Chen Yin didn't understand Lan Li's pain, looking at An Junlie and the other person with curious eyes: "Lord Lan Li, are scorpions delicious? They seem to be having such a good time eating..."

Lan Li rubbed his chest and shook his head: "No, they are not delicious at all; they taste terrible! Yinyin, you must never try them!"

Chen Yin whispered, "I've never seen the Commander smile like that before."

Lan Li decisively pulled her away in the opposite direction from An Junlie and the other, saying, "Don't ever say we know them." He paused, then activated his comms: "Assemble the personnel. We need to have the Angel Legion's full regalia ready within ten minutes. I’m returning to the carrier immediately."

Although the Angel Legion was known for being accessible, deploying an aircraft carrier would certainly draw the attention of all major factions. Being too low-key now would only invite suspicion.

More importantly, if anyone with malicious intent saw An Junlie in that state and leaked it to "Minute by Minute," what reputation would the Angel Legion have left? Furthermore, Meng YaYa was an outsider and shouldn't be dragged into factional wars.

An Junlie was never one for ostentation, so the flamboyant task fell to him.

The Angel Legion’s efficiency was unparalleled.

Within ten minutes, a staff member informed him that everything was prepared and awaiting orders. Lan Li glanced at Chen Yin, who was still unaware of the situation, and shook his head. Chen Yin was also unsuitable for public display. What to do? He didn't dwell on it, bringing Chen Yin back to the aircraft carrier for wardrobe changes and makeup.

Lan Li possessed exceptionally beautiful features, carrying a unique, androgynous allure. The makeup artist deliberately accentuated this beauty, and when combined with his custom-tailored, high-fashion attire, the clash of colors created a striking visual effect. He scrutinized himself in the mirror, confirmed the result was flawless, then turned, flashing a smile at the assembled crowd, which predictably elicited gasps of astonishment.

The subsequent spectacle was simple: they directly borrowed the most over-the-top celebrity entourage, enhanced with the Angel Legion PR team's prized assets. Before he even appeared, the PR team generated massive hype, and within moments, Siyatu buzzed with excitement as thousands of tourists gathered, waiting for his arrival.

Lan Li felt it wasn't yet shocking enough, so he dispatched the Pilot Squad, piloting Angel-class mechs arranged in two lines to generate momentum behind him.

The Angel-class mechs were the Angel Legion's signature machines—pure white with smooth lines, among the most beautiful models in the galaxy, and also among the most suitable for female pilots, boasting excellent offense and defense.

The appearance of the Angel-class mechs instantly galvanized the tourists.

Many female pilots had long coveted these mechs, but since the Angel Legion never sold them externally, they could only feast their eyes. Now, not only was the Angel Legion displaying them publicly, but they were also hosting a live raffle—the grand prize being an Angel-class mech!

Because of this stunt, Lan Li propelled Siyatu to its highest tourist peak of the year.

Lan Li seamlessly partnered with Siyatu’s tourism board to launch the "Angel Legion Premium Day Tour," a grand, imposing procession. "Minute by Minute" sent specialists down to film the entire event...

Lan Li's true specialty, however, was disguise. He could maintain a perfect smile at any moment, and effortlessly project any emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, or delight—as required, making him even more professional than seasoned actors.

Under his brilliant performance, his fame skyrocketed, even eclipsing many current superstars.

Looking at the excited expressions of the crowd, Lan Li was very satisfied. First, it boosted his reputation; second, it attracted talented individuals to serve the Legion; and third, naturally, it served to divert An Junlie's attention from the embarrassing spectacle he had caused.

It was, indeed, a perfect move achieving three goals with one arrow!

Meanwhile, that scoundrel An Junlie was leisurely shopping and eating with Ziye. They had also received the news, but Ziye was not one to enjoy crowds, and An Junlie placed complete, unwavering trust in Lan Li; he wouldn't inquire about matters Lan Li didn't bring up.

Consequently, the pair paid no heed and continued enjoying their simple "couple's time."

For women, traveling generally revolved around eating, playing, and taking photos. Ziye loved both eating and playing but rarely took pictures, and An Junlie had no concept of such things. By the end of the day, they were stuffed, and they had visited all the famous spots in Siyatu, yet they hadn't taken a single photograph.

In truth, when Ziye saw other tourists constantly snapping pictures, she did want to take a photo with An Junlie, one belonging only to them, but she felt guilty and too shy to ask. An Junlie, being an utter blockhead, was completely oblivious to a girl's subtle desires, so the thought simply faded away.

As evening approached, Ziye finally gave up worrying about whether to take a picture with him. She immediately searched for the best spot to view the meteor shower and dragged An Junlie along. In Siyatu, one could see shooting stars all night, but to attract tourists, the resort area had established several prime viewing locations, leading to a massive influx of people.

An Junlie let her pull him along, thinking gloomily, The little brat's hands weren't this soft. Even if this person resembles the little brat in every way, it simply can't be "him"!

Thinking this, he inexplicably felt a pang of discomfort.

Ziye couldn't pull him any further, so she stopped and turned back: "What’s wrong?"

An Junlie remained silent for three seconds, then suddenly spoke: "Meng YaYa, let me hug you."

Ziye was taken aback. An Junlie didn't wait for her reply; he simply opened his arms and pulled her into an embrace. Perhaps he was afraid of hearing her refusal, which is why he acted so hastily before she could speak.

Ziye was far too delicate, and An Junlie was too tall. The effect of the embrace was that Ziye was entirely submerged, unable to even draw a full breath. Piteously, she wriggled her head out from his chest and let out a silent exhale.

His scent hadn't changed.

Since the embrace had already happened, Ziye couldn't be bothered to act coy and struggle free; besides, she had always deeply missed An Junlie's arms. Ziye thought with relief, An Junlie is still An Junlie, whether he's the Commander of the Angel Legion or the chef making 'White Rose Sauce' on Silver Rune Star.

His embrace was as warm as ever, brimming with security.

Ziye's past had been too harsh; she used to dream of being hunted. Being held like this made it feel as if she could rely on him no matter what happened—even if the heavens fell, he would hold them up.

This feeling was wonderful!

An Junlie only held her for a brief moment, and she instinctively relaxed, pushing away all thoughts to savor this rare sensation.

She didn't know that in An Junlie’s heart, something felt lodged—too high to rise, too heavy to sink. He didn't even know why he had made such a request. How could he casually embrace just any woman? Even if she shared the little brat's height, his scent, and the same features, she was ultimately not the little brat.

Ultimately not...

During those most difficult days on Silver Rune Star, the little brat had treated him like family, like a friend; it was the little brat who gave him that beautiful life. The memories of the past flashed before his eyes like a carousel, brief as fleeting meteors—swift in passing, yet leaving behind an indescribably dazzling brilliance.

He wanted to cry.

"Wow, such beautiful shooting stars!" Someone’s exclamation broke the spell over the embracing pair. They both involuntarily looked up to see countless meteors trailing long tails as they streaked across the deep sky, vanishing into the horizon.

In that instant, they were as brilliant as fireworks, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Make a wish, make a wish, hurry up and wish!" The surrounding tourists, oblivious to the mood, jumped and shouted, as excited as if witnessing a divine apparition.

An Junlie smiled faintly, thinking inwardly, What would a grown man wish for? Yet, he couldn't help thinking, I hope to see the little brat soon. I hope ‘he’ will be in my future.

After making a wish, he felt movement in his arms. Looking down, he realized he was still holding the young woman, flushing slightly. He hurriedly let go. "What did you wish for?"

Ziye looked up and smiled brilliantly at him: "I want to go to university."

The night was filled with a rain of meteors.

Ziye and An Junlie both tacitly avoided mentioning "going back." Thus, the two spent the entire night like homeless children, sitting on the observation deck, watching the stars. As the night wore on, the tourists dwindled, Siyatu grew quieter, and the meteors became more brilliant, showering the sky like silver rain about to fall. The pair felt as if they were floating in a nebula, gazing into infinite expanse, watching the specks of starlight.

The only warmth came from the other person.

Perhaps tomorrow they would part ways; perhaps there would never be another chance to sit together like this. Perhaps... the future was utterly unknown. Precisely because of this uncertainty, both clung to this rare warmth and did not separate.

As the night deepened, Ziye felt a chill and instinctively leaned closer to An Junlie.

An Junlie, taking a rare initiative, asked, "Are you cold?"

Ziye didn't answer.

An Junlie looked closely and realized Ziye was indeed underdressed. He promptly took off his outer jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Given her size, his jacket covered her down to her knees, so he simply wrapped her entirely inside it and gently held her close. In this moment, he would allow himself to treat her as the little brat. Even if she wasn't truly the little brat.

Ziye’s fingertips trembled slightly, but she didn't push him away.

He felt a sense of peace, as if she really were the little brat. Perhaps, in his heart, he had already begun to see her as him. He sighed silently, his peripheral vision catching the hand he had wrapped around her shoulder, noticing the watch-shaped communicator still fastened to his wrist.

Outside of space, the communicator was useless. But he still stubbornly wore it, hoping one day he could use it to reconnect with the little brat and everyone on Silver Rune Star.

He gazed pensively at Ziye’s smooth wrist; it was clean, bearing nothing.

If she truly were the little brat, even without the communicator, she would surely recognize him. He believed this absolutely.

He had always harbored a certain yearning for the little brat, true, but the person before him certainly was not him. As the long night unfolded, while he sorted out his thoughts, she silently fell asleep in his arms.

An Junlie looked at her tranquil face, suddenly leaning down to sniff at her neck—she carried the same body odor as the little brat. He had always found it bizarre: how could the little brat be so effeminate as to even smell fragrant?

Now, he stopped dwelling on that question.

Regardless of the truth, he had to see the little brat from Silver Rune Star again!