Chapter 27: Banquet Notice; Lu Yinās Heart Itches
Perhaps it was because he had been too exhausted the previous day, but Zhuang He uncharacteristically slept until noon before waking up.
He reached for his light-brain and opened it to find a flood of notifications.
There were messages from Zhou Chiye, noisily asking if he felt any discomfort, as well as several from the Academy and the military.
He leaned back against the headboard and replied to each message one by one. Stretching his limbs, he fell into a brief daze.
It felt like he hadnāt slept this comfortably in a long time; last night, he hadnāt even dreamed once.
Zhuang Heās long eyelashes lowered, casting thin shadows beneath his eyes. Outside, the sun was just right, spilling into the room and draping it in a soft, beautiful golden veil.
It seemed that ever since he started interacting with Lu Yin, his sleep quality had improved significantly. Could it… truly be because of their high matching rate?
Previously, he had been repulsed by the idea of matching rates due to the threat of mandatory binding, but now, Zhuang Heās heart wavered for a fleeting moment.
After washing up, Zhuang He sat on the sofa eating biscuits. After a moment of thought, he sent a message to Lu Yin, and a reply came back almost immediately.
“Is the necklace finished? Can I come to Teacherās house to pick it up?”
“Mhm.”
Zhuang He lowered his head to reply, a faint smile on his face that even he didn’t notice.
Calculating the days, the assessment was less than five days away. Once Lu Yin had recovered sufficiently, they could resume training.
In truth, Zhuang He wasn’t worried about Lu Yinās assessment results. With the abilities Lu Yin had displayed so far, he could definitely be assigned to the First Army. It was just…
Thinking of the message Feng Jingtian had sent, Zhuang Heās brow furrowed. He tapped on Shi Yanās personal profile, his gaze lingering on the ID photo for a long time.
Ding-dong. The doorbell rang. Zhuang He was somewhat surprised; how did Lu Yin get here so fast?
Lu Yin stood at the door holding an exquisitely packaged box, greeting Zhuang He with a warm, enthusiastic smile.
“Teacher! Have you had breakfast yet?”
Zhuang He stepped aside to let Lu Yin in and nodded. “I had a little.”
As soon as Lu Yin entered the house, his eyes swept over the scattered biscuit boxes on the table, including one that was half-empty.
“Biscuits are Teacher’s breakfast?”
He placed the gift box in his hand on the table and asked the Guide beside him.
Zhuang He sat on the sofa while a mechanical arm poured a glass of water for Lu Yin.
“Mhm. What of it?”
“How can you eat just that? Teacher can have the kitchen prepare some proper breakfast in the morning.”
Lu Yin took the opportunity to sit down beside Zhuang He. Seeing that the other didn’t seem to reject his proximity, he quietly scooted a bit closer.
“I didn’t know what to eat.”
“Then Teacher should have some of this.”
Lu Yin opened the gift box he had brought. Inside was a cake sliced into small pieces, the white base decorated with beautiful patterns that looked incredibly delicious.
“Cake? Why did you bring this?”
Coffee hopped and skipped to Lu Yinās feet, meowing at him. Lu Yin scooped Coffee into his arms and said with a smile, “I saw Teacher buying sweets before and thought you might like sugary things, so I went to buy some.”
Zhuang He looked down at the small cake, not bothering to tell Lu Yin that he didn’t actually like sweets very much; that day had just been a desperate attempt to curb a nicotine craving.
“Thank you.”
He picked up a fork and somewhat unpracticedly broke off a piece from the tip of the cake, bringing it to his mouth.
A sugary-sweet flavor instantly filled his mouth, causing Zhuang He to frown slightly. But soon, the cloying sweetness was cut by a fresh fragrance, allowing his brow to relax.
“Is it good?”
Lu Yin watched Zhuang He from the side with expectant eyes. For some reason, it reminded Zhuang He of Coffee.
With Coffee held in Lu Yinās arms, the human and the cat both stared at him with wide, watery eyes. He inexplicably felt they looked quite similar.
“Itās alright.”
A smile escaped Lu Yinās lips. As the sunlight hit his side, the room felt filled with warmth and coziness.
Zhuang He lowered his eyes, a trace of a smile appearing in his own gaze. He suddenly felt that the cake wasn’t quite so cloying anymore.
“Here.”
Zhuang He handed the long-prepared necklace to Lu Yin. The Sentinel took it and examined it. “Oh, it looks different now.”
“Mhm. This can hold more spiritual power. Iāve already injected some; keep it with you at all times.”
Lu Yin undid the clasp of the necklace and put it directly around his neck.
The silver necklace paired with the black undershirt Lu Yin was wearing today had a distinct allure. Zhuang He took one look and didn’t dare look again, feeling his face flush.
“Thank you for the trouble, Teacher.”
Zhuang He shook his head gently. “Itās nothing.”
The atmosphere between the two grew quiet. An air of ambiguity seemed to drift through the room. Zhuang He lowered his head and said nothing, focused entirely on eating the cake. Lu Yin didn’t know what to say either, so he simply watched Zhuang He eat.
Zhuang He was still wearing loungewear today. The loose clothing completely concealed his fine physique, leaving nothing to be seen.
His lips were slowly chewing the soft cake. A small smudge of white cream stuck to the corner of his mouth, which he licked away with a flash of his vivid red tongue.
Lu Yinās throat went dry. He awkwardly looked away, mechanically smoothing Coffeeās fur.
A beep-beep sounded. Zhuang He stopped forking the cake and picked up his light-brain. A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes as he glanced at it, and he put the device back down.
“What is it?” Lu Yin asked curiously. He keenly sensed that Zhuang Heās mood had soured instantly, even though it had been quite good while eating the cake just a moment ago.
“Itās nothing.”
Zhuang He didn’t tell Lu Yin the content of the message; after all, it had nothing to do with him.
The two finished the cake in silence. It was only after finishing that Zhuang He remembered to ask, “Have you eaten yet?”
Lu Yin scratched his head. “I had a little before I left.”
Zhuang He shook his head helplessly. This boy had just been lecturing him so righteously. “What do you want to eat? I’ll have the kitchen make it.”
“Hehe. Teacher, I want to eat Xiaolongbao.”
Xiaolongbao? Zhuang He thought for a moment, remembering it was a common breakfast delicacy from Old Earth. He wasn’t sure if it was among the ingredients he had purchased recently.
[Xiaolongbao: Inventory detected. Would you like to start preparation immediately?]
Coffee crouched at Lu Yinās feet, its mechanical voice ringing out. Lu Yin looked at the kitten curiously. “Yes.”
Coffee let out a meow, turned, and hopped into the kitchen. Moments later, the mechanical arms began to work.
Zhuang He leaned back against the sofa, the smile in his eyes not yet faded. “Just wait for your food then.”
By the time the cozy breakfast was over, it was already noon; it seemed lunch wouldn’t be necessary.
After eating, they both sat on the sofa. Zhuang He idly stroked Coffeeās head while browsing news on his light-brain.
Lu Yin looked around curiously. After obtaining Zhuang Heās permission, he stood up to wander around the house.
Zhuang Heās home was a private, two-story house in a prime location. From the second-floor balcony, one could see the Academy in the distance.
The first floor consisted of a large living room, the kitchen, and Zhuang Heās bedroom. Coffee also had a private room filled with various cat toys.
Following the stairs to the second floor, the first thing to enter his sight was a large terrace. A lounge chair sat on the terrace with a thin blanket draped over it; Zhuang He likely came here for occasional naps.
Next to it was a training room that occupied half the floor. Lu Yin remembered seeing similar equipment at the Academy; it had likely been specially set up for Zhuang He by the school.
The layout of the second floor was very simple. It seemed Zhuang He rarely came up here, with his primary activities centered on the first floor.
After his tour, Lu Yin felt he understood Zhuang He a bit better. A sense of joy surged in his heart as he prepared to head back downstairs in high spirits.
Just as he was about to step onto the stairs, his light-brain beep-beeped. Lu Yin looked down to see a communication request from Dean Du.
“Hello? Lu Yin?”
“Dean Du, whatās the matter?”
“Oh, I have something to tell you. Thereās a banquet the day after tomorrow. As the only 3S-grade Sentinel, the high-ranking officials take you very seriously and would like you to attend.”
“A banquet?”
Lu Yin thought for a moment and asked, “Is Teacher going?”
“Hmm? Zhuang He? He definitely has to go.”
Du Yuās voice held a hint of amusement. “Why? If your teacher doesn’t go, you won’t go either?”
“No, Dean. Thatās not what I meant.”
“Hahaha, Iām just joking. Zhuang He will definitely be there. Why are you so clingy to your teacher, like a little kitten?”
Lu Yin was a bit embarrassed by her teasing and hurriedly explained, “Dean, I’m not…”
“Alright, alright. Iām just letting you know. Tell your teacher later; let him explain the specific things you need to pay attention to.”
“Okay, Dean Du. That… does Teacher like cats very much?”
“Hmm?” Du Yu was startled, not understanding why the topic had suddenly jumped there.
“I suppose so. He quite likes felines; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to get a cat-model mechanical butler.”
“Thank you, Dean. I understand.”
After hanging up, Du Yu rubbed her chin. A possibility surfaced in her mind, yet she couldn’t quite grasp it.
“What is it?”
Zhuang He heard Lu Yinās footsteps stop on the stairs. He had vaguely heard the sound of talking and guessed someone had contacted him, so he hadn’t interrupted.
“It was Dean Du. She said thereās a banquet she wants me to attend.”
Lu Yin walked over to Zhuang He and sat down beside him. They were sitting quite close, and Lu Yin could feel the waves of warmth emanating from Zhuang Heās body.
“You have to go too?”
Thinking of the message he had just received, Zhuang He felt a headache coming on. How did Lu Yin get dragged into this after all?
“Yes. The Dean said some high-ranking officials are very interested in me.”
Lu Yin recounted his conversation with Du Yu in detail. Upon hearing it, Zhuang He only gave a cold sneer. “Forget it. You’ll come with me when the time comes.”
“Okay, Teacher. What is this banquet for?”
Lu Yin was a bit lost; he had never experienced such an event, and the rules of such high society were completely foreign to him.
“A bunch of hypocritical people talking about a bunch of hypocritical things. To put it nicely, theyāre showing ‘interest,’ but in reality, theyāre just trying to climb social ladders. As a 3S-grade, youāre bound to achieve great things in the future; they want to establish a connection with you as early as possible.”
Lu Yin was still somewhat confused, but he could sense the distaste and dissatisfaction in Zhuang Heās tone. He was a bit surprised by such an overt display of emotion; it seemed his teacher truly disliked this banquet.
“Itās okay, Teacher. Iāll stay by Teacherās side the whole time.”
Zhuang He gave a faint smile, yet the irritation in his eyes didn’t diminish in the slightest.
He realized his emotions had been leaking out a bit too much lately. Zhuang He snapped himself back to reality; he couldn’t let this continue, not with so many eyes watching him…
Seeing the person beside him return to his cold, indifferent facade, Lu Yin felt his heart itch with a subtle longing.
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