In the conference hall of the Imperial Palace, Jiang Lijin leaned back against the wide armchair, twirling a photon pen in her hand.
Piled on the desk were stacks of documents half a person tall—enough to send anyone's blood pressure skyrocketing.
Su Han stood to the side, reporting on the draft tax reform.
Jiang Lijin listened with a barely concealed yawn.
Three whole months of managing a sprawling empire—this was truly not a job meant for human beings.
Thank the stars for Chiron, who had sorted out the foundational affairs with such precision that she only needed to sign off on the final decisions.
As for Rowan.
Jiang Lijin glanced out the window. In the Royal Garden, the young emperor, dressed in sportswear, was chasing a photonic butterfly, his forehead glistening with sweat.
Childhood should be just that—letting a six-year-old drown in state affairs every day was simply inhumane.
"Su Han." Jiang Lijin cut off the lengthy briefing.
"Your Highness, your orders?" Su Han stood at attention.
"Handle the remaining documents as you see fit. If you're unsure, go straight to Chiron." Jiang Lijin stood up, stretching lazily. "I'm taking a vacation."
Su Han froze, mouth opening and closing, for a long moment without managing a single word.
Jiang Lijin had already strode out of the hall without even looking back.
Yesterday, Tianyan and Tianque had sent a message—the reconstruction work in Guixu was initially complete, urging her to come for an inspection.
The wording was respectful, but between every line screamed "Come see us already!"
Since there was no time like the present, she decided to leave today.
As for Baal, he had cleanly dumped all his mess on his deputy, Gary.
When Gary received the acting appointment notice, his communication channel let out a deeply suppressed wail: "Boss! You can't do this to me—"
But Baal had merely shut down the comms with a blank expression.
On the empire's side, Su Han had taken over the acting authority, though his expression looked like he'd been sentenced to hard labor.
A private starship, bearing no official insignia, silently slipped out of the spaceport and jumped into deep space.
...
In the main lounge of the starship, a panoramic view of the cabin window revealed a dazzling nebula.
"You can't catch me! Xiao Yi is such a dummy!" Rowan's crisp laughter echoed through the spacious hall, his red hair flying, his face alight with mischievous glee.
Xiao Yi whirred on its tracks in hot pursuit, a furious emoji flashing on its screen, mechanical arms clattering— "Your Majesty, don't run! This butler is equipped with the latest tracking module! You can't escape!"
ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ
The child and the bot chased each other wildly around the sofa, leaving trails in the carpet.
Baal sat on a single sofa, holding a tactical tablet.
During the chase, Xiao Yi's tracks rolled over Baal's military boots.
His eyelid twitched, and the electronic pen in his hand nearly pierced through the tablet's screen.
"Run over me again, and I'll have you dismantled and melted down." Baal didn't even lift his head, his voice cold and hard.
Xiao Yi screeched to a halt, the emoji on its screen instantly switching to a terrified mode. It spun around and scooted behind Rowan.
Σ(°△°|||)
"Uncle Baal is so mean." Rowan wrinkled his nose, stretching his hand out to shield Xiao Yi.
"Call me brother," Baal corrected.
"Uncle," Rowan repeated stubbornly, puffing out his little chest with an innocent look.
A vein bulged on Baal's temple, but he ultimately chose to keep his mouth shut.
Arguing with a child was beneath his dignity.
On the other modular sofa, Jiang Lijin was sunk into the softest cushion, a pack of interstellar special spicy jerky in her hand, munching away with relish.
Tinia was sprawled bonelessly over her lap, his golden hair rubbing against her as he nuzzled.
"Big sister, eat slower. Drink some water." Tinia lifted his face, his blue eyes sparkling, like a golden retriever waiting to be fed.
He reached over, snatched the jerky bag Jiang Lijin was chewing on, picked up a piece, and fed it to her lips.
Jiang Lijin opened her mouth and bit down, casually ruffling his golden hair.
Tinia immediately got bolder, burying his head into her embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pressing his whole body against her.
"Big sister smells so good." Tinia took a deep breath, his voice muffled.
"That's the jerky smell," Jiang Lijin said flatly, poking him on the forehead.
Nearby, by the bar counter, Chiron was brewing coffee, wearing a soft gray knit sweater. A rich aroma spread out, forming a sharp contrast with the spicy scent of the jerky.
He carried a small tray over, with a cup of warm honey water and a small plate of cut fruit.
Chiron walked around Baal's sofa and approached Jiang Lijin. Without even glancing at Tinia, he handed the honey water to Jiang Lijin.
"The jerky is pretty spicy. Drink something to soothe your throat."
Jiang Lijin took the cup and drank a sip.
Chiron casually sat down on the armrest of the sofa.
Tinia sensed the shadow looming above him, grinding his teeth silently, while tightening his arms around Jiang Lijin's waist by an imperceptible two notches.
Baal looked up from behind his tactical tablet, his gaze sweeping over the three people squeezed together in that spot.
"Immature," he snorted coldly, a note of disdain in his voice, before going back to staring at his defense schematics.
But his finger swiped across the same spot on the screen three times.
Jiang Lijin pretended not to notice the undercurrents rippling back and forth among these men.
She lowered her head, pulled out another piece of jerky, and chewed it loudly.
...
Two days later, the starship slowly entered the Guixu Spaceport.
On the wide tarmac of the spaceport, quite a crowd had already gathered.
Tianyan and Tianque stood at the front.
Tianyan was wearing a black trench coat, hands in his pockets, grinning broadly. Tianque was in a form-fitting combat suit, his white hair blinding under the sunlight, standing silently at his brother's side.
It had been so long since they'd last seen each other—both had gotten a bit tanned, it seemed the Guixu work had truly been hands-on.
Jiang Lijin walked down the gangway.
"Ah Jin—" Tianyan stepped forward, arms wide open, smile radiant. "Welcome home."
His arms were stretched wide, his posture perfect, his expression full of emotion.
But before Jiang Lijin could reach him, a flash of gold shot out from behind her.
Tinia dove precisely into Tianyan's open embrace, clutching him by the waist.
"Oh! Big brothers! Long time no see! You've worked hard!" Tinia tilted his face, blue eyes curving into crescents, his tone overflowing with enthusiasm.
Tianyan's smile froze on his face, his complexion instantly darkening.
Tianque stood to the side, a rare trace of amusement flickering in his red eyes.
"...Tinia." Tianyan's voice squeezed through clenched teeth, each word carrying the force of grinding them to dust. "Let go."
"No way." Tinia hugged tighter, his smile innocent. "You opened your arms so wide—wasn't that for a hug?"
Jiang Lijin couldn't help but laugh. She walked over and patted Tianyan on the shoulder.
"A hug's a hug, no matter who gives it. Don't be picky."
Tianyan's face darkened even further.
Tianque silently stepped forward and stood beside Jiang Lijin. He said nothing, merely tilted his head slightly to look at her.
Jiang Lijin nodded at him.
The tips of Tianque's ears turned red for a moment before he averted his gaze.
"All the inspection preparations are ready." Tianyan finally managed to toss Tinia aside, straightened his crumpled trench coat, and regained some of his composure. "Let's go—see what we've accomplished for you."
He stepped aside, clearing the line of sight behind him.
Jiang Lijin could now make out the crowd at the far end of the tarmac.
They were the natives of Guixu, mingled with the exiled survivors of Blue Star who had once hidden in folded space zones. Some chatted amongst themselves, while others held children and gazed expectantly toward the starship.
There was no wariness, no hostility.
The Blue Star survivors had shed their long-held pallor and fear; the Guixu natives showed no rejection or estrangement in their eyes.
“Ever since Guixu was designated your private domain and the autonomy act was passed, those Blue Star survivors scattered across the galaxies have been returning one after another,” Tianyan said as they walked, his tone carrying an unusual seriousness. “Those in folded space have moved out too. Now, the Blue Star ruins are completely merged with Guixu.”
Tianque stepped forward and handed Jiang Lijin an electronic register.
“Population registered, public order stable,” Tianque said succinctly, sticking to the essentials.
Jiang Lijin took the register, flipped through a couple of pages, then reached over and patted Tianque on the shoulder. “Good work.”
Tianque nodded, the tips of his ears quietly reddening.
Tianyan spoke up from the side, a hint of sourness in his voice: “I compiled the register. Isn’t it unfair to praise only one of us?”
“You did well too,” Jiang Lijin added without turning around.
Tianyan’s face immediately lit up with a grin.
