I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 30

Yu Zhouyao closed her eyes, and her consciousness dove into the deep sea.

She returned to the familiar ocean, wandering freely through the waters of her mental power like a fish. She remembered Instructor Liu Jiang’s warning: relax the body, feel the world naturally, and observe the flow of her energy.

Yu Zhouyao swam upstream, starting from the vast ocean, moving into every tributary, reaching the source of every stream. In this mental world, she cupped a handful of water. The nectar flowed through her fingers, nourishing every cell. She felt a warm glow spread through her, as if her meridians were being opened one by one.

She dove back into the sea, trying to feel the resistance of the water and the rhythm of the waves. But the surface was mirror-still. Not a single ripple moved.

How could an ocean fed by so many streams be so motionless? Yu Zhouyao refused to believe it. She swiped her hand through the water, trying to force a wake.

Nothing happened. The sea remained dead calm. She couldn’t even stir a tiny wave. After several failed attempts, exhaustion set in. She opened her eyes and returned to the real world.

The electronic voice chimed in right on schedule. “Well, Yu Zhouyao? Not going so smoothly, is it?”

Yu Zhouyao curled her lips and retorted, “Can’t you wish me even a little bit of luck, old lady? Say that again, and I’ll throw you into that stagnant pond with me.”

“Hehe.”

Despite the initial failure, Yu Zhouyao wasn’t discouraged. She opened the comms to seek help from Liu Jiang.

“Instructor, I did feel my mental power,” she explained. “But… I couldn’t feel any waves or fluctuations. Why is that?”

Liu Jiang fell into deep thought. “Mhm… that’s quite rare. Let me think.”

The Grandma Mecha couldn’t resist interjecting, sounding quite smug. “See? I told you. This teacher of yours can’t help you. He doesn’t even know the basics. Tsk, tsk.”

Then… our wisest Mecha Grandma, you must know why, right?

“Hmph, you brat. You’ve been planning to steal my secrets from the start, haven’t you?”

Oh, Grandma, you’re so kind. You wouldn’t want to see me hit a brick wall, would you? Please…

The electronic pitch rose as the mecha spoke: “Since you asked so sincerely, I shall show mercy. Yu Zhouyao, you felt it yourself, didn’t you? Your mental spectrum is permanently stuck at a low baseline. In the mental world, that means no waves. This is in direct conflict with ‘Mental Blood-Burning.’

A low spectrum means high stability, it’s easy to feel but hard to surge. A high spectrum means it’s easier to mobilize for maximum power. Neither is inherently ‘better.’ But in your case, you aren’t built for Blood-Burning. It’s dangerous, you aren’t suited for it, and trying to force it might destroy your natural stability. Give it up, you little troublemaker.”

Yu Zhouyao wasn’t ready to quit. “Effort moves mountains, Grandma. As a kid, I survived by fighting for scraps in trash heaps. My motto is: effort always pays off. Even if I can’t master it, I’ll learn something along the way that might help Mu Mingyue.”

The electronic voice sighed and went silent.

Over the next few weeks, Yu Zhouyao continued her weekend “extra credit” training, but her mental power remained as still as a frozen lake. Anxiety began to creep in. Technical barriers could be broken, but time was running out. Mecha class had finished basic and special flight training; combat drills were starting next week.

On Thursday afternoon, the two girls sat in the mecha classroom.

“Miss Mu… next week, we start combat techniques,” Yu Zhouyao said, frowning. Mu Mingyue nodded calmly. “Yes. I know.” “We still haven’t found a way to control your instability.” “I know you’re worried about me, Zhouyao.”

Yu Zhouyao turned away. “Of course I’m worried! When you lost control before, the pressure was terrifying. There are so many people in this classroom. If you lose it here, the fallout will be way worse than last time. And what about you? It damages your body every time. I just… I worry about you.”

Mu Mingyue leaned in, resting her cheek on Yu Zhouyao’s shoulder. “Oh, Zhouyao, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’ve dealt with this my whole life; I have experience. With you and Instructor Colin there, it’ll be okay. Don’t be so gloomy! Even I’m not as sad as you are!”

To prepare for the worst, Yu Zhouyao visited Dr. Pei to stock up on suppressants.

“Why are you taking these?” Pei Xian asked. “Based on your theory, shouldn’t we be fixing the mental power issue instead?” Yu Zhouyao bit her lip. “Because we haven’t made progress on the fix yet. These are for insurance. Will you be there next week?” “If you want me there, I’ll come. Having a doctor on site is safer.”

The new week arrived, and the first mecha class began. Following the routine, Instructor Colin ordered everyone into their machines. Yu Zhouyao hopped into the Grandma Mecha.

“Yo, back again?” Grandma greeted her. “Is it the loser of the mental power world, Yu Zhouyao? Planning to keep failing at Blood-Burning today?”

Yu Zhouyao forced a smile. Across the room, she saw Mu Mingyue boarding her white mecha. The young miss flashed a peace sign through the glass. Yu Zhouyao’s unease peaked.

She ignored Grandma’s teasing and spoke rapidly, like a machine gun. “Honorable Ancestor, as the only intelligent mecha in this room, you are clearly the strongest. I have a request. I want you to look after Mu Mingyue. You said intelligent mechas can consume mental power. If she loses control, you can help her by absorbing the excess. I’ll count to three; if you don’t object, it’s a deal. Three, two, one.”

“Wait, wait, Yu Zhouyao, what are you doing?”

“Great, you agreed!” Yu Zhouyao cut her off. “I’m going to swap mechas with her. Since you’re so smart, I’m sure you can find a way to link to her machine. Bye!”

“YU ZHOUYAO! YOU CAN’T JUST.”

Accompanied by the mecha’s panicked electronic shrieks, Yu Zhouyao jumped out of the cockpit and ran to Mu Mingyue’s mecha. She tapped on the alloy casing.

“Zhouyao? What’s wrong?” “Nothing. I just had a sudden thought—let’s swap mechas.” “Eh? Why so sudden?” “Just for a change of pace. Is that okay, Mingyue?” Mu Mingyue laughed. “Zhouyao, stop worrying about me.” “I put suppressants in that one, just in case,” Yu Zhouyao said seriously. “Maybe my usual machine will bring you good luck?” “Hahaha, fine, fine. I’ll swap with you.”

Yu Zhouyao watched Mu Mingyue board the Grandma Mecha before climbing into the white mecha herself.

Unsurprisingly, the moment she linked, her comms exploded with a roar from Grandma Mecha—though it was being channeled through the white mecha’s basic system: “YU ZHOUYAO! YOU [REDACTED]! YOU THREW THIS BOMB AT ME?! YOU [REDACTED]! YOU ARE TRULY NOT HUMAN! [REDACTED]!”

The cursing was so foul that Yu Zhouyao actually felt relieved. If she’s that mad, it means I did the right thing.

She let out a long breath.

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