Chapter 219 - 89: The Michelin Man’s Revenge

Chapter 219: Chapter 89: The Michelin Man’s Revenge

Happy times are always fleeting. The sky was darkening, and it was already past seven.

Muffled thunder rolled in the distance outside the window. Inside, the coffee table was wiped clean. Yu Xian took out his phone and created a new three-person WeChat group, casually naming it "Dream Net Testing Team."

They completed their final checks in the living room and finalized the testing plan for the night.

Once they returned, Yu Xian would be in the South District boys’ dormitory, and Wen Xiao would be in the North Campus graduate apartments. Bridging the physical distance across the entire JCU campus, the two of them would conduct their first real "remote connection test."

Since there were only three of them right now, they couldn’t test the maximum limit of connected users; one person had to stay awake to prevent any accidents. They planned to invite Shi Zuozhou to join them next week.

"It’s getting late, Senior. We’ll head back first." Yu Xian pocketed his phone and grabbed his jacket and umbrella from the entryway.

Yang Yiyi, draped in a light jacket, walked them all the way out the door.

The motion-sensor lights in the hallway flickered on. She looked at the two of them and softly instructed, "The rain is heavy, and the roads are flooded. Walk slowly and be careful. For tonight’s test, make sure to send a message in the group as soon as you wake up. If I don’t receive a message ten minutes after the agreed time, I’ll ask Shi Zuozhou to help wake Yu Xian up."

"Understood. Hurry back inside, Senior. It’s cold out," Yu Xian nodded.

Wen Xiao waved obediently and followed Yu Xian into the stairwell.

Outside the apartment building, the rain was pouring down. Wen Xiao couldn’t help but shiver, zipping her puffer jacket all the way up.

They opened their umbrellas and walked side by side down the wet street.

The streetlights cast long reflections in the puddles. Occasionally, a passing car with its high beams on would drive by, kicking up a mist of water.

The entire street was empty, echoing only with the monotonous sound of rain and thunder.

Wen Xiao navigated the shallower puddles, her small white shoes moving with caution.

After walking for a while, she suddenly slowed her pace, tilted her head slightly, and looked at Yu Xian.

Yu Xian gave her a confused glance. With half her face buried in her thick puffer jacket, Wen Xiao looked exactly like the Michelin Man.

"Yu Xian," Wen Xiao blinked.

"Hmm?" Yu Xian tilted his umbrella and looked at her, his heart skipping a beat.

"Senior is... really amazing."

"Oh, yeah," Yu Xian said as he sidestepped a muddy puddle. He had thought she had recalled some important clue, but it turned out to be just small talk.

"She’s pretty, her personality is so gentle, and her research skills are so strong..." Wen Xiao counted on her fingers. If she listed one more virtue, her uncurled fingers wouldn’t be able to hold onto her small off-white umbrella.

She switched hands to hold the umbrella, her tone full of awe and envy. "The most crucial part is that her cooking is so delicious. That garlic steamed shrimp from earlier tasted better than what you’d get at a restaurant outside."

At this, Wen Xiao tilted the edge of her umbrella slightly. Under the dim light of the streetlamps, she stared unblinkingly at Yu Xian. "Never mind you guys; even a girl like me is about to fall in love with her..."

"Yeah, she’s really amazing," Yu Xian nodded subconsciously, tossing out a casual reply.

His mind was still dwelling on the few dubious points they had listed in the white paper earlier. He was also thinking about that streak of grayish-white that had appeared when the physics textbook was generated. He wasn’t even sure if his eyes had simply played tricks on him at the time.

The surroundings fell quiet for a moment. The only sound Yu Xian heard was the faint splashing of water next to him. Wen Xiao had splashed through a puddle, lowered her umbrella, and sped up a few paces ahead, putting distance between them.

Yu Xian froze, snapping out of his tangled thoughts. A sudden surge of guilt welled up in him as he realized his attitude just now had been far too dismissive.

Putting himself in her shoes, if Shi Zuozhou or any other friend had brushed him off like that, he would definitely feel upset too.

He warned himself that he needed to work on breaking his bad habit of zoning out when talking to friends.

"Wen Xiao, slow down! I was thinking about something else just now. I’m sorry..." Yu Xian quickly picked up his pace to catch up, calling out loudly, "The road is slippery. Careful not to step into a deep puddle!"

Wen Xiao stopped and turned around.

Yu Xian looked at the scene before him. The dim yellow light of the streetlamp pierced through the curtain of rain, illuminating the big-eyed Michelin Man with her puffed-out cheeks. It took a tremendous amount of effort for him to suppress a sudden, inexplicable urge to laugh.

"Then say it again." Wen Xiao stared at him.

Yu Xian stood frozen with his umbrella, a bit bewildered. He wondered if she really wanted him to say it again.

His brain worked in overdrive, earnestly recalling the points Wen Xiao had just made.

She had said that Senior was pretty, gentle, good at research, and an amazing cook. Wen Xiao even said she was about to fall in love with her.

Yu Xian calculated in his mind how to answer in a way that showed he hadn’t just listened, but had actually taken her words to heart, proving he had absolutely no intention of brushing his friend off.

After pondering for a long time, he decided that, as a friend, the most sincere response was to validate and agree with her perspective.

Yu Xian took a deep breath. With a solemn expression, he looked at Wen Xiao in all seriousness and said, "You’re right. Senior really does have a lot of great qualities. She has a good personality, strong capabilities, and cooks very well. I think what you just said makes perfect sense."

The rain hammered against their umbrellas—one large and one small—with a loud PATTER PATTER.

Wen Xiao stood blankly in the puddle, her mouth slightly ajar.

Two seconds later, she whipped her head back around, leaving Yu Xian staring at the fuzzy back of her hood. Water splashed onto her small white shoes, and she didn’t say another word.

Holding his umbrella, Yu Xian blankly followed the figure ahead of him, sinking into a deep state of reflection and self-reproach.