Chapter 72

Fortunately, the young man did not continue with the topic. Entering Li Pu's doghouse, Qin Xia'er, as expected, once again took on the role of a dedicated little maid—if the reporters knew about the virtuous appearance of the newly popular national beauty, it would definitely make the front page.

After a while, the two talked about their studies, then the competition, and from there, they moved on to music. Before long, they had wandered off to some strange and unusual topic, as usual.

Although they would bicker after a few sentences, it was a bit different from their childhood. The current Class President Xia'er secretly enjoyed this feeling.

As relativity suggests, such moments always slip away unnoticed. It was already past nine o'clock. Although Qin Xia'er wanted to stay a bit longer, it was almost past curfew.

"Ah, right," Li Pu suddenly remembered something and jumped up from the sofa. "I haven't updated my serial today, I need to post it."

Recently, Li Pu had been updating about 20,000 words every three days. With his rapid and precise typing speed, it didn't take long to type out several thousand words on the keyboard.

Li Pu quickly moved to the computer, and Qin Xia'er, who wanted to find a reason to stay a bit longer, also came over with interest. She said in a clear voice, "Is it that 'Guide to the Star Sea' fantasy travelogue? It's quite interesting, I've been reading it too. I really don't understand how you come up with these stories!"

Of course, they weren't his own ideas; he was just the narrator. Li Pu smiled ambiguously. He basically trusted Class President Xia'er, but... there were some things better left unknown to her.

For a moment, there was no conversation, only the sound of the keyboard being frequently pressed and the ticking of the old wall clock. Qin Xia'er, sitting next to Li Pu, quietly watched the characters rapidly increasing on the computer screen. Gradually, her peripheral vision secretly turned to the young man beside her.

It was a face she knew very well. The first impression was of a troublemaker in kindergarten; then a mortal enemy in elementary and middle school; and four years later, they met again in a high school music classroom on a summer afternoon. They had quarreled, shown kindness, and worked hard together, participating in competitions...

When did it start? Whenever they were apart, she felt as if something was missing, her heart feeling empty. After meeting, even with the bickering, it seemed to be filled with a kind of happiness she had never experienced before.

I... probably like him.

This answer, which had been on the tip of her tongue, was finally sincerely acknowledged by the young girl. She lowered her eyelids, her cheeks and ears burning. She felt a mix of sweetness and embarrassment, thinking: Is it really impossible to escape this entanglement?

While Class President Xia'er was lost in the emotions of her first love, Li Pu had already finished the chapter and posted it on the Black Cloak website. He then habitually browsed through the reader comments.

The comments kept increasing. Li Pu filtered out the unimportant information, ignored the publisher's contact, and quickly scrolled down. Just as he was about to turn the page, a comment at the bottom of a page made him stop.

At first, the young man looked somewhat incredulous, then his eyes widened, revealing an unprecedented light.

It was a comment mixed with strange characters. The commenter's registered ID was "Princess Salsa of the Spirits"—on the entire planet, only one person besides Li Pu knew this name and title.

The super spirit life form "Sar-Sago," not limited by mere gender or form, had many avatars in different dimensions of the universe—"the Infinite Free One," its life stage. When it met the legendary space hunter and friend "Wanderer of Time and Space," it used the identity of "Princess Salsa of the Spirits." This anecdote was even recorded in the "Elementary Cosmic Encyclopedia" in the section introducing cosmic celebrities and oddities.

Xiao Xian loved this story very much. It was one of the first alien translations Li Pu provided through the "Micro-Model."

"I like Salsa's avatar!" Xiao Xian had happily said at the time. "The cosmic big businessman is just her disguise, right? I really want to see her encounters and adventures with the Wanderer of Time and Space..."

There was no mistake. Behind this ID was his best friend, his beloved little sister, the partner who, as a child, had walked hand in hand through the starlit night, over the frog-filled fields, making the world seem never boring as long as they were together.

The young man couldn't help but hold his breath, reading "Princess Salsa of the Spirits'" comment over and over, as if he were starving and thirsty.

The Chinese part of the comment was not unusual, but the alien language mixed in, with its concise grammar and minimal characters, told Li Pu the information he had most wanted to know over the years, and conveyed her feelings just right. (The alien language input method for the Windows platform was clearly written by Xiao Xian herself.)

Summarized, the information was about a dozen points:

1. As of the time of this reply, the physical distance is two continents, and the time difference is 1453 Earth days... It's been a long time.

2. Thank you for the New Year's gift—after so long, I finally saw the continuation of the story, it's the best gift I've ever received!

3. Mom and I are both doing well and are safe. But Dad doesn't like you. You can guess the reason!

4. Last year, I got my Ph.D. in biology. I am now studying and researching in a "Serpent of Wisdom" advanced laboratory in Greenland.

5. I have access to some of the alien heritage data that the "Serpent" possesses, but all of it combined is less than what I know. Of course, it's even less than what you know!

6. After experiments, it was found that, except for a few non-intelligent products that can be used directly, the rest of the technological products, like your "God Warrior Armor," require permission to use. The researchers collected most of the alien trademarks from the starship's legacy and are seriously studying them as a language. I have to try very hard not to laugh...

7. The "Serpent" has many heads, and Dad is just one of them. This organization is very dangerous! But because of Dad, the core leaders of the "Serpent" are quite nice to me.

8. The "Serpent of Wisdom" organization is divided into five ranks: "Knight" level combatants, "Viscount" level upper members—mostly powerful families and politicians; "Count" level branch managers and super powerful economic and political giants; "Marquis" level headquarters core—Dad is a Marquis. The highest leader is a Marquis-level Aryan elder named Hermans, also known as the "Raven King" in the organization. Mom said that her teacher was set up and killed by the "Raven King." This person is incredibly powerful, possibly the most unfathomable person on Earth. If you accidentally meet him, be extremely careful!

9. There is another Marquis-level leader in the "Serpent" named Moriarty, who is a fan of "Douglas's Guide to the Star Sea." I found out about the serial through his recommendation. They have been searching for information about the starship's legacy, but they definitely didn't expect that the book they are reading is actually a record of alien travel. It's just that Mr. Douglas's writing style is too absurd.

10. Despite Dad's efforts, Mom has shown no signs of accepting him again. But after meeting the "Raven King" last year, she came back and stayed in bed for a whole day, and chose to temporarily reconcile with the "Serpent." Because when the starship crashed, it also brought something very ominous into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. There have been several confirmed cases of highly mutated marine life attacks. Now many countries and forces are searching the sea. Mom is worried about my safety and believes that if there are unpredictable changes in the future, the "Serpent's" headquarters will be the safest place to take refuge.

11. Dad is a bit too concerned about me. How to put it, maybe it's possessiveness after too much care. He made a deal with me. At least until I come of age. If I haven't forgotten you by then, he will consider allowing me to meet you.

12. Dad says "coming of age" is twenty years old, and he says it's an American rule, which is really unfair!

13. Sob... I'm like a princess hidden in a dragon's lair, waiting for a hero to rescue me—actually, it's not that bad. I should be a little witch in the dragon's lair.

14. The world may change a lot in the next few years. As Mom said, work hard to become strong. Be able to protect yourself even in the most dangerous situations.

15. I am in Greenland, where there is no light pollution, holding a fluffy baby arctic rabbit, which I named Meat Pie. Looking out the window at the brilliant aurora and the vast starry sky, it's so beautiful. Since I came here, I can't get enough of it.

At this moment, you should be looking up at the warm sun. Just on the two sides of a planet, there is such a difference. My nose is a bit stuffy, but it's not from the cold... I miss you so much.

Finally, Xiao Xian said not to reply. This indirect communication was a special method outside the rules set by Dad. Her contact was already a risk. If Dad found out—actually, he would definitely find out—she could still have a reason to explain.

Every word was read several times, and the heart-pounding young man closed his eyes. He wanted to shout out in joy.

Xiao Xian, everything is fine, and... she feels the same way. Looking at the last part, Li Pu's mind seemed to present a picture: in a distant fortress on a vast ice field, a beautiful girl with purple eyes, holding a pet rabbit, sitting on a crystal-clear windowsill, gazing at the boundless starry sky.

Two continents apart, 1453 Earth days apart. But under the same sky, we have not forgotten each other.

The best friend, the most important family, and possibly the two people who share the greatest secret on Earth.