Chapter 8

Wu Ying sighed. "He's probably afraid that I, a rare guest, might slip away. Tsk, tsk. Looks like interstellar people can be warm too—you just need the right approach."

On the chat interface, Nova replied, "Hello. Any other concerns? We can work something out."

Federal University was still on break, so the teachers were idle. Nova had retired from the military just a year ago, and while teaching, a thought had struck her: the Federation primarily emphasized aggressive mental power, but not everyone was suited for it. Some, clearly unfit, were forced into injections and training, pushing children into military service.

Already, two students in her classes had suffered mental damage because of that. The military wasn't the only path in this world, and many kids didn't even know what they wanted—they just followed the enlistment trend. Maybe they could have walked other roads.

Nova stared at the message Wu Ying had sent her. Wu Ying's low mental power clearly indicated a gentle, mild trait. If she went to other teachers, they'd likely push her toward aggressive training—and an E-level mental power really couldn't withstand that kind of strain.

Frowning, Nova waited anxiously at the chat box, hoping for a quick reply.

Wu Ying: "Hello, Teacher! My family said I have to wait until he comes back to decide. I can't give you an answer right now, is that okay? Could you wait for me a bit?"

Mental damage was the most common and hardest-to-treat ailment across the entire universe. The more Nova understood it, the more cautious she became about making decisions.

Wu Ying and Asher were bound by shared interests, so he was naturally more trustworthy than others.

Nova: "Of course. Mental power training deserves careful consideration. Perhaps I could share some knowledge about mental power with you—I've noticed you might be lacking in that area. Would that be alright?"

Wu Ying mulled it over. This was the first time she'd seen an interstellar person speak so much. Curiosity piqued, she agreed.

Nova roughly imagined what Wu Ying was like—probably someone cherished at home, not forced into anything, which explained her low sensitivity to careers and shallow understanding of mental power. Her lively personality put Nova at ease.

She'd worried that Wu Ying might want to train aggressively, but thankfully, they seemed to be on the same page.

Nova gave her a rundown of the characteristics of mental power. Although the Federal Government's measurement system divided it into seven grades, that was based on aggressiveness—a quick way to screen military candidates.

Mental power was an innate force within the body, naturally varying with the individual. Even within the aggressive category, there were subtypes like agility or perception. So a gentle type was simply a different trait, not a lesser one.

Gentle mental power had a unique and essential role in farming. The problem was society's common bias, dismissing plant science as lowbrow and insignificant.

Nova suggested that if Wu Ying had no particular career ambitions, she might try plant science—a subject that was actually quite meaningful.

"Are you saying I'm perfect for plant science?!"

Wu Ying's pupils dilated at the message, eyes blazing like they'd been lit by the sun. Her excitement practically burst through the screen, sending mental confetti everywhere.

Nova was startled by the reply, unsure if Wu Ying was shocked or disappointed. "I said 'possibly'—I wouldn't dare assert that without a thorough examination."

A quick dodge, but Wu Ying didn't care. Even a chance was a good chance!

"I absolutely love plant science! To be honest, I've already signed up for the College of Plant Science, but my mental power is too low. I was worried it would affect my studies, so I was looking for a teacher to train with."

Nova: "Then we should be a great fit. I've done a lot of research on training gentle mental power and encourage students to pursue what suits their natural traits."

Thanks to Nova's explanation, Wu Ying finally understood that her mental power might be the gentle type—the best kind for farming. Her flower shop dream was saved!

If it weren't for waiting on Asher's advice, she would have signed up for Nova's class right away. Wu Ying told herself to calm down—"haste makes waste." She pressed a hand to her racing heart, said goodbye to Nova, and slipped back into the Seed Bank. She examined each seed, imagining future plots: a large area for tulips, another for roses—those would get top priority, since she loved them most.

And more—bluebells, sunflowers... It was unbelievable that the Seed Bank had so many flower seeds yet nobody had thought to grow them.

She wished she could plant them right now. She wanted them so badly. Wu Ying practically pressed her face against the glass display, enraptured, her mind already picturing the blooms. Would they be as beautiful as before?

Once she learned her craft, she'd build a greenhouse at home and grow whatever she liked—she'd be the first to see them bloom. And the greenhouse had to be big!

After all, she was going to own a flower shop someday, and the house couldn't be stingy. When she could grow lots of flowers, she'd open shops all over the universe.

"Beep—Visitor behavior anomaly detected!"

"Huh? What?"

Wu Ying quickly straightened up and looked around. This was a holographic seed bank—how was there surveillance? Did she think she could steal holograms? So stingy!

Grumbling, she left the Seed Bank and leaned on the balcony, taking in the view.

Beta Star was a wartime planet. Though the front line wasn't here, defensive installations abounded—from a distance, one could see plenty of defense ships and battle cruisers.

The family quarters covered a third of Beta Star's surface, which showed just how many soldiers served on the Yuanji Star defense line. The Yuanji Star used a rotation system, swapping out soldiers monthly to avoid prolonged high-intensity combat.

So Asher's return next week—whether it was a rotation or something else—was unclear. He was the supreme commander, after all, so he might not be bound by such rules.

Could he come back early? She was getting impatient. She wanted to start learning as soon as possible, since she was now a prospective botanist, destined to open flower shops across the universe.

Wu Ying felt she should have a mountain of things to do, yet here she was, unable to do a thing.

She gave up, sprawling lazily by the railing, eyes drifting forward. She lived in a high-rise villa, so her view was naturally different—big-shot privileges, after all.

She could see the rooftops of other houses. Some had pools, others had converted landing pads.

"Oh, right! I could convert the rooftop into a greenhouse. I don't have to wait until I can actually grow things—I can build the space first, then plant later."

She'd been too narrow-minded. Using the spacious top floor only for a landing pad was wasteful, especially since there were dedicated landing areas elsewhere.

She and Jiujiu threw themselves into the work. Jiujiu in renovation mode proved extremely capable; Wu Ying could supervise and chat with it at the same time, discussing all sorts of topics—not just passing time, but learning something new.

Killing two birds with one stone!

The finished greenhouse was cozy and charming, decorated with doll figurines and various flower-shaped labels. The colors were rich yet harmonious—classic Wu Ying style. She couldn't stand the black-and-white ascetic aesthetic.

Wu Ying flopped onto a rocking chair, clutching a duck pillow, contentedly melting into a cat-shaped pancake.

Her eyes narrowed in delight as she basked in the warm sunlight that filtered through the special glass ceiling. It was so comfortable. Half-lidded, she sent Asher a message, urging him to come home.

"When are you coming back?"

No reply. Scrolling up, she saw that out of all her recent messages, only the first one had gotten a response—three words: "In five days."

She was being stonewalled, wasn't she? Sure, she asked rather often, but that didn't justify his behavior.

Wu Ying conveniently ignored the fact that she'd messaged him three times a day asking what he was doing and when he'd return. Why? Because she'd suddenly remembered she should show presence—so she just sent them.

"Ugh, this man is hard to deal with!"

Wu Ying sat up, punching the duck pillow as if it were a boxing bag, then collapsed exhausted into the chair.

...

The hovercar stopped. Asher opened his eyes. Dressed in black military uniform, his shoulder insignia glinting, he adjusted his collar, pressed the breast badge with his slender fingers, and confirmed his appearance was immaculate before stepping out.

He tossed a curt "Good work" and turned into his Beta Star residence.

Meng Ke watched his back, feeling a bit puzzled. He could swear the commander seemed like he was gearing up for battle. Must be his imagination!

Asher walked with his long, straight legs, pulling off his gloves as he moved. At the door, he lifted his military cap slightly, revealing a pair of cold, mysterious phoenix eyes.

Fingerprint recognition succeeded. Inside the entryway were rows of fluffy slippers in various shapes. He bent down, searched for a moment, and finally found his black pair tucked in a corner.

"Sir, you're back~"

A strange voice rang out. Asher's head snapped up, his sharp gaze freezing mid-lurch. If he wasn't mistaken, this was his robot butler.

But at the moment, its tone was odd, its voice odd, and its face was a whirlwind of bizarre expressions.

Strangely, Asher felt it reminded him of someone.

He composed himself and ignored it. The robot began chattering on its own: "The mistress is still asleep—her biological clock is set for 9 AM, and it's a bit early. Sir, what would you like for breakfast? Bread? Milk..."

What a noisy robot. Asher listened expressionlessly as it ran through the menu, curious how long it could keep this up. It was more talkative than Wu Ying, yet somehow less endearing.

Also, he noticed, the robot called Wu Ying "mistress" but referred to him as "sir."

Let it be.

Asher took off his cap and coat, handing them to the robot to put away.

"Hello, sir. I'm not 'Number One'—my name is Jiujiu."

"Put them away."

"Understood."

Asher stepped past it and poured himself a glass of water. The house had changed again since his last visit. His familiar things had once more retreated to corners—like the black footrest tucked away.

He hadn't finished surveying the changes when the sound of padding footsteps came from the bedroom. Wu Ying burst out, clutching his clothes, her face lighting up.

"You're back!!"

Every word, every gesture, every expression shouted how delighted she was to see him.