After Crossing Over, I Just Want to Live Well – Chapter 26

Ch 26: Assessment Team Formation

Jimo Yao looked at Shi Yichen’s nervous expression, his eyes darkening for a moment before he spoke, “In what capacity is Mr. Shi asking me this?”

“I,” Shi Yichen was caught off guard by the question, pausing abruptly before seeming to recall something, “For the past fifteen years, we’ve depended on each other, taken care of one another, and I see her as my life. Does that explanation suffice?”

Yu Duoduo was hearing Shi Yichen say such things for the first time and was utterly shocked. She had always thought they saw each other as family, but she hadn’t realized he considered her his life.

That explained a lot of Shi Yichen’s behavior. By that logic, Leng Ruoheng probably felt the same way. She was deeply touched.

“Second Brother, I also see you all as my life.” After saying this, she reached out and hugged Shi Yichen.

Jimo Yao hadn’t expected such an answer. He hadn’t even considered that they’d been living interdependently for fifteen years—and that there was also a Leng Ruoheng involved.

The three of them exchanged glances, an awkward silence hanging heavily between them.

“Second Brother, why did you come to the opening ceremony today?” Yu Duoduo suddenly remembered this and asked directly.

“Your Second Brother is, after all, a somewhat well-known mecha master now. Why can’t I attend the opening ceremony?” Shi Yichen replied with a hint of playful grievance.

“If I didn’t want to see how you’d perform on stage, I wouldn’t have bothered coming!”

“Thanks, Second Brother. Let’s go eat together. This afternoon we’re forming teams, so can you tell me more about what to watch out for during the assessment?” After Shi Yichen’s emotional confession earlier, Yu Duoduo wanted to indulge him and pamper him a bit—Leng Ruoheng too.

“Sure, Second Brother will tell you everything I know. Marshal Jimo probably has official duties to attend to, so we won’t disturb him. We’ll take our leave first.”

Jimo Yao was inwardly fuming, but he had to maintain a calm and refined facade. “Alright, I happen to have some work to coordinate next.” With that, he nodded to Yu Duoduo and left.

That afternoon, Yu Duoduo prepared items she might need for the assessment, harvesting and replanting crops in her space. She also took care of everything that needed tending in the breeding area.

She was about to rest when she unexpectedly received a call from Lezheng Kexi.

「 Lezheng Kexi: Duoduo, I’ve already gathered the team members. They’re all my buddies. 」

「 Yu Duoduo: Really? That’s fantastic! Thank you, Lezheng classmate. You’re amazing! 」

「 Lezheng Kexi: Duoduo, you can call me by my name, or just Kexi, or even Lezheng—it’s all fine. 」

Yu Duoduo looked at her optical brain, feeling a bit helpless.

「 Yu Duoduo: Alright, thank you, Kexi! 」

「 Lezheng Kexi: No need to thank me. We’re here to help each other out! 」

「 Yu Duoduo: Great, see you tomorrow then! 」

The next morning, Yu Duoduo arrived early at the spot she’d agreed to meet Lezheng Kexi.

She saw that Lezheng Kexi had already switched his combat armor to battle mode. Beside him stood five men, each with a distinct appearance. Though they looked different, every one of them was undeniably handsome.

Lezheng Kexi spotted Yu Duoduo at once and happily ran over to her. “Duoduo, you’re here! Have you been waiting long?”

“No, I just got here. Are these our teammates?”

Lezheng Kexi beamed at her question. “Yes, Duoduo, they’re our teammates for the next month. They’re all my good brothers. Let me introduce you.”

He then pulled Yu Duoduo over to the group of handsome guys. “Everyone, let me introduce you. This is the planter I found for us, Yu Duoduo.”

The five guys were thrilled and stepped forward to greet her. “Hello, Duoduo little sister! I’m Yi Bai, Yi Sang’s older brother and Kexi’s good buddy! Finally meeting you in person!”

Yu Duoduo looked at the guy named Yi Bai with confusion.

“Kexi talks about you all the time. Hearing so much made us really want to meet you—especially since you’re the first female in years with a mental strength of small 4S.”

“Exactly! We’ve all heard your name. Plus, you gave a speech at the ceremony yesterday! I’m Bai Xuekai, Bai Cha’er’s older brother.”

“Alright, alright, we all know your little sisters are Duoduo’s dormmates. Duoduo, don’t feel pressured—just treat us like regular friends,” Lezheng Kexi interjected.

Hearing Lezheng Kexi’s words, Yu Duoduo was even more baffled. What was going on here?

Lezheng Kexi seemed oblivious to her confusion and continued introducing her. “This is Nan Yangyuan, my cousin. This one’s my good friend Ye Jingcheng—he doesn’t talk much. If he doesn’t respond, it’s not because he dislikes you; he’s just figuring out what to say. And lastly, this is Mi Jiayu. He’s super quiet but an excellent listener.”

After introducing his friends, Lezheng Kexi added, “Duoduo, they’re all really capable. Don’t worry—they won’t hold you back.”

As soon as he said that, his friends shot him glares.

“You guys, don’t look at me like that! Besides her amazing talent, Duoduo’s also really strong in a fight…”

Lezheng Kexi’s voice trailed off under the weight of their stares.

Nan Yangyuan spoke up, “Duoduo, is it okay if I call you that?”

Yu Duoduo didn’t mind—names were meant to be used, after all—so she shook her head.

“We didn’t know we’d be teaming up with you until we got here, so we were caught off guard. Please don’t take it personally.”

The other four immediately perked up at this.

Yi Bai: “If I’d known it was Duoduo, I would’ve tidied myself up properly. Look at me—my hair’s a mess!”

Bai Xuekai: “Yeah, I stayed up all night gaming. My skin’s a wreck!”

Ye Jingcheng: “Hmph!”

Mi Jiayu: Silently thinking… Please, Duoduo little sister, don’t notice me—I’m nervous!

The atmosphere turned a bit strange.

“I don’t mind, I don’t mind! Lezheng classmate, didn’t you say the team needs 7+1? Why are there only six of us?”

Lezheng Kexi smacked his forehead and said, “There’s one more person. He had something come up and can only join later. Don’t worry—he promised he’d hurry over as soon as he could!”

“Kexi, who’s this last person you called?” Yi Bai asked anxiously, glancing at the time. It was getting close, and there was still no sign of them.

“I called Shentu Leng. I wasn’t planning to include him at first, but he insisted on joining. Why hasn’t he shown up yet?”

Lezheng Kexi was starting to panic. They were almost out of time to register their team, or the school would assign them automatically.

Ye Jingcheng suddenly spoke, “Let’s not wait for him. We should check if there’s anyone else who hasn’t joined a team yet and form up quickly, or we’ll run out of time.”

The group quickly scanned the area but couldn’t find anyone suitable.

Hearing their conversation, Yu Duoduo swiftly used her mental power to sweep the surroundings. Under a tree, she spotted a guy with messy hair sitting alone quietly.

Yu Duoduo asked Lezheng Kexi, “Have you found anyone suitable yet?”

“Not yet. The ones left either have weak mental power or don’t get along with us.”

Lezheng Kexi was kicking himself now. How could he have trusted Shentu Leng’s word?