Ziye and Little Bean Sprout glanced at each other helplessly. Little Bean Sprout hopped up, vigorously poking the miniature figure on the screen—a figure strikingly similar to An Junlie—with the leaf on its head. It grumbled, "You idiot, try again!"

Failure after failure, line adjustment after line adjustment. The girl and the optical computer treated the testing process in the studio like a game, playing the entire day. Seeing how passionate she was about his departure from Silver Talisman Star, An Junlie felt both grateful and melancholy.

As evening fell, she emerged from the studio, her face etched with frustration. An Junlie knew she had failed just by her expression; he didn't ask. He poured a cup of black rose tea and handed it to her. "There's no need to rush things so much."

The taste of black rose was utterly unlike anything else—eerie and potent. Ziye could barely tolerate it. Pinching her nose, she downed the tea, followed by a glass of clear water, finally feeling revived. She shot him a sidelong glance. "You don't want to leave?"

An Junlie managed a wry smile. "Of course I do. But wanting it isn't enough to get out. You shouldn't be rushing and damaging your health."

Ziye's heart warmed slightly, and she murmured, "Mm."

The two sat in silence in the courtyard for a time. Eventually, Ziye couldn't hold back and spoke first. "Alien, if you don't go back, won't the Legion miss you?"

An Junlie's expression shifted into another wry smile. The Legion was his everything; how could they not miss him? Yet, what he said to Ziye was, "The Vice-Commander, Lanli, is very capable. He can hold the main structure of the Legion steady even without me."

Ziye commented casually, "That name sounds so gentle."

An Junlie shook his head. "He only appears gentle on the surface. But everyone in the corps fears him more than they fear me. Especially those twins, Aixbent; one glare from him, and they stop any mischief."

Ziye loved the lively feeling of a large family with many people causing a ruckus, and she felt envious. "It must be wonderful having so many people around."

Remembering the crew in his Legion, An Junlie couldn't help but lift the corners of his lips. "Those twins are a headache, but everyone else is quite obedient. If you ever get the chance to go out, come to my Legion. The policies there are excellent."

Ziye's fingertips trembled. The reason she had initially idolized An Junlie was precisely because of his Legion's policies. In her view, the governance of the Angel Legion was the finest in the galaxy: lowest crime rate, most harmonious members, best member welfare, greatest individual freedom... Living under the control of the freedom-scarce Fiya government, she had regarded the Angel Legion as a sacred domain.

Now that she was familiar with An Junlie, she trusted her initial judgment even more.

With such a gentle leader, there was no reason for his subordinates to be treacherous villains. It was just a pity that she wasn't fortunate enough to live on his territory.

Ziye sighed inwardly but managed a smile. "Alright. If I get a chance, I’ll come freeload a meal at your Legion. Don't you dare chase me away then."

Many conflicts between people often stem from poor communication. Not asking creates distance; asking but not answering creates barriers; asking and answering builds trust; not asking but speaking indicates dependence.

Ziye and An Junlie hadn't reached the stage of dependence, but Ziye understood that the fundamental issue was that if she didn't ask, he wouldn't speak—a clear distance lay between them. Now that so much time had passed, there wasn't much left to ask about anyway. This rare moment where they sat down and talked openly, treating each other as good friends, allowed the knots in their hearts to dissipate.

The cold war was finally over, and both felt a significant sense of accord between them.

Ziye returned to the studio, fighting for his chance to go home. She was a person without a fixed home, content to settle wherever she found herself, but An Junlie was different; he had a home, a career, and a host of people waiting for his return.

Sometimes, Ziye truly envied An Junlie. He possessed everything she desired. Because she could never have those things, she wished all the more fervently for him to return soon, so that those waiting for him wouldn't suffer from worry.

The only drawback was that once An Junlie left, she would never again taste such delicious food. How could her spoiled palate possibly adjust back to the rose buns stored in the cold locker?

As she thought about it, her appetite waned. After a few bites, she looked up. "Alien, when are you leaving?"

Hearing her question, An Junlie also set down his chopsticks, musing, "I'm still considering it. That route isn't easy; my certainty right now is low."

Ziye propped her chin on her hand. "The test results for the breakthrough game are in. The success rate is 70%. You can check your own confidence driving the mecha in a bit." In reality, she only had 60% confidence, but she knew he was determined to leave, and she didn't want to stop him. Thus, she could only try to bolster his self-assurance. A man who survived falling from the sky wasn't likely to bid the world farewell easily.

An Junlie's eyes immediately brightened, and he stood up. "I'll go test it right now."

Ziye rolled her eyes at him and tapped the dining table with her finger. "Please finish eating first."

Only then did An Junlie remember they hadn't finished dinner, and he awkwardly returned to his seat. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Ziye, have you ever thought about leaving Silver Talisman Star?"

Since learning the rules of Silver Talisman, An Junlie rarely addressed her by her name in such a formal manner. Now, with such a serious tone and sincere expression, Ziye's hand trembled, and a piece of food "thwacked" onto the table. She looked at the food, then at An Junlie, and simply put down her chopsticks, apologizing. "Sorry, my hand slipped. What did you ask?"

An Junlie fixed her with an even more earnest gaze and repeated, "Have you ever thought about leaving Silver Talisman Star?"

Ziye had already composed herself and calmly shook her head. "Not for the moment."

An Junlie hadn't expected her to refuse so readily, and his face fell in disappointment. "Why?"

Ziye pulled at the corner of her mouth, offering a casual excuse. "No particular reason. Silver Talisman is quite nice—safe, quiet, and relaxed. Space is too volatile; I don't want to join the commotion."

An Junlie felt this reason lacked any real conviction. Unsure what she was thinking, he decided to state his position directly. "I want to take you with me."

What? Ziye's eyes widened, and she froze. An Junlie quickly explained, "You are incredibly talented, but you have no room to use your skills on Silver Talisman Star. It's too much of a waste. If you're willing, you can join our Legion. The Legion covers all expenses, and I will provide you with a subsidy equivalent to the salary of our best technician."

Ziye looked at him and burst out laughing.

An Junlie frowned. "What are you laughing at? I'm serious."

Ziye waved her hand, suppressing her laughter. "I'm serious too, it's just that thinking of your Legion's name... I can't help myself."

Angel. The name of An Junlie's Legion was the Angel Legion. Every time she connected the imposing man before her with the concept of an angel, Ziye nearly choked on her food. It was too moe!