A dark and windy night, perfect for romance
The night breeze on the weekend smelled of earth.
Dania peeked halfway out from behind the dormitory door.
In the glow of the streetlights downstairs, a figure could be seen holding a thermos.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Zhou Yu looked up, his gaze piercing through the night.
He saw that she had changed out of her school uniform and into a light pink dress that reached above her knees.
A gentle evening breeze blew, causing the hem of her skirt to flutter.
He unscrewed the lid and took a sip; the steam from the goji berry water hit his face.
"Knowing there are many mosquitoes on the back hill, did you deliberately wear less clothing to give them an extra meal?"
Dania's cheeks flushed.
"Linnai said it looks good on you."
Zhou Yu didn't reply, but reached out and took her fingers, enveloping her small hand in his palm.
"Let's go, the stars will have gone home by now."
The two walked side by side on the path.
The wind rustled the leaves.
Dania peeked at him; the streetlights cast flickering shadows on his face.
She tightened her fingers and gently squeezed back.
Zhou Yu paused, turning his head to look at her.
Dania immediately turned her gaze away and stared at a crooked tree next to her.
Zhou Yu chuckled softly, said nothing, but simply tightened his grip on her hand.
In the bushes.
Four figures, clad in optical camouflage netting, moved with bated breath.
Linnai covered her mouth, trembling all over, her eyes shining.
Aimis chewed her gum and pressed her down.
"Calm down, your head's showing."
Chisaki held up a tablet; the screen displayed two closely spaced thermally scanned human figures, their heart rate curves rising sharply.
"Observation subject A's heart rate is 110, and B's heart rate is 95."
She analyzed the situation calmly in a childlike voice.
"Emotional indicators indicate a state of high arousal, consistent with pre-mating and courtship physiological characteristics."
Sigelica leaned against the tree trunk, her face ashen.
"I bought snacks for 37 Star Coins, and the camouflage net rental fee is on me, 5 Star Coins per hour."
She spoke softly.
"Why are we feeding the mosquitoes here?"
Nobody paid any attention to her.
The abandoned observatory offers a wide field of view.
Zhou Yu took out a moisture-proof mat from her logistics storage bracelet and laid it on the ground, then laid out potato chips, cola, and a box of steaming takoyaki.
"Put something in first."
He handed the meatballs to Dania.
Dania took the food but didn't eat it; her gaze was fixed on him, her eyes swirling with emotion.
She moved closer, her shoulder touching his.
Zhou Yu stopped opening the Coke can.
He could smell the scent of fresh grass in her hair.
"Xiao Yu."
Dania's voice was soft and gentle.
She leaned closer, her body pressed against his arm, her knees touching his legs.
Zhou Yu's usually dull eyes finally showed some emotion.
He put down the cola, turned around, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace with a little force.
Dania gasped and pressed her hand against his chest.
They were so close you could hear each other's breath.
She saw her own flushed face reflected in his dark eyes.
I nervously swallowed, then mustered my courage and looked up.
Her lips parted slightly due to nervousness, glistening with moisture.
"Request a sticker."
The few words were spoken with a tremor in their voice, yet with utmost seriousness.
Zhou Yu looked at the girl in his arms, her face tilted upwards, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
He lowered his head and slowly moved closer.
In the bushes.
"Click."
Aimis crushed the lollipop.
Linnai rolled her eyes, ready to faint.
Chisaki's tablet feed was sizzling: "Target B's heart rate breaks 140--"
Sigelica leaned against the tree trunk, her ears turning bright red.
On the observatory, the two faces were only a few centimeters apart.
Dania closed her eyes.
Zhou Yu's lips were about to touch hers--
Buzzing.
The old-fashioned digital watch on my wrist vibrated rapidly.
A large, flashing red exclamation mark popped up on the screen.
[WARNING: Logistics Department night patrol robot number 07, battery level below 5%, has stopped working at the entrance of Warehouse No. 3.]
[Please have the administrator handle this immediately, otherwise it will affect tomorrow's cleaning KPI assessment.]
Zhou Yu froze.
Dania opened her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, the blush on her face still lingering, her mind blank.
Zhou Yu stared at his watch for two seconds, then slowly raised his head to meet Dania's misty eyes.
His expression was complicated.
"... I need to go charge the robot."
Dania blinked, stunned.
Zhou Yu released his arm around her waist, stood up, turned around and took two steps, then stopped and looked back at her.
Under the moonlight, the girl sat on a moisture-proof mat, her skirt spread out, her expression both bewildered and aggrieved.
His Adam's apple bobbed again.
"Wait for me."
He said.
Ten minutes.
Then he walked away without looking back.
In the bushes.
Linnai finally fainted and collapsed onto Sigelica's shoulder.
Aimis spat out the lollipop crumbs and said expressionlessly, "Robot 07, I'll remember you."
On Chisaki's tablet, Dania's heart rate curve plummeted from 140 to 85 like a rollercoaster, and then rebounded to 130 the instant the words "ten minutes" were uttered.
Chisaki gave a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Sentiment indicators have entered... standby mode."
Sigelica let out a long breath, her voice tinged with the exhaustion of someone who had just survived a close call, "So... can we take the camouflage netting now?"