Above the Galaxy
Chapter 56 - 56 43 I Once Picked Up a Beam of Light!

56: Chapter 43, I Once Picked Up a Beam of Light!

56: Chapter 43, I Once Picked Up a Beam of Light!

“Everyone, please rise,” Phoenix said, “Come on, get up.

We are neighbors after all, no need for all this kneeling.”

The word “neighbors” she had heard from Tang Fei’s mouth, found it both intimate and amusing, and she quite liked the term.

Above New Star, she had no neighbors.

Besides, she was a Princess of the Phoenix Empire, but the Empire’s territory did not include the Old Land.

It was a land abandoned by the gods, and these people were refugees forsaken by the gods…

They could have chosen not to kneel, yet they knelt anyway.

This inexplicably gave Phoenix a sense of responsibility, as if not ensuring their wellbeing would be her fault…

Hearing Phoenix’s call, everyone got up from the ground, and someone shouted, “Your Highness, which country are you from?”

“Phoenix Empire,” Phoenix answered with a smile.

“Oh, I saw that big bird on the plane…

so it was Phoenix…”

“I heard the Phoenix Empire is quite powerful.

It’s a pity I never had the chance to visit…”

“Princess, what is it like on New Star?

There are no monsters that eat people, right?”

“No wonder you’re so beautiful, you are a princess…”

——-

Phoenix patiently answered everyone’s questions, and when she couldn’t find an answer, she simply smiled in response.

Her court etiquette lessons had taught her how to handle such scenes and how to maintain the best demeanor in front of the public to gain the most favor.

This wasn’t communication, it was a display.

However, Phoenix still wanted to be more authentic, to invest more real emotion.

After all, this place held a different meaning for her.

“Your Highness, it’s time to go back,” Bai Qi spoke up from the side.

Phoenix had a special identity, and he was the first among the teams to find the Princess, which was originally a great achievement.

The Old Land was fraught with crises, and even though they were armed with formidable combat abilities and advanced weapons, who could tell what might happen?

The Assassins from Wu You Palace had even hurried over here.

If anything were to happen to the Princess on his watch, or if she were to be wounded or disabled, he would be left with no option but to face death.

He dared not take that risk.

Phoenix nodded, waved to everyone, and walked toward the light ladder of the Star Disc.

With each step she took, her heart grew heavier.

She reached the door of the Star Cabin and suddenly paused.

Turning around, she searched the crowd for that familiar figure.

As the crowd pushed forward, he remained standing apart, looking somewhat out of place.

He held a Pulse Gun in his arms, stroking it contentedly as if it were the world’s most precious treasure.

Phoenix wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say.

Without a word, it felt unbearably hard to leave.

A myriad of emotions surged up, making her eyes suddenly moisten.

Recalling their first encounter when she crawled out of the escape pod, his face was one of shock…

When she woke from unconsciousness, he was carefully chewing Snake Skin Tree leaves for her wounds.

The Black Robe coveted her beauty, and despite her fears that he would abandon her due to his fear of the powerful, he had secretly winked at her…

In that instant, she suddenly felt safe, safer even than the strength of her own ability to control Qi.

During the acid rain, he took off his own hat to put on her head.

When she resisted, his hand pressed down on her head…

And that thrilling smack in the cave…

All beautiful images, the stingy, tiresome, petty, base scenes all vanished.

“Tang Fei…”

Phoenix called out.

Tang Fei looked up, his gaze met hers, and he waved at her, flashing his signature smile.

The smile was pure, brilliant, like a ray of sunshine.

Phoenix used to fear such a smile from Tang Fei, finding it terrifying and sending shivers down her spine.

Now, it seemed so warm and nice; she had grown accustomed to it.

“Do you remember the bet we made?” Phoenix shouted.

The wind blew, rain drifted, it was too dark, and they were a bit too far apart…

It seemed like everything in the world was trying to keep them apart.

So, she had to speak louder.

“I remember,” Tang Fei replied with a smile, “You lost.”

“I’ve prepared a gift for you,” Phoenix said.

“Where is it?”

“Guess.”

“…”

Guess or not guess?

Tang Fei originally wanted to respond with that, but it would look like the two of them were openly flirting.

If he really did, he feared the vigilant Undying Army soldiers nearby might just shoot him.

“There’s more…” Phoenix waved at Tang Fei and shouted, “Remember, my name is Zhong Yu Xiu Xue.”

“Zhong Yu Xiu Xue,” Tang Fei mulled over the name in his mouth.

It sounded nice, but it was a bit of a chore to write out.

“Take care!”

“Sure,” Tang Fei responded with a smile.

“You must survive.” Phoenix’s voice grew louder, almost hoarse with desperation.

“Sure.”

“Think of me.”

“…”

Phoenix didn’t hear Tang Fei’s response.

Maybe he would have responded, or maybe not.

But she heard her own heart’s voice, and it received a very certain answer.

“Think of me!”

“Because I will think of you!”

Whether it was a friendship forged through adversity or that naive, ignorant love, she wasn’t clear, nor did she care.

They were going to part ways, and perhaps this goodbye was forever…

Then let herself be brave for once.

Phoenix turned and entered the Star Disc, immediately hiding herself in the restroom.

She didn’t want anyone to see her face, because she knew she was already in tears.

The shadow of Phoenix disappeared.

When Bai Qi entered the hatch, he turned to glance at Tang Fei.

His gaze was deep, as if pondering something.

Numerous young officers sneakily sized up Tang Fei, speculating about the relationship between the Princess and this man.

The last words the Princess had shouted were truly shocking.

If the phrase “Think of me” were to spread to the Empire, no one knew what kind of uproar it would cause.

Of course, no one would show any emotion in public.

The officers and soldiers entered the Star Disc in orderly fashion according to rank.

Click!

The door of the Star Disc closed tightly, then slowly ascended, and the scattered golden phoenix reassembled into a whole once more.

With a “swoosh,” it vanished from sight, without even leaving a lingering shadow.

Tang Fei looked up at the bleak gray sky, feeling the cold rain slickly falling on his face and head.

“Sure,” he whispered in promise to himself.

The old man who had just hidden himself away came running out, glancing at Tang Fei before saying, “If you like her, just say it.

If you love her, then pursue her.

What’s the point of hiding here and wiping tears?

How effeminate.”

Hearing this assessment, Tang Fei couldn’t help but laugh.

When Phoenix spoke to him earlier, he couldn’t help but chastise her for being “effeminate.”

She was a girl after all, the Empire Princess—it’s natural for her to be so.

Obviously, in front of the old man, he couldn’t show any weakness.

Tang Fei wiped the rain from his face, speaking begrudgingly, “Who’s crying?

Don’t you see the rain…

Like?

Like what?”

He patted the Pulse Gun he held tight in his arms, saying, “With this baby, what do I need a woman for?”

“I know you well,” the old man sneered, mocking, “You deliberately put on an uncaring facade when she was here, simply because you were afraid of showing your feelings and getting no response back.

Afraid of losing face?”

“I don’t give a damn about my face, so why would I fear losing it?” Tang Fei retorted, finding the old man annoying.

Lao Liu squinted, sizing up Tang Fei’s face for a while before asking in a grave voice, “Truly no regrets at all?”

Tang Fei fell silent.

Any regrets?

Certainly not.

Well, maybe a little…

After all, at this moment, his heart felt hollow, as if someone had scooped out a piece of it.

But what could he do?

This had been the inevitable conclusion from the very beginning.

She was the New Star Guest, the Empire Princess, a personage who generated awe wherever she went, who should gracefully hold a wine glass and glide through crowds in a high-slit sexy evening dress, basking in the envy or admiration of all…

And what was he?

A refugee from the ruins?

A Henshan Hunter?

Or a master at grilling?

Using Lao Liu’s words: Was it because he hadn’t bathed for a long time that she was attracted to him, or because he hadn’t trimmed his hair for years?

Or perhaps it was the thrill of not knowing where his next meal would come from?

People need to know themselves.

Tang Fei didn’t before, but he did now.

“I’m not worthy!” he told himself silently.

It took a while before he finally answered, “What’s there to regret?

Doesn’t it say in the book, ‘I found a strand of light, and at sunset, I returned it to the Sun.’ What have I lost?

Nothing.

After all, that light was found.”

Slap!

Lao Liu smacked Tang Fei’s head and cursed angrily, “How many times have I told you?

Stop reading ‘Zhi Yin’ magazines, don’t you ever read ‘Zhi Yin.’ You should read more ‘Story Club’…

The stories in there are worth your time.

What are all these absurd things you immerse yourself in?

They’re so sickly sweet.”

“…”

Seeing Tang Fei fall into silence once again, Lao Liu lifted his face to gaze at the dark, lonely starry sky and said softly, “Young man, perhaps, your story has just begun.”

Distance is not the issue, nor is status.

Hatred is the real hurdle.

(ps: A new week begins, and Lao Liu rolls around begging for your votes.

Ladies and gentlemen, our story has just begun.)

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