"Brother Mo, Xiaoyu is calling."
Just as Chen Mo stepped out of the shower, the Ink Girl's voice rang out.
"Xiaoyu? Miss me already?" Chen Mo chuckled as he picked up the phone.
"Mhm... I want to ask, can you make it home by the evening of the 25th?" Xiao Yu's soft voice came through, sweet and hesitant.
"The 25th? I can book an afternoon flight. Shouldn't be a problem. What's the rush though?"
"You'll know when you get here."
After chatting for a while, Chen Mo hung up the call, still curious.
"Ink Girl," he asked, toweling his hair, "is there anything urgent going on with Xiaoyu?"
"No."
He frowned slightly. Then why the mystery? But he didn't dwell on it. The past few days had been packed. His body was tired and his mind foggy. Sleep was the only thing on his schedule now.
Meanwhile, the buzz around the Marching Ant Company's robot continued to spiral.
After its reveal, public interest exploded. The internet was flooded with heated debates—ranging from fascination with the robot to growing anxiety. Fears about AI taking over jobs, disrupting daily life, or even leading to a future dystopia filled countless articles and comment sections.
It was as if the robot had become a celebrity overnight—a "net red" robot, trending across every social media platform.
The exhibition area was flooded with visitors eager to snap selfies or interact with the robot, making the Army Ant booth the hottest spot at the Internet Conference.
Yet Chen Mo himself stayed low-key, almost like a bystander to his own phenomenon.
Aside from attending the key annual meetings and summit sessions, he had Julie cancel all other appearances. He didn't even show up for his scheduled talk at the summit—he'd had enough of the spotlight after the first day's speech.
While the conference was in full swing, he was mostly sightseeing around the capital, staying well away from the hype.
Once the conference wrapped up, Chen Mo caught his flight back to Binhai, curious about what Xiao Yu had planned.
Binhai City Airport.
Xiao Yu waited at the arrival gate, eyes fixed intently on the exit. For the past three days, she had only heard Chen Mo's voice over the phone. Now, she would finally see him.
When Chen Mo and Julie stepped out of the gate, Xiao Yu's face lit up with pure joy. They said absence made the heart grow fonder—she finally understood what that meant.
Without saying a word, she walked up and latched onto his arm, her radiant smile doing all the talking.
"Boss, I'll head off now," Julie said with a knowing smile, casting an envious glance at Xiao Yu. She understood that this was a moment for the two of them, and quietly excused herself.
"Where's Xinxin?" Chen Mo asked, glancing around.
"She went shopping," Xiao Yu said, clinging to his arm. "Come on, let's go home!"
"What's the big secret you had to call me back for?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Chen Mo let himself be dragged along, his curiosity building.
As soon as they reached the villa, Xiao Yu pulled him into the darkened living room before he could turn on the lights.
He paused as his eyes adjusted.
A cake sat on the coffee table, candles flickering. Chen Mo blinked.
"Whose birthday is it today?" he asked, a grin tugging at his lips. "I didn't prepare a gift…"
"Xiao Yu-jie, I won!" Zhang Xinxin giggled from the sofa.
"You won," Xiao Yu said, shooting her a playful glare.
Chen Mo looked back and forth between the two, still confused.
"Wait—whose birthday is it?"
"You always forget," Xinxin said proudly. "Your lunar birthday is today!"
Chen Mo scratched his head. Oh right. Lunar calendar. A smile crept across his face.
"Alright, alright. I'll make a wish," he said, closing his eyes.
The warmth in his chest pushed away the exhaustion from the flight. He hadn't expected this surprise. These two had gone out of their way to do something special for him—it meant more than words could say.
"Don't peek!" Xinxin chirped. "Xiao Yu-jie is helping you blow the candles. You can't open your eyes yet!"
"Why not?"
"Because you forgot your birthday," Xinxin grinned mischievously. "Xiao Yu-jie lost a bet. The loser has to smear cake cream on your face!"
Splat!
The cold touch of frosting hit his cheek.
Laughter exploded as both girls doubled over.
Chen Mo wiped the cream off his face, glaring in mock outrage. "You two want war?"
Cue chaos. The villa echoed with laughter and playful shrieks as they chased each other around the living room.
That night, Xiao Yu lay curled in Chen Mo's arms, her breathing soft and steady.
"Thank you," Chen Mo whispered, gently tracing her bare back.
"I haven't even given you my real gift yet," Xiao Yu murmured, sitting up to reach the nightstand. She pulled out a small red pouch.
"This is a peace charm," she said shyly. "I got it during New Year at Lingyin Temple. It's for your health. Keep it in your wallet, okay? It's not expensive... but I hope you like it."
"I love it," Chen Mo said sincerely, hugging her tight.
Seeing his expression, Xiao Yu beamed. She leaned in close, lips brushing his ear.
"Then... love me."
The Next Morning.
After breakfast, Chen Mo headed to the company with Xiao Yu in tow.
Zhang Xinxin, determined to stay low-profile, actually took the bus to the office just to avoid revealing that she lived with the company boss. Chen Mo could only sigh helplessly.
The moment he stepped into the office, Zhao Min was waiting.
"Boss, you really made a splash at the Internet Conference," she teased. "Youngest billionaire in China, AI pioneer, the dreamboat of countless girls. So... how's it feel to be the nation's fantasy?"
Chen Mo shot her a dry look. "I have a feeling this was your doing."
She grinned. "Of course. You never bother managing the company anyway, so we need a mascot. Might as well make you the face of Marching Ant. Every big tech company has one—Ali's Old Ma, Microsoft's Gates, Apple's Steve Jobs. It builds faith and unifies the team."
"You're using me as a mascot now?"
"Well, you do look good in the spotlight," she said with a smirk. "Anyway, about the robots. They're not publicly on sale yet, so the media hype will fade. Nothing to worry about there. Now, let me give you a quick company update."
"No need," Chen Mo waved her off. "I already know the company's situation."
"Well, that saves me time," Zhao Min said. "Your custom components have arrived. I'll have someone bring them up."
"Great. Send them in," Chen Mo nodded.
Finally, the missing materials for his seismograph and 3D printer modifications were here. Time to get to work.
"Oh, and one more thing," Zhao Min added. "I was thinking of putting the robot in the company lobby as a receptionist. Boost the company image."
"Sure," Chen Mo agreed.
Once she left, he headed straight for the lab.
It was time to start assembling the seismograph.