I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 18

The weekend following the end of military training didn’t find Yu Zhouyao idle.

The campus was nearly deserted. Students living nearby had long since headed home, while others had ventured out to unwind. Her roommate, Lu Yuan, was among the latter, her parting words being, “I’ve got to play as hard as I can before classes actually start!”

Lu Yuan had invited Yu Zhouyao to join her, but Yu Zhouyao, feeling the weight of her empty pockets, politely declined. Instead, she chose to hole up in the library for two days.

She wasn’t trying to become the ultimate overachiever of Dawn Academy, nor was she attempting to “shock the world” by getting a head start on her studies. She was simply scouring the library for a legal, compliant, and most importantly fast way to make money.

Life isn’t easy, Yu Zhouyao sighed.

After several hours of motionless research, her back and waist ached, yet she still hadn’t found what she was looking for. The quick-cash schemes she was familiar with were either high-risk or outright illegal. The legitimate paths found in the library all required high levels of professional expertise.

Finally, amidst a sea of advertisements, she plucked out two options that caught her interest.

First was the annual Intercollegiate Mecha Tournament. Teams of five competed, with quotas varying by school. The prize money for the top three teams was staggering: ten million, eight million, and six million credits respectively.

Second was the Empire-wide Individual Mecha Competition. The qualifying rounds were held in a virtual environment, transitioning to offline matches for the finals. The prize money for individuals mirrored the team event: ten million, eight million, and six million.

Seeing those numbers, Yu Zhouyao’s heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately, she had never even touched a mecha, making registration impossible. If she had even a shred of experience, her “newborn calf” fearlessness would have driven her to enter if not to win, then at least to experience the qualifiers.

She etched these two goals into her mind. Suddenly, a voice drifted into her ear.

“Hmm? Student Yu Zhouyao, it seems you really are interested in mecha racing.”

Yu Zhouyao looked up and saw Instructor Zhai, whom she had met before. She greeted him politely: “Hello, Teacher.”

Zhai Shiming nodded. “Adjusting well to campus life?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“As we discussed, your scholarship will be deposited monthly into your campus card. It should be enough to cover your daily expenses.”

“Thank you, Teacher! This school is truly wonderful,” Yu Zhouyao replied quickly.

Zhai Shiming chuckled, then asked, “How was military training?”

Yu Zhouyao’s eyes darted away momentarily. “It was good… though Instructor Liu’s requirements were quite strict.”

“Old Liu, eh? Haha, I heard you performed quite well, actually.”

Yu Zhouyao pursed her lips and gave a small, sheepish “hehe.”

“You were looking at the mecha competitions, right? Very interested?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Regarding the team event, the school has slots every year. If you’re interested, you can search the ‘My Dawn’ app. Team selection usually starts in the second year, though first-years with exceptional performance can be considered.”

Yu Zhouyao nodded thoughtfully.

“So? Feeling motivated?”

“Mm-hm,” Yu Zhouyao smiled perfunctorily. Her interest in the sport was mild; her desire for the prize money was white-hot.

Zhai Shiming glanced at his device. “I have other matters to attend to. Yu Zhouyao, prepare well for those mecha trials. And don’t be late for class!”

“Yes, Teacher!” she chirped obediently.

But Instructor Zhai’s final warning felt meaningful. She opened the campus app and navigated to her course module to find her answer.

Zhai Shiming was the instructor for Mechanical Manufacturing: Theory and Practice. When she checked the enrollment numbers, her heart sank. It was 1/1.

She was the only person in the class.

Wait, that’s not right, she thought. When I signed up, there were at least ten people.

She rushed to the campus forums and, after a frantic search, found the truth. Typing in the course name brought up pages of “black mud” venting posts. The keywords were a nightmare: “excessive pressure,” “extreme difficulty,” “heavy workload,” “generous grading,” and “severe instructor.”

Yu Zhouyao froze. Great. I’m doomed. I picked the one class that even the upperclassmen fear.

A recent thread caught her eye: “Theory and Practice is being taught by the Dean of Students this year!”

• • Lvl 1: Silence.

• • Lvl 2: +1.

• • Lvl 3: Teacher Zhai is a good person, but…

• • Lvl 4: It’s a good class, it’s just too hardcore. The teacher is great, but his methods are… also hardcore.

• • Lvl 5: Thanks for the warning, OP. Dropping the course now.

• • Lvl 6: I remember last time he taught this, half the class dropped by midterms. The other half spent every week pulling all-nighters.

• • Lvl 20: Enrollment is down to 1 person now. Who is this legendary warrior?

• • Lvl 21: A hero.

• • Lvl 22: Is it possible they just forgot to drop it?

• • Lvl 25: Camping here for the update.

Yu Zhouyao stopped reading.

The good news: she had a one-on-one boutique small class. The bad news: both the course and the teacher were hardcore. The worst news: the teacher had already acknowledged her. On the final day for course changes, she had effectively lost the right to drop the class or be late. What a beautiful day!

She slumped onto the library table. Unable to focus on studying anymore, she headed out for a walk.

Meanwhile, Eric, relying on his brute strength and zero connections, had managed to find a job shaking milk tea. The hourly pay was low, it didn’t include room or board, and the shop’s motto was essentially “come if you’re a workhorse.”

Yu Zhouyao walked into the shop with a long face. Eric was behind the counter, busy scrubbing jars, unable to even lift his head.

“Ha…”

“Oh, Boss, you’re here,” Eric said, his voice carrying the exhaustion of the “living dead.”

“I’m here.”

Yu Zhouyao wanted to order a tea to reward herself, but looking at her shriveled wallet, she didn’t dare open her mouth. Eric couldn’t even summon a smile. “Sorry, Boss… I’ll try my best to survive.”

He glanced around stealthily. Seeing no one watching, he used leftover materials to whip up a fruit tea for her. “Boss, make do with this,” he whispered.

Yu Zhouyao took the tea and huddled in a dark corner like a miserable mushroom. Sorry to my folks back home, she thought. As a poor student trying to make it out of the mountains, life is still hard. She was reduced to drinking “zero-yuan” industrial leftovers.

Effort doesn’t always lead to success; finding a “sugar mommy” could save someone ten years of detours. She opened her optical computer, deciding to seriously nurture her relationship with her employer. If Miss Mu was happy, a small tip could solve all her problems.

She opened the chat with Mu Mingyue. Their last interaction was days ago. Yu Zhouyao took a photo of her fruit tea and sent it. Mu Mingyue replied almost instantly.

Welcome Wealth: [Image sent] A Full Moon: Oh? Is Zhouyao out playing? A Full Moon: What are you drinking? Fruit tea? A Full Moon: Oh, sorry! I just saw your messages from a few days ago. My bad for not replying sooner! Welcome Wealth: It’s fine. Welcome Wealth: Are you feeling better? A Full Moon: Yes, much better. I’ve been resting at home these past few days. A Full Moon: The family doctors are so demanding. They did a full head-to-toe checkup again. A Full Moon: I hate doctors. I need a hug from Zhouyao.

Yu Zhouyao’s lips curled up. This was the Mu Mingyue she knew delicate and spoiled enough to be reassuring.

Welcome Wealth: Okay, a hug for you. Welcome Wealth: You didn’t come for the last two days of training. I was worried. Welcome Wealth: I’m glad you’re okay. A Full Moon: ヾ(▽)ノ A Full Moon: I’m fine, I’m fine~ Baby Zhouyao is the best. A Full Moon: So… is the fruit tea good? Welcome Wealth: It’s mediocre. Welcome Wealth: Cheap stuff. Welcome Wealth: Every sip is full of powdery residue. A Full Moon: Hahahahahaha! A Full Moon: It’s okay, I’m coming back to school tomorrow. A Full Moon: Come to my place when you’re free, I’ll treat you to some real tea. Welcome Wealth: Really? (`·ω·´)

Worried her reply wasn’t cute enough, Yu Zhouyao imitated Mu Mingyue’s style, using emoticons for the first time.

A Full Moon: Oh! Yu Zhouyao knows how to use emojis? A Full Moon: I thought you were always so stiff.

Yu Zhouyao reflected for a moment. She felt she was actually quite flexible.

Welcome Wealth: Miss Mu… Welcome Wealth: That is a mistaken impression. Welcome Wealth: ￣ω￣= A Full Moon: Hahahahaha! A Full Moon: Zhouyao is so cute. Welcome Wealth: Please show some mercy, Miss Mu. A Full Moon: No. Heehee. A Full Moon: I’m going to say it, and say it loud: Zhouyao is cute! Yu Zhouyao is so cute! Welcome Wealth: ￣へ￣

As usual, Yu Zhouyao lost control of the conversation within five minutes. In the end, she ran out of words and just used emoticons to hide her face like an ostrich. She had intended to build some goodwill, but her cleverness backfired, and she ended up being teased online. How frustrating!

As darkness fell, she prepared to head back to the dorms. Before she left, Eric asked with concern, “Boss… your face is all red. Don’t tell me you’re sick again. We can’t afford the hospital.”

Yu Zhouyao glared at him, speechless. What did this monkey know? “I’m not sick. I’m perfectly healthy.”

Eric scratched his head, not bothered to figure out her thoughts. “Alright then. Good luck, stay healthy, study hard, and don’t forget to promote me when you’re successful!”

Yu Zhouyao sighed. Being a “dog” for a rich lady was proving difficult. Perhaps being a “guinea pig” at the hospital was more her speed after all.

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