Ten days passed after Wei Qing and Ruan Mei reached an understanding.
In those ten days, Ruan Mei stopped caring about the Stellaron research entirely. Instead, she had the "siblings" Wei Qing and Firefly—at least, siblings on the surface—moved into the residence the Luofu assigned her.
For Ruan Mei, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
She decided to drop everything else and devote herself fully to studying Wei Qing.
Herta, meanwhile, was a hundred percent—no, ten thousand percent—unable to understand it.
In Herta's view, Ruan Mei had already spent a long stretch researching the Path of Beauty. She shouldn't have suddenly become this interested again.
But reality slapped her expectations in the face: Ruan Mei abandoned their joint project and started spending all her time with that "Beauty brat" instead.
What was that supposed to mean?!
Did that evil "Dian Dao" feed Ruan Mei some kind of brainwashing potion?
Naturally, this ignited Herta's fury and curiosity.
If something could hook Ruan Mei this hard, then it was likely worth at least a glance in Herta's eyes.
But no matter how Herta questioned her, Ruan Mei refused to reveal a single scrap.
Herta tried, again and again, to break into Ruan Mei's private lab—only to be repelled by exquisitely constructed arrays or by Ruan Mei's firm, unyielding stance.
Being excluded like that made the always-adored genius feel a level of restlessness she'd never known.
That damned evil Beauty brat—just you wait!
I'm truly remembering you this time!
As for the Luofu side, Jing Yuan naturally noticed how close Ruan Mei had suddenly gotten to "Dian Dao," but he didn't seem to care.
Inside Ruan Mei's residence—
Firefly held a warm jade bowl and took small sips of sweet porridge, her expression relaxed and satisfied.
Wei Qing sat across from her. Half a fluffy millet cake lay on his porcelain plate, untouched, as if his mind were elsewhere.
"Senior," Firefly swallowed and looked up. "You've been here for a long time now. Did you forget our Stellaron Hunter operation?"
"I didn't forget," Wei Qing replied.
"But a good show should save the climax for the finale. The Luofu Stellaron isn't going to sprout legs and run away."
Firefly pouted and muttered under her breath, "I think you're just bewitched by Lady Ruan Mei. Living in someone else's house every day and you still don't want to leave."
Wei Qing raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is our little A-Xing jealous?"
"W-who's jealous?!" Firefly's face flushed. She immediately buried her head and gulped more porridge, mumbling, "I'm just reminding you not to forget the important stuff!"
Wei Qing didn't push the teasing further. He lifted his teacup, thoughts drifting across the past week.
Ten days had passed, and Polka—that elbow-elbow-eye lady—still hadn't made a peep.
To be honest, his patience was starting to wear thin. He was beginning to wonder whether cooperating with Ruan Mei could really drag Polka out of hiding.
Ruan Mei seemed to sense it too, but she had no simple solution.
If the Silent Lord appeared as desired, then the basis for her cooperation with Wei Qing would also vanish.
But if the Silent Lord never appeared, then Wei Qing would likewise have no reason to keep cooperating.
And with no preparation beforehand, ten days wasn't even "getting started" for a genius like Ruan Mei.
So she had to keep him here—by any means.
Yet she also knew: the bargaining chips she could offer would never truly move a "Reserve of Abundance."
So she chose to trade sincerity for sincerity.
And thus, over these days…
Every detail of Wei Qing and Firefly's daily life—food, clothing, lodging—was handled by Ruan Mei personally.
She cooked for them at fixed times every day without fail, and she even asked—always with calm seriousness—what they wanted to eat tomorrow, never repeating dishes.
After preparing their bathwater, she even offered to wash their clothes herself.
Her "wife aura" was practically maxed out.
Wei Qing had to admit: he was genuinely impressed by her persistence.
His patience was being drained, yes—but her sincerity also left him… strangely unable to deal with it cleanly.
This genius seemed determined to bind him to her research with a soft, warm net—something like a gentle cage.
Just then, the lab door opened quietly.
Ruan Mei entered carrying an elegant sandalwood tray.
On it were two cups of steaming tea and a small plate of freshly baked pastries.
Today she wore a pale green dress. Her steps were light, her demeanor tranquil, as if she'd simply come to offer friends some refreshments.
"Dian Dao, little A-Xing," she said softly as she set the tray down. "Try this. It's Yunyu brewed with dew collected at dawn. I hope it suits your taste."
Her gaze settled on Wei Qing's face, a subtle probe hidden in calm clarity—checking his mood.
"You've gone to trouble again," Wei Qing said.
Ruan Mei smiled faintly and sat in the empty seat beside him.
"It's nothing. If it makes you comfortable, then it's worth it."
"Dian Dao," she continued, voice gentle, "you've seemed slightly restless lately. Is this place too… quiet for you?"
Wei Qing lifted his cup and looked at her. Her eyes were clean and composed, as if she truly were only worried about a guest's comfort.
"Quiet? Not at all," Wei Qing said. "With your care, A-Xing and I are nearly reluctant to leave."
"But beneath still water, there may be undercurrents. I'm wondering… whether the 'guest' we're waiting for will truly be interested in this tea party."
Of course, Ruan Mei knew exactly who he meant.
She considered for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"The Silent Lord does not act by ordinary logic. If she's interested in your 'reserve candidate' theory, then ten days of observation may only be the beginning."
She looked up, her gaze steady. "Or perhaps she has been watching all along—simply waiting for what she deems an appropriate moment to intervene."
"An appropriate moment?" Wei Qing arched a brow. "For example?"
Ruan Mei leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them by a hair's breadth.
"For example… when you display more clearly what makes you a 'reserve candidate.' Or when our research touches something closer to the core."
Her tone was mild, but the guidance beneath it was unmistakable.
Wei Qing heard it clearly: Show more. Give more. Prove more—so the fish will bite.
At the same time, she was quietly asking for more from him—to satisfy her own curiosity.
Two birds, one stone.
Wei Qing's mind flicked over the thought with a faint, private amusement.
This gentle, refined genius…
She was greedier than she looked.
Unfortunately for her—
Wei Qing was a man of the new era.
And if there was one thing he excelled at, it was turning "being led" into "leading the dance."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin