Yun Xingze was surprised to hear Luo Wenchuan’s deep, muffled voice and asked, “Senior Luo, have you been waiting here for me long?”
A flicker of discomfort flashed through Luo Wenchuan’s eyes, but he feigned composure as he replied, “…Just passing by.”
At this moment, apart from Yun Xingze, who had stayed behind in the simulation room to practice, and Luo Wenchuan, all the other team members had already left. The training hall felt eerily empty.
Yun Xingze didn’t dwell on it. He put away his sweat towel and said to Luo Wenchuan, “What a coincidence then. It’s getting late, want to grab dinner together?”
Luo Wenchuan gave a quiet “Mm,” his voice still low but noticeably softer than before.
After arriving at the cafeteria, they got their meals and sat down. Luo Wenchuan, seated across from Yun Xingze, suddenly spoke up, “I went to see Richard this afternoon. I told him that if the team members don’t coordinate well, it’ll be hard to win the group matches.”
“What did he say?” Yun Xingze asked.
Luo Wenchuan slid a drink toward Yun Xingze, inserting a straw before pursing his lips slightly and meeting his gaze. “He said the three singles players can’t be changed—Ke Lei, Sato En, and Ou Rui were teammates in last year’s group matches, and their coordination is already seamless. So, they can’t be replaced either.”
Yun Xingze took a sip of his drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly before he replied, “So, in the end, he thinks I’m not strong enough and can’t cooperate well with the team. That’s why he wants Kaleb and Chi Yu to lead me, hoping that’ll give us a chance to win. Is that what he meant?”
Luo Wenchuan’s dark, narrow eyes fixed on Yun Xingze. After a long silence, he said deliberately, “He underestimated you.”
Yun Xingze bit into a meatball and shrugged. “Even though I really dislike Chi Yu, if that’s what Richard thinks.”
Luo Wenchuan’s grip on his chopsticks tightened imperceptibly.
“Then I’ll just have to prove my strength and aim for the singles matches next time,” Yun Xingze said, determination glinting in his eyes.
Luo Wenchuan studied him for a moment before stating firmly, “Yeah, it’s all Richard’s fault.”
No matter what happened, Luo Wenchuan always seemed to stand firmly on Yun Xingze’s side, which surprised him a little.
He had assumed someone like Luo Wenchuan, as team captain, would urge him to prioritize the team’s overall interests.
After all, in Yun Xingze’s impression, Luo Wenchuan had always been the image of a steady, reliable, and intelligent senior someone who would never say something like “It’s all the coach’s fault.”
Yun Xingze figured this was just Luo Wenchuan’s way of comforting him.
And though it was just comfort, it still lifted his spirits considerably.
After dinner, Luo Wenchuan walked Yun Xingze back to his dorm.
Just before heading upstairs, Yun Xingze suddenly heard Luo Wenchuan’s voice from behind: “You didn’t forget, did you?”
Yun Xingze paused. He knew exactly what Luo Wenchuan was referring to, but he pretended otherwise and turned back to ask, “Forget what?”
Seeing Yun Xingze’s expression as if he’d completely blanked, Luo Wenchuan stiffened momentarily before frowning slightly, clearly displeased.
After pressing his lips together briefly, he masked the gloom in his eyes and said slowly, “Modifying my gear.”
“I didn’t forget,” Yun Xingze replied, barely suppressing a laugh at Luo Wenchuan’s almost pouting expression, his voice trembling slightly. “It’s my job. If I forgot, how could I justify the pay you’re giving me? I’ll just go up to shower, then we can head to the modification workshop.”
Luo Wenchuan stared blankly at Yun Xingze’s upturned lips and bright eyes before realizing he’d been tricked.
By the time he processed this, Yun Xingze had already gone upstairs, leaving only his slender, tall silhouette behind.
For the first time, Luo Wenchuan experienced the peculiar joy of being deceived.
Half an hour later.
Both Yun Xingze and Luo Wenchuan changed into casual clothes and headed to the modification workshop.
Truth be told, apart from training and playing “Mecha Star,” Yun Xingze had spent considerable time analyzing Luo Wenchuan’s mecha during this period, earning him the title of most dedicated employee.
“Take a look at these areas I’ve marked for potential improvement,” Yun Xingze said while projecting the virtual images from his light brain. “Overall, there aren’t many sections that need work.”
Luo Wenchuan’s gaze barely lingered on the projections before being completely drawn to Yun Xingze’s thin lips moving rhythmically. The faint scent of shower gel from the freshly bathed youth made his heartbeat skip.
“…Senior?”
When Luo Wenchuan didn’t respond, Yun Xingze called out to him again.
“Mm, let’s proceed with these modifications.”
Luo Wenchuan was quite satisfied with Yun Xingze’s marked areas, as these components genuinely required upgrades or refurbishment.
Since Yun Xingze had already addressed the mecha’s biggest flaw, the elbow joint design—this SS+ rated machine didn’t need extensive modifications.
Luo Wenchuan’s workshop had been renovated and reopened, though business remained slow despite the numerous workers and robots bustling about.
With their assistance, Yun Xingze estimated completing Luo Wenchuan’s mecha modifications within two to three hours.
During the process, Luo Wenchuan asked, “Have you decided how to modify your own mecha?”
Yun Xingze took out his mecha cube, studying it thoughtfully: “I have some ideas, but after checking the required parts, upgrading from B-grade to A-grade would cost two million-star credits. Unless I keep using secondhand components. ”
Remembering Yun Xingze’s rather unsightly mecha, Luo Wenchuan fell silent before saying, “Better invest in quality parts. The national tournament opponents won’t be pushovers. Besides, you can directly use any components from the materials list I gave you.”
Having already received so much help from Luo Wenchuan, Yun Xingze felt he couldn’t keep relying on him: “If I take your parts, I’ll pay you for them.”
Luo Wenchuan didn’t refuse, understanding Yun Xingze’s character. He nodded: “Then pick what you need now. Order anything else online, delivery takes half an hour.”
Without ceremony, Yun Xingze spent a fortune, purchasing premium parts from Luo Wenchuan’s list and ordering new components online, nearly exhausting the 2.4 million-star credits from the Yun family compensation and tournament winnings.
Still, compared to buying a complete A-grade mecha, this wasn’t excessively expensive.
Most importantly, Yun Xingze’s homely mecha would finally get a much-needed aesthetic upgrade.
This thought filled Luo Wenchuan with profound satisfaction.
When he saw Yun Xingze dismantling the colorful mech fingers and the yellow “Power Shoes” in the modification workshop, he couldn’t help but feel an illusion of relief.
Aside from these unsightly second-hand parts, Yun Xingze had also made updates to the mech’s interior.
Among them, the mech’s nano radiation-proof pilot suit also needed an upgrade.
Since an A-grade mech’s energy system would be more powerful than a B-grade mech’s, the radiation produced by the micro-nuclear reactor in the energy system would also be stronger.
For safety reasons, Yun Xingze removed the radiation-proof pilot suit left behind by the previous owner.
Holding the black full-body suit, he was about to toss it into the pile of discarded parts nearby.
Luo Wenchuan froze for a moment when he saw the suit in Yun Xingze’s hands.
That was the nano-suit he had once worn for quite a long time. Nano-suits had excellent elasticity, fitting perfectly against human skin.
Though the suit’s support straps had powerful cleaning functions, restoring it to a pristine state after every use, this still felt like…
An indirect intimate contact.
Unable to help himself, Luo Wenchuan asked, “You, why didn’t you replace the nano-suit?”
Yun Xingze paused briefly before replying, “I didn’t have the money to replace it when I bought it. But honestly, it’s still pretty clean, and the scent on it is nice.”
Luo Wenchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
His gaze fell on Yun Xingze’s hand holding the nano-suit.
At this moment, he was suddenly overwhelmed by an emotion he could only describe as “embarrassment.”
His thin lips parted slightly as he instinctively repeated, “Nice scent?”
Under Luo Wenchuan’s watchful eyes, Yun Xingze casually lifted the suit and took a light sniff of the lingering minty fragrance, nodding. “Yeah, a really nice mint scent.”
Mint—the scent of the body wash Luo Wenchuan preferred.
Abruptly, he stepped toward Yun Xingze.
Stopping just a step away.
Suddenly, Yun Xingze caught a stronger whiff of min, the scent clinging to Luo Wenchuan himself.
It seemed identical to the fragrance on the nano-suit.
Curious, Yun Xingze leaned closer to Luo Wenchuan, sniffing carefully.
He looked up at Luo Wenchuan in confusion. “Why does your scent match the one on the nano-suit so closely?”
Luo Wenchuan had intended to tell Yun Xingze the truth, but he hadn’t expected the boy to lean in so boldly, unhesitatingly sniffing near his collar.
“Exactly the same,” Yun Xingze murmured, his eyes slowly widening. He reached out, gripping the right side of Luo Wenchuan’s collar, and said in surprise, “Maybe you…”
The moment he lifted his head, the distance between them became almost nonexistent.
Luo Wenchuan felt Yun Xingze’s grip on his collar, the slight tightening tugging at the back of his neck.
Involuntarily, he lowered his head slightly in response to Yun Xingze’s movement.
Luo Wenchuan’s clean, handsome face magnified countless times before Yun Xingze’s eyes, leaving him momentarily speechless, his mind blank.
Their breaths mingled.
It took Yun Xingze a long moment to regain his senses before he finally managed to say, dumbfounded:
“Smell it?”
Luo Wenchuan stiffened. His sharp, single-lidded eyes looked almost dazed at that moment.
What Yun Xingze had meant to say was, “Maybe you should smell it,” but his brain had short-circuited briefly, causing an awkward pause in his words.
To Luo Wenchuan’s ears, the key part naturally became “Wenwen”—the affectionate nickname his Omega fans used for him.
Yun Xingze quickly realized his slip and took a step back, putting distance between himself and that handsome face. He swallowed hard and clarified, “I meant, maybe you could smell it… this scent is just too similar.”
Luo Wenchuan’s fingers trembled slightly as his gaze remained fixed on Yun Xingze’s cheek, still unsettled by that unexpected “Wenwen.”
The nickname wasn’t pleasant.
Even coming from Yun Xingze’s lips, it still didn’t sound right.
Yet for some inexplicable reason, Luo Wenchuan found himself wanting to hear it again.
Just then, Yun Xingze received a voice message from Lu Ranxu. Eager to diffuse the awkward tension, he quickly played it.
The next moment, Lu Ranxu’s boisterous voice came through the communicator:
“Chi Yu showed up outside the Omega dorms again. He even sent someone to our room looking for you, saying he wants to talk privately tomorrow.”
The message snapped Luo Wenchuan out of his daze, his brow furrowing slightly.
