"The hairdryer, do you have one?" Su Zijing quickly changed the subject upon seeing Liu Fei's desolate expression.
"Yeah." Liu Fei bent down, dragging out a wooden box from under the metal bed where Su Zijing was seated. From the box, he retrieved a peculiar-shaped hairdryer.
As Liu Fei disliked long hair, this hairdryer was made by him for Ironhead, who also despised haircuts. Having long hair and not drying it properly after washing was always an issue, so Liu Fei scavenged some parts from the mountains of electronic waste next to the slums to make a hairdryer for Ironhead.
"This... uh..." Su Zijing took the hairdryer, feeling like she was transported back to the primitive ages. The hairdryer resembled a metallic creature, a mishmash of countless jumbled parts, and what frustrated Su Zijing the most was its lack of an air outlet—it was just several small fans layered one upon another, appearing rather hazardous.
Liu Fei, too lazy to talk, nodded and then resumed his focus on carving the unfinished wooden sculpture on the metal table.
Seeing Liu Fei engrossed in his work, Su Zijing felt bored and decided to switch on the hairdryer.
As time passed, Su Zijing's hair had dried. After turning off the hairdryer, the cabin became exceptionally quiet, with only the distinct sound of the carving knife against the wood resonating in the air.
The black, dense piece of wood in Liu Fei's hand had taken shape—two tiny figures, a man and a woman, holding hands and seemingly walking forward, conveying a sense of motion as if about to step off the metal table. Although it was still just a rough draft, it appeared remarkably vivid.
"Wow... did you carve this?" Su Zijing blurted out before realizing how foolish her question sounded, quickly shutting her mouth.
Liu Fei seemed to have not heard her, his gaze fixed, one hand controlling the wood while the other held the carving knife. The blade, shining brightly, steadily chipped away at the dark wood, the motion fluid and swift, leaving behind elegant lines with each stroke. Even though Su Zijing knew nothing about carving, she could feel the mesmerizing beauty left by the blade's movements...
Finally, Liu Fei's swift carving came to a halt. Su Zijing let out a sigh of relief as she felt her tense nerves relax.
As she watched Liu Fei carefully place the wooden sculpture into a cardboard box, Su Zijing couldn't help but ask, "Is this for your girlfriend?"
"No," Liu Fei replied.
"You're really good at carving," Su Zijing said, feeling her cheeks flush for no apparent reason.
"Thank you."
"Can you give it to me?"
"No."
"...," Su Zijing felt her cheeks burning as soon as she uttered the question. She regretted it instantly.
"If you want it, it's a hundred thousand Zuo'er coins."
"A hundred thousand? Are you robbing people? Who would want this piece of wood..." Su Zijing gaped at Liu Fei, almost wanting to take a bite out of him. This janitor was just too miserly, always demanding money. In school, all she had to do was open her mouth, and people would give her whatever she asked for.
"Whatever," Liu Fei didn't bother explaining. Considering it was a student purchasing it and the fact that Cheng's Woodcarving had already closed down, a hundred thousand Zuo'er coins was a discounted price. It was worth noting that black sandalwood was much rarer than the colorful pearwood, and just the value of this piece of wood alone was around a hundred thousand.
"Hmph, I've never seen anyone more stingy and greedy than you," Su Zijing sneered.
"It's late, time to sleep," Liu Fei couldn't be bothered with Su Zijing. Glancing at the porthole outside, he tidied up the wood chips on the metal table, stood up, and stretched his limbs.
"Hey, I paid for this, I want to chat," Su Zijing smirked, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
...
Liu Fei couldn't help but lift his head and glance at this unreasonable woman. When his gaze fell upon Su Zijing's face, suddenly, time and space seemed to freeze.
A thunderbolt struck Liu Fei's heart. This was his first time looking at a woman so closely, even compared to his time in the woodcarving shop. Not until now did he truly see Su Zijing's ethereal beauty.
What kind of beauty was that—unearthly, incomparable! It embodied grace, nobility, and gentleness. Soft and delicate, her beauty was beyond mortal realms.
The chaotic tresses like clouds cascaded loosely over Su Zijing's relaxed, soft figure. The white blouse that shrouded her delicate and translucent body did not conceal her curves but instead offered a mysterious allure.
Her exposed neck appeared smooth and elongated under the light, and the legs that were coiled on the bed revealed faultless, porcelain-like feet, stirring the imagination further.
Upon Su Zijing's fair and lovely face, her eyes were like deep, dark ink, and beneath her long eyelashes, they shone clear and inviting. Her straight and beautiful nose was followed by a cherry-like mouth, with distinct, full lips that were richly red and tantalizingly ripe, evoking a desire to be kissed in anyone who laid eyes on them...
A flame ignited in Liu Fei's pupils, and he felt as if his chest were about to explode.
"What are you staring at?! Haven't you seen a beauty before?!" Su Zijing nervously stared at Liu Fei. Seeing him dazed like that, her teenage heart couldn't help but feel both proud and delighted. She was used to every man she encountered being captivated by her beauty. This infuriating janitor had always ignored her. Now, seeing this entranced expression on his face, she felt a sense of conqueror's delight.
"Hmph, not a single good man among them! They all act the same when they see a beauty."
At this moment, Su Zijing was completely immersed in the pleasure of conquest, completely forgetting the danger of being alone with a man.
However, the next words from Liu Fei almost made her spit blood.
"Not bad, almost catching up to Chen Chen." Liu Fei's eyes, once filled with flames, now became clear and indifferent.
"Who's Chen Chen?" Su Zijing's face showed a trace of disdain. She was recognized as the number one beauty at Zuoer Mech University, a title that not only gave her the treatment of a princess but also made her proud and arrogant, not caring about other women.
"Chen Chen is Chen Chen."
Liu Fei stood up and started to undress.
"You... What are you doing?" Su Zijing's heart pounded violently, her hands tightly clutching her chest, a look of fear on her face as she stared at Liu Fei.
Liu Fei couldn't be bothered with her. He nonchalantly took off his clothes, his strong muscles dazzling Su Zijing, almost making her forget the danger she was in. It was hard to believe that such a seemingly frail person actually had such a strong physique, no wonder he was so good at fighting.
After stripping down to his underwear, Liu Fei got into his own blanket. Although it was almost April, there was still a chill in the air, especially in this cold cockpit.
Seeing Liu Fei sleeping on her bed, Su Zijing breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost thought he would do something inappropriate to her just now. Thinking of this, a blush reappeared on Su Zijing's face.
"Snap," the cockpit plunged into darkness.
"Why did you turn off the lights?"
"Snap," the lights came back on.
"If you like, you can sleep with the lights on. You've paid." Liu Fei covered himself with the blanket. He wasn't used to sleeping in bright light.
"Hey..."
"If you disturb my sleep again, I won't hesitate to throw you out!" Liu Fei suddenly sat up, staring at Su Zijing fiercely.
"I... I..." Su Zijing looked at Liu Fei's powerful body and couldn't say a word. She had seen how ruthless this janitor could be.
"I'll give you one chance. Say what you want to say now!"
"Where... Where do I sleep?" Su Zijing asked weakly.
"You're sitting on a bed."
"But there's no blanket."
"Where's the original blanket?"
"It's burned."
"Why was it burned?"
"Along with its owner."
"Then... Where do I sleep?"
"Mm, you've paid, so come sleep with me." Liu Fei naturally opened up the covers.
"Ah..." Su Zijing felt like she was going crazy, frantically pulling at her hair. She completely forgot the dignity a woman should have, hysterically shouting at Liu Fei, "Why won't you let me sleep on your bed? I'm a woman, do you know that?!"
"Sorry, this is my bed. You only have the right to use it. According to historical records, even before the interstellar migration, men and women were already equal..."
"Alright, you win. You sleep," Su Zijing interrupted Liu Fei, afraid that if she listened any further, she would completely break down and become mentally fractured.
"Sure?"
"Sure!" Su Zijing's tone was resolute.
"Alright, I'll sleep. If you dare to wake me up, I'll throw you out," Liu Fei lay down, pulled the blanket over himself. He needed sleep because tomorrow morning, he had to get up early.
The cockpit became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Su Zijing stared blankly at the dark night sky outside the porthole, feeling like she was in a dream.
It was a night that was hard to endure.
It was a cold night.
It was also a night that made one angry.
...
As Su Zijing listened to the steady breathing, she was certain that the darn janitor was already asleep. His sleep quality seemed excellent; two hours had passed, and he hadn't even turned over once. This made her quite envious.
By late night, Su Zijing felt her body trembling. The cockpit was icy cold, with no heating. The later it got, the colder it became.
What to do?
Clearly, sitting on this icy bed wouldn't get her through the night.
With that thought, Su Zijing subconsciously glanced at Liu Fei's bed. The thick bedding was very tempting.
Should she really sleep with him for the night?
No way!
Su Zijing decisively dismissed the deadly idea...
As time passed, Su Zijing, still half-asleep, became somewhat unclear in her mind. Her willpower was also not as strong. It was an extremely painful torment. She even dared not lean against the wall because this was the cockpit of a mech, and everywhere was cold metal. Her thin clothes were not enough to ward off the piercing cold.
Forget it, forget it! Su Zijing gritted her teeth and looked at the man sleeping soundly.
In a daze, Su Zijing let go of everything—her dignity, her pride as a woman. All she wanted now was a warm blanket. She was just too tired.
Trembling, Su Zijing cautiously squeezed onto the narrow bed. Her demands were not high; she just needed a tiny space, better than that damned cold metal...
"What are you doing?" Su Zijing had barely gotten under the blanket when Liu Fei, who was lying on the bed, suddenly sat up, his face filled with boundless killing intent. From his expression, it seemed that if Su Zijing's answer wasn't satisfactory, he would not hesitate to throw her out, and the possibility of killing her was also there.
"Ah... I... I didn't mean to, really... I just want to sleep..." Su Zijing quickly sat on the metal bed opposite, a wave of fear permeating the air.
"Oh..." The killing intent on Liu Fei's face disappeared without a trace. He lay back down, but this time, he shifted a bit to the side, making some space.
After a while, Su Zijing recovered from her fear. She cursed inwardly, but of course, she could only curse inwardly. She didn't want to be thrown into the slums in the middle of the night by this madman; he wouldn't have any mercy for her.
This time, Su Zijing's movements getting onto the bed were even more careful, fearing to wake Liu Fei.
Finally, Su Zijing's body lay at Liu Fei's feet, feeling a hint of warmth. This warmth made her feel like she was being given a gift in the snow, making her entire body comfortable. Unfortunately, the bed was too narrow, and she had to cling tightly to Liu Fei's back to avoid falling off.
Fortunately, the janitor seemed to be asleep, not moving at all. This reassured Su Zijing a lot. She had already thought that if Liu Fei tried to assault her, she would resist to the death. She absolutely couldn't let him succeed. In Su Zijing's hand was a small, sharp pair of scissors...
In a daze, Su Zijing tensed her muscles and entered the dreamland.