"Tiandao, you... did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Inside the Sunken Ship Grand Restaurant's special protective barrier, Caroline soothed the white baby dolphin, which Tiandao had frightened into looking aggrieved, then suddenly turned to Tiandao beside her and said this.
The moment those words left her mouth, Tiandao jolted all over. His body even froze in place, and his breathing stalled for half a beat.
If anyone else had said that, Tiandao would not have thought much of it.
He would only have assumed they were talking about the prank he had just played on the little dolphin.
But when those words came from Caroline, the meaning was entirely different!
Just as Caroline understood Tiandao very well, Tiandao understood Caroline just as well.
As one of the few Starborn in the Star Project who had been a key subject of the base's training ever since birth,
Caroline was not only highly intelligent, but also exceptionally skilled at swiftly deducing the truth of an event from the smallest details.
Therefore, Caroline's words were definitely not a spur-of-the-moment remark. There was truly another meaning hidden behind them!
Although Tiandao knew he might have already been exposed, he still decided to play dumb to the bitter end.
"W-what do you mean, on purpose? Caroline, w-what are you talking about? I don't understand at all."
Caroline looked at Tiandao meaningfully. The smile that was not quite a smile on her face made Tiandao feel so guilty that he feared she would spot a flaw.
Fortunately, Caroline did not pursue the matter further.
Considerately, she let the subject drop and turned to look at the little dolphin outside the barrier.
At that moment, afternoon sunlight filtered through the sea surface, scattering fine flecks of golden light across the nearshore waters.
As for the white baby