Outside Su Ming's room, a figure had been waiting for some time.
It was Bulma, who had spent the last month and a half holed up in the lab. At this moment, she was visibly excited, staring anxiously at the time on her wristwatch.
"50... 51... 58... 59..."
Beep!
The soft chime of her watch sounded, and Bulma jolted like she'd been electrified. She darted forward and pushed open the bedroom door.
Standing at the doorway, she shouted,
"Happy birthday!"
But when her eyes landed on the bed, panic immediately flooded her face.
She rushed forward.
"Su Ming! Su Ming, what's wrong?"
The boy was lying unconscious on the bed. Bulma was nearly in tears, her voice trembling as she shook him gently.
The bed was a mess, as though a fierce battle had taken place. The sheets were damp, and even with his eyes shut in a faint, Su Ming's brow remained tightly furrowed.
The commotion soon attracted Dr. Brief and his wife.
"Dad, help! Something's wrong with Su Ming he just passed out!"
"Then hurry and bring out that thing you made for him! Now's the perfect time to use it!"
Dr. Brief, heart aching at the sight of his daughter crying, quickly reminded her.
"Oh—right!"
Flustered and worried, Bulma had completely forgotten about the birthday gift she had meticulously prepared.
She pulled a capsule from her pocket and tossed it into the space beside the bed.
Poof!
A puff of smoke later, a soft, white, huggable robot appeared.
"Baymax, scan Su Ming's condition!"
"Yes, creator."
Baymax walked to the bedside and began scanning Su Ming's vitals. Within moments, it finished the diagnosis.
"His physical body is in good condition no injuries detected. However, Baymax has found signs of rapid heartbeat and extreme mental stress. Fortunately, his vitals are stabilizing. Estimated time until recovery: three hours."
Upon hearing that, Bulma finally exhaled deeply, repeating over and over:
"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
In that moment, the Brief couple truly witnessed the depth of emotion between their daughter and Su Ming.
They exchanged a glance and smiled.
Having Su Ming as their future son-in-law?
They would be more than satisfied. His character, his actions over the years—everything was to their liking. Even after marriage, he wouldn't bring Bulma sorrow or regret.
Though they called him an adopted son in name, it had always been about caring for Su Ming sincerely.
"Alright, Bulma, you stay here and look after him. But now that your heart clearly belongs to Su Ming, you'd better act fast. A guy this good will be swarmed by girls chasing after him in no time. Even I want to date him."
Bulma, now calmer, flushed even redder at her mother's teasing. Even her ears turned pink.
"Dad! Look at what Mom's saying who talks like that?!"
"And besides, Su Ming is only fifteen! Isn't this way too early to talk about that stuff?"
Dr. Brief chuckled and gently dragged his wife out of the room.
"Let's go, dear, before you say anything even more inappropriate."
With the two gone, the room fell into a peaceful silence.
Bulma had Baymax quietly retreat to a corner, though she didn't put it away just in case something happened again.
Once Baymax was hidden, Bulma sat back down beside the bed. Her eyes traced the contours of Su Ming's increasingly handsome face, her cheeks glowing red again.
Her mother's words lingered in her ears. Blushing, Bulma slowly lay down next to him and whispered:
"Remember the medical robot from the story you once told me? I made it pretty awesome, right? It's one-of-a-kind... made just for you."
Maybe because it was so quiet, she just kept talking. She spoke about the hardship, the sleepless nights in the lab, and the memories they had built over the years.
Her feelings were becoming clearer than ever.
"Su Ming, you're not allowed to fall for anyone else."
Two and a half hours passed by quietly.
"Mmm..."
Bulma hadn't slept a wink, watching over him the whole time. The moment Su Ming made a sound, she sat upright instantly.
"Su Ming! You're finally awake!"
As Su Ming gazed at Bulma, his memories returned in a flash. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
So, his "cheat ability" wasn't so simple after all.
And that was... a relief.
He had been worried that his Earthling bloodline might not be able to keep up with the monstrous strength of the Saiyans later on.
But now? Things were starting to look promising.
He didn't dwell on it long his mind was quickly clear again.
"Bulma, were you the one talking next to me earlier?"
The memory fusion had been agonizing. If not for the gentle, familiar voice by his ear the entire time, he wouldn't have recovered so quickly.
Though... he couldn't quite remember what was said.
Bulma's face flushed crimson, turning as red as a ripe tomato.
"You... you heard all that?"
The adventurous, confident girl was suddenly stammering like a shy schoolgirl.
"What did you say?"
Su Ming raised an eyebrow. He was curious. What could she have possibly said to make her this embarrassed?
Bulma, being smart, quickly realized he hadn't caught the details. She calmed down and said,
"Nothing... I was just worried about you."
Su Ming noticed the time already past 2 a.m.
"Bulma, why are you in my room at this hour?"
"I wanted to be the first to say happy birthday... but when I opened the door, I saw you passed out on the bed."
Su Ming felt touched.
"Oh, right Baymax, come over."
From the shadows, the soft white robot emerged and walked over.
"Is that... Baymax?"
Seeing Su Ming's surprise, Bulma immediately puffed up with pride. She sat up straight and lifted her chin.
"Impressed? I made the medical robot from your story come to life! Like your gift?"
As she finished, she lowered her gaze to meet Su Ming's eyes, filled with hope like a student awaiting praise.
"I love it. Thank you, Bulma."
"Now, when you're training in martial arts, if you ever get hurt, he'll patch you right up."
"But remember this—
YOU BETTER NOT GET YOURSELF INJURED TOO OFTEN! OR I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU."
"I want Baymax to be nothing more than a decoration sitting at home, got it?"
Su Ming nodded, smiling.
"Okay, I promise. I'll be careful and try not to rely on Baymax at all."
He really was touched.
Now he understood Baymax was what Bulma had been working on these past weeks in the lab.
"Alright, enough about me. What happened to you? Why did you pass out like that? Why was your mind under so much pressure?"
Bulma folded her arms across her chest. Her face still blushing, her expression was stern—but not angry.
Just adorably fierce.
Like a little kitten pretending to be scary.