Bo* saw her face instantly tighten and immediately knew his question had been too direct. He rushed to say, "I was just asking, nothing else. It has nothing to do with us teaming up for the competition, don't take it to heart."

Zi Ye nodded silently.

For a moment, the two looked at each other without speaking.

Bo* was silent for a moment, then changed the subject, "It’s getting late, shall we talk as we walk?" Zi Ye checked the time, found it was indeed late, packed her things, and walked out of the lab with him.

However, she couldn't shake the feeling—was the situation truly as he described?

Was Tang Wen "kidnapped" because he wanted control of the Interstellar Federation?

The temperature outside was slightly lower, and a cool breeze washed over her face, making Zi Ye feel clearer-headed, her rationality gradually returning. Thinking it over, she felt something was off.

Tang Wen would absolutely not leave his workplace for a woman named Bai Lanxue, much less in a manner that resembled sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth.

Even if he wanted to leave the Interstellar Federation, he wouldn't choose such an extreme method to go to Fia.

She firmly believed this.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

Bo* thought for a moment, then added, "Are you free this weekend? I was thinking of going to Fia with you to see Teacher Tang Wen." Zi Ye’s hand trembled violently; the competition materials in her grip suddenly fell to the ground with a thwack, scattering like snowflakes. Little Sprout, who had been sleeping soundly in her arms, was unexpectedly "abandoned," falling onto the documents and rolling around in a tight ball.

Zi Ye stiffly lowered her head to look, walked over to Little Sprout, squatted down, picked it up, and dusted it off. Her movements were even stiffer than a zombie's.

Seeing that she couldn't bother with the documents, Bo* squatted down, gathered them up, neatly stacked them, and handed them to her. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed her face was as pale as paper.

All words of explanation were choked off. He looked at her with concern, "What's wrong? You look terrible."

The shock Zi Ye experienced instantly passed. She suppressed the trembling in her fingers, waited a while, and managed a weak smile, "It's nothing. Just a woman's issue."

When a woman loses her composure in front of a man, the phrase "a woman's issue" is the best excuse, ensuring a man never overthinks it.

Bo* was gentlemanly, "Alright, let's talk another day then. I'll take you back first."

Zi Ye sat silently in the mag-lev vehicle.

Bo* glanced at her profile. Seeing her poor complexion, he thoughtfully chose not to disturb her.

In reality, Zi Ye was conversing with Little Sprout telepathically.

Zi Ye snapped defensively, "Little Sprout, you little idiot, how dare you toss this great master around!"

Zi Ye replied with zero sincerity, "My hand slipped. I'll give you a thorough wash when we get back."

Little Sprout hated her nonchalant tone and angrily nudged her stomach with its head, "Hmph, still trying to trick me. You clearly have trauma regarding Fia!"

Zi Ye pinched its head, "You're overthinking it."

Little Sprout quickly flew up, trying to escape her grasp, but before it could get two steps away, Zi Ye caught it and stuffed it back into her arms, **.

It grumbled angrily, "You do! You’re stingy, narrow-minded, and stuck on things, hmph!"

Zi Ye’s forehead throbbed. Yes, why should she be afraid of Fia? Could Fia eat her? She shook her head, driving the shadow away, and turned to Bo* with a smile, "Why did you suddenly decide to go see the Teacher?"

The mag-lev vehicle floated slowly through the air. The slightly yellow lights from above the space station cast a glow on her face, coating her in a layer of golden light that looked soft and warm.

Bo* almost thought her previous paleness was an illusion. Suddenly feeling mischievous, he laughed teasingly, "What if I said I'm visiting him while he's down on his luck to boost my favorability score—would you believe that?"

Zi Ye shook her head, "Absolutely not."

Bo* shrugged and sighed, "I wouldn't either. I’m quite helpless, actually. To track Teacher Tang Wen's movements, I must start with you, but you look absolutely impenetrable. Do you know how hard that makes things for me?"

Zi Ye unexpectedly turned her head to look at him, "Start with me? Did I hear that right?"

Bo* stated confidently, "No mistake. Although Teacher Tang Wen is the Federation's Design Director, his contact with the Federation is strictly professional. He seems familiar with everyone, but in reality, he's close to no one. Matters of interpersonal dealings are basically all handled by Blan for him. Now that Blan is missing with him, who else can I look for but you?"

Zi Ye precisely seized upon one point, "Is that why you teamed up with us?"

Bo* activated the mag-lev vehicle's autopilot, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his seat, "Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Zi Ye thought briefly, "No."

—She felt Bo* had absolutely no need to do this. If he truly wanted to approach her, he could have simply brought up the incident where he saved her during military training, and she wouldn't have been able to refuse.

Bo* finally laughed heartily, "Exactly. I teamed up with you because the people on your team excite me. Coming from different places, yet all of them are elites, offering piercing insights when discussing problems. I enjoy that feeling."

Zi Ye couldn't help but laugh too, "Your presence makes our team truly shine."

After trading lavish compliments for a while, the sense of distance between them finally dissipated. Zi Ye felt much more relaxed and returned directly to the topic, "I am not as close to Teacher Tang Wen as you imagine. If you're hoping to start with me, you'll likely be disappointed."

Bo* gave her a look, which was rather ungraceful.

He was exceptionally handsome, and even this undignified gesture carried a certain charm. Zi Ye thought vaguely, Ling Yin found herself a pretty good boyfriend.

"Little Yezi, don't be so modest. If you aren't close to him, who in the interstellar realm is? He has been in the Federation for so long, and he personally selected only two people: Blan, and you."

Zi Ye was speechless.

Tang Wen must have been too lazy, too lazy to select people himself.

Blan was a full-time caregiver plus an all-around robot, required to excel at high-level tasks like mecha combat and design, yet also be adept at handling extremely trivial daily life details, understand how to interact with people, be skilled at reading expressions and analyzing psychology, know how to soothe a child, and maintain hope in life, all while playing a good piano tune...

For such a person to be personally selected was something that required ancestral merit!

To be honest, if she didn't have the very capable An Junlie to look after her, she would have already dueled Tang Wen to snatch Blan!

Her thoughts drifted far away.

Zi Ye quickly pulled her focus back.

She knew clearly why Tang Wen chose her: because of Tang Shan.

If she hadn't been favored by Tang Shan and accepted as his final disciple, would Tang Wen have even noticed her? Nonsense!

She and Blan were simply not on the same level.

However, explaining was useless. Zi Ye smiled faintly, "It’s different. Piling too many chips on me won't work. You’d be better off contacting his lawyer; that would be faster."

Saying this, she looked ahead, then added, "My apartment is here. Thank you for bringing me back."

Bo* tilted his head slightly, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor, "Rest early."

Zi Ye got out of the car. Seeing him prepare to leave, she suddenly added, "Remember to solve the competition's tough problem!"

Bo* shook his head and smiled, driving away.

Ye couldn't quite figure out why Bo* cared about Tang Wen's situation. Was it because he was part of the Interstellar Federation?

Bo* was the son of Federation Commander Caru, and Tang Wen was the Federation's Chief Designer. Both worked for the same government. If their relationship was good, Tang Wen would have taken Bo* as a student long ago.

It seemed Tang Wen's interpersonal skills really weren't that great?

Remembering Tang Wen clumsily playing the piano like a child, Zi Ye felt inexplicably better. Hmph, that bastard with negative EQ.

Just then, a voice suddenly pierced her mind, "Hmph, your EQ is also negative."

Zi Yely pinched the source of the voice, "Say that again?"

Little Sprout immediately projected a light screen, unfolding it and pointing a sprout at the displayed value, "I just measured it for you, little idiot. EQ -5."

Zi Ye decisively tossed it aside and walked into the studio.

The studio housed quite a collection of Tang Shan's materials.

The space buttons from the two mechas he built before his passing, some of his books, some of his manuscripts, his insights on mecha design...

Tang Shan had never mentioned family to her. When he was alive, she dared not ask for fear of hurting him. Over time, she assumed he was utterly alone.

Just like her.

Two lonely people relying on each other.

That day, when Tang Wen said he was Tang Shan's grandson, she found it hard to believe.

If he had a grandson, why didn't Tang Shan tell her back then?

Thinking it through carefully, she understood.

When he met her, Tang Shan had already given up hope.

If he had constantly dwelled on his family in space, he would not only suffer but also make Zi Ye suffer. If an old, failing man had family, why shouldn't she?

In the end, she chose to believe Tang Wen because of too many traces.

She had seen children’s scribbles and annotations in a child’s handwriting in more than one book. Through the pages, she could almost visualize an elderly sage teaching a young child in a lazy, sunlit study in the afternoon...

She couldn't be certain that child was Tang Wen.

But she was certain that he must have been Tang Wen’s teacher.

She and Little Sprout had examined Tang Wen's mecha, dismantling it piece by piece, testing every data point, and the conclusion was: either he was Tang Shan’s direct disciple, or he was Tang Shan reincarnated.

She was grateful to Tang Shan.

That gratitude extended to Tang Wen.

Even though his personality was arrogant, lazy, and prone to petulance, she was still grateful to him—grateful that after leaving Silver Talisman Star, she met a teacher willing to instruct and guide her, grateful she could still meet his relative...

Between the Silver Talisman Star people and him, she had cruelly sided with the Silver Talisman Star people, telling Old Dog to destroy the transport ship, causing him to lose his chance for an exchange.

Now, between him and Fia, was she going to refuse to see him because of the shadow in her heart?

Perhaps she shouldn't go see him with Bo*, but go by herself!