Thanks to [Renmingwei] for the Great God Certification!
...
When Qi Zhimu opened his eyes again, March 7th's small face, filled with nervousness, was right above him.
"You're finally awake!"
"...Ugh... what happened?" Qi Zhimu felt his brain was in a fog.
Dizziness should be normal, right?
"This..."
March gave two dry laughs, her eyes guiltily drifting toward Himeko.
Himeko spoke with an apologetic tone, "Sorry, Lord Zhimu, I didn't consider—"
"I'm so sorry, I have a habit of sleepwalking. I must have wandered in here in the middle of the night to sleep. I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?"
Before Himeko could finish, Qi Zhimu beat her to it with a complete reversal of an apology.
The three members of the Astral Express Crew present were momentarily stunned.
Had Himeko's skills reached a new level, or was Qi Zhimu using his high emotional intelligence to play dumb?
Only March swallowed hard, thinking to herself that it was all over; it seemed Qi Zhimu had drunk himself into amnesia from that coffee.
"Why is everyone so quiet? Did I really mess up?" Qi Zhimu's expression was one of fear, his acting perfectly natural.
"..."
Welt gave a dry cough and, well-versed in such matters, gave Himeko a look.
"Himeko, why hasn't Shut Up delivered the drinks yet? Go check the Parlor Car."
"...Alright."
Since he was being so tactful, it meant he didn't want to dwell on it; exposing it would show a lack of social awareness.
On her way to the Parlor Car, Himeko couldn't help but wonder: since Welt and Dan Heng could both drink the same hand-brewed coffee, why did Qi Zhimu faint?
Seeing Himeko's expression as she walked by, how could Welt not know what she was thinking? He guiltily glanced at his cane.
A Synthetic Black Hole wasn't meant for this, but sometimes it had to be done.
Interactions in the adult world cannot do without the word 'dignity.'
If you're good and I'm good, then everyone is good.
Qi Zhimu's way of handling it gave them plenty of face, and they had to recognize his kindness.
"Mr. Zhimu, next, let's talk about the matter of compensation."
"Small matter, small matter. I'll pay whatever it is."
"You misunderstand. It's us compensating you..."
"Huh?"
Seeing Qi Zhimu still playing dumb, Welt's old face flushed red, and he immediately pointed to the table, where there was a rather peculiar-looking ornament.
A sachet, a jade pendant, and an unknown key were all strung together.
When Qi Zhimu fainted just now, this string of items fell to the floor, and the jade pendant was covered in dense cracks.
The value of some personal items cannot be measured by money.
This was also why Welt's face felt hot; what a fine Galaxy Ranger.
He had just boarded the train, and before the journey even began, they had dealt him a double blow to his life and property.
"When you faint... when you were sleeping here and hadn't woken up, little March accidentally cracked this jade pendant..."
March 7th: "???"
Fine, she could take the blame; it wasn't appropriate for the others...
"This? It couldn't have been March. It's always looked like this."
Qi Zhimu waved his hand and explained casually:
"These should be considered a type of curio. They can't be destroyed by any method."
Seeing everyone's disbelief, Qi Zhimu demonstrated on the spot.
Whether smashed with force or hacked with a weapon, the sachet, jade pendant, and key remained completely undamaged.
"See, I didn't lie to you, did I?"
"So they're curios. But Lord Zhimu, you hang them so casually on your waist, aren't you worried about losing them?" March 7th asked curiously.
When Qi Zhimu fainted earlier, this thing had easily unhooked from his waist buckle and fallen aside.
That was also why she thought it had shattered.
When she saw Qi Zhimu yesterday, he hadn't been wearing this.
"I won't lose them. If they get too far from me, they'll find their own way back."
Huh?
March 7th listened, stunned. How was it like a free-roaming pet?
Qi Zhimu saw her curiosity but had no intention of discussing their origins in depth.
When Himeko returned with freshly prepared normal drinks, everyone tacitly skipped over the previous interlude.
Only in little March 7th's confused world was a new understanding born.
Afterward, she tactfully sought out Himeko to ask if this was really okay. After hearing the explanation, she suddenly realized that Qi Zhimu was playing dumb to give them a way out.
"He's such a good person..."
"It was my oversight. I didn't consider individual differences. He seems to have a severe rejection reaction to the components of the coffee beans I use, which is quite similar to you."
Himeko did not shirk her responsibility.
March 7th secretly wiped away sweat.
Can a liquid bomb be called an adverse reaction?
Even after leaving Himeko's room and heading back to her own, she still couldn't figure out one question.
Himeko was clearly multi-talented, beautiful, and elegant, with exquisite skills in repairing the Express.
Why did her hand-brewed coffee skills always make people...
Sigh.
Perhaps that's just the fact that no one is perfect. As Himeko herself had said before, even a genius isn't a genius in every aspect.
An Emanator like Herta still has things she isn't good at.
...
The next day.
When Qi Zhimu appeared before everyone again, he could clearly feel the atmosphere was much more friendly.
He greeted them with a smile, then sat in a corner with his phone, quietly surfing the net without easily joining the conversation.
A user with the alias 'Honorary President of the Trotter Protection Association' and a strange note saying '(Employer who wants me to live off her)' had sent a message early on.
[Yelena: I heard you crashed in a passerby system? Do you need medical insurance services?]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: Since when did your business scope expand to selling insurance?]
[Yelena: From the second I knew you crashed.]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: ??? Did you install a monitor on me? How do you know everything?]
[Yelena: The Annihilation Gang found a spaceship there that was 'zero-dollar purchased' by a certain famous mercenary. No body was found, and they're issuing a galactic pursuit order. How do you think I know?]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: Wow, a galaxy-wide pursuit. I'm so scared.]
[Yelena: Don't be afraid. Come to your little sister; I have enough power to protect you.]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: Don't. You're not my sister, and I don't need your protection.]
[Yelena: If we can't be real siblings, we can be 'sworn' siblings.]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: No! Are you still saying you're not after my body?]
[Yelena: Tsk, let's talk business then. The largest gang in Behemoth-II is obstructing the IPC's expansion plans. To avoid leaving evidence, it's inconvenient for the IPC to step in. I need you to pose as their enemy and kill seven people.]
[Yelena: Don't worry, they're all scum who deserve to die. It won't break your Ranger rules.]
[Yelena: The reward is one billion Credit Points.]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: Getting a billion just for taking out seven things? That's so generous. I have to say, I'm really tempted...]
[Yelena: Hehe, then I wish us a pleasant cooperation once again.]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: But—I refuse!]
[Yelena: ???]
[Super-Fast Hand Piano Demon: Depressed from the crash. Not taking orders for a while. Need to travel for a bit to relax and maintain my lifestyle...]
...
In this fourth life, there is no more reincarnation. Unless necessary, he won't get deeply involved in the main storyline with the Astral Express Crew.
Please support with love~~
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