I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 21

The sensation of wandering through the sky was absolutely magnificent. Objects within the classroom gradually shrank until they looked like mere toys. Standing at such a height and looking down, a spontaneous sense of accomplishment surged within Yu Zhouyao.

Relying on her intuition, she manipulated the dashboard. She and her mecha soared upward, now circling at the very peak of the classroom’s vaulted ceiling.

The mechanical voice actually trembled with excitement. “So good! This feels so good! It’s been ages since I’ve flown!”

Yu Zhouyao rested one hand on the thruster, leaning her body forward. “Wooohoo! Not bad at all!”

“I told you that you had talent,” the voice chirped. “To fly so smoothly on your first contact with a mecha… my eyes for talent are truly impeccable.”

Yu Zhouyao’s lips curled upward. “Then I suppose I should thank you for your appreciation.”

A string of cheerful characters flickered across the dashboard, reflecting the mecha’s current high spirits. Suddenly, a voice crackled through the comms, it was Instructor Colin.

“Student Yu Zhouyao, first of all, congratulations on establishing a link and successfully piloting your mecha within ten minutes. Since you are still in the exploration phase, I will give you a few brief instructions. The front panels display your parameters: speed, energy reserves, and wear-and-tear. You can access the manual via the internal system. We are currently in manual mode, so please maintain high focus on your direction and speed. Do not accidentally injure your classmates. Feel free to practice; if you have questions, use the comms.”

Yu Zhouyao continued to tinker with the dashboard, reading through the operation protocols at lightning speed.

Hey, Grandma, Yu Zhouyao whispered in her mind. I have a question. I don’t think this mecha is in a “traditional” manual mode, is it? Even though I’m steering it manually just fine.

“Of course not! I’m so intelligent; my performance is a hundred times better than the scrap metal surrounding us.”

“So, you could actually pilot yourself, right?”

“Mmm… probably. It’s been a long time. Let me check my functions.” After a few seconds, the voice returned. “Wait, that’s strange. I feel like a lot of my functions are missing. Kid, give me a bit more mental power.”

Yu Zhouyao obediently increased her output. As the ethereal mental energy intertwined with the metal components, her five senses seemed to broaden; she could perceive the mechanical structure of every single nut and bolt.

The mechanical voice suddenly became furious. “No! What happened?! Why have so many of my functions been stripped away?”

Yu Zhouyao felt a pang of understanding. Just as she suspected, this mecha was shrouded in oddities. “My condolences…” she added silently.

The mechanical voice remained in a state of collapse, static white noise echoing through the cockpit. Yu Zhouyao turned her attention to the comms to check on Mu Mingyue.

“Mu Mingyue, are you okay?”

After a moment of static, the signal stabilized. “Not bad. Zhouyao, I see you’ve flown so high.”

“Yeah, just giving it a whirl.”

“I’ve taken off too. I’m coming to find you now.”

“Great.”

Yu Zhouyao hovered in mid-air and looked down. Another mecha was slowly ascending—a white unit flying toward her with a steady, elegant posture. It was unmistakably Mu Mingyue’s style. The two mechas hovered face-to-face.

“Zhouyao, you were so fast just now. You shot up like a rocket!”

Yu Zhouyao smiled. “Was I? It’s my first time; I probably didn’t control the speed well. How do you feel?”

Mu Mingyue’s voice sounded lighthearted. “Better than I expected. I thought the mental link would be difficult, but it went very smoothly.”

The mechanical voice suddenly cut in. “Kid, why do you think the girl opposite you would have trouble?”

Yu Zhouyao replied internally, she has Pheromone Disorder. Her family says she has symptoms of ‘alienation.’

“Alienation? Never heard of it. Pheromone Disorder? Doesn’t feel like it. Hang on, let me ask the mecha across from us…”

Yu Zhouyao chuckled. What a protective old “parent” this mecha was. While the Mecha Grandma was “checking the records,” Yu Zhouyao and Mu Mingyue practiced flying together.

“Bad kid! I heard that! You’re calling me old again, aren’t you?”

Yu Zhouyao shook her head quickly. “Oh, Grandma, I wouldn’t dare. Meeting a mecha senior as knowledgeable as you, I can’t wait to worship you. Besides, with your intelligence, you can definitely figure out what’s wrong with Mu Mingyue, right?”

A wave of electrical signals flashed on the dashboard, expressing the mecha’s dissatisfaction. “Slick-tongued brat! Hmph!”

Yu Zhouyao immediately pleaded, “Grandma, you’re so kind, you surely wouldn’t want to see us have health problems. Please, help Mu Mingyue.”

“Hmph. I’ll let it slide this once for the sake of the little girl. The mecha she’s in isn’t intelligent enough—it’s nothing like me. I couldn’t talk to it, so I just hacked into it directly to observe her.”

Yu Zhouyao’s mouth hung open. Hacked into it? Good lord, just how powerful was this Grandma Mecha?

“I heard that too. Yes, I am that strong, even if I’m missing functions. Now, listen. That girl’s mental state is indeed problematic. Her physical constitution is great, which is why she could fly so quickly. But even though her mental power and pheromones are strong, her self-control is weak. Her mental power feels like it’s constantly at its peak.”

Yu Zhouyao multitaskingly adjusted her speed to stay close behind Mu Mingyue just in case. “Being at peak power sounds exhausting. Are there side effects?”

“Exactly. Back in my day, pilots said you only force your mental power to its peak in extreme circumstances. Constant peak output puts massive pressure on the body. It can lead to ‘Somatic Collapse.'”

Yu Zhouyao thought for a moment. “So, normally, a pilot’s mental power should fluctuate and avoid constant bursts?”

“Correct.”

The description sounded familiar to Yu Zhouyao. Suddenly, it clicked. “Grandma, I recently heard a term—Mental Blood-Burning. Researchers told me it’s when someone explodes their mental power in a crisis to maintain a state of high excitement. That sounds like what you’re describing.”

The mechanical voice let out a sharp hiss, like a deep intake of breath. The dashboard signals flickered as the mecha seemingly searched an internal network. Within seconds, it shrieked.

“Yes! That’s it! So that’s how you describe it nowadays. Mu Mingyue’s symptoms are exactly like ‘Mental Blood-Burning.’ Based on your description and my search, that’s it!”

Yu Zhouyao took a deep breath. Her eyes darkened. However, she was an optimist. At least there were two pieces of good news: Dr. Pei’s hypothesis was supported, and Mu Mingyue’s symptoms now had a clear definition.

“Then Grandma, how do we treat it?”

“You’re asking me? Your mental power is a total freak of nature, and you’re asking me for a method?”

Yu Zhouyao exhaled. Fine, fine, Mecha Senior, whatever you say is right. I didn’t even know my mental power had “evolved” into freak territory.

“Sorry, Grandma. I tried to feel it out, but I couldn’t find the ‘password’ in my neurons.”

“Hmph. Stupid girl. You have such talent, yet you’re so clueless. Fine, since you asked so sincerely, I will show mercy and tell you. Mu Mingyue has terrible mental endurance. Simple flying doesn’t drain her much, but she won’t last long once she starts practicing combat maneuvers. She’s like a giant balloon leaking air at maximum speed. To treat the symptoms, she must lower the mental cost of every action. To cure the cause, she must learn to control her mental power to stay in a long-term ‘low-state.’ Essentially, she needs a Reverse Version of ‘Mental Blood-Burning.’ Understand?”

Yu Zhouyao scratched her head, only half-grasping it.

“Oh, great, I picked a dummy. So annoying. Since your mental power is quite ‘tasty,’ I’ll say one more thing. Your own mental state is actually quite good your fluctuations stay stable at a low level. Figure out how you do it, and then teach her. That’s all.”

Yu Zhouyao thanked the mecha profusely. “Thank you, Grandma! I’ll study it carefully.”

“Hehe. If you want to thank me, just hand over more mental power.”

Yu Zhouyao pursed her lips. Though she didn’t know why a smart machine needed to “eat” mental energy, she dutifully paid the “consultation fee.” The mechanical voice hummed in satisfaction.

She and Mu Mingyue circled for a while longer, practicing basic movements. They only descended when the bell rang.

The other students watched them with envy. “The pros are just pros. They flew in five minutes, and I couldn’t even budge after fifty.”

Mu Mingyue leaned against her mecha, panting slightly. Yu Zhouyao patted her shoulder. “Mu Mingyue, how do you feel?”

The young miss blinked, her eyes bright and watery. “A bit tired, but okay. And you, Zhouyao?”

Yu Zhouyao rested her chin in her hand. “Not tired at all. Today’s class was very productive.”

The two of them shared a brilliant smile.

Support I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met