Shi Nian and Aizer both had the same thought: they were doomed. The former was worried that his father would find out about his intention to join the military, while the latter was simply worried that Professor Shi would purge him.

The two trembling people moved closer. Shi Nian hid his whole body behind Azel, with his head resting on his back, looking cowardly as if he was afraid to see his father.

Shi Yiyu looked at the two of them in confusion, focusing on their holding hands. His eyebrows slightly furrowed, he looked up at Shi Nian, but said nothing.

"dad……"

Shi Nian looked at Shi Yiyu timidly, called him nervously, and hugged Azel's arm tightly.

Azel felt guilty, as if he had kidnapped a child and been caught by an adult, so he also called out, "Uncle Shi."

"Yeah." Shi Yiyu's tone was flat, and no emotion could be heard. "...You guys? Come with me."

Shi Nian and Aizer followed him obediently as they headed towards the office. Kanat was afraid that his cousin would die at his hands, so he hurriedly followed behind them.

During this short distance, Shi Nian had always looked worried, her curled eyelashes fluttering restlessly, and her two hands tightly grasping Azel's big hands.

Ezel squeezed his left hand soothingly, appearing incredibly reliable. He whispered, "Don't worry. I can promise your father that I will always love you. If he gets angry... just run away, and I'll carry you."

He deserved to be beaten.

"No." Shi Nian's concerns were completely different from his. "Don't worry, my dad won't hit anyone. Only my father would."

"What I'm worried about is whether my father heard that I wanted to join the military. Will he get even angrier? He's already in a bad mood today."

Especially after Shi Yiyu experienced the incident with the bowl-cut Alpha, Shi Nian could keenly sense that his father was in a very bad mood, and he didn't want to add fuel to the fire at this time.

As for whether his relationship with Aizel would be exposed... Shi Nian felt that as long as his father didn't find out, Aizel's life would be safe.

Replacing the bowl-cut senior's position, Shi Nian and Aizer stood side by side in front of Shi Yiyu's desk, like every unlucky student who had done something wrong and faced their teacher.

Shi Yiyu picked up the teacup and drank some tea to calm himself. After a long while, he slowly spoke, his eyes sweeping over the two of them, "You...are you together?"

Shi Nian nodded and admitted without any burden, "Yes."

Azel was terrified and observed Shi Yiyu's reaction. As soon as the other party showed signs of anger, he would push Shi Nian out of the office and let him beat and scold him.

But Shi Yiyu just lowered his eyes, took a few sips of tea, and repeatedly confirmed, "Are you not playing house?"

"No, we kissed." Shi Nian told Shi Yiyu bluntly, "You said that this kind of intimate thing is only done between lovers. We didn't play house. We were serious."

Azel's face suddenly turned red. He was so embarrassed by Shi Nian's words that he wanted to cover Shi Nian's mouth, but under Shi Yiyu's gaze, he didn't dare to move at all.

Shi Yiyu was silent for a while after listening to this, then sighed, "Alright, just be sensible."

After experiencing the bizarre incident with the bowl-cut Alpha, Shi Yiyu felt that it was not so difficult to accept that Shi Nian was with Azel. After all, he knew the other party well and there were no complicated troubles.

Is this an agreement?!

Aizel looked up in surprise. This was the first time the mature and steady Alpha showed such joy. He bowed solemnly to Shi Yiyu and made a promise to him, "Thank you, Uncle Shi. I will definitely protect Little Rose."

Shi Nian smiled and said, "I told you, my dad is a very good person."

"You too? Don't be so eager to praise me." Shi Yiyu glanced at him lightly, "You want to go to the military?"

The praiseful smile on Shi Nian's face turned into a flattering smile. She let go of Ezel's hand and slowly walked to Shi Yiyu's side. She squatted down and hugged his waist, burying her head in his arms. Her voice was soft and sweet, "Dad, are you going to tell father? He'll break my legs."

Shi Yiyu was surprised. "Who said he would break your legs?"

"I heard it." Shi Nian said in a muffled voice, "The last time you talked to father and Uncle Annan, Garnet asked father what would happen if I went to the military. He said he would break my legs..."

Shi Yiyu was stunned and tried to dig out this incident from his memory. He remembered that Yu Luhan did say this at that time, but it was obvious that he just strongly opposed Shi Nian joining the military, and breaking his legs was just a deliberate exaggeration.

You know, even if Shi Nian's finger was slightly broken, Yu Luhan would act more distressed than he did. Breaking his own baby's leg is totally impossible.

"Don't worry, he won't hit you." Shi Yiyu rubbed Shi Nian's soft black hair. "Tell me, has your father ever hit you since you were a child?"

Shi Nian shook her head, "No."

Not to mention beating him, Yu Luhan never even said a harsh word to him.

"However... your relationship with Azel and your decision to join the military might be hard for him to accept. Try to be as tactful as possible when telling him." Shi Yiyu instructed Shi Nian on what to do and glanced at Azel. "Your father won't hit you, but he won't go easy on your Alpha."

"If you don't want to find an Alpha anytime soon, talk to your father."

Azel: “…”

His heart trembled.

Shi Nian took note of Shi Yiyu's words and said, "Okay, I understand."

Just when Shi Nian and Aizel thought they had escaped unscathed, Shi Yiyu called out to them and glanced at the intelligent computer, "I remember you should be in class now, right?"

Oh no! I was discovered again.

"I skipped class." Shi Nian quickly lowered his head, admitting his mistake with a very good attitude, "Well, class was too boring..."

He did not betray Nobby and his uncle.

Shi Yiyu took another deep breath and didn't blame him. "Okay, if you're really bored, you can go to Apsu to find your Grandpa Zhong. He seems to miss you and has asked about you several times."

After Shi Nian came back from his interstellar study tour, he would go to see Mr. Zhong every one or two days. Mr. Zhong now gets along very well with the pair of little tits he bought at the flower and bird market. He usually takes them out to bask in the sun and chat.

There were many things that Mr. Zhong would only say to them, but when Shi Nian stepped forward, Mr. Zhong quickly changed the subject. Shi Nian noticed that Mr. Zhong became more and more silent, and there was a kind of sadness in his eyes that he could not see.

He would also be sensible and give Mr. Zhong more time, not asking him what was troubling him, for fear of making him feel worse.

When Shi Nian heard that Mr. Zhong missed him, he couldn't wait to go to him, "Can I go today?"

"Okay, I'm going back to Apsu later, just come with me." Shi Yiyu turned his gaze to Azel, "Do you want to go?"

Ezel hesitated for a moment, "Go..."

"ah--!"

There was a short scream from the door. The three turned around and saw Kanate huddled in the corner in fear, staring at Yu Luhan with wide eyes, his chest heaving, obviously very frightened.

Yu Luhan was dressed in a serious military uniform, his brows furrowed. His blue eyes held a deep disdain for Kanat. "Isn't it just a pat on your shoulder? Are you so frightened?"

Kanate cried and shook his head, "Not really, not really. I'm just too useless."

Shi Nian looked at Yu Luhan and was about to call him happily, but she heard Shi Yiyu coughing behind her. Her eyes fell on his and Azel's tightly clasped hands.

Shi Nian immediately understood his warning and quickly let go of Azel's hand, putting some distance between them.

Aizer saw him pretending to be calm, but he subconsciously tapped his toes and pretended to be indifferent in front of Yu Luhan, and couldn't help laughing.

Every move of Shi Nian could instantly touch his heart and make him like her even more.

Shi Nian caught a glimpse of the smile on his face and immediately nudged him with her elbow, whispering, "Hurry up and pretend that I have nothing to do with you, or my father will find out! He'll beat you up."

Ezel took a step closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. "Don't worry, this distance won't make him suspicious."

As expected, Yu Luhan saw the two of them standing together intimately as usual, but he made a disgusted expression towards Azel. He didn't think much about it and thought that Shi Yiyu had called them both over at the same time.

"Little Rose, will you go back with us tonight?"

Yu Luhan picked up the bag that Shi Yiyu had placed on the table. Shi Yiyu also stood up and prepared to leave with him. "Well, Mr. Zhong wants to see him. Just send us directly to Apsu later."

Yu Luhan nodded and waved to Shi Nian, "Little Rose, come here, it's time to go home."

When Shi Nian went to Yu Luhan, she glanced at Aizer, asking him with her eyes whether he wanted to go with them.

Ezel shook his head. "No, stay with your grandfather. I'll wait for you at school."

Shi Nian followed Yu Luhan and Shi Yiyu out. After the three of them left, Kanat, who was lying on the ground, patted his butt and stood up. "Brother, how is it? You still have to rely on me. If it weren't for me, your affair with Xiao Meigui would definitely have been discovered by your father-in-law."

Ezel was very dissatisfied with his choice of words, but it was undeniable that his words were indeed crucial. He stopped being so venomous towards him and patted his shoulder. "Thank you for this time."

"Just don't howl so loudly next time. You're almost deafening me."

Kanat angrily punched him on the shoulder. "I was damn near scared to death. Do you know how terrifying it was to turn around and see Marshal Yu's face? I suspect he'll be my nightmare for the next few days."

Aizel: "Thank you this time."

Kanat smiled and said, "You have a conscience."

…

Shi Nian came to Mr. Zhong's laboratory. Under the dim light, Mr. Zhong was sitting on a recliner. Two tits were released from the cage and landed obediently on his hands, stretching their little heads to let the old man stroke them.

He gazed at the two little tits with loving eyes and murmured, "You, ah, must not lose your nature. The vast sky belongs to you. Be free, don't be locked in a cage..."

Mr. Zhong's weathered voice gradually became lower and dissipated in the air, and finally there was only a long sigh.

Shi Nian stood behind him, looking at his increasingly hunched body, and called out softly, "Grandpa."

The little tit seemed to recognize Shi Nian and was not afraid of him. Instead, it jumped forward and chirped as if to say hello, "Chirp~"

Shi Nian looked at the little tits that had grown a lot, smiled and spread out his hands. One of them flapped its wings and flew to his palm, rubbed its little head against his fingers, nestled in his palm, and stared at Shi Nian with its big round eyes.

Shi Nian smiled and gently tapped its little head with her thumb.

"Good boy." Old Zhong looked at Shi Nian and waved to him, "Come, come to Grandpa."

Shi Nian dragged Little Tit in his hand and walked in front of Mr. Zhong.

Elder Zhong held his hand, and with his other hand he stroked Shang Shi Nian's face, carefully copying every detail of his face, his eyes slightly moist. "You've grown up. I remember when you first came, you were only this little..."

Mr. Zhong gestured with his hands, then shook his head and smiled, "Time, it really won't let me off easily..."

Shi Nian sensed that something was amiss with Mr. Zhong today, so she subconsciously took his hand and called out, "Grandpa, are you sad?"

"No, Grandpa was just sighing that our little boy has grown up so well." A smile appeared on Old Zhong's wrinkled face. He patted the back of Shi Nian's hand and looked at him with satisfaction. "He has grown into a big boy."

Shi Nian heard him say this in a trembling voice, and felt her eyes warm for no reason. She nodded, "Well, I'm seventeen this year, and I'll be eighteen next April."

He will also officially bid farewell to his ignorant and immature period.

Mr. Zhong stood up, pulled Shi Nian to his workbench, took out a box and handed it to him, "This is your birthday present next year."

Shi Nian was stunned and opened the box. It was filled with densely packed mental power balls, so many that he couldn't count them. Anyway, he would never worry about not having enough mental power balls in the future.

But Shi Nian's eyes instantly turned red as she closed the box. "Grandpa, why did you give it to me today? Birthday gifts should be given on my birthday."

Elder Zhong sighed and looked at Shi Nian, who was taller than him. He wanted to touch his head but couldn't reach it. "My dear, I'm leaving now."

Shi Nian's tears suddenly burst out. She squatted down and hugged Zhong Lao's body, burying her head in his arms like when she was a child. She cried, "Grandpa, where are you going? Why are you leaving? Can you stay?"

Elder Zhong stroked Shi Nian's head, his eyes gentle. "Because Grandpa is very old, you know that, dear? Grandpa entered Apsu when he was seventeen. Now, Grandpa is over 1,300 years old, and it's time for him to leave."

"Also, where's Grandpa? I'm going to go look for my titmouse. I lost him a long time ago, so it's time to go find him."

There was anticipation in Mr. Zhong's slow voice, and when he talked about his tits, his cloudy eyes seemed to be emitting light.

Shi Nian was reluctant to let Zhong Lao leave, but she would not stop him from making his choice. She just hummed and hugged him tightly, "Then, then if Grandpa finds your little tit, will he come back?"

Zhong Lao laughed, but didn't give Shi Ni a clear answer. "Maybe."

Shi Nian raised her head and said, "Grandpa is leaving on a spaceship? When? I want to go and see you off."

"No need." But Old Master Zhong refused Shi Nian, "Grandpa, if he sees that we are well behaved, he won't want to leave. That won't work."

Shi Nian pursed her lips in grievance, "Then can I come to see you tomorrow?"

Mr. Zhong didn't say anything, but just looked at Shi Nian quietly.

Shi Nian lowered her head, knowing that she was being rejected. At the same time, she also knew that Mr. Zhong would be leaving almost tomorrow, so she planned to come over tomorrow to secretly take a look at him.

The time spent together before parting is always precious. Shi Nian listened carefully to every knowledge point about bionic mechanics that Mr. Zhong told him, and completed the final assembly of the S-level bionic man on his own.

Seeing the bionic man open his eyes, Shi Nian smiled with a sense of accomplishment and turned to look at Mr. Zhong for praise.

After checking the functions of the bionic man's various parts, Elder Zhong nodded with satisfaction. "Our dear is really amazing. This is for you."

Mr. Zhong took out a nameplate and handed it to Shi Nian. Shi Nian took it and looked at it. It read: S-level researcher of Apsu Tower - Department of Bionic Machinery.

"From today on, you will take my place as a researcher in the Bionic Mechanics Department of Apsu Tower."

Shi Nian didn't really want to accept the nameplate, because it seemed like it was going to cover up the existence of Mr. Zhong, which made him very disgusted.

"Actually, your information has already been entered into Apsu's system. You can consider this nameplate... a legacy." Elder Zhong explained slowly, "Please accept it. This is also my gift to you."

Shi Nian reluctantly accepted the nameplate and hugged Old Zhong. The grandfather and grandson hugged each other for a long time without saying a word, as if they were saying their final goodbye.

Half an hour later, Mr. Zhong urged Shi Nian to leave. Shi Nian was reluctant to leave, but had no choice but to turn around and leave this familiar laboratory.

The moment they exited the Apsu Tower, the system automatically announced, "Identity verification complete. Shi Nian, S-Class Bionic Mechanics Researcher, wishes you a pleasant journey home."

Shi Nian stood under the giant tower, shrouded in its shadow. At one point, she turned her head and looked up at the behemoth. For some reason, she felt that the flames burning on the base were becoming more and more dazzling.

Two little tits flew out of the window and soared freely in the pure blue sky.