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Gu Nanfeng could only ask, “What’s your favorite fruit?”

Si Yu: “I like everything, as long as it’s not sour. Fu Fu doesn’t like sour things.”

Gu Nanfeng: “Alright, alright.”

Then silence again.

Gu Nanfeng asked, “Are you going to the training building after dinner?”

Si Yu: “No, are you?”

Gu Nanfeng: “I’m just asking.”

Si Yu saw Gu Nanfeng looking like he was in a hurry to leave, so he didn’t say more.

In fact, Gu Nanfeng was nervously staring at the shiny plate. With Si Yu not saying anything, he awkwardly asked, “Are you full?”

Si Yu tidied up the plates: “Mm, let’s head back.”

That night, Gu Nanfeng returned to the dormitory, took a shower, and lay on his bed, staring at the book on fighter jet paint schemes but not understanding a single word. He knocked on the bed frame and asked the sentinel above, “Can you help me analyze something?”

Sentinel: “The paint scheme?”

Gu Nanfeng: “No, I mean… forget it… sigh…”

He had a look of frustration.

The sentinel couldn’t stand it: “Just say it directly if you want to say something. What’s with all the hesitation?”

That sentence awakened him. He threw the book aside, put on a long-sleeve shirt, and left the room. On his way out, he doubled back to grab the mango from the table.

He ran to Si Yu’s dormitory, whistled twice, and a slightly chubbier bat from the frontline flew over, flapping its wings.

Gu Nanfeng didn’t leave a note this time. He handed the mango to the bat and said, “Do me a favor and eat this big mango. Help me call Si Yu down; I need to talk to him. I’ll bring you a strawberry tomorrow.”

The bat grabbed onto Gu Nanfeng’s pinky with its claws, swayed twice in the air as if making a promise, and then flew back.

After waiting for a while,Si Yu came down.

Gu Nanfeng, nervous, spoke in a jumbled manner: “Uh, the simulation room is booked for tomorrow. I’ll be using it. Want to join?”

Si Yu: “Sure.”

Gu Nanfeng: “Then I’ll come find you tomorrow morning.”

Si Yu: “Mm.”

They stared at each other again.

Si Yu: “Do you have something else to say?”

Gu Nanfeng: “Oh, no, that’s it. You should get some rest.”

Si Yu: “…That’s all you wanted to say?”

Gu Nanfeng: “Huh? Uh, yeah, that’s it.”

Gu Nanfeng noticed Si Yu’s expression wasn’t happy or disappointed, just a bit off. He didn’t know what to do. In the past, he would have teased by saying something like, “Are you waiting for me to kiss you?”

But now, he didn’t dare.

He stood there foolishly, even the cougar beside him seemed to be fed up, nudging his leg.

Gu Nanfeng suddenly woke up from his daze and added, “Goodnight, sweet dreams.”

Si Yu: “…”

On the way back, Gu Nanfeng was reflecting on the interaction. He made a mental note that since he said “goodnight, sweet dreams” this time, tomorrow morning he should ask, “Did you sleep well?” The goal was to create the impression of caring both in the morning and at night.

He was seriously learning how to communicate.

The next morning, as expected, Gu Nanfeng asked Si Yu, “Did you sleep well?”

What could Si Yu say? He just responded, “I slept okay.”

Gu Nanfeng said, “That’s good. A good night’s sleep means you’re not tired.” The whole exchange sounded like a leader checking in with the people.

Gu Nanfeng sensed something was off and decided to stay silent. Together, they went to the simulation training room, staying quiet along the way.

The simulation room was hard to book, and the wait time was long. When they entered and started setting up the scenario, Gu Nanfeng noticed Si Yu seemed a bit off.

Gu Nanfeng: “Are you feeling unwell?”

Si Yu: “No, let’s start.”

Gu Nanfeng: “If you’re not feeling well, we can head back. Today is a rest day anyway, and I dragged you here. I’ll take you back.”

Si Yu: “I’m fine.”

Gu Nanfeng: “Really, I can train alone. You’ve been to the frontlines recently, you should rest more. I’ll turn off the simulator.”

Gu Nanfeng shut down the simulator, packed up, and prepared to leave with Si Yu, his actions decisive and quick. Si Yu stood there, feeling all sorts of emotions. Just before the attacker opened the door, Si Yu used his mental power to ask, “Do you really not want to spend time with me?”

Gu Nanfeng was stunned: “Huh?”

Si Yu: “No one said being matched means we have to bond. If you don’t want to, I’ll apply to cancel the match. I know you don’t like your family’s arrangements, and I’ll explain to your family for you.”

Gu Nanfeng was dumbfounded: “I never asked you to do that.”

Si Yu: “I’m willing to do it. Let’s leave it at that.”

Gu Nanfeng was hit hard by this barrage of words. He couldn’t figure out what went wrong. He stood there looking at Si Yu, stammering, “I think… you don’t have to do that.”

Gu Nanfeng’s cougar lay on the ground, looking dejected and pitifully meowing at Si Yu.

Seeing the cougar like this made Si Yu even sadder. He thought, “Even our mental power is highly compatible, and the cougar likes me. So, does that mean Gu Nanfeng just doesn’t like me?”

Maybe, just like Gu Nanfeng had said before, he wasn’t what Gu Nanfeng wanted.

Si Yu: “I don’t know why you don’t want to bond with me. If you really don’t like it, then maybe—”

He was kissed.

The first thought that popped into Si Yu’s head: “He kissed me.”

Gu Nanfeng pulled back after a quick kiss and anxiously looked at him: “Was that the kind of bonding you meant?”

Si Yu, flustered, even released his bat through his mental power: “Uh, I guess so.”

Both of them stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Si Yu broke the silence: “Should we continue training?”

Gu Nanfeng, still nervous: “Yes, yes, let’s do that.”

The two of them spent the entire day in the simulation training room, perfectly synchronized. When Gu Nanfeng escorted Si Yu back to the dorm in the evening, he blurted out, “Does kissing count as a mental bond without exchanging fluids?”

The kiss had been too light, almost fleeting.

Si Yu: “N-not really, I guess.”

Gu Nanfeng looked down, lost in thought.

Si Yu: “Do you… want to kiss again?”

Gu Nanfeng hesitated but quickly explained when he saw Si Yu’s expression change: “It’s not that I don’t want to! I do! It’s just…”

He scratched his head: “I feel like I’m not good enough for you. My sister said you’ve spent all these years working hard with me as your goal, and I…”

Si Yu quietly watched him.

Suddenly, Gu Nanfeng stopped feeling nervous. He said, “I want to do everything you can do. I want to be worthy of your love. I want to work hard to deserve it so I don’t let you down.”