You are all bad women! Don't come over!

Shen Mochen lounged on the couch, his demeanor nonchalant, "She should have arrived by now, didn't she mention it in your group chat?"

Xia Qingrou looked down and sighed deeply, "Aren't you also in the group? She hasn't replied to any messages."

"I thought you girls had a private group or something."

"Psh, as if we'd create a private group just because you're a guy. We're not that bored!"

Shen Mochen squinted his eyes, like a mischievous court official whispering slander to the Emperor, "Maybe they did create a group and just didn't invite you?"

Xia Qingrou, annoyed, kicked him again and then mused to herself, "Damn it, why do I feel like I'm getting more violent? I used to be so gentle... it's all your fault, you scumbag!"

"That must be your true nature. You say you have social anxiety, but you're fiercer than anyone when it comes to that stuff. You've nearly skinned me alive several times..."

"You!"

Xia Qingrou, infuriated, her face turning red, suddenly shouted in embarrassment and anger as she climbed onto Shen Mochen and started throwing punches, "That'll teach you to keep talking, that'll teach you!"

"What are you guys doing?"

A cold voice interrupted their playful fight.

Xia Qingrou froze, turned her head, and saw Han Muxue staring at them angrily.

Only then did she realize her current state—sitting on Shen Mochen in just a T-shirt and skirt, her legs wrapped around his waist. Though she was supposedly hitting him, the pose looked rather intimate.

"Ahh!" Xia Qingrou screamed, standing up and stomping around.

"Hey!"

Shen Mochen also screamed. If it weren't for his readiness for combat, strong as iron, the stomping might have sent him straight to the hospital.

If that had really happened, it would have been a lifelong black mark on his record.

"What are you doing to me, you jerk!" Xia Qingrou scrambled off the couch, her eyes bulging, almost tearful.

"What, what? Wasn't it just you unilaterally beating me up?" Shen Mochen looked utterly innocent then,

Is there no justice, no law? Why do I get beaten up and people still think it's my fault?

Xia Qingrou hurriedly turned to Han Muxue, shuffling in her slippers towards her, "Xuexue, don't get the wrong idea, it's all because he was spouting nonsense, I was just hitting him!"

Han Muxue nodded, her gaze still wary as she watched Shen Mochen.

Xia Qingrou felt like she was caught cheating, utterly embarrassed and ashamed, unable to stay in the living room any longer. She glared fiercely at Shen Mochen and turned back to her room.

Leaving Han Muxue and Shen Mochen facing off.

"Why are you glaring at me like that..." Shen Mochen coughed.

"Scumbag, I'm warning you, stay away from her!" Han Muxue bit her lip.

Shen Mochen spread his hands, "Miss, get your facts straight, it was her beating me up unilaterally. I didn't even fight back; I've been that gentlemanly. You criticizing me like this is completely baseless!"

Han Muxue was taken aback, "If you didn't provoke her, would she have hit you?"

"Putting aside the facts, there's no excuse for hitting someone, right?"

Han Muxue was momentarily speechless, glaring furiously at Shen Mochen's groin, her face slightly red, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You don't love her at all, you just think she's easy to manipulate, wanting to take advantage of her! Scumbag, I warn you, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have a handsome face!"

Shen Mochen took a deep breath, his face still looking innocent, "You really misunderstand, I really didn't do anything!"

Han Muxue pursed her lips and couldn't say anything more, only glaring at Shen Mochen, "Manage yourself!"

That said, she pushed the wheelchair and left.

Shen Mochen shrugged and leisurely leaned back on the sofa, thinking that the current mode of interaction was quite good.

Although he had become a guy who liked to think with his lower half in her eyes, being a scumbag had its benefits; at least he didn't have to act so upright anymore.

"Liu Chaoyan, want to play chess?" Not long after, Liu Chaoyan approached with a box of chess.

In her white dress, she smelled like fragrant grass. Her long hair fluttering, she somewhat resembled a Mystical Woman.

The ancients said that a so-called beautiful person has the appearance of flowers, the voice of birds, the spirit of the moon, the posture of willows, the bones of jade, skin as cold as ice and snow, the demeanor of autumn waters, and the heart of poetry.

Liu Chaoyan might not be the most beautiful, but she certainly had the ice-cold skin and jade bones, with the grace of spring willows and autumn waters, seeming without a single flaw, like a romantic ancient poem.

"Sure." Shen Mochen nodded happily.

He knew she was very calculating, but being calculating wasn't necessarily negative, it mostly depended on the person's character.

Historical figures all had their schemes; as long as there weren't conflicting interests or irreconcilable disputes, getting along could be quite comfortable.

"By the way, since Xingshuang left, our team has been one person short," Liu Chaoyan mentioned casually while they played chess.

"Yeah, I think it should be filled soon," Shen Mochen agreed.

"As far as I know, Yu Huai isn't getting any new recruits. Although it's the separation month now and there's no rush, it will be a lot of pressure if it's still the same during the Moon Conjunction."

"After all, losing a strong member is tough, but the Moon Conjunction is still many days away, we shouldn't be short of new members by then..."

Liu Chaoyan smiled faintly, a look of helplessness on her face, and said softly, "Shen, haven't you noticed something off?"

Shen Mochen paused, "Do you mean that Buque is currently short-staffed..."

"Yes, I heard it wasn't always like this. In the past, Buque had a surplus of reserves, not as tight as it is now."

"Is it because the number of Superpower Users has decreased? Or because..."

"They haven't given any explanation from above, but the number of Awakeners announced each year has remained steady... It probably isn't a numbers issue."

"The number of nodes is essentially fixed, so that means either the proportion of volunteers like Xiao Xingshuang has increased, or the casualty rate of Buque has gone up..."

This suddenly struck Shen Mochen, sending a shiver through him. He had always felt no allegiance to Buque, primarily because he joined in exchange for Amplifiers to prolong Yin Caiyu's vitality, which made him indifferent to Buque's affairs.

Now, hearing Liu Chaoyan put it this way, he indeed realized something was wrong. The number of Buque teams was fixed, meaning the number on active duty was constant. Having more teams needing people than people available for teams under the obligatory service of all Superpower Users nationwide… was certainly not normal.

"Actually, even if new people join, they'll need time to adapt and be tested; it's impossible to become an entire fighting force in the short term... Moreover, not only our team in Yu Huai City is short of people."