Tidying the Room

[Installation list confirmed. Please select an installation mode: standard mode/custom mode.]

A pale blue screen floated in midair, its two options glowing softly.

Bai Luoming was about to reach for "standard mode," which looked like the easiest option, when another hand shot out from beside him and pressed "custom mode" first.

"You're going to be living in this room for a long time. We absolutely can't make it look like a space station staff dorm!" March 7th withdrew her hand and made her declaration with conviction.

"This is my room," Bai Luoming reminded her.

Hugging her pillow, March 7th asked, "Then do you have any specific requirements?"

Bai Luoming thought seriously for a few seconds before giving her his main requirement. "As long as I can sleep in it."

The air around them fell silent.

March 7th studied him as though he were a rare animal, then solemnly declared, "Oh, please. Someone with your taste doesn't get a say. Your custom-mode privileges have been revoked."

And just like that, Bai Luoming lost control of his own room on the spot.

March 7th quickly got into the swing of things. First, she had the installation robot scan the dimensions of the entire room. Then she dragged virtual furniture models around on the screen, rearranging the layout according to the areas where he would move about.

She moved the bed into the safest corner, away from the door and the ventilation outlet, while the desk went near the terminal port on the wall for easy connection. Several storage cabinets were grouped against the same wall, and she even laid out the order in which the delivery boxes were to be opened.

Bai Luoming had expected a massive undertaking that would keep them busy until dawn, but she directed everything with calm assurance and worked with remarkable skill.

He couldn't help muttering, "March 7th, have you been secretly taking interior design jobs on the side?"

"I tidy rooms all the time, and I've seen all kinds of room layouts on different planets. Of course my taste is more reliable than someone who can sleep on cardboard." March 7th answered without looking up.

"What's wrong with cardboard?" Bai Luoming tried to defend his makeshift bed. "It costs practically nothing, and there's no formaldehyde. What's not to like?"

March 7th glanced at him and delivered her final diagnosis. "Officially diagnosed with being a picky cheapskate."

The installation robot began assembling the bed frame, desk, and chair as instructed, making faint mechanical noises. Meanwhile, the transport robot automatically sorted the crates and delivered the corresponding materials to their designated positions.

March 7th had become the commander-in-chief. Bai Luoming volunteered for the heavy lifting, only to find that the robots hoisted most of the heavy items precisely into place. In the end, all he could do was stand to the side, hand over the occasional screw, or collect the discarded packaging bags.

He voiced his strong dissatisfaction. "I'm the proud owner of this room. How did I end up as a gofer?"

March 7th pulled a brand-new cleaning cloth out of a box and handed it to him with a smile. "A gofer has to make himself useful too. Go on, wipe down the desk we just assembled."

Bai Luoming took the cloth and wiped the smooth desktop as he stressed, "I'm working while injured, you know. You punched me earlier, and my chest still feels tight."

"You were bouncing around just fine when you tricked me out of those limited-edition chips earlier. Your workplace injury claim is denied," March 7th replied mercilessly.

When they got to the bedding, Bai Luoming casually pulled a set of dark gray sheets out of a box, only for March 7th to veto them on the spot. She took out the light-colored set the space station had included as an extra, then dug a few warm-toned cushions and blankets out of the boxes to accent it.

She didn't give the room the same girlish style as her own. Instead, she left a few distinct touches of her personal taste by the window, at the head of the bed, and in the space reserved for displaying photos.

As Bai Luoming watched the room rapidly take shape, he realized she wasn't just concerned with appearances. There was enough room to turn around between the desk and chair and the bed, the storage cabinets didn't block the emergency exit signs on the wall, and everything he would use regularly was within easy reach.

She even deliberately left a large section of wall near the door bare.

"Why leave this empty?" Bai Luoming asked.

"When you take photos on your travels later, you can print them out and hang them here," March 7th explained.

"I'm not really into taking photos," Bai Luoming said casually.

"I'll take them!" March 7th immediately replied. "When we get to a new world, I'll start by taking a commemorative photo of you to mark your official joining of the Express."

Bai Luoming was taken aback at first, then agreed with a smile. "Sorry for the trouble, March 7th. I hope you can make me look good."

"Of course! Just wait and see how well I can take pictures."

With that, she turned sharply and hurried to the bed, directing the robot. "Move the nightstand a little to the left. Yes, a little more."

She hid her racing heartbeat behind her busy work.

[Installation and calibration of all items complete.]

The installation robot finished its final adjustments. The screen it projected showed that the furniture stability, clearance, and emergency escape route had all passed inspection.

The empty room that had once contained only cardboard and bubble wrap now had a comfortable bed, a spacious desk and chair, tidy storage cabinets, and freshly arranged daily necessities.

Bai Luoming walked a lap around the room, then gave March 7th a thumbs-up. "I admit it. Professional work really should be left to professionals."

"This is only a temporary setup," March 7th said, lifting her chin proudly. "Once you've collected all kinds of souvenirs on your travels, the room will finally be complete."

As she spoke, March 7th seemed to remember something. She leaned close to Bai Luoming, blinked at him, and asked, "Speaking of which, should we take a photo now? This is what your room looked like when it was first tidied up. It'd be a great memento."

"Sure. If you want one, March 7th, we can take a photo."

At Bai Luoming's words, March 7th's face went bright red, the color spreading from her neck all the way to her ears.

"W-what are you talking about? What do you mean, I want one? It's just a photo!"

"Right, right. Just a photo."

Bai Luoming found March 7th's reaction quite amusing and responded with a smile.

"Then it's settled. I'll go back and get my camera right now." With that, March 7th went pattering back to her room to get it.

As she neared the door, March 7th looked back and warned Bai Luoming, "And don't hang those weird, abstract clothes of yours in the most conspicuous spot!"

Hearing that, Bai Luoming immediately dug a short-sleeved shirt with a giant green fish head printed on it out of the clothes box and held it up against his chest. "How about this one? Could we use it as the backdrop for our photo?"

"If you dare use that, you're dead."

With that, March 7th ran back to her room and brought out her camera.

She returned to Bai Luoming's room, quickly found a spot, set up her camera, and put it on a timer. Once everything was ready, she ran over to Bai Luoming and struck a pose beside him.

"Click."

As soon as the camera went off, March 7th hurried over to check how the photo had turned out. But the moment she picked up the camera, she started laughing. At first, her laughter was relatively restrained, but soon she couldn't stop.

Bai Luoming was curious, so he moved over beside March 7th to see the photo for himself. There was nothing particularly unusual about it. Bai Luoming looked handsome, and March 7th looked youthful and cute. The one thing that stood out was Bai Luoming's sausage lips, which rather spoiled the picture.

Only when Bai Luoming saw the photo did he understand why March 7th was laughing. He scratched his head and said, "How about we take another one? This one's a little..."

Hearing that, March 7th hurriedly hugged the camera tightly to her chest. She turned to look at Bai Luoming and puffed out her cheeks like a hamster with its mouth stuffed full. "No way! We're keeping this one! I'll give you the photo once I get it printed," she said indignantly.

March 7th looked like a miser guarding her treasure. Bai Luoming smiled helplessly. "All right, but promise me you'd better not show it to anyone else."

"Of course. This is a memory that belongs to the two of us alone."

With everything finished, Bai Luoming checked the time on his terminal, then looked at March 7th, who was happily looking at the camera beside him. He made a serious suggestion. "To show my thanks, dear Miss March 7th, how about I treat you to a meal?"

March 7th had been thinking about where to hang the photo, but she paused when she heard that. She turned around, her voice much softer than before. "When were you planning to treat me?"

Bai Luoming didn't notice the subtle change in her mood. He picked up his terminal and checked it. "It's a little late now, but there should still be a counter open in the space station cafeteria. I haven't really eaten the space station's food, so I could give it a try."

"The space station cafeteria?" Half of March 7th's budding anticipation collapsed on the spot, and she wrinkled her nose.

"Take my advice and don't go. The space station cafeteria's biggest feature is its bizarre food. Today's special is plain dried earthworms, and tomorrow they'll roll out dried earthworms, plain flavor. Apart from the fried rice, which is barely edible, the rest is only good for replenishing energy when you're about to starve to death."

Bai Luoming still wanted to put in a good word for the cafeteria. "In a place with so many researchers, surely there has to be some minimum standard, no matter how bad the food is?"

"Oh, please," March 7th retorted bluntly. "Those researchers would love to eat energy bars every day so they could save all the time they spend on meals."

The argument was overwhelmingly persuasive. Bai Luoming had no answer, and the space station cafeteria's credibility in his eyes instantly hit rock bottom.

Considering that it really was late and the two of them had been busy for a while, he changed his offer. "All right. The next time the Express stops somewhere suitable, I'll treat you to a meal of the most distinctive local food. You pick the restaurant, and I'll pay. I definitely won't fob you off with the space station cafeteria."

Only then did March 7th nod in satisfaction, though she quickly added an emphasis. "You and I tidied this room together, so no inviting Stelle or Dan Heng or anyone else along at the last minute."

Bai Luoming assumed she was worried there wouldn't be enough food to go around if there were too many people, and readily agreed. "Don't worry. It'll be a private thank-you meal. I won't invite anyone else."

After getting a clear answer, March 7th visibly brightened. She picked up her pillow and prepared to return to her room.

At the door, she looked back to check the transformed room once more and reminded him, "Get some rest early after your shower. Don't sleep on cardboard anymore."

After March 7th left, Bai Luoming picked out a loose set of pajamas with an equally abstract design from his clothes box and took a shower. The swelling on his lips had mostly subsided.

He flopped onto the soft bed, hugged the blanket, and rolled over once. "A bed really is more comfortable," he sighed contentedly. "No matter how eco-friendly cardboard is, it's not a long-term solution."

A heavy drowsiness soon washed over him. To avoid being awakened by another delivery or an unfamiliar call, he deliberately set the terminal by his bed to silent mode, then fell into a deep sleep.