Chapter 64

The snow had eased, then gradually thickened again. Wu Ying kept her hat on, snowflakes settling on the stray strands of hair that escaped it, on her lashes. They melted silently against her body heat, and the next one drifted down to take their place.

"Hoo, hoo—wow, my snowman's almost done. Just need to decorate it now."

Wu Ying hoisted the snowman's final round head into place with some effort, and a snowman as tall as a person began to take shape.

The indispensable red scarf, plus blush, nose, mouth, and eyes—a hat was needed too. Wu Ying ran inside and rummaged around for quite a while before finally finding suitable substitutes.

The wind was a bit strong, and Wu Ying's hat nearly blew off. She sneezed, her hand trembling slightly—luckily, the snowman's mouth hadn't gone crooked.

"Done!"

The snowman smiled, dressed up as a beautiful elf. It stood quietly and adorably in the yard, as if no amount of wind or snow could scare it.

"Master, the snow is about to get heavier. The weather forecast says it'll be freezing snow. We should head inside quickly."

"Alright. Achoo."

Jiujiu's health monitoring system began to alert. Wu Ying was also afraid of catching a cold. As soon as she stepped inside, the smart robot in the house was already waiting by the door with a medical kit.

It shouldn't be serious—just a bit of cold wind.

Wu Ying drank a glass of hot water and felt her whole body warm up. It was getting dark. The night on Tuotuo Star seemed to lose the gentle charm of the daytime; cold wind gusted through the mountain forest, and the rustling of trees seemed to echo across the entire planet.

The world was dim, but thankfully the cabin was warm and cozy. Jiujiu was preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Wu Ying sat by the fireplace with a hot drink, playing on her Light Brain. In the group chat, Cynthia's messages came one after another.

"You already started playing? Building a snowman—I've never done that. Why didn't you wait for me?" Her slightly aggrieved voice message made Wu Ying laugh. She replied that they could build a new snowman nearby later.

Cynthia, upon learning that Wu Ying had already gone to Tuotuo Star, made a big fuss about setting off too. After explaining things to her family and packing her bags, it was already quite late by the time she boarded the spaceship. She was expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

It looked like she'd be spending tonight alone, though that kind of life wasn't unfamiliar to her. She was quite used to it.

She connected to the monitor at home to check on the grafted roses. Everything seemed normal, but separated by a layer of distance, she still felt a lingering doubt in her heart. Wu Ying had no choice but to set it aside.

The next day, the snow in the yard was another layer thicker. The snow-clearing robot headed out early in the morning to work. Not a trace of snow remained on the small paved road—special technical devices melted the snow instantly, ensuring the path stayed clear.

Wu Ying leaned by the window, gazing at the distant snow-capped mountains. They were draped in silver, with thick snow even at the foothills. Tuotuo Star was a completely white world. The cold here was unmistakable, but the warmth stood out all the more.

It was like a freezing winter day while you're wrapped in a warm blanket—a comfort and coziness nothing could rival.

Wu Ying raised her hands and stretched wide. She pulled the curtain to one side, and her study buddy was already in position. She gently opened a crack, and the icy wind immediately slipped through the gap in the window.

It was so cold she shuddered. Okay, she was fully awake now.

Studying in this kind of environment had its own unique flavor. Yesterday, she and Cynthia had planned a full two-week itinerary of fun, hoping to squeeze in study time during their free moments, since they weren't going to play all day. Wu Ying had also urged Cynthia to bring her study materials so the two of them could study together. She wondered if Cynthia had taken the advice.

At breakfast, Wu Ying specifically asked Jiujiu to prepare a meal for Cynthia.

Cynthia arrived. Two robots followed behind her. The moment she stepped inside, it felt like the whole house came alive.

"Wow, this house is way prettier than that other one. And flowers too—you must have brought these yourself." Cynthia touched this and that around the room, as if she were a guest visiting Wu Ying's home.

"You're way too dramatic. I just did a little decorating."

"Then your actual home must be gorgeous. When are you taking me to visit?" Cynthia winked at her and teased. Beta Star wasn't that easy to get into, and Wu Ying spread her hands helplessly.

"Just kidding. By the way, where are your bodyguards? This house is really remote—the nearest one I found is still eight li away."

Bodyguards? Wu Ying shook her head. She hadn't brought any. With Jiujiu in hand, she could roam the world.

Cynthia glanced at Jiujiu and nodded affirmatively. Indeed, with Jiujiu around, and Wu Ying having a mech, she didn't need much extra protection.

"So, what are we doing today? Let's go skiing—I've been dying to try it."

Cynthia's eyes sparkled as she looked at Wu Ying expectantly. Wu Ying naturally agreed.

Skiing—the most fitting activity on Tuotuo Star. However, they'd need to buy ski gear first. Wu Ying pondered, thinking back to the information she'd seen on the official website yesterday.

Tuotuo Star seemed to be aiming for a tourism development path—the things quietly posted on the official site showed a hint of that. But she had seen comments down below saying the situation was tense at the moment, wondering what the insect race was up to, and why Tuotuo Star was going all in on entertainment—blah blah blah, a whole pile of it.

She hadn't finished reading before the comments quickly disappeared. The official site had tucked the market introduction report away in a special column, and the outcome of who won and who lost was clear at a glance.

The two of them played hard on Tuotuo Star for several days solid, until Su Yi showed up at the door with her whole family in tow. When she arrived, the two were still lost in sleep, until the robot alerted them.

"You two—having a good time, huh."

Su Yi adjusted her glasses, taking in the two bleary-eyed, disheveled figures before her, and finally decided, "Give me a room," before settling in.

Why had the study fanatic suddenly abandoned her ways? Just as the two of them were puzzled, Su Yi began to explain: she happened to have arranged an experimental project on Tuotuo Star, so she'd come along.

Well then—still the same study fanatic, no mistake.

"Right, Wu Ying, I brought too many people. Could I stay at your place?"

Wu Ying looked around in a daze. "Not this house," Su Yi reminded her. But Wu Ying was even more confused. "But I only rented this one."

Su Yi frowned. "Didn't you rent it?" When she'd arrived, she'd asked about the houses nearest to Wu Ying's cabin. The two closest—one had been checked in the same day as Cynthia, and the other on the same day as Wu Ying. Could it be a coincidence?

After hearing her explanation, Wu Ying fell into thought. She was naturally certain she hadn't brought anyone along, but she couldn't guarantee it had nothing to do with her.

Cynthia patted her. "I'll have my people ask."

Cynthia tapped a few times on her Light Brain and quickly looked up. "My bodyguards said that on the first day we went out, they'd already crossed paths with the other party. They said they were there to protect you. He thought it was normal, so he didn't report it."

"Who sent them?"

Cynthia suddenly felt like she'd asked a stupid question. If Wu Ying didn't know, then it had to be arranged by her family. She'd been wondering before how Wu Ying could go out without bringing anyone and feel at ease about it.

Su Yi and Cynthia both turned to look at Wu Ying. Cynthia said, "Want me to have someone ask?"—going straight to the door with it. Su Yi spoke calmly, "So, can my people stay?"

Wu Ying smiled wryly and raised a hand to stop them. "Hold on, you two. Let me ask myself first. I'll get back to you once I know, okay?"

With that, she retreated upstairs. She needed some private space to look into this.

Su Yi and Cynthia exchanged glances. Before, they'd only vaguely sensed that Wu Ying's sudden trip to Tuotuo Star seemed off. Now it was obvious—she was having a fight with her husband.

Upstairs, Wu Ying fiddled with the Light Brain on her wrist, her brows twisted into a caterpillar from anxiety. She didn't really want to contact him, but she felt she probably should.

"The people following me—did you arrange them?"

Wu Ying stared at the chat interface. In front of the message she'd sent were messages from a few days ago—Asher asking what she was doing, which she hadn't replied to, and a video call request she'd declined.

She stared blankly at her Light Brain. It seemed like a long time passed, or maybe only a moment, before Asher sent a video call.

The call connected, and a projection rose up beside her. Wu Ying immediately leaned back. The two faced each other.

After a moment of silence, Wu Ying quietly looked at the figure in the projection. Asher had dirt smudged on his nose, his hair in disarray, and what looked like a torn gash on the shoulder of his clothes—as if claws had dug into it. He looked a bit haggard, and just looking at him made Wu Ying's heart race with alarm. She hesitated, unsure what to say—or perhaps she should say nothing at all.

"I arranged them. Feel free to use them."

Asher spoke first, pulling off his gloves and running a hand through his hair. He'd just come off the battlefield. The insect race seemed to have gone mad, and he'd inevitably had to show his face. Fortunately, the problem wasn't too big.

"Mm. Then that's that. I won't disturb you."

Wu Ying wanted to hang up quickly, but Asher called out to stop her. "Wu Ying, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Asher habitually touched the bite mark on his arm. Too much time had passed, and even though Asher deliberately avoided using healing agents, the bite mark was slowly fading.

His tone rose slightly, carrying a bit more liveliness. "What have you been up to lately?"

Wu Ying's tone was indifferent. "Nothing much. Just playing."

"Playing what?"

"Why do you care about all this? Aren't you busy?" Wu Ying looked at him. Asher wasn't exactly a clean freak, but he had the particular standards of a noble heir. Wearing dirty clothes now must be grating on him.

"I'm not busy right now. I wanted to know what you've been up to." Asher's deep black eyes quietly watched her.

Wu Ying avoided his gaze. A wave of stifling frustration rose in her chest, and she couldn't help letting her tone turn sour. "I've got plenty going on. When would I have time to tell you everything piece by piece!"

"That busy? You don't have to go through everything. Where did you go these past few days? Was it fun? I recall skiing on Tuotuo Star is a great activity. Be careful, and have you taken the proper safety measures?" Asher asked with great detail—it was what he wanted to know. Even though he'd arranged people to protect her, it was limited to keeping her safe.

When he got no answer from Wu Ying, Asher gazed at her profile, an unnamed emotion churning in his chest—something like urgency, or like anger—making him want to pull her into his arms this instant.

"What are your plans from here? There's still time before summer break ends." After asking, he fell silent for a moment on his own, then finally, as if he could no longer hold it in, "When are you coming home?"

"I don't want to go back."

"Why?" Asher's voice was strained as he tried to speak calmly with her.