Early in the morning, Yu Nianqing went downstairs after getting up and happened to see Bo Chen unscrew a bottle of nutrient solution and drink it down expressionlessly. Xiao Jiu approached her, carrying two cups of milky-white liquid.
“Pretty big sister! Yesterday, you said you wanted to drink milk, so today Xiao Jiu prepared both kinds for you!”
Looking at Xiao Jiu’s sincere eyes, Yu Nianqing was deeply grateful. However, those two cups of white liquid gave off an overwhelming fishy smell even before she got close.
‘These probably aren’t ordinary cows…’
After finishing his nutrient solution, Bo Chen sat down and looked at Yu Nianqing, who was caught in an awkward predicament. “No one in the interstellar world can stand milk with such a strong smell anymore. Xiao Jiu said you wanted to drink some?”
“Does this milk come from dairy cows?” Yu Nianqing took one of the cups. It felt warm to the touch, as though it had just been milked…
Butler Lin explained with a beaming smile, “Madam, there haven’t been any purebred dairy cows left on Kloss Star for three hundred years. All the milk available for purchase now comes from various kinds of mutated dairy cows.”
Yu Nianqing wore an expression of sudden realization. Bo Chen suddenly remarked, “Why do you seem as though you’ve only just entered interstellar society?”
That comment was probably his way of mocking her for being out of touch with the times. But she really had only just entered interstellar society.
Yu Nianqing patted Xiao Jiu on the head. “Thank you!” Then, pinching her nose, she forced herself to finish the milk. She hadn’t expected its smell to be so overpowering. Even long after she had finished drinking, she kept suppressing waves of nausea.
Xiao Jiu seemed to have received a compliment, and the system gave it a pair of rosy cheeks.
Later, before Bo Chen took Yu Nianqing to the academy, Butler Lin gave her a bright red Xue Tan fruit. Its sweet-and-sour taste finally managed to overpower the lingering smell.
Bo Chen brought Yu Nianqing to the research lab at the Federation’s First Interstellar Academy. There, Yu Nianqing saw Ivy again.
Ivy was wearing a white lab coat, her long, wavy hair tied back, and a pair of glasses with thick frames perched on her nose. She waved at Yu Nianqing. “Xiao Qing, you’re here!”
Yu Nianqing had intended to go over, but after glancing at Bo Chen’s expression, she decided it would be better to behave herself.
“Ivy, run another test on her.” Bo Chen only spoke after entering the room. Ivy immediately instructed her assistant to prepare the equipment, then stepped over to Yu Nianqing and asked in a low voice, “Xiao Qing, when are you going to cook again?”
As she put on the testing equipment, Yu Nianqing answered seriously, “I probably won’t be able to for the next few days. I’ll contact you the next time I cook.”
Bo Chen simply watched the two women whispering to each other nearby, looking as though they were thoroughly enjoying their conversation.
As Yu Nianqing entered the testing chamber, a faint green glow gradually spread out. One by one, her physical data began appearing on the lab’s light screen.
There was also a screen inside the testing chamber, so Yu Nianqing could see the results herself. Just as Allen had predicted, Yu Nianqing’s current mental power was only E-rank, whereas her records from three months ago showed S-rank.
The final test was for clone identification. Bo Chen kept his eyes fixed on this item. Thirty seconds later, the words Non-Clone appeared on the screen.
“I told you that you were overthinking it.” Ivy pressed the button to open the chamber, and the door to the testing room slowly slid open. Yu Nianqing stepped out, and Ivy flashed her a smile. “Congratulations, Xiao Qing! You’ve managed to keep your position as Madam Bo!”
Toward this man, who had first threatened her into marrying him and then refused to trust her, Yu Nianqing could only scoff. “As if I care.”
“I care.”
To her surprise, Bo Chen suddenly spoke up. Ivy gave him a teasing look, leaving Yu Nianqing at a loss for words.
A young, handsome SSS-rank regent of the interstellar world marries a beautiful young woman of E-rank for love. Ivy’s imagination ran wild, and she was already picturing tens of thousands of words of a heartwarming romance.
Seeing Ivy’s expression, Bo Chen knew she was imagining something ridiculous again. He took Yu Nianqing by the hand and led her out of the research lab.
“Bo Chen, is Ivy a teacher at the academy?”
“You could say that, but she no longer has any teaching responsibilities.”
Yu Nianqing felt as though she were back at a university on Earth. Unfortunately, she had spent her entire university life in a laboratory. She turned to him and asked, “What do they study at the academy?”
At that, Bo Chen stopped walking. “Didn’t you look into that three months ago?”
Yu Nianqing shook her head. Before coming here, she had checked the records on her smart terminal. Three months ago, she had only been enrolled at the Federation First Academy for two days before submitting an application for a leave of absence. Until the explosion a few days ago, Yu Nianqing had never returned to the academy.
“Starships, biology, literature, art, and so on.” Bo Chen briefly listed a few of the academy’s fields of study. He happened to notice the longing look in Yu Nianqing’s eyes and grew a little curious.
“Why did you take a leave of absence back then?”
Good question! Yu Nianqing wanted to know the answer too. As a genius with S-rank mental power, why had the original Yu Nianqing suddenly decided to take a leave of absence and start livestreaming instead?
However, Yu Nianqing vaguely suspected it had something to do with family matters. Tuition at the First Academy was exorbitant, and Yu Tiancheng had cut off her financial support, leaving her with no way to continue her studies. Before she could answer, Bo Chen said, “If you want to continue studying, I’ll have Butler Lin make the arrangements.”
Yu Nianqing stared at him blankly. Before her gratitude had even fully surfaced, he added, “At your current level, calling yourself my wife would hardly reflect well on me.”
Yu Nianqing: …
Wasn’t he just looking down on her for not having an education?
“Then I’ll be troubling you,” Yu Nianqing said through gritted teeth. A wise person didn’t suffer a loss when it could be avoided. It was always good to read more.
Besides, she had only just arrived in interstellar society and knew nothing about it. Having a place where she could learn everything about this society was the best option. Otherwise, wherever she went, people would discover the enormous bug that she was!
Just then, Bo Chen’s smart terminal rang. He had apparently encrypted the call, because although Yu Nianqing could see him talking to someone else, she couldn’t see or hear anything.
After ending the call, Bo Chen said to her, “You can look around on your own or attend a class. I’ve already informed Butler Lin to handle your enrollment. I’ll come pick you up later.”
Bo Chen seemed to have something urgent to attend to. Yu Nianqing was just about to ask how he planned to pick her up, but he had already walked far away. Her smart terminal beeped, and when she checked it, she saw a friend request from Bo Chen.
Yu Nianqing wandered around the Federation First Interstellar Academy for a while. Overall, it was much like a university on Earth, except that the subjects taught were different. The academy’s towering sculptures were so tall that Yu Nianqing couldn’t even see their tops when she looked up. People passing by in flying vehicles, however, could get a clear view of them.
Following the map on her smart terminal, she arrived at the biology building. She noticed that everyone entering had to undergo identity verification. She figured that even if Butler Lin was handling her enrollment, the process wouldn’t be completed so quickly. Just as she turned to leave, someone called out to her.
“Nianqing?”
Yu Nianqing turned around in confusion and saw a young woman wearing a white dress. She had long, straight black hair and a headband adorned with two small white flowers of different sizes.
‘Th-this is the white lotus?’
The character design couldn’t have made it any easier to guess.
“Big Sister, it really is you!” The young woman excitedly grabbed Yu Nianqing’s hand, but Yu Nianqing calmly slipped it free.
Several other people were following behind her.