Chapter 40

Chapter 40

C1 Control Room.

The match was still in progress, the expansive map playing on the screen, yet hardly anyone in the room was actually watching.

Everyone's gaze had subtly shifted to a certain grid in the lower right corner, as if waiting to see if that person would make another move.

However, the dark gray mech remained motionless, having been stationary there for who knows how long.

Like a frozen statue, even the usually lit patterns at its joints had faded.

...

"...I don't care about the match result anymore, I only care what No. 32 will do next."

"+1"

"Anyone in the know, please share No. 32's Cloud Shadow ID."

"Hey good-looking, let's see that face."

"Switch to No. 32."

"Cut, cut, cut."

The students of St. Mary's still didn't know what Meng Shijiu had done, only aware that the Blue team's tempo had suddenly slowed. This unexpected advantage instantly boosted the Red team's confidence, and the situation subtly began to turn.

Responding to the widespread demand from viewers, the director finally cut to No. 32's camera.

Just as the feed switched, Meng Shijiu had just finished his call with Shen Huaixu.

Two mechs stood quietly in the night.

"Ah, it's the ever-serene No. 32 again."

"You're over here all peaceful, completely ignoring the chaos you've stirred up."

"This familiar feeling, as expected of you, Boss 32."

"Whoa, No. 33 is still here?"

"Obviously, their mechs are linked, they have positioning."

"Must be a couple duo, that's how it is."

"Passing by, shipping this."

"Heh, not shipping."

Five seconds after the camera switched, the sensor lights on No. 32's mech suddenly went out.

Moonlight quietly cast a thin layer of frost on the mech's outer shell.

"?"

"!!!"

"What's going on??"

"What happened? Why did the sensor lights suddenly go out?"

"Was No. 32 eliminated?? But there are clearly no Blue team members around??"

"???"

"...Well, the match is getting more and more baffling."

After pressing the button for a full five seconds.

"Whir—"

The sensor lights went out as expected.

Logically, he should now wait for instructions from the staff, but Meng Shijiu genuinely wasn't good at digging up these detailed procedures from memory.

Besides, this was a spot he'd found near the exit, just a couple steps from leaving the obstacle zone.

Without much hesitation, he pressed the cockpit hatch switch and flipped down from the mech.

His long hair drew a smooth silver arc in the air as he leaned forward and jumped.

The silver-haired Alpha's neck tensed into an elegant curve, the lines of his back taut like a full-moon bow brimming with tension, yet upon landing, it transformed into feline-like lightness.

His slender legs landed steadily. He straightened up nonchalantly, his profile drifting lightly into the camera frame.

"—Holy crap."

"!!!"

"Mom asked if my mouth is hanging open this wide because I'm asking for a slap."

"Politely asking, is St. Mary's easy to get into?"

"Politely asking, No. 32, will you accept my marriage proposal?"

"Politely asking, No. 32, will you accept my marriage proposal? [Ring ready]"

"Politely asking, No. 32, will you accept my marriage proposal? [Ring and 9999 roses ready]"

...

"So he eliminated himself, huh..."

"Emm... why did he suddenly forfeit?"

"Could this be the ultimate form of slacking off..."

"I don't care, I just want to know who knows him... DM me!!!"

"Weren't you all just thinking No. 32 was really good at stirring things up?"

"It was all a misunderstanding, and as for what kind of misunderstanding, No. 32, come to my room and I'll tell you secretly."

"Screw the match... shove that camera right in his face!!"

Sensing the camera's movement, Meng Shijiu hesitated for a moment, then turned and waved at the lens.

The Alpha smiled lazily. His slender fingers came together like a sun, then slowly descended. With a natural flick of his wrist, he gave a thumbs-up.

—Good evening.

"Huh? What's this mean?"

"Dunno, but it looks awesome."

"Wah, beauty prpr."

"Is he saying hello?"

"How could this be? I thought for sure he'd be a badass."

"A gentle, handsome cat."

"He can actually speak, you know. We can hear him."

"I wanna hear."

"Wife, say something! Your voice is so good, so good, so good!"

"I'm fed up with you people misgendering him. This is clearly my husband."

"Stop arguing, this is my fiancé."

Noticing Meng Shijiu's move, the real fiancé sitting in cockpit No. 33 also turned off the indicator light. Ye Lingxi stepped down from the mech.

Meng Shijiu had almost forgotten him and only remembered when he saw Ye Lingxi.

As Ye Lingxi was about to walk over, thinking it better not to let Ye Lingxi appear on camera, Meng Shijiu quickly raised his hand, pushing down on Ye Lingxi's neck.

Under the moonlight, the usually fierce Omega offered no resistance at all.

The Alpha's smooth, pale fingertips easily slid into the gray-blue tips of Ye Lingxi's hair.

This force was nothing like the first time at St. Maria when Meng Shijiu grabbed his hair—it was like a soft cloud, serving only as a gentle guide.

—But his palm pressed firmly and seamlessly against the soft flesh of Ye Lingxi's scent gland.

The pleasure from the skin friction almost made Ye Lingxi get hard instantly.

But he didn't even blink, forcing down the urge to look up at the Alpha's face.

He couldn't get any harder.

A cool sensation crept up, igniting a wave of heat on Ye Lingxi's cheek.

The Omega's pulse throbbed hotly beneath the Alpha's fingertips.

The silver-haired Alpha's voice carried a hint of sleepiness: "Don't look up."

An Alpha pressing an Omega's scent gland like this is practically no different from sexual harassment.

Ye Lingxi knew they were live-streaming. Frowning, he raised his hand to grip Meng Shijiu's wrist: "People will say things..."

He stopped before finishing.

He couldn't bring himself to use any harsh words for the person in front of him, even hypothetically, even though he had used the most offensive terms in his mind during their first meeting.

By the time the camera panned, in the live feed, Meng Shijiu had already let go, and Ye Lingxi was facing away from the lens.

Meng Shijiu glanced down at Ye Lingxi's crotch: "...Sorry."

Ye Lingxi shifted position, completely blocking the silver-haired Alpha from the camera's view.

Ye Lingxi: "...Sorry."

"Pretty good at blocking the camera, huh? You must do this a lot, dude."

"Move aside, ahhh! I want to see No. 32!"

"What do they mean by that?"

"Do they not know we can hear them talking?"

"Seriously, why does it feel like a real couple's drama?"

"I can't accept this..."

"I don't believe it. My wife said sorry, so they must not be close."

"Agree."

"Weren't people shipping them just now?"

"That was me five minutes ago. What does that have to do with the current me? The current me has already gotten a marriage certificate with my wife, OK?"

...

Soon, the two disappeared on the spot.

"...Is this right?"

"Where's my big No. 32???"

"Ahhh, don't go!"

"Can viewers report No. 32 for leaving the exam area against the rules? Can we bring him back? I don't need to see his face; seeing the mech is fine too."

...

—

The match result was St. Maria's victory.

Uh.

Due to a slight mishap, the Red Team not only won but achieved an overwhelming victory.

If it weren't for a certain classmate named Ying who had established a mech link with Meng Shijiu and hadn't been eliminated—

Upon seeing the red marker representing Meng Shijiu on the map suddenly go out—then wildly crying and spreading in the channel that the Blue Team had eliminated Meng Shijiu—

the situation might not have tilted so terrifyingly one-sided.

The Blue Team members seemed bitten by a mad dog. Facing the Red Team, which suddenly erupted with super-strong cohesion as if possessed, they were nearly wiped out. In the end, also furious and completely losing control, it turned into two wild dogs tearing at each other—

Red Team channel: "!!! Blue Team, what did you do to our Shijiu!!!"

Blue Team channel: "!!! No. 32, what did you do to the Red Team!!!"

And the live chat went like this—

"Hahaha what's going on? They were fine a second ago, why'd they suddenly go rabid?"

"If they turned rabid, it means they must've been rabid dogs all along."

"Awesome."

"People here for the drama love to see it."

"My gut says this has to do with No. 32 again."

"But No. 32 already left, nice and quiet... gone..."

"Even funnier."

"Even better."

"Even more hilarious."

...

To make matters worse for the Blue Team, after the match ended and the members came off the field, they all shouted—

"Who is Meng Shijiu!?" "If you're a real man, show yourself!" "No. 32, if you've got any guts, answer me!"

After all that, they were told: Meng Shijiu had already left long ago, probably asleep by now.

The Blue Team lost it completely.

Jing Shu, who'd been waiting in the cold wind forever just to see the legendary No. 32 and hadn't left: Who's more crushed than me?

Captain Jing, with a cold face, pretended he was just admiring the scenery and silently walked away from the still-crazed Blue Team.

—

The night was just the same as before.

All the excitement after the match had nothing to do with Wen Qiuyu. He walked along a quiet path back to the dormitory, leaving the noise behind.

He turned a corner.

The moment Wen Qiuyu stepped into the path, a graceful figure suddenly dropped down beside him from the right.

Wen Qiuyu glanced sideways.

...

For a moment, the tall Alpha felt as if he had wandered into a dream, alone in a mysterious, hazy sea under the night sky.

In the faint glow of the silver moon, the surroundings seemed to ripple and distort like water.

The mottled moonlight on the wall resembled scattered scales of a mermaid, and that person leaned against them with arms crossed.

Silver-white hair shimmered like cold sea foam under the moonlight, while his pale skin was like precious shells long soaked in the deep sea.

Those jade-green eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, like phosphorescent fire flickering in a sunken ship, looking over coldly.

It was a heart-stealing siren that fed on the tides of emotion.

"Senior." Wen Qiuyu smiled.

The "siren" didn't speak. A slender finger held a dark object, which was casually flicked toward Wen Qiuyu.

The card traced a sharp arc through the air, landing precisely in the other's palm.

Wen Qiuyu lowered his head and glanced at it.

It was a student ID card.

He flipped it over.

Wen Qiuyu froze.

—The card bore the name Qian Chunyan.

...

Only then did Wen Qiuyu remember that Qian Chunyan had mentioned earlier today that he had lost his card and needed a replacement to enter the dorm.

And yet now, this card was in Meng Shijiu's hand.

A suspicious gaze fell upon Meng Shijiu.

The silver-haired Alpha got the message: "I didn't take it."

Wen Qiuyu: ...

He lowered his head, gently adjusted his glasses, and gave a light cough: "Naturally."

Meng Shijiu: "Check the recent usage records on the card."

Wen Qiuyu nodded: "Thanks."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, deliberately asking: "Senior, were you waiting here specifically for me?"

Meng Shijiu was at a loss for words: "...Do I look like I have a death wish?"

Annoyed by his smile, Meng Shijiu walked away, preferring not to see it.

Wen Qiuyu's smile deepened.

...

...

The silver-haired Alpha didn't walk far before finding the person he was truly waiting for.

...

Yue Xuanli was startled when the Alpha suddenly walked over and, without a word, slumped softly into his arms.

His arm wrapped around, firmly holding Meng Shijiu by the lower back and pulling him closer into his embrace.

The warmth from his palm seeped through the fabric, his knuckles slightly protruding from the force. His other hand lifted casually, slender fingers threading through the Alpha's silver-white hair, sliding down the strands like stroking a piece of silk woven from moonlight.

"What's wrong?"

Meng Shijiu still didn't speak, his breath buried against Yue Xuanli's collarbone, only extending a fingertip to poke his waist softly.

Knowing this meant he was fine, Yue Xuanli let out a slight sigh of relief.

Amused, he said, "What's wrong? You look like you've been drained of all your energy."

The black-haired Alpha's searing mental energy surged like a tide through where his palm met the other's waist.

That power carried a burning heat, climbing along the spine and immersing the silver-haired Alpha's nerve endings in a torrential flood of mental energy, soothing Meng Shijiu's weary nerves.

"You sure know how to call me 'brother' when you're with me."

—This was a rebuke from his former backer.

Meng Shijiu handled it with ease, replying effortlessly, "Brother."

Yue Xuanli: ...

Seeing his silence, Meng Shijiu lazily looked up at Yue Xuanli. Catching that stunned look on his face, he couldn't help but laugh. "We can each use our own forms of address."

Yue Xuanli silently ruffled his hair. "Big Brother would kill me."

Meng Shijiu: "I'll bury you."

Yue Xuanli raised an eyebrow: "?"

Meng Shijiu said matter-of-factly: "What else do you want?"

Yue Xuanli smoothed his hair and sighed, thinking, *what else can I do?* "A hassle like burying you? You should leave that to Big Brother."

Meng Shijiu glanced at him.

Yue Xuanli gently stroked his brow ridge, his fingers sliding down to rest at the corner of his eye.

The black-haired Alpha applied a bit of pressure, causing the fair skin there to sink slightly. "Otherwise, when you're exhausted again and can't even open your eyes, whose arms are you gonna fall into?"

Meng Shijiu: ...

Meng Shijiu buried his face, blithely saying, "Then it's better to die togeth—"

Yue Xuanli flicked him lightly on the forehead, interrupting in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense."

*So many taboos for a little brat,* Meng Shijiu thought.

He ignored it and blurted out, "Then what should I do, Yue Bao? What will I do if you die? Wahhh..."

Yue Xuanli lowered his head slightly, resting his chin on the silver-haired Alpha's soft hair, his eyes downcast and silent.

This gesture always carried an unintentional intimacy, yet also a sense of undeniable possessiveness.

They stayed quiet like this for a while.

Suddenly.

Yue Xuanli's voice was very soft. "Even if I die, there will be many people who will love you."

Meng Shijiu reached out a hand and pushed himself up lazily.

His silver hair slipped over his shoulders as he casually tapped Yue Xuanli's chest with his index finger, smiling. "Silly."

His tone was like spring snow falling on flowers.

"If *you* die, what am I supposed to do? Me, the one who loves you?"

Meng Shijiu made a disgusted face.

"What's all this about who loves who. Zero points for reading comprehension."

His hand withdrew.

Moonlight fell, like fingerprints left by the moon.

……

……

Meng Shijiu and Yue Xuanli returned to the dormitory after dinner.

The silver-haired Alpha's fingertips had just left the doorknob when he was abruptly pulled into a burning embrace.

A tall figure completely enveloped him, a chin insistently burrowing into the silver-haired Alpha's soft nape. Sturdy arms tightened like iron bands, locking him firmly in place, his burning body heat seeping into him without reservation.

Hot breath fanned his ear, a deep, low voice sounding beside Meng Shijiu, filled with obvious grievance:

"Use me and then throw me away??"