Chen Mo raced back to the rental apartment, eager and slightly anxious. The door was shut, and no packages or people were in sight. His expression turned a little gloomy.
Didn't she say within thirty minutes? He glanced at his watch. I got here in twenty… was it already picked up?
Confused and a little disappointed, he took out his phone and dialed Xiao Yu's number.
No answer.
Even more puzzled, Chen Mo opened the door—and froze.
There on the sofa, Xiao Yu sat gracefully, smiling at him with her hands folded neatly on her lap. Next to her was a suitcase.
Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, with a few soft bangs brushing her forehead. A high-necked, slim-fit sweater paired with jeans highlighted her elegance and warmth.
"This is the surprise," she said, standing up with a sweet smile. "Now sign for it."
Chen Mo's grin widened. "Gladly," he said as he walked over, wrapped her in a hug, and kissed her.
"Ah—hey—!"
A minute later, Xiao Yu was nestled in his chest, her breath light and her cheeks a soft pink.
"You always bully me the moment I show up."
"That was the signature." Chen Mo chuckled. "So… you're staying?"
"Am I not welcome?" she asked, eyes twinkling.
"Welcome? Of course you are!" he replied instantly. He had brainstormed countless ways to get her to move in, and none of them had worked. And now, here she was—just like that.
"It's a bit small, though. Once things settle, I'll find us a bigger place."
"No need. I actually like it here—it feels cozy."
"But I don't want you to feel cramped."
"I don't mind, really. And you have to listen to me," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Chen Mo smiled. "Alright, I'll listen to you. But if you ever want a change of scenery, just say the word. I'll take you anywhere."
"Okay, okay, stop being so cheesy." Xiao Yu laughed, gently pulling away. "I've got an appointment today—I need to check in at my internship company."
"Alright. Be careful."
After Xiao Yu left, Chen Mo picked up a few physics books and settled in.
Back when he was immersed in learning computer languages, he had barely touched anything else. During the AI research phase, he only flipped through books occasionally. But the Science and Technology Library had tasked him with reading 1,000 books, and he'd only gotten through around 490. He needed to cross 500 to unlock the next privilege tier.
Now was the perfect time to do that.
He focused intensely, reading for hours. Physics was far more engaging than expected—his pace quickened as pieces of knowledge began connecting in his mind.
Three hours passed. As he closed the sixth book, a wave of satisfaction washed over him.
That's five hundred. Time to claim a reward.
Chen Mo laid back and mentally entered the Technology Library.
"Shu Lao, I've hit 500 books. Time to take technology."
"Excellent," the old librarian replied. "Five hundred—halfway there. You've earned the right to choose. What would you like?"
"I want all models from the Butterfly Eye phone series."
Since the Butterfly Eye had already been released and gained traction, it was time to start planning a second phone. Mobile phone development didn't have huge breakthroughs anymore—most upgrades were incremental. A new system here, a new chip or screen there… mostly superficial.
But Zhao Min had hesitated to greenlight a follow-up. The Butterfly Eye's design was too iconic—releasing a second phone without any real innovation or aesthetic value might backfire and damage the brand.
So she had asked Chen Mo to come up with something himself. He was the original designer, after all.
As soon as Chen Mo made his request, Shu Lao raised a hand. Hundreds of books materialized in the air before him.
"These are all the variants of the Butterfly Eye phone," Shu Lao said.
Each product kept the same beautiful design philosophy. Chen Mo immediately began flipping through the covers and summaries.
"Butterfly Eye Smart Phone"
Features: Equipped with smart mobile assistant, Xiaodie. Enables contactless voice control and chat functionality.
"Butterfly Eye: Gemini Edition"
Features: Dual processors. Runs two operating systems simultaneously.
"Butterfly Eye: Full Memory Concept Phone"
Features: Massive storage, modular memory expansion.
Chen Mo browsed every concept carefully. This time, he took mental notes on the most aesthetically pleasing designs for later use. Applying for appearance patents was time-consuming, so it made sense to bundle the designs and submit all at once.
After sketching down several design templates, his attention turned to the first phone in the list—the one that came with a smart assistant.
A voice-controlled, truly contactless interface—that was a huge selling point. The current market didn't have anything like it.
"Shu Lao, does the book include the source code for Xiaodie?"
"Yes. The smart assistant is the key feature of this device. Just like waterproofing specs, this one includes the complete source code for the AI."
"Perfect. I'll take this one."
Shu Lao nodded, then raised his hand. The book glowed and vanished, the knowledge directly transferred into Chen Mo's mind.
With the phone design and Xiaodie's source code now his, Chen Mo exited the Technology Library and returned to reality.
He was just about to start organizing the design documents when the door opened—and Xiao Yu returned with several large bags in her hands.
Chen Mo quickly helped her with them. "Why so many things?"
"Some daily essentials. I also bought groceries—we'll cook tonight. And these are for you. Your old clothes were starting to look like uniforms, so I got you a couple new outfits."
"There it is. Having a girlfriend is a luxury," Chen Mo joked.
Xiao Yu wrinkled her nose playfully. "Of course. Also—good news! I officially reported for my internship today. I start work tomorrow!"
"Oh? What job?"
"Assistant to the General Manager."
"…What?" Chen Mo blinked.
"You heard me." Xiao Yu beamed. "Assistant to the GM."
"You just started your internship and already got that kind of position? Isn't that a bit… odd? How about you just resign and be my assistant? I'll give you a package deal. You name the salary."
"Are you jealous?" she asked, smiling slyly.
"No."
"You want me to be your full-time maid, huh? Not happening." Xiao Yu teased. "I can't just spend your money from day one. I need to build my own career too. Who knows what the future holds?"
"I just think it's a bit much for an intern to be appointed assistant to the general manager."
"She's an older woman. Definitely not hitting on me, if that's what you're thinking." Xiao Yu laughed. "Their previous assistant quit, and they didn't have a replacement. I was originally assigned to accounting, but the GM said I looked familiar and pulled me in."
"Familiar? You've met her before?"
"Nope. Never seen her in my life."
"What's the company's name?"
"The Marching Ant Company."
Chen Mo froze.
Wait. His company?