Asta: All-out assault (4,000 words)

Asta sat alone in the stationmaster's office.

In front of her was a huge virtual screen, which was supposed to display the space station's operational schedule and the coordination between various departments.

But at that moment, Asta manually switched the screen to the anonymous community inside the space station.

The pinned post on the community homepage is titled. "[Ms. Herta suspected of publicly announcing her relationship with Nameless on the Astral Express?]"

The accompanying photo is a candid shot taken at an extremely clever angle, capturing the image of Herta and Bai Luoming wearing matching outfits, holding hands, and walking side by side through the Master Control Zone corridor.

Asta stared intently at the screen, her gaze lingering, her inner world far from the calm she appeared to be.

One of these two was her teacher, whom she had admired most since childhood and regarded as a guiding light in her life.

One was the love of her life.

These two things, which should have each brought her immense joy, unexpectedly overlapped.

She looked at the photo and murmured to herself.

"Two happy things happening together should have made us even happier... but why did it turn out like this?"

A bittersweet feeling washed over her, but she quickly suppressed it.

Asta closed her eyes.

What she heard through her watch last night is still echoing in her mind. She remembers burying her face in her pillow and crying until half of the pillowcase was soaked with tears.

But after she finished crying, she suddenly realized something.

If she continues as before, merely observing silently and hesitating to step forward, she will only become a complete loser, watching helplessly as Bai Luoming is snatched away by others time and time again.

She could only repeat the same mistakes she had made, watching helplessly as Bai Luoming drifted further and further away from her.

Asta opened her eyes, and at that moment, her gentle blue pupils held an unprecedented resolve.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, as if she were declaring war on someone.

"Teacher... you were the one who broke the rules first."

"Don't blame me."

There was a gentle knock on the office door; it was Arlan, who had brought Bai Luoming there.

"Young Miss, I've brought Mr. Bai Luoming."

Arlan's voice came from outside the door.

Asta glanced at the screen subconsciously, and instinctively wanted to switch back to her work interface.

But her finger hovered in mid-air, then paused, and finally slowly retracted. Perhaps leaving this page hanging would be more helpful for her next move.

Asta took a deep breath, quickly straightened her clothes, and only after confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong with her condition did she raise her voice.

"Please come in."

Arlan gently pushed open the door and gestured for Bai Luoming to enter the office.

After Bai Luoming entered the office, Arlan tactfully closed the door and left.

As soon as Bai Luoming entered the office, his gaze was immediately drawn to the screen directly opposite him.

The screen displayed "relationship news" between him and Herta, with photos taken at odd angles and the post title being particularly eye-catching.

It wasn't until he saw this post that Bai Luoming understood where the feeling of being watched like a thorn in his back came from after he left the Herta office.

So everyone on the space station knows about his relationship with the Herta. How could they not be paying attention? You have to understand that most people on the space station are die-hard fans of the Herta.

Thinking of this, Bai Luoming couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "The Herta is truly evil by nature. It actually tried to lock him up tightly by its side in this way. It's so cunning!"

When Asta saw Bai Luoming's gaze fall on the screen, her expression remained calm, after all, this was something she had deliberately left for Bai Luoming to see.

She coughed lightly, drawing Bai Luoming's attention back, then gently raised her hand, gesturing for Bai Luoming to sit in the chair opposite her desk, and said in a gentle tone.

"Luo Ming, please sit down."

Seeing Bai Luoming sit down, Asta didn't beat around the bush. She pointed directly to the news article on the screen and asked softly, "Luo Ming, I want to know... is what's said here... true?"

Upon hearing Asta's question, Bai Luoming was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to make up a laugh, or to use his signature abstract rhetoric to steer the conversation off-topic.

But when he met Asta's overly serious eyes, all the prepared excuses and jokes stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He couldn't bear to deceive Asta, but the truth might be too cruel for her, so Bai Luoming could only choose to remain silent.

Although Bai Luoming didn't speak, his silence said it all. Asta lowered her eyelids, stared at the table in front of her, and softly hummed in agreement.

The voice was very low, as if confirming something, or perhaps speaking to oneself.

A brief silence filled the office.

Asta quickly composed herself, raised her head again, and asked earnestly, "Then... what kind of person does Luo Ming think I am?"

They've arrived.

Bai Luoming instantly understood the danger signal that had suddenly risen in the air.

It seems that Asta's purpose in calling him here today is definitely not simple; it's probably a trap. However, what reassures Bai Luoming is that Asta doesn't act as recklessly as the Herta and will be much more restrained. Even if it's a trap, he believes Asta won't go too far.

At this moment, his brain began to work at lightning speed, urgently organizing his thoughts, intending to say a few nice words to stabilize the current situation first.

However, his lips had only just parted, and he hadn't yet uttered his first word.

Asta put a finger to her lips, making a "shh" gesture to interrupt him.

"Luo Ming, don't rush to express your opinion."

Asta looked at Bai Luoming and spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice not loud, but extremely serious.

"I have something I want to tell you first. You can answer me after you've heard it all."

Bai Luoming swallowed the words that were about to come out, leaned back in the soft chair, and gestured for her to speak.

Asta was silent for two seconds, as if she was making her final mental preparations.

Then, she spoke to Bai Luoming about her deepest secret.

"Luo Ming, strictly speaking... I'm not the current Asta, but someone who came back to the present from the future with Remembrance of the past. In other words, according to those novels and stories, I should be considered a reborn person."

She looked at Bai Luoming, a faint, composed smile on her face.

"And in that Remembrance from the future that I possess, I was your girlfriend."

After listening, Bai Luoming did not show the expression that Asta had expected.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest twice. The long-held suspicion in his mind was finally confirmed.

Sure enough, it was yet another reincarnated person claiming to be his girlfriend.

Bai Luoming now seriously doubts what kind of sea king the "Bai Luoming" before his rebirth was. He already knows of several, and who knows if a few more will appear later.

As Bai Luoming thought this, he silently gave Lao Ji the middle finger in his mind.

Bai Luoming didn't let the silence last long. He sat up straight, adjusted his posture, and spoke sincerely.

"Asta, Herta mentioned this to me once before as well."

He paused, his gaze falling on Asta's face, where Asta beautiful, deep blue eyes were fixed on him.

"But the problem is, I have no Remembrance of what happened before I was reborn. For me, none of those things ever happened."

His expression faltered slightly, and a hint of shame flashed in his eyes.

"I already have enough emotional entanglements, and I really don't want to hold you back any longer. You're so great—family background, looks, abilities—you have everything you need. There's absolutely no need for you to hang on to this crooked tree of mine."

Although Bai Luoming's words were a temporary expedient, they also carried a degree of sincerity.

Asta listened to Bai Luoming's words, she gently curled the corners of her lips, blinked her beautiful eyes, looked at Bai Luoming, and whispered.

"It doesn't matter."

"Anyway, in my heart, I've already decided on you for life."

Asta's words were undeniably powerful. Who could remain unmoved upon hearing a girl say she had firmly chosen you, that she had made up her mind about you for life? Especially since Asta was a very wealthy woman.

Bai Luoming really couldn't understand what he had done to this girl before his rebirth that could make a rich heiress so devoted to her.

He chuckled dryly, trying to bring the situation back under control.

"What have I done to deserve this... Miss, you have a good family background, you're beautiful, you've got wealth, what do you want from me? I can't give you any of that..."

His words were cut short before he could finish.

When he looked up, he saw that Asta's eyes were red-rimmed and a thin layer of mist had risen in them, blocking out all his words.

The next second, Asta stood up from her chair, walked around the large desk, and threw herself into his arms.

Her soft body, carrying a warm and sweet fragrance, made his chest tighten.

Asta wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face deep in his chest.

She spoke in a muffled voice, her tone trembling with suppressed sobs.

"Luo Ming... do you... have absolutely no feelings for me at all?"

Bai Luoming froze completely.

His hands hovered behind Asta's back, unsure of where to put them.

He could clearly feel a small patch of his shirt being rapidly soaked by the warm liquid, and the girl's shoulders in his arms were trembling uncontrollably.

Despite having a ton of romantic entanglements around him now, he's never actually been in a serious relationship.

Faced with the sudden outpouring of tears, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

In the end, Bai Luoming could only awkwardly raise his hand and gently pat Asta's back, his tone becoming incredibly soft, as if coaxing a child.

"Asta is adorable... I believe no one could dislike Asta."

His words were, of course, heartfelt.

Asta sensed the sincerity in Bai Luoming's words, and instead of letting go, she hugged Bai Luoming even tighter.

She took a deep breath in Bai Luoming's arms. Bai Luoming's clothes were filled with the scent of Herta, which made her frown slightly. But in addition to Herta's scent, there was also a faint scent that was uniquely Bai Luoming's own.

It was the scent of him that she had longed for for a very long time, a scent that belonged only to him.

She lifted her face slightly from his chest, her face still wet with tears, but her blue eyes, washed by those tears, had already brightened again.

She looked at Bai Luoming, her voice weak.

"Since Luo Ming doesn't dislike me..."

Does that mean I still have a chance?

Faced with Asta's relentless pursuit, Bai Luoming was momentarily caught off guard and fell silent.

Asta is clearly a sunny and cheerful rich young lady, so who taught her to be like this?

Asta sensed his silence, tightened her arms around his waist, and lowered her voice, speaking with deep grievance.

"As expected... in Luo Ming's heart, his teacher is still more important, isn't he?"

"Do I... have absolutely no chance?"

Bai Luoming felt that he was in a dilemma, with problems both forward and backward, and troublesome no matter which choice he made.

Just as Bai Luoming was hesitating whether to simply close his eyes and pretend to faint, his terminal rang.

The crisp beeping of the communication notification sounded particularly jarring in the overly quiet office.

At that moment, he was like a drowning man grasping at a straw. Almost reflexively, he gently pushed Asta away from his arms and frantically pulled out the terminal.

Caller ID on the terminal: Star.

He exclaimed inwardly, "As expected of Xing, she is truly my savior!" He quickly apologized to Asta, walked to the side, and pressed the call button.

Xing's energetic voice immediately came through the communicator, full of vigor.

"Brother! I've arrived at the space station, where are you?"

Without saying a word, Bai Luoming stood up and said loudly.

Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up right away.

Xing reported his location and then hung up.

After hanging up the call, he held the terminal and gave Asta an apologetic smile.

"Xing's here, I need to go pick her up... Shall we talk later?"

Asta gently wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertip, her face quickly regaining its usual gentle and polite smile. She nodded understandingly and said...

"Go ahead, don't keep her waiting too long."

Upon seeing Asta nod, Bai Luoming dared not linger and practically fled the office.

The moment the door closed behind him, he let out a long breath, only then realizing that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Inside the office, Asta stood alone, quietly listening to the fading footsteps in the corridor.

She turned around, walked back to her desk, and sat down, her gaze returning to the posts on the screen.

Asta looked at the candid photos of Herta and Bai Luoming, a slight smile on her face, and murmured softly.

"I'm sorry, teacher... Luo Ming is just too tempting."

After saying that, she leaned back in the soft chair, her mind uncontrollably replaying the scene from just now.

The corners of her mouth began to turn upwards uncontrollably, higher and higher.

At first, Asta had to control her smile and force herself to keep it down.

But in the end, she couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hands and covered her face, and a suppressed laugh escaped softly from between her fingers.