Chapter 56: I Will Love You Across a Hundred Million Light Years

Dawn reveals the sky, dusk brings clouds: whether walking or sitting, he cannot help but think of her.

Tap, tap. Qingxuan’s slender fingers drummed a crisp, rhythmic beat upon the armrest of his chair. Though his back was turned to his subordinates, he could easily imagine the state of mind of the roomful of aliens kneeling behind him. He could even guess how much disdain, helplessness, fear, or contempt flickered in their eyes. Still, for the sake of his mother, and for the sake of his beloved far away, he would endure.

“Your Highness, the insect race is invading again, and our Queen is still in a coma. A kingdom cannot go a day without its monarch!”

At last, one of the bolder aliens stood up. She was one of the great generals of Planet Carter, and her words carried weight. Yet, her tone was far from amicable.

The illusion before him abruptly ended: on the glass wall, a woman reached out to seize another man’s hand. It was obvious they were running for their lives, yet... it was still unforgivable.

Everyone in the hall felt the overwhelming fury from the man sitting on the throne with his back to them, so intense it left them speechless.

Qingxuan, with eyes as black as ink, gazed obsessively at the girl’s image. But when he saw her hand in another man’s, his pupils transformed into blood-red slits—like a bloodthirsty demon, determined to tear that man apart.

After a long silence, Qingxuan finally turned around. He leaned languidly against the golden throne, his silver robe with purple trim trailing across the heavy, somber black carpet. His long golden hair was loosely tied behind him, his left hand supporting his cool cheek, his right resting on the throne’s armrest. With eyes closed, he resembled a cat napping in the sun, utterly indolent. Yet when he opened his eyes, that sharp, furious gaze was the very image of the Queen in her wrath, striking terror into all who saw it.

“Cardros,” he spoke suddenly, his voice cold and detached, “can you really think of no other solution?!”

The proud alien who had just stood her ground now crumbled beneath the pressure of his magic, falling to her knees with a heavy thud.

Shame and anger flushed and paled Cardros’ face. “The next Queen is right in front of us. Why can’t we bring her back?” She raised her eyes to the illusionary wall behind Qingxuan. “Surely you know, on Planet Carter, males are slaves! You’re only here because of your birth!” Though everyone knew these truths, none dared voice them as boldly as she did. “Your duty is to await the new Queen’s return and ensure she bears Carter’s next princess as soon as possible! Leave politics and military matters alone!”

Silence. A deathlike, suffocating silence.

“Do you know what you’re saying?” Qingxuan gently massaged his throbbing temple. “Have you considered the consequences of your words?”

The illusionary wall behind him slowly faded, revealing to all a forest of towering trees with lush foliage, vibrant giant blossoms, and tangled, twisting green vines. In the distance, exquisite, resplendent aerial palaces hovered. They lived freely in the skies, but anyone knew a single misstep meant plunging into an abyss of no return—corrosive sap, man-eating flowers, strangling vines. Not one of these dangers could they face without terror.

Cardros said nothing, remaining on her knees in silence. She did not feel she had spoken wrongly—she had only stated the facts.

“That’s enough. You may all withdraw.” Qingxuan’s tone was edged with clear impatience and barely contained anger.

One by one, the ministers backed out of the hall and departed the palace in their private transports.

“Stately, Paige, you may leave as well.” At some point, Qingxuan had turned back to the wall, and the illusionary barrier shimmered into existence once more. This time, though, it showed not a world overrun by alien species, but a girl sitting alone by the wall, waiting in silence. The wind lifted her ponytail, brushing her pale cheek; the strands slipped past her eyes, blurring her vision—and his.

“Your Highness...” Paige barely began before Stately clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away.

Only when the heavy palace doors closed behind his last attendants did Qingxuan allow himself to relax. He leaned forward, golden hair falling over his shoulder and swaying across his chest, a striking contrast with the stately robe.

His brows, his nose, his lips—his long fingers traced the girl’s face on the illusionary wall, as if she were truly before him.

He remembered his first arrival on Earth: then, as an innocent young serpent, he believed all that his mother had taught him in the womb would hold true. He thought he could rely on the wife he chose, live as a happy man, cling to her, play with her, forbid her to touch other men. But the day he set foot on that world called Earth, he discovered it differed utterly from anything he’d ever known. When other men embraced their wives, she held him in her arms. When other men shielded their wives in danger, she created a haven for him. When other men fled with wife and children, he wiped her memories, selfishly severed the bond of blood, leaving her alone in that perilous world, while he returned to his own, still-peaceful homeland—even if only to await the coming crisis. He would never forgive himself for this, not ever.

Now, day and night, he could only keep vigil in this lonely corner, watching her life, sharing in her joys, her sorrows, her anxieties, everything about her. Every day he hypnotized himself, telling himself he had not left her, that she had not forgotten him.

She has not forgotten him, has she?

He knew she would not follow him back to this strange and dangerous planet, because she wished to find her family—she loved them more than anything, more even than him. He could not blame her. If the future allowed, he would persuade her to return with him to her own world. She would bask in supreme glory, become the only queen here! His task was to clear every obstacle for her before she arrived.

But all of this depended on one thing: that she had not forgotten him. She had not...

His cold lips pressed against her image on the illusionary wall, meeting her red lips through the barrier, as intoxicating as if it were real.

Though separated by countless planets, by billions of light-years, he still could not let her go, still longed to keep her by his side, to wake each morning to her pouting lips, to hold her in his arms and keep her happy every day.

My love, I love you—can you hear me?

------------------------------------------------------------

In any case, Mo Yu and her companions’ journey was going rather smoothly, aside from the occasional “scenery” along the way.

Zombies were already drawn irresistibly to humans, and with Wang Xiaoxiao, a skin mutant, in their group, escaping became even harder. They’d barely set out before attracting several zombies. True, their team was large enough that dispatching a few wasn’t difficult—but there were just too many zombies! It was as the saying goes: kill one, another appears; kill a pair, here come two more. In the end, everyone except Mo Yu began to wear out. With no other choice, Mo Yu and Jin took the lead, racing zombies along the highway while keeping an eye out for any cars they could start.

Whether it was luck or misfortune, they managed to spot a taxi they could use—but the driver was still inside... and had become a zombie.

Truly, it was a choice between the tiger before and the wolves behind. Yet considering the strength of a tiger—

Author’s Note: ...Three chapters today... Is anyone reading this...?

So melancholy...