MFDSSR 07

Chapter 07

Ming Zhu: “……”

Ming Shiyu covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief. Tears welled up in his eyes, hanging from his lashes and making him look utterly pitiful.

The little robot was frantic, opening windows to ventilate the room, wishing it could rip off the ceiling. The floral scent had long since dissipated, but Ming Shiyu’s allergic reaction hadn’t stopped; his eyes remained red and inflamed.

【Owen is truly a mastermind. He went through all that trouble to find an allergen in a different color, managed to slip it past the mail scanners, and even dodged Sister’s sharp eyes, all to have it appear grandly on my wife’s desk.】

【Marvelous. Simply marvelous.】

Chapter 6: The First Blind Date

At the top of a high-end financial building in the center of the Capital City, in the Pediatric Medical Center.

In front of Ming Shiyu stood precise mental power testing instruments, with analytical code flickering rapidly across the screen. The little robot stayed by his side, not leaving for a single inch.

The baby-faced assistant handed him a screen recording the experimental data, intentionally tripping over the robot—a piece of scum’s dog-leg, might as well kick it while he had the chance.

Mason: “???”

“Teacher, this is the last of the five-year-olds from Districts A and B of the Capital Star. The testing plan for District C will start next week.”

Ming Shiyu, as if he hadn’t noticed this workplace bullying, kept his eyes on the report without looking up: “Hmm, well done. The sample data is sufficient, and the testing procedure is mature. I won’t be following up next week; you take charge of the remaining districts. If there are any special cases, organize them for me.”

The little robot couldn’t be bothered to argue with the baby-face. It poked Ming Shiyu in the lower back. Ming Shiyu reflexively hunched forward, and the robot took the opportunity to tuck a comfortable lumbar support behind him. Ming Shiyu, completely oblivious, continued studying the report intensely, his stiff spine finally relaxing.

The assistant accepted the task with a bitter face. His teacher was always too indifferent to his own influence, taking it for granted that everyone else could just as easily summon the high-and-mighty nobles of the Capital Star. Fortunately, the most troublesome Districts A and B had been completed today.

The baby-faced Lu Fang suspected that these power-holders at the pinnacle of the Empire’s pyramid were willing to obediently queue at the Pediatric Center with their precious “phoenix eggs” precisely because of his teacher’s high-level mental power talent. They hoped that by letting their children soak up some of his “immortal energy,” they would grow up strong and be blessed by the God of Mental Power during future interstellar jumps.

When the last child was guided in by a student, he was followed by a young red-haired man. His formal wear was cut with clean, exquisite lines that precisely accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs.

The most unfair part was that such a handsome man was holding the hand of a cute, doll-like child. His youthful face and mature masculine aura created an enticing “husband-like” vibe.

This perfect entrance stunned all the disheveled staff in the room. Where had these dowdy researchers ever seen such a scene? They stared, dumbfounded, as the red-haired man approached.

Only Mason’s robotic head swiveled abruptly toward Ming Shiyu.

Based on his deep observations of Ming Shiyu, others might not know it, but he was certain his wife was a sucker for appearances. Sure enough, Ming Shiyu’s face practically read, “This is very friendly to my eyes.”

Owen was also quite satisfied with his entrance, until the butler-type robot by Ming Shiyu’s side rolled over, acting out its duties to greet him, and added: “Furthermore, honorable Lord Owen, running around in formal evening wear is really quite impolite. Please maintain an appropriate dress code at all times.”

The stiff, pedantic way the robot ruined the atmosphere made Owen reminisce about the etiquette teachers he had hated most as a child.

The smile on Owen’s face froze. He explained to the group: “Excuse me, everyone, I just rushed over from a banquet.” —Then, he received a confused look from his young nephew, “Didn’t we just come directly from home?”… before Owen quickly covered the boy’s mouth.

Ming Shiyu paid no attention to the verbal sparring between the men, addressing the nephew’s confusion instead: “Are you Mr. Owen? I didn’t expect you to have a child at such a young age.”

The expression Owen had worked so hard to maintain finally crumbled, as if he had been punched squarely in the gut: “What?!”

The smile on the robot’s screen was practically splitting to its earlobes.

Owen could not let Ming Shiyu deepen this misunderstanding about him having lost his eligibility for courtship—especially now that he was holding a child; he wouldn’t be able to wash that off even if he jumped into the Starfall River.

“I… hiss!” He had just opened his mouth to speak when he was scalded into silence by the teacup thrust into his hand.

The butler robot, which had been annoying him moments ago, pulled out a set of exquisite tea ware as if by magic: “Lord Owen Stewart, mental development testing takes quite a long time. Please have a cup of tea and sit for a while.”

The robot then pivoted cleanly toward Ming Shiyu, bowing and pointing a mechanical arm at the little tot: “Master, allow me to introduce him: this is Little Master Koven Stewart, just as straightforward and cute as his father.”

Ming Shiyu nodded noncommittally. The Stewart family was one of the top nobles on the Capital Star. The reason was likely that their ancestors had mines, and their descendants in the interstellar era were still blessed with mineral luck; they could buy a random planet only for it to turn out to be rich in rare ores.

Just because he didn’t react didn’t mean the bystanders didn’t. Lu Fang gave an “I-know-what-you’re-thinking” gossipy look to another assistant.

The surname “Stewart” meant too much—an ore-king noble with wealth that could rival a country. Even the royal family would have to give them space. They could be considered well-matched with the Ming family.

Could this red-haired hunk with the supermodel physique really be the legendarily ill-tempered Young Master Owen? Even after being repeatedly offended by Mason-infected robot, he looked so refined and polite holding the child. If the rumors were true…

Lu Fang’s perception of his teacher’s charm was refreshed once again. This was a man who could turn stone into gold! Two years ago, when their team first arrived at the Capital Star with their teacher, they had heard rumors that the Young Master of the Stewart family was dismissive of him.

Who would have thought that even before the incident with the Council Member had passed, this difficult man would be so eager to create opportunities to meet? Even if the methods were immoral—after all, Council Member Mason had only just…

But Mason was very satisfied. Seeing that Ming Shiyu hadn’t recognized that this was the same person who had sent him the flowers—“Your Owen”—and that he had even casually assigned Owen a “cheap son,” he felt quite content.

Little Master Stewart tilted his head: ? Although my surname is indeed Stewart, why does this feel weird?

Red-haired noble Owen: Although I’m not the kid’s dad, is calling an elegant noble “straightforward and cute” an insult? Also, why is this humiliating experience so familiar?

The amount of nonsense Mason spouted was perfectly measured, hitting the lowest point of Ming Shiyu’s social tolerance. As soon as it finished, without waiting for Owen to plead his case, Ming Shiyu signaled for silence and opened his arms slightly toward little Stewart: “Come here.”

Ming Shiyu wasn’t the type to tease children to show kindness, but with his beautiful face and indifferent expression—yet allowing proximity—he was extremely popular with children.

Little Master Stewart shied away and threw himself into Ming Shiyu’s arms, even forgetting his fear of people in white coats. He didn’t need to be coaxed; Ming Shiyu just gave a flat command, and the boy obediently followed it without question.

Such a well-behaved little master. Ming Shiyu simply held him in his arms while operating the instrument, and little Stewart leaned against him instinctively.

Owen’s heart melted at the sight. His ideal type was holding a child with whom he shared blood, and it was hard for him not to let his chauvinistic imagination run wild. It was worth it that he had specifically chosen the most well-behaved child in the family.

Ming Shiyu appeared to be relying on the instrument, but in reality, the data on the light screen was only being recorded by the students on his team. Currently, the Empire’s research on mental power was limited to applications for interstellar jumps; the development and evolution of mental power were still in their infancy.

He soothingly patted the top of little Stewart’s head. His invisible mental power rippled out like water, gently touching the aura of the boy’s mental power.

The child was straightforward, and even his aura was silly; when touched by his mental filaments, the boy acted like a defenseless slime, just lazily moving a bit.

Ming Shiyu lowered his eyes in quiet thought. Just like the data conclusions indicated, children’s mental power auras didn’t subconsciously withdraw like adults’; they could even react to their own mental power and would become more active when stimulated.

To date, almost all children on the Capital Star exhibited obvious signs of mental power development, and what was intriguing was that children even in the 14th District of the Huaxia Alliance possessed no more than this numerical value.

By the time he finally looked up, Owen had long been waiting by his side. He reached out to take the child from his arms, looking like a considerate husband helping a tired wife, letting little Stewart sit in the crook of his arm.

Today, the usually reckless Owen seemed to be going for the “mature man” route.

The researchers behind them, packing up the testing equipment and data pads, acted like competent background characters in an idol drama. One by one, they poked each other, not daring to breathe, and tacitly slowed their movements to buy time to watch the gossip.

Owen said to him: “Mr. Ming Shiyu, although I may not have left you with a good impression…”

This man, who usually looked so spirited, was actually quite anxious. “Actually, we have met before. But I’ve never had the chance to reintroduce myself. My name is Owen Stewart.”

He glanced at Ming Shiyu, lowered his head, and chuckled lightly: “Little Stewart is my brother’s child, not mine.”

Seeing Ming Shiyu about to put on his “playing dumb” expression—a look reserved for rejecting suitors—Owen glared at him in annoyance: “I mean, can you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Owen’s laugh carried a youthful spirit that couldn’t be ignored. The mature charm he had successfully cultivated was cracked open, and Ming Shiyu suddenly remembered who he was.

“I have indeed met you, but you are a completely different person now compared to then.”

When Ming Shiyu moved to the Capital Star, that top-tier talent introduction had caught the Council off guard, because he had moved to the Capital Star on a whim and expressed an intention to marry; the Talent Resource Department had been completely unprepared.

He hadn’t just come alone—he had brought an entire team of the Empire’s top mental power researchers, landing in the Capital Star with his whole family and entourage in tow.