Chapter 290

Yin WestQing's arrival was like a small stone cast into the deep waters of the New Era; ripples remained confined to the outer edges of the Security Department and a few informed senior officials. For the vast majority of members, life continued along its established rhythm, even gaining a touch of leisure—and room for gossip—due to the relative stability of recent internal and external conditions.

In the Civilization Ark's residential zones, especially core areas like Guanlan Yuan, while neighborly interactions were not close, the speed of information spread was anything but slow. The news that Xia Wan had traveled with Mr. Qin to Luocheng on a mission (though its specifics remained unknown) and returned safely quietly circulated through certain family circles via unknown channels.

Combined with Xia Wan's earlier earth-shattering cry of "Brother," and Mr. Qin's obvious special attention to her (personally rescuing her from Kunlun Mountain, bringing her back for recuperation, even taking her out himself), subtle speculations began to quietly take root in certain afternoon tea gatherings and small online groups.

That afternoon, in a small café within the Guanlan Yuan community, several familiar family members sat together chatting.

"Did you hear? Xia Gong's eldest daughter went out with Mr. Qin a few days ago!" a well-informed woman whispered, her face wearing a mysterious expression.

"Really? Where did they go?" "How could anyone know? The Sir's movements are top secret! But it must've been an important mission!" "Hmm, the treatment… personally rescuing her, keeping her by his side, training her… don't you think the Sir is being a bit too special with her?"

The topic naturally veered toward that sensitive direction.

"I think it's almost certain!" another well-dressed lady sipped her coffee and spoke with solemn analysis, "Think about it—when has the Sir ever shown such concern for any girl? Assistant Su is purely professional. Minister Lei is a subordinate. But Xia Wan? She calls him 'Brother,' and he personally takes her on missions. Can that be the same?"

"Exactly! I think that eternal ice mountain of his is finally thawing!" "The old iron tree is about to bloom!" someone joked, using a common saying.

"Pfft—the old iron tree blooming? That analogy… actually fits pretty well!" The group couldn't help but chuckle softly, the atmosphere growing slightly flirtatious and excited.

Gossip is human nature, especially when it concerns the private emotions of a mysterious, high-ranking leader—it greatly stirs people's curiosity.

"But come to think of it, Xia Wan is a lovely girl—beautiful, calm, well-behaved, and reportedly gifted. If it really happened… it wouldn't be bad." "Yes, better than the Sir staying alone forever. Such a large New Era needs a mistress, doesn't it?" "But I wonder what Xia Wan's family thinks…" "What could they think? This is a tremendous blessing!"

Similar discussions quietly unfolded in many small circles. People weren't malicious—more than anything, it was a reasonable speculation and a… natural curiosity about the leader's private life. After all, Qin Feng's existence was too vital to the New Era; everything about him stirred countless hearts.

These rumors naturally reached Xia Madam's ears.

As a member of the Yi Ye Wei Yuan Hui Cheng Yuan, she participated more in community activities and thus heard more idle talk. When a familiar neighbor subtly asked her if "Xiaowan and the Sir…" she was first stunned, then quickly waved her hands to deny it.

"It's not true! Don't spread rumors! Xiaowan is merely being given opportunities to learn and train under the Sir's favor. The Sir is… just mentoring a subordinate!" Xia Madam's face flushed with urgency as she tried to explain.

Deep down, she too felt uneasy. As a mother, she could sense her daughter's complex, non-standard emotional attachment to Qin Feng—and Qin Feng's unusual attitude toward her daughter. But the phrase "the old iron tree is about to bloom" filled her with dread. That was Mr. Qin! A being like a deity! She had never dared to imagine such a thing.

Seeing her strong reaction, the neighbor didn't press further, merely changed the subject with a smile—but the knowing look in her eyes only deepened Xia Madam's unease.

Back home, she stared at the empty living room (Xia Tian was at the construction site, Nannan at kindergarten), thinking of her daughter, whose whereabouts remained unclear yet seemed increasingly embedded in the core circle, and recalling the rumors outside—she let out a deep sigh.

Is this blessing or misfortune?

Meanwhile, inside the Medical Center.

Xia Wan knew nothing of the rumors outside. She was following the medical team's instructions, undergoing rehabilitative physical training, while repeatedly reflecting on and practicing the Bloodline Power Vibration Technique and resonance methods she had used in Luocheng.

Su Wenqian came to visit and, in a relatively tactful manner, gently alerted Xia Wan to some of the external "public sentiment."

"... Everyone is just concerned about the Sir and you," Su Wenqian carefully chose her words. "But you should only listen—don't take it to heart. Focusing on improving yourself is what matters most."

Xia Wan froze for a moment, then understood Su Wenqian's meaning; her cheeks involuntarily flushed.

"Brother"…

She recalled her cry of "Brother," uttered in panic and mental disarray, and the quiet whisper on the return ride: "It's good to have you…"

She did indeed harbor a complex emotion toward Qin Feng—mixing reverence, gratitude, dependence, and even a hint of fledgling attachment—that she herself couldn't fully clarify. But was it… romantic love?

She didn't know.

She only knew that now, she had no right, and no energy, to ponder such things.

Her primary mission was to grow stronger, to master her power, to uncover her destiny.

She took a deep breath and said earnestly to Su Wenqian: "Assistant Su, I understand. Right now, I only want to learn well from the Sir and improve myself as quickly as possible. Everything else… I've never thought about it, and I dare not."

Su Wenqian, gazing at her clear and resolute eyes, nodded with relief: "It's good that you think this way."

Meanwhile, in the Ding Ceng Ban Gong Shi.

Qin Feng remained completely unaware of—and utterly indifferent to—all the speculations about him and Xia Wan.

His attention was entirely fixed on a newly submitted analysis report from the Science Council.

The report was a deep analysis of the playful recording belonging to Yun Ge, stored in the Kunlun Star Core's information database. The technical team employed a novel model based on information entropy and Gai Nian Ta Pu, attempting to strip away surface-level interference and recover its deeper "intent."

The analysis revealed that buried beneath the seemingly frivolous recording lay an extremely subtle, almost casually left "coordinate"!

This coordinate was not a spatial one in the usual sense, but a more abstract "mark" involving multidimensional parameters and energy characteristics!

Preliminary model simulations pointed to a seventeen percent probability that this mark was somehow linked to Jing Yi!

Seventeen percent!

Though seemingly low, in the midst of total obscurity, it was like a solitary lamp in the dark—pointing to the first possible direction!

Qin Feng stared at the complex, abstract coordinate mark on the report, his gaze deep.

Yun Ge… Jing Yi…

It was time to meet that troublemaker, wandering the universe, seemingly "gone bad."

As for the idle gossip quietly circulating in the corners of the New Era about "the old iron tree blooming"…

To him, it was merely noise from another dimension—utterly irrelevant.