Chapter 9 Guarding Beside Their Beloved

Chapter 9 Staying by Their Loved Ones' Side

Just as Zhuang Xi was at a loss, Lin Juangui calmly stated, "Mu Zhang is the lord of Sai Ling Star. He'll find a way to resolve this."

How could he be a protagonist if he lacked even that basic ability?

Although the current plot had diverged significantly from the original, the core personalities and approaches of the two protagonists remained consistent. Thus, Lin Juangui saw no need for undue worry.

Zhuang Xi was dumbfounded.

He managed a dry laugh, saying, "You truly... trust Mr. Mu."

Lin Juangui offered him a reassuring smile. "I never dwell on things I can't change. Even if it were to crash down on me the next second, what could I do? Anxiety is useless. And look—it seems to have changed course."

Zhuang Xi quickly turned his gaze skyward. The plummeting starship had indeed veered off towards a more distant trajectory.

He breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest with lingering trepidation. "It seems I was worrying for nothing. I've seen many people lose their homes to meteor disasters before, so I always feel a sense of dread afterward."

Lin Juangui stepped forward and gently took Zhuang Xi's hand, comforting him, "Brother Zhuang, you are the kindest person I've ever met."

While Lin Juangui's initial warmth towards Zhuang Xi stemmed from knowing his identity, Zhuang Xi truly was a man whose actions matched his words.

Zhuang Xi was currently the vice-chairman of the Federation Charity Association. He had dedicated over a decade of his youth to charitable causes, raising countless donations in recent years.

As an Omega, achieving such success was no easy feat, making Lin Juangui quite eager to learn from him.

Coincidentally, Zhuang Xi was also very curious about Lin Juangui. The two unexpectedly hit it off, and becoming friends was a simple, natural progression.

Zhuang Xi felt a little embarrassed by Lin Juangui's praise. He smiled shyly, graciously accepting the compliment. "I just find it easier to invest time and energy in things I love. Besides, Lao Fang and I haven't had time for children all these years. Seeing the kids in welfare homes well-fed and clothed is enough to make me happy."

Lin Juangui's eyes clearly shone with admiration and appreciation.

Later, as Lin Juangui's career flourished, he began donating supplies and anonymously sponsoring girls in impoverished mountainous regions. He consistently gave back to society in his own way.

After all, he had few hobbies and spent most of his time working. With no emotional needs and no plans for raising the next generation, Lin Juangui felt that engaging in charity was his way of fulfilling his social responsibility.

Zhuang Xi's overflowing kindness made Lin Juangui envious. His upbringing had never allowed him to be kind; the boys who bullied him for being different because of his looks, and the mockery and teasing from those who knew he came from a single-parent home—Lin Juangui had to fight back fiercely to show them he wasn't to be trifled with.

At a very young age, Lin Juangui had shed any trace of innocence and purity. So, when he encountered someone like Zhuang Xi, he was instinctively drawn to him.

Zhuang Xi seemed to sense Lin Juangui's aspiration for charitable work and began introducing him to the projects he was managing. Unbeknownst to them, a shuttle was hurtling towards the floating island in the distance.

This shuttle had detached from Mu Yuanqing's starship and flown directly here. Mu Zhang had already received the report. He ordered his subordinates to constantly monitor the starship's movements while he left his office to head to the landing pad to meet Mu Yuanqing.

If Mu Zhang's guess was correct, Mu Yuanqing was likely on that shuttle. He was desperate to confirm Mu Yuanqing's safety, appearing extremely anxious.

However, the shuttle also seemed to have sustained damage. Instead of landing on the pad as Mu Zhang had anticipated, it crashed directly into the garden where Mu Zhang's wedding was being held that day.

The revelers inside the mansion were startled into instant silence by the loud crash, leaving only the stirring music from the speakers filling the air.

Zhuang Xi had been explaining to Lin Juangui how many people his coordinated projects could help when a tremor from behind made him shudder. Lin Juangui turned to look at the medium-sized shuttle, half-buried in the soil, and joked to Zhuang Xi, "Brother Zhuang, something really did crash onto the floating island."

Fortunately, the two were standing at the edge of the garden, while the shuttle had crashed directly into the center, leaving them unharmed.

Zhuang Xi stared wide-eyed at the shuttle, then gazed into the distance where the starship had vanished without a trace. He rubbed the back of his head in frustration. "What on earth is going on?!"

By the time Mu Zhang arrived at the garden after receiving the news, the shuttle was already surrounded by guests. No one knew how it had crashed there, and everyone was speculating about what had happened.

"Make way! There might be people inside the shuttle. We need to initiate rescue efforts immediately!"

Mu Zhang rarely displayed such anxiety in front of outsiders. Lin Juangui watched quietly from a distance, seemingly guessing who was on the shuttle.

Since the shuttle had landed with its exit facing downward, making it impossible to open the hatch, rescue personnel quickly cut an opening. Everyone gasped at the sight inside.

As was widely known, the blood of the insectoid race was cyan-blue and carried a nauseating, fishy stench.

The interior of the shuttle was entirely covered in cyan-blue insectoid blood, with people lying haphazardly on the floor, their conditions unknown.

If not for the detector confirming the absence of insectoids or other creatures, some of the Alpha and Beta warriors present might have immediately activated their mechs to exterminate the pests.

The vice-captain, half-dead from the stench of insectoid blood, struggled to open his eyes upon sensing fresh air. With the help of rescue personnel, he crawled out of the shuttle, took several deep breaths of oxygen, and then pointed weakly inside, speaking in broken sentences: "The General... is in the very back. He used his gland energy to pilot the shuttle, otherwise, we wouldn't have made it back alive. Those children are among the few... survivors. This is as far as we could bring them."

As soon as he finished speaking, he rolled his eyes and fainted. The people inside the shuttle were carried out one by one. Eventually, Mu Zhang grew too impatient to wait. He donned protective gear and rushed into the shuttle's cockpit.

With such an incident occurring at Luochen Manor, Lin Juangui, as Mu Zhang's partner, could not stand idly by.

He stepped forward and asked the guests who found the scene too distressing to return to their rooms, promising to inform them once the investigation yielded results. Half of the crowd dispersed immediately.

Lin Juangui paid no mind to those who stayed out of curiosity. He had already heard what the vice-captain said and was even more certain that Mu Yuanqing was inside the shuttle.

Lin Juangui was quite curious to see what the other protagonist looked like and how well he matched Mu Zhang. However, when he looked down and saw the filthy, disheveled children lying on the ground, he froze. Emotions he had deliberately suppressed surged forth. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground as if witnessing something unbelievable.

"How could this... happen?"

The onlookers turned their attention to Lin Juangui, wondering how those children had survived the insectoids. But wasn't Lin Juangui's reaction a bit excessive?

Tears welled up in Lin Juangui's eyes. His hand hovered in the air, as if unsure how to reach out.

Zhuang Xi, who had followed him, covered his mouth and took a deep breath, his eyes filled with pity. "Were they attacked by insectoids? Are these children the only survivors?!"

The reality matched Zhuang Xi's speculation perfectly. Zhuang Xi knelt down and put an arm around Lin Juangui's shoulders to comfort him. Coming to his senses, Lin Juangui quickly tried to cover up his reaction. "They're all... so pitiful."

Omegas were considered fragile beings, and it was natural for them to be shocked when encountering such a scene for the first time. But as Lin Juangui lowered his head, large tears fell to the ground. He struggled to hold back his sobs.

[Lin Juangui] suddenly appeared, seemingly surprised by Lin Juangui's inexplicable agitation.

When he saw who was lying on the ground, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Isn't this our devoted, lovestruck second male lead? Why is he making an appearance so early? How unexpected... Oh, right, I remember now. He's so devoted to Mu Yuanqing because Mu Yuanqing saved his life. How touching~"

Lin Juangui sniffled. When Mu Zhang carried Mu Yuanqing out of the shuttle, he looked up and locked eyes with Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang didn't know why Lin Juangui was crying, but his mind was entirely focused on Mu Yuanqing. He wasn't about to ask questions. It was Lin Juangui who stopped him and asked if Zhuang Xi could take in these children. Only then did Mu Zhang pause to consider it.

Zhuang Xi sensed an opportunity and quickly said to Mu Zhang, "Recently, my projects have been focused on helping children who lost their homes due to various disasters. We also provide targeted assistance. Mr. Mu, you're usually so busy. You likely won't have time to care for these children. Why not entrust them to me?"

"Alright, then I'll trouble Vice-Chairman Zhuang."

Seeing Mu Zhang agree, Lin Juangui sighed with relief inwardly. Zhuang Xi also gave Lin Juangui an appreciative glance.

Lin Juangui quickly instructed the servants to clean the children and called the available doctors to examine them.

The wedding concluded amidst the sudden accident and Lin Juangui's tears.

On their wedding night, the newly married couple stayed by their respective loved ones' sides, never leaving them.