Chapter 006 Substitute Marriage 06

Chapter 006: Stand-In Marriage 06

Arthur placed the documents on the table, addressing Wei Qing: "The investigation into the Zhou family and the Rose Research Institute is on hold for now. We'll observe the situation."

"Are the Zhous on guard?"

"Their change in marriage candidate suggests something fishy."

"Could it just be a coincidence?"

Arthur offered an enigmatic smile. "It might be. Zhou Younan came out of Research Institute 411, and we can now confirm his innocence."

Wei Qing removed his black gloves, took out a snuffbox, and inhaled deeply. "You know how much I detest anyone connected to research institutes. His appearance also disrupted your plans."

Arthur pondered for a moment. "It might not be a bad thing. At the very least, he doesn't have ulterior motives concerning you."

"Hey, don't stir up trouble," Wei Qing gestured for him to stop.

Arthur asked curiously, "Have you met him yet? Do you like him?"

Wei Qing offered a forced, insincere smile.

Arthur chuckled to himself. "The wedding is in seven days."

Wei Qing didn't even look up, responding nonchalantly, "Yeah, I know."

The call ended. Wei Qing put away the snuffbox and pulled his gloves back on.

He sprang to his feet, stretched, and headed out.

The faint singing of the Gonggong star residents drifted on the wind, and Wei Qing decided to join them in their dance.

"Marshal," Henry called out.

"Now what?" Wei Qing sounded impatient.

"Your comm unit." Henry produced Wei Qing’s personal comm unit from seemingly nowhere.

Wei Qing frowned. "I dislike this thing."

"If you had been carrying it earlier, I wouldn't have had to send Starr to find you," Henry stood before Wei Qing, his meaning clear: he expected Wei Qing to wear the comm unit.

"Alright, alright," Wei Qing took the comm unit but didn't put it on his wrist, instead twirling it playfully around his finger.

Twirling the comm unit, Wei Qing walked out, with Henry following behind. "Are we returning to Kanbera next?"

"Why go back to Kanbera?" Wei Qing countered.

"The wedding is in seven days. You should be by your fiancé's side, discussing the arrangements with him."

While the wedding was traditionally hosted by the bride's family, most couples sweetly prepared for it together.

Wei Qing clearly wasn't one of them.

He eyed Henry strangely.

After a moment, he repeated Henry's words in a mocking tone: "You should be by your fiancé's side, discussing the arrangements with him~"

Henry's brow twitched. He said stiffly, "Please don't do that."

Wei Qing repeated again in the same peculiar tone: "Please don't do that~"

"His Majesty also said Zhou Younan is innocent."

"His Majesty also said Zhou Younan is innocent~"

Henry gritted his teeth and pressed his lips together.

Seeing this, Wei Qing couldn't help but narrow his eyes and burst into laughter. He patted Henry's shoulder: "Henry, how many times have you been married?"

Henry had never been married. He didn't answer, merely shaking his head.

Wei Qing held up two fingers, the comm unit still twirling on one of his slender digits. "I've been married twice."

"Now, do you still think I need your advice on what to do before a wedding? Little Henry?"

Henry was left speechless by his Marshal's retort. When it came to marriage, he truly lacked experience—no, he had none at all.

Wei Qing clasped his hands behind his back and strode forward, issuing orders. "Continue clearing out the space pirates. We're heading to... the Nuwa galaxy."

Standing rooted, Henry heard him mutter under his breath, "I heard the Shennong family there grows an herb that tastes like roasted meat. I've got to try it."

Henry strongly disapproved of the Marshal's decision. Remembering Zhou Younan's terrible complexion, he felt a pang of sympathy.

If Zhou Younan became the Marshal's spouse, his future days would undoubtedly be difficult.

He'd probably be driven to even worse health by the Marshal's antics—perhaps even fail to last a month, just as the Interstellar Net rumors claimed.

***

The April arrived at its destination: Kanbera's southern port.

Zhou Younan disembarked from the ship.

Following the crowd, he stepped onto the automated gangway. With just a glance, he could see the massive blue imperial planet Kanbera in the distance.

It was said that Kanbera was the planet most resembling ancient Earth, the birthplace of interstellar humanity.

The mechanical female voice from the southern port's broadcast was clear and elegant: "The space elevator to Kanbera will close in ten minutes. Current available capacity: 2,423."

Beside Zhou Younan, Captain Fei Li rubbed his bald head. "Only royal ships are allowed near Kanbera. All others must dock at spaceports."

Captain Fei Li was a slippery character. Even after Zhou Younan discovered the betting scheme, he showed no remorse.

Zhou Younan had met shameless people like this before. He didn't cut ties with Fei Li because he still needed the captain to get his cut.

So the two continued interacting as if nothing had happened.

Fei Li pointed out the window. "This place has heavy traffic. Kanbera has thirty-three docking hubs like this."

Following Fei Li’s finger, Zhou Younan looked out.

The white port formed a semicircular arc, connected to Kanbera by the space elevator—a magnificent and beautiful sight.

At the end of the gangway, Zhou Younan followed Captain Fei Li deeper into the spaceport. The further they went, the more crowded and bustling the surroundings became.

There were shops of all kinds—some displaying various comm units, others selling souvenirs, some filled with colorful meal supplements, and one particularly crowded with children at the entrance: a candy store.

This was a level of prosperity Zhou Younan had never seen before—vibrant, jam-packed, dizzying.

Zhou Younan had lived on a scrap heap of a planet for as long as he could remember. It was filthy and chaotic, with everyone scraping by on scraps. Trust was a luxury, and life was a never-ending battle.

After being bought by the director, he had been kept at the research institute, never permitted to leave.

Even on Yaoxing, Zhou Younan had never seen streets crowded with so many people.

This peaceful, bustling, and prosperous scene suddenly filled his view, making Zhou Younan momentarily forget all his unhappiness.

He looked around curiously, studying each spot with fascination for a while before moving on.

"Never seen this before?" Fei Li asked Zhou Younan.

Zhou Younan nodded.

Fei Li gave a soft laugh. Zhou Younan caught the clear contempt in Fei Li's eyes and heard his barely audible mutter of "country bumpkin."

His spirits immediately fell. Biting his lip, Zhou Younan averted his curious gaze and stopped his open staring.

A tall, handsome man in a custom white suit with light blue hair approached the two.

The man's remarkable looks kept drawing looks from passersby, and the buzz around them intensified.

His dark eyes barely glanced at Captain Fei Li before landing on Zhou Younan.

With a gentle smile, he asked, "Zhou Younan?"

"Young Master," Captain Fei Li greeted from the side.

Zhou Younan was surprised—this exceptionally handsome man turned out to be the firstborn son of the Zhou family, Zhou Mo. Apart from a pair of dark eyes, Zhou Younan could see nothing of Zhou Quan in him.

No pheromone scent.

Like his mother, Zhou Mo was a Beta.

Only after Captain Fei Li spoke did Zhou Mo turn to him. "Captain Fei Li, thanks for bringing him."

"No trouble at all, just doing my job," Captain Fei Li replied nervously.

"You must be Nan Nan."

Zhou Mo stood half a head taller than Zhou Younan. He leaned in slightly, examining Zhou Younan's face.

"I'm your brother, Zhou Mo. Do you remember me?"

Zhou Younan shook his head and explained softly, "I have no memories from childhood."

A shadow of sadness crossed Zhou Mo's face. He asked with concern, "How was the trip here?"

Zhou Younan glanced at Captain Fei Li, who stiffened, looking nervous.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Younan replied, "It was fine. Captain Fei Li took me to the ship's bar. It was pretty fun."

"'Alright'?" Zhou Mo repeated with a laugh, reaching out to affectionately mess up Zhou Younan's hair. "You use the same turns of phrase as your father."

Not used to such familiarity, Zhou Younan took two steps back, avoiding Zhou Mo's touch.

Zhou Mo didn't mind. Straightening up, he said to Captain Fei Li, "You've done well. The April's counting on you."

"Yes," Fei Li replied before leaving, throwing a loaded look at Zhou Younan.

Zhou Younan didn't forgive easily—but their game wasn't finished yet, and he still needed Captain Fei Li.

"You look so much like Uncle," Zhou Mo's words drew Zhou Younan's attention back.

His voice caught slightly. "Your fathers... they were good men."

Zhou Younan lowered his gaze. During his time with the Zhou family, he hadn't seen any photos of his fathers. He'd only heard that the accident that stole his memories had also taken their lives.

Zhou Mo placed a hand on Zhou Younan's shoulder. His warm hand felt comforting, as if reconnecting with lost memories, tugging at something inside him.

Facing Zhou Mo's hopeful gaze, Zhou Younan opened his mouth but only managed to say, "Brother."

Zhou Mo chuckled warmly. "No problem! 'Brother' works just as well. Come on, let's head back to Kanbera."

"Okay," Zhou Younan replied with a smile, sensing the family bond he'd always longed for from Zhou Mo.

The two brothers took the space elevator to Kanbera. As they ascended, Zhou Younan watched Kanbera approach—the vast blue oceans, the endless city of Torikis crisscrossed with perfect grids.

Every citizen of the empire knew Kanbera had only one city: Torikis.

The royal family, government institutions, and the estates of great houses occupied most of the land, leaving only a small portion for ordinary civilians.

Zhou Mo introduced himself as a junior councilman who had taken time off specifically to welcome Zhou Younan. He also mentioned that he was handling Zhou Younan and Wei Qing's wedding arrangements.

When the elevator doors opened, Zhou Younan was greeted by a vast, brightly lit hall with a soaring dome. The floor was immaculate, filled with humans and robots of various designs.

Spherical projection drones equipped with hover modules whizzed by overhead, frequently casting screens in front of travelers. Colorful holographic ads for all kinds of products floated in the air.

Zhou Younan noticed someone tapping a screen to order a drink, and moments later, a drone delivered it straight to their hand.

"Want a drink? Go ahead," Zhou Mo offered.

"No, I'm not thirsty," Zhou Younan said too quickly.

In truth, he was dying of thirst.

But he hadn't seen how the payment worked. Unfamiliar with the process, he didn't want to risk embarrassing himself.

Exiting the space elevator station, Zhou Younan found himself in a massive plaza. In the distance, skyscrapers stretched endlessly into the sky. Countless small private aircraft zipped through the air in orderly lanes—fast yet eerily silent.

After so many new sights today, Zhou Younan had learned to school his expression to avoid being labeled a "country bumpkin" again.

Internally, he marveled, "So tall, so big, so fast."

"Torikis is very different from Yaoxing. Everything here is bigger, taller, faster," Zhou Mo said, echoing Zhou Younan's thoughts.

Surprised, Zhou Younan looked at him.

Bathed in warm golden sunlight, Zhou Mo's blue hair shimmered. Zhou Younan noticed a small brown mole on his left cheek.

Eyes crinkling with amusement, Zhou Mo tilted his head and asked, "Isn't it?"