412: Chapter 412 goes a little deeper.

Qin Lin breathed a sigh of relief: "That is good."

Ling Xi looked at him: "Do you not like it when I say it to your face?"

Qin Lin thought about it: "It is not that I do not like it, it is just that it feels... a bit strange. You standing in front of me saying 'her conception window is tomorrow' makes me feel like I am listening to medical advice."

Ling Xi was silent for a moment: "Medical advice?"

Qin Lin nodded: "Yes, like a doctor telling a patient it is time to take their medicine."

Ling Xi thought for a moment: "Then I will only remind you on the System panel from now on."

Qin Lin nodded: "Good."

From that day on, Ling Xi's reminders all became text notifications on the System panel.

Every time Qin Lin opened the panel, he could see a line of small text: "Passenger XXX's conception window is in X days; it is recommended to prepare before intercourse."

The text was concise, objective, and devoid of any emotional color.

Qin Lin felt much better.

One night, while Qin Lin was in Lin Qiu's room, the System panel suddenly lit up, and a line of text popped up: "Lin Qiu's conception window is tomorrow; it is recommended to pay attention to frequency and depth when forming a Bond tonight."

Qin Lin saw the line of text and did not know what to say; Lin Qiu saw it too.

She turned her head to look at Qin Lin: "Your System..."

Qin Lin nodded: "Ling Xi's reminder."

Lin Qiu was silent for a moment: "She said 'frequency and depth'..."

Qin Lin looked at her: "You do not need to pay attention to her; she is just sensing energy."

Lin Qiu looked at him: "Then what does she mean by frequency and depth?"

Qin Lin thought about it: "It probably just means... do it more, and go deeper."

Lin Qiu's face blushed, but she still nodded: "Then let's do as she says."

That night, Qin Lin and Lin Qiu went very deep.

The next morning, when Qin Lin woke up, Lin Qiu was already up, combing her hair by the window with a smile on her lips.

Qin Lin sat up: "Are you awake?"

Lin Qiu did not turn around: "Ling Xi said you did very well last night."

Qin Lin was stunned for a moment: "She told you?"

Lin Qiu turned her head to look at him: "Yes, when I just woke up, she sent a message on the System panel: 'The energy state last night was very good; the probability of conception is very high.'"

Qin Lin looked at her: "You do not mind her saying that?"

Lin Qiu shook her head: "I do not mind; she is just telling us the result."

Qin Lin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the new women were slowly adapting to Ling Xi's "existence."

Days on The Ark continued to move forward; the new women became pregnant one after another, and the number of children on The Ark was slowly increasing again.

Ling Xi's abilities were also steadily improving.

...

After The Ark continued to sail in the new star System for a few days, Qin Lin decided to stop and rest on a habitable planet in the System.

It was a vast grassland with mountains in the distance, trees on the mountains, birds in the trees, and a clear stream winding through the grass.

The Ark landed beside the stream; Qin Lin opened the hatch, and everyone walked off The Ark.

The women scattered across the grass, and the children ran on the grassland.

Ling Xi walked on the grass, her skirt fluttering in the wind, her long hair shimmering with golden light in the sun.

She walked to the stream, crouched down, and reached out to touch the water surface: "The water here is very clear."

Qin Lin walked to her side: "The scenery here is very similar to Peach Blossom Spring."

Ling Xi stood up: "It is more real than Peach Blossom Spring. Everything here is natural, not a projection."

Qin Lin looked at her: "You seem to have changed a lot recently."

Ling Xi turned her head to look at him: "Where have I changed?"

Qin Lin thought about it: "You can smile now, and there is emotion when you speak. Before, you spoke like you were reading an instruction manual."

Ling Xi looked at him: "Because there are more and more children, the emotions I can perceive are also increasing."

She paused, "Before, I could only perceive energy; now I can perceive emotions. Happiness, sadness, anticipation, nervousness... these are all enriching me."

Qin Lin looked at her, feeling that she was like a piece of uncut jade being carved, slowly becoming a presence with warmth amidst the children's laughter and the women's tenderness.

In the evening, the women lit a campfire on the grass.

Qin Lin sat by the fire, children running around him, and the women chatting nearby.

Ling Xi sat next to him, watching the firelight reflecting on everyone's faces: "Qin Lin."

"Hmm."

"Do you know what I can perceive now?"

Qin Lin looked at her: "What?"

Ling Xi looked at the firelight: "I can perceive the light in everyone's heart. The children's light is the brightest, like little lamps. The adults' light is dimmer but more stable. All the lights together are like a starry sky."

Qin Lin looked at her: "What about you? Do you have light?"

Ling Xi was silent for a moment: "I did not have it before. Now I do."

She stretched out her hand, and a cluster of pale purple light danced in her palm: "This is my light."

Her voice was very soft, "It was given to me by the children, given to me by all of you."

Qin Lin looked at her, feeling that she was like a Soul that had just awakened from a deep sleep, slowly learning how to shine.

The campfire danced in the night wind, and the firelight cast flickering shadows on Ling Xi's face.

The Ark rested quietly in the night, like a guardian.

Qin Lin sat by the fire, listening to the laughter of the women and the murmurs of the children, feeling that he had never been as at peace as he was now.

Early the next morning, Qin Lin was looking at the star map on the Bridge, and the System panel popped up a new notification:

"An energy source has been detected at the edge of the new star System, similar to a source crystal; it is recommended to investigate. In addition, the current number of pregnant women on The Ark is 115, and the number of children is 103; continue to maintain this pace."

Qin Lin closed the notification and turned to look out the window. In the distance was a blue sky and a vast grassland; the sunlight was just right, and the breeze was gentle.

Ling Xi walked in: "Did you see it?"

Qin Lin nodded: "I saw it, a new energy source."

Ling Xi sat down next to him: "I perceived it last night; it is about a three-day journey from here."

Qin Lin looked at her: "Do you want to go?"

Ling Xi nodded: "It is useful to me, and the energy environment there is very gentle; it will not affect you or the pregnant women."

Qin Lin thought about it: "Good. We will rest for two days before setting off."

Ling Xi looked at him: "Are you not in a hurry?"

Qin Lin smiled: "Not in a hurry. The people on The Ark need rest, the children need to play, and the pregnant women need to walk. There is not much difference between three days and three and a half days."

Two days later, The Ark took off again.

Qin Lin stood on the Observation Tower, watching the grassland outside the window get smaller and smaller in his field of vision, finally turning into a speck of light, disappearing into the depths of the star map.

Ling Xi stood next to him: "We are setting off."

Qin Lin nodded: "Yes, setting off."

The Ark sailed through the starry sky, flying towards the direction of that energy source.

Outside the window was a brand-new starry sky.

The days on The Ark continued.