Chapter 15: You Good-for-Nothing, Apologize!

“What do you mean? My things don’t need his approval!”
“Blockhead, I won’t repeat myself again. If this continues, I’ll report directly to the university board, and they will conduct a thorough investigation into who stole my laboratory chip key.”
“Univ... university board? Princess, are you joking with me?”
“This chip key was really given to me by Junior Brother Ruan.”

The mention of the university board completely frightened Fan Tong.
Why was Hua Susu so difficult today?
If this matter was reported to the board, he would be accused of a serious offense.
Being marked for a serious offense at Federal University could easily lead to expulsion.
He had worked hard to get admitted from a harsh planet, and now he couldn’t bear the thought of being sent back over such a trivial matter.

Instantly, he pulled out the golden chip key. “No, Princess, the key is yours—I’ll hand it over.”
At worst, after Ruan Nan calms Hua Susu down, he could ask him for it again.

Hua Susu looked at the golden chip in her hand with astonishment.
So this was the highest-level laboratory key, shining with a golden light, truly extraordinary.
Had she noticed the color differences earlier, she wouldn’t have made such a mix-up and damaged Su Yu’s impression of her so drastically.

After feeling the solid texture of the golden chip, she took a few steps forward and stood before Su Yu, handing him the golden chip key.
“This is for you. I took the wrong one. Sorry about that. From now on, with this, you can enter the laboratory freely.”

Give... give it to him?

Su Yu stared at the golden chip key in disbelief.
Hua Susu had actually handed him the highest-level golden chip key meant for Ruan Nan.
Was this some kind of illusion?

Everyone at the school regarded Ruan Nan’s golden chip key as a symbol of Hua Susu’s intense pursuit of him.
Having it meant Ruan Nan was under Hua Susu’s protection.
Now that key was in Su Yu’s hands—did that mean Hua Susu had truly severed ties with Ruan Nan?

Su Yu couldn’t help but overthink, but this time he didn’t refuse.
No matter what Hua Susu’s intentions were, as long as he had this chip key, he could use it to conduct experiments in the laboratory, which was crucial for him.
His experiments were already in the final verification stage, and having this key was indeed essential.

“Ding! Su Yu’s favorability +5, current favorability –79!”

---

“It increased, it increased! Host, you’re amazing! In such a short time, your favorability rose again.”

Hua Susu smiled as she saw Su Yu accept the chip key.
Her eyes gleamed with determination as she silently told the system, “I told you, as long as you give enough, no one will refuse!”
Of course, the premise was to “apply the right remedy.”

It seemed that playing the laboratory card was the right move; Su Yu valued the laboratory greatly.
She realized she needed to pay more attention to laboratory affairs in the future to earn higher scores.

Fan Nan watched in disbelief as the golden chip key he had handed over was passed by Hua Susu to Su Yu.
How could this be?
He hadn’t misread!
That golden chip key, exclusive to Senior Brother Ruan, was now someone else’s.
What was Hua Susu playing at?
Could she really be abandoning Senior Brother Ruan?

If this was Su Yu’s scheme, he had to admit it was a successful one today!
Fan Tong suddenly felt that Ruan Nan had met a worthy opponent.
Hua Susu was no longer the same as before; he needed to remind himself not to act haughty as before, or he would lose his standing altogether.

But what about Senior Brother Ruan?
Hadn’t he sent a message on the light brain saying he would come to the laboratory today? Why hadn’t he shown up yet?

Hua Susu, satisfied to see Su Yu with the chip key, glanced back at Fan Tong.
“I say, you’ve kept me waiting too long. An apology, please?”

Fan Tong had thought the earlier matter was over, but she brought it up again.
Reluctantly, he had to do it. If he didn’t, Hua Susu might accuse him of stealing the laboratory chip key, and he’d be officially recorded for it, which would end his chances at Federal University.

Graduating from Federal University was his ticket to becoming a commander, piloting starships.
If he successfully completed missions, he might even become a captain or general, stationed on a high-level planet, never having to return to that poor lower-class planet again.

Fan Tong dared not gamble. He muttered a half-hearted apology to Su Yu, “Sorry.”
His voice was so low it was barely audible, like a mosquito’s buzz.
Hua Susu felt that if she weren’t so close, she wouldn’t have heard him at all.

She shot him a dissatisfied glare.
“Didn’t your family teach you how to apologize?”
“That voice is so small, are you talking to mosquitoes?”

---

“Apologize to me again.”

Fan Tong had no choice but to raise his voice and say, “Sorry.”
That was loud enough—surely that would do?

Yet Hua Susu frowned.
“Is that how you apologize?”
“Are you sincere?”
“Bend your waist a hundred and eighty degrees for me, no, lower, bow at ninety degrees...”

She was always meticulous about apologies; this guy trying to get away with it was out of the question.

Seeing this, she began to teach him properly.

Su Yu watched as Hua Susu enforced such strict etiquette and suddenly recalled how she had demanded the same from Xin Bai when apologizing that day.
He had been baffled then about what she was trying to achieve.
Even now, watching her strictly instruct, he still wondered what her endgame was.
When did Hua Susu become so concerned with etiquette?
Her manners had always been superficial, never this formal.

Hua Susu focused entirely on teaching Fan Tong and didn’t notice Su Yu’s gaze.

After finally training Fan Tong into the correct way to apologize, she lifted her head and said,
“All right, that posture is good. Now speak—remember to be sincere with your words.”

Fan Tong didn’t understand what had gotten into Hua Susu—today she not only made him apologize but dictated how to do it.

Gritting his teeth, he bowed at ninety degrees to Su Yu and said,
“Sorry, Su Yu, I shouldn’t have said that...”

Hua Susu stared at Fan Tong for a long moment, then looked up at Su Yu.
“Do you accept this apology?”

Su Yu nodded lightly.
“It’s quite good.”

Satisfied, Hua Susu waved her hand.
“All right, you blockhead, you can leave now. That’s enough for today.”

Fan Tong sighed in relief and was about to leave the laboratory when a voice sounded outside,
“Junior Brother Fan, where are you? I’ve arrived.”

Fan Tong’s body stiffened instantly—it was Ruan Nan.
He glanced at Su Yu, then looked outside for Ruan Nan.
Now let’s see how Hua Susu will handle this.