Li Hao extended his hand and quickly returned the mecha to its original position, closing the cockpit and engine in stealth mode. At that moment, the warehouse door opened, and the flashlight beams scanned the area. It was the patrol guards.

"Huh, maybe it was just an illusion. I thought I heard something. Strange."

"It's probably just rats. Who would come here so late at night? Do you think they can steal a mecha? Let's go, let's go."

"Yeah, this is Tianjing Mech Academy, after all."

The two patrol guards laughed and left, while Li Hao and Aoyu, hidden inside the mecha, dared not even breathe.

After waiting for a while to confirm that the patrol guards had left, the two of them came out of the mecha and quietly retraced their steps. Li Hao, of course, had to accompany Aoyu back. On the way back, there was a subtle change.

"Senior, I think I've done the most daring thing in my life today." Aoyu smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Senior. Tonight is a very special night, and I will remember it forever."

She wasn't just thanking him for that; it was also because of Li Hao's manners. Despite their several instances of forced intimate contact, Li Hao was very respectful.

"This is also the happiest night for me. Life is quite interesting," Li Hao sincerely laughed.

Perhaps Li Hao's strange words amused Aoyu, as she couldn't help but chuckle. "Senior, can we take a photo together? The moon tonight is beautiful."

Aoyu looked at the night sky and asked. Although the two of them deliberately walked slowly, not even feeling the presence of other students passing by, their destination was right in front of them.

"Of course."

Li Hao and Aoyu stood together, facing away from the moon. Aoyu activated Tianxun, switched to automatic imaging mode, and counted down: 3... 2...

Originally, they were just standing side by side. Suddenly, Aoyu gently linked her arm with Li Hao's.

Piu~~~

A flash of light.

Aoyu released Li Hao's arm. "Senior, goodbye."

Aoyu waved her arm at Li Hao as she walked towards the girls' dormitory. Li Hao also waved back, watching Aoyu's figure disappear from sight.

As Li Hao walked back to his dormitory, he felt a sense of excitement. He liked Aoyu, but how should he pursue her?

As soon as he entered the dormitory, Li Hao immediately called Marlon on Tianxun. After a few rings, Marlon picked up.

"Hey, what's up at this late hour? You're easily distracting me from my workout, haha."

"Marlon, cough, I have something I want to ask you about."

Marlon suddenly perked up on the other end. "Damn, Li Hao, have you finally had an epiphany? Let me guess, you're trying to pursue someone. Is it Yeting or Zhou Naiyi? You're asking the right person. In this aspect, I'm second to none. No one dares to claim they're number one except me."

"No, that's not it. Why are you talking nonsense? I just met a junior today, and, um... let's just say it was love at first sight. How can I ask her out tomorrow without seeming abrupt?"

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Li Hao, first of all, there's no such thing as being abrupt when you like someone. Tell me about the situation, what she's like, her personality..." Marlon became quite enthusiastic. Deep down, Mr. Ma still enjoyed imparting knowledge.

Li Hao briefly explained what had happened, of course, omitting certain details.

"Oh my god, Li Hao, you're really driving me crazy. Throughout this whole encounter, you had at least twenty perfect opportunities to make a move. My goodness, where else can you find such favorable conditions? Besides, she didn't reject you. As a man, you need to take the initiative to get closer. Otherwise, once that feeling disappears, the girl will categorize you as just a friend or a 'nice guy,' and then you're completely game over!" Marlon was frustrated. "You've been with me for a year, and you still haven't learned this!"

Li Hao hesitated. "Isn't it too soon? It's only our first meeting."

"Love isn't a marathon; it's about feelings, taste, and that moment of trembling. Understand?"Li Hao... didn't quite understand, but it seemed like he did. "But what if she rejects me? Then I'll have no chance at all."

"Oh my god, listen up. This is the truth that Mr. Ma has summarized. I won't spread it to outsiders. First of all, that girl must have some good feelings for you. What is rejection? If a girl shows coldness or disgust when you approach her, that's rejection. If she seriously tells you 'no' or 'can't,' then it really means no. But if she doesn't resist or shyly says 'I'm not sure' or 'maybe not,' those mean 'yes,' 'good,' and 'quick'!"

Marlon sighed, rarely encountering such thrilling opportunities. Although Li Hao praised the girl like a flower, Marlon didn't think so. Throughout the Tianjing Mech Academy, from senior sisters to junior sisters, there was no one like her. It could only be said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"Can I ask her out for dinner tomorrow?"

"You can. Since she's an exchange student, take her to special places in Tianjing. Remember not to stay in one place for more than an hour and a half. Change locations frequently, like having dinner, coffee, watching a movie, or going to the Cloud Summit Center. Make sure to leave lasting memories. And don't act stupid. You have to actively get closer. Of course, don't be too aggressive. That's animalistic. Just show your affection." Marlon explained enthusiastically, while Li Hao nodded along.

He was a good student.

"Execute the plan well. Remember to report the results tomorrow. If you have any questions, ask me anytime. As long as I'm here, nothing unexpected will happen!"

Li Hao lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Marlon's words were easy to understand, but how should he say it?

After contemplating for almost an hour, he finally sent a message: "Aoyu, do you want to go out together tomorrow?"

Ding dong.

A photo appeared, the one Li Hao had taken with Aoyu. Aoyu in the photo looked so beautiful, so pure. There was something about her that attracted him, a special "taste."

"Senior, I have plans tomorrow and will be busy for the next few days. I'll contact you when I have free time. Is that okay?"

"Sure, no problem." Li Hao replied happily.

Meanwhile, on the 69th and 70th floors of the Tianjing Cloud Summit Center, two entire floors were reserved by a mysterious client.

Inside the only presidential suite on the 70th floor, which offered a 360-degree view of the entire Tianjing cityscape, a figure quietly opened the door. Just as she stuck her head inside, she noticed someone standing at the entrance.

"Aoyu!" The woman's voice carried urgency and a hint of anger.

Aoyu stuck out her tongue. "Auntie, I know I did something wrong. It won't happen again. I'm doing this for work, to find inspiration!"

"Do you even know what time it is? And why did you put Tianxun on silent mode? I almost called Long Dani!" Su Yu scolded Aoyu, who seemed completely oblivious.

"I'm an adult now, and my makeup is seamless. No one can tell. Don't worry. I really found inspiration. I've completed most of that dance. I'll show it to you later." Aoyu started to employ her effective method of acting spoiled.

"You should be more cautious. You're not allowed to go to the Tianjing Mech Academy anymore. I'll talk to President Long about it. You know the family is against your current career. If anything goes wrong, I won't be able to stop them."

"I know, Auntie. You're the best." Aoyu smiled. "Since you're here, how about we organize a small fan meet-up in Tianjing?"

Aoyu was her nickname, known only by her family. The girl in front of them was arths. She had come to Earth to find inspiration for her new album's music video. Since the Mech Tournament, she had been perfecting it, but it still lacked that certain feeling.

"You weren't interested before. Why the change?" Su Yu asked cautiously.

"I may not be very interested, but you've been so good to me, Auntie. I feel like I should consider you more. And this time, I've troubled President Long as well." Aoyu explained.

Su Yu nodded with a smile of understanding. "You've finally grown up. Let me plan it. We'll limit it to five thousand people, mainly from the Asian region. It will definitely be a highly sought-after event. Give Long Dani two tickets as a favor."

"Can I continue searching for inspiration in Tianjing? It's the place where human civilization originated. It's really different..." Aoyu asked.

"Forget it. Wherever you go, someone will be following you. And your makeup... You think it's not noticeable? You have a charm that no makeup can hide. Anyone with slightly sensitive genes will notice. Don't cause trouble!" There was no room for negotiation on this point. Su Yu was arths' manager and also the chairwoman of the talent agency. The company was specifically created for arths. Initially, the family, especially the grandfather, had strongly opposed it. But arths always found a way to persuade them, and that's how it reluctantly came to be. However, if something happened that the grandfather wasn't satisfied with, she would have to return home to inherit the family business.

Aoyu sat in front of the mirror, wiping off her makeup. Her slightly dull skin became fair and flawless, her freckles disappeared, and her slightly prominent forehead became smooth and even...

"Get some rest. You have a schedule tomorrow." Su Yu made sure that Aoyu was fine before leaving.

After removing her makeup, taking a shower, and drying her hair, Aoyu sat on the sofa, looking at the night view outside and couldn't help but smile.

That senior was so silly, but when he rushed down to save her, he looked so handsome and warm. If it were arths, she believed many people would do the same. But at that time, she was just Aoyu, at most an "ugly cute" Aoyu.

But her aunt must never find out. It would cause a big problem.

Even for a small fan meet-up, it would take at least ten days or half a month. She would have plenty of opportunities to slip away.

Aoyu had a very regular routine, but tonight she couldn't fall asleep no matter what. She opened Tianxun and called her cousin.

"Aoyu, how is Tianjing? Is it beautiful? I haven't been there yet." Tita, on the other end of the Tianxun call, had obviously just finished training and was wearing only a white towel, her body glistening, quite seductive.

"Cousin Tita, your figure is so alluring."