Chapter 162: Backlash

Tong Wan went to the kitchen, while Mozhi Yi, Mozhi Lianhao, and the others gathered to discuss matters nearby. Xuan Xuan reclined lazily on the sofa, chatting in low, casual tones with Mozhi Weihao and the other.

After lunch, to avoid being dragged away by Tong Wan to watch television or being bombarded with endless, nonsensical questions, Xuan Xuan retreated directly to her bedroom and logged into the Star Network.

Arriving once again at the Centella Star, Xuan Xuan had not even drawn close when she spotted Zhan Yu standing outside the entrance of her laboratory. He was turned slightly, watching a phantom fox darting up and down nearby. Under the sunlight, Zhan Yu’s silhouette made Xuan Xuan’s heart skip a beat quite unexpectedly.

That sensation arose involuntarily, yet Xuan Xuan did not feel any aversion to it.

Glancing up at him, she realized that in reality, he was even more handsome and striking. Here in the virtual world, his appearance seemed considerably more ordinary. However, whether within the Star Network or in the real world, Zhan Yu’s pair of eyes remained equally captivating.

They lacked Kuang Shao’s soul-stirring, fluid brilliance, nor did they possess the exquisite, flawless perfection of her father's eyes. Yet, those dark, profound eyes felt exceptionally pleasant to Xuan Xuan, bringing a sense of tranquil comfort.

The corners of Xuan Xuan’s lips curved upward. It felt as though she had known him for quite a long time, and he still remained exactly as he had always been. She, on the other hand, had undergone a complete transformation, practically becoming a new person.

Zhan Yu suddenly turned his head. Seeing Xuan Xuan standing before him, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

Pressing his lips together slightly, he asked, "Why did you come up?"

"Weren't you supposed to get your magic storage device?" Xuan Xuan answered, having genuinely kept this matter in mind.

Suddenly, Xuan Xuan frowned, staring fixedly at Zhan Yu. The magic storage device had clearly been promised by her "teacher," and that arrangement had been made a long time ago.

Xuan Xuan’s gaze remained locked onto Zhan Yu. Zhan Yu acted as though he noticed nothing amiss, merely looking back at her with a gentle smile, the curve of his lips unchanging by even the slightest fraction.

Did he know?

Xuan Xuan furrowed her brows slightly. If so, why didn't he ask anything?

Yet, given the immense disparity between the two identities, how on earth could he have figured it out?

Tilting her head in thought, she recalled that he had once asked her who she truly was.

Had he already been suspicious back then?

Seeing Zhan Yu's gaze remain steady and devoid of any strange reactions, Xuan Xuan fell into a dilemma. Was it all just a coincidence, or did Zhan Yu genuinely know the truth?

Watching Xuan Xuan wrinkle her little dumpling-like face, Zhan Yu’s lips curled upward. He guessed that Xuan Xuan had just realized the truth—that he had discovered the connection between her and her "teacher"—otherwise, she wouldn't be looking at him with such a conflicted expression.

Uncertain of what was going on inside Xuan Xuan's head, Zhan Yu simply stood there quietly, watching her with a smile, curious to see how she would react. He half-expected her to resort to threats and enticements to forbid him from speaking of it, or perhaps to offer a flat, stubborn denial.

Yet, to his utter astonishment, after studying him for a moment without a word, Xuan Xuan turned abruptly on her heel and walked straight into the laboratory.

Zhan Yu was left speechless. He stood at the threshold, staring at her retreating back for a long time. *Well, that is certainly her style,* he thought with a soft sigh, before following her into the lab.

Xuan Xuan refused to overthink the matter. Whether Zhan Yu knew something or not was ultimately unimportant; first and foremost, she knew he would never speak of it. That trust existed without any logical reason, yet Xuan Xuan firmly believed in it—perhaps forged through more than a decade of shared history, rendering any spoken assurances entirely unnecessary.

Secondly, Zhan Yu currently appeared unconcerned by these details. Whether it was true or not mattered little, and she had no reason to offer any explanation.

Rather than remaining tangled in doubt, she decided to let it go. As for the long-delayed magic storage device, if she didn't finish it soon, even she would start to feel embarrassed.

Having already completed the preliminary work, Xuan Xuan lowered her head and concentrated on sketching the final array lines. Only then did she look back up at Zhan Yu and prompt, "Take a look."

"Do you know the meaning of a ring?" Zhan Yu took the ring from Xuan Xuan’s palm with a smile and, before she could react, slipped it onto his own finger.

Xuan Xuan cast a glance at him, but Zhan Yu did not avoid her gaze, leaving Xuan Xuan feeling rather strange. Lowering her gaze to his hand, she took a tiny thorn and gently pierced the skin of Zhan Yu’s finger, watching a single droplet of blood slowly seep into the ring.

Only then did she explain, "You can control it with your mental power, or with your energy. From now on, you can store a portion of energy inside it in advance and use it when your reserves run low. It acts just like a portable magic source, but keep in mind that you will need to recharge it yourself."

Zhan Yu tested it briefly, a look of mild astonishment crossing his eyes. Such a tiny object was capable of holding such a vast quantity of energy.

Xuan Xuan smiled smugly. Anything produced by her was naturally extraordinary.

Zhan Yu reached out and ruffled her hair; those locks, currently as smooth and black as silk, were actually quite pleasing to look at.

Xuan Xuan slapped his hand away. Tong Wan had warned her that having one’s head touched would stunt one's growth, and she had no desire to end up like she was on the Manta Continent, still having to tilt her head up just to look Zhan Yu in the eye.

Zhan Yu chuckled softly and asked, "Did something happen to the mechas you left at the school?"

Xuan Xuan nodded and replied, "They were stolen. Bai Ruchen, controlled by the Zerg, rescued Xuan Guo and took those five mechas along with the escape."

"Haha, Principal Liao Kun is likely going to suffer a bitter loss this time," Zhan Yu remarked. Although he was not intimately familiar with Mozhi Yi's temperament, he had heard enough rumors; under such circumstances, based on Mozhi Yi's character, there was no way he would let the matter rest easily.

Xuan Xuan let out a light huff. Were people of the Mozhi family really that unreasonable?

A smile lingered in Zhan Yu’s eyes, and he said no more, knowing that if he continued, Xuan Xuan might just chase him out.

Just as Xuan Xuan prepared to begin crafting the magic converter, her brow suddenly knitted together. "Something's happened on Xuan Guo's end."

Zhan Yu’s expression shifted instantly. "What is it?"

"I left a little trick on Xuan Guo earlier so I could monitor her at any time." Zhan Yu was already aware of this.

Pausing for a moment to confirm that trouble had indeed arisen, Xuan Xuan continued, "The Zerg parasite within Xuan Guo has turned on her."

Zhan Yu found this puzzling. Weren't the Zerg inside Xuan Guo something she had willingly allowed to parasitize her?

Why would there be a backlash from the parasite?

Xuan Xuan did not bother to explain further, surmising that the Zerg must have sensed danger and decided to flee.

Dropping the tools in her hand, she said, "I'm going to take a look."

"Where?" Zhan Yu asked urgently.

Xuan Xuan’s fading, illusory figure left behind a single word: "Yachen Hotel."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhan Yu logged off immediately and hurried toward the location Xuan Xuan had specified.

Xuan Xuan did likewise, rushing to exit the Star Network right away. She moved so swiftly that even Mozhi Lianhao and the others didn't notice until after she had gone, receiving only a report from Yiqiong stating that Xuan Xuan had suddenly departed.

Utilizing spatial transfer, Xuan Xuan reached the entrance of the hotel where Xuan Guo was staying within two steps. Frowning, she realized she had arrived too late.

She swept the surroundings of the hotel and probed carefully with her mental power, yet found nothing. Just as she was about to enter the building to conduct a thorough search inside, a flying car suddenly pulled up to the entrance. Glancing over, she thought, *Zhan Yu?*

The person stepping out of the car was indeed Zhan Yu. He was still dressed in pure white loungewear, which softened his usual stern demeanor considerably.

"How is it?" Zhan Yu stepped forward the moment he emerged from the car to ask.

Xuan Xuan shook her head. "Nothing discovered for now. Let's go inside and check."

Zhan Yu nodded. Seeing surrounding passersby looking their way, he realized he had rushed over in such a hurry that he was still wearing his casual home clothes. Though not terribly improper, Zhan Yu felt a slight trace of awkwardness. Xuan Xuan, blessed with sharp eyes, caught the faint blush rising on his neck.

Curious, she spared him a few extra glances. Was Zhan Yu actually feeling shy?

Zhan Yu gave a couple of dry coughs and averted his gaze.

Just as the two of them were about to step inside, Xuan Xuan’s communicator chimed. Glancing at the screen and seeing Mozhi Lianhao’s name, she accepted the call.

Mozhi Lianhao’s face bore a hint of anxiety. Xuan Xuan had vanished abruptly without the slightest warning, leaving them clueless about where she had gone, having utilized direct spatial transfer to leave. Seeing now that Xuan Xuan appeared unharmed, he finally exhaled a breath of relief. However, when his eyes caught the figure of Zhan Yu standing beside her, Mozhi Lianhao’s expression darkened instantly. "Where are you?" he demanded.

Xuan Xuan remained unaware that her father’s facial expressions had grown increasingly mercurial and incomprehensible as of late, but she answered honestly nonetheless, "Yachen Hotel."

Mozhi Lianhao drew in a sharp breath. Glancing over at Zhan Yu in his loungewear on his end, Mozhi Lianhao flared up immediately. "Zhan Yu, how dare you!"

*Eh?* Zhan Yu was momentarily stunned. What had he done?

"Third Young Master," Mozhi Lianhao’s temper seemed rather inexplicable.

"Xuan Xuan, get back here immediately," Mozhi Lianhao said through a cold face, trying his best to remain composed as he simultaneously ordered Yiqiong to follow closely.

"Why should I go back?" Xuan Xuan asked, bewildered. "Xuan Guo is upstairs, though the Zerg inside her seems to have escaped."

Mozhi Lianhao’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt, the expression on his face freezing instantly. *What on earth is happening here?*

"You went looking for Xuan Guo?" Mozhi Lianhao asked.

Xuan Xuan nodded. What else could she possibly have been doing?

He cast a sideways glance past Xuan Xuan at Zhan Yu standing behind her. "Then what is he doing there?"

"I ran into him on the Star Network, and when I discovered something was wrong with Xuan Guo, I asked him to come along and help." Xuan Xuan looked at Zhan Yu, then back at her father, wondering why Mozhi Lianhao always wore such a gloomy expression whenever Zhan Yu was mentioned.

Covering her confusion with a couple of dry coughs, she wondered why he had been so anxious and worried in the first place.

Beside Mozhi Lianhao, Yiqiong couldn't help but turn his head away to stifle a laugh. His Third Young Master was simply reading far too much into the situation.

Mozhi Lianhao shot Yiqiong a frigid glare, causing the subordinate to snap straight into a rigid posture instantly, forcing all laughter back down into his chest.

Only then did Mozhi Lianhao look back at Xuan Xuan with a trace of awkwardness. "The Zerg inside Xuan Guo escaped? Did it flee on its own, or were other Zerg providing reinforcements?"

Xuan Xuan nodded and said, "I suspect that because I caught it once before, it panicked and ended up counterattacking Xuan Guo to make its escape."

"When did this happen?" Mozhi Lianhao’s expression turned grave.

"Just now. It shouldn't have gotten very far, but its concealment is too thorough."

"I'm bringing Mozhi Weihao and the other along with your eldest uncle to help out. Don't act rashly; prioritize your safety," Mozhi Lianhao instructed.

After a moment's thought, Xuan Xuan said, "Bring Lou Yitong along as well."

Mozhi Lianhao nodded, though he still couldn't resist shooting one final glare in Zhan Yu's direction.

Noticing the peculiar expression on Mozhi Lianhao's face and glancing back at Zhan Yu beside her, Xuan Xuan felt a touch of embarrassment herself, but she nodded all the same and terminated the call.