I Once Picked Up a Beam of Light!

"Everyone, please get up," Phoenix said. "Hurry and stand. We're neighbors, there's no need for kneeling."

The word "neighbor" had come from Tang Fei. She found it intimate and amusing, and she really liked the term.

Above the New Star, she had no neighbors.

Besides, she was the Princess of the Phoenix Empire, but the Phoenix Empire's territory did not include Old Earth.

This was a land abandoned by the gods, and these people were refugees cast aside by the gods as well.

They could have chosen not to kneel, but they did.

This inexplicably gave Phoenix a sense of responsibility, as if it would be her fault if they didn't live well...

Hearing Phoenix's call, everyone got up from the ground. Someone called out, "Your Highness the Princess, what country are you from?"

"The Phoenix Empire," Phoenix replied with a smile.

"Oh, I saw that big bird on the aircraft. So it was a Phoenix."

"I heard the Phoenix Empire is very powerful? Too bad I never had a chance to visit."

"Your Highness the Princess, what's it like on the New Star? Are there monsters that eat people?"

"No wonder she's so beautiful, she's a princess."

Phoenix patiently answered everyone's questions, and for those she couldn't answer, she responded with a smile.

Her court etiquette lessons had taught her how to handle such situations and how to maintain her best demeanor in public to gain the most favor.

This wasn't communication; it was a performance.

However, Phoenix still wanted to be more genuine, to invest more emotion.

After all, this place held a different meaning for her.

"Your Highness, it's time to go back," Bai Qi urged from the side.

Phoenix held a special status. He had found the princess ahead of the other teams, which was a great achievement in itself.

The Old Earth was fraught with danger. Although they possessed formidable combat power and advanced weaponry, who knew what might happen?

After all, assassins from Wuyou Palace were already on their way.

If anything were to happen to the princess while under his care, or if she were injured or disabled, he would have no one to blame but himself, and his own death would be certain.

He dared not take that risk.

Phoenix nodded, waved to everyone, and then walked towards the Star Disc's light elevator.

With each step she took, her mood grew heavier.

She reached the entrance of the star cabin and suddenly stopped.

Turning around, she found a familiar figure in the crowd.

As the crowd surged forward, he remained in his spot, slightly detached from the main group, appearing somewhat out of place.

He held a pulse gun, caressing it with a look of contentment, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Phoenix wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say.

Without a word, she felt an overwhelming reluctance.

A myriad of emotions welled up in her heart, causing her eyes to instantly well up with tears.

The first time she saw him, emerging from the escape pod, she had seen that astonished face...

When she woke from her unconscious state, he was carefully chewing Snake Skin Tree leaves for her wound.

Black Robe coveted her beauty. She had worried he would be afraid of power and abandon her, but he had secretly given her a knowing glance...

In that moment, she suddenly felt safe. She felt safer than her own strength in the Qi Control Realm.

During the acid rain, he took off his own hat and placed it on her head. When she tried to resist, he reached out and gently held her head...

And then there was that passionate moment in the cave...

All these were beautiful memories. All the harsh, annoying, petty, despicable, and shameless scenes had vanished.

"Tang Fei."

Phoenix called out his name.

Tang Fei looked up, met her gaze, then waved at her, revealing his signature smile.

The smile was pure and radiant, like a ray of sunshine.

In the past, Phoenix had feared Tang Fei's smile the most, finding it terrifying and chilling.

Now, it seemed incredibly warm and handsome. She had grown accustomed to it.

"Do you remember the bet we made?" Phoenix called out.

The wind was blowing, the rain was falling, the sky was too dark, and they were too far apart.

It felt as if everything in the world was trying to keep them apart.

So, she had to speak louder.

"I remember," Tang Fei said with a smile. "You lost."

"I prepared a gift for you," the Phoenix said.

"Where?"

"Guess."

"."

Guess if I guess?

Tang Fei had originally wanted to reply with that, but it looked too much like the two of them were openly flirting.

If he really did that, he was afraid the Undying Army soldiers watching them with covetous eyes would gun him down.

"Also..." The Phoenix waved at Tang Fei and shouted loudly, "Remember, my name is Zhong Yuxue."

"Zhong Yuxue." Tang Fei rolled the name around in his mouth.

Zhong Yuxue, it sounded nice, but writing it was a bit of a pain.

"Take care!"

"Okay," Tang Fei agreed with a smile.

"Stay alive!" the Phoenix called out even louder, her voice hoarse.

"Okay."

"And miss me."

"."

The Phoenix didn't hear Tang Fei's reply.

Perhaps he would answer, perhaps not.

However, she heard her own heart's voice and received a very definite answer.

Miss me!

Because I will miss you!

Whether it was a friendship forged through shared hardship or a nascent, ignorant love, she didn't know and didn't care.

They were parting ways, and perhaps this separation was forever...

So let her be brave this once.

The Phoenix turned and entered the Star Disc, then immediately hid herself in the restroom.

She didn't want anyone to see her face, because she knew she was already in tears.

The Phoenix's figure disappeared.

As Bai Qi entered the hatch, he turned and glanced at Tang Fei. His eyes were deep, as if contemplating something.

Many young officers were also discreetly sizing up Tang Fei, wondering about the relationship between the Princess and this man.

The Princess's final shout was truly astonishing. If the words "Miss me" were to spread throughout the Empire, who knew what kind of storm they would stir up.

Of course, no one showed any emotion in public.

The officers and soldiers entered the Star Disc in an orderly fashion according to their rank.

Clack!

The Star Disc door closed tightly, then slowly ascended. The dispersed golden phoenix reformed into a single entity.

With a whoosh, it vanished from sight, not even leaving a residual shadow.

Tang Fei looked up at the hazy sky. The cold rain fell on his face and head, slick and chilling.

"Okay," he replied softly.

The Old Man, who had hidden himself and disappeared earlier, came out. He glanced at Tang Fei and said, "If you like her, say it! If you love her, go pursue her! Why are you hiding here crying like a sissy?"

Hearing the evaluation of "sissy," Tang Fei couldn't help but laugh.

When the Phoenix had spoken to him earlier, he had also couldn't help but berate her for being "sissy."

She was a girl, the Princess of the Empire, so shouldn't she be a bit "sissy"?

Of course, he couldn't back down in front of the Old Man.

Tang Fei wiped the rain from his face and said irritably, "Who's crying? Didn't you see this is all rain? Like her? Like what?"

He patted the pulse gun he was holding and said, "With this thing, what do I need a woman for?"

"You think I don't know you?" the Old Man sneered, curling his lips. "When she was here, you deliberately acted all carefree and heartless. Wasn't that because you were afraid of showing your feelings and not getting any response? Afraid of losing face?"

"I'd throw away my face, why would I be afraid of losing it?" Tang Fei retorted, finding the Old Man very annoying.

The Old Man narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Tang Fei's face for a moment before asking in a deep voice, "Are you truly not regretting anything?"

Tang Fei fell silent.

Do you have any regrets? Of course not.

Well, maybe a little.

After all, at this moment, his heart felt hollow, as if a piece had been carved out.

But what could he do?

This was the ending that was destined from the start.

She was the esteemed guest of the New Star, the Empire's Princess, a prominent figure admired by all, the kind of protagonist who should be mingling amongst the crowds, wearing a sexy evening gown with a thigh-high slit, holding a wine glass, and receiving countless envious or admiring glances.

And what was he?

A refugee from the ruins? A hunter from Hate Mountain? Or a master barbecue chef?

As the Old Man put it: "Does she like you because you haven't bathed in a long time, or because you haven't had a haircut in years? Or perhaps she enjoys the thrill of living day to day, never knowing where the next meal is coming from?"

A person needs to know their place.

Tang Fei didn't, but now he did.

"I'm not worthy!" he told himself in his heart.

After a long pause, he finally replied, "What's there to regret? Doesn't the book say it? I once found a beam of light, and at sunset, I returned it to the sun. Did I lose anything? No. That light was picked up anyway."

Slap!

The Old Man smacked Tang Fei on the head, angrily scolding, "How many times have I told you? Don't read 'Zhiyin', don't read 'Zhiyin'! Read more 'Storytelling Society'. The stories in 'Storytelling Society' are much better. What kind of messy, sentimental stuff are you always reading?"

"..."

Seeing Tang Fei fall silent once again, the Old Man tilted his head back and looked at the dark, lonely starry sky, softly saying, "Young man, perhaps, your story is just beginning."

Distance is not the issue, nor is status. Hatred is.

(ps: A new week has begun, Old Liu is rolling around begging for votes. Ladies and gentlemen, our story is just beginning.)