Even back on Earth, Zoe Pierce had never ridden on the back of a motorcycle.

The helmet didn’t obstruct her vision. On the contrary, its clear visor allowed her to see every one of Chase Shaw’s movements.

A strange sense of excitement bubbled up inside her. She jogged to the motorcycle, stepped onto the foot peg, and settled in behind Chase Shaw.

"Hold on tight." Chase Shaw’s voice came through the helmet, as clear as if he were speaking right next to her ear.

Zoe Pierce’s arms shot out and wrapped tightly around Chase Shaw’s waist. Even through his clothes, she could feel how firm and toned his body was.

As for Chase, when he felt the soft press against his back, his throat bobbed, and his gray eyes seemed to shine a little brighter. "Here we go."

There wasn’t the deafening roar she’d expected, the kind that announced its presence to the world. Instead, there was just the distinct feeling of being shot forward like an arrow from a bow. In a flash, the bike had put a good distance between them and the gate.

Aside from the wind grazing the backs of her hands, the rest of her was so well-protected that she felt nothing at all.

Still, Zoe held on tightly to Chase, tilting her head to watch the passing streetlights blur into colorful streaks.

"Doing okay?" It was Chase Shaw’s voice.

Zoe smiled. "This is a little unexpected."

She’d never thought that in Interstellar Space, she would not only pilot a Mecha but also ride a motorcycle. Both were extraordinary experiences.

Chase paused for a moment. "If you want to learn, I can teach you. It’s simpler than a Mecha."

Communicating through the helmets was no different from talking face-to-face. There was no interference from outside noise, as they were specially designed for clear conversation.

Zoe replied, "Okay! When we have time later, you can teach me."

Just like that, she had unwittingly agreed to Chase’s plan.

A "next time" that would belong only to the two of them.

A smile flashed in his eyes. "You can put your hands in my pockets. You won’t be cold."

Zoe’s hands were slender and fair. He only had to glance down to see them. He slowed the bike slightly, giving her a chance to move.

Zoe obediently did as he suggested, sliding her hands into his pockets and grabbing hold of the special drawstrings inside.

Now, she couldn’t feel the chill on her skin at all.

The motorcycle was even faster than a hovercar. Since Chase was used to piloting Mecha, he couldn’t help but go fast, and Zoe had grown accustomed to such speeds. The two of them reached their destination in less than twenty minutes.

Zoe got off the bike first.

After dismounting, she watched as Chase took off his helmet. The man’s handsome face was as sharp as a sculpture. His gray eyes, seeming to notice her gaze, lifted to meet hers with a hint of confusion.

Zoe, still holding her helmet, tilted her head and looked at the backlit man. "Has anyone ever told you that you look a little too handsome like this?"

It was as if all his best features were amplified—his exceptional height, his perfect proportions.

Both the atmosphere and his personal charm were elevated to a whole new level.

Even though Zoe saw Chase often, she still found the sight of him now dazzling.

Chase put his helmet into his Space Button and walked over to Zoe. As if in disbelief, he lowered his gaze and asked, "Is that so?"

Zoe walked alongside him, nodding. "Really. You’re pretty handsome."

She didn’t usually compliment their looks so freely. After all, even the most handsome person can start to look ordinary after a while. But today, Chase had successfully made her unable to resist stealing a few extra glances.

Chase hadn’t expected that today’s spur-of-the-moment idea would pay off so well.

He grunted in acknowledgment. "No one’s ever said that. Only you."

Zoe froze for a second. Trailing behind Chase, she suddenly didn’t know how to respond.

Anything she might say felt like it would be too intimate.

She opened her mouth to speak but then saw that Chase had stopped at a keypad lock next to a warehouse. He entered a string of numbers, and soon, a long shutter rolled up.

Blinding white light flooded the interior, illuminating every corner. Inside the warehouse, a silver-white Mecha stood in the very center.

It was a Mecha Zoe had never seen before.

She knew for a fact that it didn’t belong to Chase or any of the others.

She suddenly remembered what Chase had told her back on Siren Star—that he was going to give her a Mecha.

"Try it out. It’s a Mecha designed especially for you." Chase’s voice was like the other shoe dropping, confirming her suspicion.

"On Siren Star... didn’t you already give me one?" That was a gift from all of them. Zoe looked at Chase.

Chase looked back at her. "That was a gift from all of us together."

"I promised you before that I would give you one myself."

Compared to the Mecha from Siren Star, which had been painstakingly pieced together from carefully selected parts, every single component of this new Mecha utilized the latest, most cutting-edge technology.

The Siren Star Mecha wasn’t useless, of course. At the very least, while thinking through the design of this one, Chase had used a lot of the data Zoe had left behind on that Mecha.

"Try it. Your spiritual power has increased, so you were due for a new Mecha anyway."

This was something only he could have complete control over. No matter what happened in the future, every time Zoe used this Mecha, she would think of him. It would no longer be the Mecha they had all built together. He had completely, deliberately excluded everyone else. This was a gift—her Mecha—from him and him alone, made especially for her.

Zoe was a little overwhelmed by the favor. Of all the things Chase had said, his last sentence moved her the most.

After her spiritual power had increased, the Mecha they had given her on Siren Star had indeed started to feel slightly less responsive. But the feeling was subtle, so she had never mentioned it.

"When did you prepare this?" A Mecha wasn’t something that could be built in just a few days.

Chase said, "I never forgot."

"I started preparing the moment we got back."

As soon as their interrogations were over, he had immediately set about getting the materials ready. After that, he had thrown himself into the project whenever he had a spare moment.

Thanks to the Mecha Masters working overtime to assemble it, they had barely managed to finish it before the training camp.

Zoe might not be able to use it during this training camp, but he wanted her to have it.

Just as she had the first time she touched Chase’s Mecha, Zoe reached out to the silver surface, then looked up at him. "Let me prepare a gift in return."

’This is far too expensive a gift. More than the price, it’s the thought behind it.’

The mere fact that Chase had accomplished this without saying a word was enough to astonish her.

’I can’t accept this gift with a clear conscience.’

It felt as if a profound affection was now pressing down, heavy on her heart.

Chase looked straight at her and didn’t refuse. "Alright."

"First, I’ll collect some interest," he said.

Zoe didn’t understand what he meant.

Then she saw Chase walk up to her, open his arms, and pull her into an embrace.

Her fingers, stunned, clutched at the fabric of his clothes. Zoe’s head was forced back, and she had to stand on her tiptoes just to properly rest her face on his shoulder.

"Zoe Pierce, are you happy with this gift?" Amid her bewilderment, Zoe heard Chase’s words.

Her gaze happened to fall upon the full view of the Mecha.

’How could I not be happy...’

It was just... too good. That was why she felt a little guilty.

’I feel guilty, as if I’ve done nothing to deserve his kindness.’