"What do you think of Beidou?" Ningguang asked casually, still looking at her book.
Aether, whose attention was currently focused on the movements of his hands, was momentarily taken aback by Ningguang's sudden question.
After a long pause, he slowly began to speak:
"She seems like a very uninhibited person."
Aether truthfully expressed his feelings. Beidou's subsequent conversation with Ningguang involved many things about trade, navigation, and the like, much of which Aether found confusing.
But if it was purely about feeling, Aether could only describe her with the word "uninhibited."
"I'm not asking about that; I'm asking about your feelings towards her." Ningguang shook her head. She looked down at Aether, her toes wiggling restlessly.
Aether didn't look up; otherwise, he would have noticed that while Ningguang's expression was normal, there was an undeniable blush on her cheeks.
"My feelings towards her… she should be a good person, right?" Aether couldn't possibly tell Ningguang his true feelings.
In the end, he could only give Beidou a generic "good person" card.
"Is that all? She even invited you to the Crux Fleet," Ningguang chuckled softly, then asked again.
"My contract with Ningguang isn't finished yet; I won't go anywhere else." Aether felt that Ningguang still seemed to mind him being poached, so he couldn't help but reassure her again.
"What about after it's finished?" Ningguang suddenly added another question.
"This…" Aether didn't know how to answer for a moment. To be honest, he actually still wanted to interact with Beidou more.
"I have to admit, Beidou left a good impression on me. If she invites me, and I have time, I might go visit the Crux Fleet," Aether thought for a moment, then told Ningguang the truth.
"But as for joining the fleet, that's probably not possible. Lumine and I still have to continue our journey, and going out to sea takes a long time."
"Hmm, I'm happy that you're willing to tell me the truth," Ningguang nodded in satisfaction.
"It's fine to go visit; it's not a bad thing for you to befriend Beidou."
Ningguang was still rational, even though Beidou's poaching behavior today had annoyed her a bit.
She didn't know when it started, but deep down, she seemed to have already considered Aether her personal property, even though it was only a short-term contract.
But after calming down, she could still frankly offer Aether advice.
"Beidou is a very capable person, and her fleet often travels between various countries. Being on good terms with her will also benefit your future travels."
"Of course, for now, you are still my secretary, so your main job is to serve me, understood?"
"Don't worry, I will definitely serve Ningguang well!" Aether nodded, his expression very firm.
"You don't have to use the word 'serve'…" Ningguang's cheeks flushed even more, and she had to pick up her book again to cover her face.
Those two words seemed to carry more weight than others; Ningguang's heart had involuntarily skipped a beat just now.
Almost, an unseemly urge and thought had arisen in her heart.
The two fell into silence again. Aether silently repeated the movements in his hands. To be honest, he felt his actions were more akin to—playing with—rather than washing.
Finally, the water gradually cooled, and Aether finally stopped his work.
No one would wash feet for this long. Ningguang must have known this, but for some reason, for two days in a row, she had ignored it.
She seemed to completely condone Aether's actions, which were essentially taking advantage of her.
"Um, I'll be going now, Ningguang. Get some rest early."
"Hmm, you too. Go to bed early tonight."
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"Tsk, that woman Ningguang, she's really troublesome…" Beidou in her room seemed a bit unhappy at the moment.
Even though it was late, she was still replaying her visit to Ningguang's place today.
Although they often parted on bad terms in the past, it seemed none had been as frustrating as today.
She wasn't sure why, but this feeling seemed to have started after she saw the Damselette beside Ningguang.
The Damselette gave her a very good impression. Beidou placed great importance on first impressions when dealing with others, and she was also very accurate in judging people.
To this day, no one's first impression had ever been comparable to that Damselette. Beidou almost instinctively wanted to get closer.
Inviting the other party to the fleet was clearly not going to succeed, but Beidou still said it.
Beidou could still remember how she felt when she first saw that Damselette; her heart seemed to skip a beat.
Although she later acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, her heart was not as calm as it appeared.
"Seriously, what is going on?" Beidou shook her head, picked up her wine flask, and began to drink.
She had been drinking alone in her room all afternoon, and there was already a slight blush on her face.
She didn't like tea; she preferred wine. However, she couldn't possibly drink wine at Ningguang's place. Every time Ningguang hosted her, she could only drink tea.
But for some reason, this time the tea there was exceptionally sweet, and the wine she drank upon returning home tasted somewhat bland.
Moreover, as she drank more and more wine, the image of Aether in her mind also grew more vivid.
She didn't know when it started, but Beidou's mind was completely occupied with the few brief exchanges she had with Aether today.
Recalling Aether's every smile, every movement…
"Sigh, never mind, I'll go out for a bit." Feeling increasingly restless, Beidou scratched her hair, stood up, and pushed the door open.
"Da Jie Tou, you're finally out!" A female crew member quickly approached Beidou.
"What's wrong?" Beidou looked at her, puzzled.
"You've been cooped up in your room ever since you returned, everyone's been so worried… Have you been drinking?" The female crew member looked at Beidou in great surprise.
Her scent of alcohol was unmistakable.
Although Beidou had a high alcohol tolerance and didn't seem drunk at all.
"Did that Tianquan Star make things difficult for you?" The female crew member looked at Beidou worriedly.
"Not difficult, it's the same as usual, just a fine," Beidou shook her head, signaling the female crew member not to worry.
"Then you…"
"It's nothing, it's just…" Beidou didn't know how to explain for a moment, feeling as if her heart was in disarray.
"Speaking of which, I have something I want to ask you."
"Da Jie Tou, please say. Anything I can help with, I won't hesitate," the female crew member nodded, her expression serious.
"Tell me, between two people who just met, even if they didn't talk for long, but one of them can't stop thinking about the other, even remembering every movement and every word of theirs, what's going on?" Beidou asked, somewhat troubled.
"This… perhaps, that person fell in love at first sight?" The female crew member thought for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly.
"L-love at first sight?!" Beidou reacted quite strongly. Upon hearing this answer, she could even feel her heart beating much faster.
"Yes, it sounds like love at first sight. Da Jie Tou, who are you talking about? Someone from our fleet?" The female crew member never even considered that this person might be Beidou herself.
After all, Beidou's usual demeanor made it difficult for people to associate her with matters of love and romance.
"Ah, yes, no, I heard it from Ningguang. Just some city gossip," Beidou quickly said.
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