Chapter 324: Ending

Chapter 324: The End

The empire's collapse started from the inside out.

The upper districts had stripped most of the industry and agriculture from the lower districts, transforming themselves into isolated, skyborne utopias. When discontent reached its breaking point, these gardens burst like soap bubbles.

Strikes broke out across the lower districts, major industrial zones ground to a halt one after another, and the system spiraled into disorder.

Amid this turmoil, countless organizations emerged in the lower districts, operating independently of the upper districts. Each had its own viewpoints, with differing stances on whether to submit to the Federation. On the very first day the Federation deployed troops at the capital’s borders, representatives from these groups came forward, demanding negotiations.

It was under these circumstances that Ye Wang met Jiang Qi.

He was there as one of the military representatives, while Jiang Qi represented the empire’s surrender. Together with other high-ranking Federation officials, they were to hold formal negotiations with the lower districts of the empire. The meeting was set to take place on the star ring encircling the empire—dubbed the "Stellar Accord Talks"—and its proceedings would be broadcast to the citizens of both nations.

Ye Wang wore his most formal military dress uniform, every medal and sash perfectly aligned, while Jiang Qi, seated a few chairs away, was equally immaculate in appearance.

When he wasn’t required to speak, Ye Wang turned his head to observe him.

Jiang Qi sat straight-backed, a polite, measured smile on his lips, none of the gloominess Ye Wang remembered.

He openly recounted his experiences in the laboratory to the citizens of both nations, explaining the origins of the so-called "Imperial Star," and comparing the differences and similarities between the Federation and the empire. Finally, with the tacit approval of the Federation’s leadership, he made a promise.

He pledged that the empire would no longer be divided into upper and lower districts, that residents of the underserved districts would enjoy equal human rights, that the former empire’s laboratory data—including effective medicinal components—would be made public, and that all those suffering from genetic disorders would receive proper treatment.

Thus, during the summit, they drafted an agreement.

The lower districts would submit to the Federation and oppose the upper districts.

Though the electronic age had long since arrived, documents of such significance still required pen and paper. Soon, an agreement still damp with fresh ink was passed around, and every attendee was required to sign their name.

Cameras faithfully captured each person’s expression and handwriting as they signed. When the document reached Ye Wang, he removed his pen cap and solemnly inscribed the characters "Ye Wang"—his handwriting clean and elegant.

After passing through a few more hands, the agreement came to Jiang Qi. He, too, uncapped his pen and signed his name right beside Ye Wang’s.

His strokes were sharper and more forceful than Ye Wang’s, the pen nearly tore through the paper. Yet by the end, his writing grew delicate and gentle.

Once everyone had signed, the document was carefully placed into a folder. Barring unforeseen circumstances, centuries later, it would become an invaluable relic of history. Children would peer through museum glass, studying the handwriting of every attendee.

Perhaps they would wonder why two names in particular were nestled so closely together, their signatures nearly overlapping.

By then, all futile resistance had lost its meaning. The empire’s last line of defense collapsed like a house of cards, and by the end of that year, Ye Wang once again returned to imperial territory—

—as the Federation’s garrison commander stationed in the former imperial capital.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qi was decorated as a Federation officer. His rocket-like promotion earned him the title "Star of the Federation."

Later, at the behest of Legion Commander Ye Liao—Ye Wang’s father—the couple was assigned to the same military district.

A Federation warship docked at the port, and Ye Wang descended the gangway, assuming formal command of local military operations.

The initial workload was overwhelming. He attended two early meetings, dealt with a batch of former imperial officials, and then rushed to sign piles of documents until the words swam before his eyes.

He remained in his office until sunset, delegating all unimportant protocol duties to Pang Su and Wen Muyuan, finally freeing himself to seek out his long-absent rival for some much-needed affection.

But Jiang Qi wasn’t at headquarters.

The training grounds were empty, and the range deserted—though a few fresh bullet holes in the bullseye remained unfilled. After a moment’s thought, Ye Wang detoured to the park.

The park by Pei Gu's residence, as it happened.

Just after the war, the residents kept their doors tightly shut, no one daring to venture out at such a time. The park was empty, with only pigeons and ducks still idling about.

Jiang Qi was indeed feeding the pigeons.

These pigeons had been starving for a long time, each one acting like little thieves, refusing to let go of the bread once they snatched it. In less than two minutes, Jiang Qi had finished feeding them an entire loaf.

Then, with his hands behind his head, he slouched lazily on the lounge chair, eyes closed as he basked in the sunset, his posture utterly careless, like a boneless ragdoll.

When he saw Ye Wang, his eyes visibly brightened.

Ye Wang walked over to him, ready to settle a few debts.

The commander had already planned it out—the first grievance was lying about not being injured, the second was failing to recognize him and nearly attacking him. In short, he wanted to leave his rival speechless, letting him have his way.

But the moment Jiang Qi saw him, he rushed forward in three quick strides and flung himself into his arms.

He was even lighter than when he had left home, his waist and back painfully thin. He nestled his fluffy head against Ye Wang’s chest, nuzzling against him, then whispered softly into Ye Wang’s ear, "Sir, I missed you so much."

"......"

Ye Wang could only hold him, gripping his rival’s slender back, thinking, *Fine, fine.*

He pulled Jiang Qi back to the military headquarters.

Jiang Qi grumbled slightly. "Still working this late?"

Ye Wang rubbed his nose. "Of course not... How about we pick out a place?"

As the commander of the capital planet, Ye Wang naturally had the authority to assign him a residence. The residential areas in the upper district had barely any casualties, but some commercial zones had been redeveloped and were now complete.

Jiang Qi chose one close to the park, where he could see the little lake where he fed the ducks just by opening the window.

At night, he dragged a lounge chair onto the balcony to gaze at the stars, occasionally taking a few pictures, sending them to someone via his communicator.

Ye Wang watched him from inside. "Hey, those aren’t for me?"

Jiang Qi chuckled. "For my brother and sister."

He stood up, leaning against the railing, looking up at the distant sky as the cool night breeze fluttered his thin sleeprobe. "They grew up in the Empire but have never seen the Empire’s stars before."

Jiang Qi’s brother had undergone prosthetic eye surgery and was recovering well, while his sister had long since improved—the girl who had once been a grimy, shapeless bundle under the blankets had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Ye Wang stood beside him, also gazing up at the starry sky, starlight glinting in his eyes. "They’ll get to see them often from now on."

With the treaty between the two sides in effect, a series of reforms had begun. The dividing line between the upper and lower districts was completely dismantled, the formula for the genetic serum was made public, and due to overwhelming demand, private pharmaceutical companies were permitted to produce generic versions. Trade routes were established between star systems, factories reopened to provide basic employment—no matter which way you looked at it, things were looking up.

Leaning against each other, Ye Wang drew his rival close, fingers grazing the thin fabric of his sleeprobe before pausing. "Aren’t you cold?"

Jiang Qi snuggled closer. "I am, sir."

And so, after kissing under the Federation’s stars, they decided to kiss under the former Empire’s stars as well.

The commander was about to claim his due.

This time, he lingered. Ye Wang got payback for those two slights he had held onto, but when his fingers brushed over a certain spot on Jiang Qi’s abdomen, he still paused.

"You’re too thin. Even thinner than before you left," Ye Wang grumbled. "You need to eat more."

Mess hall food wasn’t exactly gourmet, and Jiang Qi had a habit of soaking in nutrient baths covered in injuries before video-calling Ye Wang as if nothing was wrong. No surprise he’d lost weight.

Thus, Ye Wang embarked on his "Rival Completion Plan."

They started hitting up supermarkets together, trying out various flavors of snacks and milk, buying all kinds of beef and lamb chops, then crashing on the couch to watch the latest movies and TV shows.

Ye Wang quite liked horror films—not for the thrill, but purely because the sight of his nemesis getting scared was amusing. Jiang Qi would cling to his arm and burrow into his embrace like a burrowing hamster.

Was there anything in the world more fun than having one's nemesis cling and nuzzle into their arms?

But on one occasion, Ye Wang noticed that while Jiang Qi was saying how scared he was and rubbing against him, his eyes were freakishly calm and sharp. He stared at the ghost’s throat as if figuring out where to stab.

The commander, who’d been all set to comfort his nemesis: "..."

Jiang Qi adjusted his expression in a second, but he could only fake being docile, not terror. His eyelids twitched a couple of times before he finally settled on a deadpan look, locking eyes with the commander.

"Sir," Jiang Qi whispered, "if I said I’m really scared right now, would you believe me?"

"..."

Ye Wang wasn’t having it.

In the end, the commander’s dissatisfaction concluded with taking things to the couch.

Much later, as Ye Wang’s official duties gradually smoothed out and he passed the busiest period, he began to have long vacations. Meanwhile, Jiang Qi went back to his old gig, becoming a teacher at the Jingji Military Academy’s outpost on the former imperial capital planet, which also granted him lengthy winter and summer breaks.

They started planning a wedding.

The main part of the wedding was quite simple.

Neither Ye Wang nor Jiang Qi were particularly fond of extravagance. They invited only a handful of people—just two tables’ worth: Jiang Qi’s brother and sister, Ye Wang’s adjutant, and his big-deal dad, the Legion Commander.

Once the drinks were done, the wedding was considered complete.

For the next six months, they traveled together—from the Empire to the Federation, then to distant galaxies they’d never seen, checking out wild sights they’d never encountered.

They also revisited many familiar places, like the old pool hall in the Lower District, the now open-to-the-public former imperial laboratory, and finally, the place where they had first met.

The former Empire’s marriage registry office.

Of course, it was now the Federation’s registry office.

They’d checked off all the unofficial stuff. Now, they decided to complete the final formality.

A newlywed couple stepped off the aircraft and walked toward the registration hall.

Once, they had stood side by side, united in appearance but divided at heart. Now, they stood side by side again—this time, totally in sync.