This time when he returned, An Junlie was far less conspicuous than before. He bypassed the main thoroughfare, docking his shuttle directly in the hangar bay of the (Mecha Engineering Department), and quietly drove his maglev vehicle onto campus.

Since the promotional video was released, Ziye had become the unofficial face of Lingsi, and even the had gained immense prestige because of her presence.

When An Junlie spoke with Principal Fite, he only mentioned Ziye briefly, yet the Principal launched into a proud, detailed introduction, hailing her as a talent "chosen from a million."

An Junlie knew Ziye’s true capabilities better than anyone else.

He simply noted down the information he needed and filed it away silently.

He even recorded her hyper-signal frequency.

However, having missed his chance once before, he hesitated, choosing not to transmit the signal just yet.

Just seeing her face is enough, An Junlie told himself.

It was the break between classes, and a large stream of students poured out of the teaching building, dispersing in twos and threes in every direction. An Junlie stood before the space garden in front of the structure, intently watching the building's exits, but Ziye did not appear.

Could Ziye have skipped class today?

An Junlie casually flagged down a passing student and immediately got the location of Ziye's apartment. Should he go there to find her?

What if I frighten her?

Admittedly, Ziye was not someone easily frightened.

An Junlie pulled up his hyper-signal interface and retrieved a full-body photo the administrator of Angel-7 space station had sent him a few days prior. It appeared on his screen.

She was dressed in a crisp shirt and jeans, layered with a small vest, giving her the look of a spirited youth. She sat in the waiting lounge near the hangar exit, propping her chin in her hand, pinching the cheek of Xiaodouya with one hand while glaring at the creature with dissatisfaction. The angle of the shot allowed him to glimpse the subtle curve of her slightly pouted lips.

Accompanying the photo was a message from the administrator: "Boss, I found the person you were looking for, but she truly is female. Are you certain you haven't mistaken her gender?"

An Junlie let out a soft sigh. Just as he was about to place the call, he suddenly heard a clear voice shout toward the teaching building, "Ziye! I'm here! If you don't come down, I'm coming up to drag you out!"

In an age where everything was managed via hyper-signal, An Junlie found someone using this rudimentary method of voice projection utterly endearing, especially when she was calling for Ziye.

He followed the sound and saw a petite girl with twin ponytails. She cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, completely disregarding the frequent sideways glances she was receiving.

Moments later, someone came thundering down the stairs.

An Junlie felt his breath hitch—he finally saw Ziye!

Ziye seemed slightly rounder than before. The pallor she possessed on Silver Talisman Star had been replaced by a complexion that now looked soft and rosy. Running down the steps had brought a flush to her cheeks, lending her a hint of girlish charm.

"Good girl, you finally showed up! I’m definitely going to beat you in the run today!" The girl with the twin ponytails grabbed Ziye’s arm without preamble and pulled her along.

Ziye didn't resist, allowing herself to be led, giggling, "The loser buys dinner tonight?"

"All you think about is food!"

"..."

An Junlie watched them run off, laughing and chatting, feeling a complex mix of relief and melancholy.

He had always believed that people Ziye’s age should be brimming with vitality and dreams for the future.

She deserved to be happy.

Yet, seeing her genuinely happy now somehow brought a sudden pang of sorrow, because he was no longer the sunshine in her life; she no longer needed him!

Now, she had the best school, the best instructors, and like-minded peers. Xiaodouya had informed him she had one hundred and fifty million in allowance money.

And she had the brightest smile.

She lacked nothing now.

What more could he possibly give her? An Junlie watched her from a distance, a wave of bitterness washing over his heart. He wanted to step forward, call out to her, and say, "Ziye, I came to see you."

But his feet felt rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.

Aside from not wanting to disrupt her tranquil life, the greater reason was the fear of hearing her reply: "I'm sorry, I don't know you."

He still vividly remembered the time on Kira Star when she had laughed brightly in front of him, shopped with him, and eaten with him, yet stubbornly refused to acknowledge their acquaintance. Ziye truly didn't want to see him. A sudden, sharp realization struck him: though he had a thousand reasons to see her, he lacked a legitimate status to approach her... Perhaps the best thing he could do was pretend he had never come at all.

As long as she was well, that was enough; there was no need for her to ever know he had been here.

He would save his apologies for her until a chance arose to meet her properly in the future.

Lingyin was a good kid who loved to stay active.

Ever since returning from military training, she had diligently run every day, making sure to drag Ziye along as well. It had to be said, running together was far more entertaining than running alone.

It was just like on Silver Talisman Star, where even running in circles around a wall could be spirited fun.

However, during their runs, Lingyin noticed that Xiaodouya was extremely distracted. Once, it bumped into her face; the second time, it hit a lamppost. On the third collision, Ziye finally lost patience and stuffed it into her pocket.

Xiaodouya popped out of the pocket, flapping its wings above her head, "Do you think the alien is still on campus?" Ziye pinched its cheek, "Impossible, so many days have passed." Xiaodouya shook its head and looked back toward the direction where An Junlie was standing. It knew he was there; it could sense his silver-signal presence.

But Ziye refused to believe it.

It tilted its head and thought, I really want to see Ziye's shocked expression! It abruptly halted mid-air and shouted loudly, "Ziye! The alien is here!"

Ziye reflexively turned back but saw no one.

"You're lying again?" She grabbed Xiaodouya and squeezed it hard, squeezed it relentlessly, finally squashing it flat before tossing it back into her pocket and continuing to run.

Lingyin looked surprised. "An alien? What kind of program does your little doll have installed? That’s hilarious."

Ziye shrugged. "It insists that aliens exist."

Lingyin burst into laughter and was about to speak when Ziye interrupted, "Pay attention to your breathing while running; don't mess up your rhythm."

Lingyin reluctantly fell silent.

Xiaodouya finally crawled out, letting out a miserable sigh. Why didn't Ziye believe it? Didn't the boy who cried wolf only lose credibility after the third time?

Why did Ziye stop believing after only the second warning?

It decisively flew backward but discovered that An Junlie was nowhere in sight.

Xiaodouya tilted its head back, gazing toward the direction from which the ship had flown, and moved the tiny sprout on its head forlornly.

After finishing their run, Ziye and Lingyin were about to head for dinner when Ziye’s hyper-signal chimed. After checking the message, she said to Lingyin, "Sorry, I have something urgent to deal with back at my apartment. I can’t eat with you right now."

With that, she jumped into her maglev vehicle and sped off.

Lingyin watched her retreating figure and stomped her foot. "I definitely need to find a boy to run with me?"

Ziye returned to her apartment and accepted a small box labeled 'Urgent Delivery' from the courier. Assuming Blackbeard had sent something crucial, she rushed inside and eagerly opened it—

Inside the box was a serving rack with four tiers. On each tier rested a plate piled high with steaming hot dishes!