Chapter Summaries

Zhen grew closer to Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui as they trained and planned a future trip together, while Xi Xiu later began losing repeatedly to a formidable opponent in virtual combat. The chapter left Xi Xiu determined to train harder as she and Xue Fanhui speculated that her opponent might be an exceptionally gifted fighter.

• Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui reduced Zhen's training schedule after seeing how hard she was pushing herself, and Zhen secretly cried with gratitude.
• Shally sold the Shulai Stones, and Zhen offered Xi Xiu a third of her earnings; Xi Xiu refused and invited Zhen to travel with them someday.
• Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui planned to apply for an outing together after Xi Xiu turned twelve, with Zhen joining them.
• Three years later, Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui entered virtual combat spaces, where Xi Xiu suffered a ten-match losing streak against a powerful opponent.
• Xi Xiu told Xue Fanhui and Zhen about the opponent, and Xue Fanhui wondered whether their Mental Power exceeded 3S and whether they were a genius like Ye Zhenwei.

Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui trained and prepared for their futures as Xue Fanhui completed a miniature Atomic Light Cannon for the Alliance design competition. The Orphanage began its annual team combat trial, and the three friends prepared to compete together.

• Xi Xiu trained with Zhen and taught her close-combat skills to help her protect herself after they eventually parted ways.
• Xue Fanhui spent a month designing a compact Atomic Light Cannon that could fire twenty shots, then submitted its data to the Alliance competition.
• Xi Xiu began winning occasional matches against her virtual opponent after half a year of training.
• Vivian announced the Orphanage’s team-based combat trial and warned the children that academic grades could affect their future Alliance salaries.
• Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen formed a team and arrived at the training room for the competition.

Xixiu's group won the Orphanage competition after Xixiu defeated Shu Anna, Xue Fanhui beat Hu Yuning, and Zhen surprised everyone by defeating Ding Zhizhi. Back at the dormitory, Xixiu explained how she had predicted Ding Zhizhi's weakness, and the group celebrated their prize money.

• Xixiu arranged for herself to fight Shu Anna, Xue Fanhui to face Hu Yuning, and Zhen to challenge Ding Zhizhi, confident that Zhen's training gave her a chance.
• Xixiu defeated Shu Anna, and Xue Fanhui narrowly beat Hu Yuning despite suffering a few injuries.
• Zhen used Xixiu's techniques to withstand Ding Zhizhi's attacks, exploit her growing impatience, and win after thirty moves.
• After the fights, Xue Fanhui and Zhen asked Xixiu why she had been certain Zhen could beat Ding Zhizhi, and Xixiu explained that she had observed Ding Zhizhi losing composure after twenty moves.
• Xixiu's group took first place, received a large Star Coin reward, and celebrated their future travel plans.

After passing her exams, Xi Xiu chose programming design and Robot Dynamics so she could build a body for Sixi, and she sought work-study opportunities to earn money for materials. Vivian promised to contact her when the new listings arrived, while Xue Fanhui and Zhen decided to join her.

• Xi Xiu passed her academic exams and chose programming design and Robot Dynamics for the next school year.
• Xi Xiu learned that building a robot body would be expensive and decided to find work to earn the necessary Star Coins.
• Xi Xiu asked Vivian about work-study opportunities, and Vivian said the new list would arrive in August and she would contact Xi Xiu then.
• Xue Fanhui and Zhen joined Xi Xiu's plan to work and study together.
• Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen left Vivian's office and greeted Shally and Corinne in the hallway.

Xi Xiu learned that the Alliance assigned marriage partners through Central Brain matchmaking and struggled with the idea of giving up free love. She resolved to take things as they came while remembering the boy she had loved in her previous life.

• Xi Xiu asked Xue Fanhui and Zhen why she had never seen Shally and Corinne's husbands, and they explained that the husbands lived elsewhere or were serving in the military.
• Zhen and Xue Fanhui told Xi Xiu that the Central Brain matched people with potential spouses, prompting Xi Xiu to research the Alliance's marriage rules on the Star Net.
• Xi Xiu learned about the Alliance's two marriage systems, the matchmaking process, Gene Engraving, and the limits on rejecting matches.
• Xi Xiu reassured Zhen and Xue Fanhui that she was fine, then decided she had years to consider the system and would handle her future match when it came.
• Xi Xiu cursed the Alliance's restrictions on young love and remembered the boy she had loved in her previous life before burying those memories again.

Xi Xiu recovered from learning about marriage matching, trained with Zhen and Xue Fanhui, and planned to help Zhen prepare for her physical skills exam. After the new term began, the three friends took flexible work-study jobs at a snack factory, where Xi Xiu was delighted by the high hourly pay.

• Xi Xiu reassured Zhen and Xue Fanhui that she had adjusted, then joined them for dinner and training.
• At the training room, Shu Anna stopped Ding Zhizhi from confronting them after learning Fiona’s punishment had been justified.
• Xi Xiu sparred with Xue Fanhui and Zhen, then agreed to give Zhen targeted training so she could pass the Level Eight exam.
• After giving Zhen two months of intensive training, Xi Xiu began the new term, chose botany, and focused on studying for her plans to design Sixi and improve Nutrient Paste.
• Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen accepted flexible packaging jobs at the snack factory, earning 500 Star Coins an hour.

The Alliance placed Ningkui Star on alert after the Inquira launched a surprise attack on Tianwei Star, a vital energy supplier. As Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen followed the battle’s progress, the threat of war sharpened their resolve and fears about the future.

• Xi Xiu passed Level Nine Physical Combat but failed to find the Virtual Network opponent she wanted to thank, so she wrote down their ID.
• On October 7, Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen learned that the Star Net had been shut down and assembled with the Orphanage under emergency defenses.
• Vivian announced that the Inquira had attacked Tianwei Star and ordered the Orphanage into martial law, with everyone prepared to evacuate.
• After the Star Net reopened, Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen watched footage of the Inquira’s attack and learned that five thousand enemy warships were advancing on Tianwei Star.
• Xi Xiu resolved to train harder, while Xue Fanhui feared the Inquira’s improved weapons and Zhen worried about her friends’ future on the front lines.

After witnessing the destruction of Alliance warships, Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen vowed to grow stronger while they waited under martial law. Fifteen days later, the Alliance announced victory over the Inquira, but millions of soldiers had died.

• Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui vowed to train hard, while Xue Fanhui promised to develop powerful weapons and Zhen promised to support them from safety.
• Robot 08 kept the girls in the dormitory as they trained on the Virtual Network, and Vivian offered comfort during her patrol.
• After fifteen Ningkui Star days, Vivian announced that Alliance forces had driven back the Inquira and ended martial law.
• Vivian told the children that more than five million Alliance soldiers had died, and the Alliance prepared a live-broadcast State Funeral for the fallen.

The Orphanage watched the Alliance’s State Funeral, and the ceremony left Xi Xiu frightened by the possibility of dying in a future war. Vivian comforted her and began telling her a story about three girls who had once faced similar fears.

• The Alliance held a State Funeral at the Sea of Souls, where Xu Jiusong ordered the fallen soldiers’ remains consigned to the nebula.
• After the livestream, Vivian urged the girls to grow stronger and protect the Alliance, and everyone observed fifteen minutes of silence.
• Xue Fanhui resolved to work hard on her weapons, while Xi Xiu worried that military service could cost her the chance to live out her dreams.
• Vivian noticed Xi Xiu’s low spirits and listened as Xi Xiu confessed that she lacked the resolve to sacrifice herself for the Alliance.
• Vivian reassured Xi Xiu that fear was human nature and began recounting the story of three orphanage girls who had also feared war.

Vivian told Xixiu how Wei Lanshan and she had found their way to the battlefield, helping Xixiu accept that she would have to face war. Xixiu returned to her routine with renewed resolve, determined to survive and grow stronger.

• Vivian explained that Wei Lanshan had left military academy to study medicine in hopes of curing their gifted friend, then returned to military service after the girl died.
• Vivian told Xixiu that she had gone to war to honor her parents, and encouraged Xixiu to be brave despite her fear.
• Xixiu decided she had to face the battlefield and told Vivian she understood the life ahead of her.
• Vivian sent Wei Lanshan an account of their conversation, and Wei Lanshan predicted Xixiu would recover her spirit by the next day.
• Xixiu returned to her dormitory, reflected on her past and future, and resolved to work hard so she could survive the war and explore the stars.
• The next day, Xixiu resumed her packed routine with stricter training, while Xue Fanhui and Zhen trained alongside her.

Xi Xiu trained harder, planned to earn money in the Arena, and found an online recipe job to support herself and Sixi. Her anonymous client, Qing Zhixun, paid her for her first recipes, and Xi Xiu eagerly prepared many more.

• Xi Xiu improved her Mental Power control and trained in the Battle Room, while the Orphanage children grew more diligent after the war.
• Xue Fanhui told Xi Xiu that the Arena offered competitions with Star Coin prizes, and Xi Xiu began looking forward to earning money there after turning fourteen.
• Xi Xiu researched online work and found a listing offering two hundred thousand Star Coins a month for four recipes.
• Xi Xiu sent her anonymous client several recipes using Alliance ingredients, and Qing Zhixun paid her fifty thousand Star Coins for the week.
• Xi Xiu celebrated the payment and wrote sixty more recipes, determined to make money and build a future for herself and Sixi.

After seven years on Ningkui Star, Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui went on a spring outing to the Xisui River with 08. As Xi Xiu remembered her former life while watching the sunrise, 08 decided to preserve the girls’ traces in its memory.

• Xi Xiu continued earning money from her Star Net recipe job while training and studying with Zhen and Xue Fanhui.
• Seven years passed, and the twelve-year-old girls prepared snacks and supplies for an outing after years of living at the Orphanage.
• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui left with 08 and rode the Orphanage vehicle to the Xisui River.
• At the river, Xi Xiu watched the sunrise and was reminded of Blue Star, while Zhen and Xue Fanhui quietly gave her space.
• 08 watched the girls settle in and decided to keep their traces permanently in its chip instead of deleting them when they left for other star systems.

Xi Xiu prepared a fresh medley and juice-fried eggs for Xue Fanhui and Zhen, impressing them with her cooking and discussing her plan to open an ingredient-processing shop after retirement. The three friends spent the day at the Xisui River, taking photos and enjoying the scenery before heading home.

• Xi Xiu made a refreshing fruit medley, and Xue Fanhui and Zhen praised it and asked how she had learned to prepare it.
• Xi Xiu cooked eggs on a miniature energy stove, and Xue Fanhui and Zhen were amazed by the natural food and its taste.
• Xi Xiu told Zhen she planned to open an ingredient-processing shop after retirement, and Zhen assured her that aristocratic families would be customers.
• After eating, Xi Xiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen rested beneath the trees, then dressed up and took a group photo by the Xisui River.
• The three friends played by the river, collected stones, watched the sunset, and recorded the scenery before it was time to return home.

Xixiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen planned a three-month trip to Anvile, secured approval, and prepared for their first journey across star systems. On the night before leaving Ningkui Star, they shared their hopes and fears, while Xixiu remained determined to find her place among the stars.

• Vivian announced that travel applications had opened, and the three girls began researching destinations and planning their trip.
• Xixiu chose Anvile, Xue Fanhui chose Tianwei Star, and Zhen chose Kuimu Star; after rejecting Tianwei Star, Zhen and then Xue Fanhui agreed to Anvile.
• Zhen created a detailed itinerary with help from Xixiu and Xue Fanhui, and Vivian approved their plan.
• The three girls submitted their applications and learned a week later that their three-month trip had been approved, with departure set for the end of April.
• On the night before leaving Ningkui Star, Zhen asked Xixiu if she was afraid, and Xixiu encouraged her to be brave as they discussed their future ambitions.

Xi Xiu and her companions left the Orphanage and began their journey to Anweier, where they trained aboard the Star Shuttle. When Cheng Yixue insulted them for being orphans, Xi Xiu fought back and left the conflict with the bureau staff handling the aftermath.

• Vivian gave Xi Xiu a Space Locket, reminded her to stay safe, and saw her off with Zhen and Xue Fanhui.
• Dora led Xi Xiu's group and five other groups onto the Star Shuttle bound for Anweier.
• Xi Xiu trained Zhen and scheduled the group's daily practice while they traveled.
• Cheng Yixue and her companions mocked Xi Xiu's group for being orphans, and Xi Xiu cited Alliance Etiquette and recorded their insults.
• Xi Xiu and Zhen fought Cheng Yixue's group, with Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui winning and Zhen narrowly defeating her opponent.
• Xi Xiu named prominent Alliance figures who had grown up in Orphanages, then returned to her cabin as Dora called in the other group's supervisor.

After the afternoon’s conflict, Xi Xiu relaxed with Zhen and Xue Fanhui, reading a romance about a human and a merman. The girls settled down for the night, while Dora found Cheng Yixue’s group breaking the rest rules and warned them their evaluations mattered.

• Xi Xiu reassured Zhen and Xue Fanhui that she was all right, then immersed herself in a romance about a human and a merman.
• Zhen admired the novel’s merman and said she wanted to visit Miu Run Star, while Xue Fanhui reminded the girls that the matching system would decide their future partners.
• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui went to bed on time, and Xi Xiu practiced the Tranquil Heart Art as she fell asleep.
• Dora found Vivian’s group sleeping soundly and gave them another point for their discipline.
• Dora entered Cheng Yixue’s cabin and found six girls still chatting; she warned them they could ignore the rules only if they were willing to accept the consequences for their evaluations.

Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui traveled to Anvile Star, where they marveled at a fiery cosmic spectacle and began their three-month independent trip. They settled into a cozy courtyard and made plans for their future together.

• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui watched a vast red explosion illuminate the depths of space during the Star Shuttle journey.
• After five star days, the three arrived at Anvile Starport, where Dora warned the travelers to stay safe and return on schedule.
• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui rode the Sky Rail to the planet’s surface and separated from the other groups.
• The three checked into their reserved courtyard, set up 08, and sent Vivian a photo to confirm their safe arrival.
• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui joked about opening a shop, making Star Coins, and traveling together.

Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui began their trip around Anweier, visiting the lavish Anvile Imperial Palace and exploring the central district. After sampling local snacks and recording their impressions for a travel report, they returned to the inn.

• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui set off with Dora in a rented hovercar driven by 08, and Dora learned that the girls had earned enough to fund their travels.
• The girls toured Anvile Imperial Palace, admiring its golden wooden design, gemstone decorations, and star-system maps made with luminous stones.
• Xue Fanhui recorded an idea for applying the palace's design to weapon construction.
• The girls explored Anweier's central district, admired the clean streets and Anvile People, and bought local snacks to share.
• Xi Xiu, Zhen, and Xue Fanhui returned to the inn, recorded their thoughts for their travel report, and ate snacks they had also mailed to friends on Ningkui Star.

Xixiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen visited Silver Waterfall, collected Silver Beads, and met the Anvile woman Wu Jingxian on their way down the mountain. After she invited them to her home, Xixiu agreed to go, leaving the three girls with their curious host.

• Xixiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen explored the Star Net for two hours before resting for their trip to Silver Waterfall.
• The three girls traveled by Hovercar to Silver Waterfall and collected several hundred Silver Beads from the spray.
• Xixiu sensed someone watching them on the mountain, and the hidden observer became interested in her unusual Mental Power.
• On their way down, the girls met Wu Jingxian, who asked them to help gather beads she had spilled across the path.
• Xixiu agreed to visit Wu Jingxian's home after arranging for 08 to move their car, and Wu Jingxian served them Artemisia Juice.

Xixiu and her friends met A Xian, an Anvile girl who quickly befriended them and volunteered to guide them around Anweier. A Xian sensed something unusual about Xixiu and joined the girls at their hotel, while Dora reported their unexpected friendship to Vivian.

• A Xian stopped Xixiu, Xue Fanhui, and Zhen, explained that she meant no harm, and asked to be friends with Xixiu.
• Xixiu accepted A Xian's offer, and A Xian arranged to accompany the girls on their travels around Anweier.
• On the way back to the hotel, A Xian asked why the girls had come to Anweier, and Xixiu described the Anvile People as beautiful, kind, and mysterious.
• Dora followed the girls to the hotel and reported to Vivian that they had befriended an Anvile person.
• A Xian entered Xixiu's room and announced that she would share Xixiu's bed, while Xue Fanhui and Zhen agreed.