"How could that be?" Xu Qi asked with a smile. "Professor, I need you to monitor everything from the central control console of the Golden Courtyard."
Mobius was just about to smile, but Xu Qi's next words wiped the smile from her face.
"When necessary, prepare the V2V Armor."
Mei frowned instinctively. V2V? What was that?
Mobius and Vil-V's expressions darkened at the same time. They looked toward Xu Qi, and finally, the professor slowly spoke. "In your dreams."
"Professor." This time, Xu Qi did not avoid the issue. He raised his head and looked straight into Mobius's eyes. "Please... I can't just sit by and watch all this happen!"
"Suit yourself! I'm not responsible if you die!"
Leaving those words behind, Mobius walked straight out of the conference room. The sound of the door closing behind her was heavy as well—it was obvious that she was in a terrible mood.
Everyone in the conference room looked at one another, then turned their gazes back to Xu Qi.
So...
"What is V2V?"
Mei voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"It's an exoskeleton armor I developed. The first generation was called ν, and the second generation was called ν2." Vil-V's expression was awful too, though she was not nearly as temperamental as Mobius.
"The third generation is V2V. It's a high-output exoskeleton armor that Mobius and I developed together. Theoretically, its pilot may have to withstand acceleration of up to fifteen G, or even more..."
Mei's face instantly went deathly pale! Fifteen G... Could a human body really withstand that?!
"It's fine." Xu Qi spoke expressionlessly. "I'm certain that I can control V2V now."
"No! I disagree!"
Inside the conference room, Mei grabbed Xu Qi by the arm!
A hint of tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes. This time, Mei's voice was unusually firm!
"Last time, you nearly ended up in the hospital! What about this time!? Can't you think about yourself a little more? Just consider it... for my sake, all right?"
If he had been facing Mobius, Xu Qi could still have looked her straight in the eye without backing down.
But facing Mei... Xu Qi could not bring himself to meet her gaze no matter what.
He could only lower his head in silence. After taking a deep breath, he slowly said, "I understand. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I definitely won't put on that armor."
Mei was about to say something more, but Elysia stopped her from the side.
The two women exchanged glances, and Mei understood...
Since Xu Qi had already made up his mind, perhaps no one could stop him now.
The fact that he was willing to say that was already a huge concession.
Xu Qi took Mei's hand. Although he still did not dare meet her eyes, he said, "Trust me... all right? Even for your sake, I definitely won't act recklessly."
······
Xu Qi and Mei drove straight to Xia Ya's residence.
They were naturally driving Eden's car. There were plenty of cars parked in the Golden Courtyard's underground garage anyway, and Xu Qi had always driven whichever one he wanted.
On the way, Mei sat in the passenger seat, leaning toward the window without saying a word.
It was obvious that the girl was furious.
But Xu Qi had no good solution. After all, the reason Mei was angry was, when all was said and done, because she cared about him...
Xia Ya lived very close to Jiuting Base, in a nearby villa district. It took only twenty minutes to drive to work in the morning.
Speaking of which, this was Xu Qi's first time coming here. Before this, he had only known about the place.
He never would have expected his first visit to be for the purpose of stopping the other party from carrying out a terrorist attack...
What an absurd reason.
After the car stopped, Mei remained in the passenger seat. Xu Qi thought for a moment, then suddenly called out, "Mei, Mei?"
Mei ignored him and tried to open the car door herself—but naturally, she failed. Xu Qi controlled the passenger-side door. How could he let her open it?
"What?"
"Look at me, all right?"
After hesitating for a while, Mei was still angry, but she turned her head toward Xu Qi. She wanted to see what this Xu Qi was planning to say...
"Mm!"
Xu Qi forcefully pulled the girl's shoulder toward him and kissed her full lips.
The instant their lips met, Mei's mind went completely blank. Of course, Xu Qi's did too...
After freezing for a moment, Mei began to struggle! But her resistance was very weak, as though even she was hesitating over whether to shove him away or continue.
How could Xu Qi allow that to happen?
Once he came to his senses, although he was also surprised by his own boldness, Xu Qi still wrapped his other arm around the girl's slender waist.
The space inside the car was already cramped. After struggling slightly and realizing that she had no way to resist, Mei sank into the kiss...
I was forced to kiss him...
And it was my first kiss...
But the person was Xu Qi...
Hehe...
The sweet taste made even their simple kiss seem impossible to break away from. They completely forgot where they were, as well as everything that had happened before.
Their wholehearted surrender also stirred Mei's emotions. Her hands gradually moved over Xu Qi's body and embraced him.
The two of them passionately kissed inside the car, neither wanting to stop...
But they seemed to have overlooked something important. At the central control console of the Golden Courtyard, Mobius had grumpily opened a bag of potato chips, intending to soothe her wounded heart.
Then... she saw a scene that was enough to shock her for ten thousand years...
The chips fell from her hand. Suddenly, they no longer seemed appetizing at all...
Damn shameless couple... showing off your love right in front of me...
Waaah! Did you ever consider the feelings of a thirty-year-old spinster who had been single and unwanted all this time? You two are practically inhuman!
After a long while, their lips parted.
The two opened their eyes almost simultaneously and saw that the other's cheeks were slightly flushed.
Mei lightly pressed her lips together, seemingly still savoring the sensation from earlier. Xu Qi, meanwhile, was filled with lingering fear—he did not even know why he had done it. It had simply been an impulse.
He did not want Mei to keep being angry with him, so... he kissed her.
Although it made no sense at all, men really did not need logic sometimes.
Fortunately, judging by Mei's expression, she seemed to have accepted it rather well. Things had not developed in an even worse direction.
"You..." Mei's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She glared at Xu Qi, released him, and immediately punched him in the chest. It was rather hard—clearly, the girl still minded what he had done.
"Do you know that was my first kiss?"
"Mm."
"You!..."
"Mei!"
Xu Qi placed both hands on Mei's shoulders and said seriously, "I like you! No... I love you!"
At the central control console, Mobius had found a bottle of cola. The chips in her hand had been replaced by popcorn. With her dead-fish eyes and one leg crossed over the other, she enjoyed the third-rate romance movie unfolding before her.
Damn it... but it was so damn sweet, you bastards.
"Th-that's not fair... saying something like that at a time like this..."
"I was just afraid that maybe, after today, I wouldn't have the chance to express these feelings."
Mei's face turned deathly pale again.
She grabbed Xu Qi by the collar and said through suppressed fury, "What are you planning to do!? I won't allow it... I won't allow you to die!"
Xu Qi sighed.
Just as Mei thought she had successfully stopped that dangerous idea of his...
"Mm!"
The second kiss was clearly more practiced than the first.
For two people who were both kissing for the first time, their clumsy technique was already enough to make them feel sweet happiness.
After a long while, their lips parted.
This time, Mei understood.
"So you're planning to keep kissing me until I agree, as long as I don't say yes?"
"Mm." Xu Qi nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"You!..." Faced with such a direct method, Mei did not know whether to laugh or cry. How had she ended up with such a... such a boyfriend?
"I know this is selfish, but Mei... now that I know the whole truth, this is a responsibility I have to bear! I won't sit by and watch any of this happen. Absolutely not!"
Mei raised a hand to Xu Qi's chest. Her eyes held both the happiness of finally becoming lovers with the person she loved and a trace of sorrow.
"How are you being selfish...? The selfish one... is actually me..."
Mei drew a deep breath.
"Promise me! You absolutely... absolutely have to survive! All right?"
"Mm. Of course I promise you, Mei."
As if that were not enough, Xu Qi suddenly leaned close to Mei's ear and whispered, "If I survive, can you reward me by letting me touch you..."
"Go to hell! Xu Qi! Get out of the car!"
"Ding-dong!~~ Ding-dong!~~"
Xu Qi and Mei stood outside the villa's main gate. They had been pressing the doorbell for a long time, but no one came out to open the door.
"No way... Could they be asleep?"
As far as Mei was concerned, she naturally hoped with all her heart that Xia Ya was inside the villa. That might mean the plan had not yet begun, and they still had a chance to stop everything before the accident occurred.
However...
There was no sign of anyone inside the villa coming to open the door. It was as though the place were a dead house.
"Not here?"
With deep disappointment, Mei let out a soft sigh. The very first step of the plan already made everything feel terrible.
Xu Qi, however, did not seem particularly surprised.
Before you continue