"According to our agreement, I've brought her here."
Ruan Mei looked at Professor Ratio, or more accurately, Song Xiayang, and said calmly. There was still little emotion in her voice, simply stating a fact, which perfectly aligned with Ruan Mei's usual demeanor.
"With this, we are even."
With that, Ruan Mei turned and, dragging her suitcase, prepared to leave. This scene felt surreal to Song Qiuyue and Chen Yingshi, who were watching nearby—real, yet strangely odd.
It was as if... a beloved two-dimensional character had truly appeared in the three-dimensional world. But was such a thing really possible?
However, before the two could ponder further, "Professor Ratio" Song Xiayang, who was nearby, suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud and then directly hugged Ruan Mei's leg.
"Woah! Buddy! Please! Don't go!"
"Huh?"
Song Qiuyue and Chen Yingshi exchanged a glance, speaking in unison, their eyes filled with disbelief. It felt like a dream had been shattered, and also, what did her older brother just call him? Buddy?
"Could you please pay a little attention to your image?"
Mo Yu, looking at his best friend clinging to his leg and refusing to let go, and feeling the gazes from afar, showed a helpless expression.
"Or... do you want to be exposed on Xiaohongshu tomorrow as a warning?"
When Mo Yu said the latter half of the sentence, he had already adjusted his voice, returning to his usual tone. Of course, because his usual tone was rarely this calm, it wasn't immediately recognizable.
"Uh... in that case, I'll pass."
After hearing Mo Yu's words, Song Xiayang, who had been acting like a spoiled child, scrambled back to his feet.
It was fine to be a bit outlandish in daily life; people around him were generally tolerant. But if such antics were put online, everything would be magnified, and it wasn't impossible for him to be utterly disgraced.
Although Song Xiayang wasn't part of any online community and was just an ordinary person, he occasionally cared about those comments.
Watching the two interact, Song Qiuyue felt increasingly confused. This... what exactly was going on? This Ruan Mei... "Brother, she...?"
Song Qiuyue asked with some surprise and doubt.
"Don't you remember?"
Hearing his sister's words, Song Xiayang's expression changed like magic to a mischievous grin.
"This is your Brother Yu."
"Brother... Yu?"
Song Qiuyue murmured, recalling Mo Yu's appearance like a revolving lantern in her mind. But the Ruan Mei cosplayer in front of her simply could not be matched with the young man in her memory.
Moreover, to be honest, she hadn't seen Mo Yu for over a year. After all, when they usually came home for holidays, Song Xiayang and Mo Yu would typically meet outside. As for her, a high school senior, she was supposed to stay home and study hard, not disturb their passionate internet cafe sessions!
"Long time no see, Qiuyue."
Seeing that Song Xiayang had already revealed his identity, Mo Yu greeted her openly. For him, there was nothing to be embarrassed about; he had seen many cross-dressing cosplayers when he was in school, so it was really nothing.
However, Song Qiuyue's next sentence made Mo Yu somewhat unable to maintain his composure.
"Brother Yu... did you travel to Thailand?"
"Don't talk nonsense, why would I go to Thailand?"
Mo Yu glared at Song Qiuyue, but under the influence of Absolute Reason, he didn't appear to be very angry.
"Blech."
Song Qiuyue playfully stuck out her tongue. She was, of course, just joking, and also confirming his identity in her own way. But, Brother Yu, this is too exaggerated, isn't it?
"Woah, Brother Yu, how much padding is this...?"
As Song Qiuyue spoke, she reached out to touch, but Mo Yu blocked her hand with his own.
How to put it, his body was a black technology given by the system. While it was said to be padded or fake, it was actually almost indistinguishable from the real thing. At least, you couldn't detect any issues with your eyes or sense of touch. However, for him personally, it was fake.
"...Hehe... I was just kidding."
Song Qiuyue chuckled awkwardly, retracting her hand. But her gaze still lingered on Mo Yu's chest. Of course, the reason she was so attentive was because—she herself was an A-cup.
After all, to be honest, in terms of size, Ruan Mei wasn't actually the biggest.
"Alright, it's getting late. I should head back too."
Mo Yu said calmly. Song Xiayang had taken leave early to pick up Song Qiuyue for her college entrance exam, while Mo Yu's outing was simply a temporary leave from school. He was attending a local university, but now he couldn't really be considered a local.
Last year, due to a job transfer, his parents had moved to another city, and his hometown... wasn't here either.
"No way! At the very least, you have to come with us for a meal to celebrate properly!"
"Hmph, I think you have ulterior motives, kid."
As his best friend, Mo Yu naturally saw through Song Xiayang's intentions. This guy... was a single dog. Of course, to be honest, being single in college wasn't uncommon; Mo Yu was also single.
But being single and being single were different. Some people were single purely because they didn't want to find someone, while others couldn't find anyone. Unfortunately, Song Xiayang was the type who couldn't find anyone.
"Hehe, help me out! Let me show off a bit! Good brother!"
"Get lost."
Mo Yu said irritably. For such a request, even if they were true brothers, he wouldn't agree, because such things often led to a host of troublesome follow-ups.
"Two teachers, could you accept another interview?"
Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind Mo Yu. Of course, Mo Yu himself wasn't too surprised; he had actually noticed someone walking towards them earlier. It was simply difficult not to notice the person.
Because the person who appeared behind them was none other than Qiu Yunshu, the reporter who had conducted the direct interview.
However, compared to earlier, her condition was clearly much better.
"Please do."
Mo Yu said calmly, re-entering his role. The reason he could maintain it so well was because—as someone in cross-dress, others didn't know and couldn't find out his identity. Therefore, for him, acting was also a way to... let loose? It was actually quite interesting.
"Ah, alright!"
Although she had a draft in her mind, upon hearing his voice again, Qiu Yunshu's heart still trembled, and she completely forgot her lines. However, this time, she reacted quickly. Her gaze fell on the suitcase nearby, which now revealed a musical instrument.