"Old Auntie" and "Little Guy"

The next morning, Bai Luoming woke up first.

He opened his eyes but didn't move, because the person in his arms was fast asleep, with long, soft hair spread out on his chest and the pillow, the ends brushing against his collarbone, causing a slight itch.

Herta nestled in his arms, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, her head resting against his chin. At that moment, she was completely unguarded in his embrace.

Looking at the sleeping Herta, Bai Luoming couldn't help but grin upwards.

He began to mentally replay the dramatic "battle for family status" from the previous night.

Unlike last time when he was restricted by the Herta, this time he took the initiative and wreaked havoc, leaving his opponents routed.

From the moment he decided to counterattack until the very end, he gave Herta no chance to turn the tide.

Just thinking about it made Bai Luoming feel like he was about to burst out laughing. He had won a resounding victory in this battle for family status.

Moreover, he realized that based on Herta's stamina limit, he felt he could withstand even two more attacks.

All I can say is that Old Bai's buffs are still too authoritative, and the Stellaron Power is still too much of a skill to master.

Just as Bai Luoming's inner monologue was still playing out, the person in his arms moved.

He wasn't sure if Herta was awake, but he felt Herta's arms around his waist tighten unconsciously, and Black Tower snuggled closer to his chest, as if seeking deeper warmth.

Upon seeing the Herta in this state, Bai Luoming ceased his mental activity.

He lowered his head slightly, meeting Herta's half-open purple eyes, which still held a hint of sleepiness.

Looking at the Herta, Bai Luoming spoke smugly.

"So, now you know who's in charge, huh?"

Upon hearing this, Herta didn't say anything, but rolled her eyes at Bai Luoming in annoyance, then buried her head back in his chest without making a sound.

The appearance of the Herta in front of him made Bai Luoming somewhat unable to fathom her attitude.

What's this? You're not convinced?

Bai Luoming could not tolerate such a silent provocation.

He sat up, quickly supporting Herta's back with one hand and slipping the other hand under her knees. With a burst of strength from his waist and abdomen, he lifted Herta out of the soft blankets and held her securely in his arms.

Feeling his body suddenly suspended in mid-air, Herta instinctively hugged Bai Luoming tightly.

Bai Luoming held her in his arms, staring straight into Herta's eyes, as if he was ready to fight again if Herta didn't speak.

"Um?"

Seeing Bai Luoming's posture, Herta tightened his grip on his arm.

She looked away, avoiding his face which seemed to say, "If you're not satisfied, I'll keep going." An unnatural blush spread from her neck to her ear.

"Yes, yes, yes..." she said in a low voice, with a hint of gritted teeth, "You're the best, okay?"

Hearing Herta say those words, Bai Luoming was very satisfied. As for the tone, that was naturally unimportant. To hear such a proud genius say such words was itself a great achievement.

Then Bai Luoming stopped hugging Herta and the two of them lay back down in bed, returning to their previous position.

The room fell silent, save for the barely audible hum of the space station's environmental systems operating.

After a brief moment of tenderness, Herta suddenly spoke.

"Little guy."

"Hmm?" Bai Luoming responded lazily.

"Or," her voice was flat, as if she were just saying it casually, "Why don't you go back to the train? Why don't you stay at the space station with me?"

Bai Luoming did not answer immediately upon hearing Herta's words.

Herta wasn't in a hurry. Her words seemed casual, and whether Bai Luoming agreed or not was unimportant. But her hand, which was pressed against Bai Luoming's chest, unconsciously clenched into a fist.

After a moment of silence, Bai Luoming gave his answer, speaking to the Herta with a teasing tone.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"I still feel more comfortable on the train; I'm really not used to being on the space station."

Upon hearing this, Herta paused in his movements.

Then she suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with question marks.

"... What old auntie?"

"Look," Bai Luoming began to explain earnestly, his expression sincere.

"You usually call me 'little one,' right? Then I'll call you 'old auntie,' isn't that just right? After all, there's an age difference between us, so I don't think there's anything wrong with calling you that."

Herta's expression changed rapidly. In just two seconds, she went from confusion to confirmation, and then to a rush of blood to her head.

Then she sat up and swung her hand at Bai Luoming's head.

However, Bai Luoming reacted even faster than her.

With a slight tilt of his head, he dodged Herta's furious attack, then casually wrapped his arm around Herta's waist, pulling the man who had just sat up back into his embrace.

He crossed his arms, binding her hands firmly like chains, blocking all her attack routes.

"Let go!"

Herta struggled twice in his arms, but found her struggles were somewhat futile. Bai Luoming's embrace was like a ring of steel bars, firmly binding her.

Seeing that Herta had stopped struggling and his anger seemed to have subsided somewhat, Bai Luoming immediately started his practiced kneeling apology routine, speaking rapidly to Herta.

"I was wrong! I was wrong, Sister Herta! How could you be an old auntie! You're forever eighteen! In the prime of your life! Beautiful as a flower! The youngest and most beautiful girl in the entire world!"

He kept changing the way he addressed people as he spoke.

"Sister! Young Miss! Goddess of the Herta! I misspoke just now, I'll slap myself! Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against a little kid like me!"

Herta was both angry and amused by Bai Luoming's barrage of flattery.

However, Herta didn't want to pursue his words any further, so she leaned back into his arms and let out a long sigh.

With this little incident over, the two tacitly avoided bringing up the previous question again.

The room returned to silence.

Bai Luoming closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, patting Herta's back lightly with his palm, as if soothing a cat with its fur standing on end.

Herta didn't speak again, and his breathing gradually calmed down.

The lounge's temperature-controlled system keeps the air warm and comfortable. Outside the huge portholes, there is a tranquil panoramic view of the starry sky outside the space station, with occasional Starskiff or cargo ships streaking by, leaving brief trails of light.

This was a rare period of quiet time, free from probing and confrontation.

However, this quiet period did not last long.

Herta stirred, reached for the personal terminal on the bedside table, tapped the screen a few times, and began to browse something.

Bai Luoming didn't open his eyes, but lazily asked, "What are you looking at?"

The Herta did not answer.

He could only sense that the frequency with which Herta's fingers slid across the screen seemed to be increasing.

After waiting a few seconds, there was still no response.

Bai Luoming opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her screen.

After just one glance, the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

The screen displays a news aggregation page.

Without exception, the headlines of all major interstellar media outlets featured photos of him and the Herta.

There was a candid photo taken yesterday in the Master Control Zone corridor, showing the two holding hands.

There are close-up details of their matching white outfits.

Some quick-handed artists have even created fan art of the two, which is spreading virally across various social media platforms.

The headlines were increasingly exaggerated.

"Genius Society #83 Falls in Love! Who is the Mysterious Nameless?"

Exclusive! Ms. Herta falls in love with the Astral Express; Herta Space Station may be welcoming a new male owner?

These headlines, based on the three elements of news, are so long they seem endless, and the content inside is even more unbearable to read. It just goes to show that people in the news industry really know how to grab current events.

Bai Luoming turned his head and looked at the Herta beside him.

She was staring at the news reports, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Although he had suspected it, seeing Herta's expression still made him feel powerless.

"You did it on purpose."

Herta finally took her gaze off the screen, looked up at him, neither admitting nor denying it.

Seeing this, Bai Luoming sighed deeply and resignedly buried his face in the soft pillow.

Herta ignored his reaction, tapped the screen twice more, and casually increased the traffic of the news she thought was well-written.

After doing all this, she put the terminal back on the bedside table.