He turned his head, intending to say something, but seeing the dark circles beneath Ziye’s eyes, all the words he was about to speak dissolved, and he let out a soft, drawn-out "Mm."

Blan sighed silently within his gut, setting down the landing pad on the apartment building’s rooftop.

Ziye clutched the little Sprout and disembarked from the airship, bolting away like a flash of light.

Tang Wen watched her retreating back, then leaned against the chair, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

Blan considered offering a few comforting words, but after thinking it over, he couldn't find anything appropriate to say, so he remained silent.

Back at the apartment, the little Sprout was so overjoyed, it was as if she had returned to her ancestral home; wings fluttering with delight, she zipped around the room, tumbling across the floor with Douzai.

Douzai, who hadn't had a chance to wander outside for an entire month while they were stuck in the apartment, was ecstatic—though he quickly discovered the downside: when he tried to roll, he just couldn't move.

Being too fat was indeed a tragedy.

Ziye, however, wasn't nearly as cheerful as those two carefree creatures.

The competition was over, and the heaviest stone pressing on her heart had finally lifted. She should have felt light and happy, yet she inexplicably felt an emptiness, a sense of not knowing what to do with herself.

She ate a little something alone in a gloomy mood, took a shower, washed and dried Douzai and the little Sprout, carried them both onto the bed, and then lay down to sleep.

She was indeed very tired, but sleep wouldn't come.

Something in her mind felt snagged, and no matter how Ziye pondered it, she remained unhappy, unconsciously rolling around on the bed.

The two simpletons mistook her movements for a game. When she rolled near them, they both jumped up. The little Sprout fluttered elegantly, easily leaping to the other side, but the clumsy, heavy Douzai failed his jump and instead landed squarely on Ziye’s face.

Douzai’s substantial backside sat on her, nearly suffocating her.

She struggled, pushing Douzai away, rubbing her flattened nose, and clambered up from the bed, grumbling irritably, "If you act up again, I swear I'll chop you up and fry you for dinner."

Douzai looked up at Ziye pitifully, squeaking, "Jee-jee-jee, jee-jee-jee-jee!"

Ziye couldn't decipher his meaning. "What nonsense are you chirping? Go to sleep."

The little Sprout hopped out and chirped, "Silly Ziye, have you been mistreating Douzai like this while I was gone?"

Ziye pinched the little creature’s cheek. "You little rascal, don't you dare talk back to me! If you dare run away again, I'll throw Douzai out."

The little Sprout froze in shock.

It had been a long time since Ziye had been this irritable. Could it be because of Tang Wen?

The little Sprout fanned its wings, considering. Tang the Big Bad Guy was unreliable; it decided it should report this to An Junlie.

And so, it secretly sent a message to An Junlie while Ziye wasn't looking: "Alien, Ziye Mommy seems to be going through menopause and is abusing Douzai. Hurry up and save her!"

Less than two minutes after sending the message, Ziye’s comm pinged urgently.

The moment she opened the light screen and saw An Junlie’s avatar, she suddenly understood the source of her entire day’s gloomy mood.

—It was because of An Junlie.

Because she hadn't walked up to An Junlie.

Because An Junlie had left without saying goodbye.

Because after An Junlie left, there had been absolute silence.

She had been brooding, yet it hadn't occurred to her to send him a comm!

In an instant, Ziye realized the truth.

She truly was quite dense, so dense she felt like burrowing into the ground.

Ziye instantly dove back under the covers, pulled the quilt over herself, and connected the comm link.

The little Sprout gave her a disdainful flap of its wings, resolutely flying to perch in front of her. Douzai was lumbering back towards the bed, huffing. Ziye grudgingly made space for him. The little Sprout landed on Douzai’s head and whispered conspiratorially, "Douzai, listen, if Silly Ziye bullies you again, you tell this person on the comm."

An Junlie couldn't help but let out a faint smile at this.

Ziye hadn't bothered to turn off the video function, so he could clearly see six round, shining eyes on the screen: hers, the little Sprout's, and Dou Ding's.

She was wearing light-colored, fuzzy bunny-ear pajamas, her head nestled between the two round simpletons, looking like three perfectly round simpletons themselves.

It was unbearably cute!

He subtly adjusted the angle, captured a screenshot, and asked with a soft smile, "Didn't go to the celebration party?"

—The implication being, why weren't you with Tang Wen?

Of course, An Junlie was quite pleased Ziye wasn't with Tang Wen.

Ziye pouted, "I don't want to go out. I'm so, so tired, and Brother Chun’er said our team's victory feast isn't until after the award ceremony tomorrow."

An Junlie’s voice was gentle. "Then get a good night's sleep."

Ziye’s eyes were already drooping with exhaustion, but she forced herself to stay awake. "Will you still be in Kaja after I wake up? Can I see you again?"

An Junlie readily provided the name of his hotel and the room number. "You can come by tomorrow to see if I’m still here?"

Ziye felt a bit more settled. "So you'll definitely still be here?"

An Junlie only smiled without answering.

Ziye opened her mouth and let out a huge yawn, rubbing her eyes. "Alien, why don't you come over and see me? I’m afraid I won’t see you tomorrow."

An Junlie pondered for a long moment. "There are too many reporters at the school. It wouldn't look good if they saw me visiting your apartment late at night. You're tired, go to sleep first, be good."

Ziye refused to relent. "You will definitely be in Kaja tomorrow?"

An Junlie nodded.

Ziye huffed. "I’ve recorded this. If you’re not in Kaja tomorrow, I will never forgive you."

With that, she terminated the comm link and burrowed deeper into her covers. This time, she was sure she could finally sleep soundly.

Opening her eyes, she saw the little Sprout looking at her with an expression of utter disdain mixed with a sidelong glance. Annoyed, she grabbed it and tucked it into the covers beside her. They slept together.

It had been a long time since they’d slept together like that.

In the middle of the night, Ziye was woken by the sound of the doorbell. She climbed out of bed and rushed to the living room. The lights of the space station shone in from outside the window, casting a warm and quiet glow.

She opened the door. An Junlie was standing right there, his handsome features soft with affection under the light. "I came to see you. Are you sleeping well?"

The next second, Ziye threw herself into his embrace. "I haven't slept well at all. You have to sleep with me."

An Junlie stroked her hair. "Silly child."

Ziye puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "I’m not silly, you're silly."

An Junlie chuckled softly, lifted her into his arms, and walked toward the bedroom. "How many times have I told you not to run around without wearing shoes?"

Ziye wrapped her arms around his neck. "But I have you, so it's okay."

An Junlie set her down on the bed and covered her with the quilt. "Be good, sleep tight."

Ziye sat up from the bed. "You have to sleep with me."

An Junlie sat down beside her. "Alright, I'll stay with you."

Ziye hugged one of his arms, finally feeling completely at ease.

Just then, she felt a sudden warmth on her cheek. She looked up to see An Junlie leaning down, gently kissing her cheek.

Ziye snapped her eyes open in fright. Looking closely, the one licking her cheek was none other than Douzai!

It turned out that everything she had just experienced was merely...

-RS