"Huh? Su Ran! Ruan Mei wants to meet you. In the Simulated Universe.
You going or not?"
Herta was in the middle of studying Su Ran's studies— when Ruan Mei suddenly contacted her.
She originally didn't want to respond.
But thinking of future Simulated Universe collaborations… she had no choice but to accept the call.
And the first thing Ruan Mei said was that she wanted to meet Su Ran.
Clearly, the Simulated Universe incident had piqued her interest.
"Why the Simulated Universe?" Su Ran asked.
"If she wants to meet, she can just come over."
"Because online is safer than offline," Herta snorted.
"She's weird.
Feels like she has paranoia or something."
They might be collaborators, but even Herta had difficulty understanding Ruan Mei's thought patterns.
The woman seemed cautious about everything.
"Oh? Then let's go meet her."
Su Ran put aside what he was working on.
Herta blinked.
"So easy? I thought you'd say something like:
'Why should I go just because she said so? What about my pride?'
Then refuse dramatically."
After spending time with him, she'd found out this newcomer's personality was… a bit similar to hers.
Black-hearted.
Petty.
Sharp-tongued.
She really thought he'd dislike Ruan Mei.
"Let's meet first," Su Ran said.
"When she finally brings up her request, I'll reject her brutally."
Ruan Mei's nature—
Herta understood it way more clearly than he did.
They hadn't even met yet, and the two geniuses already felt like they were natural enemies.
Plus, with Su Ran's "special physique"— if they met in person, Ruan Mei would probably look at him like he was a research specimen so tempting she might drool.
"You don't need to be that hostile, do you?" Herta said.
Having more friends was better than more enemies, right?
"Relax," Su Ran assured her.
"When the time comes, I'll bully her way harder than I bully you."
Herta, who was originally planning to mediate, immediately perked up.
Oho?
This I have to see.
"So you admit you've been bullying me?"
Herta crossed her arms, expression stern and cute at the same time.
"Yes."
With someone like her, lying was pointless.
Better to admit it openly.
"Say— do you like me?
Is that why you're using these tricks to get my attention?"
Herta studied him carefully.
Even though they hadn't met in person, she knew he was in his twenties— exact age: "peak hormonal chaos."
Young men always liked doing stupid things to attract girls' attention.
Herta herself had long since passed that stage, but she understood the theory.
Also, who on Blue Star was worthy of a genius like her anyway?
"Yes," Su Ran said calmly.
"I'm thinking of slowly PUA-ing you, making you psychologically dependent on me, unable to stop thinking about me."
His refreshingly blunt confession left Herta wide-eyed.
But she approved.
This was how geniuses communicated.
No nonsense.
No pretentious subtleties.
Just knives.
It beat the usual "my words and thoughts are opposites" mortal courtship games.
"Boring~" Herta sighed.
"I literally said I'd marry you.
Even if you can't have my heart, you could at least have my body, right?"
What twenty-something guy could resist?
They never truly chased sincerity anyway.
"Unfortunately," Su Ran replied, "compared to getting your body, I'm much more interested in destroying your psyche."
Herta: "…"
"You're too young," she huffed.
"The gap between us is so big, you calling me 'grandma' would still be calling me young.
You really think you can PUA me?"
"You know nothing," Su Ran snorted.
"An ancient god thousands of years old is already obsessed with me.
I haven't been by her side for days— she's probably terrified right now.
After this, she'll be even more clingy."
He really was somewhat worried about Ei.
They'd been inseparable for a long time.
Now suddenly separated for days… who knew whether she had stabilized
or spiraled harder?
"No wonder you're so confident.
So you seduced one prehistoric monster already?"
Herta looked at him with open disdain.
"But it's fine.
Even if you're a pervert, as long as I'm still interested in you, I'm not dumping you."
Su Ran was unbothered.
"Hehe, Lady Herta, you sound proud— but wanting to marry me is also just an old cow trying to eat tender grass.
You're every bit as perverted as I am."
"I'm willing! You got a problem with that!?"
The two bickered back and forth all the way to Herta's office.
Space station staff who saw two Hertas insulting each other while walking side by side began secretly recording.
The recordings quickly spread across the station.
Asta's head throbbed.
But while scrolling through the videos, her lips couldn't stop rising.
This sugar… was too good!!
After sternly condemning the anonymous uploaders, she still typed in the anonymous chat:
"More, please."
Inside the Simulated Universe, Su Ran suddenly materialized on an open field.
Then instantly regretted it.
"So that's what you really look like?"
Because the Simulated Universe used a person's true appearance— Herta saw Su Ran's real face for the first time.
Handsome enough.
If they did marry, she could tolerate it.
"Hold on— why are YOU two using virtual avatars, but I'm stuck with my real appearance?!"
Su Ran stared at the two floating cloud-like mascots.
"Because YOU didn't set an avatar," Herta said, unimpressed.
"Who told you to enter without configuring it first?"
Unfortunately, her virtual form couldn't flick her own hair dramatically.
—------------------------------
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