Chapter 287: Crown of the Mundane and Divine 『 Part One 』
「 "According to Herta, Ruan Mei has already arrived at the Space Station ahead of schedule. If you wish to see her, you might start by looking around the platform."
Stelle arrived at the platform, finding it surging with a tide of humanity; scholars of every stripe came and went in an endless stream. Her gaze pierced through the bobbing heads, locking instantly onto that familiar silhouette—Ruan Mei stood before a transparent viewport, holding a plate of exquisite pastries, her eyes quietly fixed upon the azure planet beyond the station.
Stelle navigated deftly through the crowd, yet she had barely reached Ruan Mei's side—before she could even raise a hand in greeting—when Ruan Mei's fingers lifted. Carrying the faint, sweet scent of pastry, they came to rest against the side of Stelle's neck.
Stelle's breath hitched slightly. Ruan Mei's fingertips were cool as jade, pressing gently against her carotid artery. The noisy clamor of the surroundings seemed to recede in an instant, leaving only Ruan Mei's focused gaze and delicate touch.
Stelle, feeling a touch awkward, pointed to the crumbs at the corner of Ruan Mei's mouth. The other woman, however, seemed unconcerned, offering a faint smile: "Hello. I hope I didn't startle you."
"This is a professional habit of mine. Opening my perception through touch allows details regarding life to flood into my mind; it helps me understand your biological structure."
"This is the foundation of deconstruction and recreation. Don't be nervous, you are very healthy—a perfect experimental sample. I like perfect experimental samples." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
"Wait, experimental sample? Is she planning to use Stelle for experiments?"
Caesar suddenly realized something. Ruan Mei had been observing Stelle's combat performance within the Simulated Universe earlier.
Could it be that her next experiment was scheduled to take place right here on the Space Station? And was Stelle's combat capability a crucial variable in her data?
What kind of experiment requires combat?
Caesar suddenly recalled watching Resident Evil with Nono back in the day. The protagonist seemed to fight inside laboratories quite often.
Ruan Mei wouldn't turn out to be one of those evil scientist types from the movies, hiding behind a gentle and elegant facade, would she?
"That seems unlikely. This is the Space Station, not Ruan Mei's private laboratory. Herta and Screwllum are here. With them present, even if Ruan Mei wanted to borrow Stelle—this 'important partner of the Simulated Universe'—for an experiment, the two of them would surely be informed beforehand,"
Chu Zihang stated, his expression impassive.
"Makes sense. But what's with that ability to perform a full-body checkup just by using her fingers? Is that some sort of superpower inherent to Geniuses?"
"Those favored by Nous the 『 Erudition 』 likely possess traits that differ vastly from ordinary people, don't they?"
Chu Zihang's expression grew grave.
"Compared to Herta and Screwllum, Ruan Mei's personality fits my image of a scholar much better. It's just… her tone of voice. It's as if she is indifferent to many people and things. Could it be the result of living in seclusion for so long?"
—
「 "You have a bit of pastry crumb on the corner of your mouth…" Stelle reminded her once more.
"Oh? Is that so?" Ruan Mei reacted only then, a beat too late. "I was admiring the scenery and lost myself in it. I don't visit the Space Station often, and only discovered this spot today. The view is expansive; it calms the spirit. It pairs well with the fragrance of lotus leaves, plum blossoms, sticky rice, and frosting."
As she spoke, Ruan Mei shared half of the dessert in her hand with Stelle, and the two savored the treats while taking in the view outside the window.
She seemed to have a keen interest in baking and culinary arts, chatting with Stelle about many topics unrelated to research.
However, when the conversation turned to the Space Station itself, Ruan Mei's delicate brows furrowed slightly, indicating that the noisy environment was a poor match for the dim sum.
"So… do you remember my research?" Ruan Mei looked at Stelle earnestly.
"It seems to be about the cultivation of life…" Stelle intended to say this, but what tumbled out of her mouth was a sentence completely unrelated: "I don't remember. I only like researching little stories about toilets."
A faint, inadvertent smile floated to the corner of Ruan Mei's mouth.
"???" Stelle froze. (What is happening… What am I… saying?)
"Is that so? A very cute hobby," Ruan Mei nodded with a smile.
"But remember, if you encounter similar situations in the future, before you understand what has happened, you must hide your expression. Otherwise…" Ruan Mei's expression suddenly grew a few degrees more serious. "...you'll be full of weaknesses that others can see through..." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Gintama World〜
"Tsk, tsk, tsk tsk tsk…"
Gintoki lay on the sofa, watching Stelle being toyed with on the Light Screen, letting out a sigh of regret.
"This teaches us a profound lesson—"
Gintoki suddenly raised a finger.
"Never eat things given to you by strange women! No matter how good-looking she is."
Shinpachi pushed up his glasses, retorting with exasperation,
"Gin-san, weren't you just rolling on the floor a moment ago shouting, 'Ah, I want to eat Ruan Mei-san's pastries too! Her snacks look so delicious!'? Now that you see Stelle got hit, why are you pretending to be vigilant?!"
"Idiot! Is that the same thing? That was based on a pure love for pastries! Whereas Stelle was obviously bewildered by her beauty! Besides, a mature male like myself wouldn't be easily moved by mere good looks."
Shinpachi sighed.
"…Coming from your mouth, that has absolutely zero persuasive power."
"Shut up! Anyway, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't be tricked so easily,"
Gintoki scoffed, crossing his arms. Then, he stole a glance at the small piece of leftover pastry Ruan Mei was eating on the screen and muttered under his breath,
"…But if she fed me by hand, I suppose getting tricked once in a while wouldn't be so bad…"
"You are totally charmed by Ruan Mei-san, aren't you!!"
—
「 "Shall we try again? Now, Stelle, what else do you want to ask?" The smile on Ruan Mei's lips deepened.
"What did you feed me?" Just like the last time, Stelle couldn't get the words out. Her mouth moved uncontrollably again, uttering a completely irrelevant statement: "The dessert was tasty. I would like more."
(Why? Why can't I say what I want to say?)
"A gluttonous child, aren't you? Very well, I will give you the recipe." Ruan Mei extended a hand toward Stelle, issuing an invitation. "Walk with me. After eating delicious pastries, a stroll is the most suitable pastime."
Stelle followed Ruan Mei through the noisy crowd, the scholar's back looking exceptionally slender amidst the bustling platform.
Finally, the two arrived at a secluded corridor. When the surrounding clamor had slowly faded into the distance, she finally stopped, turning to look at Stelle. "Stelle, don't be nervous. I hold no hostility. I haven't tampered with your language centers; that would be too rude… I merely added a little seasoning."
"A few days ago, I hinted to Herta that I was interested in you. Because I want you to be my Assistant. You are the most suitable candidate—from our few contacts within the Simulated Universe, I became certain of this."
She shook her head gently. "But there is no wall in this world that does not leak wind, and I find it difficult to trust anyone other than myself. In meticulous research, a single error in data can cause problems. I dislike problems that are out of control."
"Therefore, I added an Anti-Truth Serum to the pastry. It is harmless to your body; it simply prevents you from speaking your true thoughts when answering questions related to me." 」
「 ..... 」