“Master!” Wu Chuyang quickly jumped off the hovercar and shouted at the old man.
Upon seeing Wu Chuyang arrive, a smile instantly spread across the old man’s face: “Ah! Xiao Yang! Hahaha!”
Looking behind Wu Chuyang, the old man immediately understood their relationship and said with a smile, “To be favored by the picky Wu Chuyang, you must be extraordinary.”
“Right, Jude! Hahaha!”
Gu Ya felt a bit embarrassed by his old friend’s remark.
“And this is…?”
Ye Ying politely greeted him and said softly, “My name is Ye Ying, I am Wu Instructor’s student.”
The old man smiled and nodded at Ye Ying, then glanced at Gu Ya again, his smile full of unspoken meaning.
The group entered the old man’s new home. It was much cleaner than his previous one. Although filled with junk, none of them felt uncomfortable; instead, it felt warm and cozy.
Wu Chuyang, as if it were his own home, nimbly went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The old man asked, “Where is Youyou?”
Gu Ya slapped his head and said, “Oh no, I forgot Youyou. She must be hungry.”
Wu Chuyang yelled from the kitchen, “Go pick her up in my hovercar!”
Gu Ya grabbed Wu Chuyang’s car keys, ready to leave. Wu Chuyang called out again, “Take Ye Ying with you! Let her keep an eye on you, so you don’t run off.”
Gu Ya hesitated, then looked at Ye Ying. Ye Ying walked expressionlessly towards the hovercar and sat in the passenger seat.
There was no other option, as Wu Instructor’s word carried weight.
This was the second time Gu Ya was alone with Ye Ying, and the awkwardness was indescribable.
The entire drive was spent in Gu Ya’s apprehension and trembling, while Ye Ying appeared completely natural.
Upon returning home, Youyou stood at the doorway, hands on her hips, glaring angrily at Gu Ya as he got out of the hovercar.
“Youyou, let’s go to Old Man Tou’s place!” Gu Ya reached out to take Youyou’s hand.
Youyou slapped his hand away, angry, and walked towards the passenger seat. She said indignantly, “Get away, you forgetful brother! Why didn’t you forget yourself!”
As Youyou spoke, she pulled open the passenger door. The moment she saw Ye Ying in the car, she gasped in surprise: “Wow, she’s so pretty!”
Ye Ying’s usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of a smile upon seeing Youyou. She said in her not-so-perfect Xianxia accent, “Hello, Youyou. My name is Ye Ying.”
Youyou smiled sweetly and said, “Hello, sister-in-law! Nice to meet you!”
Gu Ya was so shocked he almost levitated!
What was Youyou doing! Calling her sister-in-law on the first meeting!
Ye Ying maintained her smile and asked, “Do you call older sisters ‘sister-in-law’ here?”
Youyou showed no surprise and sat in the back seat, grinning mischievously at Ye Ying. “No! It’s only for when I call you.”
“Right? Brother!” Youyou winked at Gu Ya.
‘Your mother!’ Gu Ya thought, ‘Call me that again and I’ll hit you!’
Gu Ya’s heart trembled, but his expression was honest. He sat in the driver’s seat and said with a smile to Ye Ying, “Don’t believe what a child says.”
“Children don’t lie,” Youyou said indignantly.
Ye Ying giggled and said, “Then you can call me sister-in-law from now on.”
“Okay!” Youyou happily agreed.
‘Okay, what!’ Gu Ya was so scared he could barely drive. He quickly said, “Call her sister, sister!”
“Okay, brother-in-law!” Youyou also giggled.
The group quickly returned to Old Man Tou’s place. As soon as Youyou got out of the car, she rushed inside.
Gu Ya stopped Ye Ying and said, “Don’t take what Youyou says seriously.”
Ye Ying smiled faintly and said, “I know. I was just teasing her. Your sister is really cute.”
She knew the meaning of “sister-in-law”…
The thought made Gu Ya’s face blush so intensely he wished he could emit smoke.
The reunion was joyful, and nothing eventful happened that night.
The next day, Gu Ya arrived at school early.
Xu Jie’s seat was still empty.
Gu Ya truly disliked Xu Jie and wished he would never appear again.
Meanwhile, Xu Jie was not faring any better.
He was confined in a dark, small cell.
He called out to no avail, only the company of rats and cockroaches for his companions.
“Why am I locked up?” Xu Jie cried out weakly.
“You told me to communicate with them, and now you’ve arrested me and locked me up in this godforsaken place!” Xu Jie’s voice grew louder.
A steady sound of footsteps approached from outside the door. The footsteps stopped at the entrance, followed by a hushed conversation.
Shortly after, the cell door was opened.
Through the faint light filtering in from outside, Xu Jie saw a woman enter.
The woman appeared to be in her twenties. She wore a black camouflage top with the buttons open, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. A black leather belt cinched her waist, and she wore loose black camouflage pants on her long legs, with a pair of military boots.
The woman had a cold gaze, a proud chest, a slender waist, and wide hips. Coupled with her short red hair, she exuded both feminine charm and a sense of ruggedness.
The woman walked over to Xu Jie, touched his face, and said with a smile, “You look quite energetic!”
Xu Jie, overwhelmed by the woman’s powerful aura, trembled and asked, “Who are you? Can you let me out?”
The woman’s smile vanished, and she said coldly, “Yes, if you do something for me.”
Xu Jie quickly asked, “What is it?”
The woman took a photo from her top and handed it to Xu Jie, asking, “Do you recognize him?”
Xu Jie stared at the photo for a long time, his eyes widening. He said tremblingly, “Is this… Gu Ya? But it doesn’t quite look like him.”
The woman smiled slightly, “Gu Ya? Mm.” After saying that, she turned and walked out.
Xu Jie, his hands and feet shackled, crawled to the door and grabbed the woman’s leg, pleading, “Please, let me go!”
The woman forcefully kicked Xu Jie away and said to the guards, “He’s of no value, kill him.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jie immediately grabbed the woman’s leg again, crying out, “Please, let me go! I’ll do anything!”
The woman chuckled softly, looked down at Xu Jie, and asked, “Really?”
…
Time flowed like a trickle, never stopping.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Day of Mourning.
Schools were closed, factories ceased operation, and shops shuttered their doors.
The entire city was enveloped in profound silence and sorrow.
The atmosphere was oppressively eerie.
The Day of Mourning lasted for four days, each day holding its own significance.
Over the hundreds of years of resistance against the Black Star Empire, countless heroes had emerged, writing innumerable epic legends.
Each one of them, taken individually, was enough to inspire awe.
During these days, Gu Ya had earned over three thousand White Star Coins by repairing devices, and his and Youyou’s lives had finally seen a slight improvement.
He had finally escaped the life of eating chaff and vegetables, and Gu Ya even had spare money to buy Youyou some new bionic parts.
On the first day of the Day of Mourning, Gu Ya, with nothing else to do, started chatting with Liu Feng.
Perhaps getting carried away in conversation, Liu Feng invited him, “Come to my place today, bring Youyou. I’ll also ask if Wu Instructor has time, and preferably bring Ye Ying too.”
Gu Ya asked, “Can your place accommodate so many people?”
Liu Feng sent a “cute” emoji with the message, “Come on, I’ve invited you so many times. If you don’t come soon, you’ll really be disrespecting me.”
Gu Ya was amused by Liu Feng and replied, “Alright! Send me the address, I’ll bring Youyou over.”
After receiving the address, Gu Ya called for Youyou, and they headed to Liu Feng’s place together.
Liu Feng’s home was not in the affluent residential area that Gu Ya had imagined; it was where he usually waited for his ride home.
His home was on a small mountain southwest of Wuhe City.
The mountain was dotted with villas of various sizes, none of them very tall, the tallest reaching only seven stories.
Here, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the environment was exceptionally tranquil.
As soon as they arrived, Liu Feng was already at the base of the building, greeting them with a smile.
Gu Ya looked at the imposing five-story building before him and asked, “Which floor is your home on?”
Liu Feng spread his hands, making a shape of a house.
Gu Ya didn’t understand and asked, “What?”
Liu Feng chuckled and said, “This is it.”
Gu Ya’s expression froze instantly.
“Hurry inside, Wu Instructor and Ye Ying have already arrived,” Liu Feng said, giving Gu Ya a mysterious smile.
Upon entering the house, it was even more astonishing than Gu Ya had anticipated.
Pure white marble was laid from floor to ceiling. The living room ceiling was on the third floor, and a magnificent chandelier hung from the high ceiling, each of its ornaments sparkling.
There were countless rooms.
Gu Ya suspected that Liu Feng had never even explored all of his own house.
Several servants bustled past, bowing to Liu Feng and addressing him as “Young Master,” before attending to their duties.
Liu Feng led Gu Ya and Youyou to the reception room, where only Ye Ying was watching television.
After a few pleasantries, Liu Feng went to the billiard room to play pool with Wu Chuyang.
Youyou had wandered off somewhere to play.
In the vast reception room, Gu Ya and Ye Ying were once again alone.
The atmosphere was slightly awkward. Gu Ya wanted to leave, but felt it would be impolite to leave Ye Ying alone. However, being together without conversation made them both bored.
Gu Ya sneakily glanced at Ye Ying, thinking that this girl truly disliked talking.
The sound of the holographic television echoed between them, sounding incredibly jarring.
Perhaps he should try to find a topic.
“Where… where did you go to school before?” Gu Ya asked.
Ye Ying turned her head to look at Gu Ya and said softly, “I didn’t attend school for many years. I could grasp book knowledge with just a glance.”
This piqued Gu Ya’s interest, and he pressed further, “Where did you learn to pilot mechs?”
Ye Ying’s bright eyes suddenly dimmed, and she asked in a low voice, “Do you really want to hear it?”
“Yes,” Gu Ya nodded and said.
Ye Ying adjusted her posture slightly, turning to face Gu Ya, and slowly began to speak.