"Then... do you still remember the name Clarice?" Ruan Mei asked again.
"Ms. Ruan Mei, we are total strangers. I don't seem to have any obligation to answer more of your questions," Qi Zhimu's tone couldn't help but turn cold.
Total strangers... Total strangers...
Those four simple words sent a pang through Ruan Mei's heart, followed by a flash of self-deprecation.
A reunion after thousands of years apart—she had never imagined it would be like this.
It's fine.
It's alright...
A'Mu had forgotten the pain she had inflicted upon him. It didn't matter; it was enough that she still remembered.
She could be good to A'Mu and spend the rest of her life making it up to him.
Leaving behind the shackles of the past was nothing more than a fresh start.
Yu Qingtu, Black Swan, and even Jingliu—who, relying on A'Mu's millennium of restrained feelings for her, claimed that the others couldn't compare to her—and...
In short, everyone was back at the same starting line. No one could... No—
Recovering from the turbulent emotions of the reunion, Ruan Mei realized a fact.
She was the first one to find A'Mu and reunite with him!
A'Mu was on the Herta Space Station, and so was she. The one closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first.
The advantage was hers, not Yu Qingtu's, not Black Swan's, and certainly not Jingliu's or the others.
Having figured this out, Ruan Mei's expression returned to its elegant and poised state, though with much less coldness and a bit more softness.
"Then I won't ask any more."
Huh?
Xing was completely baffled.
Not just her; even Qi Zhimu felt this genius's reaction and attitude were strange through and through, but he didn't comment and went straight to the point.
"Ms. Ruan Mei, Xing is my friend, a friend of Herta's, and the client and helper for your testing of the simulated universe."
"But you edited her DNA without permission and set multiple encryption keys so she couldn't speak about you. That's quite disrespectful."
Xing secretly tugged at Qi Zhimu's sleeve and shook her head slightly.
The other person was a genius, after all. Was it really okay to be so blunt?
Qi Zhimu gave her a reassuring look.
They were in the right. If reason didn't work, Herta and Screwllum would step in.
Since Xing could help Herta and was a junior of the Trailblazers from the Astral Express who had helped him reunite with Herta, he didn't need to be tactful with Ruan Mei.
The philosophy of the Galaxy Rangers was to meet violence with violence; his years among them hadn't been for nothing.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of Herta's reputation over the years.
But just as the Galaxy Rangers always had a line they wouldn't cross, Herta naturally had one too.
In essence, Herta was simply too lazy to spare a shred of attention or energy for things she wasn't interested in.
She was even more reluctant to waste time on people who couldn't help her or bring benefits, so she wouldn't adopt a friendly attitude toward them, and those who annoyed her were met with no shortage of biting words.
To outsiders, this temperament of a genius didn't really matter; people with ability would always have scholars defending them and showing tolerance.
But Ruan Mei's behavior was something most people would frown upon in private, even if they didn't say it openly.
"If there's not even basic trust, why bother asking Xing for help?"
"As a fellow genius, Ms. Ruan Mei, your conduct—let's not even mention Screwllum—is far worse than even Herta's, who is willful, aloof, and even conceited toward ordinary people."
"At the very least, Herta wouldn't trample on someone's trust in her," Qi Zhimu said, his voice growing heavier.
Asta wanted freedom, so Herta gave it to her and left the entire Space Station for her to manage, never interfering.
Admittedly, in her heart, she didn't care much for the staff members of the Space Station.
But judging by her actions, letting Asta take full responsibility—who could say that wasn't essentially giving her the highest level of trust?
"..."
Ruan Mei was speechless. She took out a vial of medicine the size of a pinky finger and stepped forward to hand it to Xing.
"...I'm sorry. It was inconsiderate of me to give you an anti-truth serum without your consent. This is the antidote."
Xing took it blankly, not quite having processed what was happening.
It seemed she hadn't expected Ruan Mei to compromise so easily and even apologize after being questioned by Qi Zhimu.
My goodness!
Herta exploited her for hard labor in the simulated universe and made her take dangerous paths that led to her being devoured by enemies, yet she had never apologized. She always just told her to go to Asta for compensation.
Whether she wanted a curio or Credit Points, she just had to ask.
From what she had seen of Herta, Xing stereotypically thought that geniuses were mostly concerned with saving face; even if they knew they were wrong and were willing to fix it, they at least wouldn't admit it.
Especially Ruan Mei, who seemed even more willful than Herta.
But now... hmmm...
"Xing, try it," Qi Zhimu signaled.
After drinking the potion, Xing tried telling Qi Zhimu something minor about Ruan Mei and found that the restriction had indeed vanished, so she nodded.
Seeing Qi Zhimu's concern for Xing, Ruan Mei didn't feel jealous.
Right now, only one thing was on her mind—
To be able to figure out the logic of her anti-truth serum, he was indeed her A'Mu.
Perhaps he remembered the knowledge he had learned back then, or perhaps his medical talent was even better than before, allowing him to crack the little gadget she had developed.
It made sense; after all, he was a medical staff member of the Herta Space Station.
To become a staff member here, one either had to use a back door opened by Herta or pass through layers of interviews and screenings with real talent.
Unfortunately, there was only one answer.
Given her understanding of Herta's personality, how could she possibly open a back door for anyone?
Staring fixedly at Qi Zhimu, Ruan Mei's vision gradually blurred.
In the Remembrance, that figure wearing a lab coat and accompanying her every day gradually overlapped in temperament with the man before her.
Although the man before her had a different build and was full of vitality, the loose lab coat couldn't hide his upright posture.
It seemed he was living well in this life.
No torment from illness, no responsibilities that had to be borne, and no wars where he had to face life and death.
Just an ordinary, or perhaps even excellent, Herta Space Station Medical Department staff member.
She really should thank Herta.
Without the Space Station under her name, how could she have reunited with A'Mu and left those women who liked him behind?
Seeing Xing confirm her recovery, Qi Zhimu's expression softened slightly, and his gaze returned to Ruan Mei.
When he met her gaze, a question mark almost popped up over his head.
Why was the way she looked at him just now so strange?
He focused and looked closely, only to find nothing there.
Just an illusion...
"I deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to Ms. Ruan Mei by this sudden visit. Since the problem is resolved, I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."
Seeing Qi Zhimu and Xing leave, Ruan Mei opened her mouth, subconsciously wanting to ask him to stay, but she didn't know what reason to use.
It wasn't until ten minutes after they left that she sat back on her heels in discouragement, supporting her forehead.
Tonight's unannounced reunion had dropped a meteorite into the calm lake of her heart that she had maintained for many years.
Did it splash water everywhere?
That's an understatement; it had already destroyed the entire lake.
Not a single word of the reunion speech she had prepared for many years could be used.
She never would have thought that while Qi Zhimu clearly remembered some skills from his past life and even carried items gifted to him then, he had forgotten everyone.
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