Chapter 112.3: Ye, Free Tonight?
Chapter 113: Ye, Free Tonight?
Translator:EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor:EndlessFantasy Translation
"Ye, free tonight?" Her voice swirled throughout the room like the breeze of a winter morning, as she stood sternly behind Ye Chong. Rui Bing seriously wondered on what world Ye Chong had been occupying himself with for the past 3 days at the modification room.
The skeleton pieces glossed in brilliant whites on Ye Chong’s hands and there scattered also countless similar pieces inside the case resting before him. That one chunk of bone of his inventory seemed to have been changed into a shower of snowflakes, their surface was extremely smooth, the striations were exuding luxury and beauty.
"Nope." A standard reply from Ye Chong the concise speaker, as his eyes remained glued on the apparatus, not even a second was spared to shift his sight on his beloved. It was as if the apparatus was the rightful mistress of the house, and Rui Bing was certainly becoming a green-eyed monster, desiring that one occasion that she was allowed to smash the distracting machines. But really, Ye Chong’s indifference was the real cause of her envy.
Wait, what am I thinking?
Rui Bing breathed. Once… deeply… out… Twice… deeply… out… She realized that spark of emotion she almost initiated, as she quickly regained her calmness.
Sigh it looked like my training hasn’t been really effective. I’m losing my steadiness. Did I seriously lose control of my temper over trivial things like this just now?
Ye Chong seemed to be unaware of Rui Bing’s strange behavior. The period before three days ago, they were still having combat training together, like a kind husband doing things for his wife’s greatest hobby. Ye Chong accompanied her training and thanks to this hobby they shared time being together. Rui Bing, though her mouth remained zipped, fully appreciated, even treasured the time she had with Ye Chong all alone.
Nevertheless, "Umm… Rui Bing, if you would excuse me…" Three days ago, Ye Chong, came like a winter storm, suggested to pause the combat training. A request it was from him. Rui Bing, with a heavy heart, still gestured her acceptance towards his request without hesitation. And that was when Ye Chong sank into the modification room, and never got out ever since. Rui Bing spent the next three days carrying meals to Ye Chong by hands, as wordlessly as Ye Chong on his desk. She would watch - with a stare of warmth and longing - this man pause the clinking on this desk, began chomping the meals she made silently then turn his chair back onto his work.
She did expected this happening from this man, since not only he was a pilot, but also a martial arts practitioner, as well as a skeleton artisan. Well probably the boy got a new idea on his toy? Rui Bing thought as she looked at Ye Chong completely indulged in his research.
Her eyes were seemingly mesmerized, as the charm of the man in work wafted through her senses.
But no! I’m not giving up! Not today!
"How about a day with me, and not the machine?" Rui Bing’s voice rang cold.
"Nope." Ye Chong’s head remained low above the skeleton pieces. His eyes lustrously gazed at the piece in his hand, so lustrous that Rui Bing once wished she was that piece instead.
Hmph. But she needed to be persistent. Perseverance is the quality of a typical martial arts practitioner! And Rui Bing had already overcome the Jie experts in her field! So she would have far greater perseverance on this!
"It’s just one day." Rui Bing who broke her white flag, repeated, "How about it?" Her frozen face demonstrated no expression, in which her clear eyes reflected one hint of gentle expectation.
Meanwhile Ye Chong had already started drilling these pieces. Rui Bing felt defeated when she had no idea what her man was doing, especially on why he must drill those thin pieces. Practically her comprehension on mech development was nearly zero, although with great efforts she had been trying to catch up with her man’s expertise. For a layman like her it would take time and for people like her, her talent could never beat that monstrous man of hers.
"Really? Nope?" Tilting her head in disbelief, the slight curve her lips made was depicting tiny mischiefs in her head.
"After the work, at least." Ye Chong’s head stayed associated with the bone pieces. Drilling is what shows an artisan’s craftsmanship alright? It demands a pair of firm hands that could withstand the mini quakes steadily, with great concentration, or your hands could be getting new pores anytime. Moreover those bone pieces were harder than they looked, one could tell so with that lasting cry of drills on one single piece, yet Ye Chong, was all determined drilling holes in them.
"No, after my time, at least." Her words came light like her dancing blouse as she spread her legs across the ground, into position, she slid like a graceful swam, eyeing that culprit of her disrupted relationship - that snow white bone piece!
Ye Chong did not lose his sense of alertness despite being fully committed to his work. But he insisted on drilling, the bone piece would be going into the bin if he were to stop in the middle.
Helplessly his hands stoned with the vibration of the driller, as he made a strange twist with his lower body. One leg supporting his entire weight, as he sprang up from his seat with the other and performed an epic kick. Ye Chong already gained full control over every piece of his muscle, skillfully too. So the epic kick was merely simple as his usual soccer kick.
Okay, he’s good.
Rui Bing could not help but compliment Ye Chong’s adaptability even under such circumstance. But it was not good enough! She had done enough training with Ye Chong that she knew his tricks way better than anybody else, as she gently tipped the ground and span in heavy afterimages, one diagonal slid to Ye Chong’s side and her hands rapidly rose over Ye Chong’s piece.
One would sympathize with Ye Chong because his hands were technically immobilized because of his quality assurance and the piece. He was feeling real troubled but he got to act. His springing leg immediately withdrew support of its bones as springy it became and whipped upon Rui Bing.
Heh!
Rui Bing’s raised the corners of her lips, expressing the predictability of Ye Chong’s moves, she made a fancy turn and swung to the other side. Her sleeves were grooving by the gale she created, it felt as if an angel joining a carol on the world under her feet.
The drilling process was finally going to be completed. Ye Chong sighed a relief, his eyes glared at the fair white skeleton piece, that he forgot Rui Bing’s raid.
Rui Bing could hear something snapping in her head as she saw her man still remaining in his position five minutes ago. Ye Chong was lucky that she had very gentle temperament. Still! Her right hand seized that piece from Ye Chong’s hand.
Ye Chong’s right hand was holding the bone piece. The driller was getting through, he was feeling relieved but he saw one hand, with texture smoother and fairer than the bone piece, reaching towards him. He was not on his guard and he did not react on time as his right hand tilted and touched the driller!
Droplets of hemoglobin fluttered throughout the silent space.
His brows tightened as he saw one droplet of his vitality fell onto the sliced bone, which was then fully absorbed, remained as a dark red spot on the surface, like sand absorbing the water upon contact.
"Ah!" Rui Bing shrieked and quickly grabbed that bleeding hand of Ye Chong. She placed the hand into her mouth and began sucking them sympathetically. Her frozen face shattered as regrets and guilt stirred on her pale expression. She licked the bleeding fingers and felt her heart was aching the same degree as Ye Chong.
I’m… I’m sorry…
"Stop messing around." Said Ye Chong as his eyes glanced upon the remaining bone pieces in the case, withdrawing his fingers from the salivating cavity of hers. "Alright?" He returned to his work as normal.
No… I’m not.
Rui Bing looked at Ye Chong being bewitched by his work again, as tears rolled off her cheeks.
It’s… It’s… Do you know what day is today?
Rui Bing tried to word her feeling but something felt like choking her. She carried on watching Ye Chong, all quiet, dead quiet, letting her feelings stream through her cheeks.
An hour lapsed, that it felt like forever. Rui Bing stood behind Ye Chong, her eyes remained on Ye Chong, and Ye Chong was senseless enough to continue working vigorously.
She bit her lips, turned away and walked.
Ye Chong rose from his seat, breathing in the greatest relief all readers could ever imagine, that even Rui Bing could hear it right next to the door. Then she heard the clinking, a different clinking this time, a clinking of conclusion, which haunted her and seized her moving step towards outside.
Ye Chong then turned to his back and flinched upon seeing Rui Bing, "You’re still here?"
"Mhm. Nothing." She responded, her back remaining faced to Ye Chong.
"Well. Here." The flat tone ringing some keyword caused her to turn back to Ye Chong instantly, "Merry Christmas."
It was the case! The same case Ye Chong had been working on forever and ever and ever! Rui Bing tightened her lips as her shaking hands opened the case slowly.
Hah… I …
Her tears overflowed.
It was a pair of knuckles, fairer than the powder snow, livelier than the festive itself, made out of pure skeletons, resting in the case obediently. One piece of the knuckles’ armor was tainted by a fainted crimson spot.
Once again, her sight was blurry as wetted, not by her sadness but a joy of being loved.