Liu Hui was aware of An Qi's feelings for him, but for certain reasons, he dared not reciprocate, constantly masking the ambiguous nature of their relationship. Thus, in this entire world, aside from Chen Changsheng and A Xia, absolutely no one knew about this unspoken connection between them.

However, what Liu Hui never anticipated was that his intimate connection with An Qi would be revealed to everyone on this very day of great celebration. This sudden turn of events left Liu Hui deeply unsettled and anxious.

"This... Dean Chen, since our orbital space station has successfully launched, I should probably take my leave now. In a couple of days, once the space station is operating normally, I will throw you all a grand celebration feast." Liu Hui was quite flustered and needed a moment alone, so he immediately used this as an excuse to depart the launch site.

"Liu Hui, can't you stay a little longer? Look how high everyone's spirits are," An Qi protested, clearly displeased with Liu Hui attempting to slip away at this moment; she still had many things she needed to tell him.

"Heh heh! With me, the boss, here, how could they possibly be genuinely happy?" Liu Hui forced a smile before walking out of the control room.

The moment Liu Hui stepped outside, the celebrating researchers fell silent. He offered a wry smile and prepared to leave the vicinity.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Boss, I support you and Miss An Qi being together!" Prompted by this pioneer, the entire launch site erupted like a boiling pot of congee—they clamored, "Boss, you and Miss An Qi truly make a great pair, we bless you!" "Boss, you absolutely must treat Miss An Qi well..." "Long live the Boss, long live Madam Boss An Qi..." Liu Hui developed a headache as he walked away from the site, his mind in turmoil. In the instant he left, Liu Hui glanced back and saw An Qi leaning against the doorway of the command center, smiling at him.

Startled, Liu Hui hurried his departure even more. His mind was a complete mess; his relationship with An Qi had been exposed, and news of it would undoubtedly reach Hu Xian'er's ears soon. How would he handle everything then?

Judging by Hu Xian'er's past words and actions, she would never tolerate Liu Hui having two women simultaneously. So, what was Liu Hui supposed to do? Should he simply abandon An Qi completely?

Setting aside the inexplicable sense of familiarity he shared with An Qi that made it impossible for him to fully let her go, there was also An Qi’s significant status within the Academy of Sciences—Liu Hui dared not abandon her for that reason alone. An Qi currently held enormous influence among the research staff; if she became enraged and led those researchers away from the Starfall Academy of Sciences, the scientific research for the "City of the Stars" would immediately grind to a halt.

The thought of this left Liu Hui utterly conflicted. Was he really expected to act like those other men, threatening Hu Xian'er to force her acceptance of An Qi's existence? Yet, Liu Hui knew he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. But if he didn't act, how could he manage the crisis currently facing him?

Anxious and uneasy, Liu Hui returned home only to find Hu Xian'er awake, waiting for him on the sofa. The moment Hu Xian'er saw him, she handed him a pair of slippers and took the coat he removed, saying cheerfully, "Water Buffalo, you’re finally back!" "Xian'er, I..." Liu Hui hesitated, unable to finish his thought.

"Mhm, Water Buffalo, is something on your mind?" Hu Xian'er looked at Liu Hui with a smile.

"Oh, nothing really, I just wanted to call out to you," Liu Hui quickly covered up upon seeing Hu Xian'er's smiling face. He truly dared not mention An Qi.

"Heh heh, Water Buffalo, you’re acting a bit strange today; you must be hiding something from me," Hu Xian'er chuckled.

"Not at all! Isn't this how I usually am?" Liu Hui felt a jolt of alarm. He sat down on the sofa, picked up the fragrant tea Hu Xian'er offered, and took a large gulp to mask his inner turmoil.

"Alright! I know, my Water Buffalo is the most normal person in the world, because I can hear everything in your heart," Hu Xian'er said with a laugh, then she sat down next to him, leaning against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

Liu Hui was startled and immediately activated the Ling Qi within his body, forcefully calming his rapidly beating heart, which instantly made his pulse return to normal.

Hu Xian'er listened against his chest for a moment, then stood up, laughing, "There, indeed, no abnormality detected."

Liu Hui breathed a sigh of relief, and instantly his heart began to race again. If they had been in a meditation room, his heartbeat could have been heard ten meters away.

"Xian'er, I told you there was nothing!" Liu Hui insisted.

Hu Xian'er stood with her back to Liu Hui and said, "Water Buffalo, are you perhaps bothered that we still haven't had a child by now?" Liu Hui asked in confusion, "Why would I be? We are still young; as long as we keep trying, we'll have a baby soon enough." Hu Xian'er still hadn't turned around. She continued, "But you are already thirty this year, and I am twenty-eight. Are you truly unconcerned that we aren't having children yet?"

Liu Hui laughed, "What is there to be concerned about? We already possess the technology for Rejuvenation, extending our lifespan beyond two hundred years instantly. From this perspective, being thirty now still makes us mere children. We can even wait until we are a hundred to have children; don't rush it."

Hu Xian'er remained facing away from him. "Water Buffalo, go take a shower first. I can smell something on you."

Liu Hui was startled and immediately sniffed himself. With his keen sense of smell, he instantly detected a faint trace of a woman's perfume. Although the scent was subtle, it lingered around him, refusing to dissipate quickly.

Liu Hui recognized it immediately as the natural fragrance emanating from An Qi, residue from when she had jumped onto him and kissed him moments ago. Before heading home, Liu Hui had meticulously wiped his lips and face, ensuring no trace remained before entering the house, yet he hadn't expected An Qi's scent to cling to him.

Liu Hui internally praised his luck. His body had been modified by the Physical Evolution Fluid, granting him an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell that could detect the perfume of another woman on him. However, Hu Xian'er had not yet undergone the Physical Evolution Fluid injection, so her olfactory sensitivity was lower; she hadn't discerned the source of the scent, mistaking it for an ordinary smell.

"Xian'er, I'll go shower then. Could you prepare some delicious food for me? My stomach is about to starve," Liu Hui planned to wash away every trace of An Qi's scent.

"Water Buffalo, then hurry and go! I will prepare a delicious meal for you," Hu Xian'er replied without turning around.

Once Liu Hui entered the bathroom, Hu Xian'er's back began to tremble slightly. She raised her right hand before her eyes, examining it closely; there were several long strands of hair resting upon it.

"Whose long hairs are these on Water Buffalo? I meticulously tidy all his clothes before he leaves home every day, so my hair would never be on him. And since Li Lian committed suicide, his secretary has not been confirmed, so it couldn't be the secretary's hair either. But now I've found long strands of a woman's hair near his collar—what in the world is going on? And that peculiar fragrance on him—it must be a woman's natural scent. Who, and under what circumstances, left that scent on him?" Hu Xian'er whispered, her face pale.

The matter Liu Hui thought was perfectly concealed had, in fact, long been discovered by Hu Xian'er, but she had held back from confronting him directly because she trusted Liu Hui's character.

Liu Hui washed, his mind heavy with worry inside the bathroom, while Hu Xian'er anxiously prepared the meal outside. On this particular night, another person was also deeply troubled: An Qi.

After finishing her work at the launch site, An Qi returned home to find her adoptive parents still awake, reading in the living room.

Since the great earthquake in Los Angeles, the California Institute of Technology, where An Qi's adoptive parents taught, had been completely destroyed. Although the US government decided to rebuild Caltech on the original site, because so many outstanding faculty members had died tragically in the quake, the rebuilt institution was destined to suffer a severe decline in strength, unable to recapture its former glory.

It happened that during this period, Liu Hui decided to construct a university within the "City of the Stars"—the "Starfall University"—and this university was in dire need of excellent teachers. Upon learning about the situation at Caltech, he immediately utilized An Qi to recruit her adoptive parents to the "City of the Stars," offering them positions as senior professors for the future "Starfall University."

Following An Qi's intervention, coupled with the pervasive mystery surrounding the "City of the Stars," her adoptive parents finally agreed to come teach there. They even utilized their professional connections to bring several other senior professors to the "City of the Stars." These esteemed professors were currently overseeing the construction of "Starfall University," which was slated to officially enroll students once construction was complete later that year.

"An Qi, my darling, you look quite unhappy. Has something happened? Would you like to talk to Mommy about it?" An Qi's adoptive mother asked with a gentle smile, noticing An Qi’s low spirits.

"Mommy, it’s nothing, I'm just a little tired and want to rest early," An Qi forced a smile before heading into her room.

"Hunter, our little An Qi seems to have a lot on her mind. What should we do?" An Qi's adoptive mother murmured to her husband.

"Beatrice, let the child sort out her own problems. I trust An Qi. Not only is she number one in scientific research, but she handles everything in her life excellently too," An Qi's adoptive father replied optimistically.