The Settled Deal

Chen Hao's gaze lingered on her, watching with keen interest.

She stood there amid the ruins and wild grass like a forgotten little wildflower—something no one would notice, yet somehow still eye-catching.

Sunlight traced her entire figure in gold. Her features were clear and delicate, her nose straight, thick lashes casting faint shadows along her eyelids. There were still marks on her lips from where she had bitten them.

Though her clothes were ragged, they could not conceal the curves of her body.

Her golden hair shone like honey in the sunlight, glittering with tiny sparks.

She was clearly cold and striking, yet there was also a young girl's shyness about her. That contrast made her hard to look away from.

The fingers clutching her hem had gone white. Her breathing was a little hurried, her chest rising and falling softly.

Chen Hao leaned forward slightly, crossing his hands on the table. Even the gesture carried a faint sense of pressure.

His amber eyes gleamed dangerously beneath the dim yellow light, while a lazy smile rested on his lips, as though he were casually discussing some trivial matter.

"Let's put it another way," he said in a low, clear voice, like a cat making one last probing move before playing with its prey. "If I save Android 17, then you'll officially be mine. How about it?"

The moment the words fell, it was as if someone had pressed pause on the air itself.

Outside, the wind slapped against the blinds with a clattering rattle, while dust drifted slowly through the golden shafts of light.

Chen Hao stared intently at her expression, his fingers tapping the wooden tabletop now and then. Every sound seemed to pluck an invisible string.

"My person?" Android 18's blue eyes narrowed sharply, and a faint crease formed between her brows.

She instinctively tucked her loose golden hair behind her ear, wariness and confusion in her voice. "What do you mean?"

Chen Hao did not answer immediately.

He leisurely leaned back in his chair, which creaked beneath him.

Tilting his head slightly, the curve of his lips became more pronounced, as if he were certain the prey was already his.

"Simply put," he deliberately drew out the final syllable, his gaze slowly sweeping over her face as though savoring a dessert, "I mean exactly what I said. From now on, you follow me, listen to me, and don't defy me."

As he spoke, his restless hand traced a circle through the air before settling firmly over his chest. He gave it a pat, as if emphasizing that he meant every word.

Android 18's breath caught.

She lowered her head, her gaze falling on her tightly clasped hands.

Hands that had once been able to snap alloy with ease now looked like two powerless white doves, even their knuckles pale.

She could hear her own heartbeat, along with the distant honking of cars.

The air smelled of old paper and dust. A book on the table had been opened halfway, its curled corners resembling peeling scales.

The silence grew cold and oppressive before she finally spoke, her voice as pale as something drained of color. "So, you want me to be your servant?"

Chen Hao suddenly laughed.

It was not loud, but it was like sparks bursting beneath the sun from a young man's firecracker—wild and arrogant.

"That sounds too ugly. More accurately, call it... a partner." He slowly shook his head, his eyes full of inexplicable sincerity as he solemnly redefined the word. "It's just that this partner has to be absolutely loyal."

When he said "absolutely," he raised one finger and held it in the air, his tone wrapping the word in a layer of steel.

Android 18 lowered her head. Her fingers loosened and stopped twisting together, flattening against the tabletop as if she could use the motion to suppress the turmoil inside her.

Thin clouds drifted past the window, blocking some of the sunlight. The room dimmed at once, and the shadows on the wall began to sway, like the scales in her heart tipping back and forth.

It was not that she did not understand what Chen Hao meant.

What he wanted was far more than simple companionship. He wanted complete belonging—like a nail driven into a plank, or an anchor sunk into the seabed, leaving no room to come loose.

But did she still have a choice?

Should she keep hiding and running, like a sick cat chased all over by hunting dogs, struggling through the days in the ruins?

Once Cell finished digesting Vegeta, it would only be a matter of time before he followed her energy and found her. What awaited her then was nothing but death.

Better to take a gamble.

The thought was like a spark lighting up the night, burning through the last thread of hesitation.

She slowly lifted her head, her golden hair sliding behind her shoulders with the movement.

Her face was calm yet resolute. Her blue eyes no longer avoided his, staring straight into Chen Hao's as though a frozen core of ice had been ignited by flame.

"Fine." Her voice was quiet, yet heavy enough to send ripples across water. "I agree. As long as you save Android 17, then I'll..."

She suddenly stopped, and the atmosphere seemed to mute itself.

She could feel her cheeks burning, the backs of her ears growing hot as well.

Her gaze fell to the fine grain of the tabletop, and her voice softened into a breeze. "I'll give myself to you, or accept any condition—whatever you want."

The moment she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes, her lashes casting fine, dense shadows over her eyelids.

At that moment, the wind outside grew stronger. One corner of the curtain was suddenly flung upward, and a burst of piercing white light streamed in before quickly fading again, like that silent promise just now—flashing into existence, then returning to silence.

Chen Hao raised an eyebrow, his gaze settling on her face as a teasing curve touched his lips. "You agreed that readily?"

Android 18 immediately turned her head away, awkwardly fleeing from his gaze.

The tips of her ears had turned red, and even her neck was tinted with a blush.

Her fingers curled against her knee, but her voice remained stubbornly tough. "What else? I've got nowhere else to go."

After saying that, she added, her tone carrying a hint of defiance and subtle shyness, "No matter what, it's better than being absorbed by Cell. Besides, you're not bad-looking, and you're strong—I'm not losing out."

Chen Hao chuckled, a few traces of pleasure showing in his eyes.

He lifted his teacup. Steam billowed from it, and as he brought it near his lips, a cloud of white mist nearly obscured his face. "Alright, then it's settled."

He set the cup down, ran a finger around its rim, then raised it again and lightly clinked it against hers. "Happy cooperation."

Android 18 froze for a moment, her gaze shifting back and forth between the teacup and Chen Hao's face.

After hesitating for a second, she tapped her fingertips lightly against the table twice before finally picking up her cup.

The warmth of the cup seeped into her palm.

Lowering her eyes, she gently clinked cups with him. The clear chime sounded like a silent confirmation of that "contract."

"Happy cooperation." Her voice was low and husky, with a trace of uncertainty hidden within it.

Chen Hao put down his cup, picked up the bamboo chopsticks on the table, spun them halfway around his fingers, and grabbed a glossy piece of braised pork.

The chunk of meat swayed slightly at the tips of the chopsticks, brown sauce slowly dripping down and gleaming amber beneath the light.

He popped it into his mouth in one bite, a satisfied smile at the corner of his lips. "Eat first. Once we're done, we'll go find Cell."

"Now?" Android 18 abruptly looked up, eyes wide. She still had not recovered from their clinking cups. "Didn't you say we should let him digest Vegeta first?"