"We set off in a week." Jiang Lijin walked along the bluestone path, the night wind scattering the stale air she'd brought up from the basement.
Tianyan kept pace beside her, his steps deliberately slow.
"The old emperor's pardon won't come until Chiron reaches the capital planet and has her condition fully stabilized. But the decree is one thing; whether you can actually keep your seat as regent is another matter entirely."
"I know." Jiang Lijin didn't look back. "Graven's remnants, the cabinet ministers who fled, and all those entrenched nobles on the capital planet. They won't accept an outsider lording over them."
Tianyan quickened his step and blocked her path.
He pulled a black, multifaceted crystal from his pocket and held it out to her.
Jiang Lijin stopped, her eyes falling on the crystal.
"The full list and command codes for twelve sectors across the entire galaxy, seventy-three underground trading posts, and three hundred and twenty core covert agents." Tianyan's tone was light, as if it were nothing. "The underworld's entire hand is in there."
Jiang Lijin didn't take it immediately.
This was the empire that Tianyan and Tianque had built over all these years in the shadows, paid for with their lives. And now, without so much as a blink, he was handing it over to her.
"What's this supposed to be?" Jiang Lijin looked him in the eye. "Startup capital?"
"Call it my pledge of loyalty." Tianyan leaned in closer, her reflection captured in his green eyes. "If our boss can swallow an entire empire, what's my little stash compared to that? I'm yours already, so the money and the power belong to you too."
His words were shameless, yet the sincerity in his gaze was undeniable.
Jiang Lijin took the crystal from his hand. When her fingertips brushed his, his temperature was scorching, almost burning her.
"Fine." She tucked the crystal into her pocket, her tone carrying a hint of natural authority. "From now on, half the underworld's profits are yours."
Tianyan let out a laugh. "Generous boss."
Pushing open the door to the main house, they were greeted by a warm, yellow light.
Tianque sat at the table, a steaming clay pot in front of him. At the sound of their entrance, he lifted his head, his red eyes strikingly vivid in the dim light.
"Eat," Tianque said, concise as always.
Jiang Lijin walked over and sat down. Tianque ladled a bowl of soup and placed it before her.
The broth was clear, floating with a few unfamiliar medicinal herbs from some alien planet. The flavor was light.
"For calming the nerves." Tianque handed her a spoon.
Jiang Lijin took a sip. It was just the right temperature.
Every time she saw Tianque, a taciturn killer, doing the cooking, she found it jarring. Still, she couldn't deny he had a knack for it.
Tianque watched her drink the soup and casually slid a compact particle pistol over to her hand.
"Modified," he said, pointing to the grip. "Low recoil, high penetration. Good for close-quarters defense."
Jiang Lijin set down her spoon and picked up the gun. It was surprisingly light, the handle wrapped in slip-resistant soft rubber, sized perfectly for her hand.
"Thanks." She stowed the gun away, a hint of a smile forming in her eyes.
Tianyan pulled out a chair and sat down, propping his chin on his hand with an amused look. "Brother, you only gave the boss a gun. Nothing for me? The capital planet is about to get chaotic; I need protection too."
Tianque shot him a cold glare. "If you die, I'll handle the funeral."
Tianyan clicked his tongue, then turned to Jiang Lijin to tattle. "Boss, see that? No brotherly love at all."
Jiang Lijin ignored the pair of them and continued drinking her soup.
After dinner, Tianyan spread a holographic map of the capital planet across the table.
A blue light shimmered, outlining the city's complex web of structures: the Imperial Palace, the Cabinet, the Starport, the Military Command—a tangled mess.
"Chiron is still en route; these next three days are a vacuum." Tianyan tapped on the Central Hospital. "Once he arrives and takes over the old emperor's medical team, that's our best chance to plant our covert agents inside the palace."
Jiang Lijin studied the map, tapping her fingers on the table. "For now, check into the remaining cabinet ministers. The city defense force is gutted; they'll be huddling together, and they must still be holding onto a number of private armies."
"Divide and conquer," she said, her logic sharp. "Everyone has weaknesses. Dig into their businesses, their shady deals. I want to see them turning on each other before we even reach the capital planet."
"Understood." Tianyan's fingers flew across the holographic interface.
As he worked, the back of his hand accidentally brushed against Jiang Lijin's fingers.
He didn't pull away. Instead, he turned his wrist, letting his fingertip lightly graze her palm.
A fleeting touch, a clear test.
Jiang Lijin looked at him. Tianyan blinked innocently back. "Static electricity."
She pulled her hand away, not calling out his flimsy excuse.
Beside them, Tianque, who had been silently cleaning a blade, abruptly stopped. He stood up and walked over to Jiang Lijin, handing her a fresh glass of warm water.
He stood very close, the scent of cold fir clinging to his combat suit. As he handed her the glass, his knobby fingers lingered on top of her hand, pressing down deliberately for a full two seconds before letting go.
Having done that, Tianque looked at Tianyan with an expressionless face.
Red eyes clashed silently with green.
Jiang Lijin held the water glass, glancing left, then right.
These two brothers, usually so well-coordinated… were they actually… vying for her favor?
Xiao Yi was screaming madly in her mind. [Ahhh! Host! A Gemini love rivalry! Tianyan is a scheming fox, Tianque a direct attack wolf-dog. With this kind of fortune, can you even handle it!]
"You're only this lively at times like this," Jiang Lijin shot back mentally, suppressing the strange flutter in her heart.
Watching them silently battle for her attention, she had to admit… it didn't feel bad.
"Alright, that's enough for tonight." Jiang Lijin stood up and shut off the holographic map. "Wait for news from Chiron. Get some rest."
Tianyan stood up as well, leaning against the table's edge to look at her. "Boss, times are dangerous. How about some personal protection?"
Jiang Lijin glanced back. "Meaning?"
"Like, sleeping in the same room." Tianyan smiled. "I have a very sharp sense of alertness. I'll make sure not even a mosquito gets in."
Jiang Lijin let out a short laugh. "You're more dangerous than a mosquito."
With that, she turned and walked toward her bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
Outside, Tianyan was left facing a closed door. He didn't seem bothered at all, humming an unknown tune as he began to tidy up the papers on the table.
Tianque remained where he stood, staring at Jiang Lijin's closed door. He looked down at the particle blade in his hand.
Personal protection.
Now that was a good idea.
