Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The silver ring gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster under the faint starlight.

This thing doesn't have any fancy carvings, and even the edges have some rough scratches left from hand polishing. Its design is as simple as a nut and washer sold by weight in a hardware store.

Su Xiaoxiao's breath caught in her throat.

She stared blankly at the small iron ring in Lu Jingyan's palm. Her chest heaved more and more, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

Only the faint hum of the life support system remained in the hall.

Cold air rushed in through the broken hatch, mixed with the pungent smell of burnt engine oil.

Lu Jingyan didn't speak, but took half a step forward.

His military boots slammed into the charred alloy floor with a dull thud. He reached out with his left hand and grabbed her tactical glove, which was stained with black oil.

With a flick of his long, slender fingers, he pulled the glove down along the edge.

With a "rip," the Velcro strap tore open. He casually tossed the dirty gloves to the ground at his feet.

Su Xiaoxiao shrank back a little.

"Don't, don't touch it..." She sniffed, her voice sticky, "I just rolled around on the ground, my hands are covered in dust."

Lu Jingyan didn't loosen his grip; instead, he tightened his grip even more.

The calluses from years of holding a gun brushed against the back of her delicate hand. His thumb pressed precisely on her pulse, which throbbed as fast as a runaway miniature motor.

"I don't mind." He lowered his eyelids, his gaze falling on her trembling fingertips.

He didn't kneel down, nor did he conjure up a shower of rose petals. He just stood there, his back ramrod straight like a javelin.

Su Xiaoxiao stammered, her mind a complete mess.

"Um...why are you taking out that metal ring? Is this the newly issued tactical brass knuckles? Why is there only one hole...?"

She became so nervous that she started talking nonsense, her toes digging into the insoles of her heavy space boots as if she wanted to dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

Lu Jingyan held the silver ring in his hand and turned it half a degree between his fingertips.

"Remnants of the power core of the Sirius mainship's warp drive."

He looked up, and his deep black eyes, which usually looked at everyone as if they were suspects, were now quietly reflecting only her.

"Radiation resistant and high-temperature resistant. Can withstand one direct shot from a lightweight plasma gun at close range."

Su Xiaoxiao opened her mouth, about to say something.

The man's rough fingertips had already gripped her left ring finger. The metal ring slid in little by little along the knuckle.

The size was perfect, fitting snugly at the base of the finger.

It's like taking precise measurements with calipers hundreds of times.

The cold alloy pressed against her skin, carrying the lingering warmth from the man's palm, gently soothing her nerves.

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally spilled out and fell onto the back of her hand with a soft thud, splashing out in a small spray.

"Hey, you..." She tried to raise her hand to wipe away her tears, but her hand was gripped tightly and she couldn't pull it back.

"Don't move."

Lu Jingyan frowned, took out the half-dry tissue from his pocket, and wiped her face haphazardly a couple of times.

The force was a bit too rough. He wiped the dust from the corner of her eyes, making her look like a tabby cat that had just crawled out of the stove.

He threw the crumpled paper into the nearby trash can, then clasped his hands together, enveloping her ring-wearing hand in his palms.

"I'm not that cunning."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his voice echoing deep in the empty hall.

"I can't pull off the kind of extravagance those aliens put on, and it's too much trouble for me."

A gust of wind blew through, making Su Xiaoxiao's messy short hair flutter.

"Be my legal family member."

He looked into her eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately, as clearly as if he were reading a testimony in court.

"The kind that is protected by both the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Civil Code."

Su Xiaoxiao was completely stunned.

Tears streamed down her lower eyelashes, and the tip of her nose was bright red. She never imagined that someone would use legal education to establish a lifelong commitment.

"Um..." She swallowed hard. "Don't we need to fill out an application form or something? Or go through an approval process?"

Lu Jingyan's lips twitched subtly.

"The verbal agreement is effective immediately. Return to Earth to complete the written registration."

He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force.

"Term of contract: lifelong. Neither party may unilaterally terminate the contract or breach it without authorization. Do you understand?"

It lacks the greasy declarations of possession typical of domineering CEOs.

They used the most rigid legal terminology to completely weld her to their household registration book.

Su Xiaoxiao sniffed hard.

With her rosy, cat-like face, she nodded vigorously, her short hair swaying wildly in front of her forehead.

"I understand! But..."

She sniffled and cautiously looked up at him.

"What if I make a mistake in the future? Like slacking off at work, or secretly eating the compressed biscuits in your desk drawer?"

Lu Jingyan looked at her tentative expression.

The jawline, which was originally as hard and cold as marble, unconsciously relaxed.

"Internal warning. Write a self-criticism as punishment."

He raised his other hand and pulled the oversized interstellar combat suit draped over her shoulders tighter, covering her slender shoulders completely.

"If a family member breaks the law, I, as a law enforcement officer, have joint supervisory responsibility. I will take the punishment for you."

Su Xiaoxiao could no longer hold back.

She wrapped her arms around Lu Jingyan's waist and buried her head firmly in his strong chest.

The high-polymer fabric of the black combat suit was a bit stiff, causing a slight stinging sensation against my cheeks. But the heartbeat emanating from his chest was steady, powerful, and had a soothing rhythm.

In this vast and boundless, strange universe filled with black holes and mutated radiation.

Their hands were clasped tightly together, their fingers intertwined. They had found the most solid attraction between them.

"This ring is really heavy."

Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on his chest and raised her left hand, waving it in the air. The silver ring on her fair fingers exuded a strong, wild, heavy industrial vibe.

"Who proposes with armor? People usually give huge diamond rings, the sparkly kind."

Although he complained, he rubbed the cold metal ring with his thumb as if it were a treasure.

"The crystals formed by carbon under high temperature and pressure have no tactical value."

Lu Jingyan's straight-male tendencies kicked in again, and he spoke with an air of self-righteousness.

"It's fragile and reflective. In the dark, it can easily reveal a target's position and attract snipers."

Su Xiaoxiao was so angry she laughed, and the tears in her eyes smeared all over his shirt.

She raised her head, reached out and pinched the man's hard cheeks, pulling them outwards forcefully.

"Director Lu, you're lucky to have met me in your life. Anyone with a shorter temper would have slapped you across the face long ago."

Lu Jingyan didn't dodge, letting her rub his face.

"Yes. So you're an exception."

He took her hand and placed it back in his warm palm. He turned and led her toward the police station entrance.

The neon lights of the spaceport lit up again. A cargo spacecraft was slowly ascending, its exhaust tearing a bright rift in the night.

"Where are we going? My spaceship is still smoking outside." Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the pile of scrap metal, her tone a little guilty.

Lu Jingyan didn't even turn his head, his steps steady as he stepped over the mess on the ground.

"Damaging airport public facilities and obstructing interstellar traffic. Pay your fine first. Then think about whether you want to grab some late-night snacks at the cafeteria?"