Chapter 51: Ruan Mei: It Will Automatically Adjust to the Optimal Temperature
"It seems Miss Ruan Mei is paying an extraordinary amount of attention to me."
Leon deliberately stretched out his words, a playful glint dancing in his eyes as he leaned in just a fraction closer. "Tell me, are you absolutely certain this is strictly for... academic research?"
Ruan Mei tilted her head slightly. A single strand of dark, silken hair slipped loose, framing her porcelain cheek. "Scientific research never excludes other possibilities," she replied, her tone as smooth and unreadable as still water. "Just like life itself, I am always searching for the optimal solution during the process of evolution."
This deeply ambiguous, heavily layered response struck Asta like a physical blow. Standing just off to the side, the Lead Researcher's face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. She quietly shuffled half a pace backward, desperately trying to shrink her presence so as not to interrupt this intense clash of academic flirting.
Is this how geniuses make a move? Asta thought, her heart hammering against her ribs. It definitely is! Using biological evolution as a metaphor for romance!
She bit her lower lip, her inner thoughts spiraling into chaos. I'm too young for this! It's scandalous, it's terrifying... but I really, really want to keep watching!
"Big Bro!"
The heavy romantic tension was instantly shattered. Stelle and Caelus barreled toward Leon like a pair of chaotic raccoons, sliding into position on his left and right. A highly concerned March 7th trailed closely behind them, her camera bouncing against her chest.
The twin Trailblazers leaned in, aggressively winking and nudging Leon's ribs.
"Is this our future sister-in-law?" Stelle whispered loudly, shooting Leon a look that clearly said: How about it, Big Bro? Our assist was perfectly timed, right?
Caelus blinked with exaggerated excitement, giving a subtle thumbs-up. Don't worry, Big Bro! Your happiness is safe in our hands!
Because of the distance, the Astral Express crew hadn't actually heard the subtle conversation between Leon and Ruan Mei. Only Asta, who had been standing in the splash zone, had caught every scandalous word.
"Ah, I recognize you all. You are quite perfect experimental subjects..." Ruan Mei turned her attention to the sudden arrivals. The gentle, elegant smile never left her face, but her dark eyes seemed to dissect them down to their genetic base pairs. "I have a deep fondness for perfect experimental subjects."
Stelle froze. What? Experimental subjects?!
Caelus's playful grin vanished. Not good. She's coming for us!
In perfect synchronization, the twins' survival instincts kicked in. They instantly threw themselves in front of Leon, spreading their arms wide to shield him. Could she be an evil scientist trying to dissect the Stellaron?!
Leon watched his two self-appointed bodyguards with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. You guys learn way too fast! If you keep this up, you're going to inherit every single chaotic thought in my head!
Unlike the established game plot from his past life, Herta hadn't formally introduced Ruan Mei to Stelle and Caelus yet. They hadn't experienced the true bizarre depths of the Trailblaze. Being highly suspicious of a sudden, mysterious Genius Society member who casually dropped the phrase 'experimental subjects' was a perfectly logical reaction. In the original timeline, the only reason the twins accepted Ruan Mei so quickly was because Herta and Asta had vouched for her.
"Stelle, Caelus, stand down. This is Ms. Ruan Mei, a distinguished member of the Genius Society," Leon intervened at the perfect moment, gently pushing the protective twins aside. "Miss Ruan Mei, these are my companions from the Express."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Ruan Mei nodded gracefully.
Hearing Leon's calm introduction, Stelle and Caelus immediately dropped their guard, rubbing the backs of their necks sheepishly as they offered polite greetings.
Just then, the measured sound of footsteps approached. Welt Yang and Himeko walked over, their expressions calm but carrying the distinct, protective weight of seasoned guardians.
"Ms. Ruan Mei," Welt said, his hand rising to adjust his glasses. The light caught the lenses, obscuring his eyes for a brief second. "I have heard much about your work. May I ask what the exact purpose of your visit is today?"
"I am here for him." Ruan Mei shifted her gaze directly back to Leon, her tone entirely matter-of-fact. "I require his cooperation to conduct some rather vital research."
"What kind of research requires standing close enough to share breath?" March 7th muttered, her pink eyes narrowing suspiciously at the distinct lack of personal space between the two.
"Ms. Ruan Mei," Himeko spoke up, her voice warm but laced with the obvious authority of a leader. "As Leon's companions, we have a responsibility to understand the exact nature of this research, and to ensure it will not cause any harm to him."
Leon was now officially traveling with them. As the Navigator of the Astral Express, Himeko took the safety of her crew with absolute seriousness.
Ruan Mei met Himeko's gaze with a soft, reassuring smile. "Please rest assured, Navigator. I am merely inviting Mr. Leon to participate in a biological study. The entire process will strictly adhere to the principle of absolute voluntariness. No harm will come to him."
"If that is the case, then there is naturally no problem." Himeko offered an understanding nod before turning her elegant gaze to Leon. "Leon, the resupply for the Astral Express is complete. We will be departing tomorrow. If you have any remaining business to take care of, please do so quickly."
"Got it. I'll be quick," Leon shrugged casually. He turned back to Ruan Mei, flashing a confident grin. "You heard the lady. If you want to run your tests, we'd better get moving."
Without a word of warning, Ruan Mei reached out and gently took Leon's hand. Her fingers were cool and soft. She turned and led him straight toward her private ecological ship docked nearby. "Come. The laboratory is already prepared."
"Catch you guys later!" Leon called over his shoulder, waving his free hand at the dumbfounded Express crew.
Within moments, the airlock of the ecological ship hissed shut behind them, sealing Leon inside Ruan Mei's private domain.
As they walked deeper into the vessel, the sterile white corridors gave way to a massive, dimly lit laboratory humming with advanced life-support systems. In the center of the room, bathed in a soft, ethereal green light, stood a towering cylindrical nutrient pod.
"This is..."
Leon's footsteps faltered. His eyes widened as he stared at the figure suspended in the bubbling fluid.
It was Tingyun.
She saved Tingyun this early? Leon's mind raced, piecing together the timeline.
But as he thought about it, the logic clicked into place. According to the lore from his past life, Luocha was the one who initially saved the Foxian beauty before heading to the Xianzhou Luofu. It made perfect sense that Ruan Mei had actually been the one to take over her recovery long ago.
From the moment Tingyun was saved to the moment she finally woke up, an immense amount of time had to pass. After all, her body had been subjected to the horrific erosion of Destruction. Even for a genius of life sciences like Ruan Mei, reversing that kind of fundamental damage was no simple task.
However, a burning question surfaced in Leon's mind. What exactly was the nature of the deal between Ruan Mei and Luocha? Was it the remnant of the Abundance?
If Luocha only handed over the remnant of the Abundance to Ruan Mei at this specific point in time, then when did she manage to cultivate the Starcrusher Swarm King: Skaracabaz? Even though her clone of the Swarm King was ultimately a failure, it was still a genuine Propagation Emissary. A cosmic horror of that magnitude couldn't simply be grown in a few days.
Leon deduced that Ruan Mei must have already been deep into her research on the Starcrusher Swarm King long before Luocha handed over the Abundance remnant. The deal between them had to be far more complex than a simple exchange of goods.
"Do you recognize her?"
Ruan Mei's soft voice broke through his thoughts. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, keenly observing the micro-expressions shifting across his face.
According to the blonde merchant who brought the body, this Foxian named Tingyun hailed from the Xianzhou Luofu. Could it be that Leon had traveled there before? Or was this Foxian simply such a prominent figure across the Xianzhou ships that even a man like him recognized her face?
Ruan Mei's curiosity regarding Leon's origins deepened. According to Herta, Leon claimed to have been casually "patted" onto the space station by Aha, the Aeon of Elation. Initially, Ruan Mei had dismissed it as a ridiculous joke. But after analyzing the impossible structure of his cell samples, a far more deep hypothesis had begun to take root in her mind.
Whether that hypothesis was correct or not was exactly the answer she was currently pursuing.
"I know her. Tingyun, the Head Representative of the Xianzhou Luofu's Whistling Flames merchant guild." Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "I know her, but she definitely doesn't know me."
Know her? Leon screamed internally. I maxed out all her traces in my past life! I even pulled an Eidolon 1 Feixiao just to run a premium follow-up team with her! Do you have any idea how much value is floating in that tank right now?!
"I see..." Ruan Mei murmured, choosing not to probe any further.
The heavy blast doors at the end of the room slid open with a pneumatic hiss, revealing an inner sanctum overflowing with sleek, advanced technological aesthetics.
Ruan Mei stepped inside first. She turned around, the ambient lights catching the elegant curve of her neck, and extended a hand toward him.
"Welcome to my domain, Mr. Leon."
A faint, but undeniably genuine smile curled at the corners of her lips. The sight was stunning enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat. "Let us begin... to understand each other deeply."
Leon's pulse quickened. The atmosphere was thick, private, and heavy with unspoken tension. He stepped forward, fully prepared for whatever intimate, boundary-pushing 'research' this beautiful genius had in mind.
Ruan Mei turned to a sleek metallic counter, picked up a cylindrical, highly sophisticated mechanical instrument, and gently placed it into Leon's hands.
Leon blinked, looking down at the strange, hollow device. "What is this for?"
"You place yourself over the receptacle, and then press the button on the side," Ruan Mei instructed softly, her tone entirely clinical. "It will automatically adjust to the optimal temperature and humidity, and then safely extract your haploid cells."
Leon froze.
The heavy, romantic tension he had been building up shattered into a million irrecoverable pieces, scattering across the sterile laboratory floor.
He stared blankly at the blinking, automated sperm extractor in his hands. In the theater of his mind, he was violently flipping a heavy mahogany table directly into the stratosphere.
Give me back my romantic expectations, you mad scientist!
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]