After reading the game instructions, Ruan Mingchu grabbed a pair of spoons and gave one to Mu Yu: "Here you go."
After saying that, he took the lead and bit the spoon handle into his mouth, urging Mu Yu with his eyes.
Mu Yu glanced at the other groups. Because the spoon handles were very short, their faces were very close together, about ten centimeters apart.
This is way too close. Mu Yu instinctively felt uncomfortable. During battle, Mu Yu wouldn't feel anything when he was face-to-face with someone, but this was different.
Urged on by Ruan Mingchu, Mu Yu, her ears red, bit the spoon handle, trying to minimize the biting part and widen the distance between them.
However, this won't work; it will be difficult to support the candy.
Ruan Mingchu removed the spoon from his mouth and said, "You can't do it like this, you have to do it like this."
As he spoke, he pinched Mu Yu's chin and pushed the spoon handle into Mu Yu's mouth.
"Bite down."
Mu Yu bit down, stunned.
Ruan Mingchu laughed: "Great, hang in there."
Mu Yu felt his face burning. Had Ruan Mingchu not yet gotten out of the princess role? Had he just treated him like a silly child?
Unfortunately, Mu Yu wouldn't voice his doubts, so Ruan Mingchu naturally had no way to answer them for him.
For the first time, Mu Yu was grateful that he could hold his breath for a long time; holding his breath and concentrating was his current state.
Noticing Mu Yu's nervousness, Ruan Mingchu smiled reassuringly, which only made Mu Yu more nervous, and the spoon trembled.
The third challenge is for one person to sit on another person's back and do push-ups; twenty push-ups are required to pass.
It's simple; the army sometimes trains like this. This time, Nguyen Minh Thu didn't argue with Mu Yu; instead, he sat on Mu Yu's back and let Mu Yu do push-ups.
Mu Yu assumed a position on the ground and felt two soft, light things on his back, which made his back a little itchy.
Ruan Mingchu even tried to bounce his buttocks, and the sudden movement almost made Mu Yu fall over.
Mu Yu gritted his teeth: "Don't move."
Ruan Mingchu innocently replied with an "Oh".
...
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu persevered until the tenth and final level.
The host invited the remaining five couples to the stage for a human interpretation of the final challenge.
"Our final challenge won't test physical strength or skills, it will only test a tiny bit of perception."
As he spoke, he took out a long, stick-shaped cookie and gestured with his hand: "Two people eat cookies together, and the one whose remaining length is closest to one centimeter wins. As before, no mental power allowed."
These kinds of games are a piece of cake for couples who have kissed before; at most, they'll just feel shy in a crowd.
But the relationship between Nguyen Minh Thu and Mu Yu was "completely innocent," which was far too explicit!
Mu Yu was extremely embarrassed, while Ruan Mingchu, who treated everything as a task/game, was not embarrassed at all and even called out to Mu Yu, "Come on, come on."
Mu Yu stiffly put one end of the biscuit into his mouth, hesitating about his next move, while his opponent Ruan Mingchu had already snapped off more than half of it, and the two of them instantly closed the distance between them.
Ruan Mingchu's breath sprayed onto Mu Yu's face, and it seemed as if the temperature of the air rose for a moment.
Immediately, Mu Yu held his breath and focused his mind. He decided to remain motionless and let Ruan Mingchu do whatever he wanted; he would just stand there like a pillar.
However, unlike a spoon handle, a cookie will not change color due to saliva, while a cookie will be dissolved in the mouth.
Mu Yu had no choice but to advance little by little.
Soon, their noses were touching.
Mu Yu tried to lean back, but Ruan Mingchu pressed down on the back of his head with one hand and pulled him forward instead.
Mu Yu: "Hmm?"
Ruan Mingchu: "Mm."
Mu Yu didn't understand what Ruan Mingchu was saying, but he felt that Ruan Mingchu was getting closer and closer to him...
Ruan Minh Thu, with his exceptional perception, successfully secured first place.
The games all come with prizes, which may not be very valuable, but they are very meaningful souvenirs.
The prize for first place in the two-player game is a pair of plush toy pendants, one pink and one blue, each holding a heart.
After receiving the prize, Ruan Mingchu wanted to share one with Mu Yu, since they had worked hard together to earn it, but when she turned around, she couldn't find Mu Yu anywhere.
What happened that you're in such a hurry? Ruan Mingchu tried to contact Mu Yu using his terminal, but received no reply, so he simply went back to his dormitory.
Let's give it to him when Mu Yu has time. Or we can take it back and record a sound first. This doll has a timer function and can be customized with a reminder sound.
Mu Yu had already fled when Ruan Mingchu took the biscuits to be appraised.
Back in the dorm, I rushed into the bathroom, where a rush of cold water hit my head.
However, it cannot wash away the tenderness imprinted in my heart.
Mu Yu gently pressed his lips to his own; they did feel quite soft...
The exam period begins after New Year's Day, and it consists of both theoretical and practical assessments.
Yes, that's right. They don't have many theoretical classes, but they have theoretical exams every semester. The content is the same as what was taught in the first month of freshman year, and they claim that it will never go beyond the syllabus.
The dormitory buildings of the comprehensive military academy became a spectacular sight at night, a testament to their dedication and tireless efforts in preparing for battle.
After the game, Ruan Mingchu felt that Mu Yu seemed to be avoiding her.
They barely exchanged a nod when they met, which meant that Ruan Mingchu not only failed to fight Mu Yu, but also didn't get to share the prize with him.
What annoyed Ruan Mingchu was that, although he didn't know why his body was still in this state, his injuries and strength had almost recovered.
Moreover, the matter of his ambush six months ago has been resolved. If nothing unexpected happens, Ruan Mingchu will leave here and return to the Imperial Star after the school holidays, where he is needed.
Before Ruan Mingchu could even ask Gong Zhushen what was wrong with Mu Yu, Mu Yu came to him on his own initiative.
Mu Yu invited Ruan Mingchu to his home during the holidays: "Meng Shuo, that mermaid wants to see you."
So Ruan Mingchu boarded the flying machine to Mu Yu's house.
When she agreed, she was thinking about the mermaid all the time, but now that she's calmed down, Ruan Mingchu feels a little awkward.
He asked Mu Yu, "What have you been busy with lately?"
Mu Yu replied, "There's been some unusual activity from the Star Pirates. Marshal Mu sent me to investigate."
Ruan Mingchu simply said "Oh," meaning he wasn't avoiding him. It was rare to find a friend who clicked with him; Ruan Mingchu even planned to create a beautiful story of harmonious relations between ruler and subject in the future.
"Oh, right, here you go." Ruan Mingchu took out the pink doll. "These are the ones we won in that game last time, one for each of us."
Mu Yu stiffly accepted it: "Okay, okay." Memories she had been trying so hard to forget surged up again, leaving Mu Yu at a loss.
When Ruan Mingchu saw that Mu Yu did not move, he enthusiastically took the doll and hung it on Mu Yu's waist, just like he did himself.
When Mu Yu saw Ruan Mingchu's own pink and blue outfit, symmetrically distributed, he felt terrible.
Unfortunately, Ruan Mingchu, who was usually quite perceptive, was oblivious to Mu Yu's unusual behavior.
Mu Yu's family lives on Xuanwu Star. Xuanwu Star is a military stronghold of the Shuangjiu Star System, where high-ranking officers reside.
In Ruan Mingchu's vision, Mu Yu's home should be a simple and efficient black and white minimalist style.
But as soon as she entered, Ruan Mingchu was almost blinded by the dazzling golden object.
Everything in sight was either gold or had a gold tint, looking extremely wealthy, much like the nouveau riche aesthetic described in history books.
Ruan Mingchu turned to look at Mu Yu, but to her surprise, Mu Yu also looked awful.
So how long has Mu Yu been away from home? Or did he go to the wrong place?
Before the two could remain silent for long, one of them slowly walked down the stairs.
The newcomer wore tropical pants and only had a seashell covering his chest, with dazzling blond hair cascading over his shoulders.
Upon closer inspection, Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu recognized the person as the mermaid.
But why did his tail turn into legs?
Ruan Mingchu looked at Mu Yu, whose eyes were also filled with confusion.
When Meng Shuo saw Ruan Mingchu, she ran over and was about to throw herself into Ruan Mingchu's arms.
Ruan Mingchu stepped back in time, and Mu Yu reached out to stop him. Meng Shuo had no choice but to stand up straight and purse his lips.
"Sit wherever you like, and pour yourself whatever you want to drink from the kitchen."
Mu Yu's lips twitched: "Where is Marshal Mu?"
Meng Shuo shrugged: "How would I know? I got a phone call half an hour ago and then I left."
Mu Yu stopped arguing with him, asked Ruan Mingchu to sit down, and went to the kitchen to pour him a glass of water.
"You guys chat, I'm going to put my luggage away."
Ruan Mingchu hummed in agreement.
Watching Mu Yu go upstairs, Ruan Mingchu asked, "What did you want to see me about?"
He was undoubtedly shocked. Meng Shuo looked exactly like a human. If he hadn't known he was a mermaid before, he wouldn't have recognized him at all.
Ruan Mingchu couldn't help but wonder how many mermaids, whom humans considered extinct, were actually lurking among humankind.
But what he was more concerned about was why he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to Meng Shuo.
Meng Shuo didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "I sensed a high-level mermaid bloodline in you. Although you have human blood, you still smell wonderful."
As he spoke, he licked his lips, his eyes filled with drooling.
Ruan Mingchu: ...
So it's not about being affectionate, it's about wanting to eat him.
But that's not the main point. The main point is that he's actually a half-human, half-mermaid. His father is a pure human, which means his mother is a mermaid?
Thinking about it this way, it seems reasonable that my father hasn't mentioned my mother at all all these years.
Ruan Mingchu: "And then?"
He didn't believe that Meng Shuo was only telling him about his mixed-race identity.
Meng Shuo said, "I was seriously injured when I was being hunted by humans, and most of my memories were sealed. I can only unseal them after I recover. Don't you need my help? Help me recover and I will assist you in taking down those bastards."