Chapter Seven: Twenty-Four Hours of Teenage Angst

"Once the app is officially launched, I’m going to delete all of Gongsun Ce’s erotic manga from his phone."

"You weren't such a cruel child before, were you?!"

Besides, why make a threat based on the assumption that such material exists on a phone? Does Mr. Gongsun look like that kind of strange otaku?

On the other end of the line, Qiluo huffed indignantly a few times before offering a suggestion in response to his repeated pleas for mercy.

"Qin Qianbai likes one-piece swimsuits." (Said in a flat, monotone voice.)

The grey-haired young man seriously considered the feasibility of his friend's suggestion. Drawing upon his experience and imagination, he activated his brain’s simulation function, constructing a scene in his mind like a short play. In his head, Gongsun Ce approached her holding a one-piece swimsuit, and then...

No matter what he said, he could only foresee a future where he was blasted away by Qin’s secret techniques.

The future was locked. Simulations based on this event would inevitably lead to a ruined timeline.

"I don't know if the young lady likes this, but I do know that if I bring it to her, I’ll definitely get beaten to a pulp."

A deliberately nonchalant humming sound came from the other side of the phone.

"~?"

"Are you just humming to pretend you can't hear me?! Are you some kind of gag character from a last-century comic?"

"I~ can't~ hear~ you~"

You’re actually singing along now.

Gongsun Ce sighed heavily. "Everything was fine at first, so why are you suddenly angry? What did I do, Mr. Gongsun?"

"Hmph! I was under the impression that Gongsun Ce was going to buy me some clothes."

...？

The grey-haired young man carefully pondered their previous conversation.

He pressed his palms together toward the phone and said, "...I’m sorry, that was my fault!"

Qiluo’s sigh was even heavier than his own.

"Sigh. Does Qin Qianbai often call you an idiot, Gongsun Ce?"

"Not at all. When you aren't around, the young lady often expresses her admiration for my intellect."

Qiluo gasped: "—Huh?!"

"Think about it. Whenever we run into a situation, isn't it Mr. Gongsun who comes up with the plan? And since she lacks common sense in certain areas, I’m always the one teaching her. So, in private, she always tells me: 'Gongsun Ce, you're amazing, thanks to you...' things like that."

Everything before the word "so" was the truth.

The pink-haired girl said in absolute shock: "S-so that's how it is..."

"No, I was lying."

"It was a lie!"

Lately, his lies had been easily seen through by Qin Qianbai, so finding a bit of satisfaction today felt good.

Then again, Qiluo, that naive child, was the type most easily deceived. Gongsun Ce secretly made a resolution: to prevent her from being swindled by bad people, he should tell her more lies in the future to train her abilities... after he finished dealing with the current problem.

"Sorry, Qiluo! I really didn't mean to cause a misunderstanding. As an apology, I’ll buy you a gift. So please, give me a serious suggestion."

"Wah-wah, a man who asks for advice shamelessly after lying," Qiluo muttered. "My serious advice is for Gongsun Ce to just pick one you think is appropriate. Don't pull any pranks; choose carefully."

………………………………？

Strange. He clearly remembered his question was "what kind of clothes does Qin Qianbai like." It was impossible for Qiluo to have forgotten, so how could she give such an irrelevant answer? Qiluo was a straightforward girl; she wouldn't hold a grudge over a small misunderstanding. So what was the reason...? Could it be?!

Gongsun Ce said tremblingly, "Qiluo, have you... been bought off by the young lady already?!"

That was the only possibility he could think of. Just like Caldecott, who was plotting behind the scenes, Qiluo had also joined the terrifying alliance of conspirators!

"I don't want to talk to idiots anymore." (Monotone voice.)

"I am very sorry, I was overthinking it."

"Sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh, Qin Qianbai must get angry often..." Qiluo emphasized again, "Gongsun Ce, just honestly do as I say, and absolutely don't overthink it! Remember to buy me a gift. Bye-bye."

The pink-haired girl hung up the phone, leaving Gongsun Ce completely baffled.

He sat on the toilet lid for a while, thinking that Qiluo wouldn't intentionally sabotage him. He guessed that this proposal was likely based on a logic understood only among girls, and as a normal male, it was understandable that he couldn't grasp it.

If he dragged it out any longer, the young lady would definitely grow suspicious, so he had to get out quickly. He washed his hands to add a sense of realism before stepping out of the restroom.

Qin Qianbai was waiting for him not far away.

"A-Ce spent more time in the restroom than I expected."

"Sorry to keep you waiting..."

Gongsun Ce gave a dry laugh, suddenly remembering that he had promised to buy his friend a gift.

...But he had forgotten to ask Qiluo what she wanted.

"Gah!"

He could somewhat understand the feelings of the person who caused the dust explosion in the restaurant. So people really do make noise when they are caught off guard.

Qin Qianbai clapped her hands twice.

"Such a realistic duck call, but even with that performance, I won't retract my order."

"You have to trust me, how could Mr. Gongsun ever desert the battlefield?" Gongsun Ce adjusted his glasses and said somewhat awkwardly, "However... I just discovered that I’ve run into some unexpected difficulties, the kind I likely can't overcome on my own. Could I ask the young lady for some help?"

Miss Qin tilted her head and said, "Look, look, that’s a look of surprise. What does A-Ce want to ask?"

This time, Gongsun Ce fully absorbed the lesson from his call with Qiluo.

Talking too much easily leads to misunderstandings; in times like this, one needs to state their needs concisely.

The grey-haired young man spoke in a calm tone that could never be misinterpreted.

"Do you know what kind of gift Qiluo would like?"

·

Ten minutes later.

Gongsun Ce rubbed his aching abdomen, his face twisted in pain as he navigated through the clothing racks.

He estimated that his friend's anger had subsided enough, so he asked cautiously, "Respected young lady? May I ask my humble servant why you are angry?"

"Why, you ask? Why don't you think about it yourself, since you pride yourself on being so clever, A-Ce?"

Qin Qianbai sat on a chair in the clothing store with her back to him, emitting a terrifying pressure.

It was as if an expert who had retired to the mountains years ago had had their killing intent reawakened. Just being near her gave the illusion of being pressed by a sharp blade; his human survival instincts were sending out deafening warnings!

Nearby, some high school girls picking out clothes whispered, "They must have had a fight..." "Definitely a fight." "Shh, don't gossip about private matters between couples."

Don't, the young lady can hear you. She’s already furious, and hearing you use the term "couple" will only make her angrier, even more enraged!

Gongsun Ce realized he had to do something, both for his own sake and to ensure innocent passersby wouldn't suffer. He picked out a pink sweater and a light yellow coat to go with it, and walked up while enduring the pressure, his face full of smiles: "Young lady, look at this set..."

"I don't like it."

You didn't even look and you rejected it! Are you looking for trouble on purpose?!

Gongsun Ce nearly lost his temper, but he did his best to suppress the urge to roar. A man who gets angry at a friend he’s been through thick and thin with over such a small matter is, without a doubt, the worst of the worst.

Must be patient, must be patient, don't act like a rude hoodlum... must tolerate a woman's occasional unreasonable behavior... a mature man should solve problems in a proper manner, not yell like a child... He rubbed his hair vigorously, searching for a way to break the deadlock.

Qiluo thought he just needed to choose a suitable set of clothes, and if the young lady wasn't angry, that would be the correct answer. So, the problem shifted from "how to pick clothes she likes" to "how to let her see his sincerity."

...This actually wasn't hard to solve, was it?

Gongsun Ce had a plan. He scrutinized the floor racks for a long time and selected a new outfit: a black long-sleeved plaid shirt and a lantern skirt with purple patterns. Both had lovely white lace, which he thought felt very girlish.

It would look extremely out of place on Shigure Rei, but it should suit Qin Qianbai.

"Young lady, how about this set?"

"I don't like it."

Another rejection without even looking, but this time, Gongsun Ce had already thought of a way to break it.

He walked up, bearing the invisible pressure, stood in front of the girl, and deliberately put on a look of frustration.

"This one won't work either. Sorry, sorry, I was only thinking about how cute you would look in it, but I overlooked the conditions. Just a moment, I'll go look for something else—"

Qin Qianbai looked up at him.

"...Wait a moment."

Good! It’s working!

Gongsun Ce suppressed his joy and asked with a blank expression, "What's wrong?"

"What do you think, A-Ce, about this outfit?"

"I really think it's quite cute, and it should look good on you... but if you don't want to try it on, I can't verify my guess." He said sincerely, "I can't exactly make a mannequin out of White Matter to simulate it; that would be too rude."

The invisible pressure weakened, and Miss Qin reached out to take the clothes: "Then, I’ll go try it on."

Gongsun Ce silently wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking that this time it should be stable. From the side came the murmurs of the high school girls: "He’s so patient." "He actually forgave him just like that..." "They must be dating for the first time, that's why."

Patient my foot. I’ve already been punched a few times today, Mr. Gongsun.

Why did he ever make that promise to look after her so easily... "Asking for trouble" is certainly a fitting description for himself. Looking back on the past, Gongsun Ce couldn't help but sigh at his own former immaturity.

A few minutes later, just as Gongsun Ce was coming back from his trip down memory lane and intended to take out his pocket watch to check the time, the expressionless girl finally walked out of the fitting room.

"How is it?"

·

Three years ago in Superbia, Gongsun Ce had visited the Morton Royal Museum once. Three hundred years ago, during the era when navigation technology reached maturity, merchants from Morton sailed with fleets to all corners of the world. They presented treasures to the noble royalty in exchange for fame and status that money could not buy. These rare items from all over the world were once played with by successive generations of royalty, and in the modern age, they were all generously donated to that magnificent and beautiful museum.

Back then, he had followed behind the Knight of Dawn, walking through the building that had been converted from an old castle. He tried his best to put on a look of disdain, wanting to show that he was experienced and didn't care for their "trash," while in reality, his gaze, scanning everything around him, betrayed his inner amazement and admiration. His eyes were fixed on the huge mural occupying the dome, the noble armor engraved with complex patterns, the incredibly exquisite bone carvings of the ancient Wusters tribes, and the jade discs and bronze ware from the Empire... These were all items he had never seen or even heard of since he was snatched into the sky at a young age.

What left the deepest impression on him were the dolls made by the skilled craftsmen of Morton. The dolls had body proportions close to those of ordinary people, dressed in faded, classical finery. They stood motionless inside glass cabinets, gazing at the tourists passing by outside the glass with expressionless, exquisite faces. Their features carried an unreal softness, perfectly embodying their identity as artificial objects.

Like the other tourists, he, too, was attracted by the beauty of the dolls and stopped.

He couldn't help but take half a step back, because he felt that these artificial things were so fake that they seemed like real people... as if in the next moment they would walk out of the glass cabinet, pretend to be beautiful noble daughters, and blend into the crowd of tourists.

Gongsun Ce still remembered the nonsense he said back then.

"Miss Knight, are the dolls here for sale?"

"Mr. Gongsun, sometimes asking questions to which you already know the answer does not make you appear humorous; it only makes others feel you are deeply foolish."

He didn't actually want to buy one; he knew that even if they were for sale, he couldn't afford it. He was just asking with a glimmer of unrealistic hope... because he knew he probably wouldn't have a second chance to come back in this lifetime, and he would never see such beautiful things again.

·

Now, the doll had actually walked out of the glass cabinet, wearing similarly styled clothing, looking even more beautiful than her companions in his memory.

She extended her arms and spun in place, the lace on her skirt rising like the edge of an umbrella spinning in the rain.

The grey-haired young man subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips passing through the glass cabinet of his memory to touch the cheek that was truly there in reality.

The girl's lips parted slightly.

"How is it?"

The dolls in the museum couldn't speak. This sense of dissonance awakened Gongsun Ce from his memories, causing him to withdraw his hand as if shocked by electricity.

"Sorry!"

The grey-haired young man only then realized what he had just done.

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to, I..." He didn't know how to defend himself, so he awkwardly looked away. "I think it's very beautiful, really."

The young lady nodded and said, "It's rare to see such a flustered expression on A-Ce; I believe it's the truth."

"No way, was my expression just now that exaggerated!"

This conversation brought him back to reality completely. He was in the Sky City, not Superbia, and the one speaking to him wasn't an inanimate doll, but Qin Qianbai, who had been angry just minutes ago.

Is she still angry? Gongsun Ce cleared his throat and said, "This set... what do you think?"

"To be honest, it's not the type I like very much."

As expected, it wasn't going to be that easy to get away with it.

"However," the girl changed the subject, "by A-Ce's standards, this is an above-average performance, so I’ll barely consider it a pass."

"Thank you for showing mercy..."

This feeling of relief disappeared without a trace when he saw the bill.

Which idiot was so focused on the look that he forgot to check the price? Oh, it was me!

Out of some inexplicable dignity, Gongsun Ce pretended to be nonchalant as he paid the bill. He secretly vowed that next time he helped someone pick out clothes, he would definitely look at the price first.

Look at the price first, as much as possible.

·

The task of choosing clothes was finally completed, and the task of carrying the bags was naturally handed to the grey-haired man in glasses. Gongsun Ce planned to secretly buy a small plush toy or something similar for Qiluo as a gift after today. Now, he was eagerly waiting for the young lady to announce the end of his torture.

"Miss Qin, you aren't really planning to work me for the whole day, are you?" He asked tentatively. "At least let me sleep at night, okay?"

"I'm curious, what do you imagine I would order you to do at night, A-Ce?"

Gongsun Ce said in utter horror: "You don't really plan to make me go out in the middle of the night and squat on the roof to play a werewolf, do you?!"

The young lady looked at him silently for a long time.

"I have confirmed that A-Ce's thought process in certain areas is definitely problematic."

"Hiss... don't tell me you're planning on making me go streaking?!"

"That is an order; you are not allowed to speak for now."

Gongsun Ce closed his mouth anxiously, finding it more terrifying the more he imagined it.

He followed the girl out of the Extreme Stability Building. The afternoon sun shone on them, dispelling the air conditioning from the mall and bringing a warm feeling. Gongsun Ce saw a few makeshift booths set up in the square in front of the building, and quite a few students dressed in casual clothes were holding hand-painted wooden signs, enthusiastically distributing flyers to passersby.

He was sure these people weren't there when he first arrived after eating, so it seemed some kind of event had been organized while they were picking out clothes.

"..."

Gongsun Ce narrowed his eyes. He recognized a few acquaintances among the members handing out flyers, and thus confirmed what was happening.

Qin Qianbai asked, "A-Ce, what are they doing?"

Gongsun Ce wrote with White Matter: [Club recruitment.]

The white handwriting had only just appeared halfway when a young man handing out flyers walked toward them. About 1/2 of this person's head had been replaced with metal, which made his appearance very recognizable.

The metal-headed man enthusiastically waved the flyers in his hand: "Hi, friends over there! Interested in learning about the Superpowered Mutual Aid Association—oh!"

He saw the grey-haired young man's face halfway through, and the tone of his metal head immediately became serious.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Gongsun. Interested in learning about the Superpowered Mutual Aid Association?"

Gongsun Ce twitched his mouth and wrote with White Matter: [Good afternoon, William of the Mutual Aid Association. Are you really going to ask me?]

William, with the metal head, said righteously: "You know, we have to try asking. Maybe one day you'll agree to join; wouldn't that be a huge win?" He then looked at Qin Qianbai: "Are you interested in our little club, Miss Qin Qianbai?"