After having Lu Ranxu help calculate the win rate, Yun Xingze ended the call and began optimizing the details of his modification blueprint.
By the time Lu Ranxu returned from the pheromone matching center, Yun Xingze was still engrossed in refining the design, having forgotten to eat or rest.
Seeing Lu Ranxu back, Yun Xingze immediately said, “I made some more adjustments. Can you run the calculations for me again?”
Without delay, Lu Ranxu helped him test the win rate, which had increased by 2%, reaching 26.4%.
Yun Xingze wanted to further tweak the mech’s components on the terminal, but the design had already approached the maximum complexity for a B-grade mech.
This meant that no matter how much Yun Xingze modified it, as long as the mech remained B-grade, his chances against He Haoming wouldn’t improve significantly.
While 26.4% seemed like a high win rate to Lu Ranxu, to Yun Xingze, the risk was still substantial.
If he lost the match, not only would he miss out on the 500,000-star credits reward, but his mech could also be destroyed by the Storm Particle Cannon, leaving him with hefty repair costs.
Yun Xingze stared at the blueprint, deep in thought.
His gaze lingered on the mechanical beast, but after much deliberation, he couldn’t come up with a better modification plan.
Getting up for a glass of water, his attention was suddenly drawn to the coat nearby.
Only then did Yun Xingze remember, he still hadn’t returned the coat Luo Wenchuan had lent him.
Frustrated with the design, he decided to shut off the terminal, grab the coat, and head out.
The scent of mint drifted into his nose again, bringing back the memory of Luo Wenchuan draping the coat over him the night before.
Unconsciously, Yun Xingze’s lips curved into a smile.
Arriving at the Alpha dormitory, Yun Xingze messaged Luo Wenchuan to come down and retrieve his coat.
After a moment, Luo Wenchuan replied with a simple “Mm.”
Just as Yun Xingze thought Boss Luo was as aloof as ever, another message followed; uncharacteristically different from his usual brevity: “Wait for me.”
Though still concise, there was a subtle shift in tone, a hint of gentleness that hadn’t been there when they first met.
As Yun Xingze waited outside the dorm, his mind still preoccupied with the mech modifications, he pulled up the blueprint on his terminal again; unaware of an unexpected figure approaching.
Chi Yu stepped out of the dormitory, planning to grab a meal with two classmates.
“Hey, Chi Yu,” one of them teased, “did you really sever the pheromone bond with your fiancée? An 89% match rate isn’t easy to come by.”
“None of your business,” Chi Yu snapped, frowning. “It’s just a fight. We’ll rebind eventually.”
“Really?” The other classmate sounded almost gleeful. “But I remember you were the one who initiated the cancellation. I even warned you not to act rashly, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“Yeah, you broke it off yourself. You think your ex-fiancée would agree to rebind?”
“Seems like he hasn’t been looking for you lately.”
In the entire star system, the ratio of Alphas to Omegas was severely imbalanced. Many Alphas struggled to find Omega partners, especially in military academies where the disparity was even worse.
Naturally, Chi Yu’s decision to dissolve the engagement had become a subject of ridicule among his peers.
Chi Yu had been brooding over this matter. He had been in high spirits when he first dissolved the engagement, but after realizing he had fallen for Yun Xingze, he regretted it so much he couldn’t sleep all night.
Chi Yu closed his eyes briefly, gritting his teeth: “Even if you don’t speak, I won’t mistake you for mutes.”
“Hey!” One of his classmates suddenly paused, turning to whisper, “Chi Yu, isn’t that your ex-fiancé over there?”
Another classmate added, “It’s him. He must be here for you, right? He used to wait for you under that cherry blossom tree all the time. Maybe he’s here to ask you to lunch.”
Chi Yu froze momentarily before an overwhelming surge of joy rose in his chest. He lifted his gaze toward the cherry blossom tree where Yun Xingze used to wait for him.
The young man stood beneath the tree, a few petals resting on his soft hair, making the dark strands appear even more lustrous against his fair, healthy complexion. His black eyes were focused intently on the holographic display, seemingly studying a mecha blueprint.
In the past, whenever Yun Xingze came looking for Chi Yu, Chi Yu would feel embarrassed.
But now, the surrounding classmates were murmuring with admiration:
“Wow, isn’t that the omega who won nine consecutive matches?”
“He’s so good-looking. Who’s he waiting for?”
Hearing these comments, Chi Yu’s eyes gleamed with pride as he strode confidently toward Yun Xingze.
Who else could he possibly be here for?
Yun Xingze was absorbed in examining the modification schematics on his display, contemplating better solutions, when a familiar voice abruptly interrupted his thoughts: “The sun’s so strong today. Why wait for me out here?”
Yun Xingze blinked in surprise before looking up to see Chi Yu standing there, the corners of his lips curled in a smile, his eyes brimming with anticipation and obvious good humor.
Chi Yu took a step forward, gazing down at the fair-skinned youth beneath the cherry blossoms, his voice slightly hoarse: “Xingze… you’ve finally come to see me.”
These past days, he’d been racking his brains trying to figure out how to win Yun Xingze back, the longing eating him alive.
And now, the object of his dreams stood right before him.
Yun Xingze frowned, undisguised disgust flashing through his eyes.
That flicker of revulsion struck Chi Yu like a physical blow. His chest ached as his Adam’s apple bobbed: “Xingze… can you really not forgive me? I’d do anything for you.”
Just as Chi Yu was pouring out his heart with tender sincerity, Yun Xingze’s gaze shifted past him to someone beyond.
Luo Wenchuan stood some distance away. Seeing the two beneath the cherry blossoms, his brow involuntarily furrowed before smoothing into calm indifference, though his eyes remained icy.
Yun Xingze pushed Chi Yu aside, waving toward Luo Wenchuan at the dormitory entrance: “Senior Luo, you left your clothes at my place last night.”
He gestured to the jacket in his arms.
The push initially stung Chi Yu with sadness, but Yun Xingze’s words instantly transformed that pain into shock and disbelief.
“You left your clothes at my place last night”?
What did that even mean?!
Chi Yu stared wide-eyed at Yun Xingze. He’d assumed the clothes Yun Xingze was holding were his own, but now that he thought about it, he’d never seen Yun Xingze wear that jacket before.
And the size didn’t seem right for Yun Xingze either.
Chi Yu’s head snapped up as he glared at Luo Wenchuan, his brows deeply furrowed, flames practically leaping from his eyes.
Luo Wenchuan walked towards the two under Chi Yu’s hostile gaze.
Yun Xingze took a step forward and carefully handed him the clothes he was holding.
“Yun Xingze, why are you doing this?!”
Unable to contain his jealousy, Chi Yu shouted at Yun Xingze accusingly.
The surrounding glances subtly yet unmistakably gathered on the trio.
Luo Wenchuan took the jacket, his fingers involuntarily tightening. He looked at Chi Yu with an expressionless face, but his lips were pressed tightly together, as if struggling to suppress something.
Yun Xingze resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He hadn’t planned to say anything to Chi Yu, but now he felt the need to give him a piece of his mind.
Not wanting to bother Luo Wenchuan with the noise, Yun Xingze said to him, “Senior Luo, I need to talk to Chi Yu. Could you wait for me nearby?”
Hearing this, Luo Wenchuan’s mood instantly soured.
His fingertips dug into the jacket, almost crushing the fabric in his grip.
“Alright,” Luo Wenchuan replied flatly. “I’ll wait for you.”
He glanced at Chi Yu, his heart filled with irritation, like a bottle of vinegar had been overturned, the sourness churning violently in his stomach.
Thinking Yun Xingze wanted to speak with him alone, Chi Yu couldn’t help but smirk coldly at Luo Wenchuan, a glint of triumphant joy flashing in his eyes.
Luo Wenchuan closed his eyes briefly and took out his earphones.
He didn’t want to hear their conversation.
“Chi Yu, do you think you deserve this?” Yun Xingze looked at him, his thin lips parting as he spoke in an icy tone. “From the very beginning, I never intended to come looking for you. Could you stop flattering yourself?”
Chi Yu’s smile froze on his face. The self-proclaimed victor suddenly felt as if he’d been slapped.
Luo Wenchuan, who had already put on one earphone, abruptly paused his movements upon hearing Yun Xingze’s words.
He discreetly put the earphones away.
“Xingze, you weren’t like this before,” Chi Yu said, his heart aching as he met Yun Xingze’s cold gaze. His eyes dimmed involuntarily. “We grew up together, were engaged for over a decade. How could you bear to throw away such a long-standing bond?”
Luo Wenchuan pretended to browse on his tablet, but his mind wasn’t on the screen. He nervously glanced at Yun Xingze out of the corner of his eye.
“Can we not bring up the engagement again?” Yun Xingze gritted his teeth. “Having been engaged to you is the most embarrassing thing I can think of.”
These words struck Chi Yu like a thunderbolt.
They were the exact words Chi Yu had once said to Yun Xingze.
Now they were being returned to him in full.
Chi Yu’s heart ached so much he could barely breathe. His fingers clenched into fists as he said in a trembling voice, “Xingze, have you forgotten how high our pheromone compatibility is? 89%—a match many would envy.”
Hearing this, Luo Wenchuan lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes darkening.
Yun Xingze looked at him coldly. “I haven’t forgotten.”
Luo Wenchuan’s back stiffened imperceptibly. He pressed his lips together tightly, hesitating for a few seconds before deciding against putting his earphones back on.
Hope flickered in Chi Yu’s eyes again. “See? We’re meant for each other.”
“But it seems you’ve forgotten,” Yun Xingze said expressionlessly, “that on the day we broke off the engagement, you couldn’t wait to unbind our pheromones, and I agreed.”
Clatter.
Luo Wenchuan’s earphones fell to the ground, landing amidst a few pink petals.
He froze for a full three seconds before finally reacting, slowly crouching down to pick up his earphones. It took him two or three attempts before he successfully retrieved them.
Luo Wenchuan stood with his back to the two of them, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.
Chi Yu felt as though another knife had been plunged into his heart by Yun Xingze.
Back then, he had scoffed at Yun Xingze’s decision to break off their engagement, convinced that even after severing their pheromone bond, Yun Xingze would come crawling back, begging to reestablish it.
He had even considered using it as leverage to demand more mecha supplies from the Yun family.
But he never expected Yun Xingze to agree so decisively.
And now, Yun Xingze was using it to provoke him.
“Xingze, are you really this heartless?” Chi Yu’s eyes reddened slightly. “An 89% compatibility rate. How could you just.”
“So what?” Yun Xingze glared coldly at him. “I don’t like you. The sight of you annoys me.”
Luo Wenchuan could no longer suppress it. The corner of his lips curled upward for a brief two seconds.
