116 was supposed to go up yesterday, but I totally forgot to post it—I’ve been completely swamped. My apologies. There will be another chapter tonight.

Zhang Xiao never imagined he would wake up overnight to become a hero known to every household.

The moment the media revealed that there were survivors aboard the Tongguang Star, it sent a tsunami-like shockwave across the nation.

The spaceship disaster five months ago, which left every Dawo citizen heartbroken, was still fresh in everyone’s memory. For the ordinary public, the sudden appearance of a survivor five months later was an extraordinary event. They were all extremely concerned about this survivor’s condition.

Before even disembarking, all Zhang Xiao felt was the excitement of setting foot on his homeworld again and reuniting with his family. Once the ship docked, the moment the hatch opened, he was nearly blown over by the tidal roar of cheers.

Looking at the dense crowd packed below the spaceship, Zhang Xiao’s mind momentarily froze; he had absolutely no idea what was going on.

In the end, it took a squad of soldiers sent to greet him to force a path through the surging masses, allowing him to make a hasty retreat.

“Someone wants to see you.”

Sitting in a military shuttle, a young officer next to Zhang Xiao, holding the rank of Major, spoke to him.

“Who?” Zhang Xiao was slightly perplexed, but the Major tightly pursed his lips and offered no further explanation.

He wisely chose not to press the issue. Given the respectful demeanor of the Major just now, Zhang Xiao figured it must be some very important figure. He felt a touch of helplessness; while the Zhang family held some influence in the military, it certainly wasn't to the extent of the Yang family, who could practically control everything.

So, since he was currently in the hands of the military, he had no choice in the matter. Whoever wanted to see him, so be it.

The shuttle flew all the way into the military headquarters building. Zhang Xiao was escorted to a room on the top floor.

“You will stay here temporarily for the next few days.” The Major who escorted him said this before leaving. Two fully armed soldiers remained posted at the door.

Zhang Xiao walked into the room with a wry smile. Was this a soft form of house arrest?

Fortunately, the accommodations were quite decent, so Zhang Xiao settled in, waiting patiently for his family to arrive and retrieve him. He was certain his father wouldn’t ignore him once he heard the news.

Just as he finished showering, Zhang Xiao heard a knock on the door. Remembering what the Major had said about someone wanting to see him, he thought, They’re fast.

“Hello…” Zhang Xiao began politely upon opening the door, but his greeting was abruptly cut off, as if his throat had been slit.

Standing outside was a woman of unparalleled grace, radiating an aura of frost and disdain. The bone-chilling cold emanating from her made Zhang Xiao involuntarily shiver.

“You are the survivor from the Tongguang Star?” Her voice was like striking ice—clear and melodious, yet laced with icy reserve, perfectly mirroring her persona. She made no attempt to hide the profound disappointment on her face.

“Yes.”

This woman imposed a psychological pressure on Zhang Xiao almost equal to that of his drill instructors. In her presence, Zhang Xiao felt constrained and awkward. He was inwardly stunned: how old could this woman be? She looked less than twenty, yet her power level rivaled that of the instructors. She was even more monstrous than Zhong Yun.

“And you are?” However, Zhang Xiao was no pushover; he would never act timid in front of a woman.

The woman stepped naturally into the room. As if by unspoken agreement, Zhang Xiao simultaneously took a half-step back, yielding the doorway. Zhang Xiao was shocked again; the movement had been almost subconscious, an involuntary retreat.

Can this woman manipulate people’s bodies? This terrifying speculation almost made Zhang Xiao step back further.

Compared to combat-oriented abilities, those mysterious and unpredictable support-type abilities were far more frightening, because one could never guess what strange powers the opponent might possess. The ability to control a person’s body wasn't entirely impossible.

Though uneasy, Zhang Xiao could still sense the profound sorrow emanating from this stunningly beautiful, powerful, and mysterious young woman. He had the bizarre impression that at that moment, she was a transparent ice sculpture—cold to the very marrow, yet so fragile she seemed ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

A wave of pity unexpectedly welled up in Zhang Xiao’s heart. Did she have some deep sorrow? He felt an impulse to offer comfort, but he dared not. He knew that acting on that impulse could lead to unimaginable consequences.

“Do you know Zhong Yun?” After a long silence, the woman seemed to ‘come alive’ again. The grief in her eyes sent a sharp, tearing pain through Zhang Xiao’s chest.

A flash of lightning struck his mind, and Zhang Xiao instantly understood. She had been waiting for Zhong Yun. She was mourning him. She was disappointed because he was not Zhong Yun…

All the strength seemed to drain from Zhang Xiao’s body. Indeed, only Zhong Yun was worthy of her…

“Know him? More than just know him.” Remembering his sworn brother, Zhang Xiao’s strength returned. “We are brothers who shared life and death. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

A brilliant light suddenly erupted in the woman’s eyes. On her face, which had been coldly impassive for millennia, complex emotions of both sudden joy and stark terror appeared. Her slender body swayed like a frost-covered flower caught in a storm, looking utterly helpless.

“He… he…”

The question she was about to ask carried too much expectation, so heavy it threatened to suffocate her. “Where… where is he now?” she finally managed to ask, sounding immensely relieved, as if a great weight had lifted.

Zhang Xiao felt transported back to those days spent constantly hovering on the edge of life and death. Zhong Yun’s optimistic, vibrant smile seemed to reappear before his eyes. During that time, they had shared everything.

He recalled things Zhong Yun had told him, things about women, and a faint smile touched Zhang Xiao’s lips as he thought of them. “Your name is Qi, right? Zhong Yun mentioned you constantly.”

Liu Yunqi listened quietly; this was news of him. “Zhong Yun also said.” Zhang Xiao’s eyes looked past the ceiling, back to the cramped confines of the rescue pod, where two men floated in the semi-darkness, discussing their deepest secrets. “Zhong Yun said the biggest regret of his life was…”

“The biggest regret of my life is not having kissed her lips, not having held her tightly in my arms, not having told her, I love you.”

Two crystal tears slid silently down Liu Yunqi’s cheeks, like twin pearls falling to the ground and shattering into a million glints of light.

“He also said,” Zhang Xiao continued, “that if I see her again, I will kiss every inch of her skin, I will hold her tightly, using all my strength, and never let go. I will tell her a thousand times, ten thousand times: I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…”

Zhang Xiao mimicked Zhong Yun’s tone from back then, repeating the words “I love you” until the air in his lungs was completely exhausted, before finally stopping.

On the other side, Liu Yunqi was already weeping uncontrollably, her sobs shaking her body.