Deep within Huo Yuhao's azure eyes, a brilliant golden light flowed as the pen in his hand traced patterns upon the paper before him.
Finally, at a certain moment, Huo Yuhao ceased his movements and exhaled a long breath of relief.
Success.
After spending two and a half hours, using the Sun Moon Empire's humanoid soul tool as a foundation and combining it with his concepts for soul-powered armor and the application of Thousand-Forging metals, Huo Yuhao had finally produced a prototype blueprint for a "Mecha."
Well... for now, he'd call it Unit 01. Though it currently only existed on paper and hadn't been physically manufactured, Huo Yuhao was nonetheless extremely satisfied.
The data from the humanoid soul tool was like a door being flung open, leaving him enlightened and sparking even more ideas regarding the soul tool system.
One could say he had benefited immensely.
By comparison, the Three Douluo Empires were truly lacking. Though there were many who intended to reform, there were far more who remained stubbornly set in their ways!
Truly decadent.
Huo Yuhao sighed softly, but in the next heartbeat, a pair of slender hands holding a cup of water entered his field of vision.
"Sister Ju Zi?"
"Since you're finished, have some water. Don't just keep researching; take a little break."
Ju Zi spoke softly, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
Huo Yuhao dazed for a moment before nodding, taking the cup and taking a sip.
"Speaking of which, Yuhao... you should hide things from me a little when you're researching. I am an undercover agent, after all. You being this open is a bit disrespectful to my profession. Aren't you afraid I'll steal your research results and hand them over to Xu Tianran?"
Ju Zi spoke like this, yet from beginning to end, her gaze didn't linger on the blueprints on the table for even a second.
Huo Yuhao shook his head and answered calmly.
"You won't take them, and he wouldn't dare take them."
Ju Zi was an undercover agent.
She was the spy Xu Tianran had placed by Huo Yuhao's side.
From the day Kong Deming announced that Huo Yuhao had become his student, Xu Tianran had investigated the boy's information.
Subsequently, he was surprised to discover the good relationship between Ju Zi and Huo Yuhao.
After a brief hesitation, Xu Tianran directly gave Ju Zi an order: monitor Huo Yuhao's every move as much as possible.
However... the day after the order was given, Ju Zi confessed everything to Huo Yuhao, telling him she was a spy.
It wasn't a "bitter meat" trap, nor was it a ploy to gain trust; Ju Zi simply and purely confessed to Huo Yuhao.
It was... quite dramatic.
After that, Huo Yuhao "bought" Ju Zi over. Thus, Ju Zi went from being Xu Tianran's spy to being Huo Yuhao's double agent—who was still being sent by Xu Tianran to his side.
Though the process was complicated and somewhat absurd, through the Seed of Emotion, Huo Yuhao knew that Ju Zi had sincerely chosen to stand by his side.
"Does Yuhao really trust me that much?"
Ju Zi blinked, an irrepressible joy flickering in her eyes.
Regarding Huo Yuhao, she was sincere.
In the past, the reason she had risked her life to save Xu Tianran was merely because he was the Crown Prince and would likely ascend the throne, making her chances of revenge significantly higher.
Her so-called loyalty was nothing more than a necessary trait driven by hatred.
But Huo Yuhao was different to her.
That shared sense of hatred made her realize that Huo Yuhao was the same kind of existence as her—the type who would sacrifice everything for vengeance.
Compared to Xu Tianran's somewhat ethereal promises and the coldness and exploitation hidden beneath his gentle words, she was much more willing to trust Huo Yuhao, whom she viewed as a kindred spirit.
Furthermore, she knew from Xu Tianran that Huo Yuhao had been taken as a student by Kong Deming, and would likely inherit his legacy!
Compared to Xu Tianran's uncertain throne, Ju Zi felt that Huo Yuhao was more reliable...
Mmm, that's right. Her choice was, in a sense, the result of weighing pros and cons! Everything was for revenge, and for revenge, she could give up everything!
But if she had principles, why couldn't she choose a better option—one she liked more, and one she could actually lean on?
She knew she was unscrupulous, and she knew her feelings for Huo Yuhao weren't as pure as she imagined, so she didn't dare to dream of much.
Huo Yuhao had promised her that he would definitely trample the Star Net Empire into the dust. She believed he would help her do it.
And once the Star Net Empire was destroyed, her revenge would be over.
At that time, Ju Zi only hoped there would still be a place for her by his side—even if as a subordinate, a maid, or anything else. As long as she could remain near him, she would be satisfied.
After all, how could someone as unscrupulous as her deserve to possess him?
Moreover, compared to her own impure feelings, that Miss Meng was likely more genuine and free of falsehood, right?
Having already settled into her own position, Ju Zi wasn't at all "impatient" like Meng Hongchen imagined. She wasn't in a hurry; as long as she could firmly occupy a tiny corner of Huo Yuhao's heart, she would be perfectly content.
Waiting until Huo Yuhao had put the blueprints away—no longer needing to worry about seeing something she shouldn't and causing him annoyance—Ju Zi directly leaned in.
Huo Yuhao's body instantly stiffened.
Being "crushed" again...
(How tragic.)
What was this? An inevitable result of being in his disguised state?
The "real" him, after being "balanced," was already a teenager with the physical capabilities to match, yet in this disguised state, he still had to endure being cuddled and squeezed... it really was...
Fortunately, Ju Zi wasn't Skydream; she wouldn't grope him. Being held in her softness, he could finally take a bit of a rest.
Perhaps because of her love for food, Ju Zi had already developed to an exceptionally mature degree.
While her weight had increased, her figure hadn't lost its shape at all. Paired with her natural "clumsy" and lazy air, it gave off a mysterious sense of gentleness and being "easy to fool."
But Huo Yuhao knew that all of this was merely Ju Zi's outward appearance.
A wave of sleepiness washed over him. It was unavoidable; drawing the blueprints for Unit 01 had cost Huo Yuhao a great deal of mental energy. Combined with being in a safe and comfortable environment, his body instinctively chose sleep to quickly recover his spirit.
His breathing gradually leveled out, and Huo Yuhao slowly drifted off.
Feeling the boy in her arms fall asleep, Ju Zi instinctively lowered her gaze to look at his face.
Asleep?
Ju Zi could faintly feel that the boy was carrying a heavy burden.
The kind of weight that would make one feel breathless just by looking at it.
Carrying such a thing, the boy should naturally feel despair, yet the reality was that he never showed a single negative emotion in front of others.
Ju Zi felt a strange pang of heartache, but simultaneously, she suddenly realized her own use.
—Just like this, as a comforter, I will give him an embrace whenever he needs it.