Chapter 293: The Crown of the Mundane and the Divine (Part One)

According to Heita, Ruan Mei has already arrived at the space station ahead of time; if you want to see her, you can first go to the platform and look for her.

Xing arrived at the platform; the crowd surged, scholars coming and going without cease. Xing's gaze swept over the throng of heads and instantly locked onto that familiar figure—Ruan Mei stood before the transparent window, holding a plate of delicate pastries, her eyes quietly fixed on the blue planet outside.

Xing slipped cleverly through the crowd, but as she reached Ruan Mei's side, before she could raise her hand to greet, her finger lifted, carrying a hint of pastry sweetness, and pressed against her neck.

Xing's breath hitched slightly; Ruan Mei's fingertip was cool as jade, lightly pressing against her carotid artery. The surrounding clamor seemed to fade instantly, leaving only her focused gaze and delicate motion.

Xing, slightly embarrassed, pointed to the pastry smudge at her mouth; the other seemed unfazed, smiling faintly: "Hello, I hope I didn't scare you."

"This is my work habit. By touching to open perception, letting life's details flood into the mind, it helps me understand your biological structure."

"This is the foundation of deconstruction and reconstruction. Don't be nervous, you're very healthy—a perfect experimental sample. I like perfect experimental samples."

——

Dragon Clan.

"Wait, an experimental sample? Is she planning to use Xing for an experiment?"

"Kaisar suddenly realized—just now Ruan Mei had observed Xing's combat situation in the simulated universe; could her next experiment be conducted on the space station? And Xing's combat strength is also an important part of her experimental data."

"What kind of experiment requires combat?"

"Kaisar suddenly recalled watching Resident Evil with Nuono before; the protagonist seemed to have fought in the lab—surely Ruan Mei, who looks gentle and refined, isn't actually the evil-scientist type from those movies, right?"

"It shouldn't be; this is the space station, not Ruan Mei's private lab. Heita and Luosigu mu are right here. With them present, even if Ruan Mei wanted to use Xing, this 'important partner in the simulated universe,' for an experiment, they would surely have been informed beforehand." Chu Zihang said expressionlessly.

"That makes sense. But how is it that she can give a full-body check with just a finger? Is it some special ability of her genius?"

"Any genius noticed by the Learned Venerable would, to some extent, differ from ordinary people."

Chu Zihang's face grew solemn: "Compared to Heita and Luosigu mu, Ruan Mei's personality fits my idea of a scholar better. It's just her tone of voice… she seems indifferent to many people and matters, perhaps because of long-term isolation."

——

"You have a bit of pastry on the corner of your mouth," Xing reminded again.

"Huh? Really?" Ruan Mei belatedly reacted, "I was just admiring the scenery and got a little lost in thought. I don't often come to the space station; today I discovered this place, the view is open and soothing. It would go well with some lotus leaf, plum blossom, glutinous rice, and a hint of sugary frost."

Saying that, Ruan Mei divided the pastry she was holding in half with Xing, and they savored it slowly while looking out the window.

She seemed interested in pastry baking and cooking, chatting with Xing about many topics besides research; but when the space station came up, Ruan Mei furrowed her brows, indicating that the noisy environment didn't match the pastry.

"So… do you still remember my research?" Ruan Mei stared earnestly at Xing.

"It seems to be about nurturing life…" Xing was about to say that, but instead blurted out something completely unrelated: "I don't remember; I only like researching little stories about toilets."

A faint, unintentional smile appeared on Ruan Mei's lips.

"???"

Xing froze.

(What's going on… what am I saying…)

"Oh, that's a cute hobby," Ruan Mei said, smiling and nodding.

"But remember, when you encounter similar things in the future, before figuring out what happened, you should first hide your expression, otherwise…" Ruan Mei's expression suddenly grew a bit stern.

"... you'll be full of loopholes."

——

Gintama.

"Tsk tsk, tsk tsk tsk..."

Gin lay on the sofa, watching Xing being played with on the screen, emitting a lament of regret.

"This teaches us a profound truth——" Gin suddenly raised a finger, "You must never casually eat anything given by a strange woman! No matter how beautiful she is."

Shinpachi pushed up his glasses, exasperated: "Hey Gin, you were just rolling on the ground saying, 'Ah, I also want to eat Miss Ruan Mei's pastry! It looks so delicious!', and now that you see Xing has taken the bait, what are you pretending to be cautious about?!"

"Idiot! It's not the same—I'm purely passionate about pastries! And that guy Xing is obviously bewitched by beauty! Besides, someone as mature as me wouldn't be easily swayed by mere looks."

Shinpachi sighed: "…Coming from you, that really has no persuasive power."

"Blabbermouth! Anyway, if it were me, I'd never easily fall for it." Gin crossed his arms, snorted, then glanced sideways at the half-eaten pastry Ruan Mei had left on the screen, muttering quietly: '…But if she personally fed it to me, occasionally falling for it wouldn't be out of the question…'

"You really are still charmed by Miss Ruan Mei, huh!!"

——

"Shall we try again? Now, Xing, what else do you want to ask?" Ruan Mei's smile deepened.

"What did you give me to eat?" Just like last time, Xing couldn't say that; her mouth uncontrollably uttered something unrelated: "The pastry is delicious, I want to eat some more."

(Why? I can't say what I want to say.)

"You're a greedy little one. All right, I'll tell you the recipe." Ruan Mei extended a hand to Xing, offering: "Let's go for a walk. After eating the tasty pastry, a stroll is the perfect pastime."

Xing followed Ruan Mei through the noisy crowd; her silhouette on the bustling platform looked especially frail.

Finally, the two reached a secluded corridor; as the surrounding din faded, she stopped, turned to Xing, and said: "Xing, don't be tense—I mean no hostility, I didn't tamper with your speech center—that would be too rude… I merely added a little adjuster."

"Over the past few days, I hinted to Heita about my interest in you. Because I want you to become an assistant, you are the most suitable choice—I am so confident given our limited contacts in the simulated universe."

She lightly shook her head: "But there are no impermeable walls in the world; I find it hard to trust anyone outside myself. In meticulous research, if any datum goes wrong, it creates problems. I dislike uncontrolled issues."

"So, I added a truth serum to this pastry. It's harmless to your body, but it will prevent you from speaking your true thoughts when answering my questions."