Ziye stroked Little Sprout’s soft down and said gently, "Let's go eat."

She composed herself, took Little Sprout out for a grand meal, and then proceeded to try every single amusement facility in the clubhouse. After all, Tang Wen was an extravagant tycoon; the bill was paid, so she could enjoy herself without restraint.

Little Sprout supported her in every thought, with only one exception: the term "tycoon." It declared righteously, "Big Bastard Tang isn't a tycoon; he's tall, rich, and handsome."

Ziye looked heartbroken. "Are you going to abandon me too?"

The only reply was the gentle thud of Little Sprout’s rear end.

Ziye played with her little entourage until midnight, only returning to her room to sleep when exhaustion finally claimed her.

That night of deep sleep, however, only proved that she had severely underestimated Tang Wen's shamelessness.

The next morning, Ziye awoke to the chirping of Douzai, only to find, surprisingly, that Little Sprout was gone! Left on her bedside table was another small note.

"Forgot to take my little companion. Borrowing Dou-dou for a month."

It was still Tang Wen's distinctive handwriting. Ziye rubbed her eyes back and forth three times, then ran a system diagnostic, confirming the writing on the note was indeed his.

He had actually returned just to steal her Little Sprout?

This was intolerable!

Ziye cleaned up with the utmost speed, then booted up her optical computer, searching for Tang Wen’s coordinates.

However, as clever as Tang Wen was, he had anticipated this move and deployed a masking function; she couldn't find him, nor could Blan.

To her frustration, she couldn't locate Little Sprout either.

Ziye nearly had the urge to smash her computer.

Damn it, Tang Wen, you’ve gone too far!

Almost without thinking, she dialed An Junlie’s silver-com: "Alien, do you know where the Tang Sect headquarters is?"

—Find the Tang Sect headquarters, and I’ll send terrorists with bombs!

An Junlie looked up upon hearing this, glancing across the conference table.

Seated directly opposite him was the long-lost Mr. Tang Wen.

Tang Wen was currently amusing Little Sprout, a slight upturn to his lips, the curve utterly perfect, radiating an elegance so exquisite it was breathtaking. Unusually, Little Sprout wasn't fussy, occasionally rolling over in response to his movements.

Tang Wen had appeared before him that morning, holding the token belonging to Ziye: Little Sprout.

An Junlie was instantly angered, for a split second believing Tang Wen had come solely to gloat.

When the Angel CEO was angry, the consequences were severe.

Yet, this Tang Wen was clearly prepared; he was a world away from the noisy child seen on Silvercharm Star. Standing before An Junlie, he was calm and composed, carrying the natural aura befitting the Young Master of the Tang Sect.

Even if the Angel CEO was further enraged, he didn't immediately erupt.

However, the way the Angel Domain personnel regarded the two was rather delicate; they kept stealing glances, as if the two might erupt into conflict at any moment. Even the space station administrator excused himself under the pretense of patrolling to come and watch the spectacle...

"The Commander's rival has come calling!"

The news spread like wildfire, electrifying the entire Angel Domain.

An Junlie VS Tang Wen—who would be the one laughing last?!

The vast majority of the Angel Domain supported their own Commander, but... but the opponent held Little Sprout, the exclusive companion of Ziye, clearly indicating they had reached some level of intimacy with her?

They truly felt sorry for their Commander...

Under the gaze of everyone present, An Junlie maintained his gentlemanly composure and ushered the visitor into the conference room.

Just as they sat down, before a word was exchanged, An Junlie’s silver-com chimed. Unexpectedly, it was Ziye, and her first words about the Tang Sect made An Junlie slightly unsettled.

He glanced at Tang Wen, who sat utterly unperturbed, a faint smile playing on his lips, giving the air of "Go ahead, I'm listening."

An Junlie very much wanted to dismiss the screen immediately.

But his masculine pride held him back. He struggled for a moment, then forced a composed smile toward Ziye: "What is it??"

Ziye’s face flushed crimson with anger. "That bastard, I'm going to blow up his house!"

An Junlie flicked a glance at Tang Wen, noticing he was also leaning in, ears perked, and asked, "What did he do to you?"

Ziye roared, "He stole my Little Sprout!"

An Junlie looked at Little Sprout, who happened to lift its head just then and stuck out a rude face at him. An Junlie tentatively guessed, "...Perhaps Little Sprout followed him out because it was playing?"

Ziye scoffed. "How could Little Sprout possibly want to run off with him? He must have used some kind of trick to coerce Little Sprout into agreeing."

An Junlie genuinely couldn't detect even the slightest hint of coercion from Little Sprout.

Seeing someone who could manage Little Sprout so completely docile sent a faint wave of pressure through him.

If Tang Wen were still in his Silvercharm Star persona, An Junlie wouldn't have taken him seriously. However, the man before him, in this current bearing, gave him a distinct sense of danger.

This person was an expert at disguise.

Still, Ziye was currently speaking with him, putting the advantage squarely on his side, so his mood remained quite pleasant. He smiled warmly, "I suspect so too. Where are you now? I'll come pick you up."

Ziye was delighted by An Junlie's reaction. No matter the issue, An Junlie always stood with her, even now when they belonged to different legions.

"I'm on Katcher Planet," she replied.

An Junlie’s expression sharpened. Katcher Planet?

Katcher Planet was nominally under Kaga’s jurisdiction, but in reality, it had become Tang Clan territory.

Ziye was right in the very heart of the Tang Sect’s stronghold!

An Junlie’s smile remained affable. "I will reach Katcher by noon. See you then."

Ziye was finally satisfied.

An Junlie closed the silver-com and leaned back against the chair, about to speak, when Tang Wen expressed his displeasure. He extended a finger and lightly tapped open Little Sprout’s light screen. Little Sprout, using its wings to steady the screen, glared: "Big Bastard Tang, please do not open my screen without permission."

In Little Sprout’s view, the screen was its property and could only be opened by itself.

Ziye was very respectful of this, never opening its screen casually!

This was too much.

Tang Wen wrinkled his nose at it, activated the communication program, found Ziye’s super-com on the list, and dialed.

"Little Ye Zi, it’s me, Tang Wen."

Ziye, who was sitting on the birdcage swing, tumbled off when she heard that voice, nearly landing face-first.

Tang Wen, you are ruthless!

Tang Wen spoke as if laying claim to ownership: "Wait for me to return."

Ziye flared up in anger. "Who's waiting for you? Go as far away as you can!" With that, she angrily cut the super-com.

Tang Wen frowned, clearly displeased.

An Junlie was not Ziye; Tang Wen's expression put no pressure on him whatsoever. He smiled faintly. "Mr. Tang Wen seems busy today, so I won't keep you. We can discuss things tomorrow."

In this exchange, Tang Wen once again ended up on the losing side.

He leaned back against the chair, taking three seconds to organize his thoughts, then fixed his gaze on An Junlie. "I heard you had some past conflict with Bai Lanxue?"

-(To be continued.)