Chapter 520: The Sun Sets, and Red Clouds Fly
Chapter 520: The Sun Sets, and Red Clouds Fly
The spaceship continued to glide over the Pacific Ocean.
Since obtaining her new body, Ye Yuqing had been as restless as a monkey, buzzing with nonstop energy.
During daylight hours, she wandered the spaceship, dove into the sea to hunt sea monsters, and pestered Fang Cheng to carry her flying through the air. At night, she clung to Asaka Akihime for sleep, kicking Fang Cheng away whenever he tried to join them – leaving him gritting his teeth in irritation.
One day, Asaka Akihime had been dragged off somewhere by Ye Yuqing again.
Finding himself alone, Fang Cheng retreated to his room to play games with the “Super Cool and Cute God.”
They’d barely started when the door creaked open, revealing Asaka Akihime slipping inside.
Her tank top strained dangerously against her chest, stretched to its limit by her full figure. Below, shorts showcased pale thighs as smooth and endless as marble pillars.
Fang Cheng blinked. “I thought you were out with Ye Yuqing?”
She clicked the lock shut. “She’s swimming. Won’t return for hours.”
He tilted his head. Locking doors felt unnecessary when most areas stood empty, the few hundred outsiders confined to their restricted zone.
But with Ye Yuqing finally gone…
Fang Cheng’s inner rooster fluffed its feathers. He abandoned his game. “Need something, Akihime?”
Her cheeks bloomed pink, pulse drumming in her ears. She’d picked this moment to finally achieve what she’d always failed at before. No bed invaders, no interruptions – if not now under these scarlet skies, then never. Back in Mechanical City, Kanzaki Rin’s hawk-eyed surveillance would choke any opportunity.
Steeling herself, she closed the distance. “Cheng-kun… what would you like for dinner?”
He shrugged. “Whatever’s easy. That’s all you came to ask?”
Her breath hitched. Leaning until her lips brushed his ear, she whispered, “Then… would you prefer dinner first…” A trembling pause. “…or me?”
The words left her dizzy, courage evaporating – yet she held his gaze, determined to show her resolve.
Fang Cheng’s lips curved. “Oh.”
Asaka Akihime froze. What kind of reaction was that?
Is it a rejection?
Before Asaka Akihime could feel disappointed, Fang Cheng had already pulled her into an embrace, chuckling, “This is Chinese wordplay. You need to separate the characters.”
Asaka Akihime finally caught his meaning, her cheeks flushing crimson with embarrassment.
……
The sun dipped below crimson-clouded hills.
Amidst the sunset-stained sky, Ye Yuqing hauled herself back onto the spaceship, dragging a colossal tuna nearly ten meters long.
She dashed toward the ship’s galley, already imagining tonight’s grilled fish feast.
Meanwhile, Fang Cheng and Asaka Akihime lay entwined in his room.
Their soaked bed now resembled a shallow pool. Had they been ordinary humans, such bodily fluids would’ve left them mummified in pyramids.
From midday till dusk – their first proper “exercise session” since departing Area 11 for North America.
“Cheng-kun…”
The woman resting against his chest murmured his name.
Fang Cheng glanced down. “Hmm?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to say it.”
Her adoring gaze mirrored years of shared history, from high school desks to this tangled bedsheet present.
Asaka Akihime’s heart swelled with triumph. She’d claimed Cheng-kun’s “first” before Kanzaki Rin.
She could barely wait to casually mention this “achievement” to her rival.
Suddenly lifting her head, she eyed him suspiciously. “Cheng-kun… why are you so experienced?”
“Well…”
His eyes danced mischievously. “Daily arm workouts perfected my manual techniques. Combined with nightly… educational document reviews. Mastering key areas, maintaining focus, persistent practice – that’s my secret.”
When confusion lingered on her face, he playfully smacked her rear. “Weren’t you studying those tutorial videos too? No room for criticism!”
Her blush deepened. Though theoretically prepared, today marked her first practical exam – unexpectedly successful.
Clearly, ongoing “studies” were necessary to maintain her edge.
“Call me ‘husband’,” he demanded.
Unlike the prickly Kanzaki Rin, she obliged sweetly: “Husband.”
“Now ‘darling’.”
“Darling.”
“Say ‘daddy’.”
“…”
Asaka Akihime flushed at the memory of today’s absurd antics. She gave Fang Cheng’s arm a half-hearted pinch. “You’re terrible!”
Fang Cheng’s mischievous mood resurfaced. “How about we try eighteen degrees this time?”
Glancing at the crimson sunset outside, Asaka Akihime stiffened. “We can’t! Ye Yuqing must’ve returned by now.”
Fang Cheng finally noticed the absence. “Where did she go anyway?”
“I… told her I wanted a ten-meter tuna.” Asaka Akihime’s cheeks burned.
The guy nearly laughed. She’d tricked her own naive counterpart into ocean-diving for hours just to ambush him. Fang Cheng could only offer an impressed thumbs-up.
“Next time tell her you crave a ten-ton octopus.”
Asaka Akihime shot him a glare while scrambling from bed. She needed to start dinner before Ye Yuqing grew suspicious. But her legs betrayed her – she collapsed knees-first onto the floor.
Fang Cheng’s breath hitched at her compromising position. When she tried rising, he pressed her back down.
“Don’t!” She squirmed, face crimson. “Yuqing will catch us!”
“We’ll be quick!”
Their hushed argument froze at Ye Yuqing’s call through the door: “Akihime? You in there?”
Asaka Akihime trembled while Fang Cheng’s eyes lit up – this troublemaker had delivered herself for punishment. But the guilt-ridden woman shook her head fiercely. She’d manipulated Ye Yuqing all day and couldn’t face exposure now.
Fang Cheng reluctantly called out: “She’s not here!”
“Why’s the door locked then?” Ye Yuqing’s suspicion cut through the wood. “We never lock doors here!”
Caught off guard, Fang Cheng blurted: “Doing… craftwork!”
“What crafts?”
“Handcrafts!”
“Open up!” The doorknob rattled. “This won’t take long!”
“Talk tonight!”
“No! I need answers now!”
“I’m not available right now.”
“Is Akihime in there?”
“No…”
“Then why won’t you open the door?”
Fang Cheng stumbled over his words. When it came to catching someone red-handed, did even the dim-witted become geniuses?
Asaka Akihime had already begun searching for a hiding place.
But the room offered no secret spot to conceal a living person—the bed’s underside barely had a sliver of space.
Jumping out the window into the sea wasn’t an option.
Ye Yuqing kept knocking outside, clearly having the power to break the door down effortlessly.
Panicking, Asaka Akihime moved toward the window.
Fang Cheng held her still and coated her body with blood, morphing it into optical camouflage.
He switched off the lights, leaving the room dim. Asaka Akihime nearly merged with the surroundings, undetectable even if scrutinized.
“Open up!”
Ye Yuqing’s impatient voice rang out. “I’ll smash this door if you don’t!”
Fang Cheng guided Asaka Akihime to the door’s edge and turned the handle.
Asaka Akihime’s heart pounded with nerves.
She knew Ye Yuqing, being a proxy, possessed heightened senses—detecting another person in such proximity would be child’s play.
Yet Fang Cheng had a solution.
The door swung open. Ye Yuqing, clad in a skimpy swimsuit, darted inside, her sharp gaze hunting for evidence of wrongdoing.
Fang Cheng seized her arm, yanked her forward, and crushed his lips against hers.
“Mmph—!”
Ye Yuqing weakly thumped his chest before melting into the kiss.
Crouching nearby, Asaka Akihime clamped both hands over her face, silencing every breath.
Only faint rustling sounds permeated the shadowy room.
Distracted by the passionate kiss, Ye Yuqing noticed nothing amiss.
Time blurred until Ye Yuqing felt chilly air on her skin—most of her swimsuit now lay discarded.
Scarlet-faced, she shoved Fang Cheng away and bolted.
“Why run?” he called after her.
“I—I’m hungry!” Ye Yuqing stammered, fleeing. “Done playing with you!”
Fang Cheng chuckled at her retreating footsteps.
Despite her bold personality, Ye Yuqing turned bashful regarding intimate matters, like an innocent girl.
Though gentle and easily flustered in public, Asaka Akihime took initiative in private—much like her secret habit of reading risqué novels.
After Ye Yuqing ran off, Asaka Akihime forced her weak body to leave Fang Cheng’s room. She found a bathroom to shower, washing away all traces from her skin as her stamina swiftly returned. Changing into swimwear, she deliberately dampened herself before heading to the cafeteria.
Ye Yuqing stood there staring at an enormous tuna. Asaka Akihime’s eyelid twitched at the sight – she’d merely made up an excuse to trick Ye Yuqing into diving, never expecting her to actually haul back such massive prey.
“There you are!” Ye Yuqing complained upon spotting her. “Where’d you disappear to?”
“I went searching for you when you didn’t return,” Asaka Akihime answered calmly.
Seeing the dripping swimsuit, Ye Yuqing accepted this: “Silly. What danger could I face?” Guilt flickered through Asaka Akihime’s heart. If Ye Yuqing could catch this, maybe next time…
“You seem…different,” Ye Yuqing suddenly observed.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Asaka Akihime deflected. “Cheng-kun mentioned you threatening to break his door earlier?”
Ye Yuqing’s face reddened. “N-nothing happened!” Both fell silent, staring at the oddly glowing tuna.
“Grilled fish tonight?”
“Sure.”
…
“Minghui? What’s wrong?” Kanzaki Rin frowned during their phone call, hearing labored breathing.
“J-just…exercising…”
“But you said you were resting in bed!”
“Got…stiff…ah!”
“What now?”
“Twisted…ankle…bye!” The line went dead. Kanzaki Rin’s face hardened. Though she didn’t watch porn, she recognized those sounds. She’d expected this when Fang Cheng and Asaka Akihime traveled together, but fury still rose in her chest. How dare they flaunt it?
CRACK! Her pen snapped.
“Wifey! To what do I owe-” Fang Cheng’s teasing voice answered her call.
“What. Are. You. Doing.”
“Daily exercise,” he replied, hand tracing Asaka Akihime’s bare back.
“Video. Now.”
“Hiss! That’s…inappropriate.”
[Wifey requested video call]
[Declined]
[Wifey requested video call]
[Declined]
A gory animation arrived – a geoduck being ripped apart. Fang Cheng shuddered violently.