’s stare drilled into Luo Yu, as if directly questioning his heart.

"Don’t you think people could like the real you?"

Faced with this question, Luo Yu went stock-still.

He had never questioned any of this.

This era was still one where the monarchy still mattered. Even though the crown’s power had faded after humanity ventured into the stars, and the empire had become more open overall...

For nobles like them, there was still a knee-jerk urge to please the royal family—like the old saying, "When the king favors slender waists, the palace is filled with starving women."

So Luo Yu had never questioned his earlier mindset.

But now...

Luo Yu looked at Bai Xingshu, who was asking questions, yet his eyes sparkling with amusement were filled with nothing but affirmation for him.

It was as if he was saying, "You're perfect just as you are."

Luo Yu felt emotions welling up inside.

And Bai Xingshu's affirmation and praise for Luo Yu were just getting started.

"You're diligent and steadfast, working hard to complete all your tasks. Your positive, helpful attitude doesn't go unnoticed."

"Don’t the senior officers at the police station often bring you back treats whenever they see something good outside?"

"The residents you mediate for, after you calm them down, sincerely offer you advice, treating you like family and worrying about your future."

"Xiao Luo, you don’t need to become someone else."

"You have to believe that you're naturally likable!" As he spoke, Bai Xingshu gave Luo Yu a big thumbs-up, giving him total approval.

Luo Yu gazed dumbfounded at the radiant smile on Bai Xingshu's face, his heart pounding so hard he couldn’t tear his gaze away.

Seeing Luo Yu remain unresponsive for a long time, seemingly frozen in place, a flicker of confusion appeared in Bai Xingshu's eyes.

Had Luo Yu never been praised before?

That couldn’t be!

"What’s wrong?" Bai Xingshu asked.

Faced with Bai Xingshu's confusion, Luo Yu's eyes clouded with confusion.

The emotions surging in his chest felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Is this what they mean by... "a scholar would die for one who appreciates him"!!!

With teary eyes, Luo Yu looked at Bai Xingshu and poured all his swirling emotions into one sentence.

"Senior, I think I'm falling harder for you!"

Having fully understood what Luo Yu's "like" truly meant, Bai Xingshu took the confession in stride.

Bai Xingshu struck a proud pose, hands on hips: "That's right! I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?!"