Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

He knew that he was responsible not only for her personal safety, but also for the ultimate fate of the entire "mirror image".

He replied with a "okay" and carefully put the note away.

He needed to spend more time with her, not only out of affection, but also to observe the changes in her "anchor points" and... to find clues for the next step.

At noon in the cafeteria, Zhang Yu was "bumped into" by Huang Ying again.

Today she changed into a royal blue tight-fitting cheongsam with an astonishingly high slit, almost reaching her thighs. As she walked, her pair of straight, plump legs, encased in shimmering flesh-colored stockings, were glimpsed intermittently, attracting countless gazes, some infatuated and others wary.

She sat down opposite Zhang Yu without any hesitation, leaning forward, her large and full breasts, which appeared even more impressive under the tight wrap of her cheongsam, almost touching the table, the deep cleavage like an alluring trap.

"How's your decision, junior?" She smiled slightly, her eyes burning. "The concentration of 'source matter' is increasing every day, and opportunities are fleeting. I know a place, in the underground air-raid shelter in the old campus, where... there are 'good things'."

Her voice was seductive, "For 'Awakeners' like us, that place is a treasure trove for rapidly increasing our strength. Of course, there's also a bit... dangerous." She stretched out her fingers, painted with purple nail polish, and lightly traced a faint red mark across her snow-white neck, the gesture full of suggestive implications.

Zhang Yu could sense that Huang Ying's energy field was more solid and aggressive than before, like an invisible net trying to envelop him.

Her offer was tempting; the old campus air-raid shelter was indeed one of the most notorious "forbidden areas" on campus, rife with rumors.

But he knew all too well that cooperating with Huang Ying was tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

“I need to know more details, and… your purpose.” Zhang Yu did not agree immediately.

Huang Ying chuckled, flicking a barely perceptible wisp of energy, carrying a chilling aura, from her fingertips. It brushed across Zhang Yu's hand like a spider's silk, bringing a stinging and tingling sensation: "Purpose? Of course, it's to become stronger, to survive in this new world, and... to live well."

As for the details, you'll find out when you get there. Don't worry, I wouldn't want anything to happen to my precious 'partner' right now.

Her gaze swept across his face, filled with undisguised possessiveness. "Eight o'clock tonight, east gate of the old campus. No exceptions."

After she finished speaking, she stood up, her ample hips, encased in her cheongsam, swaying in a breathtaking arc, leaving behind a lingering, enchanting fragrance.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yu and Chen Chen studied together at the library as agreed.

The two sat side by side by the window, sunlight filtering through the glass and casting dappled shadows on the pages of their books.

Chen Chen was very quiet, spending most of his time reading attentively. He would only occasionally steal a glance at Zhang Yu, and when he was discovered, he would immediately blush and lower his head. His innocent and budding appearance softened Zhang Yu's cold heart.

However, this tranquility was broken by the arrival of Zhang Ning, the class's academic representative.

She was still wearing the same uniform, but Zhang Yu noticed that there seemed to be a small, inconspicuous stain on the cuff of her uniform jacket, resembling machine oil or circuit board solder.

This would have been unimaginable for Zhang Ning, who used to be absolutely meticulous.

She walked to Zhang Yu's desk and handed him a document containing suggestions for revising the script for the class meeting. Her tone remained steady, but Zhang Yu caught a fleeting, extremely subtle hint of fatigue and…data overload-like disorientation in her eyes?

"Here, the explanation of 'scientific spirit' is not accurately quoted from Engels. It is recommended to replace it with the original text from 'Dialectics of Nature'."

Zhang Ning pointed to a spot on the document, her finger steady, but Zhang Yu seemed to see that the pale silver lines beneath her fingertips flickered rapidly again, this time even clearer than yesterday.

“Okay, Committee Member Zhang.” Zhang Yu took the documents and tentatively asked, “You look a little tired, are you alright?”

Zhang Ning adjusted her glasses, her eyes momentarily unfocused behind the lenses before quickly regaining their clarity: "I'm fine. Just stick to my schedule and stay efficient."

But after she finished speaking, she didn't leave immediately as usual. Instead, she stood there, her gaze seemingly unfocused as she swept across the library's bookshelves. A few seconds later, she seemed to suddenly come to her senses and added somewhat hastily, "Recently... the library's magnetic field readings... have been somewhat abnormal. If you feel... dizzy or see hallucinations... leave immediately."

These words carried a clear personal observation tone, a stark contrast to her usual completely official tone.

After saying that, she turned and left almost as if fleeing. Although her steps were still regular, her back exuded an unprecedented tension.

Zhang Yu looked in the direction she left and understood.

Zhang Ning's solid "barrier of rationality" is showing increasingly obvious cracks under the continuous impact of "source matter".

She is going through some kind of intense inner struggle.

In the evening, Zhang Yu was about to go to the cafeteria for dinner when he was stopped by Lan Shan downstairs in the dormitory.

She seemed to have waited there on purpose, wearing a white coat and holding a folder in her hand. Her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses were as cold as ever, but deep inside there was a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect.

“Zhang Yu,” she said, getting straight to the point, handing Zhang Yu a printed data chart, “this is the data transmitted back from the monitoring device you are wearing over the past 24 hours.”

Your energy fluctuation peaked abnormally again last night at midnight, exceeding the yellow threshold and approaching the red alert zone. On the chart, a curve representing Zhang Yu's energy level suddenly rose at a certain point in time.

Zhang Yu was startled. He had indeed been trying to guide the power within his body last night, but he hadn't expected it to be detected so precisely.

“I’m doing…some physical exercise,” he explained reluctantly.

Lan Shan pushed up his glasses, his eyes sharp as knives, as if they could cut through any lie: "This kind of energy release is fundamentally different from the bioelectricity generated by muscle movement."

She closed the folder, her tone icy. "I don't care what you're doing, but I must remind you that excessive, uncontrolled energy fluctuations will accelerate the wear and tear on the 'surface,' and may also attract... unnecessary 'attention.'" Her gaze swept meaningfully around, as if implying that there were eyes watching from the shadows.

“Furthermore,” she paused, lowering her voice slightly, “there are signs that Chen Chen’s energy field resonates strongly with yours. This connection… is dangerous.”

It could not only amplify her emotional fluctuations, but also, under certain circumstances, become the fuse that ignites a larger crisis. Her words were like cold needles, piercing the place in Zhang Yu's heart that he was most worried about.

"What does Teacher Lan mean?" Zhang Yu asked in a deep voice.

“Keep your distance, or… learn absolute control.” Blue Mountain’s voice was devoid of emotion. “Otherwise, I don’t rule out taking necessary measures to isolate the source of risk.” Her threat was naked and direct. As the maintainer of this “mirror image,” stability was paramount.

Looking into her cold eyes, Zhang Yu knew she was not lying.

He took the new data report and nodded silently. The struggle with Blue Mountain had escalated from initial warnings to substantive monitoring and threats.

At 7:30 p.m., after much hesitation, Zhang Yu decided to go to the east gate of the old campus.

He needed intelligence, to understand the "treasure land" Huang Ying mentioned, and to find out Huang Ying's true intentions.

He told Chen Chen that he had something to do that evening and asked her to stay in the dormitory. Although Chen Chen was a little disappointed, she obediently agreed.

The old campus is located in the old area of ​​Lingcheng University. Most of the buildings are in the Soviet style from the 1950s and 1960s. Most of them are abandoned, with mottled walls and vines growing everywhere, making them look particularly gloomy under the pale moonlight.

The area near the East Gate was even more desolate, with only a dim street lamp swaying in the night wind and making a crackling sound.

Not long after Zhang Yu arrived, a figure brimming with wild power darted out of the shadows and blocked his way. It wasn't Huang Ying, but Zhu Mei!

She was dressed even more provocatively tonight, covering her vital parts only with a black leather bra and hot pants. Large swathes of her healthy, tanned skin were exposed to the cool night air, her muscles flowing and powerful, like a female leopard poised to pounce.

A smile of excitement and cruelty played on her lips as she stared intently at Zhang Yu.

"Hehe... junior, you really came! Looks like you took the bait from that vixen Huang Ying after all!" She swayed her shapely waist as she approached, her full breasts heaving wildly under the restraint of her leather bra, exuding a wild allure. "But why should she get all the benefits? I'm just as interested in those good places!"

Zhang Yu's heart sank; he hadn't expected Zhu Mei to have her eye on this place too. "Where's Huang Ying?"

"Her?" Zhu Mei scoffed. "She's probably 'enjoying' herself in there right now. But it doesn't matter, we can go and pick up the leftovers after she's finished eating."

Or…” she licked her lips, her eyes greedily scanning Zhang Yu, “Shall we warm up first? Let your older sister see how much you’ve… improved these past two days!”

Before she finished speaking, she had already transformed into a black shadow, rushing towards Zhang Yu with a sharp gust of wind. Her five fingers formed a claw, aiming straight for his face, and her fingertips even had a faint blood-red glow!

Zhang Yu was prepared. His inner strength surged, and he dodged to the side while simultaneously throwing a punch to meet her sharp claws.

The fists and claws collided, producing a muffled sonic boom!

Both men took a step back, and both saw surprise in each other's eyes.

Zhu Mei's strength and speed are far superior to when they fought before!

The energy emanating from her was violent and chaotic, filled with destructive intent.

"Not bad! This is getting interesting!" Zhu Mei was not angry but pleased, and her offensive became even more frenzied. Her punches and kicks poured down like a storm, each strike containing explosive power and her unique, corrosive energy.

Zhang Yu focused intently, channeling the newly generated power within his body to its fullest extent.

His senses were heightened to the limit, capturing every subtle movement of Zhu Mei and predicting her attack route.