But Gu Ya ultimately didn't make a move.
On this cold night, in the remote outskirts of Xianxia City, knocking her out here might invite unforeseen misfortunes.
"Why didn't you act?" Dou Mei asked in a low voice.
Gu Ya said indifferently, "There's no need."
The two walked out of the alley together, their shoulders brushing.
Gu Ya felt no emotional turmoil. It didn't matter. He'd let her lean on him this once, as he wouldn't bother with her again after this parting.
A few passersby glanced their way.
Dou Mei subtly waved her hand, signaling them not to interfere.
The pedestrians either turned away or lowered their heads, hurrying off.
"They're all your people, aren't they?" Gu Ya asked calmly.
Dou Mei smiled faintly and gave a soft "Mm." After a pause, she finally asked, "How long do you plan to stay with me? I'm not wearing any clothes and I'm freezing..."
Gu Ya had forgotten about that. He pulled Dou Mei to the front of a closed shop, looked up at her head, and pinned her against the wall with one hand.
Then, he snapped his fingers with his other hand.
From above them, a simple metal frame for a fitting room instantly descended. A curtain was drawn, separating them from the outside world.
Dou Mei looked on with surprise.
Gu Ya smiled, as if performing a magic trick.
With a pull of his hand, he conjured a white shirt, a pair of black casual pants, a light blue thick woolen coat, and a pair of black thick leather women's shoes from thin air.
Dou Mei watched like an excited child, her smile growing wider.
"Sit down." Gu Ya looked at Dou Mei with calm eyes and gently pressed on her shoulder.
Dou Mei's buttocks hovered over empty air, but she trusted Gu Ya and sat down steadily.
Just as her bottom was about to touch the ground, a miniature levitation stool appeared. A soft cushion supported Dou Mei's body, slowly lifting her up.
Gu Ya acted like an attendant, holding three pieces of clothing in one hand and the shoes in the other, handing them to Dou Mei one by one.
Dou Mei lowered her head, smiling sweetly, and put them on.
For the final item, the thick coat, Gu Ya gently draped it over her.
A warmth instantly enveloped Dou Mei.
Following that, the makeshift fitting room vanished, and the two reappeared on the street.
Dou Mei linked her arm through Gu Ya's, leaning against him tightly, and whispered, "Why are you being so good to me?"
Gu Ya replied coldly, "So you won't bother me again in the future."
Dou Mei smiled faintly.
After they had walked a distance, at the mouth of a seemingly endless alley, Dou Mei slowly reduced her pace, eventually stopping.
"Are you leaving?" Gu Ya asked coldly.
Dou Mei lowered her head, reverting to the shy, flustered, and polite demeanor she had when they first met.
"I won't disturb you and Ye Ying. While Ye Ying is away, will you stay with me? Even if it's just for tonight," Dou Mei asked softly.
"No."
"What if it's just physical companionship?"
"Even less so."
Dou Mei nodded, then looked up at Gu Ya, her eyes clear and free of any complications.
"Aren't you curious? I'm one of Special Division Nine's top secrets. Why would someone so important expose herself and be so easily captured?" Dou Mei asked softly.
Gu Ya thought for a moment and said, "That's your business."
Dou Mei wanted to say more, but seeing Gu Ya's resolute expression, she pursed her lips and held back.
"That's enough..." Dou Mei nodded, a hint of disappointment appearing on her face.
"What you've given me is more than enough..."
"Gu Ya..." Dou Mei looked at Gu Ya, her eyes seeming to glisten with tears. "If this is goodbye forever, please remember me..."
Dou Mei gently lunged into Gu Ya's embrace, but before his warmth could even reach her, she pulled away, lowered her head, and turned towards the dark alley.
Finally, her graceful figure disappeared into the darkness.
...
The next day, Gu Ya woke up groggily, preparing to attend the basic science class for mecha piloting.
Dou Mei was the substitute teacher for this class.
As the class bell rang, Gu Ya entered the classroom and was drawn by the students' chaotic discussions.
Gu Ya sat behind Fang Fei and asked in a low voice, "What happened? Why isn't the teacher here yet? What are they all talking about?"
Fang Fei turned around, her eyes showing hesitation, and whispered, "The substitute teacher committed suicide. I heard she took poison and was found in the office..."
Gu Ya's pupils contracted. He looked at Fang Fei in disbelief.
Fang Fei nodded to confirm.
Gu Ya slowly stood up. She had been fine last night. He suddenly remembered Dou Mei's last words: "Goodbye forever."
The consequence of exposure was only death.
Was her sole purpose to lure out the 41 enemy mechs hidden near Xianxia City?
Given her strategic value, even a whole army wouldn't be enough to exchange for her!
Gu Ya couldn't believe it, and he never would.
He strode out of the classroom and dashed towards the administrative building.
He had seen Dou Mei's body and remembered the thumb-sized, faint five-pointed star birthmark on her right rear shoulder.
At the foot of the administrative building, several security patrol hovercars and a small medical mecha were parked.
As Gu Ya arrived, he saw several people carrying out a stretcher.
A person was clearly lying on the stretcher, wrapped in a body bag.
Judging by the physique, it did indeed resemble Dou Mei.
Gu Ya eagerly yet steadily walked over, wanting a closer look at the body bag.
A security officer next to him grabbed Gu Ya, looking at him like a suspect, and said coldly, "Conveniently, we were reviewing surveillance and discovered you had physical contact with the deceased in this vicinity. Please cooperate with our investigation."
As soon as he finished speaking, the officer's wristband lit up.
He walked aside to answer, and after just a few seconds, hung up.
When he returned, his attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn. He smiled slightly at Gu Ya, ignored him, and followed his colleagues into the hovercar, flying away.
This must have been Special Division Nine handling the aftermath.
The incident piqued Gu Ya's curiosity. He decided he could visit the morgue tonight.
After a day of training, in the evening, Gu Ya dumped his mecha in the scrap yard.
Lu Hua was on the day shift. He was now happy to repair Gu Ya's mecha for him, as he had also contributed to its construction.
Gu Ya hurried back to his dormitory, ate a simple meal, and then lay on his bed for a short nap to recharge.
At 11:50 PM, his alarm woke Gu Ya.
He quickly got up, put on his black trench coat, and pulled on his black wide-brimmed hat before going out.
Locking onto Dou Mei's wristband location, he arrived at a funeral home slightly south of Xianxia City.
Using [Code Tampering], Gu Ya entered the funeral home through the back door.
He quickly located a low-voltage signal box, disabled the surveillance, and dealt with two patrolling androids.
Finally, he successfully reached the mortuary.
The mortuary was quiet and cold, the pale lights casting an exceptionally serene atmosphere.
There were two morgue tables in the room, but only one held a body bag.
Gu Ya slowly walked over and gently unzipped the body bag.
Revealing Dou Mei's pale and serene face.
Her closed eyes looked beautiful, as if she were asleep. However, her slightly chubby cheeks, now lying flat, appeared even rounder.
Gu Ya's heart tightened. He slowly unzipped it all the way.
Dou Mei's exquisite, fair body was fully revealed to Gu Ya.
Her proud, soft breasts lay spread to the sides.
The two pink nipples were quite lovely.
Initial assessment indicated poisoning. The autopsy would likely be conducted tomorrow.
For now, she was still intact.
Gu Ya sighed and gently turned Dou Mei's body over.
On her right rear shoulder, there was indeed a small star-shaped birthmark, its position and size exactly as Gu Ya remembered.
"It's correct..." Gu Ya slowly laid the body flat again and sighed.
Gu Ya looked at her face, recalling their interactions over the past few days, and said softly, "I've come to see you one last time. Rest in peace..."
With that, he slowly zipped up the body bag, sealing Dou Mei away.
As Gu Ya left the funeral home and prepared to depart, a flash of realization struck his mind.
"No..."
Gu Ya slowly turned his head, looking back at the funeral home.
He tried hard to recall Dou Mei's naked appearance when he saved her last night.
Something seemed wrong...
"Pink..." Gu Ya murmured.
Could it be the lighting?
Gu Ya quickly turned back, but as he approached the mortuary again, he hesitated.
"Why bother..."
Gu Ya muttered. Even if he discovered something, what concern would it be of his?
"What's wrong with pink?" Gu Ya smiled faintly. "Who wouldn't want their body to be perfect before they die?"
The chief executive of Special Division Nine for an entire city had sacrificed her life for Xianxia.
Let her rest in peace.
Gu Ya turned and left the funeral home.
...
Time flew by. A month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Gu Ya was as busy and fulfilling as before.
After failing in training combat, he would go to repair his mecha.
Occasionally, he had the opportunity to join other cadets on urgent missions.
They were all elites among elites, and the missions were completed smoothly.
There were also theory classes. During this period, Gu Ya gained a new understanding of mecha piloting theory.
It turned out that he had been operating them randomly before.
Only by understanding the meaning behind the various parameters when the mecha performed different actions could he control it precisely, avoid damaging its functional integrity, and maintain the mecha in good operating condition.
Today was another basic theory class for mecha piloting.
Gu Ya and his classmates were already seated in the classroom, awaiting the lesson.
Review and preview were the most fundamental learning methods.
Gu Ya lowered his head, previewing the content of this lesson from the holographic textbook.
The class bell rang, and the sound of firm high heels striking the ground was heard.
A woman walked onto the podium, a bright smile on her face, and said cheerfully, "Hello, students! I am your new substitute teacher, Lan Ya!"
Gu Ya's nerves jolted. He raised his head and looked at the podium.
His eyes widened instantly.