That Year, at Eighteen, I Stood Among the Nobodies

The Luo Family's ancestral grounds, the most prominent family's heartland in the Milky Way Galaxy.

The domed ceiling of the conference hall soared like an inverted river of stars, and the space was far larger than the biggest stadium Tang Ping had ever seen. At that moment, the hall was packed with people. Tens of thousands stood in dense ranks, a silent sea of humanity surging with the fervor and restlessness of an impending expedition.

On the high platform, Luo Ping, son of Luo Feng Ancestor, was delivering an impassioned speech to rally the Luo Family's young members, who were about to set off for distant reaches of the starry sea. His voice boomed through the crowds, echoing into every corner of the hall.

Tang Ping, however, couldn't make out what he was saying.

For one thing, he wasn't paying much attention. You could only hear so many speeches like this before they all sounded the same. For another, the hall was enormous and packed with people, and he was standing near the back. If Luo Ping weren't on a platform dozens of meters high, Tang Ping probably wouldn't even be able to make out his face.

Besides, hardly anyone in the crowd behind him was listening seriously, either.

Whispers rose and fell like waves, covering all sorts of topics, from the benefits offered on alien planets to the immigration policy of "buy a house in three years, buy a spacecraft in five"; from extra resources for children's cultivation to plans for nurturing Planetary Rank powerhouses. Some people were even enthusiastically debating which alien red-light district offered the best service and which one would rip you off without batting an eye...

He had to admit, these topics really did appeal to the lecherous old men. But an honest guy like him was definitely not interested.

Of course, plenty of people kept glancing at Tang Ping, sizing him up with looks full of envy, jealousy, and resentment, as though they wanted to bore holes through him with their eyes.

"So this is Tang Ping? Tsk, he's just a little younger and better-looking. How'd he manage to catch Miss Xiao Yu's eye?"

"Tell me about it... I heard he hasn't even reached Planetary Rank. Apart from good grades, his cultivation talent is mediocre, and his combat ability is even worse. Other than that face, he's got nothing! If I'd known Sister Xiao Yu liked handsome guys, I would've gotten plastic surgery ages ago!"

"Sigh—ε=(´ο｀))) What's wrong with this world? Don't goblins have the right to be loved by a goddess?"

"But seriously, what rating did he get? Even if he's useless, with Miss Xiao Yu's backing, he must be getting at least ten million Silver Blue Coins, right? Ten million! That'd be enough to keep me in alien girlfriends for the rest of my life. Damn!"

Tang Ping wore a long, pure-white robe matching Luo Xiaoyu's at the front of the hall. His posture was straight, his bearing refined. He looked as if he were listening intently, but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. He was already laughing inside.

These people... Being handsome really lets you get away with anything.

Besides, didn't they see my name? Tang Ping—"lie flat." My parents always said that if you have a weak stomach, you should live off someone else!

Heehee~

He looked around and had to admit that among this crowd of heaven's chosen, he really didn't stand out at all.

Some wore dazzling battle armor that gleamed with golden light; others had golden halos appear behind them, their wings only half visible, as if gods had descended to earth. And him? Apart from his face, he was truly "poor in every way."

That year, he was eighteen, standing among this vast crowd like an inconspicuous nobody.

After a long while, Luo Ping Ancestor let out a furious roar that shook the heavens:

"For the Luo Family! For Earth! For humanity!"

"For the Luo Family! For Earth! For humanity!"

Thousands shouted as one, their voices surging and rolling like waves. Tang Ping shouted along, his voice swallowed by the flood of people, no more than an insignificant drop of water.

After the meeting, Tang Ping stood beside Luo Xiaoyu at the corner of a corridor, gazing from afar at the brightest genius of the Luo Family's current generation: Luo Yanchang.

He wore magnificent battle armor, and his aura was as deep as an abyss. Though only twenty, he had already reached Star Rank. His cultivation even surpassed that of the Luo Family's ancestor at the same age—truly terrifying.

The crowd gathered around him, treating him like the center of the universe. He chatted with ease and treated everyone with warm courtesy, displaying the bearing of a family head in every gesture.

Luo Xiaoyu was still as cool as snow. She said softly, "Tang Ping, gather at the designated location in seven days. Don't forget."

"Okay," Tang Ping replied.

After a moment of silence, her cheeks suddenly reddened, and her voice dropped. "We've been in meetings for so long... You must be tired, right? Do you want to go to my room... and rest for a while?"

Tang Ping turned to look at the lovely, otherworldly profile of his "wife"—a bargain wife, at that—and his heart skipped a beat.

Oh? Has she... made up her mind?

But he was, after all, a gentleman. He hesitated for a full second before replying solemnly, "Okay!"

Luo Xiaoyu froze. For once, a hint of adorable bewilderment appeared on her usually icy face.

After a while, the two of them arrived at a two-courtyard residence.

The Luo Family's ancestral grounds were so vast that even getting from the conference hall to their residence required scanning a code to summon a public Flying Shuttle.

The courtyard was quiet. There wasn't a single guard or servant in sight.

"I didn't request any staff," Luo Xiaoyu explained calmly. "The family can provide them, but the wages come out of my own pocket. I don't need any."

Tang Ping stepped inside and looked around. The place was so bare it was almost shocking.

No decorations, no furniture—not even a decent chair. There was only a bed, a Cultivation Room, and nothing else.

Was this really where a girl lived? It was nothing like the cute, pink bedroom he'd imagined...

With no other choice, he sat beside Luo Xiaoyu on the bed, and the two of them chatted here and there.

They didn't have much history together to begin with. They asked each other about their cultivation progress and the family-assigned settlements, then the conversation abruptly ran dry.

The awkwardness in the air was almost thick enough to wring out.

After a long while, Luo Xiaoyu finally spoke. Her tone was earnest and shy.

"Tang Ping... I told you before that I'm a traditional girl. So... as long as I'm not cultivating, you're my husband... and I'll do whatever you want."

"Ah?"

Tang Ping's heart shuddered. Fifty years of being single trembled in his soul, and he regarded her with deep respect.

But he wasn't one to hem and haw. He immediately reached out, gently took her slender, fair hand, and tenderly played with it.

"Wifey, your hand is so fair, your fingers so graceful, and your palm lines so clear... I happen to know a little palmistry. Here, let me take a look... Oh? A full Heavenly Court and a rounded jaw—this is the sign of great wealth and honor! You're about to rise to great heights!"

Luo Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help lifting slightly.

After quite a while, Tang Ping finally let go, still reluctant to stop. Then he felt a little lost. He'd never even eaten pork in either of his two lives, so he had no idea what to do next. According to the script in romantic movies, was he supposed to go straight for the main course?

But they'd barely exchanged a few sentences between them. Wouldn't that be a little impolite—and too forward?

So...

"Wifey, lemme see your feet?"

Luo Xiaoyu: ???

Tang Ping panicked and hurried to explain, making it clear he wasn't a pervert.

"Wifey, they've crossed spring grass and felt summer rain. They've stepped on autumn leaves and walked through the snow in warm boots. They've also crossed countless fields, weathered wind and sand, and waded through canals, all the way until they met me.

"It's not the feet themselves that I like. It's this pair that's been with you through so much, yet still carried you toward me. Just as what I like is you—the you who carries all her past with her and still stands before me with sincerity."

Luo Xiaoyu: ...

After a while.

In the room, Luo Xiaoyu sat dazed on the edge of the bed, barefoot. Her feet were small and delicate, as white as jade. All five of her cute little toes curled inward as if she were nervous, like plump, tender buds, giving off a faint fragrance.

The young woman's cheeks were flushed. She murmured reproachfully, "You scoundrel..."

After taking a few deep breaths, she finally composed herself. She stood, fetched a long spear shimmering with silver light, and entered the Cultivation Room.

Her spear darted like a dragon, its whooshing cutting through the air without pause.

Her gaze was resolute, her mind entirely focused.

Getting distracted by handsome men? Hah... That would only slow down her thrusts.