In the end, Kiana did not sign the adoption agreement.
She might appear naive on the surface, but she had figured out her true origins much earlier than Zeke anticipated, without him explicitly stating or any clear clues in the information available. Deep down, she wasn't foolish at all.
Zeke's intention behind presenting this agreement was clear: once signed, it would effectively mean she relinquished any chance of their desired future together.
Kiana genuinely believed that being by Zeke's side was enough for her satisfaction. However, unless there were truly no possibilities left, who wouldn't yearn and crave more reciprocation when faced with love? Kiana certainly couldn't suppress such desires.
Moreover, seeing Zeke hastily resort to the peculiar measure of offering an adoption agreement... didn't it suggest that even someone as composed, calm, and assertive as Zeke had become flustered due to her heartfelt confession?
"Ha!" Kiana grinned sweetly, rubbed the torn fragments of the contract between her hands, and blew gently, watching the paper shards dance in the air.
"Smack!"
A slap landed on her head.
"Don't litter carelessly."
Without looking up, Zeke continued operating on the virtual screen while holding down Kiana's head with his other hand.
Kiana stuck out her tongue, then rolled her eyes mischievously. She twisted her body, revealing her shoulder, blinked innocently, and coquettishly said:
"Daddy, wanna feel how soft your daughter is?"
"Daddy, wanna feel it? Your daughter's got great skin!"
"Slap!"
Zeke responded with another smack on her head, this time slightly harder.
"Pfft! Shameless hussy!" Sin scolded Kiana from beside them, her voice tinged with anger.
Kiana glared at her, belatedly realizing that besides Zeke, she faced numerous formidable rivals along this path. Sin was an insurmountable stumbling block; when it came to clinging onto Zeke, she matched Kiana's intensity.
"You little flirt have no right to judge me! Get lost already, bleh!" Kiana stuck out her tongue as a retort.
Over the past couple of days, Kiana had merely become somewhat more straightforward. On the other hand, Sin shamelessly offered herself to Zeke every day. In terms of being unabashed, Kiana felt she still had much to learn!
Just as the two were about to erupt into their usual squabble, Bronya entered through the door, carrying refreshments and snacks.
"Did you receive the project data I sent?"
"I'm reviewing it... They've shown some promising ideas; we made the right hires."
"After all, these projects were led by your three scientific geniuses, so they're bound to be of high quality. The issue is that with such ambitious scope, it's inevitable there will be some impact on the rate of successful outcomes."
"That's why I'm pruning away the less promising endeavors and prioritizing initiatives based on their value and feasibility."
Zeke scrutinized each project carefully, performing calculations and assessments. It was no easy task; one couldn't simply rely on lofty intellect to determine the viability of experimental plans—unless the designer themselves lacked competence and made glaring errors, which none of the researchers at the Lunar Base did.
Bronya glanced briefly at the two girls before approaching nonchalantly. She set down the tea and snacks on the table and gently tugged at Zeke's sleeve.
"What is it?" Zeke asked casually.
Bronya spoke in her cool voice: "Take a break; you've been reviewing for quite some time now. The Lunar Base's biosphere is thriving, achieving self-sufficiency for many essential needs. These snacks are made from produce grown within our ecosystem, offering flavors distinct from those back home."
Despite her usual impassive expression, a hint of warmth could be detected in Bronya's demeanor.
Zeke finally looked up, raised his eyebrows slightly, and picked up one of the cookies with newfound interest.
"Hmm... The taste is indeed different."
Given the low-gravity environment, artificially controlled lighting and air circulation, and distinct conditions for plant growth and microbial life, as Bronya had said, these biscuits boasted a unique flavor.
"How about their nutritional content? Compared to products from our home planet, can they meet human dietary needs?"
"They're not quite there yet, but the research department is continually improving them. It'll get better soon enough. For now, most personnel at the base have undergone varying degrees of physical enhancements, so it doesn't affect us much. With continued effort, lunar colonization won't be far off."
"Good news. Let's plan for more vacation time this year, along with increased allocation of various supplies. Now that the space station is ready for initial use, we should cover the costs easily."
"Understood, I'll make the arrangements."
As Bronya spoke, she pulled up a stool and sat next to Zeke, continuing their conversation—one filled with serious topics that Kiana and Sin found hard to interject into.
Kiana watched this scene with bewilderment, her antenna-like hair suddenly standing straight up.
She almost forgot—Bronya, unassuming and low-key, was actually her most formidable rival.
In terms of thoughtfulness and competence, even if all Kia's friends combined their efforts, they still wouldn't match Bronya's capabilities. This trait precisely aligned with Zeke's explicitly stated criteria for a partner—a cunning move indeed! While Kiana remained oblivious, this turbocharged duck had already been evolving towards exactly what Zeke needed, becoming someone he couldn't do without!
"Crunch!"
Kiana crushed the cookie in her mouth, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Bronya like facing a formidable adversary.
Seeming to sense Kia's gaze, Bronya glanced sideways, met Kia's stare, and then gave a composed smile.
Kiana internally screamed, "(▼ヘ▼#)!"
No way, I need to act fast and seize the initiative!
With fierce determination, Kia bit down on her cookie, her usually idle brain now rapidly churning with thoughts.
After sitting for a while, Bronya led Sin to continue their inspection of the base, leaving Zeke focused on his administrative duties.
Since Kiana's body and mind had only just recovered, she was allowed to rest further in her room.
And that's when she decided to stir up some mischief.
"Zeke, ah~"
Kiana held out a cookie toward Zeke, speaking with a tone usually reserved for coaxing small children.
He glanced sidelong at her, unsure what she was up to but opening his mouth nonetheless to take the biscuit.
Next, Kiana brought over a cup of tea and similarly nudged it toward Zeke's lips.
"Here, have some tea."
"Huh?"
Zeke couldn't help but wonder if this was leading up to another wild request from her.
Unaccustomed to serving others, Kiana failed to tilt the cup correctly as Zeke drank, spilling tea onto his clothes.
"Thud!"
A minute later, Kiana obediently knelt beside him, a large lump forming on her head, sentenced to kneel for thirty minutes as punishment.
"Zeke, what's this?"
"The Lunar-Earth Gravity Ladder Project: A plan to drastically reduce the time and cost of material exchange between Earth and the moon."
"And this one?"
"The Lunar Atmosphere Plan: An attempt to create habitable atmospheric conditions on the lunar surface."
"Oh, they sound really impressive. Shouldn't we just approve them then?"
"No, I've rejected all these proposals."
"Why?"
"With your current level of knowledge, it would take too long to explain properly."
"Aww, come on! Tell me, tell me, tell me—I wanna know..." Kiana shook Zeke's arm persistently, oblivious to how her constant interruptions were reducing his work efficiency by about 40 percent.
So...
"Bam!"
Kiana found herself kneeling with two lumps on her head, wearing a docile expression as she endured another thirty-minute punishment.
Half an hour later, Kiana brought over a plate of cakes and placed it on the table. She then sat obediently beside it, gazing at the treats with longing, swallowing hard while remaining perfectly still.
This scene persisted for another half-hour until Zeke looked up, puzzled by her behavior.
"What are you doing?"
"Training!"
"How does this count as training?"
"I'm resisting the temptation of cake!" Kiana raised her index finger, blinking her teary blue eyes earnestly.
Zeke stroked his chin, watching her with a mix of pity and affection. After a moment, he slowly said, "...Well, good luck."
Kiana persevered for several more hours until she eventually fell asleep in her chair.
Hearing familiar snoring sounds but paying them no heed, Zeke continued working. Once he finished approving the last project plan, he leaned back, sighed deeply, and only then glanced up to notice the sleeping girl.
"Asleep... already?" Zeke rubbed his temples, sounding resigned yet amused.