Herta froze, a sweet curve immediately rising at the corners of her mouth.
As expected, geniuses aren't geniuses in every single field.
No matter how much of a genius she was or how many achievements she had, she was still human in the end, not an absolutely rational Intellitron.
The reason humans can accomplish so many things and create so many miracles is precisely because of the existence of emotions and bonds.
...How could she have overlooked such a simple essence?
Just as Qi Zhimu said, it had to be her first and foremost.
Wouldn't it be the same if it were her?
After Qi Zhimu's sacrifice in his past life, she had seen countless men whose achievements far surpassed his and whose academic standing and appearance were infinitely better than his.
But so what?
None of them were him.
Since they weren't him, they weren't even worth a single hair on his head.
"As long as it's you, I will accept everything about you."
Qi Zhimu's gentle follow-up whispered in Herta's ear, followed by dense kisses falling on her swan-like neck, finally taking her earlobe into his mouth.
This fiery and clear desire was constantly transmitted to the depths of her heart.
Precisely because of this... precisely because Brother Mu was so accepting of her, she wanted to return a better version of herself to him even more...
—In today's match, Mr. Zhimu and Ms. Herta both win.
...
Early morning.
Herta's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the sight of the man sleeping peacefully right before her.
Her body was still weak in waves, and there was a faint soreness below.
She had intentionally not reversed her state just to feel Qi Zhimu's love more directly.
Whether it was the gentleness or the heat of last night, it all fascinated her.
There are some things you have no concept of until you experience them; most people would scoff at certain descriptions, thinking they are too exaggerated or even contain too much artistic flair.
Only after truly experiencing it did she understand—
It was so true.
That kind of seamless intimacy where body and soul melt together was far too easy to get addicted to.
Correspondingly, without experiencing it, she wouldn't have known she could be so bold as to proactively try so many new moves...
But well, she was Herta.
If she could be boldly innovative in academia, then in other aspects, she naturally had to have her own style as well.
A slight curve lifted at the corner of Herta's mouth, as if she had thought of some fun way to play, and she reached out to grab the white shirt nearby.
Qi Zhimu's breathing was still steady.
In the outside world, let alone moving, even a change in Herta's breathing rhythm would have startled him awake.
But now, he had completely lowered all his defenses, falling into a deep sleep in his most secure state.
After Herta put on the shirt, her gaze moved away from Qi Zhimu's well-defined face, and her slender hand, disobeying her brain, began to move on its own.
Following Qi Zhimu's abdomen, she caressed all the way up along the rising and falling contours.
Chest, collarbone, face, and finally, his lips.
Truly perfect, just like her.
At first, Herta's eyes only flickered with appreciation, but as time passed, that appreciation gradually changed flavor.
She couldn't help but lean down, planting a light kiss on Qi Zhimu's shoulder blade, gradually extending to his collarbone and neck.
Finally, she invaded his lips, her fragrant, soft, and moist little tongue gently sweeping through, drinking in the scent she was obsessed with.
In the past, even the most beautiful dream would not have contained the current situation.
But now, everything was as real as it could be.
As Herta's small movements became more and more obvious, Qi Zhimu slowly woke up.
He took a few seconds to dispel the remaining drowsiness, turned his head to the side, and met a pair of charming, shimmering purple eyes.
He saw Herta wearing his oversized shirt, revealing half of her fragrant shoulder, her cheeks flushed, a trace of infatuation at the corner of her mouth, her elbow propped on the pillow as she stared straight at him.
"Morning, Brother Mu~~"
"...Are you... hungry?"
As soon as the words "Brother Mu" came out, Qi Zhimu seemed to foresee what would happen next.
Calling him that during a "fight" could increase his attack speed.
"Mhm, very hungry..."
"What kind of breakfast do you want to eat?"
"...This genius never makes choices; I want it all."
As he was pinned down, Qi Zhimu thought to himself that it was time to formally use the skills he had mastered and see if that particular application was feasible.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn't get to eat breakfast; it would turn into lunch.
Since their reunion, Herta's dedication to the simulated universe and academic research on how to change the past had inevitably declined a lot.
Consequently, she had much more leisure time.
Where was this time spent?
Most of it was on him.
Forbidden fruit is forbidden because of the danger of making one fall...
To avoid becoming a dried-out husk in the future, Qi Zhimu felt he needed to develop a new use for the flow of time, just as he had developed Path powers for various purposes in his early years...
"Brother Mu~ faster... ngh..."
Before the rest of the word could come out, Herta found that Qi Zhimu had skipped the warm-up phase and directly used the most intense high-speed offensive, sending the battle into a fever pitch.
...
One hour later.
Herta lay on the kitchen table watching Qi Zhimu busy himself, finally unable to resist secretly using time... cough, using magic to restore her state.
Should she say he truly lives up to being a Galaxy Ranger who runs all over the galaxy, living life on the edge?
His physical stamina was really cheating.
Recalling her own stamina from when she used to learn to bake cakes—where her arms would get sore just from stirring egg liquid for a moment—even with Ruan Mei's medicine to enhance her physique, she still couldn't win against him now without using magic.
It seemed that her boastful words about making him unable to get out of bed for three days still had a bit of difficulty in achieving...
While her thoughts were wandering, Qi Zhimu walked over carrying breakfast.
Herta came back to her senses, her eyes darting slightly, a mischievous smile curling her lips as she lay back down on the table.
"Tired... I want you to feed me..."
"Heh, alright."
Qi Zhimu chuckled, set down the meal, and sat down next to Herta.
"Don't sit next to me; be my chair," Herta made a new request.
Qi Zhimu had expected this; he picked her up and sat her on his lap, blew on a spoonful of porridge to cool it before sending it into her mouth, and then leaned toward Herta's cheek.
"Eh?"
Herta hadn't expected Qi Zhimu to be so proactive, and instead was a bit dazed.
He is so good to me.
He loves me so much!
I love him so much too, so I shouldn't use my little schemes to bully him.
"We don't have to feed like this... we can save it for next time..."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true."
What followed was less flirtation and more warmth.
After finishing breakfast, Herta received a communication from Himeko.
"Are you about to set off on your journey? Okay. Lord Zhimu? He's right next to me."
Herta handed the phone to Qi Zhimu.
"Good morning, Ms. Himeko," Qi Zhimu greeted politely.
"We're departing in five system hours. Are you getting off at the Space Station temporarily as you said before?"
"Yes."
"Then I won't try to keep you. Anyway, Herta has left a curio behind. You're welcome to visit the Astral Express anytime. Under normal circumstances, there will always be someone on guard, and the guest room you stayed in will be kept for you."
"Thanks. If you encounter any trouble that's hard to solve and need a hand, you can look for me."
"Haha, when that time comes, I'll definitely prepare a commission fee to hire you."
"Look at what you're saying. The Astral Express Crew treats me as a friend, and my relationship with Ms. Herta is quite good. Keeping things strictly business with friends isn't my style."
"I was being too formal then..." Himeko laughed.
Qi Zhimu handed the phone back to Herta.
Herta: "I'll notify Asta to see you off. That's all."
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