Chapter 301 Su Mu: (Panicked) Theresa, what are you doing under the desk?
"So this is where you work..."
Theresa scanned Su Mu's office with the air of a girlfriend. After a moment, she placed her hands on her hips and hummed twice, looking quite smug.
"Hmph, tell me, which little secretary have you hooked up with now? I've come here carrying a mission from Seele and Bronya..."
Su Mu rolled his eyes secretly. "You even brought a mission? You're basically a thief crying 'thief' yourself."
Theresa retorted unhappily, "What do you mean 'thief'? I don't like the sound of that. Have you ever seen a phantom thief as honest, kind, beautiful, and moving as me?"
Looking at her puffed-out chest, Su Mu couldn't help but sigh. The contradiction between the Academy Principal's IQ and her Mature Starlit Astrologos figure was truly subtle. If this stubborn Theresa were a legal loli like in the game, Su Mu would have picked her up and held her high in the air right then and there.
Stubborn, are we? One "lift" and you'd behave!
"Stop messing around. I have work to do if there's nothing else... go find Songque and the others to play."
Su Mu wanted to get Theresa out of the office. Unlike a certain idle person who clamored to inspect the studio, he was currently at a critical stage of Genshin Impact's development. As the director, Su Mu naturally couldn't afford to be lazy.
"Hmph, I really don't know what Bronya and Seele see in you... games every day. If they follow you in the future, I'm afraid they'll be living like widows."
Theresa curled her lips.
"You won't even serve a cup of tea to an elder. You're not even pretending anymore, are you?"
Su Mu spread his hands. "Are you sure you want to sit here with an emotionless work machine like me until the afternoon, instead of going out to enjoy the admiration of a group of youthful and lively girls? You are the famous Magical Girl Teriri, the world's..."
Theresa's face turned as red as an apple. "Shut—shut up! Don't make me remember the public execution from that night! You damn Su Mu, I really wish I could smash you flat with Judah!"
"But I watched your old performance videos, and you said those lines so naturally on stage... why are you acting so bashful now?"
"You have to separate work from life!"
"I don't get it. Don't people work every day?"
"I really can't reason with a workaholic like you..."
Theresa sighed, feeling quite muddled. Why did she have to fall for such an idiot whose head was filled with nothing but games? If she fell for an idiot, didn't that make her an even more hopeless big idiot?
"Alright, alright, I really need to work... if you don't want to go out, you can sleep on the sofa for a while. You probably didn't sleep well last night, right?"
Although teasing Theresa was fun, making the game was more important.
So, Su Mu gave Theresa a brief instruction and turned his gaze back to the computer screen.
"...Big idiot who doesn't understand romance at all."
Seeing Su Mu quickly enter a state of intense focus, Theresa made a face at him.
Seriously, being in the same room with a national-level (middle-aged and elderly) idol like herself, and he didn't expect any pink incidents to happen? Just spend the rest of your life with your damn games then!
Theresa sat down on the sofa somewhat crossly. She happened to notice a refrigerator in Su Mu's office and thought he knew how to enjoy himself, so she prepared to get a drink.
But when the fridge door opened, it was filled to the brim with bitter melon juice.
This made Theresa freeze for a moment. Su Mu never drank bitter melon juice... meaning, this was prepared for her?
"Hmph..."
Theresa opened a can. As she drank the ice-cold bitter melon juice, her heart felt strangely warm.
"Bought this specifically for me?"
"I passed by the supermarket this morning; there was a promotion."
"And you say I'm the one who's glib? You're the real glib monster!"
Theresa checked the production date; it was produced this month—very fresh.
Su Mu smiled and didn't say anything more.
Theresa sat on the sofa, sipping the juice.
She glanced at Su Mu, who was working. The man was currently staring intently at the computer, his fingers tapping continuously on the keyboard. At times he was lost in thought, at times he frowned, but soon his brows would relax, and joy would show on his face.
Sunlight streamed into the office. Although the late July weather was as stifling as a steamer, the air conditioning was powerful.
Water droplets slid down the side of the can, reflecting Theresa's face.
She stared blankly at Su Mu, and several minutes passed quietly.
It wasn't until Theresa snapped out of it that she realized she had been mesmerized by him.
"Ugh..."
She looked away and took another gulp of juice. Even though the AC was set low, she felt a bit hot and bothered.
It felt as if something was tickling her heart... a feeling that prevented her from calming down for a long time.
"It's all Su Mu's fault..."
She cursed inwardly. The scenes of her "public execution" from last night resurfaced in her mind, combined with the unsightly state she had just shown... it made it hard for her to let it go.
Theresa looked around the office, and then the corners of her mouth curled up into a slightly dangerous arc.
A bold idea arose spontaneously.
---
When Su Mu worked, his mind was in a state of high concentration—an expression of "flow."
"Flow" refers to the state of being completely absorbed and selfless when doing something. In this state, people don't even feel the passage of time and feel energized and satisfied upon completion.
In this state, one can fully devote themselves to the task at hand, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
However, this state is something that can be sought but not always found.
But for Su Mu, this state was not rare.
Facing so much heavy work every day, if he didn't love it from the bottom of his heart and enjoy it, he would have been driven mad long ago.
Being able to maintain such high interest and focus on one thing for a long time was not something an ordinary person could do.
This was also why he was called a workaholic by everyone in the company.
The term "workaholic" wasn't derogatory here, and Su Mu's state while working wasn't like a cold, heartless machine. Anyone who observed him would find it interesting.
It was like an artist creating a masterpiece—sometimes sad, sometimes hesitant, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes frustrated...
To others, it seemed somewhat neurotic, but the line between a genius and a madman is thin... people with outstanding achievements in their field always have some strange quirks.
Of course.
High focus on one thing wasn't without its downsides. For example, once Su Mu entered his work state, his senses almost automatically blocked out external influences.
Although he could still hear sounds and smell scents, because his entire being was invested in work, his brain wouldn't filter or process that information.
It's like when you're playing a game intensely and your mom tells you to defrost the meat before she leaves. You reflexively reply "Got it," then finish the game and forget immediately. When she comes back at night to rock-solid meat, you know your "Death Star" is blinking...
"Phew..."
After finishing the hardest part of the day's work, Su Mu exhaled a long breath, and his highly tense spirit relaxed.
He was about to look up to see if Theresa had fallen asleep, but in the next moment...
Su Mu felt something moving under the desk.
He looked down. Theresa was kneeling under the desk, looking at him with a mischievous gaze.
"Wait—?"
Before Su Mu could speak, "Little Su Mu" was grabbed by Theresa and instantly "refined"!
Su Mu had imagined many scenarios of Theresa getting back at him.
One where she actually took Judah and smashed it against his forehead.
One where she kicked his door open in the middle of the night and beat him into submission.
But he never expected...
That Theresa would be so bold and reckless!
In broad daylight, in a bright and clear world...
Songque and the others were just outside, chatting and laughing...
Yet Theresa had taken the "Emperor" hostage to command the lords, instantly hard-controlling Su Mu who had just finished working, making it impossible for him to move!
Seeing the shocked expression on Su Mu's face, Theresa's gaze shifted from mischievous to provocative...
Her eyes were like silk, those blue pupils shimmering with a faint mist, and a blush spread across her face like spring water.
This scene couldn't help but make a poem come to Su Mu's mind:
"Sitting alone in the secluded bamboo grove, strumming the zither and whistling long..."
At the same time.
Inside the CEO's office at MiHoYo.
Kiana let out a loud sneeze. For some reason, she felt a bit of a chill.
"Is the AC too low? Why does my neck feel sore... and my head feels a bit heavy?"
She frowned and reached a conclusion after a moment.
"It must be that stinky old man! Ever since he went back last time, he hasn't said a single human word! He must have found someone to put a hex on me! It must be!"
Back to the other side, Su Mu was in a dire situation.
Before Theresa could finish "refining" the Nine-Revolution Su Mu Hex, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
"Theresa! Did you miss us?!"
The Vodka Girls, Rozaliya and Liliya, dressed in cool summer outfits, suddenly intruded!
"Yo-ho, quite a surprise, right? Hehe, we contacted Susannah in advance to give you a surprise... How about it? Do Liliya and I look like idols now?"
Su Mu felt a distinct tightening below; Theresa's movements froze instantly.
The enthusiastic Rozaliya was still performing her solo act when Liliya pulled at her clothes.
"Idiot Rozaliya, Theresa isn't here."
Reminded by Liliya, Rozaliya snapped out of it.
"Eh? Theresa's not here? Strange... is she hiding somewhere? Like under the desk or something?"
But soon, her gaze met Su Mu's.
"Ah! You must be Su Mu! Theresa mentions you often! Hello, hello, I'm Vodka Girl No. 1—Rozaliya! This is Vodka Girl No. 2—Liliya!"
"Idiot Rozaliya, clearly I am No. 1."
"Liliya, are you trying to steal my position as the leader? I'm your older sister!"
"There are no sisters in the world of idols; it's all decided by strength."
"What? Liliya, do you want to have an idol duel with me right now?"
Though the Vodka Girls' banter was amusing.
Su Mu had no mind to appreciate it right now!
If the desk hadn't blocked Theresa's body, Rozaliya and Liliya would have definitely noticed Su Mu's abnormality immediately.
Even so, if he didn't perform well, they would still notice...
If word got out that Theresa was doing this in the office...
Beads of sweat began to seep from Su Mu's forehead. What a sin; he just wanted to make a game properly. Was he about to become the representative of perverts who indulge in daytime debauchery?
"He—hello, I'm Su Mu. Welcome to Songque Studio..."
Su Mu forced a smile and greeted the two. Rozaliya and Liliya didn't seem to notice anything wrong, still arguing over who was the leader of the Vodka Girls.
"Theresa, get out while you can."
Su Mu quickly looked down, wanting Theresa to crawl out from under the desk, but he met Theresa's incredibly playful gaze.
She licked her finger, her thin lips opening and closing. From the shape of her mouth, Su Mu read her meaning:
"Beg me~"
Only then did Su Mu realize the situation was bad. Theresa had no intention of letting go. On the contrary...
The arrival of Rozaliya and Liliya had further stimulated Theresa's enthusiasm.
Watching Su Mu endure the "torture" while having to converse with the twins...
For Theresa, wasn't this the long-awaited revenge time?
As the saying goes, "deep feelings, one gulp." Su Mu really felt how deep Theresa's feelings for him were now...
He braced his hands against the desk, clenching his teeth to keep himself from making a sound.
If he made a sound here, he would suffer "social death" as an adult male.
"Liliya, Su Mu's expression looks a bit strange."
"Hmm? It is. Su Mu, why are you sweating so much? Are you very hot?"
The Olenyeva sisters noticed the abnormality, and both their gazes landed on Su Mu.
The gazes and caring words from the innocent girls were like the ultimate reward for Theresa.
"Ah, I—I just run hot, haha..."
Su Mu gave a dry laugh. His body had already begun to bend extremely unnaturally, his back arched like a cooked shrimp.
"Hmm? Why are you hunching over? Are you feeling unwell?"
Facing Rozaliya's clear yet foolish gaze, Su Mu felt a burst of guilt. If Rozaliya knew the current situation between him and Theresa...
"It's nothing. I'll just lean over and rest for a bit... By the way, aren't you looking for Theresa? I heard her say she was going to the convenience store downstairs..."
Su Mu wanted to get the twins out of there as quickly as possible, so he made up an excuse.
"Oh, I see! Then we'll go find Theresa first~ Oh, right, almost forgot!"
Rozaliya was about to bolt out when she suddenly remembered something and took a signed CD out of her bag!
"Hee-hee! This is the debut album for me and Liliya, with our personal signatures! Thank you for letting us appear in Honkai Impact 3rd. When we become big stars, this signed CD will definitely sell for a lot of money!"
Rozaliya placed the CD on Su Mu's desk and gave him a thumbs up.
The sun-drenched, pure smile of the girl was like the spring sunshine.
"That's it! Liliya, let's go!"
Rozaliya rushed out of the office excitedly, with Liliya following behind.
However, the moment Liliya was about to close the door, she suddenly turned around and stared straight at Su Mu...
More precisely, at Su Mu's desk.
"Ah... if you see Theresa, please let her know."
Liliya looked at the desk.
"Rozaliya and I will be waiting for her in the office area..."
Then, Liliya closed the office door.
After the door was shut, Theresa finally popped her head out from under the desk. Her hair was a bit messy, and her face was flushed.
"Phew, that child Liliya has amazing observation skills... but she shouldn't have noticed me, right?"
She wiped the corner of her mouth and looked at Su Mu beside her.
At this moment, Su Mu looked like Joe Yabuki fighting the bantamweight world champion, Jose Mendoza, known as the "King of Kings."
"I've burned... until I'm white... already burned out... nothing left but pure white ash..."
Looking at the motionless Su Mu, a confused expression appeared on Theresa's face.
"Hey? Su Mu? What's wrong with you? Why aren't you talking?"
"At this point, what do you want me to say?"
"Uh... for example... your thoughts? After I went back, I specifically researched this area and practiced my technique..."
Theresa's fingers were interlaced, her face so red it looked like it would drip water. She shifted her body restlessly; after all, saying such things was indeed embarrassing.
"Ahem, anyway, if there's nothing else, I'll go find Rozaliya and Liliya..."
Theresa also felt the atmosphere was a bit off and coughed twice, wanting to slip away.
However, before she could take a single step, she was hugged from behind by Su Mu.
Feeling the incredible heat from Su Mu's large hands, Theresa's whole body stiffened, and she gave a few dry laughs.
"Su Mu... ca—can we make peace?"
"At this moment, are you kidding me?"
"Wait, wait a minute, this is disrespectful to an elder! Don't undo my buttons, it's still daytime! Don't grab so tight! It hurts! At least, at least change locations—"
END OF CHAPTER
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