Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

The next day, Qi Zhimu returned.

Ruan Mei was able to observe his work throughout the day.

Not too leisurely, but not too busy either, Qi Zhimu handled his shift with ease until the very end.

Seeing that he was about to go home, Ruan Mei planned to turn off the surveillance and leave, but was drawn to the following scene.

A short-haired woman with a good figure, wearing a company uniform, entered the consultation room and pounced on Qi Zhimu without saying a word.

?

Ruan Mei's gaze froze.

She thought Qi Zhimu would dodge, but to her surprise, he simply reached out and pressed his hand against the short-haired woman's face, preventing her from hugging him.

"I'm about to leave the space station for a mission. Can't I even have a farewell hug, 'Father'?"

Father?!

The moment Ruan Mei heard that word, her brain exploded into a complete mess.

…Amu's daughter is already so big?!

When did he get married?

When was the baby born?

When... and who is the woman she's with?!

"Stop it, you're a grown man, why are you still hugging me? Aren't you ashamed?"

Qi Zhimu scolded her for a while, which made Yelena pout unhappily.

But these words struck Ruan Mei even more like a bombshell than Yelena's earlier words, casting a shadow over her face.

No wonder Amu has a free address...

The space station management does not deliberately arrange accommodation for staff members with families; they provide housing funds instead.

Is Amu a citizen of Azure Star in this life? And is his wife also a native of Azure Star? And yet...

Ruan Mei clutched her chest, her breathing becoming rapid.

Just as Ruan Mei was lost in thought, Yelena spoke again.

"We're on the same space station, but you're always so busy. I haven't seen you much these past few days. Don't be so heartless."

With her face pressed against his, Yelena mumbled something.

"If you really consider me your father, then put away your little schemes and stop thinking about all that nonsense." Qi Zhimu was speechless.

"Indeed, you are only, from one perspective, the man who could be my father."

Yelena pried Qi Zhimu's hands off her face and said seriously:

"I wouldn't be happy if you really became my father, I don't want people to criticize you for your ethics and morality."

"Hey, why do you act like you've got me cornered?"

"You said you'd protect me until I grow up, are you going to go back on your word?"

"Aren't you big enough, Big Yelena?" Qi Zhimu's eyes twitched.

"You're 94 years older than me, so I'll never grow up in your presence."

As she listened to the conversation between the two people on the monitor, the shadow on Ruan Mei's face gradually faded.

It doesn't seem to be what she thought?

Ruan Mei's spirits lifted slightly, and after carefully observing Yelena's biological characteristics, she quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

From a biological and genetic perspective, the two are not related.

Based on their conversation, Ruan Mei guessed that Qi Zhimu had probably adopted Yelena when she was young, or perhaps cared for her in her place.

Seeing her teacher as a mother, in a narrow sense, she could also be considered Amu's mother.

"Nonsense! You're a short-lived species, and I'm a long-lived species. How can you calculate it like that?" Qi Zhimu remained unmoved.

"Of course I can. I can become an immortal being too. It's just a matter of whether I want to or not," Yelena said with a smile.

Qi Zhimu did not deny this.

As one of the ten members of the Stone Heart, if she wanted to live long and be free from illness and pain, there were many ways to prolong her life.

"If only I had known..."

"If only you had known, why didn't you save me in the first place?"

Yelena was not unhappy at all upon hearing this; instead, she raised her delicate eyebrows and smiled brightly.

"It cannot be denied that there are heartless people among the patrolling knights, but you are not one of them."

"You couldn't bear to watch an innocent child die, so you saved me back then."

"Silly child, I can't give you what you want, why waste your time on me?" Qi Zhimu was at his wit's end.

What can be done?

The consequences of what you brought upon yourself back then are not so easy to shake off now.

Furthermore, there's no reason why we absolutely have to get rid of it.

Yelena herself did nothing wrong; she was simply pursuing the future she wanted.

"Silly brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Toppa tilted his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"All I want is to be your kept man. All you need to do is get a marriage certificate with me to fulfill that condition. Is that something I can't do? It's not difficult at all, okay?"

"..."

Qi Zhimu choked up, then asked in return.

"What exactly do you see in me, this rough, unrefined man?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Don't you need it?"

"Do you need it?"

"Don't you need it?"

Yelena dropped her "I'll ask you if you dare" expression and became extremely serious.

"It's very simple; a word, an event, or even a face can be the most genuine reason."

When I was little, I didn't know what kind of work you did that would take at least ten days to finish; I only knew that I would look forward to your return.

"Someone at school bullied me, so you broke their hands and feet like chopsticks."

"If someone insults me by saying I have no parents, you should rip out their tongue and then throw a card at their parents' face..."

"A teacher lacking professional ethics takes bribes to protect bullies, and you hang them on a flagpole, eventually making it known throughout the city..."

"It was only much later that I learned that the numbers on those cards were a kind of money called credits, which was different from the currency in my hometown."

"I only realized when I grew up that many stories contain clichéd plots that have been told countless times, but they are also the most deeply ingrained in people's hearts."

"I should have fallen into eternal darkness and never seen the light, but you pulled me out, gave me the opportunity to embark on the path of light, and protected me through the most dangerous sections of the road."

"This is the reason, the truest reflection of the heart of a girl who was raised and cherished by you during her childhood."

"Actually, you do know, you just don't want to believe that this reason is valid."

"Whether you are my father or my elder brother, you are ultimately not related to me by blood. From childhood to adulthood, all I have seen is your broad back."

"As long as you lie on it, you won't be afraid even if the sky falls."

"I want to be with you and be good to you, not just to repay your kindness, but because—"

"During the most important period of my life, you were the only one in my world. You were a seafaring knight who was used to fighting violence with violence, but had a bottom line and loved freedom."

As he listened to each sentence, Qi Zhimu's expression became complicated.

"Back then, when I saw that girl lying in the ruins with unfocused eyes, but who was pleading with me to leave instead of calling for help, I didn't think too much about it."

"I just feel that such a simple and kind child shouldn't have died like this."

On the other end of the monitor, Ruan Mei trembled all over when she first heard Yelena's true feelings.

Jealousy and other emotions were not the main reason; rather, the experience was like looking in a mirror.

Was Amu's self-image back then the same as his image of Yelena?

But Amu never hurt Yelena, not even a little bit...