Chapter 33

"No."

Asher refused outright. He didn't think this was something that needed his "help."

The answer was expected, so Wu Ying kept at it. She refused to believe she couldn't wear him down over a few days.

Perhaps it was her surprising persistence that made him give in the next evening. When Wu Ying woke up, she found a new report on her Light Brain, already signed with his name.

Wu Ying was secretly pleased. She'd sensed it right: Asher's attitude toward her was changing.

And from the looks of it, it was changing for the better.

Having tested the waters, Wu Ying pulled the covers over herself and drifted back to sleep, content.

For the next week, Asher stayed home. Aside from his usual training and official business, he mostly sat in the living room. He didn't talk much—if not for his imposing presence and towering frame, Wu Ying probably wouldn't have noticed he was there.

Wu Ying couldn't help being curious. Wasn't he supposed to be incredibly busy? Why was he staying home for so long this time? She didn't see him doing anything particularly important; he just sat there quietly every day.

"You're not telling me that back on Alpha, you also just sat around with nothing to do all day, are you?"

If that were true, Wu Ying felt she'd have every right to be angry. What was the point of all those times she'd been left hanging with no word from him?

Her brows furrowed, her eyes flashing with a sharp glint as she stared at him intently, looking as if she might lunge at him if his answer wasn't satisfactory.

Asher never underestimated her talent for making his life difficult, so he gave her a solemn, utterly sincere answer—and found a convenient excuse for his extended leave.

"Is that so?"

Wu Ying was still suspicious, mainly because Asher had been acting strange lately.

He'd claimed her favorite spot on the sofa, didn't play games or use his Light Brain, and just sat there with his hands folded. When Wu Ying walked through the living room, his gaze followed her like a scanner.

Asher nodded, then stood up and left, the study door closing softly behind him.

Wu Ying was left standing there, stunned, not quite understanding what had just happened. She set down the flowers she was holding and instinctively went after him—he'd just walked off in the middle of their conversation.

"Open up!"

Another round of pounding on the door. Wu Ying didn't have to wait long before Asher opened it from inside. He stood in the doorway, as if hiding some secret in the study.

She didn't want to see his military secrets, but what was with that guarded look?

Wu Ying snorted, demanding to know if he was deliberately picking a fight. Why else would he sit in the living room just to provoke her?

Everyone knew the unspoken rule: the living room was Wu Ying's domain, while Asher practically never lingered there. Now he was not only coming out but also sitting in her spot and staring at her in that odd way.

"You'd better explain what you're scheming!"

"I'm not."

"Then why are you staring at me all day?"

"...Thinking."

Wu Ying's brows knitted into a tight knot. She believed that even less. Why would he look at her while thinking?

Was he thinking about a divorce?

After all, what else regarding her could occupy his mind for so long, if not divorce?

Wu Ying accepted that conclusion quite readily. Hmph, divorce was the last thing she feared. As long as it didn't affect her benefits, why would she try to keep him? Ridiculous!

He'd better make up his mind before her practical training trip, or else she wouldn't bother with him while she was out having fun.

"Fine, let's divorce! Who's afraid of you!"

Wu Ying left those words hanging in the air and turned to walk away.

"What?"

Asher stood inside the door, not understanding what she meant. Seeing that Wu Ying had already returned to her own room, he didn't press further and quietly closed the door.

She often blurted out things he couldn't comprehend. Asher was used to it.

Over the next few days, Asher couldn't go back to Wu Ying's room and had to sleep in his old bedroom. The two of them inexplicably fell into a cold war. Wu Ying acted as if he didn't exist; when Asher spoke to her, she'd look right through him.

Asher got angry too. He'd never been one to grovel, and he certainly wasn't going to offer his warm cheek to someone else's cold backside.

He was proud, and Wu Ying was stubborn.

She, being even more unrestrained than before, naturally didn't take this cold war to heart. Her sights were set on the stars and the sea—well, except for certain times.

Wu Ying wasn't above stirring the pot deliberately; she just couldn't stand seeing Asher look so composed and put-together.

Fortunately, they didn't have much time for their cold war. Wu Ying's practical training group began to assemble.

Wu Ying lived the farthest away and would need more travel time, so she set off early. On the day of her departure, Asher drove her to the port, with Meng Ke at the wheel.

The couple didn't exchange a single word in the car. Wu Ying was entirely focused on the group chat, where quite a few familiar faces were active.

Asher glanced at the person beside him, head bowed, and frowned, wondering what he'd done to upset her this time. She'd been off since this morning.

They reached the port. Wu Ying turned off her Light Brain and opened the hovercar door to leave.

Asher warned her, "Contact me if anything comes up. Stay safe."

Hearing his voice, Wu Ying paused and turned back, giving him an inscrutable look. Her eyes swept up and down over the man who remained still and silent, before she finally replied, dragging out the word, "Oh."

She must have heard wrong. Had that man actually spoken to her first?

Asher watched her and Jiujiu until their figures disappeared into the crowd, then said coldly, "Let's go."

The practical training group had chosen a villa on the outskirts of Feng-2 Star, a place bordering a primeval forest. The surrounding villas were almost all occupied by people from the College of Plant Science—either upperclassmen or graduates who'd been working in related research fields for years.

By the time Wu Ying arrived with Jiujiu, quite a few people were already there. Even from outside the door, she could hear Cynthia and Su Yi bickering.

Those two couldn't go a single moment without arguing.

"Wu Ying? You're here."

Wu Ying had just reached the entrance when someone called out to her. She shifted her gaze from her two roommates to the young man who'd addressed her.

He had fair skin, a shy smile, and was quite tall—only a bit shorter than Asher, with the look of a pale-skinned athlete.

He looked familiar, and he knew her name.

Luo Meng had been lingering near the villa's entrance, and when he saw Wu Ying approach, his eyes lit up. But Wu Ying didn't remember him.

A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, his eyes dimming for a moment before brightening again. He hurried over to her and quickly introduced himself when he saw her puzzled expression.

Ah, he was the boy she'd written a report with back then. She remembered he was a military school student, a friend of Linlin's friend.

"We even added each other as friends back then, but later I got busy with training and couldn't check my Light Brain, so I never got to message you."

As he spoke, Luo Meng gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head, trying to jog Wu Ying's memory.

Recalling how she'd snapped at him that time, Wu Ying felt a bit embarrassed and nodded politely, apologizing for her rudeness back then.

"Wu Yingying, you're here! Come pick a room—we'll room together!"

Before they could talk much more, Cynthia fluttered over like a butterfly and grabbed Wu Ying's hand, pulling her inside.

Su Yi followed behind, not jumping into the conversation. Instead, she took a closer look at Jiujiu, who was following Wu Ying. This robot wasn't like anything commonly seen on the market—it might be military-issue.

She cast a quick glance at Wu Ying, a few guesses forming in her mind, but she said nothing.

Wu Ying's background was clearly not simple either. And it was telling that the school had arranged for them to share a dorm.

Su Yi shook off her speculation and stopped paying attention to Jiujiu.

Those who couldn't see the difference naturally wouldn't comment, and it wasn't unusual to bring a robot along.

Cynthia truly lived up to the nickname Su Yi had given her—"Princess Vanity." She could talk endlessly about just picking a room. Wu Ying had standards for her living conditions, but not to that degree of detail.

Wu Ying toured the rooms on the first and second floors with a studious attitude, until Su Yi finally said, "Stop looking. These are all the rooms we've got. If you're not satisfied, go buy your own villa."

"Tsk, this house isn't yours either—don't be so cocky. I'm living in Uncle Su's place."

"Correction: this villa is currently registered under my name."

Su Yi tossed her hair and sauntered downstairs, leaving behind that infuriating remark without looking back.

Cynthia's eyes went wide and she angrily fumbled for her Light Brain to message her family. Seeing this, Wu Ying burst out laughing—those two were hilarious.

Su Yi looked cold and aloof, but in reality, she was the most stubborn and had a sharp tongue that never let anyone off easy. Cynthia seemed fiery and quick-tempered, but she was actually easy to push around—all talk and no game.

And Huo Lin, who hadn't arrived yet, could pass for a cool guy with her androgynous look, but underneath she was soft-hearted.

Wu Ying smiled faintly. These girls were the most direct link she had to this world, the ones who made her feel things. With them, she didn't feel that heavy sense of restraint.

Not like the people in the Protected Zone, and not like the people she'd met in the military district. She'd wondered if it was because they were still students.

Apart from Asher and Teacher Nova, they were the ones who gave Wu Ying a real sense of grounding. Through them, she reached out and adapted to this world.

After looking around upstairs, they finally settled on four adjacent rooms, and they picked one for Huo Lin, who was running late.

By dinner, the entire practical training group had finally assembled.

The supervising teacher was a senior from the university, a woman named Miranda who had organized the team. The core project was in their hands—the core team consisted of five people, plus a squad led by military student Li Ge, and there was also a hired security team made up of civilians, arranged by the Su family and housed separately in the neighboring villa.

"Wu Ying, your robot looks really cool. Can I take a look?"

Luo Meng, with his light, easy steps, came over again. He pointed at Jiujiu, looking genuinely curious. Jiujiu stood quietly behind Wu Ying, no different from any other robot.

Wu Ying had specifically told Jiujiu to keep a low profile outside, but apparently, someone had still taken notice.

Remembering the confidentiality clause Asher had mentioned, Wu Ying instinctively became wary. Jiujiu was a custom robot from the Fourth Military District, and as the commander's household robot, the data it held was even more sensitive.

"What do you want to see? It's just an ordinary robot."

She didn't refuse outright but smiled and played dumb.

Luo Meng didn't catch the guarded look in her eyes and just thought she genuinely didn't know.

"Its design is pretty unusual. It's been modified, hasn't it?"