Xu Wanyue lightly lifted the fabric of her skirt’s waist and hem, turning slightly to one side as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Then she turned toward Lin Cheng, who was lounging on the sofa behind her. “How does this dress look?”
She was wearing a moon-white camisole dress that hugged her hips, with a skirt that fell elegantly to her slender ankles. Below those ankles, a pair of silver sequin high heels caught Lin Cheng’s eye—they looked somewhat familiar. The outfit perfectly accentuated her figure.
“What about throwing something over it outside?”
“Yeah, maybe a little shawl.”
“Looks great.”
Lin Cheng was still in his simple T-shirt and jeans, too lazy to change. As Xu Wanyue rummaged through a jewelry box for a suitable chain to rest on her collarbone, Lin Cheng hesitated for a long moment at her side but ultimately said nothing.
In the end, Xu Wanyue selected a delicate silver chain. She gathered her hair into an updo, securing it with a barrette. The result was a look that was both languid and elegant—a cute, endearing beauty.
Today was the day for the team-building event. Litchi happened to be driving from the company to the villa, so she could pick up the two of them along the way. Xu Wanyue had already tried on three outfits in front of the mirror. She’d originally planned to wear the maid skirt, but then she suddenly remembered what Grape had said that day and shyly switched to this hip-hugging dress instead.
All Lin Cheng really wanted was for her to say and do as little as possible. Xu Wanyue nodded obediently in agreement, but deep down, Lin Cheng felt an inexplicable unease stirring.
He had to admit his own immaturity. Perhaps he just wanted to see a hint of discomfort or irritation from Jiang Lingxue—whether it stemmed from some twisted sense of revenge or something else, he couldn’t quite say anymore. But now, he suddenly regretted it.
Proving to her that he didn’t care, or trying to make her feel downhearted—those were childish games, even more immature than Xu Wanyue herself.
“Those heels are so high!” Xu Wanyue paced carefully around the room, getting used to them. Lin Cheng sat helplessly to one side. “Then don’t wear them.”
“But they match so perfectly.” Xu Wanyue bent one leg, peering down at the taut curve of her calf. She looked up at Lin Cheng. “I can’t lose to that woman who used to live in your room!”
“Actually… I’ve changed my mind.”
“Hm?”
“Let’s just treat it like a normal team-building event. Think of it as me introducing you to everyone at the Fruit Shop. They’re all great people—we don’t need to pretend to be in a relationship anymore.” Lin Cheng scratched his head, gazing gently into her eyes.
“Sure, whatever you say.” Xu Wanyue nodded lightly.
Litchi soon sent a message. Xu Wanyue and Lin Cheng headed downstairs together. Her walking posture had improved somewhat by now—at least she wasn’t likely to slip. She gently linked her arm with Lin Cheng’s for safety. Litchi’s car was parked right below the building. Lin Cheng and Xu Wanyue climbed into the back seat. Litchi glanced at them through the rearview mirror, and Lin Cheng looked back at her the same way.
Lin Cheng rarely saw Litchi in anything girly like a frilly little skirt. Most of the time, she wore simple black work clothes—a cool girl with shoulder-length hair. Her cheeks still had a youthful roundness, and today was no different: a black cropped tank top and gray cargo pants, with her jacket tossed on the passenger seat, revealing a slender, pale waist.
“What’s the plan for team building today?” Lin Cheng rubbed his hands together eagerly.
“Swimming, barbecue, then Texas Hold’em and badminton in the afternoon. Karaoke and a bit of drinking in the evening before we wrap up.” Litchi answered flatly, her voice calm and detached. Lin Cheng let out an “oh.” The back seat was spacious, so he casually leaned over and rested his head on Xu Wanyue’s thigh.
Litchi focused on driving and said nothing more. Xu Wanyue, on the other hand, seemed a little awkward and restless. She gently pinched Lin Cheng’s cheek but didn’t say a word.
Half an hour later, Litchi pulled up to the Fruit Shop’s small villa.
The Fruit Shop’s team-building events weren’t all that meaningful in a practical sense.
They were just a monthly excuse for everyone to get together and chat. Lin Cheng wasn’t often at the Fruit Shop, so they didn’t see each other much otherwise. Only on team-building days did everyone gather. For the past few months, though, Litchi hadn’t invited Jiang Lingxue—she’d been busy filming her first movie and clearly had no time.
They arrived and parked. Lin Cheng gently helped Xu Wanyue out of the car. She walked beside him, her head slightly bowed. She’d been lively and cheerful when they left the house, but now she seemed a touch uneasy.
It was probably the pressure from Grape and Litchi weighing on her mind.
Lin Cheng gave her fingers a light squeeze and leaned close to her ear, whispering softly, “Once we’re at the Fruit Shop, everyone’s just friends. No need to worry.”
Lin Cheng and Xu Wanyue had only taken a few steps toward the villa’s poolside when they spotted two women already seated there.
Grape had her silver hair tied in a single ponytail. She wore a light purple tie-side one-piece swimsuit that showcased her slim, tall figure as she sat by the pool, swinging her legs idly.
Lemon had long black hair and an unusually petite build, like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl no taller than four foot nine. Her black one-piece swimsuit did little to flatter her flat chest. Lemon was tiny—minuscule, really—with fair skin. She was the Fruit Shop’s alchemist and research lead, the group’s beloved mascot.
When Grape saw Lin Cheng and Xu Wanyue, her cool gaze softened noticeably. Lemon, however, turned her face away, clearly still sulking at Lin Cheng.
Xu Wanyue instinctively avoided Grape’s eyes. She was genuinely a little scared of her. That day, Grape’s stare had been terrifying—icy and inhuman, like she might kill her in the next second.
“Master,” Grape called softly.
Xu Wanyue, standing beside Lin Cheng, froze. She jerked her head up, staring at Grape in shock. Her mind raced for a moment, struggling to process why Grape called Lin Cheng that. She glanced at Lin Cheng, whose expression held a touch of helplessness. He walked to the poolside and sat next to Grape, poking her cheek. “I told you, just call me Lin Cheng.”
“No.” Grape tilted her chin up slightly. “Right now, I’m the only one who can call you Master.”
“That’s not something to be proud of…” Lin Cheng reached out and rubbed Grape’s face, trying to melt the icy expression on it. Then he turned to Xu Wanyue, who stood nearby, and said gently, “She’s our new friend. No bullying her, okay?”
Several seconds passed before Grape gave a soft “mm.” Her face didn’t show reluctance—just her usual cool detachment.
She looked at Xu Wanyue and said flatly, “We prepared a new swimsuit for you. I’ll take you to change in a bit.”
“Oh, okay.” Xu Wanyue nodded hurriedly. She could keenly sense that Grape’s voice was cold, but her tone was much milder than at their last meeting—completely different.
How strange. It was like she really listened to Lin Cheng.
Grape stood up from the pool and walked over to Xu Wanyue’s side. “Follow me.”
And so Xu Wanyue followed Grape to the changing room. Lin Cheng turned his gaze to Lemon, who was in her black one-piece swimsuit. He reached out to ruffle her hair, but the next second, she chomped down on his finger. She even had little fangs—it hurt.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Lin Cheng felt like crying.
“For being so perfunctory with me,” Lemon mumbled through her mouthful. It took her a good while before she finally let go.
The reason for her sulking? On her eighteenth birthday, Lin Cheng had solemnly given her a necklace—only for her to discover it was a five-yuan trinket from a street stall.
Unlike Litchi and Grape, who had helped Lin Cheng found the Fruit Shop, Lemon had been tricked into joining. Back then, she’d been researching Abyss Space Technology in a suburban lab when she accidentally summoned seven or eight SS-rank Abyss Demonic Beasts. When Lin Cheng—then known as Si Ming—arrived, she had barricaded herself inside an Alchemy Defense Field. But the beasts outside were going berserk and would break through eventually. Lin Cheng dealt with them and struck a deal with her: he’d supply her with Abyss Demonic Beast corpses for her research, and in exchange, she’d join the organization he planned to create. Two years later, after Si Ming retired, Lemon tracked him down and officially became a member of the Fruit Shop.
Lemon was a genius girl with superhuman intellect, the world’s strongest alchemist. That day, Green Hair had wanted to discuss some alchemy tech with her, but Lin Cheng turned him down—not to humiliate him, but because Lemon truly looked down on his half-baked ideas.
“What have you been researching lately?” Lin Cheng asked curiously.
Lemon wasn’t interested in much, but she was obsessed with her work. At the mention of it, her eyes lit up. “Alchemy Biology Technology.”
“Alchemy… biology technology?” Lin Cheng’s head spun.
“Little Cheng!” Lemon snapped her fingers. A little black dog came bounding over from a distance—like an ordinary husky. Lin Cheng eyed her resentfully at the nickname. “You can’t just name it that.”
“Its pet name is Little Cheng. Its full name is Little Qi.”
“Where’d you pick this one up from?”
No sooner had Lin Cheng spoken than his eyes widened in realization. The dog, which looked like it was made of flesh and blood, had no actual meat on it at all. It was a cold, mechanical construct.
“I didn’t pick it up. I made it using the Abyss Crystal Cores from those corpses you gave me earlier, combined with my unique alchemy tech. It’s a brand-new lifeform. It doesn’t need food—just water to survive.”
“…Anything else cool about it?”
“Little Qi, transform.”
Lin Cheng blinked. In the next instant, the husky pup erupted in golden light, dazzling him so much he could barely keep his eyes open. When he looked again, the dog was gone. In its place stood a two-meter-tall black robot, its body gleaming with metallic sheen and an oddly beautiful design. Lin Cheng could sense an Energy Core in its chest. With proper combat training, it could easily reach SS-rank fighting power.
“Little Qi, learning mode.”
Lemon poked Lin Cheng’s chest and looked up at him pleadingly. “Go spar with Little Qi. Teach it all your fighting techniques.”
“Huh?”
“It’ll automatically learn everything. Then it can use them in battles.”
Lin Cheng’s gaze turned deeply resentful. “Using me as free labor again…”
“Hmph, be careful. It’s already mastered all of Grape Sis’s killing techniques.”
Lin Cheng stood and faced the robot. Hearing that, he suddenly felt a chill.
