Chapter 40: People from the Interstellar Command Have Arrived

Ruan Mian channeled her ability, and under the witness of the two, the small sapling grew taller and larger, its massive canopy resembling a giant umbrella that shrouded them both in its shade.

Pink flowers bloomed on the tender green branches, and as the wind blew, petals drifted down amidst the swaying shadows of the tree.

It was as if a pink rain had fallen.

Petals covered her hair, shoulders, and clothes, making one feel as if they were in a dream world.

The scent of flowers and the fresh fragrance of trees lingered at the tip of her nose; she couldn't help but reach out to catch a flower that drifted before her.

Looking sideways, dappled sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across the man's handsome face and lingering around his body.

It was like countless sprites, looking just like a painting.

"You..."

Her fingers tightened, clutching the pink flower, closing around it, yet doing so with great care.

Her gaze was too intense; even someone insensitive to stares would have felt it, let alone Huo Junze.

"Do you know what kind of tree this is?"

Her gaze shifted from his face to the pink petals drifting before her, which made him breathe a sigh of relief while also feeling a faint sense of loss.

A very strange emotion.

"What is it?"

He did not say that he had updated the plant encyclopedia database and only needed to point his Light Brain at the tree's features, as a scan of the flowers and leaves would reveal the plant's basic information.

Yet, he specifically wanted to hear her say it, that soft, glutinous voice that made one feel as if they were holding a piece of cotton candy.

"A Hehuan Tree. 'The east wind breathes out the fragrance of Hehuan flowers, the setting sun cries for the lovesick tree.' It's a lovely tree, and being crowned with the name of lovesickness makes it seem all the more romantic."

A Hehuan Tree, is it?

"'The setting sun cries for the lovesickness tree,' a very beautiful name."

He did not know if Huo Junze understood the meaning, but his eyes seemed to be mixed with glue, sticking to her, deep and lingering.

Ruan Mian twirled the pink petal with her fingertips.

Under the interplay of light and shadow, her cheeks appeared somewhat dreamlike.

She placed that petal before him, "There are many, many more flowers, plants, and trees—fragrant ones, stinky ones, pretty ones, strange ones. I will plant many, many more in the future; you can come and see them later."

"Is that so?" Huo Junze was very expectant; he curled his lips and picked up the flower in her hand, "Alright."

The inexplicable atmosphere seemed to become very subtle.

Heat gradually climbed to the tips of his ears, and his cheeks were burning too.

It wasn't her fault for lacking resolve; it was just that this person's voice was so bewitching!

With a light cough, Ruan Mian turned her head, using the tactic of changing the subject to quickly deflect her own embarrassment.

"I'm going to go check on the little pig."

Clearly, compared to that iron-framed cage, the little pig preferred the pigsty built from vines.

Huo Junze looked at the large iron pot in front of him, his jaw dropping in surprise.

"Are you saying this is for the little pig to eat?"

Ruan Mian shook her head obediently, "No, no, no."

He hadn't even let out a breath of relief when, in the next second, he was left dizzy by her words.

"The little chicks need to eat it too!"

A large basket of cleaned sweet potatoes had been chopped into small pieces and boiled in water until soft and mushy.

Of course, a bowl of white rice was added as well.

Once cooked, rice bran was added, along with a small cup of sugarcane syrup, and it was all stirred until even.

This could prevent the little pig, which hadn't been full for a long time, from getting internal heat from eating too much.

Seeing the sugarcane syrup, Ruan Mian remembered the matter she had discussed with Huo Junze earlier.

"By the way, didn't we talk about making that machine for white sugar earlier?"

Huo Junze nodded, "It's already being made, but it still needs to be tested."

Ruan Mian understood; it meant they lacked raw materials for experimentation.

"Alright, how much sugarcane do you need? I'll plant a batch for you later."

"Mm, I will make good use of it."

He had moved close to her side at some point, bowing his head, his deep voice making one feel tingly.

It seemed he was talking about this, yet it also seemed he was talking about something else, making one unconsciously fall into the trap she had woven.

"I'll plant more sugarcane, just go ahead and make the machine!"

She was very bold when she said this.

It was just as straightforward as when he gave her money.

While speaking, Ruan Mian's hands were still constantly stirring the sweet potatoes in the pot, scooping out a whole large bucket of them.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to call 917 over to carry it, a shadow moved in first.

A large palm brushed against hers, causing Ruan Mian's movements to pause for a moment.

"Why are you..."

"Are you planning to carry this outside? Let me help you."

Actually, calling 917 would have been the same; that was what she thought in her mind, but she still obediently kept it to herself.

She smiled obediently, "Thank you, Huo Junze~"

Huo Junze's obsidian-like pupils swept over, his eyelashes trembling slightly; he said nothing more and carried the bucket out.

917 had made a large pig trough, and a bucket of pig feed poured in was just right—completely full.

The little pig acted as if it had arrived in heaven, munching away non-stop.

"I'll plant a field of sugarcane for you; want to see it?"

Ruan Mian blinked coquettishly, a hint of small pride dancing in her eyes and brows.

At this moment, she was vivid and bright; even dressed in the simplest clothes without any gorgeous embellishments, she was still as beautiful as the stars.

"Watch closely~"

Ruan Mian squatted down, her hands emitting a green glow of supernatural power, and rows of tender green sprouts broke through the soil, emerging in a rush.

Segment by segment, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, a purple sugarcane field sprouted up in just a few breaths' time.

The long leaves at the tops spread out like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, a very unique piece of scenery.

A "Crack!" sound pulled Huo Junze, who had been admiring the scenery, back to his thoughts.

He watched as the soft and delicate Ruan Mian split a thick stalk of sugarcane in two as if she were chopping firewood.

She handed half to him, "Huo Junze, want to try some? It's very sweet~"

The two of them, each holding half a stalk of sugarcane, sat in the courtyard, gnawing away at it like little hamsters with a "crunch, crunch" sound.

The clear, sweet, and moist juice passed between their teeth and slid down their throats, seeming to sweeten their very hearts.

"The ones I grow myself are the best!"

Her cherry lips were dampened by the juice, making them appear even redder, much like a ripe fruit that made one want to pluck it and taste its flavor.

His gaze darkened slightly, and the sugarcane in his hand suddenly didn't seem quite as sweet anymore.

Mo Mishu finally managed to extract himself from a pile of documents, rubbed his sore shoulders, and couldn't help but complain in his heart about his inhuman boss.

He had clearly been so passionate about work before, with an attitude of being willing to live and die with his job.

And yet, now he had gone off by himself to play with plants at Boss Ruan's place, leaving such a huge mess for him!

Too much! Too much!

He wanted to go play too!

Suddenly, a call request came in on his Light Brain; seeing that the caller was the receptionist from the first-floor lobby, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Generally, simple tasks like reception were handled by Simulation Humans.

This receptionist was actually a maintenance worker whose ID could be described as being responsible for the daily upkeep of the Simulation Humans, concurrently maintaining order on the first floor to prevent the Simulation Humans from having any other malfunctions.

But generally speaking, they would not connect with him directly.

What was going on?

As soon as the call connected, a hushed voice came from the other side, "Mo Mishu, someone from Interstellar Command is here!"