Chapter 14: Everything Falls Into Place

The beautiful superior who was always so cold and cutting toward him was actually a princess of noble imperial blood...

Well, when he thought about it carefully, that really had nothing to do with him.

If Lingnai’s account was entirely true, then Xia Qingyu’s sharp tongue and abrasive personality suddenly had a perfectly reasonable explanation:

She had simply been raised that way. She had no choice.

“Would you like to try the ice cream here, Senior?” Moon Palace Lingnai asked with a sudden smile. “It’s much richer than what you usually find in dessert shops.”

“Sure. I’ll give it a try.”

“Then open wide, ah...” She paused, then laughed. “Just kidding. I’ll scoop some out for you.”

While she was digging into the ice cream, another disturbance arose at the table diagonally across from them.

Xia Qingyu had already risen and left without looking back.

As she departed, she happened to pass by their table, yet never lowered her head to glance over, as though she had not noticed Chen Ziang’s presence at all.

As for the elf man who remained in his seat, he wore an unmistakably disgusted expression and took out his phone to make a call.

“Here you are.” Moon Palace Lingnai placed a small bowl of ice cream in front of Chen Ziang.

“Do you have any plans tonight?” Chen Ziang tasted it. The flavor was indeed excellent, rich with milk.

“None.” Moon Palace Lingnai ate some fruit after the meal. “Do you want to go back to the hotel and rest, Senior? Or should we take your little sister back first, then go stroll around the night market?”

“Is Star Harbor’s night market famous?” Chen Ziang asked curiously.

“Not particularly.” Moon Palace Lingnai hesitated for a moment before smiling. “Never mind. Let’s just go back and rest.”

After leaving the restaurant, the three of them returned to the hotel Lingnai had booked.

Since Star Harbor was situated in geostationary orbit above the planet, its time remained synchronized with the surface below. Their room offered a view of the planet, but Star Harbor had already rotated to the planet’s night side, leaving them with nothing but a vast expanse of pitch-black shadow.

Only near the north and south poles did the lights of civilization gradually become visible. Each point of light was not a single lamp, but the combined luminance of everything within a given area. These lights formed dense, continuous patches that sketched the outlines of Far North City and Zhongnan City upon the dark canvas.

Chen Ziang felt a subtle stir within him. It was not only the brilliant stars overhead that could move the heart. The sight of civilization spread across the planet beneath that starry sky was equally magnificent and awe-inspiring.

And what he had to do was protect this precious civilization, won through such hardship—as a child shielding a candle flame with both hands in the darkness.

His little sister had already fallen asleep in the bed beside them. Chen Ziang stood in the middle of the spacious balcony, calmly gazing at distant Far North City, when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate.

[The Jade Rabbit Never Gives Up]: Senior, open the door! I’m outside!

He turned and opened the door for Moon Palace Lingnai. The girl stood there carrying two large boxes of barbecue takeout, with a bottle of liquor tucked beneath her arm. Grinning brightly, she slipped inside.

“You really shouldn’t drink too much tonight,” Chen Ziang hurriedly reminded her. “We still have to go out tomorrow!”

“It’s fine!” Moon Palace Lingnai waved dismissively. “We’re going to the lunar base tomorrow, and we’ll be spending the entire morning aboard the starship! I can sleep as long as I want.”

“I’m mainly worried that you’ll get drunk,” Chen Ziang said with a sigh.

“If I get completely drunk, you’ll take care of me, won’t you, Senior?” Moon Palace Lingnai set down the food and liquor, then pulled a room card from her pocket. “Here, it’s yours!”

Her utterly unconcerned attitude toward the boundaries between men and women left Chen Ziang somewhat helpless. He could only change tack.

“It’s bad for your health, too.”

“I know, I know! You’re just like a nagging wife, Senior!”

“Leaving aside whether that comparison is appropriate, you’ve got the genders completely reversed!”

Moon Palace Lingnai efficiently dragged one of the reclining chairs onto the balcony and settled herself comfortably upon it. Gazing at the planet Takamagahara beyond the window, she said, “It is rather beautiful, isn’t it?”

“After staring at it for too long, it does get a little monotonous,” Chen Ziang replied casually.

“That’s why I came to keep you company, Senior. No matter how beautiful the view is, watching it alone eventually makes you feel lonely.” Moon Palace Lingnai popped open the bottle with a radiant smile. “Cheers!”

“Cheers.”

Chen Ziang took a few sips, then watched Moon Palace Lingnai from the corner of his eye. Seeing that she had not drained half the bottle in one go, but was merely taking small sips, he quietly relaxed.

Lingnai, your senior is already exhausted from looking after his little sister. Could you please stop adding to his burdens?

“Senior,” Moon Palace Lingnai suddenly said, “have you ever considered leaving Takamagahara and settling in another star region?”

“Why do you ask?” Chen Ziang said, puzzled.

“Hmm...” Moon Palace Lingnai tilted her head adorably and thought for a while. “The universe is so vast. Don’t you ever want to travel around and see it?”

“No.” Chen Ziang smiled. “After all, my little sister is here in Takamagahara, along with the friends I know...”

His voice paused briefly.

“...And you.”

Moon Palace Lingnai stared blankly at him.

She was not sure whether she had begun imagining things because of the alcohol, or whether Senior had truly said those three words: “And you.”

But before long, an immense sense of happiness slowly welled up from the depths of her heart. It was as if she were immersed in a warm spring, leaving her without the strength to speak or move. She only wanted time to stop forever at that moment.

After an unknown length of time, Moon Palace Lingnai finally spoke.

“Senior...”

Her voice was soft and languid, like cotton candy nestled in a cloud of cotton.

“What is it?”

“I think I’m a little drunk. May I lean against your shoulder for a while?”

“Of course.”

Moon Palace Lingnai rested her head on Chen Ziang’s shoulder and slowly shifted the weight of her upper body toward him.

She closed her eyes and said nothing, save for the faint trembling of her eyelashes.

She looked like a little girl lost in a beautiful dream.

Chen Ziang gazed at her exquisite profile, then turned his head toward the planet Takamagahara outside the window and continued to drink slowly.

Even now, he still felt that he was somehow unworthy of such a wonderful girl.

But the way they interacted now, and the distance between them, made him feel perfectly at ease. If things naturally led them to be together someday...

Then so be it.

...

The phone on the table suddenly began to vibrate.

Chen Ziang picked it up and glanced at the screen. His expression changed slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Moon Palace Lingnai lifted her head.

“Nothing.” Chen Ziang put away the phone and said calmly, “You can go back to sleep.”

Moon Palace Lingnai did not accept that answer. Instead, she took out her own phone, unlocked the screen, and swiped down to check her notifications.

Sure enough, the work group had already exploded. Everyone was discussing the latest post on Weibo.

It had been published through the account of Seiko Takano.

The post had already been taken down, but apparently the ban had come too late. By then, it had spread all over the internet, and someone in the work group had even posted screenshots of the full text.

Moon Palace Lingnai read it carefully.

The content was surprisingly long.

End of Chapter.