Mo Chengyu felt like she had seen through it all. But she didnât say much.
Sheâd already said more than enough. Sometimes, for a beautiful and sincere romance to be truly moving, the two people at its center had to be the ones to break that last, unspoken barrier.
So she ushered Jiang Qiuqiu to a seat. "Long time no see! I still havenât congratulated you for taking first place again, Qiuqiu!"
"You already congratulated me on my terminal."
"That doesnât count. It only counts when itâs said in person." Mo Chengyu propped her chin on her hand and asked like an overbearing CEO, "Congratulations come with gifts. So, what do you want, Qiuqiu?"
"Um... anything is fine."
"If youâre that nonchalant, I wonât know what to get you." She clicked her tongue, and then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she scooted closer. "Qiuqiu, what if I give you Black Hole as a congratulatory gift?"
"..."
Jiang Qiuqiu was taken aback, and only then did Mo Chengyu burst out laughing. "Just kidding! Itâs not like I can order that guy around. The real gift I prepared for you is right here!"
She even supplied her own sound effectâ"Ta-da-da-da!"âas she pulled a black box from her pocket. Unlike the velvet box from Mo Si, this one had a more high-tech look, gleaming with a metallic luster even in the natural light.
"Go on, open it. I think youâll like it."
Jiang Qiuqiu opened the box. Inside was a terminal.
"Itâs a prototype from our research institute, a terminal I thought you might like. And donât you dare say itâs too expensive and refuse it." Mo Chengyu spread her hands. "I brought this especially for you."
There are different degrees of closeness in relationships. From a distant acquaintance, an expensive gift would naturally be a cause for anxiety.
But when the relationship was close enoughâ
âWell, Iâll just have to get her a grand gift in return next time!â
"Thank you, Sister Chengyu. I love your gift."
After chatting about the gift for a while, Jiang Qiuqiu finally asked why Mo Si wasnât there.
"Oh, him? Something came up at work, and he was urgently summoned."
"He might still be in a meeting? Itâs been so long, who knows if itâs over yet. Anyway, letâs not talk about him, heâs such a downer. Yesterday, we were right here watching the live broadcast of your galaâ"
"You were watching the Federation Annual Gala?" Jiang Qiuqiu felt a fresh wave of embarrassment.
Mo Chengyu nodded. "Yep! We saw you last night, Qiuqiu. You were absolutely gorgeous! Youâre a great cook, beautiful, gentle, and your spiritual power is incredible. I have no idea which lucky guy is going to snatch you up."
"Iâm getting off-topic. Letâs get back to Black Hole. He was surprisingly talkative yesterday. Constantly saying this was no good, that was no good; that this part of your gala was unreasonable, and that part was illogical... a true nitpicker of our time."
"He was?" The Black Hole Mo Chengyu described sounded like a completely different person from the one Jiang Qiuqiu knew. "He grumbles like that?"
"Yep."
"And his expression can change in a flash."
"???" She was getting more and more lost.
"Alright, alright, enough about him. Letâs talk about you! Qiuqiu, I saw you getting along quite well with that âgodlyâ streamer from your platform yesterday." With Mo Si absent, Mo Chengyu spoke much more freely. "Made a new friend?"
"You could say that. We wouldnât have become friends if we hadnât clashed first."
"But I noticed your platform doesnât just have one handsome guyâit has tons! A few of the ones who took photos with you last night were really eye-catching, too. Are any of them your type?"
Uh, wellâ
Jiang Qiuqiu was still pondering the question when, just outside the door, Mo Si returned from his meeting.
He had seen Jiang Qiuqiuâs message on his way over and had rushed here. Just as he reached the door, his superior hearing began to play the conversation from inside directly into his mind:
"Haha, not just one handsome guy, oh no, lots of handsome guys! So eye-catching! Are any of them your type?"
âExcellent. And who might that be talking?â
âAh, Mo Chengyu. Itâs been three days, and sheâs already asking for a beating.â