Chapter 7 Wedding Invitation

Chapter 7 Wedding Invitation

Three days later, the starship arrived at Sai Ling Star.

As a planet entirely ruled by Mu Zhang, it hadn't been overdeveloped. Unlike the advanced, avant-garde style of the Federal Central Star, which appeared cold and sterile everywhere, Sai Ling Star instead had a lived-in feel.

After all, being the protagonist, even if Mu Zhang had an unruly personality and moral flaws, his redeeming qualities were always highlighted to the fullest.

The prosperity of Sai Ling Star was visible to the naked eye. The well-planned streets and neatly arranged flight lanes all conveyed Mu Zhang's dedication to the planet.

Lin Juangui had slept for a long time. The physical and mental exhaustion required extra sleep to recover, and when he woke up, he felt remarkably refreshed.

The pain in his wrist jolted Lin Juangui awake. He closed his eyes, rubbed his brow, got up, did some stretches, changed clothes, and went to wash up.

Someone knocked on the door, addressing him respectfully as "Madam Lin Juangui": "Are you awake? I am the butler of Luochen Manor, surnamed Yang. Mr. Mu asked me to take you home."

Lin Juangui glanced at the corner of the room. He had known there was surveillance since the first day he stayed here, but he carried on as usual without any reservations.

Having Mu Zhang have him monitored so closely was progress in itself.

Lin Juangui went to open the door and saw a middle-aged man in a butler's uniform.

His hair was neatly combed, and he smiled, bowing respectfully to Lin Juangui. "Sir still has work to attend to. These are two servants from Luochen Manor. They will take care of all your needs from now on."

"Alright."

Lin Juangui's wrist was still weak, and he didn't have much luggage. The servants quickly finished packing for him.

As he stepped out of the starship, Lin Juangui looked around. Several large platinum-colored starships were docked nearby, projecting an imposing presence.

"This is... Tianguang."

Tianguang had originally been a space pirate organization, but in recent years, under Mu Zhang's leadership, it had gradually become legitimate. Every member had a competent and experienced demeanor.

Maintaining such a vast army required not only financial resources but also charisma. Without some personal magnetism, Mu Zhang wouldn't be able to manage so many people. At least for now, his subordinates seemed extremely loyal.

The shot that Lin Juangui fired in self-defense had likely caused some trouble for Mu Zhang. By exposing himself to Kuang Jie, Mu Zhang had set a trap, though Lin Juangui hadn't realized it.

But Mu Zhang was competent enough that this trouble wouldn't be hard to resolve. Lin Juangui felt almost no guilt whatsoever.

As Lin Juangui had guessed, with Kuang Jie dead, some of the evidence couldn't be obtained directly from his confession and would require time to uncover.

Kuang Jie's starships were thoroughly searched. Aside from some weaponry Mu Zhang considered insignificant, there was also evidence of Kuang Jie's dealings with certain high-ranking individuals.

Sorting through all of this took a full day and night. Mu Zhang had also disbanded some of Kuang Jie's followers, keeping those with strong physical capabilities for observation to see if they could be of use.

Mu Zhang had no intention of making excuses to hide Kuang Jie's death. Survival of the fittest was the code space pirates lived by, and Mu Zhang hadn't violated any codes.

The news of Mu Zhang's marriage hadn't dominated the headlines for long before Kuang Jie's death and the exposure of his wrongdoings took over the media.

After verification, the photos, videos, and recordings were confirmed to be genuine, with no signs of forgery or AI tampering.

Many who had previously criticized Mu Zhang now chose to remain silent. Even Mu Yuanqing, training far away in the military district, saw the evening federal news broadcast during dinner at the cafeteria.

Remembering his earlier attitude toward Mu Zhang, Mu Yuanqing silently put down his chopsticks, his expression growing heavy.

Mu Zhang had recently gotten married—something Mu Yuanqing had only heard in passing from a subordinate.

He logged onto the star network and, sure enough, saw news of it everywhere.

Years ago, Mu Yuanqing had imagined this outcome. He and Mu Zhang would eventually end their uncomfortable relationship.

During their last phone call, Mu Zhang's disappointed and weary tone had pierced him like a knife. Mu Yuanqing's mood suddenly sank.

Now that Kuang Jie's true face had been exposed, whether it was the planets he operated or the labs he invested in, all violated federal law. It was safe to say he had it coming.

Mu Yuanqing opened the call record with Mu Zhang on his communicator.

It had been almost three months. If Mu Zhang didn't want to see him, Mu Yuanqing had no chance of meeting him.

After finishing his meal, Mu Yuanqing placed his bowl in the recycling station and prepared to leave when an officer suddenly approached, saying someone had delivered a letter for him and asking him to come collect it.

Perplexed, Mu Yuanqing went to the receiving station and picked up a neatly packaged folder.

In this era, paper had become a luxury only the wealthy could afford.

He wondered who would go to such lengths to send a letter to the military department.

When he opened the folder and saw the wedding invitation inside, Mu Yuanqing's expression froze for a moment. For some reason, he felt nervous.

He slowly opened the invitation, unconsciously taking a deep breath.

The wedding invitation was clearly Mu Zhang's. His Omega was named Lin Juangui—a beautiful name, likely belonging to a gentle and considerate person.

Mu Yuanqing didn't notice that his hands, accustomed to maneuvering mechs, were trembling.

When this moment finally arrived, he realized he wasn't feeling acceptance or blessing. Instead, he despicably thought Mu Zhang had chosen to marry an Omega at this time just to get back at him.

But why would Mu Zhang risk his lifelong happiness for Mu Yuanqing?

Moreover, marrying an Omega was perfectly normal. What right did Mu Yuanqing have to say Mu Zhang was wrong?

Mu Yuanqing clenched the wedding invitation tightly. He glanced at the wedding date—early next month, still over half a month away.

He took a deep breath and prepared to file for leave.

A wedding should be the happiest moment in one's life. Even though Mu Yuanqing's heart rebelled against the idea, he still felt he should offer Mu Zhang this blessing, if only to bring closure to the past.

-

Mu Zhang's Luochen Manor was located on a floating island in the center of Sai Ling Star.

From here, one could overlook the planet's most bustling commercial district. The towering buildings resembled a painting in the room, serving as decorations for the floating island.

The overall style of Luochen Manor leaned toward Western design. Whether it was the vibrant murals or ocean-like window curtains, the place was splendid and magnificent and extravagantly flamboyant, very much in line with Mu Zhang's personality.

Plants and flowers could be seen everywhere, softening the opulent and tense atmosphere. The courtyard where Lin Juangui now resided even had a dense patch of blooming balloon flowers.

The flowers swayed in the wind, releasing layers of fresh, sweet fragrance.

The soil here seemed freshly turned, and the flowers had likely been transplanted not long ago. At the very least, Butler Yang had sent people to carefully decorate the area before Lin Juangui's arrival, which was already quite different from the original plot.

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"No wonder they say the ability to pull off divine intervention is something else. This place originally stored books. When I lived here, it was dilapidated and desolate. Though not dusty, the smell of old books was stale and unpleasant. Now it's been tidied up quite nicely—at least it looks livable."

Lin Juangui's courtyard was located in the northwest corner of Luochen Manor.

It was not only remote but also bordered an artificial lake. Usually, few people ventured here, making it seldom frequented.

Just by seeing where Lin Juangui lived, the servants of Luochen Manor could easily tell this spouse was not particularly favored. They speculated about Lin Juangui's identity and paid close attention to his daily activities.

"He seems so cold—either sleeping or muttering to himself all day. Maybe there’s something wrong with his mind, which is why he isn’t staying in the main residence?"

"Not necessarily. The estate has been cleaning up lately and preparing for the wedding. Mr. Mu has never brought an Omega here before. Maybe he just prefers quiet, which is why he’s staying here?"

"But Mr. Mu has never visited him either."

The servants' whispers didn’t affect Lin Juangui. Recently, besides focusing on exercising, he had the servants take out all the books piled in the corner rooms of the villa to dust and air them.

He knew Mu Zhang was arranging the wedding preparations, but Lin Juangui was kept in the dark about the details. Even selecting the wedding attire was handled without his input—a tailor was simply sent to take his measurements. Lin Juangui was content with the peace and quiet.

Still, [Lin Juangui] couldn’t help muttering to him, "Those two servants bullied me so badly before. Why are they so intimidated by you?"

"There must be quite a difference between a lover and a spouse."

Lin Juangui was sitting in the courtyard, flipping through the books the servants had aired out. The books were quite old, their pages yellowed with age. As he turned the pages, he unexpectedly discovered something surprising—a clue related to the world he was in. The book contained a ballad that Fan Meiyi used to sing to him.

Curiosity piqued, Lin Juangui pressed his lips together in a faint smile and casually plucked a bellflower from the courtyard, placing it between the pages.

After this period of rest, Lin Juangui’s complexion had noticeably improved compared to when he first arrived on Sailing Star.

Seeing [Lin Juangui] pouting unhappily, Lin Juangui smiled, his eyes crinkling. The initial hostility and resistance he felt toward [Lin Juangui] had faded.

"Status is just an accessory. What matters is how I use it. As for those people, it’s just their nature—they won’t behave for long. Let’s wait; there will be opportunities."

Lin Juangui spoke without restraint to [Lin Juangui], his voice so soft that even someone standing nearby might not catch his words. But this inevitably gave the impression that he might be mentally unwell.

Mu Zhang had known since the pre-marital checkup that Lin Juangui struggled with depression. Lin Juangui didn’t care whether Mu Zhang minded his medical history—after all, Mu Zhang had surely investigated everything thoroughly. His willingness to marry Lin Juangui indicated he accepted these minor issues.

Ultimately, all Mu Zhang needed was for Lin Juangui to help him through his sensitive periods and provide social advantages. The wedding was merely the battlefield where Lin Juangui would prove his usefulness.

Three days before the wedding, a doctor came to examine Lin Juangui’s wrist.

His wrist had healed well, regaining full mobility with no lasting effects.

The wedding planner also went over the detailed schedule with Lin Juangui, mentioning that he would need to attend a rehearsal in the coming days.

"Will Mu Zhang be rehearsing too?"

Seemingly surprised by Lin Juangui’s casual use of Mu Zhang’s full name, the wedding planner paused before remembering that, as spouses, using each other’s names was normal. He smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Mu doesn’t have the time. We’ll have someone stand in as the groom for your rehearsal."

Lin Juangui took daily walks around the estate, leaving his small villa to explore. However, the estate was vast, and the main residence was heavily guarded, making it impossible for him to approach. Still, Lin Juangui could tell Mu Zhang hadn’t returned—after all, from his room overlooking Sailing Star, he could see the hovercrafts arriving and departing the floating island daily.

According to [Lin Juangui], Mu Zhang’s hovercraft was platinum-colored, but Lin Juangui had yet to spot it.

While other Omegas might have been too nervous to sleep before their wedding, to Lin Juangui, the ceremony was little more than child’s play. His marriage to Mu Zhang was merely a means to an end—devoid of excitement or anticipation.

On the day of the wedding, Lin Juangui was awakened early.

After washing up, he was led to a mirror. He remained silent and fully cooperative as he was dressed in his wedding attire and groomed.

Mu Zhang had chosen a tailored men’s wedding suit for him—clean-cut, without excess fabric, making it easy to move in.

When the wedding planner arrived, he handed Lin Juangui a bouquet. Catching sight of Lin Juangui’s face, he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

The pure white suit rippled slightly in the breeze, framing a face of haunting beauty—delicate and captivating, with long, thick lashes like crow feathers. Even with his cool, restrained expression, his features were utterly mesmerizing.

"Could you... maybe smile? The guests have mostly arrived."

Lin Juangui took a deep breath and offered a soft, gentle smile.

The actor was stepping onto his stage. On the sprawling lawn, salutes fired, countless hot-air balloons ascended, and the sky filled with dazzling lights.

Many had wondered what kind of person Mu Zhang’s partner would be.

When Lin Juangui appeared before the guests, all their questions vanished.