I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 26

The time for Yu Zhouyao to verify her theories arrived sooner than expected.

As the new week began, she found the perfect research partner during her first class: the Grandma Mecha. The moment Yu Zhouyao stepped into the classroom, she recognized the “Grandma” among the rows of machines. She stood there silently, radiating a soulful magnetism that was impossible to ignore.

Yu Zhouyao didn’t hesitate. She seized the initiative and logged into the cockpit. As her consciousness performed its familiar deep dive—falling from the sunlit surface of the sea into the teeming depths of the ocean floor—the playful voice of the Grandma Mecha rang out.

“Hey, little brat. Still not up yet?”

Yu Zhouyao slowly opened her eyes and stared at the electronic screen in a daze. “Long time no see, Grandma.”

“It’s only been a week 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds. Do you need me to convert that into milliseconds or something smaller?”

“…No, thank you.”

Today’s mecha class focused on maneuvering. Since Yu Zhouyao and Mu Mingyue were ahead of the curve, they practiced high-difficulty flight maneuvers together, such as inverted flight. While her hands worked the controls, Yu Zhouyao’s mind began to wander.

Grandma, since you’re an intelligent mecha, can’t you operate autonomously? Does that mean I don’t actually have to learn these moves? I can just let you handle the heavy lifting.

The mechanical voice rejected her sternly. “Absolutely not.”

“Eh? Why not?”

“First, much as I hate to admit it, my current mechanical state and CPU power aren’t high enough to run the intelligent modules for full calculation. My hardware simply won’t support your laziness. Second, a pilot must never stop refining their skills. Truly high-level operations require a combination of manual control and intelligent assistance. You just learned how to drive a kiddie ride and you’re already looking for a free pass? Keep dreaming, you little punk.”

Yu Zhouyao pulled the joystick all the way back, soaring upward at a fifty-degree angle to follow Mu Mingyue. “Then… what if I update your hardware? I’m taking classes on mecha repair and manufacturing. I’ll armor you up, make you the strongest mecha in school again, and you can take me for a cool ride!”

The mechanical voice imitated her elongated tone through the radio waves: “That~ is~ also~ not~ allowed~”

“Hmph. Good person, bad mecha.”

“Yu Zhouyao, what’s with you today? Why are you so focused on being lazy? Oh… are you actually trying to figure out how to help that girl across from us?”

Yu Zhouyao admitted it immediately. “Yeah, so what? Is it a crime to ask?”

The words “Heehee” flashed across the main screen. Yu Zhouyao thought to herself that the mecha was quite the old prankster.

“Neither of your mental link levels are high enough to support intelligent driving yet,” Grandma explained. “Yu Zhouyao, you should know that intelligent driving technology is only used in the military. Do you know why?”

“Technological blockade?”

“No. The barrier isn’t technical; it’s a safety barrier. Last time, we mentioned Mental Blood-Burning. To ensure high-level performance during critical moments, the military systematically trains pilots to do this. It’s based on the passive explosion of human potential during crises. However, actively maintaining mental power at its peak for long periods causes massive physical damage—sometimes leading to paralysis. The military’s top medical teams do their best to maintain the ‘body,’ but in reality, they treat pilots as disposable consumables. If the injury is light, they keep you alive. If it’s heavy… well, they just walk out of the OR and say ‘we did our best.’ Those old fossils in the military have no conscience.”

The voice continued, “Intelligent driving is the same. To increase precision, it requires the pilot to stay in a state of hyper-focus, which often leads them unconsciously into ‘Mental Blood-Burning.’ You understand how dangerous that is? You call me Grandma, so I’d rather you didn’t die so easily. If you kick the bucket, who’s going to entertain me?”

The information was overwhelming. Yu Zhouyao took a few seconds to digest the warning. “Wait, Grandma, I’m still a bit confused. You told me why it’s dangerous, but you didn’t say why I can’t achieve intelligent driving.”

Signal interference flickered on the screen; the mecha seemed annoyed. Finally, three words popped out: “Mental. Power. Consumption.”

“Didn’t your teacher tell you? The core of mecha operation is mental power. The pilot must constantly feed it to the machine. To stay active, an intelligent mecha must constantly feed on mental power. Stop asking; I’ve said too much.”

Yu Zhouyao’s hand tightened on the joystick.

Feeding. This was the third time she had encountered this concept. First, “Your mental power is tasty.” Second, the document about “consuming mental power.” Third, the mecha needing to “feed.”

The answer was right in front of her, and it terrified her. “Grandma… are all intelligent mechas alive?”

The seventy or eighty screens in the cockpit flickered simultaneously as if a chaotic wave of interference had hit them. Static took over the largest display, and a raspy sound emerged. “What do you think, Yu Zhouyao? I’m just old; I’m not dead.”

Yu Zhouyao let out a breath of relief she didn’t know she was holding.

What was she really piloting? A collection of alloy parts? Or a newly born silicon-based lifeform? This wasn’t just “driving”; it was learning to coexist.

The mecha let out a mechanical “pfft.” “Yu Zhouyao, you’re so young to be thinking so much. Overthinking leads to premature aging, kid.”

“Not true,” Zhouyao countered. “Human thinking becomes more active with exercise; it develops the neurons.”

“Heh, think whatever you want then. I’m going to rest. Hey, hey! Watch where you’re going! Turn left—!”

Yu Zhouyao banked the turn with only centimeters to spare. “Phew! Scared the life out of me, kid!”

“I heard you! I’m not deaf!”

Using the banter to calm her racing thoughts, Yu Zhouyao tried to organize her theories.

1. 1. The Link: Pheromones are the physical carrier of mental power. Humans “consume” pheromones; mechas “consume” mental power.

1. 1. The Origin: Intelligent mechas are built from mechanical parts but require a specific process to gain intelligence. Beyond standard fuel, they need mental power to stay “alive.”

1. 1. The Secret: …

“I suggest you stop thinking about that right now,” Grandma’s voice interrupted.

Right, she can read my thoughts.

“Not read. Feel. Thoughts don’t have sound. Thinking about this now won’t help you; it’ll just mess with your head and your progress. Do you really think I’m such an unreliable old lady?”

Yu Zhouyao smiled and thanked her internally, letting the train of thought stop there for now. She threw herself back into training, following Instructor Colin’s lead and Mu Mingyue’s pace.

In the following days, Yu Zhouyao continued to obsess over the puzzle.

• • Question 1: Do pheromones and mental power taste the same?

• • Question 2: How exactly do humans “consume” each other’s pheromones in a way that provides sustenance or power?

• • Question 3: How is an intelligent mecha actually manufactured?

She spent days in the library, but found nothing. It was as if all related documents had vanished the “snow” of censorship had covered all the dark secrets. Mu Mingyue eventually joined her, asking what she was looking for.

“Just the principles of mental power,” Yu Zhouyao replied vaguely. She didn’t dare tell the young miss her shocking theories. She didn’t want to cause a physical relapse for Mu Mingyue, nor did she want both of them to end up in a government facility for knowing too much. She was still counting on her “benefactor” to bail her out if things went south!

Despite their efforts, they found nothing new.

While Yu Zhouyao was hitting a dead end, Dr. Pei seemed to have found something. She sent a message that sent a chill through Zhouyao:

Pei Xian: “Yu Zhouyao, come over when you don’t have class. Do not let Mingyue know.”

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