Chapter 75: Then Handle It Yourself
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The entire console of Distant Star was about three meters long. Once operational, it could curve toward the pilot’s seat as needed, but for now, it remained flat, its distance from the seat surprisingly close.
Close enough that when Lu Yao perched on the console, his shins brushed against Zhou Yunchen’s knees. He shifted his toes onto the side of the pilot’s control lever, but accidentally pushed it to maximum reverse power.
The inactive Distant Star didn’t move backward, yet Lu Yao distinctly heard the lever engaging mechanical structures inside the mecha: a series of clicks and clacks echoed through the complex metal framework all the way to the thirty-plus-meter-tall mecha’s base.
Silently, he hooked the lever back with his heel, leaving it alone. Yet his suspended feet needed somewhere to rest. He placed them on the edge of Zhou Yunchen’s pilot seat, which left his lower back muscles straining slightly.
In the next moment, Zhou Yunchen unexpectedly brought the pilot’s seat and console closer together. Lu Yao lost his resting spot for his toes, lifting his feet in midair, unsure what to do, almost ready to jump down. “Zhou Yunchen, you…”
Zhou Yunchen gripped both of Lu Yao’s ankles, bringing them onto his thighs. “Better this way,” he said. Lu Yao’s weight was barely perceptible, so Zhou Yunchen added, “Rest your feet here—it’s fine, not heavy.”
Lu Yao pursed his lips, staring at Zhou Yunchen. The intensity of his gaze shifted, rising and falling, until Zhou Yunchen felt the slight pressure on his legs gradually increase and then stabilize. In truth, Zhou Yunchen had wanted Lu Yao to sit on his lap, but this worked just as well. His palms slid upward, holding Lu Yao’s sleek calves. When Lu Yao’s toes nudged him, Zhou Yunchen stroked the back of his legs to soothe him.
“Did you call me up here to talk about something?” Lu Yao asked. Zhou Yunchen tilted his head back. “No, I just wanted to see you before I leave.”
Lu Yao looked at him, unsure what to say. He leaned forward, threading his long fingers through the alpha’s hair, then cupped his face and pressed a brief kiss to Zhou Yunchen’s lips. His tiptoes pressed harder instinctively. “I have something to tell you,” Lu Yao said.
“Go ahead.” Zhou Yunchen felt Lu Yao’s lashes brushing his nose. No matter how composed he tried to stay, his mind began to spin.
“About the Red Crystal Energy Fluid—I figured out why its Eot radiation was abnormal.”
Zhou Yunchen blinked. He hadn’t expected Lu Yao to bring this up now, and his fingers twitched, almost teasing Lu Yao’s calf. Feeling a tickle, Lu Yao nudged him back. Zhou Yunchen snapped fully alert—he was human now, not the snow leopard, and couldn’t start groping.
Lu Yao continued without pause. “Four hours before you chased the errant beast, an energy transport ship in a nearby sector exploded while carrying cargo. The radiation spread to the area where Distant Star was, affecting the Red Crystal Energy.”
Zhou Yunchen, distracted by the pale ankle exposed between Lu Yao’s sock and pant leg, muttered, “Other mechas use Red Crystal Energy too… yet weren’t affected.”
“Exactly,” Lu Yao said. “That ship belonged to the Helios Group, transporting three thousand tons of No. 72 Mechanical Energy Fluid. The high temperatures above two thousand degrees during the explosion caused molecular alteration, affecting high-purity Red Crystal Energy. While most mechas use some Red Crystal Energy, they use the raw liquid. Distant Star uses twice-purified energy to support its superconducting electromagnetic cannon. That’s why it was affected more severely.”
“So… it was an accident?”
“I don’t know,” Lu Yao admitted. “It could be an accident—or Eot radiation abnormalities could be caused intentionally. You’ll need to verify. What I want to tell you is that I installed lead alloy shielding in Distant Star’s Red Crystal Energy storage, preventing radiation issues. During this exercise, you don’t need to worry about abnormal radiation causing deviations again.”
“Did you come up here just to tell me that?” Zhou Yunchen asked. Lu Yao paused, tilting his head. “To ensure the mecha is flawless before departure… isn’t that why you came? Too many people were at the maintenance bay; I couldn’t explain the details there.”
“No,” Zhou Yunchen said, not firmly. Lu Yao’s words stalled. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands pulled him into a broad, warm embrace. Bound by force, his legs pressed against the folds of fabric, heat cascading down, colliding with his startled gasps. A wave of sensation hit his brain, making breathing difficult. Each attempt to inhale only brought more obstruction and provocation. He grabbed at Zhou Yunchen’s hair, feeling every bone and sinew compressed and distorted, his heart racing, trying to save the alpha from this intoxicating danger. Yet deep inside, a voice called for surrender.
His shoulder blades trembled like a butterfly struggling its final flutter. The wings stiffened, stretching to their limit, unable to bear any more. “Humph…”
Zhou Yunchen finally released him. As Lu Yao stopped pressing down with his kiss, the grip on Zhou Yunchen’s head loosened, causing it to tilt back. Trembling and gasping, Lu Yao leaned against Zhou Yunchen’s neck, forehead veins throbbing in sync with the alpha’s carotid pulse.
A damp sensation appeared, mixing with heat. Zhou Yunchen’s Adam’s apple rolled as a tear traced from Lu Yao’s eye corner down to the throat, snaking along the curve of the collarbone hidden beneath the azure uniform. Lu Yao’s hands relaxed, leaving Zhou Yunchen’s hair to rest lightly on his shoulders.
Bowing his head, Zhou Yunchen saw Lu Yao’s brows furrowed, still struggling for breath. Tears and sweat stained the icy, sharp features, which glowed with heat.
“Lu Yao…” Before Zhou Yunchen could finish, Lu Yao interrupted him. “Is this what you wanted?” It sounded almost like an accusation, especially with Lu Yao looking so disheveled from the kiss. The corner of Zhou Yunchen’s eye twitched nervously. “I… hss—”
Zhou Yunchen’s apology never made it out. Lu Yao pressed his hand to the back of his head and kissed him again. It wasn’t a fleeting, soothing touch. It wasn’t another tentative experiment. Everything had softened, calm yet burning, like a sweet, scorching dream taking root in the still light.
Lu Yao was meticulous. Even though his breathing hadn’t fully recovered, he was careful, deliberate, almost rigorously scanning every inch. Unable to hold himself up, he leaned against Zhou Yunchen’s chest, both sinking deeper into the pilot seat.
Time seemed to stretch. Just as Zhou Yunchen began to think Lu Yao would never end the kiss, Lu Yao parted his lips and said, “Don’t push against me.”
Zhou Yunchen was silent for a moment. “I can’t control it.” An awkward quiet spread. Lu Yao felt a slight hardness beneath him. He stood up from Zhou Yunchen. “Fine, then you take care of yourself. I’m leaving.”
Zhou Yunchen watched him turn away, utterly confused. “Lu Yao, wait.” Lu Yao turned back. Zhou Yunchen activated Distant Star. Lights flickered on in sequence throughout the cockpit. He pointed toward the open washroom behind the cabin. “Wash your face before you go back down.”
Lu Yao approached the mirror and saw his own red-streaked face. As he cupped water to wash, Zhou Yunchen came over, helping smooth the strands of hair sticking out.
Lu Yao lifted his head, still dripping wet. Seeing Zhou Yunchen’s reflection in the mirror, he reminded him again, “Zhou Yunchen, don’t bump me with it.” Zhou Yunchen paused, cleared his throat, and stepped back half a pace.
Half an hour later, Distant Star’s engines roared to life, lifting it into the endless night, gliding toward the stars, becoming a point of light in the void.
Lu Yao gazed at the shrinking blue speck on the horizon. Before the ship left the atmosphere, he opened the comm channel. “General Zhou… still hard?”
“I wasn’t, but hearing your voice… I’m hard again.”
Lu Yao, “Handle it yourself.” Lu Yao refused to admit he was the culprit. As Distant Star sailed among the stars, a soft laugh came through the comms.
At the Hephaestus Mecha Competition, beneath the towering dome, each competing team was tense and focused. With D and the parsing program fully loaded, Lu Yao held Torque in his arms and, alongside Shen Zishen, began inputting the simulated NTL structural data.
The cat mecha had already been completed. Made from shape-controllable metal, it was now shrunk into a triangular nameplate, hanging from Torque’s neck. The little white cat was still adjusting to the weight. Fearing it might swipe randomly with its paws, Lu Yao kept him close, holding down his mischievous claws and taking the time to let it get used to the new form.
A young technician approached Lu Yao, trying to report on the other competing teams while Lu Yao was multitasking. “Their progress isn’t far off. Most teams have finished the basic architecture and are now refining model details.”
Lu Yao scratched Torque under the chin and asked, “What about that kid from the Military Academy?”
The technician froze for a moment. “You mean Verrièr Gran? He seems to still be loading the base architecture. Doing it alone must be pretty tough.”
Lu Yao nodded faintly. The technician continued, “Teams from the second and third R&D bases of the Mecha Research Institute have also entered the refinement stage. But Chief Engineer Lu, why didn’t the other two bases’ Chief Engineers come? This time, the team leaders are two other senior engineers…”
He was genuinely puzzled. Top Federation mecha engineers rarely participate in design competitions, but the Hephaestus competition was hosted by the military, tied to official orders. It wasn’t a small-scale affair. Other mecha manufacturing companies had sent strong representatives.
Lu Yao glanced at him and suddenly asked, “Do you want to be a Chief Engineer?”
“Ah?” The technician was stunned. Even Shen Zishen looked over at him. He quickly shook his head. “No, no… I haven’t really thought about it.”
The technicians and researchers accompanying Lu Yao were all elite members of the base. This young technician was the least experienced—he had no real chance to aim for Chief Engineer. Shen Zishen might have more opportunities in the future, but that would be many years down the line. Lu Yao, in his prime, could probably hold this position for a century.
Lu Yao’s expression remained unchanged as he continued, “Because Director Yang at the Research Institute has five years until retirement.” The technician realized Lu Yao had just answered his earlier question.
Author’s Note:
Chief Engineer Lu is intensely attractive precisely because of his pure, serious demeanor.
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