Chapter 23 — Opportunity
After finishing breakfast, Hua Mian went to the window to bask in the sun for a while. The warmth seeped into her bones, leaving her comfortably drowsy.
Yan An had gone to the kitchen to prepare desserts for her. After eating, Chen Xueji and Yu Jin had also headed out one after another, leaving only Chu Fufeng and Chi Rui at home to rest and recover from their injuries.
Chi Rui carefully sat down on the sofa near Hua Mian, occasionally tapping on his personal light-brain.
Chu Fufeng hesitated for a long time, glancing at the sofa to Hua Mian’s left. He wanted to go sit there, but was afraid she would dislike it.
There was an ugly wound from his jawline to his ear. It was smeared with ointment, the red and white flesh looking rather unpleasant. He was terrified that if Hua Mian saw it, she’d feel disgusted.
After wavering for a moment, he still didn’t dare to approach.
Hua Mian scrolled through her light-brain, and the top headline on the hot search caught her attention.
“Ilika Star launches Stone-Gambling Event: Fortune Favours the Lucky.”
She tapped on the news. A video showed a beastman cracking open a stone to reveal a dazzling, colorful gem. The people around him erupted in excitement.
Ilika Star?
Hua Mian raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t that the place where the Crown Prince and the stubborn “little sun” heroine first met?
When she read the novel, she had always been most fond of that Crown Prince. In her eyes, he was the heroine’s fated partner — their relationship could only be described as she tries to run, he chases relentlessly; a love that leaves her no room to escape.
Wait.
In the original plot, the heroine and the Crown Prince met because someone on Ilika Star happened to pick up an extremely valuable top-grade energy stone.
The entire planet went into a frenzy. In the chaos, the heroine was separated from her family and accidentally fell into the Crown Prince’s arms.
But the point wasn’t their encounter — it was the top-grade energy stone someone got for cheap!
And she currently lacked money more than anything!
Opportunity favours the prepared. She needed to head to Ilika Star right now.
Hua Mian sprang to her feet, startling Chi Rui, who stared at her with big puppy-dog eyes.
“Chi Rui.”
Her voice was soft and sweet. Chi Rui’s ears twitched — just that one word seemed to melt his bones.
“L–Lady?”
He was flustered by the unexpected attention, quickly standing and moving cautiously to her side.
“Help me check the earliest starship to Ilika Star, okay?”
Chi Rui’s cheeks flushed pink. After a minute of searching, he had the answer.
“The fastest one is passenger ship T683. It departs at seven this evening.”
“Thank you.”
In a great mood, Hua Mian reached out and ruffled Chi Rui’s fluffy white curls. The soft, airy texture felt wonderful.
Chi Rui squinted his eyes, delighted by the warm hand carrying the faint scent of roses. He even leaned his head subtly into her palm.
Hua Mian noticed, paused for a second, then continued gently rubbing his hair.
Chu Fufeng sat alone not far away. Watching the scene, it felt like she wasn’t rubbing Chi Rui’s head — she was squeezing his heart. It left him with a suffocating ache.
“Lady wants to go to Ilika Star?” he asked.
“Mm. I’ll need you to help me change my identity and also buy the starship ticket.”
“Alright.”
Not long after, Yu Jin — who worked at the research institute — received the bill for the starship ticket that Chi Rui purchased.
He managed the family finances and had given Chi Rui and the others access to a shared account.
Sensing something off, he immediately messaged Chi Rui.
Yu Jin: “What’s with the starship ticket?”
Chi Rui’s avatar was his beast form — a fluffy white Samoyed looking blankly into the camera.
Chi Rui: “My Lady told me to buy it.”
Yu Jin: “What is she going there for?”
Chi Rui: “Uh? Lady didn’t say.”
Yu Jin rubbed his forehead.
Yu Jin: “And you just bought the ticket?”
Chi Rui: “Yes! Lady told me to use a fake identity. She even praised me!”
Yu Jin felt a headache coming on.
Yu Jin: “What time is the flight?”
Chi Rui: “Seven this evening.”
Yu Jin: “Got it. I’ll be home shortly.”
Chi Rui sat there looking torn.
Hua Mian asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
“Lady… why are you going to Ilika Star?” he asked timidly.
“To have fun.”
Chi Rui froze. That answer didn’t explain anything… but she did answer, so asking again might annoy her, right?
Hua Mian turned her head away, pretending not to see Chi Rui’s confused, distressed look.
Instead, her gaze met Chu Fufeng’s.
His face was pale, clearly still severely injured. His once golden hair had lost its shine. Though the wound on his cheek didn’t ruin his beauty, it gave him a battle-worn allure.
She remembered how terrible his temper had been at first. Now, that molten-lava rage had faded; he seemed more like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.
Hua Mian suddenly smiled.
Sunlight shimmered over her long, wavy black hair. She wore a red dress today — the fitted waist made her look even slimmer, and the hem stopped mid-thigh, revealing her fair, slender legs.
Her smile was seductive and dazzling, so breathtaking in the sunlight it made one’s vision blur.
Chu Fufeng could hear his heartbeat — thump, thump — almost breaking out of his chest. His blood heated with every passing second.
Even after she looked away, he still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
After eating the special lunch Yan An made for her, Hua Mian returned to her room.
She wasn’t feeling well today, and since she had to leave for Ilika Star in the evening, she planned to rest and gather her strength.
On his way home, Yu Jin had investigated Ilika Star’s situation. It was a mining planet — rich in resources a century ago, but everything had nearly been exhausted by now.
The planet had declined rapidly and become extremely poor.
In the past few years, they revived the ancient tradition of stone-gambling, which finally restored some economic activity.
Recently, the planet had launched a nostalgic marketing campaign for the event, creating a lot of buzz. Considering that, Hua Mian’s sudden desire to go there was suspicious.
Yu Jin had tried guessing her reason, but every possibility seemed illogical. It made him irritable.
His usually gentle, jade-like expression was clouded with rare impatience, making Chi Rui nervous.
“Brother Yu Jin… did I do something wrong?” Chi Rui asked timidly.
Yu Jin snapped out of it and gave him a gentle smile.
“No. Work was just a little troublesome earlier. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Chi Rui watched him head upstairs.
Half-asleep, Hua Mian smelled a faint, bitter herbal scent. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of refined, elegant features — as if painted with a fine brush.
“Lady.”
The voice was warm and familiar.
“What time is it?” she murmured.
“Three in the afternoon. There’s still plenty of time before seven.”
“So you found out?” Hua Mian pushed herself upright.
Yu Jin helped her with impeccable timing, offering half a cup of warm water.
“Yes. Why is Lady going to Ilika Star?”
“To have fun,” she replied with a squinty smile.
Yu Jin knew she didn’t want to tell him.
What fun could there be on a poverty-stricken, resource-drained planet like Ilika Star?
“…May I accompany you?” he asked softly.
Hua Mian hadn’t planned to bring anyone. But looking at Yu Jin’s gentle eyes, she found herself unable to refuse.
“Lady, I can pay for your expenses, carry your things. I’ll be useful.”
His tone was almost pitiful. His ink-wash eyes shimmered with tenderness.
Hua Mian’s heart softened, and she agreed without thinking.
The moment she realized, regret crept in — she opened her mouth to retract her words, but Yu Jin said:
“Lady, I’ll prepare the things you commonly use and pack them for you.”
“…Alright.”
Seeing her obedient nod, Yu Jin pressed his lips into a satisfied smile.
By the time she regretted it again, it would already be too late.
