"Ms. Ruan Mei, calm down, calm down." Seeing Ruan Mei approach him with her sword in hand, Bai Heng had the illusion that his life was about to end.
"Call me A Ruan." Ruan Mei corrected him again.
"..." Bai Heng froze for a moment before quickly changing his words. "A Ruan, let's talk this out. We're old friends reunited after so long—there's no need to start swinging swords and guns, is there?"
Ruan Mei looked at him, her composed face still carrying a gentle, scholarly air.
"Oh? Then explain yourself."
Bai Heng took a deep breath, then gave his answer.
"I can't clearly explain the exact reason, but in a sense, my memories related to you only just returned. I wasn't deliberately avoiding you."
Ruan Mei studied Bai Heng's refined features and said,
"That excuse passes."
She could catch Bai Heng's microexpressions and determine that this was not a lie either.
"However, I have another question for you." Holding her sword as elegantly as though she were cradling an instrument, Ruan Mei stood where she was and continued, "What is it?" Bai Heng asked.
"What question?"
"You just said you think my personality has changed. So tell me—do you prefer the me from six hundred years ago, or the me I am now?" She said it lightly, as if she were asking something entirely insignificant.
But Bai Heng knew this was absolutely a lethal question.
If he said he preferred the A Ruan from six hundred years ago—the aloof and indifferent one, warm on the outside but cold within, one who viewed emotions only with disregard and incomprehension—then that meant he did not like the current her, who had shed a measure of divinity and gained a touch of worldly warmth.
And the reverse was true as well.
It felt like either answer would get him cleaved in half by her sword.
At that moment, Ruan Mei, seeing Bai Heng pondering, spoke up.
"You should think carefully about this question. If you answer well, there will be a 'reward.'"
"I like them both." Bai Heng decided to exploit a loophole and answered immediately.
But just when he thought his answer was flawless, Ruan Mei blinked lightly, then moved closer to him. Her lips parted as she said,
"Greedy bad children don't get 'rewards.'"
Bai Heng was visibly stunned.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
Fine, fine, so that's how we're playing this?
There was no escaping this today, one way or another.
"Don't hit—" Just as he was about to voice his sole request—not the face—the words caught in his throat.
Because he heard a soft whisper right by his ear.
"Bad children don't get 'rewards,' but today is an exception." The nameless sword in Ruan Mei's arms collapsed once more into a silver cube. She extended arms as fair as lotus roots and gently wrapped them around Bai Heng's neck, her soft, fragrant body nestling into his embrace.
After a long silence, she whispered softly,
"Long time no see. Welcome back."
She spoke those words so lightly, but who could know how heavily they carried the weight of six hundred years...
Bai Heng's eyelashes trembled lightly. He wanted to reach out and hold her waist, but in the end, his hands simply hovered in midair.
Maintaining that posture, he murmured softly,
"Long time no see... I'm back."
Herta Space Station, Master Control Zone.
"Ms. Herta's account has been frozen. This is her bill from last month." With a wave of Topaz's hand, a digital display appeared behind her.
The payment amount on the account under Herta's name had reached an astonishing figure.
Two people were standing beside Topaz at that moment.
One was naturally the person subject to enforcement, the great Ms. Herta.
The other was Miss Asta, the stationmaster of the "Herta" Space Station.
She was a young woman who still looked somewhat immature. Her azure eyes were clear and beautiful, while her shoulder-length pink hair was tied into a cute side ponytail, making her look even more fresh and adorable.
Looking at the towering frozen-payment figure, both girls' mouths fell open at the same time.
Herta reacted quickly. She turned sharply, took tiny rapid steps toward the other side of the Control Zone, and left behind a single sentence.
"Just pocket change. I'll leave it to you."
"Huh?!" Asta reached out in Herta's direction, but Herta was already fleeing at an absurdly rapid pace.
Topaz had expected this outcome long ago, so she wore a polite smile.
"Miss Asta, what do you think?"
Asta sighed. With a helpless yet resigned expression, she took a limited-edition black card from the Interastral Peace Corporation off her person and said,
"Swipe it yourself."
It was at that moment that two more people walked side by side into the Space Station's Master Control Zone.
Topaz caught sight of them. One was graceful and gentle, with an elegant, well-proportioned figure; the other was tall and slender, so striking that he could topple mountains with a glance. They were Ruan Mei and Bai Heng.
When the two reached Topaz, she returned the black card, having paid Herta's bill, to Asta while looking at them and asking,
"Ms. Ruan Mei, Bai Heng, how did your discussion go?"
"Ms. Ruan Mei is willing to cooperate with us unilaterally. As for Mr. Screwllum and Mr. Stephen, we still need to seek their own opinions," Bai Heng replied.
In front of outsiders, Bai Heng decided he should still address her as Ms. Ruan Mei.
Seemingly somewhat bothered by that form of address, Ruan Mei gave Bai Heng another meaningful glance. This time, however, she did not correct him. Instead, she turned her calm gaze toward Topaz and said,
"Miss Topaz, my cooperation is only with the Interastral Astronomical Society. I will not have any other business dealings with the company's other departments."
"Of course," Topaz answered decisively.
In truth, Topaz had already been delighted the moment she heard that Ruan Mei had agreed to cooperate with the Astronomical Society.
After all, they had not held much hope for this in the first place.
Now that they had achieved results, Bai Heng was the greatest contributor.
Moreover, in her eyes, there seemed to be some indescribable relationship between the two of them.
"However, I have one more request." Ruan Mei interrupted Topaz's thoughts.
"Hmm... Ms. Ruan Mei, what is your request?" Not expecting her to suddenly reverse course like this, Topaz's expression grew several degrees more serious.
"As for work coordination, I ask that the company not assign anyone other than Bai Heng. Additionally, I hope Bai Heng can serve as my assistant concurrently and participate in my research."
Ruan Mei's request was unexpectedly simple.
Asta, who had been listening from the side without speaking since the beginning, was also somewhat surprised.
She had not expected Ruan Mei of the Genius Society to agree to cooperate with the Astronomical Society just to ask the company for someone.
Her gossiping heart was ignited.
Asta's azure eyes sparkled brightly.
She began to speculate about the relationship between the two. When she thought of that possibility, Asta covered her little mouth in surprise.
"Of course, no problem." As if afraid Ruan Mei might change her mind, Topaz agreed at once.
Listening to the conversation between those two, Bai Heng's expression became somewhat speechless.
So neither of them was even considering his opinion.
He felt that even if Ruan Mei had proposed making him marry into her family, Topaz might have agreed.
After all, it was not like that would be a bad thing.
But was Bai Heng that kind of person?
The kind of person who would yield to beauty and immense wealth?!
Well, the answer was yes.
But even if he had to live off a woman, Bai Heng would do it with backbone... at the very least, he would put up some token resistance.
The contract will be signed tomorrow. After signing, I'll try to update twice a day. Please keep reading and add it to your bookshelf.
Kisses.
Before you continue