Chapter 83: The Relationship Between the Villainess and the First Prince
Xie Qiang sat cross-legged on her chair, her small hand cupping her chin, her cat-like eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Was the memory she inherited from the villainess incomplete?
How bizarre.
The novel clearly stated how good the relationship between the villainess and her Royal Brother was. Even if she didn’t have memories of them hanging out, she should at least remember what he looked like, right?
After a moment of contemplation, Xie Qiang opened her light-brain, intending to look for news about the First Prince on the Xinghai Media Network; there might be pictures of him there.
She typed “First Prince” into the search bar.
[First Prince personally visits the abandoned starship shelter to distribute supplies to war orphans…]
[Visiting the ruins of the Zerg battlefield, the First Prince erects a hero’s monument for fallen soldiers…]
[First Prince visits disabled Sentinels, promising to improve retirement benefits…]
Xie Qiang tapped through the screen, finding that the Imperial City Media Network was filled with comments praising the First Prince’s kindness and benevolence, claiming the Empire’s future was bright with such an heir.
She randomly clicked on a link, wanting to see what this so-called brother looked like. However, the moment her gaze landed on the First Prince’s face in the photo, a sharp pain shot through her head.
A fragment of memory flashed by—the First Prince looking at her with a worried face, saying something before pulling her into a comforting embrace.
Beyond that, she could remember nothing else.
“So strange.” Rubbing her aching head, Xie Qiang closed the link. Remembering something, she went to check the chat history between the villainess and the First Prince.
The chat log was completely empty. Not only had there been no communication in the last three years, but there were no records even from before that.
It was as if she had blocked him.
Xie Qiang clicked on the contact settings, then covered her face in exasperation. “She really did block him!”
What on earth happened? Did the villainess have a falling out with her brother before leaving for the Third War Zone?
If that were the case, wouldn’t it be incredibly awkward when she faced him back at the palace?
Wiping her face, Xie Qiang decided to take it one step at a time.
Time flew by. When the three-year term ended, Xie Qiang received a message from the Emperor ordering her to return to the Imperial City immediately to accept her succession rights.
At that time, Sen Ji had just returned to the base with the main force. Ninety percent of the Zerg in the Third District’s wormhole had been eliminated, leaving only a few insignificant stragglers for the remaining Sentinels to clean up.
Xie Qiang stood at the base entrance, welcoming the triumphant return of the troops.
Despite fighting the Zerg day and night in the wormhole, the A-class Sentinels showed no signs of fatigue. Their faces were filled with excitement and pride at having destroyed the wormhole.
Seeing the Princess personally coming out to greet them, the Sentinels immediately waved their arms excitedly, shouting toward Xie Qiang, “Long live Her Highness the Princess!”
For the Sentinels on the battlefield, destroying a wormhole was an impossible dream. But Xie Qiang’s arrival had turned that dream into reality. They no longer had to fear the death brought by mania, nor did they have to face a life that ended predictably on the battlefield.
They stepped forward one after another, taking off the medals that marked their A-class Sentinel rank from their combat suits and placing them in Xie Qiang’s hands.
Xie Qiang was a bit surprised as she caught them. A Sentinel giving their rank medal to a Guide meant they would follow that person unconditionally. In the novel, the original heroine had also received rank medals from Sentinels.
Though, those were all rank B or below.
She shook her head and stuffed the pile of medals into Mo Yin’s arms. Just as she was about to find Sen Ji to talk, a Sentinel stood in front of her.
She looked up in confusion and recognized him. “Shao Bo?”
Shao Bo bit his lip, glancing at the medals in Mo Yin’s arms before looking back at Xie Qiang. “I won’t give my rank medal to you.”
Xie Qiang looked back, then turned back to him. “Oh, of course. That is your freedom.”
“But…” The young Sentinel took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. He said slowly, “Thank you for saving me back then.”
When he saw the Zerg Empress flee in terror, when he saw the A-class Sentinels around him charging to clear the Zerg, and when he witnessed the wormhole collapsing bit by bit, he finally understood the weight of the Princess’s words.
“Suicide is the most cowardly way to die. If you die like that, it’s the greatest insult to your family and fellow villagers.”
If the Princess hadn’t saved him back then, how could he have personally participated in this hunt and sought revenge for his fallen family and people?
The Princess had halted his cowardice and given him the chance to live up to the expectations of the deceased.
Xie Qiang smiled and shook her head dismissively. “You’re welcome.”
She turned to Mo Yin. “Let’s go.”
Mo Yin stepped forward to follow. As he passed Shao Bo, he paused and shoved the armful of medals into Shao Bo’s embrace.
Then he quickly caught up with Xie Qiang.
Shao Bo looked down: ?
Wait, why are you giving these to me?
“Sen Ji.”
Walking up to Sen Ji, who was giving instructions to his adjutant about follow-up work, Xie Qiang’s gaze briefly swept over his face before she spoke softly. “Imperial Father wants us to return to the Empire immediately.”
“Mm, I received the message.” Sen Ji signaled his adjutant to leave before looking at Xie Qiang with a heavy gaze. “I’ll go pilot the starship in a moment.”
“Oh.” Xie Qiang fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. Seeing that the man didn’t leave immediately after speaking, she took another quick peek at him. “You…”
“How have you been lately?” Sen Ji asked. Seeing that Xie Qiang also seemed to have something to say, he added, “What did you want to say?”
“Cough, nothing.” Xie Qiang gave a light cough. “I’ve been doing quite well recently.”
“Is that so…” Sen Ji let out a low, self-deprecating laugh. His voice was barely a whisper. “But I haven’t been doing well at all.”
“Huh?” Xie Qiang didn’t hear him clearly, so she stood on her tiptoes to lean closer. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing.” Sen Ji clenched his fists, glanced at Mo Yin who was following her like a shadow, and said expressionlessly, “I’m leaving.”
Watching the man’s retreating back, Xie Qiang couldn’t help but pout, her face showing some displeasure. “He could at least say something more. Why is he always giving me the cold shoulder?”
“Say what?”
A lazy youth’s voice suddenly sounded above her head. Xie Qiang looked up, meeting Cang Jiu’s silver-blue fox eyes.
He smiled, his eyes narrowing. The two beauty marks beneath his eyes shifted slightly with his expression, making him quite striking. “Does Your Highness have a secret with Commander Sen?”
“Uh…” Xie Qiang shifted her gaze guiltily. “What secret could I possibly have with him?”
Cang Jiu looked at the girl with a half-smile. Sen Ji had been spacing out frequently since returning from the wormhole; it turned out the root of the problem was her.
But what exactly was the secret?
“Right, Imperial Father wants you and Hong Que to return to the Imperial City together.” Xie Qiang remembered the Emperor’s orders and spoke to the youth. “But he also specifically mentioned that you two can depart a few days later.”
“Is that so? I wanted to go with Your Highness~” Cang Jiu smiled obediently. “However, Your Highness must be careful after returning to the palace.”
“Hmm?” Xie Qiang tilted her head in confusion.
“You really don’t know?” Cang Jiu couldn’t tell if she was being genuinely dense or just acting. “Forget it. In short, after returning to the palace, don’t trust anyone.”
“Oh, of course, you can still trust me~” The youth bent down slightly, leaning against the girl’s shoulder in a coddling manner. “I will always stand on Your Highness’s side.”
Xie Qiang thought for a moment and patted his head. “That won’t do.”
Cang Jiu jerked his head up, looking at her aggrievedly. “Your Highness!”
“You can’t just stand on my side,” Xie Qiang said with an air of wisdom. “You need to pull more people over to stand by my side.”
The fox youth immediately grinned, contentedly rubbing his forehead against her shoulder. “Mm!”
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