I'm Going to Marry Her

Just as Lu Guan was about to recount what happened next, Changli pushed open the reception room door, accompanied by the Ming Court's delegation.

"Master!" Jinhsi rose to greet her and looked at the people behind her. "Are these the guests from the Ming Court?"

"Not all of them." Changli stepped aside and introduced them. "This is Director Lin of the Ministry of Divination, and this is Chiliarch Zhao of the Pacification Bureau."

"As for Miss Chengxia here, she is a Bloom Bearer of the Black Shores."

When Lu Guan saw who had come, the worry weighing on his heart vanished.

He got up and greeted them. "Uncle Lin, Brother Zhao, long time no see!"

They were all familiar faces. It looked like there was nothing to worry about.

"You little rascal, don't try to butter me up." Director Lin put on a stern face and scolded him. "I'm here on official business. Wipe that cheeky grin off your face!"

Chiliarch Zhao, meanwhile, tried to maintain the bearing of an expert. He simply nodded and replied, "Young Master Lu, it's been a long time."

"Oh, come on~ Why so serious?" Lu Guan stepped forward and draped an arm over Chiliarch Zhao's shoulder. "We're just going through the motions, right? Once this is over, it's my treat. How about the Panhua Restaurant?"

"Ahem..." Changli coughed a few times, cutting Lu Guan off. "Lu Guan, is Miss Dania here?"

"She's sleeping. If you have any questions, you can ask me. It's all the same." Lu Guan had sent Dania to sleep partly to protect her. It was better for him to handle this sort of thing.

"This concerns a threnodian. You can't speak on her behalf." Director Lin shook his head. The boy was best at pushing his luck. He had come here on the Dragon Lord's instructions, so he had to at least go through the motions.

"The Black Shores needs to check the frequency stability of this threnodian Resonator," "Chengxia," who had not spoken until now, added. "We need to speak with Miss Dania face-to-face."

"Really can't make an exception?"

"No."

Chiliarch Zhao quietly reminded Lu Guan, "There's been endless debate over this in the Ming Court. They have quite a few eyes and ears in Jinzhou. Whatever the outcome, we have to at least keep up appearances."

"I get what you mean." Lu Guan nodded and put on a helpless look as he compromised. "All right... Wait here a moment. I'll go get her."

But just then, Dania's voice came from outside the door.

"No need. I'm here."

"Frequency stable..."

"Overclocking threshold normal..."

"No risk of Overclocking..."

"Chengxia" looked at the data on the frequency spectrum detector and said in surprise, "I've never seen a Resonator with such a stable frequency. Is Miss Dania really Aleph-1's Resonator?"

Lu Guan and Dania exchanged a glance. Smiling, he addressed the people from Huanglong. "That's why I said she isn't dangerous. Now that the Black Shores has confirmed it, you should believe what I said before, right?"

"Then... the surveillance on you two will be lifted as of today." Jinhsi nodded. "Please forgive us for the inconvenience we caused earlier."

"Thank you, Miss Chengxia," Director Lin said with a smile. "What follows is an internal matter for the Ming Court."

He then turned to Jinhsi. "Magistrate Jin, could I ask you to take the others out for a while?"

"All right." Jinhsi looked at Sanhua. "Sanhua, please arrange rooms for our honored guests."

She then left with Changli and the others, leaving the reception room to Director Lin and the other three.

Once everyone else had left, Chiliarch Zhao and Director Lin exchanged a glance. Then Chiliarch Zhao left the reception room and stood guard outside the door.

Director Lin, meanwhile, turned to Lu Guan and Dania with a kindly smile. "It's been a long time, Xiao Guan."

"Uncle Lin, didn't you step down?" Lu Guan asked. "I really didn't expect the higher-ups to bring you back."

Director Lin sighed. "Yes, and I didn't expect that you'd cause another problem for us old fellows to deal with less than half a year after leaving the Ming Court."

"Ahaha..." Lu Guan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"What is your relationship with this young lady?"

Lu Guan took Dania's hand. "We're a couple, of course."

"Then will you... marry her?"

"M-marry me?" Dania's face turned bright red at those words. She lowered her head and watched Lu Guan's reaction out of the corner of her eye. There was some apprehension and longing in her eyes, but even more anticipation.

"Of course. A great man once said, 'Dating without intending to marry is just fooling around.'" Lu Guan answered without hesitation. "After graduation, as long as she's willing, I'll marry her."

"Oh, hahaha... Young people really do dare to love and hate."

"But have you considered the consequences?"

"Never mind the impact your marrying a threnodian Resonator would have on Huanglong. The Deep Space Union alone won't let her go so easily."

Lu Guan was puzzled. "The Deep Space Union? What right do they have to stop her from leaving? Dania isn't one of theirs."

"That's hard to say..." Director Lin shook his head, his expression growing somewhat serious. "After all, the Deep Space Union's biggest investor is still the New Federation. Their attitude toward Resonators is known to the whole world."

"If they take the opportunity to force Dania to sign some unequal agreement, I'm afraid all Huanglong can do is try its best to mediate."

The New Federation's attitude toward Resonators was clear from Lacerta's experience. Even as the child of a high-ranking New Federation official, Lacerta had been forced to leave the New Federation to seek opportunities elsewhere, simply because she had awakened Resonance Power.

If Dania, a threnodian Resonator, fell into their hands... Lu Guan could hardly imagine what would become of her.

If it came to that, he would probably set the New Federation ablaze, wouldn't he?

"So... Huanglong has no objections?" Lu Guan's eyes lit up. He had caught the meaning behind Director Lin's words.

"The Special Talent Recruitment Plan is already on the agenda." Director Lin glanced at Dania and continued, "Although the court is still arguing back and forth, it should pass soon."

He then turned his gaze to Dania, who looked a little uncomfortable. "Young lady, you don't need to worry. Huanglong's attitude toward Resonators isn't like the New Federation's. We're relatively friendly."

"I... I'm not afraid of that." Dania moved a little closer to Lu Guan. "What I'm more afraid of is that my presence will cause Lu Guan some unnecessary trouble..."

"Don't worry," Lu Guan reassured her. "Think about it. No matter how big the trouble is, could it be bigger than Aleph-1?"

He was still a little different from Rover.

In the game's story, faced with the possibility that the Lahai-Roi Division would be shut down, she had not used her personal connections to handle the matter.

She wanted the Deep Space Union to be able to protect the eligible candidates even when she could not look after them herself, so this time she had to play by the Deep Space Union's rules to find them a way forward.

But Dania's situation was different from the Lahai-Roi Division's. If some blind fool in the Deep Space Union wanted to take the opportunity to do something disgusting...

Lu Guan didn't mind granting them the right to stare directly at the sun.

"It's good that you're resolved." Director Lin sounded somewhat gratified. "We old fellows are still here to hold the fort at the Ming Court. Focus on your studies and master your Resonance ability as soon as you can..."

"Speaking of Resonance abilities... Xiao Guan, how are you doing now?"

Lu Guan froze. "I'm... doing all right, I guess?"

Why did this feel so much like going home for the New Year and having a whole crowd of aunts ask about his grades?!

"Is it true that you drove off the leader of the Fractsidus?" Director Lin looked around. "There are no outsiders here. You can tell Uncle Lin exactly what happened without holding back."

"Yeah, it's true." Lu Guan nodded. "But I used a trick. If we'd fought head-on, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been a match for her as I was back then."

"Schemes and tactics are part of one's strength too. You don't need to be so modest, Xiao Guan," Director Lin said approvingly.

Good. He wasn't arrogant in victory. Lu Yi had raised a fine child!

"Speaking of which, what's the story with that Bloom Bearer from the Black Shores?" Lu Guan asked Director Lin. "As I recall, she isn't the one usually stationed at the Ming Court. Is she new, or...?"

"We happened to meet her on the road," Director Lin explained. "According to her, she came all the way from the Black Shores on her leader's orders."

"I didn't see any problem with her identity, so I simply brought her along, since we were headed the same way."

"Interesting... Her name is Chengxia, right?"

"That's right. Do you know her, Xiao Guan?"