Tang Wen offered a slight smile, his pride evident. “If it relates to mecha or starships, you can find it here.” Ziye shot him a look, scoffing at the answer.

That wasn't the key point at all, was it? She glanced down at the book in her hand, thinking silently, Could this be a coincidence?

She looked back up, her gaze sweeping across the bookshelves. Many of the titles were ones she recognized, had read; they were identical to Tang Shan’s collection.

No matter how coincidental, it couldn't possibly reach this degree! Seeing her brow furrowed, Tang Wen felt a slight dip in his mood.

This was the first time someone had underestimated his library. His tone held a note of dissatisfaction.

“You don’t believe me?” Ziye shook her head, then scrambled down the stairs, dashing toward the main door with the speed of a sprinter. The copy of Starship Engine Principles she had brought from Yin Fu was tucked away in her bag, currently in the airship hangar.

Words were meaningless; only a direct comparison would reveal the truth! Tang Wen watched her retreating figure for a long moment before turning to Bran, who was approaching with tea.

“Do you think she suspects something?” Bran set down the tea set, his tone perfectly level. “Isn’t that precisely what you hoped for?” Tang Wen paused, his gaze drifting over the bookshelves, and let out a soft sigh.

“I’d rather he were still here.” Barely done with one cup, Ziye returned, jogging back in, clutching two copies of Starship Engine Principles. Tang Wen’s expression shifted, and he reached out to snatch the books away.

He was usually so refined; Ziye hadn't expected such a sudden grab. She was pulled forward, nearly tumbling into his embrace.

She managed to regain her footing by bracing her hands against his shoulders, ready to admonish him, when she saw the look on his face—it was one of unprecedented seriousness. Ziye felt a vague premonition stirring and fell silent.

Tang Wen opened Ziye’s photocopied edition. The electronic bookmark hadn't been secured properly and slipped out.

Ziye bent to retrieve it, but Tang Wen was a fraction faster. He pinched the e-bookmark between two fingers.

It was a casual gesture, yet the moment the bookmark flipped over, he froze! Ziye saw it clearly; his fingertips were trembling.

She straightened up, about to speak, when she heard Tang Wen’s voice, distant and ethereal, as if transmitted from beyond the stars: “Is… is he still around?” Ziye almost blurted out, “He passed away.” But the words caught in her throat as she suddenly remembered Tang Shan’s instructions not to reveal anything about him carelessly. Furthermore, Tang Wen hadn't mentioned Tang Shan's name once.

She snapped her mouth shut, feigning ignorance. “Him?

Who are you referring to?” Tang Wen fixed his gaze on her for a solid five seconds, as if trying to find some subtle clue on her face. Seeing only her blank expression, he eventually gave up.

Silence settled between them, thick and heavy. Ziye held her tongue for a long while, just about to break the tension with small talk like, “The weather is quite nice today,” when Tang Wen spoke a second sooner than her.

“Sit and have tea with me.” Ziye swallowed her intended words and followed him into the tea room. Bran was a master of the Way of Tea.

With practiced efficiency, he boiled the water, selected the leaves, rinsed them, moistened the gaiwan, executed a high pour, then a low pour, and finally strained the dregs. Soon, the aroma of the tea filled the room.

Bran poured the clear, amber liquid into the cups designated for Tang Wen and Ziye, rose, gave a slight nod, and moved to the music room to play the cello. He left them space, yet made his presence known—he was nearby, not far away.

Listening to the cello's rich, full solo, Ziye felt a poetic resonance as the music filtered through the wall. She curved the corner of her lips upward, took a sip of the heart-soothing, clear tea, and the anxiety and restlessness in her chest slowly receded.

Tang Wen leaned back on the sofa, clutching the e-bookmark, replaying the image on it over and over, as if reliving memories. Ziye did not disturb him, sitting quietly beside him.

After a long silence, Tang Wen finally gathered his composure, released the bookmark, took a delicate sip of tea, and began, “Ziye, do you know why I took you on as a student?” Ziye blinked, then understood immediately. Was this Tang Wen’s way of dropping the pretense?

She had obsessed over this question before. Tang Wen was a legend in the mecha field; he rarely accepted students under normal circumstances.

She, on the other hand, was just an ordinary person who hadn't accomplished anything earth-shattering, nor possessed any overwhelming talent that would single her out in a crowd. His decision to specifically take her as a student could not have been purely altruistic.

The only thing she was certain of was that Tang Wen meant her no harm. Given his reputation and proven skill, any prior concerns had long since been dismissed.

Ziye lifted her cup, took a small sip, and kept her smile in place. “I would be delighted to hear the details.” Tang Wen did not smile; his tone was light and detached.

“Perhaps you already know that I purchased your blueprints.” Ziye nodded, feeling an inexplicable surge of excitement in her heart. Was Tang Wen finally going to tell her why he bought the schematics?

Wonderful! Tang Wen looked down, stroking the e-bookmark, and abruptly stated, “My purchase of the Phantom Raven model was purely accidental.” Ziye breathed a deep sigh of relief internally.

Her assumption had been correct; Tang Wen had indeed purchased the Phantom Raven by chance. What she didn't know was that this statement was a lie.

Tang Wen had casually spotted her problem-solving approach on a mobile mecha forum and noticed her style closely resembled someone he was familiar with. He secretly tasked Bran with investigating her background.

Bran was swift, but even he was skeptical. For someone deeply involved in the mecha field, especially a young person, achieving this level of skill before their late teens was impossible without starting from childhood.

Yet, Ziye’s records showed absolutely no connection to mecha in her family or background. Tang Wen naturally assumed Ziye was hiding something.

The more she concealed, the more suspicious he became. After finding her small online shop, he had directly purchased her blueprints to examine them.

He remembered his reaction when he first opened the Phantom Raven files. Shock, delight, astonishment… The shock came because he had assumed the Phantom Raven would be the work of that person, but it wasn't.

The delight stemmed from finding echoes of that person’s work within the Phantom Raven’s design. The astonishment was for a teenager being capable of independently completing the construction of an entire mecha—no small feat.

Memories flashed through his mind, yet he summarized it all with the single word, “accidentally,” and Ziye believed him. He was pleased she believed him, yet a sense of melancholy accompanied that feeling.

Ziye focused on the next point, asking, “What about the Divine Raven model?” Tang Wen suddenly smiled. “The Divine Raven prototype is nearly complete.

You can see the sample tomorrow. It should be quite impressive.” Ziye bristled with annoyance.

“You know that’s not what I’m asking.” Tang Wen checked his emotion. “Then what are you asking about?” Ziye puffed out her cheeks.

“You annoying ghost!” Tang Wen’s expression softened. He reached out as if to pinch her cheek but checked the gesture, constrained by their current relationship, and stated mildly, “The Divine Raven is Tang Shan’s work, isn't it?” Ziye’s heart gave a sharp jolt; she nearly lost control of her features.

This was the first time Tang Wen had actually uttered Tang Shan’s name. Clearly, he knew she had a connection to Tang Shan, but she had promised Tang Shan not to disclose any information.

What should she do? Bran was outside; the sound of his cello continued.

For some reason, the music room suddenly felt confining, so small it made her feel utterly adrift. She had revised the Divine Raven significantly; for Tang Wen to recognize the lineage immediately meant he knew a great deal about Tang Shan’s work.

How did Tang Wen know so much? What was his relationship with Tang Shan?

Tang Shan hadn't mentioned anyone before his passing, so Ziye was entirely in the dark about who Tang Wen might be to him. Tang Wen was not in a hurry.

Waiting for her to sort through her thoughts, he continued, “You don’t need to hide it from me. There is Tang Shan’s shadow on the Phantom Raven; otherwise, I wouldn’t have bought the Divine Raven, nor any of the other blueprints.” Ziye suddenly understood.

Whether it was accidental or not, upon seeing her Phantom Raven, he had confirmed her connection to Tang Shan. His subsequent acceptance of her as a student was clearly motivated by Tang Shan.

The saving grace was that he held no malice toward her. Ziye calmed down, leaning back against the sofa, adopting the posture of a negotiator.

“What is it you want to know?” Tang Wen walked toward her, knelt down halfway, and looked up at her, his voice filled with entreaty. “Ziye, tell me, where is he?” Ziye hadn't expected this response.

The psychological defenses she had just erected crumbled instantly. Seeing the anticipation and excitement on his face, she had no idea how to answer.

Fortunately, she was accustomed to keeping a cool head and wouldn't speak recklessly until her rationality returned. Thus, she forced herself into silence until she regained her composure.

“What is your relationship with him?” Tang Wen stared intently at her for a long moment, then lowered his gaze, clearly displeased. “Ziye, perhaps I should call you Senior Martial Aunt.” (⊙o⊙)?

All the carefully prepared, tactful refusals she had formulated choked in her throat. Had she misheard?

How had she suddenly become his Senior Martial Aunt? The world must have become bizarre, or perhaps she was looking at Tang Wen all wrong!

Ziye knew Tang Wen and Tang Shan shared some kind of bond, but all her imagination had been confined to the two of them. She never imagined Tang Wen would end up connected to her lineage!

Senior Martial Aunt… Life was truly playing a cruel joke! Ziye stared at him blankly.

His expression was serious; he showed no sign of joking. But the calmer he was, the more she sensed something was deeply amiss.

Could he be deliberately trying to trick her? “You’re not lying to me, are you?” she whispered.

As soon as the words left her lips, the bell hanging by the window chimed unexpectedly—a crisp sound, like hoarfrost falling onto snow. Tang Wen ignored the bell and instead stood up, turning toward the virtual screen mounted on the wall.

Ziye followed his gaze in surprise. A familiar figure appeared on the screen.

It was Stace! Black, knee-high military boots, a black uniform accented with gold insignia—an ensemble inherently masculine, yet somehow, on him, it shifted tone, radiating a roguish swagger beneath the few undone buttons of his jacket.

He disembarked from the airship. His first action wasn't to step forward for the security scan at the entrance; instead, he took a cigarette from his pack, placed it in his mouth, retrieved his matchbox, struck a quick light, and lit up.

He took a deep drag, exhaled a perfect smoke ring, tilted his head toward the surveillance camera, and grinned wickedly, “Coffin Face, I have arrived!” -RS