Qiong Is a Timid and Humble Boy / Halfway to Success

Caelus Was a Timid and Humble Boy

Caelus looked at the breathtakingly pretty face before him, a faintly smug expression on his own. Through his unremitting efforts, he had finally made such progress with the beautiful little bird. Then he blinked.

"You lost."

Robin spoke after Caelus blinked. She looked rather happy, because winning at a game was enough to make anyone happy, more or less.

"Yeah. Do you know why?"

Caelus nodded. His words left Robin's eyes slightly puzzled. It was such a simple game that she truly could not understand what reason there could be behind it.

"Why?"

"Because your eyes were full of me. How could I bear to let you lose?"

Caelus said righteously, instantly elevating the game to a level it did not deserve. Robin thought about it. She had indeed been staring at Caelus just now; there had truly been nothing else in her eyes but him.

"Hehe."

Robin let out a soft laugh. She had genuinely been amused. She had fallen for Caelus's trick again. The treat, the game—everything had merely been buildup for that final line. They could not even be considered friends, yet he was already saying her eyes were full of him.

Robin's laughter sounded like heavenly music to Caelus, but to the person behind him, it was like knives carving out his heart. To save space, the restaurant used large high-backed chairs. Such chairs were usually placed back-to-back in pairs to separate guests at different tables. At that moment, only two chair backs separated Caelus and Sunday.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Caelus felt the back of his chair shudder, as though some wild beast were crashing into it from behind. He was quite confused. In truth, Sunday was being pinned to his chair by two guards and could not move, so he was kicking the chair back with his feet.

"What is it? Is everything all right?"

Robin heard the strange noise as well and looked at Caelus in confusion.

"I don't know. Maybe the guest behind me ran into something upsetting."

Caelus scratched his head, unsure of what was happening. But he immediately stood up and walked around to Robin's side in a few steps, sitting with her on the same long bench.

"I'm a little timid, so I won't sit over there anymore. I'll reluctantly sit with you instead."

Caelus spoke with a straight face. Robin's emerald eyes looked at him without confirming or denying anything. To Caelus, not objecting meant agreeing, so he edged a little closer. Robin shifted inward, keeping roughly half a meter between them.

"You're so pretty. Are there lots of men who want to be your boyfriend?"

Caelus changed the subject. The drinks they had ordered had already arrived: two orange SouldGlad. Caelus picked up his cup and took a sip, speaking in a casual tone.

"I suppose... not that many."

Robin also picked up her SouldGlad. It was a carbonated, stimulating drink, something she normally could not drink. Even the slightest irritation could damage her throat and cause her singing voice to go off-key. It was hard for ordinary people to understand, but for a cosmic superstar, she had to protect her throat that carefully. Still, those were the Family's orders. Robin had her own temper, too, and she had the right to take one small sip.

"Then can you be my boyfriend?"

Caelus waited for Robin to finish a sip of SouldGlad before smiling and asking her.

"Didn't you say that backward?"

A huge question mark seemed to pop up over Robin's head. If Caelus had said girlfriend, she would certainly have rejected him sternly. But he had said boyfriend, and she did not like that at all. Did she dress like a man? Was he calling her a tomboy? What beautiful young woman could tolerate such a provocation?

"What did I say?" Caelus asked in confusion.

"Can you be my..."

Robin had just started repeating Caelus's words when she suddenly stopped. Seeing that he had pressed the record button on his phone, Robin was immediately so angry that she laughed.

"You're so improper. I'm not playing with you anymore."

Robin crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head toward the window on the inner side. The little bird was clearly angry. Ever since he had invited her out, Caelus had been leading her around by the nose, making her feel as though her intelligence had dropped.

In truth, Robin was very smart. She simply had never encountered anyone as shameless as Caelus, so she had not adapted yet. Everyone she came into contact with was a social elite. The people interested in her could line up from Penacony all the way to Herta Space Station, yet no one had ever managed to bypass the Family and Sunday to make a move on Robin like Caelus had. Being able to accomplish that was actually the most remarkable thing.

"Listen to you. You've met plenty of proper people, right? Has anyone ever been able to sit beside you and chat like I am?"

Caelus simply stopped looking at Robin. Instead, he leaned back against the chair, picked up his SouldGlad, and took a huge gulp before asking.

"Not really."

Robin turned her head slightly and glanced at Caelus. After being adopted by the Family, she had received a higher education. Almost everyone she met acted solemn and proper, and no one had ever teased her like this. As for her admirers, her brother and the Family had kept them all outside. Up until now, the only man who had ever sat beside her was Sunday. Even at unavoidable social engagements, they would at most speak face-to-face.

"Doesn't that prove that being proper is just a useless label? Let me tell you, the most important things when pursuing girls are thick skin, a ruthless heart, and dirty hands."

Caelus began sharing his sacred manual for pursuing girls with Robin. The little bird was stunned. She did not want to know how Caelus pursued girls at all, and it felt like he had used every one of those methods on her.

"You have all of those?" Robin asked curiously.

"I refuse to answer that question. But look, if I weren't thick-skinned, how could I have gotten your WeChat account? If my heart weren't ruthless, how could I have invited you out of your home? As for dirty hands, that takes some finesse. If I went and touched your hand right now, it would definitely lower your affection for me. So I have to find a more suitable moment. Then I'll strike without hesitation and hold you in the palm of my hand."

Caelus explained with great seriousness. Robin felt that it made some sense. Caelus had indeed relied on those abilities to sit beside her. By that logic, this manual for pursuing girls seemed genuinely useful.

"Master, Master rolled his eyes!"

A commotion came from behind their former seats again, but Caelus could not be bothered to care. Robin took small sips of her SouldGlad, and the atmosphere became somewhat subtle. Caelus did not continue teasing Robin. They had made enough progress for the day; any more would have the opposite effect. It was time to switch activities.

PS: Please bookmark, recommend, and vote monthly.

PS: I'm not making up that Robin is interested in Caelus. In the official PV, the two of them went on a date to buy Clock Boy merchandise, then had a date in a private room. She even smiled at Caelus. If that isn't liking him, I'll eat a cake roll.

Halfway to Success

A moment later, all the food Caelus and Robin had ordered arrived. There were burgers and pizza, while Robin preferred the berry ice cream she had ordered.

"You like this?"

Caelus propped his head up with one arm and turned to watch Robin eat her ice cream. Seeing her squint with enjoyment as she ate, he knew she really liked the flavor.

"Mhm."

Robin responded. Only after the ice cream in her mouth had completely melted and slid down her throat did she speak in her gentle voice.

"After I showed talent for singing as a child, the Family kept cultivating that ability. But I liked ice cream. They said it would hurt my throat, so I could only hide behind my brother and eat it in secret."

Robin's words were somewhat nostalgic. This immediately revived Sunday, who had been rolling his eyes. He sat up and continued listening to the conversation between his sister and that scumbag.

"That's quite an interesting story. If you want to eat it in the future, come find me anytime. I'll definitely fly to your side and feed you ice cream."

Caelus said with a smile. He would never restrict what his wife ate. Once Robin was with him, she could do whatever she wanted. He would not be able to spoil her enough. Uncle could not protect her preferences, but Caelus could.

Sunday's blood pressure instantly soared past two hundred. His eyes became bloodshot, and he began cursing again, frightening the two guards until their faces turned pale.

"I don't want that."

Robin shook her head. She was not a child. How could she be moved by just a few words? It sounded like luring a little girl home with ice cream.

"About that video you sent earlier..."

Robin remembered that she had come out with Caelus to discuss serious matters. Though she did not know the Ever-Flame Mansion, Grand Duke of Fiery Nether's nature was enough to tell her what sort of group it was. The Flame Reaver had a terrible reputation across the universe, fit to sit at the same table as the Anti-Matter Legion. So the little bird was very curious about why it had received an invitation, and who exactly had done it.

"Let me tell you, that Grand Duke of Fiery Nether was a real piece of work. It ambushed my girlfriend."

Caelus spoke immediately.

"So you have a girlfriend?"

Robin looked at Caelus in surprise. What she could not understand was that he had admitted it so directly, as though having a girlfriend were no big deal. Yet he was clearly at a critical point in pursuing Robin. Even if it were just for appearances, he should have hidden it.

"Of course. I've got everything at home: wives, fiancées, criminals on wanted posters, and even a cheap daughter."

Caelus nodded, being completely honest with Robin. A small trace of dissatisfaction rose within her. Although she had not planned on becoming Caelus's girlfriend, hearing that he was a playboy still made her unhappy. Did that not mean he had come to toy with her?

"Then why are you still bothering me?"

Robin asked unhappily. She did not even realize why Caelus had made her feel this way. When she interacted with people in the past, she had always remained calm and detached, never getting emotionally thrown off.

"I just couldn't restrain my appreciation for beauty."

Caelus said with an awkward smile. He knew this was not easy to explain. He himself thought it was perfectly justified. The worldly gaze simply could not tolerate it. That was the world's fault, not his.

"I don't want to be a second wife."

Robin said it instinctively, then suddenly realized she had misspoken. At this moment, she should have said she did not want to date a married man, or that they could be friends. How had the conversation jumped straight to marriage? She clearly had not been thinking that way.

"It's fine. You can be the first wife. They won't mind."

The moment Caelus heard Robin say that, he was delighted. Seizing the opportunity, he immediately followed her words, making Robin's pretty face flush slightly.

"That's not what I meant. If you can't devote yourself wholeheartedly to one woman, then you must be a bad person."

Hearing Caelus call her his wife made Robin feel unbearably embarrassed. She and Caelus could not even be considered friends; they had merely come out to talk. Yet suddenly they were discussing marriage, throwing the relationship in the little bird's heart into utter confusion.

"Ah, little bird. You haven't seen much of the world. I won't laugh at you for saying something like that."

Caelus sighed, then put on an expression beside Robin as though he were holding back laughter. The more he acted like that, the more dissatisfied Robin became. She had a temper too.

"What do you mean, I haven't seen much of the world? Explain yourself."

"Of course I treat women wholeheartedly. It's just that my heart is split into a lot of pieces. Each piece of my heart, each bit of devotion, belongs to one woman. I won't play favorites. I like everyone equally."

Caelus said solemnly. Robin looked at him unhappily, clearly telling him to keep making things up, or she would not leave a light on for him.

"Having a harem isn't because I'm a bad person. It's because I'm capable enough to gather so many outstanding girls around me and make them willing to follow me wholeheartedly. Among them are girls as clever as you. If I were a bad person, why would they follow me?"

"That's sophistry. Even if you aren't a bad person, you're still a fickle man."

Robin thought about it and felt that Caelus had some point. If the women around him were not fallen women after money, but were all exceptional, then she could admit that Caelus was capable. But the nature of the matter would not change.

"How can that be sophistry? Look at such an outstanding man as me. If I were tied to one woman, wouldn't that be a loss for the entire universe? A beautiful little bird like you would never get to meet me. And if you didn't meet me, that would be a serious problem."

"How would it?"

"If you didn't meet me, your world would be missing someone who wholeheartedly cared about you, held you in the palm of his hand, and made you happy. I'd be an embrace you could rely on at any time. I'd be willing to risk my life for you. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?"

Caelus spoke to Robin in an exaggerated tone while keeping a straight face. Robin carefully searched for flaws in his words, but no matter how she thought about it, he was not wrong. Although she did not lack admirers like him, if he had not come, she would not have had this chance to go out today.

"Hmph. Your words sound even better than a song. I can't argue with you, and the topic has completely drifted off. We were just talking about Grand Duke of Fiery Nether."

Robin realized she truly could not win an argument against Caelus, so she simply stopped discussing the subject. What she did not realize was that Caelus had already won big. Normally, if she truly wanted to draw a line with a married man, she should have shown much greater disgust. Instead of being disgusted, she had skipped over the subject. That meant Caelus was already halfway to success.

You Came at the Wrong Time

"Right. It attacked my girlfriend's Space Station, so of course I wasn't happy. I chased it to its lair and slaughtered its entire family."

Caelus briefly described how he had fought Grand Duke of Fiery Nether and explained its mindset of viewing Nanook as its benefactor. Robin then understood what had happened.

"You really are capable. You helped Penacony eliminate a threat."

Robin knew that if Grand Duke of Fiery Nether had come to Penacony, it would definitely have posed an enormous threat. Leaving aside whether the Family could stop it, the moment it received an invitation, matters had already become uncontrollable. She believed people should not be considering the cost of stopping a terrorist; such signs should never have been allowed to emerge in the first place. If even one guest died, the Family's reputation would be ruined.

"Then shouldn't you reward me? Look how much I gave up for the Family's grand celebration. Several strands of my hair were even burned off."

Caelus immediately started playing the victim. Robin was truly helpless. She raised her hand and rubbed his head twice. He was clearly a rather handsome young man, yet he insisted on using all his thoughts for this. She did not even know whether she should continue interacting with him.

"Do you think it was an insider from the Family?"

Caelus steered the conversation back on track. He could see Robin's thoughts. She definitely did not know about this matter, and since something this serious had happened, Robin would surely investigate it.

"I don't know. I'll investigate it. That invitation may become a clue. Who used it to register?" Robin asked.

"Acheron. The one you saw in the lobby earlier."

"So it was her. I understand."

Robin nodded. Although Acheron registering to stay with a stolen invitation did not follow the rules, the invitation itself had never been legitimate, so there was no need to pursue the matter.

"Um, Uncle—I mean, will you tell your brother?"

Caelus had almost casually called him Uncle, but Robin shot him a warning look, forcing him to awkwardly change his wording.

"Of course. I need to investigate it with my brother."

"If you run into any trouble, you can come find me anytime. The only thing I can do in the dream is keep you company."

Caelus immediately stated his position. In his imagination, he and Robin would play detectives together and expose the insider's conspiracy. That would be a great opportunity to deepen their relationship.

"No, you should go enjoy the dreamscape. It's not like I lack people to keep me company."

Robin said helplessly. Caelus's intentions were practically written all over his face. Did he really want to pursue her that badly? Robin was truly having a hard time dealing with him. She wanted to say she did not need his help, but Caelus was involved in this matter, so directly rejecting him seemed impolite.

"You may not lack people around you, but how many can truly enter your heart?"

"You..."

Robin was at a loss for words as she looked at Caelus. His words clearly meant he wanted to enter her heart. Robin pressed her lips together, thinking about how she should respond. If she gave him any kindness, he would definitely push his luck, but if she did not, it would seem discourteous. Caelus truly did treat her sincerely. Although he sometimes teased and fooled her in improper ways, Robin did not dislike it.

Robin was an understanding singer. Her songs touched people's hearts, so understanding people was also something she had to learn. She did not actually dislike Caelus. Otherwise, she would not have spoken with him for so long. Since she did not dislike him, why should she act high and mighty? She could not simply act cold toward Caelus because he wanted to pursue her. Robin had no such thoughts.

In a situation Caelus had never anticipated, Robin gave him a smile. It was not the smile she wore before cameras in advertisements, but the small expression shared between familiar people after something pleasant happened. Caelus only felt as though an arrow of love had instantly riddled his heart with holes, and he collapsed against the chair without moving.

"What are you two talking about that has you so happy?"

A voice suddenly joined the two of them. Robin, who had been smiling at Caelus, froze for a moment. Then she and Caelus both raised their heads and looked at the head above the chair back.

Because the chairs were arranged back-to-back, guests seated behind them only needed to stand up to peer over. Normally, no one would do that. But at that moment, Robin saw a beautiful silver-haired girl leaning over the chair back, looking at her with a smiling face.

"Wow! Firefly!"