Chapter Fifty-One: Medicine—The Antidote

"I'm back!" Mingchuan was holding a dagger that, at first glance, looked identical to the one "76" had wielded. He tossed it into the air and caught it again, as if he were playing with a toy.

"Just got back? As captain, you weren't at the barracks just now. Where did you run off to?" Wenxin complained, sounding displeased—or perhaps she was simply fretting over a piece of fruit.

"That's not how you cut fruit!" Mingchuan had already walked up behind Wenxin as he spoke, beginning to guide her hands with his own.

"I've never seen anyone hack at it like that! Wenxin, you can't be so rough with fruit. You need to gently split it down the middle." As he spoke, Mingchuan took Wenxin's hand and showed her the proper technique.

"Alright, alright! Let me do it myself!" Wenxin protested, her hand still in his grasp, betraying the heart of a young girl.

"By the way, did you wash the fruit knife?"

"No."

"..."

Mingchuan was momentarily speechless at Wenxin's reply.

"It's fine, just remember to wash it next time!" He quickly prepared a little saline solution and washed the knife again.

"Even in the twenty-third century, you can't be sure fruit is clean! By the way, Wenxin, what are you doing with the fruit?"

"Juice! I want to make fruit juice."

"Is there some for me?"

"No!" Mingchuan's mood soured at this response.

"No, really?" He leaned in close to Wenxin's lips.

"Fine! I'll behave, alright? Go sit down!" Satisfied with her answer, Mingchuan returned to the sofa.

Behind his back, he took out two small tin boxes and transferred something from one box to the other.

On the other side, Wenxin had already loaded the fruit into the juicer—but apparently, she added something extra.

"Done, it's ready!" Wenxin placed two glasses of juice on the table.

"Thanks!" Mingchuan pressed his cheek against Wenxin's, his left hand busy with something unseen.

"Do you know how to exchange cups?"

"Exchange cups? What's that?"

"Don't know? Let me teach you." Mingchuan took Wenxin's left hand and had her grasp the glass on the left, while he held the other.

"Bend your elbow!" At Mingchuan's command, Wenxin followed his movements, and he took the first sip.

"Is it alright?" Wenxin, still uncertain, drank from her glass.

"Such a strong fruit flavor. Did you add any essence?"

"No, mine tastes the same." Wenxin kept drinking, ignoring Mingchuan.

"Really? Let me try."

"Go away!"

"Oh, I forgot to mention—the move we just did? It's usually something couples do." Wenxin nearly spat her juice in Mingchuan's face at that revelation.

"But we aren't..."

"Aren't we?" They spoke almost in unison.

"Ha! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Wenxin turned away, refusing to respond to Mingchuan.

"Alright, sorry! Let me offer you some candy as an apology." Mingchuan produced a box of sweets.

"Do you think I'm a child? Trying to bribe me with candy?" Yet Wenxin's body betrayed her, unable to resist.

"Still can't help yourself, huh?"

"It's sweet, not bad—but I won't forgive you!" Wenxin, acting like a child, deliberately glanced at Mingchuan's expression, giving off the air of a couple.

"By the way, Mingchuan, you never answered me—where did you go earlier?"

"The British Library. Reading, nothing unusual."

"Why not watch the competition?"

"I can't stand Anthony's attitude, so..."

"And that knife you brought back—what's it for?"

"Oh, this? Dinner time, isn't it perfect for that?" With that, Mingchuan shifted into chef mode: butter, fresh steak, potatoes.

In less than twenty minutes, a Western meal was ready.

"Remember last time you asked me to cook? I'm making it up to you!"

"Thank you, Mingchuan!"

"It's delicious! I asked Tyron, he said our mechs will be upgraded next week before we head out again. Let's go play later!" Mingchuan's meaningful smile hinted that today's outing would be anything but ordinary—was that really the case?

...

— A digression —

The college entrance exams are over! Another class of third-year students is freed (and another class of second-years heads for the battlefield, while first-years face their comprehensive exams)! I hope all seniors will be admitted to their dream schools!