"Did you rush back just to ask me these things?" Jiang Qiuqiu’s eyes widened. "If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let you in the car."

"So, now that I’ve been specially recruited by the Military Department, I guess I’m your subordinate? You can’t even get three sentences in without bringing up spiritual power!"

Jiang Qiuqiu’s expression didn’t change as she spoke, but her tone rose slightly. Hearing this, Mo Si couldn’t quite tell if she was angry.

"That’s not what I meant..." Mo Si said. "It just slipped out."

He’d stumbled into another dead-end topic.

’Why is every topic I bring up a dead-end one?’ Realizing this one was also a bad idea, Mo Si quickly changed the subject.

"Let’s change the subject. Qiuqiu, won’t you be cold wearing that to the annual meeting today?" Outside, the world was blanketed in snow. Against the apricot-colored gauze dress, her exposed skin seemed as pale as the snow itself.

"It should be fine. Sister Mingmei said that aside from being a little cold when getting out of the car, everywhere else is indoors with heating."

’I see.’

’This was another thing I don’t get. Qiuqiu is probably going to an annual meeting, or a victory celebration. For an event that’s for accepting awards, mingling, and eating, shouldn’t she wear something more casual and comfortable?’

’Why wear a dress with a hem she could trip on, a dress that looks so drafty it’s as if the snowy wind would blow right through?’

"Black Hole, what are you thinking about?" Jiang Qiuqiu reached out and waved her hand.

The man looked up. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that since you took first place, I should congratulate you." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Haha, didn’t you already congratulate me on the terminal?"

"That’s different, isn’t it? Congratulating you over a terminal isn’t the same as congratulating you in person." After speaking, Mo Si asked, "Are you coming back here after the annual meeting tonight?"

"I probably won’t. The company organized some activities for after the meeting. I might not be back until tomorrow or the day after."

"Why? Is something up?"

Mo Si hummed.

"I was planning to give it to you tonight, if you were coming back."

As Mo Si spoke, he pulled a square, navy-blue velvet box from his pocket.

"Wow!" Jiang Qiuqiu exclaimed. "Black Hole, you actually brought me a gift!"

"Mm..." Mo Si averted his gaze. "A while ago, didn’t you say that the silver river of stars on Polar Star was beautiful?"

Once, after returning from a patrol, Mo Si couldn’t help but share a view of the Pole’s silver river of stars with Jiang Qiuqiu. She had mentioned in passing that she found a silver river of stars more distinctive than a blue one.

"So, did you pluck the stars from the sky for me?" Jiang Qiuqiu asked. "Can I open the box and take a look?"

"Mm."

’This velvet box looks a lot like the one from the necklace Mo Si gave me before.’

’He probably bought a silver necklace or a bracelet,’ Jiang Qiuqiu thought, ’one that would shimmer with starlight, like a ribbon cut from the galaxy itself—’

’For him to even think of a way to gift a ’galaxy’ like this is huge progress.’

Jiang Qiuqiu opened the box with anticipation, but what met her eyes was a small black device.

"..."

"This thing—" Jiang Qiuqiu leaned in for a closer look. "Is it a camera robot’s memory drive?"

’Did he use a camera robot to record the galaxy and bring it back for me to see?’

"No." Mo Si shook his head. "If it was for watching, I would have just sent you the video."

"It’s something else," Mo Si explained. "But you have to wait until tonight to use it, when it’s completely dark. All you have to do is press the little circle on it."