Zi Ye just wanted to beat An Junlie and Hale black and blue. Two grown men fighting in full view of everyone—if this were caught on camera and uploaded to the Light Web, where would the esteemed Commander of the Angel Legion show his face?

She shot Hale a glare. Hale quickly stepped aside, allowing An Junlie to enter.

The onlookers, seeing the show was over, looked genuinely disappointed. "What a shame.

We finally get to see two masters clash, and it ends so quickly." Eros spotted someone recording in the crowd and felt a prickle of alarm. He took a couple of steps forward, feigning casualness.

"That fight just now was incredible. Too bad we can't see the rest.

But listen up, brothers, let's keep this between us; don't upload it to the Light Web. It'll cause trouble for the Xilian Space Station, which could affect our work." As he spoke, he signaled his robots to hand out the newly printed commercial flyers one by one.

"There's a Changrun Restaurant not far from here. Show this flyer for a 40% discount." Most of the onlookers worked nearby; several were engineers, all belonging to the Wolf's Den faction.

Hearing Eros, they immediately understood, patting their chests to guarantee secrecy. The few remaining outsiders felt too awkward to refuse.

Plus, it was lunchtime, and they hadn't eaten yet. Since Eros was already handing out flyers, they happily rounded up friends and headed out for a meal.

After distributing all the flyers, Eros looked at one in his hand and let out a relieved sigh. This batch was fresh off the press.

He immediately sent a priority message to the restaurant, telling them to honor the discount for anyone with the flyer, and that the resulting shortfall in funds would be billed directly to Zi Ye’s office. Zi Ye remained completely unaware that these two idiots had just added a considerable expense to her office budget.

She stood at the doorway, glaring at the two men who looked distinctly guilty. Hale was guilty because he knew perfectly well that An Junlie was Zi Ye’s boyfriend, yet he had deliberately blocked him at the door.

If Zi Ye hadn't seen it, they could have passed it off as a manly duel. He had even calculated Zi Ye's lunch break time precisely, never expecting her to return so quickly.

He’d been caught red-handed in the slip-up. An Junlie, on the other hand, had intended to surprise Zi Ye; instead, thanks to Hale’s obstruction, he had delivered trouble.

Among the numerous Legion Commanders in the galaxy, his reputation wasn't stellar because he often disregarded minor formalities, making it easy for others to find fault. His casual exchange with Hale just now would undoubtedly require Lan Li to clean up the mess afterward.

Zi Ye glared at Hale again. "Go over to Eros and check on the Space Station construction progress." Hale looked at Zi Ye with hurt eyes, but Zi Ye turned her face away.

"Go quickly." He knew perfectly well Zi Ye wanted him gone, but he couldn't refuse. He shot An Junlie a resentful look, then turned and left.

Only Zi Ye, An Junlie, and the G-series little girl at the reception desk remained in the office lobby. An Junlie watched Zi Ye.

Seeing her stern face and professional demeanor, he sighed and walked toward her. She immediately took a step back.

An Junlie’s expression stiffened slightly; he felt a small sting of hurt. In the past, whenever Zi Ye saw him, she would run happily to him, seeking affection like a docile kitten.

This time, she looked at him like an old friend whose relationship had faded over time. An Junlie opened his mouth, intending to ask, "What's wrong?" But the words felt inappropriate as they formed, and he quickly changed tack.

"Little sister, I apologize." Zi Ye looked at him without speaking. An Junlie’s premonition grew stronger.

Nervous, he reached out both hands to pull her into an embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder, and pleaded softly, "I was wrong. Please don't stay silent, and don't ignore me, okay?" Zi Ye took two steps back, leaving his embrace.

"Since you know, I'll call your Vice Commander to come collect you." The ominous feeling had indeed materialized. Zi Ye actually refused to let him hug her!

And she threatened to call Lan Li to retrieve him! An Junlie felt utterly wrecked.

"Little sister, don't be like this. Tell me what I did wrong, and I'll fix it immediately." Zi Ye looked up at him.

"You did nothing wrong." Four light, detached words, completely devoid of emotion. An Junlie dreaded those words most.

It felt like a death sentence delivered without explaining the crime—dying without knowing why. Even if he were a fool, he knew something serious had gone wrong.

He stepped forward, seizing her hand before she could react, and gently pressed her onto the sofa. "Zi Ye, what happened?

Tell me." Zi Ye shook her head. "Nothing." An Junlie sighed in defeat, producing two bottles of jelly.

"If you don't want to talk, let's table it for now. I've been quite busy lately, so I only managed to make these two bottles.

Try them." Zi Ye glanced at the jellies, remained silent for a long moment, then opened one and began to eat. An Junlie sat beside her, watching her eat.

She seemed to be eating very earnestly, as if this were the last meal she might ever have. An Junlie planned to use this opportunity to search for Xiao Dou Ya’s whereabouts.

The person who knew Zi Ye best was undoubtedly Xiao Dou Ya. He was certain he would get answers from her.

Except— He regretfully found no trace of Xiao Dou Ya. After finishing the jelly, Zi Ye calmly evaluated, "Your technique has regressed." An Junlie: "…I've been a bit busy lately; I made fewer batches." Zi Ye nodded.

"Mhm. In the future, just leave it to the robots.

Even if it’s not particularly delicious, at least no one can trace it back to you." Another bombshell. An Junlie stared at her blankly for half a second, then suddenly realized a very serious problem, his heart shattering.

"Zi Ye, do you not want me anymore?" Zi Ye glanced at him, leaned back on the sofa, and exhaled slowly. "An Junlie, it’s not that I don't want you, it’s just that…" An Junlie’s heart truly broke.

—In the past, Zi Ye would never call him by his full name; she only called him 'Alien' or 'Jelly.' An Junlie looked at her with a pale face, about to speak, when his communicator chimed. He glanced at the communicator, shut it off, composed his expression, and looked back at Zi Ye, preparing to speak again.

The communicator chimed again. An Junlie frowned in annoyance.

Zi Ye simply stood up from the sofa. "Answer it." An Junlie reluctantly picked up the call.

The incoming number was unfamiliar. When he connected, a soft, delicate voice spoke, "Hello, may I speak to Commander An Junlie?" An Junlie, in a foul mood, replied impatiently, "Who is this?" The voice sweetly replied, "It's Iylia, the newly appointed Queen of Fi’a." An Junlie was stunned.

"Iylia? The new Queen?" How could the intelligence network in the Angel Domain be this backward?

No one had informed him that Iylia had become the Queen of Fi’a? Zi Ye walked to her desk, lifted Xiao Dou Ya from the cradle tucked beneath the desk, and just as she was about to poke the little creature awake, she heard An Junlie’s words.

Her hand trembled, and Xiao Dou Ya tumbled back into the cradle. Xiao Dou Ya grumbled, sitting up, eyes still closed.

"Which scoundrel dared to interrupt my nap?" Its words echoed directly in Zi Ye’s consciousness. She snapped back from her daze, poked the fluff on Xiao Dou Ya’s head with her index finger, and challenged, "Me?

Come on, hit me if you dare?" Xiao Dou Ya sprang up and gave her head a solid bonk. She caught it, hugged it close, and a barely perceptible smile touched the corner of her lips.

She stopped thinking about Iylia. Whether Iylia was good or bad, whether she was now a Queen Regent or the actual Queen, and whatever business Iylia had with An Junlie—it had nothing to do with her anymore.

When they were children, Iylia had indeed caused her trouble, but that trouble had resulted in an unexpected blessing: she gained the Wolf's Den crew, who were not family but were as close as family. Now she had family, friends, wealth, and capability.

Was there any need to dwell on old grudges? In fact, she should probably thank Iylia.

Zi Ye held Xiao Dou Ya in her hand, gave it a little squeeze, and cocked her ear to listen to An Junlie’s conversation. She couldn’t be bothered to nurse Iylia’s grudge, but watching her face misfortune brought a small flicker of joy.

She heard An Junlie say, "This matter requires long-term consideration. I am currently away from the Legion.

Please discuss it with Vice Commander Lan Li? He has full authority to represent me during my absence." Zi Ye blinked.

Xiao Dou Ya blinked. Both turned their heads simultaneously, four eyes meeting.

Xiao Dou Ya's glass eyes showed no emotion. Zi Ye poked its head, just as An Junlie ended the call.

Curiosity overriding her mood, Zi Ye was about to ask when Xiao Dou Ya spoke first. "That malicious woman actually became the Queen of Fi’a?" An Junlie shook his head.

"That's just what she claimed. Whether there’s any truth to it is hard to say." There were several reasons: First, if Iylia had truly become the Legion Queen, she absolutely would not have risked showing up so casually on someone else's territory.

Second, even if she wasn't acting on behalf of the Legion, she should have made an appointment. Iylia’s behavior was less like a royal visit and more like sneaking in.

Third, when he tentatively suggested she contact Lan Li, she agreed. If she were genuinely the Queen of Fi’a, asking her to deal with the Vice Commander would have been a profound insult, yet Iylia didn't seem to recognize that.

Therefore, An Junlie was one hundred percent certain she was not the Queen of Fi’a. Since she wasn't the Queen, she could do whatever she pleased; he wouldn't accompany her.

In comparison, An Junlie was far more concerned with the person in front of him: Zi Ye. Zi Ye just murmured, "Oh," and said nothing more.

Seeing the atmosphere cool, An Junlie explained, "You don't need to worry. At least Iylia isn't the Queen of Fi’a right now.

That might change in the future, though." Zi Ye nodded. "Mhm." An Junlie felt defeated.

"Zi Ye, what will it take for you to talk to me more?" Zi Ye carried Xiao Dou Ya to a single armchair and leaned back against the cushion. "I understand.

At most, Iylia has crowned herself. We probably won't live to see the day she is truly Queen." An Junlie agreed.

"That’s the point. Fi’a has two star systems quite close to the Wolf's Den.

I'll conquer them and gift them to you." Zi Ye shook her head and smiled. "I appreciate the thought, but the Wolf's Den isn't even fully rebuilt yet.

Two more systems, and I won't be able to handle it." An Junlie offered, "I'll send a few engineering teams to help you." Zi Ye still refused. "No need.

Engineering teams are contracted out through bidding. Just have them submit bids." An Junlie: "…" An Junlie grew increasingly unsettled.

Zi Ye was refusing all his help! Did this mean she was drawing a line between them?

He turned his head, saw Zi Ye looking utterly immovable, and sighed. "Before Iylia called, what were you trying to tell me?" Zi Ye paused.

"Let me think… Ah, I remember. I wanted to tell you that I don't care how many jellies you make for me." An Junlie looked at her anxiously.

"Then what do you care about?" Zi Ye countered, "You don't know?" An Junlie thought hard. Affection?

Their relationship… An Junlie suddenly couldn't recall the last time they’d simply talked. A sharp pang hit his chest, and he dimly realized what Zi Ye was about to say.

He truly was an incompetent boyfriend. He had always known Zi Ye wasn't the proactive type, but he, in turn, never took the initiative to spend time with her, chat, or just exist together.

His memory was filled with phrases like, "Wait until I finish XXX, and then I’ll come spend time with you." Legion affairs were endless—minor issues daily, major ones every three days. Before one problem was resolved, the next one arrived, pushing back his promises to Zi Ye again and again.

A simple promise to spend time with her had gone unfulfilled for three years. An Junlie looked up at Zi Ye.

She grew prettier every year, and her demeanor matured, but he hadn't had the time to notice. Over these years, the Wolf's Den members knew the hardships Zi Ye had endured, and he knew too.

What terrified him was the stark realization that every time something happened to her, he wasn't there, nor was he able to help her promptly. She had to claw her way out relying solely on her own efforts.

An Junlie suddenly felt like the worst boyfriend in the entire galaxy. Though he always talked about gifting this and that, at some point, he had lost track of what Zi Ye actually needed… Zi Ye watched his increasingly despondent expression.

"My thoughts used to be simple: I wanted to run with you every day and eat the jelly you made. Later, I realized all I could do was eat the jelly you made." An Junlie stared at her, unable to utter a word.

When Zi Ye needed his companionship, he wasn't there. That was the biggest mistake.

He thought Zi Ye was different from ordinary girls—that they didn't need to be clingy. But he forgot that spending time together was the fundamental requirement of lovers.

If they couldn't even share time, what was the point of being lovers? Zi Ye gave a wry smile.

"I'm not saying I despise you. It’s just that I’ve grown accustomed to living alone." In that instant, An Junlie felt the thunderbolt hanging over his head finally strike, shattering his heart into pieces.

He hadn't lost to a romantic rival, nor to time; he had lost to himself. Zi Ye no longer needed him, and thus, his role as her boyfriend ceased to have meaning.

No wonder Zi Ye had been so cold to him just now, colder than toward her little assistant. But reflecting, he realized he had genuinely done nothing.

It was perfectly logical, even justified, that she had forgotten him! An Junlie buried his face in his hands and murmured, "I’m sorry, Zi Ye, I’m so sorry." This time, the apology was genuine because he was an incompetent boyfriend.

Zi Ye accepted it calmly. "It’s alright.

It’s in the past."