Her gaze fell on me again, this time with a pure, scholarly curiosity, and a trace of... a strange determination I had never seen in her eyes before.
"Trailblazer," she opened her mouth slowly, and her words shocked me again. "Based on the above reasons, I need to establish the closest and most stable relationship with you in order to conduct the most direct and efficient research. Therefore, I propose—let us get married."
"Mar... marry?!" I was completely stunned. This topic jumped too fast! Jumping straight from a shocking secret to marriage?
"To be precise, it is to conclude a partner contract with the purpose of joint research." Ruan Mei corrected, her tone remaining as rigorous as a scientist. "The form of marriage is currently the most stable model in the social structure that is most convenient for our long-term 'cooperation.' Of course, this does not require you to pay any emotional cost; research is the priority. We need to live together, record the detailed data of energy interaction and life information transmission between us, and observe the subsequent development of this phenomenon."
I looked at her, this Genius Society member, this top scholar in the field of life science, who was currently making a marriage proposal to me in a tone like a research project. A sense of absurdity and an indescribable strangeness intertwined in my heart. This was probably the most absurd proposal I had ever heard in my life, but it was also the most "Ruan Mei" style proposal.
But... the research she spoke of was indeed significant. If this was true, it wasn't just about me, but about the mysteries of the entire universe. As a Trailblazer, exploring the unknown was my mission... even if this unknown unfolded in such a... private way.
After a long silence, under Ruan Mei's calm and focused gaze, I took a deep breath and nodded: "Okay. For the sake of research... I agree."
Ruan Mei's mouth seemed to turn up in an imperceptible arc, more like satisfaction at the smooth progress of the experiment.
"Very good. I have already arranged a place to stay, in a quiet garden on the Xianzhou Luofu. The environment there is serene, undisturbed, and suitable for our long-term 'married life' and research."
And just like that, after resolving the Penacony crisis, my life trajectory turned again because of a shocking secret. Without a grand wedding, without the blessings of relatives and friends, without even true love in the traditional sense, Ruan Mei and I, for the sake of exploring that ultimate mystery of the Path that arose because of me, quietly arrived at an elegant garden villa on the Xianzhou Luofu in the name of being "husband and wife."
Pushing open the antique gate, there were pavilions and flowing water, and the air was filled with the sandalwood and fresh greenery typical of the Luofu. This was different from any of my previous experiences on the Luofu, as quiet as a paradise. However, I knew that beneath this tranquility, the most peculiar and private "research" concerning the laws of the universe and my own fate was about to unfold.
Ruan Mei had already started arranging some precise instruments in the villa, cleverly hidden among the classical decorations. She turned back and gave me a formulaic smile: "Welcome to our new home, Trailblazer. Or, should I call you now... my 'husband'? Our research formally begins from now."
Looking at her cold profile that seemed to have added something new, I stood there, feeling this strange environment called "home," my heart filled with complex emotions.
My "married life" had thus begun in this garden villa on the Xianzhou Luofu in a way that exceeded all imagination. What would the future hold? Where would this research go? How would the relationship between Ruan Mei and me be defined? Everything was an unknown.
The night grew darker, and the clear light of the Xianzhou spilled through the lattice windows onto the wooden floor of the room, outlining the shadows of the balcony railing. I sat alone in the bedroom on the second floor; this room was far more spacious and luxurious than my single cabin on the train—a private bathroom, a large balcony with a view of the garden, and this two-meter-wide bed underneath me... enough to lie down three or four of me.
The scent of dust from moving in still lingered in the air, mixed with the elegant spices unique to the Luofu. I sat up against the headboard, but my mind was a mess. Ruan Mei, marriage, Path transfer... it all happened too fast, too bizarre, like a logically rigorous yet absurd dream. I needed time to digest, to sort out this sudden "husband" status and the mind-boggling content of the "research."
At this moment, "knock, knock—" two light sounds interrupted my thoughts. The knocking was very light, with a hint of tentativeness. Who could it be at this time? A trace of doubt crossed my mind, and I got up and walked toward the door.
Standing outside the door was indeed Ruan Mei. She was not wearing her research coat, but had changed into a simple, elegant cheongsam, the kind she often wore at the space station—a pale color, exquisite buttons, outlining her curvaceous figure, with a coldness and a hint of indescribable oriental charm.
However, what surprised me a bit was that when her eyes met mine, those eyes that were always as calm as a deep pool seemed to flicker, and a very faint red blush quietly climbed onto her fair cheeks, and her gaze subconsciously shifted away for a moment, as if... a little embarrassed? This subtle change in expression faded a bit of that aloof, otherworldly scholar temperament she usually had, and added a hint of subtle, mortal-like embarrassment.
This made me feel involuntarily awkward.
"Ru... Ms. Ruan Mei?" I stammered.
"...Mm," she responded gently, her voice seeming lower and softer than it was during the day. "May I come in?"
"Ah, of course, please come in." I quickly stepped aside and invited her into the room.
She walked into the room, her gaze quickly scanning the bedroom that belonged to me, and finally fell on the large bed, seeming a bit uncomfortable again. The atmosphere stagnated for a moment. I closed the door, turned to look at her, and for a moment, I didn't know what to say. We were "husband and wife" in name, but in reality, we were more like research partners who had signed some kind of special contract. But in this scene, a man and a woman alone in the dead of night, it was really hard to keep the atmosphere purely "scientific."
"That... would you like something to drink?" I tried to break the silence, but besides the complimentary bottled water typical of a hotel, there didn't seem to be anything else in the room.
She shook her head gently, walked to the side of the bed, and then... she sat down, right on the edge of the bed, about two or three steps away from me. The soft mattress sank slightly. We both sat on the edge of the bed side by side, neither of us speaking. I could hear my irregular heartbeat, and I could feel the faint, fragrant scent radiating from her, different from the coldness of the laboratory, more like a mixture of floral and herbal scents.
Silence filled the air, and the awkward atmosphere almost solidified. I didn't know where to put my hands, and my gaze shifted uncertainly. Just when I was about to find a random topic to break this damned silence, Ruan Mei took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.
She turned her head to look at me, the faint red on her cheeks not completely faded, but her eyes had regained a bit of their usual focus and... resolve?
"Trailblazer," her voice had a hint of undetectable tension, "It's getting late. For... the validity of the research data, let us... begin."
"Begin...?" I was stunned for a moment, then realized what she was referring to, and my heart missed a beat.