Chapter 111

To ensure a surprise, the gift prepared for Desdrobia could not be known to her. Therefore, all of Cosmo's plans for today were carried out in secret. While booking a restaurant could be kept secret, making a handmade gift was more troublesome.

Because Cosmo and Desdrobia spend almost all their time together, the time they have to make dolls is very limited. In addition, Cosmo doesn't know how to do this kind of crafts, so it takes even more time to make them. All these factors combined resulted in such a rough product.

However, for Desdrobia, regardless of the quality of the teddy bear, its appearance was a huge surprise.

"Not at all... well, it is a little bit ugly."

Desdrobia wanted to comfort Cosmo, but she couldn't bring herself to say it when she looked at the teddy bear's face. However, this didn't stop her from hugging the teddy bear tightly in her arms. "But it's okay, I really, really like this gift!"

The girl looked at the boy and showed what was probably the happiest smile of her life.

Cosmo, taking in this radiant expression, was stunned. Although he had been partnered with the girl in front of him for two years, he was still captivated by her smile at this moment.

The most important thing about a gift is the sentiment behind it; if it cannot be conveyed to Desdrobia, then it is no different from not existing at all.

At this moment, the words Ai Yue once said suddenly flashed through Cosmo's mind, and at the same time, a strong thought surged in the boy's heart.

I want to see that smile every day, and I want to stay by that smile's side until the day I die.

This thought was so intense, like a surging tide, that it surged upwards from his heart and erupted from his throat—

"Desdrobia".

Cosmo uttered the girl's full name after a long absence. He clenched his teeth, as if trying to suppress his emotions, but failed. "I want... I want to be with you forever."

Desdrobia stared at him blankly, her mind a complete blank.

But faintly, it seemed as if the sound of someone slamming a table could be heard coming from somewhere.

69

Chapter 69: A Secret Maneuver (4,000 words)

Cosmo's plan today broke through his original framework and soared to a new level he had never imagined.

After saying those words, even he himself was stunned, because even the most obtuse person could understand the meaning behind them and the weight they carried.

But Cosmo quickly calmed down, his brain working at an unprecedented speed to examine his inner thoughts—and then he clearly realized that this was not a momentary impulse, but rather the result of long-accumulated emotions finally triggering a qualitative change at this moment, causing his instincts to react before his consciousness.

This is what he once wanted to express, but felt was too naive to say.

Having realized this, Cosmo no longer wavered, but instead focused his attention on Desdrobia, waiting for her reply.

At this moment, Desdrobia had just recovered from the blankness in her mind. After realizing that she was not hallucinating or having other illusions, she opened her mouth, but tears fell before she could speak.

"Huh?"

Cosmo, awaiting a reply, couldn't help but show a surprised expression. "Are you that unwilling?"

"Idiot, that's not true!"

Desdrobia quickly wiped away her tears, but when she let go, the teddy bear almost fell to the ground. So she quickly hugged it back, making herself all flustered. "These are tears of joy!"

Desdrobia was already quite satisfied with today, as Cosmo's performance had far exceeded her expectations. She didn't expect him to go any further, after all, she herself was a coward who couldn't take that final step.

Therefore, when Cosmo actually uttered those words that the girl had pondered countless times but ultimately kept buried in her heart, the impact on Desdrobia was unimaginable.

"So, you're agreeing?"

Cosmo understood Desdrobia's meaning from her words and breathed a sigh of relief. "Great, I thought I was going to make things worse..."

The two looked at each other and laughed simultaneously, as if on cue.

From that moment on, something seemed to change.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't we be leaving?"

As he was laughing, Cosmo suddenly caught a glimpse of a waiter walking towards them out of the corner of his eye. "It seems we've already passed the agreed time."

"Wait, wait, wait,"

Desdrobia tidied her hair, then took two deep breaths to calm herself down and regain her usual composure before looking at Cosmo. "I want to be with you forever too."

Cosmo paused for a moment before realizing that Desdrobia was giving a formal response to what he had said earlier, and scratched his head. "Is it necessary to be so serious? You already agreed."

"Idiot, if you don't respond properly to something like this, it will become a lifelong regret!"

Desdrobia glared at him helplessly before standing up. "Alright, that's perfect now. Let's go!"

Because of the sudden impact, she was unable to speak in time, thus missing the best opportunity to respond. Although Desdrobia made up for it a little, she was still a little disappointed.

Next time, just next time, it will be my turn to be brave.

Desdrobia, holding a teddy bear in one arm and Cosmo's hand in the other, strolled down the street, already planning her marriage proposal.

Meanwhile, Ai Yue also revealed a satisfied smile, "Wow, that's great, isn't this what youth is all about?"

"Brother Yue, why do you become so old-fashioned whenever something like this happens?"

Pardofelis couldn't help but retort, "You're not that big, are you?"

"I remember you were 20 when you registered to join Moth to Fire, right?"

Mobius glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, you didn't fill in your birthday?"

"I don't even know myself, how am I supposed to fill this out?"

Ai Yue shrugged. "Besides, that kind of thing doesn't really matter, does it?"

"That won't do! Birthdays are very important!"

This time, it was Pardofelis who objected, "A birthday is a person's lucky day; that day brings good fortune!"

"How come I've never heard of this saying before?"

Ai Yue looked at her suspiciously, "And Pardo, do you even know your own birthday?"

"Well, to be honest, I really don't remember,"

Pardofelis scratched her head, then broke into a smug smile. "But I chose a birthday for myself, the day I was 'reborn'!"

As she spoke, she winked at Ai Yue, clearly conveying something only the two of them knew.

Ai Yue suddenly remembered the deformed coin that Pardofelis had given him, which was now hanging around his neck, and nodded involuntarily.

"Pardo's words do make some sense. In any case, this is a small ritual that expresses hope."

Aponia then said, "How about we choose a suitable date for our birthday? For example, May 25th?"

"So precise?"

Ai Yue was slightly taken aback. "Is there any special significance to this day?"

Aponia put it simply. "It's my birthday today."

The atmosphere at the table suddenly froze, and even Hua couldn't help but look up at Aponia.

The other party's undisguised attitude made Shenzhou Girl, who was usually slow to understand interpersonal relationships, realize something.

"Ha, that's interesting. Why should we use your birthday?"

Mobius was the first to speak up, "If that's the case, wouldn't April 30th be the same? It's even a month earlier than yours."

Analyzing the context, it's not hard to see that April 30th is Mobius's birthday.

Hua then turned his attention to Mobius.

"I was the one who brought this up first, so I should have used my birthday!"

Pardofelis wasn't going to back down this time either, and she made things clear for Ai Yue, "My birthday is July 11th, and since Brother Yue is older than me, let's choose July 10th!"

The three of them talked amongst themselves, but all of them turned their gazes to Ai Yue. They clearly knew that no matter how much they said, it would be useless, and in the end, it would be Ai Yue's decision.

Ai Yue suddenly felt a headache coming on and quickly looked at Hua: "Ahem, Hua, do you have any ideas?"

"Huh? Me?"

The girl, who was still analyzing the situation, was clearly surprised that Ai Yue would drag her into it. She was taken aback for a moment, but being simple-minded, she didn't think too much about it. After considering it for a while, she gave her suggestion, "I remember that Doctor Ai Yue is also from Shenzhou, right? In that case, why don't we set our birthdays on New Year's Day?"

"Great idea!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ai Yue blurted out, "It's settled then!"

As long as Hua doesn't suggest using her own birthday, Ai Yue will accept whatever proposal she makes unconditionally, because as the only "outsider" here, choosing her is the safest option.

Moreover, Hua's proposed plan was quite reasonable and flawless. Even if Pardofelis and the other two wanted to object, they couldn't find any suitable reason to do so.

As Shenzhou citizen, isn't it reasonable for me to use the most important festival in Shenzhou as my birthday?

As expected, Pardofelis found Hua's suggestion and Ai Yue's attitude to be quite reasonable.

Aponia and Mobius, who thought more deeply, were naturally aware of Ai Yue's ideas, but there was really nothing wrong with the plan, so they could only watch helplessly as Ai Yue's scheme succeeded.

That guy got away again.

Aponia and Mobius exchanged a glance, both seeing similar emotions in each other's eyes.

As if realizing something, their eyes underwent a subtle change.

However, what the others didn't notice was that Hua's face turned slightly red after she lowered her head.

Her registered birthday is February 9th—the day she was born was also New Year's Day.

Ai Yue was naturally not very clear about this, as he was not so detailed as to remember everyone's birthday. However, what happened today served as a reminder to him—after all, if someone tells you their birthday, it wouldn't be appropriate for you not to show any appreciation.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Ai Yue looked down and saw that Desdrobia and Cosmo had sent messages almost one after the other.

Cosmo: "Doctor Ai Yue, thank you for your help. Today's plan went very smoothly, and we even gained some extra insights. However, it's hard to explain in just a few words. Let's talk about it another day when we meet."

Desdrobia: "Thank you for reminding me, Doctor Ai Yue. Otherwise, today's date would have been a regret. Thank you so much! (emoticon)"

It's clear that neither of them intends to make their relationship public, perhaps they want to choose another time—unfortunately, Ai Yue not only witnessed the whole process but also recorded it.

This video will come in very handy when the two of them actually get married.

Satisfied, Ai Yue then led Pardofelis and the others away, returning to the Star of Light experimental base through the Teleportation Gate of the Moth to Fire headquarters.

Pardofelis probably ate too much, because she started to feel sleepy halfway there. The first thing she did when she got back to the base was to find a corner to lie down and fall asleep in less than half a minute.

Hua, having consumed more calories than planned today, decided to do an extra round of training and then headed to the training room.

This left only Ai Yue, Mobius, and Aponia on the scene.

"Aren't you going back to school today?"

Ai Yue looked at Aponia with some surprise, not expecting her to choose to stay. "It seems there's nothing much going on at school lately."

"It's a holiday at school today, so there's no need for me to go back and cause the children unnecessary trouble."

Aponia smiled and glanced at Mobius, "It shouldn't interfere with your business, right?"

"No, it's a day off for us today, we don't go into the lab."

Ai Yue waved his hand, then looked at him with some suspicion, "Is it just my imagination? I have a feeling..."

He glanced at Aponia, then at Mobius, and suddenly sensed a subtle tension between them.

He remembered that although the two of them couldn't be described as irreconcilable enemies, they inevitably clashed when they were in close proximity, just like their behavior in the restaurant just now.

But after returning from there, the atmosphere between the two seemed to have become much more harmonious. Now they can actually stand together, whereas before, they would have exploded if they had gotten even a little closer.

"What's the problem?"

Mobius spoke up at this moment, "You wouldn't prefer us to argue, would you?"

"No, no, how could that be!"

Ai Yue quickly shook his head, then said in an affirmative tone, "This is fine."

In response to Ai Yue's statement, the two simply exchanged a glance and then said nothing more.

But Ai Yue felt a chill down his back, as if something bad had happened.

What's going on? Has the Cocoon of Finality recovered and is about to unleash the next Great Honkai?

Ai Yue immediately contacted Prometheus and retrieved the real-time monitoring data of global Honkai Energy concentration, but it showed that everything was normal and no major disaster had occurred.

That's strange...

While Ai Yue was still pondering, Mobius had already taken the initiative to walk out of the hall. "Let's go, if you're going to stay here overnight, we need to tidy up your room."

Aponia then nodded to Ai Yue and floated out behind Mobius.

Ai Yue's eyes lit up immediately—that's right! If Aponia were to stay here overnight, the two of them could maintain a balance, and he could get a good night's sleep tonight!

However, before he could even feel happy, the ringtone interrupted his thoughts. Ai Yue looked down at his phone and discovered that it was Elysia calling.