Part 3
The hovercar drove smoothly, and the current affairs news was playing inside.
[Interstellar supreme ruler Zefaer Suoye remains unconscious due to a spiritual sea riot. The interstellar political power may fall into the hands of his brother, Byron Suoye.]
[According to reliable sources, His Majesty Zefaer is not residing in his palace and may have been secretly transferred to an intensive care unit…]
[His Highness Byron met with Director Rio of the Ghalan Plant Research Institute; the two had a pleasant conversation.]
…
The reports were written with such vivid detail, as if they were established facts, thoroughly teasing the listeners’ interest.
This caused even Zhu Ran, who wasn’t particularly interested in politics, to listen to one report after another with great curiosity.
In their reporting, Zefaer was a cruel and heartless ruler who governed with an iron fist, and the galaxy was suffering under his shadow.
Conversely, Prince Byron was portrayed as very approachable, frequently attending banquets and taking the lead in charitable donations, winning the hearts of the people.
Z listened to the rumors about himself with an expressionless face.
He had never cared about these pointless reports; other people’s gossip meant nothing to him.
But today… with Zhu Ran listening to these “false reports” right in front of him, Z had never felt such a strong urge to lock up the people writing this nonsense.
Z was in a low mood, his expression dark.
The hand at his side clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.
“What do you think?”
Zhu Ran was puzzled. “What do I think about what?”
Z: “About the Zefaer… in the reports.”
Zhu Ran thought for a moment before replying, “The stories are quite interesting. If Zefaer were written as a novel villain, many people would probably like to read about him.”
Z was surprised by this evaluation. He had expected Zhu Ran to say something like “Zefaer is terrible and doesn’t deserve the throne,” as that was how most people in the galaxy saw him.
Z asked again, “You don’t have a problem with… our Emperor, Zefaer?”
Zhu Ran’s green eyes flickered.
Our Emperor…
The use of the word “our” was quite unexpected.
Actually, it might not be “ours,” but “mine”…
In an instant, many possibilities crossed Zhu Ran’s mind, but he didn’t show it.
Zhu Ran: “I’m not familiar with Zefaer, but I don’t think he’s that bad.”
“Though people call him heartless and ruthless, if he really were such a tyrant, these rumors wouldn’t be allowed to circulate at all.”
“Hmm… perhaps not only would the stories be forbidden, but everyone spreading them would likely be executed.”
Hearing this answer, the dark clouds on Z’s face vanished instantly.
Z continued to probe, “And what about Byron?”
“Byron… the brother mentioned in the report?”
Zhu Ran recalled the content of the news. “He doesn’t seem like a good person.”
Z let out a soft chuckle at that.
He hadn’t expected the Byron who was so good at maintaining a public image to receive a “not a good person” rating from Zhu Ran.
“Why do you think so? Byron has a very good reputation.”
“His brother is seriously ill, yet he was caught meeting privately with high-ranking officials to build momentum for himself. Isn’t it obvious he’s trying to steal Zefaer’s power?”
As Zhu Ran spoke, he opened his optical computer and entered the political section of the forums to look at the latest comments.
[Is His Majesty Zefaer really that ill? Please, no…]
[We always say bad things about His Majesty, but it’s just talk. The galaxy has been very stable under his rule.]
[That dog Byron is trying to take the throne. Someone kick him off!]
…
Zhu Ran picked a few forum posts and read them aloud to Z while he was driving.
Zhu Ran concluded, “People aren’t stupid; they won’t be led by the nose by Byron.”
There was a clear hint of laughter in Z’s voice. “Good. I understand.”
After a fifteen-minute drive, the hovercar arrived at the Aispu Central Revolving Ghalan Restaurant.
Mu Qingzhou had also treated him to a meal here, so Zhu Ran was somewhat familiar with the place.
However, the moment they entered, the entire staff—from the doormen to the receptionists—seemed to have been replaced. They stood tall with a disciplined aura, clearly professionally trained.
Had Z replaced everyone here?
Zhu Ran observed silently but said nothing.
Upon reaching the scenic restaurant on the top floor, a row of tall and sturdy “waiters” were already waiting at the entrance. They saluted the moment Z and Zhu Ran arrived.
Their posture was standard and perfectly synchronized.
All the tables and chairs on this floor had been removed, leaving only a single table in the center.
The table was set with white porcelain dishes inlaid with gold. Candle-shaped lamps emitted a soft glow, and a bouquet of flawless Freesias sat in a matching white and gold vase.
Z pulled out a chair for Zhu Ran, waiting until he was seated before taking his own seat.
He handed his hat to Xiuna, who was standing to one side. Xiuna took the hat naturally, nodded to Zhu Ran, and then retreated out of sight to wait.
Z naturally poured a glass of sparkling fruit milk for Zhu Ran. “Let’s eat first. We can talk afterward.”
Zhu Ran nodded. “Alright.”
Acting as a waiter, Xiuna brought out the dishes from the kitchen one by one.
The appetizer was a marine creature sashimi salad with a spicy and sour dressing—very appetizing.
The soup was a cream of potato soup; the milky flavor thoroughly infused the potatoes, making for a rich and thick texture.
The snack was a honey-glazed roast beast meat steak…
The food was prepared exactly the way Zhu Ran liked it—with rich, bold seasonings. The flavor was excellent.
When Zhu Ran had eaten here with Mu Qingzhou, he hadn’t thought the food was particularly good.
But this meal was stunning. He could vaguely tell these dishes came from the same place Z always ordered from.
Did they switch the chefs as well?
While Zhu Ran was lost in thought, Z used his knife and fork to strip the meat from the bone before placing the plate in front of Zhu Ran.
This way, Zhu Ran didn’t have to struggle with the bone himself.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If you have any other requests regarding the food, just let me know.”
…
The dinner lasted for about an hour. During the meal, they chatted casually, and the atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.
Dessert was a beast-egg pudding shaped like a heterochromatic cat.
Zhu Ran tapped the pudding’s body with a spoon, and the cat wobbled “duang-duang,” looking incredibly hydrated and elastic.
Zhu Ran couldn’t help but smile.
The candle-shaped lamps cast a warm glow, and the large bouquet of Freesias was bathed in a pale gold light, adding a touch of mystery.
The flowers released a faint fragrance, imbuing the entire table with a comfortable, natural aura.
Z’s gaze rested on Zhu Ran. The youth was busy poking the cat pudding, and a faint starlight shimmered in his green eyes.
Z swirled the sparkling wine in his hand but didn’t drink.
He didn’t know when he would have the chance to eat with Zhu Ran again…
Z lowered his gaze and asked in a deep voice, “You said you had something to tell me. What is it?”
Zhu Ran looked up from the cat pudding’s rear.
“The natural plants I catalyzed today—Camellia and Eucalyptus—will grow very tall. The balcony is no longer enough for me to cultivate them. So, I’m preparing to move to another planet.”
“I haven’t decided exactly where yet, but it should be one of the three S-grade planets. Your assistant contract is also expiring, so… I wanted to ask what your plans are.”
Z had indeed helped Zhu Ran a lot as an assistant—packing, testing essential oils, tracking forum comments.
But Zhu Ran knew that someone with Z’s status couldn’t stay by his side forever. Z looked “very expensive.” Furthermore… Zhu Ran had only hired Z as an assistant to treat his spiritual sea.
Now that Z’s spiritual sea was stable—and as long as he continued aromatherapy regularly, he wouldn’t easily go into a riot—he didn’t strictly need to stay with Zhu Ran.
As for treating the deep spiritual sea… Zhu Ran planned to test the new mutated essential oils on himself thoroughly before letting Z use them, to avoid any unexpected situations like last time.
Z swirled his glass again, the bubbles making pretty patterns in the pale red liquid.
He smiled suddenly. “What a coincidence. I was going to tell you the same thing.”
Z set the champagne glass down with a soft clink. “I’m returning to Jialan Star.”
He pushed aside the Freesias and the lamp that were blocking their view and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
His blue-and-gold heterochromatic eyes reflected the light, burning with an intensity that lent a warm glow even to the cool blue pupil.
Z asked in a voice more gentle than ever before, “Zhu Ran, will you move to Jialan Star as well?”
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