A Dream on Southern Koa.

Ziyue blinked, glancing from the ceiling to Doudai's slumbering form. The creature had no idea it was using her face as a metallic chew toy, lapping at her skin in slow loops.

Anger and humiliation made her sit up abruptly, nearly wanting to kill Doudai for revenge.

What the hell? Why was Doudai licking my face?! Hundreds of angry horses galloped through Ziyue's mind - this was too embarrassing. She felt like dying, sobbing helplessly.

She grabbed the SilverLink on her nightstand which had a mirrored surface. The reflection showed flushed cheeks that definitely looked like a lovesick girl.

Ziyue wanted to storm out again.

Touching her cheek, she suddenly realized something terrifying - would Doudai's licking have corroded her skin?!

What mattered now was cleaning up rather than any romantic notions.

She grabbed tissues and wiped her face before rushing to the bathroom for a thorough rinse with cold water. Reassuringly, there were no itchy or burning sensations yet. After drying with a towel, she did a quick test using the used tissue strips.

The results were unexpectedly surprising - corrosion levels had dropped by five percent compared to previous tests.

Not believing her eyes, Ziyue fetched tools from the bedroom and tested Doudai's saliva directly. Though concentration was higher in the raw samples, overall corrosiveness remained nearly identical to what she'd measured earlier on the tissues.

Had that weird detox method actually worked?

Ziyue joyfully dialed the mad scientist's SilverLink: "Hey you crazy genius! Look at these reports - Doudai's saliva corrosion levels are almost acceptable now!"

The call was obviously a bad time for the poor researcher, who had his hair stand on end in rage. "I'm begging you to check what time it is! I did my XX5 experiments until two AM last night and just got four hours of sleep!"

Ziyue: "...Sorry ha-ha, I thought it was morning." The artificial lighting system in space habitats never managed to replicate real day-night cycles properly. She'd simply been too excited about her discovery.

She offered awkward apologies before pressing on. "Since you're awake anyway, let me get this over with quickly - Doudai's corrosion levels are definitely lower but still dangerous to human skin. Why did my face survive the licking?"

The scientist glared: "Are you finished yet?"

Ziyue thought for a moment then nodded: "That's all."

"Go to sleep!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

After the call ended, Ziyue hummed cheerfully back to her bedroom, feeling unusually light-hearted. She poked at Doudai who was busy waging war with Ji Gong in his dreams. The creature responded by sticking out its tongue and licking her finger mid-snooze.

Sitting defeated between two clueless entities on the floor, Ziyue found herself wide awake despite having gone to bed early. It wasn't even five AM yet - what could possibly be done at this hour?

She couldn't help thinking about An Junlie who had given her hotel coordinates and room number, suggesting she might want to visit for breakfast. Could a surprise appearance be in order?

After hasty preparations, Ziyue launched her airship toward the Regal Palace Hotel where An Junlie was staying. Finding his room proved effortless as she'd been there before. The door opened promptly when she rang - of course he never slept past dawn.

Warmly stepping inside, she immediately spotted him exiting the hallway and threw herself at him with a hug around his neck.

An Junlie stiffened suddenly.

The next second Ziyue realized her fatal mistake - An Junlie was completely naked!

His smooth, powerful skin still glistened with moisture from his shower. She clung desperately to his neck, refusing to look down in mortification.

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?!"

"I just finished morning exercises," he explained through a tight voice.

Ziyue slipped off him and covered her eyes with both hands. "You better go get dressed right now!"

As soon as she heard footsteps receding, mischievous thoughts immediately surfaced - should I peek?

Peering through her fingers, all she caught was An Junlie's straight back showing perfect wings of his scapulae, glistening under the light in crystalline droplets. The lower parts were only wrapped with a towel.

Sighing dramatically over this disappointing view, Ziyue sat at the tea table and started making herself cups of tea one after another.

When he finally reemerged, An Junlie simply picked her up without warning before she could react. Startled, she dropped her teacup to grab onto his neck instead: "What are you doing?!"

Settling into a chair with her cradled in his lap, he smiled while caressing her cheek. "Drink the tea."

The more composed and gentle he became, the more flustered Ziyue felt.

"I didn't mean to barge in like this yesterday," she mumbled.

His arms tightened around her waist as he chuckled softly: "It's fine."

Heat climbed up her ears as she remained silent.

Sometimes when she acted wrong, An Junlie always chose to accept her regardless of right or wrong. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer: "Why? Don't you have boundaries with aliens?"

At that moment his grip suddenly tightened, murmuring lowly: "Where you're concerned, you are my only boundary."

Ziyue froze in place.

This wasn't a declaration yet it made every beat of her heart race more wildly than all the love confessions in the world combined.

Feeling her heart might burst from its cage, she pressed a hand to her chest. "Alien man, don't do this anymore..."

An Junlie smiled faintly and turned her around so their faces met - half teasing yet ninety percent serious.

She felt her scalp tingle under his gaze, head lowered in shy avoidance as crimson spread rapidly up her ears.

Running his fingers through her hair without a word, he simply waited. Soon she calmed down, growing accustomed to this close embrace and the quiet warmth between them. Without thinking, she tucked closer into his chest against the broad warm expanse.

Here felt like the safest place in the universe where no catastrophe could reach them.

Then unexpectedly, his lips brushed gently against hers - and Ziyue's world shattered as An Junlie kissed her!

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