Chapter 66: Surrender, Surrender Nyaa~
Staring at the wide-open door in front of him, both Lu Zheng and the robot beside him fell into silence.
He stood there, dumbfounded for quite some time before he came back to his senses.
What?
Did something just happen?
Why didn’t he know?
Lu Zheng straightened his expression, pretending as though nothing had happened. He straightened his back, lifted his chin, and strode into the room.
“Ara~ Welcome~”
The moment he stepped inside, Yi Ning’s voice rang out from beside him.
Lu Zheng turned toward the voice, full of anticipation.
All the robots had changed their appearances this morning, so naturally the host herself, Yi Ning, wouldn’t still be in her usual lab coat.
She rarely missed a chance to keep things exciting.
What would it be?
A yukata?
A bathrobe?
Or maybe something even bolder, something truly hot-spring-themed…
Lu Zheng took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the white figure ahead.
Unfortunately—All his expectations crumbled.
Standing before him, arms crossed, Yi Ning was wearing her usual short-sleeved T-shirt, long pants, and an especially long lab coat.
Aside from the smooth skin of her collarbone, the rest of her body was covered tightly.
Lu Zheng’s gaze was filled with visible disappointment.
“Eh~ I wear this outfit every day. Why the disappointed look today?”
Naturally, Yi Ning wouldn’t pass up this chance to go on the offensive.
She clasped her hands behind her back, took two steps forward, bent at the waist, and leaned her little head near Lu Zheng’s chest, tilting it to look up at him.
“Could it be… you were thinking impure thoughts?”
She curled her lips.
“Uh…”
Lu Zheng froze, feeling slightly awkward.
After all, he had been fantasizing about what she might be wearing.
But he quickly recovered.
He knew he couldn’t bow his head here. If he did, Yi Ning would surely seize on it and torment him mercilessly.
So, Lu Zheng resolved to build a mental fortress of shamelessness.
As long as I have no shame, no one can morally guilt-trip me!
“So what if I was?”
He puffed out his chest and asked, full of bravado.
Lu Zheng’s bold response gave Yi Ning a moment of hesitation.
She paused.
And that slight pause gave Lu Zheng his opening to strike back.
He pointed at her.
“At the end of the day, as the proprietress of a hot spring center, wearing your lab coat instead of something more fitting—doesn’t that seem inappropriate?”
He clapped the back of his hand into his palm repeatedly, wearing a pained expression.
His words were so righteous, they even made Yi Ning feel a little guilty.
In truth, she had considered changing outfits.
The base had been completely revamped; changing clothes too would make sense.
But when it came to choosing what to wear, Yi Ning got stuck.
Too daring, and she’d be embarrassed. Too conservative, and she didn’t look good.
One thing led to another, and the whole idea got shelved.
Because she had already considered changing, Lu Zheng’s argument caught her off guard.
But only for a moment.
After all, this was Yi Ning.
She quickly recovered.
“What I wear is none of your business! Clothes aren’t free, you know? What, it doesn’t cost you anything so you’re not heartbroken over it?”
She even started criticizing Lu Zheng in return.
She clenched her right fist and raised it high over her head.
“Ugh, why do men always think they can control what women wear? When will we women finally stand tall…”
“All right, all right.”
Seeing Yi Ning about to break out her “turtle punches,” Lu Zheng quickly raised both hands in surrender.
Surrender, surrender nyaa.
Seeing herself in the lead again, Yi Ning puffed up with pride.
“Hmph hmph hmph! This is a dimensional reduction strike from the superior gender!”
Halfway through her gloating, Yi Ning seemed to remember something. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lu Zheng.
She stepped a bit closer, stopping just a foot away from him.
“Hmph hmph hmph~”
She hummed a little tune, rose on tiptoe, and leaned her head toward Lu Zheng’s ear.
“Hey, I’m asking…”
Yi Ning whispered into his ear.
The breath from her words brushed against his ear, making it tickle.
At the same time, a fresh lemony scent filled the air.
Lu Zheng recognized the smell—it was Yi Ning’s shampoo.
Soon after, beneath the layer of body wash, a faint milky fragrance came through.
Body wash?
But if he remembered correctly, Yi Ning’s body wash was mint-scented.
Was he mistaken?
Lu Zheng furrowed his brow.
He sniffed the air instinctively, trying to confirm.
Of course, Yi Ning could easily feel this small action.
She clicked her tongue in exasperation, took a few steps back, and distanced herself from him.
“I mean, I get that as a man, a girl’s hormones might be really attractive to you, but I was literally a guy a few days ago. Can’t you be a bit more discerning?”
“You should tone it down a little—girls don’t like that kind of thing, y’know.”
Naturally, her gaze was filled with disdain.
She even gave him a thumbs-down.
“To put it bluntly, what you just did is what we call a major turn-off.”
Faced with her accusations, Lu Zheng showed an awkward expression.
“Uh…”
“I think I can explain.”
Yi Ning crossed her arms and looked at him helplessly.
“Talk.”
“Well… I feel like I need to clarify something. I’m not some weirdo who likes sniffing girls.”
Lu Zheng’s face was genuinely sincere.
But as the one caught in the act, his explanation felt weak.
“As a hero, even without using my abilities, my physical capabilities far exceed the average person’s.”
“So?”
Yi Ning’s face was ice-cold.
“So my sense of smell is way above average, too.”
“I swear to the heavens, I wasn’t trying to smell you on purpose! It’s those damn olfactory cells! They picked up your scent and sent it straight to my brain!”
Lu Zheng shook his fists in fury, cursing his own biology.
But in the face of his indignant display, Yi Ning remained expressionless.
The reason?
“I heard you sniff.”
Her eyes turned icy as if declaring a death sentence.
Her gaze became knives, slicing Lu Zheng apart piece by piece.
“Uh… I think I can still explain—”
Lu Zheng weakly raised a hand, hoping to appeal.
“What, you're gonna tell me your brain cells were assaulted and violated by your sense of smell?”
Yi Ning curled her lips into a mocking smile.