DEG - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Ring

Jiang Xun thus returned to her original school.

After all, her student records were still there, and Jiang Xun didn't want to go through the hassle of transferring repeatedly before moving on to higher education.

Besides, transferring back to her original school and being stared at like a monkey was truly no fun.

As soon as Jiang Xun arrived, Luo Nanqiu followed.

She wasn't even willing to finish celebrating her birthday on her own planet.

After all, to her, every day since Jiang Xun's return was like her birthday.

Luo Nanqiu might not care, but Jiang Xun couldn't not care.

Every year in the past, she had prepared a birthday gift for Luo Nanqiu, either something extremely hard to find or a gift she made for Luo Nanqiu with her own hands.

Luo Nanqiu had always kept Jiang Xun's family assets for her. It was as if she were still alive; Luo Nanqiu had continuously invested for her, and the funds had now accumulated to a terrifying amount.

But Jiang Xun still decided to pick up the birthday gift she couldn't give six years ago—the distinctive wood carving she had learned on Qingfei Star.

The scene of her learning wood carving seemed like it was just yesterday.

"Different patterns have different meanings. Who are you carving this for?"

"A friend?"

"A lover?"

The shop owner asked, tilting her head.

At the time, Jiang Xun felt that such descriptions were particularly inaccurate.

Although she was indeed in a relationship with Nanqiu, that relationship was fake!

She hesitated for a long time.

"Family, I suppose. She's my childhood friend."

"Then what is your wish?"

"Is it to wish her daily happiness and good health?"

But at that moment, Jiang Xun thought that if it was just for daily happiness and good health, Nanqiu might not be very happy after learning the meaning.

She looked at the patterns, troubled.

"Are there any promise-type ones?"

"I want to tell her that she is the most important, and that I will never leave her."

Jiang Xun was indeed dense at times; for example, she could never see the little thoughts the Eldest Miss buried deep in her heart.

But she could also keenly sense the Eldest Miss's sadness and unease.

The romantic relationship she had just established with the Eldest Miss would only be announced to the public after the mission was over.

But in reality, Jiang Xun agreeing to pretend to be a couple with Luo Nanqiu to help her drive away suitors was only one aspect.

The most important aspect was: she could feel that her long absences for missions and her prolonged separation from the Eldest Miss made the Eldest Miss feel insecure.

The Eldest Miss thought she would lose her.

But that would never actually happen.

But since the Eldest Miss chose to do this...

Whatever relationship the Eldest Miss wanted, it would be.

Anyway...

They would never fall out, never be separated.

Jiang Xun thought calmly.

She told the stall owner her request.

For some reason, the smile on the stall owner's face was surprised and sweet. She said excitedly, "What a romantic reason."

The stall owner also asked about Jiang Xun and Luo Nanqiu's past with extra seriousness.

In the end, they settled on this pattern.

It was just that Jiang Xun eventually discovered this pattern often appeared on couples.

"Because this pattern means 'permanence'."

"This pattern means 'love'."

"Combined, it means, 'My love for you is eternal'."

Although Jiang Xun felt it was a bit strange at the time, upon careful thought, this pattern did indeed fit her requirements.

It even suited her new identity as the Eldest Miss's girlfriend.

So...

Learn it!

Unfortunately, the wood carving she had made before had already been devoured by the Insect Mother.

Jiang Xun had to start over from scratch.

The wood was Elf Wood, hard to find in the galaxy, as thick as an adult's fist, and the wood itself had fine, sparkling flecks.

It was rare and expensive, and the wood was extremely hard, making it very difficult to carve. The previous one was carved purely with physical strength, but this one relied entirely on the control of her Ability. The Annihilation Ability was truly a bug.

Moreover, the school's curriculum was too simple for her, so Jiang Xun had plenty of time to skip class and work on the sculpture.

Luo Nanqiu, however, didn't follow her to school.

She was dealing with the planet's gangs. Jiang Xun guessed Nanqiu would directly overturn this area and let this dark place get some sun.

Luo Twenty-Five, on the other hand, often appeared by Jiang Xun's side, as if she would become anxious if Jiang Xun disappeared for even a moment.

She would appear by Jiang Xun's side, not speaking, not disturbing Jiang Xun's work, just quietly watching her.

But Jiang Xun, afraid that Luo Twenty-Five would secretly snitch, carved the wood even more secretively.

Although the face of the small figure in her wood carving hadn't been carved yet, there was no guarantee Nanqiu wouldn't recognize it as herself.

Just like that, working secretively and often getting up in the middle of the night to put in extra hours, Jiang Xun finally finished the birthday gift before Nanqiu's birthday.

Luo Nanqiu's birthday wasn't so grand this time.

Only a few people knew about their residence on this planet, and Luo Nanqiu's unwelcoming attitude towards visitors was too obvious, so they tactfully didn't come to disturb them.

On the day of the birthday, Jiang Xun simply skipped all her classes for the day and, like a date, took Luo Nanqiu to have fun around the planet.

Finally, they returned home and shared the birthday cake Jiang Xun had made.

Jiang Xun also took out the birthday gift she had prepared.

"Sorry, Nanqiu, time was too tight. I only managed to make up for one gift."

"This one counts as your 25th birthday gift." Jiang Xun pushed the larger gift box in front of Luo Nanqiu, then took out another small gift box.

"This one counts as this year's birthday gift."

Luo Nanqiu actually knew what birthday gift Jiang Xun had for her.

Because everything in the world was under her surveillance, she knew Jiang Xun was carving while slacking off at school, and she knew that at home, she would secretly get up in the middle of the night and hide in the living room to catch up.

Luo Nanqiu knew it was a wood carving, but since it was a surprise Jiang Xun had prepared for her, she restrained herself from looking at what Jiang Xun had carved it into.

But this momentary lapse led to a surprise—a second gift appeared.

Luo Nanqiu was unusually tense.

The item in that small box was completely beyond her control.

She frantically filtered through the things Jiang Xun had bought recently in her mind.

Elf Wood, carving tools, and some metals and gems to go with the wood carving.

Could it have been made from those things?

Luo Nanqiu's heart skipped a beat.

She lowered her gaze to the small, square box and, as if she had a premonition, opened it with trembling hands.

It was a ring.

Under the soft glow of the light, the amethyst seemed to lose its cold luster, becoming exceptionally gentle.

Luo Nanqiu almost couldn't wait to take it out. On the inner side of the ring's band, she saw a few letters.

Q&X

"What is this?" Luo Nanqiu's voice couldn't stop trembling, but it was filled with irrepressible anticipation.

"Something I thought you would like. It's a bit simple, though, since there wasn't much time to prepare."

Jiang Xun felt a little guilty, her gaze wandering.

"What is this?" Even though she already knew what it was, and already understood Jiang Xun's meaning, Luo Nanqiu couldn't help but ask. She wanted to hear the most precise answer from Jiang Xun's own mouth.

"A ring."

"A belated wedding... no, let's call it an engagement ring." Jiang Xun forced herself to stop looking away and said seriously to Luo Nanqiu.

"After a while, I'll make it up to you with a better wedding ring."

Luo Nanqiu's eyes became moist and hazy again.

Luo Nanqiu didn't think of herself as someone who cried easily, but Jiang Xun always had all sorts of ways to make her cry.

Her fingers felt a little cold, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

She took Jiang Xun's hand and placed the ring in it.

"Put it on me." It was like a command, yet also like a plea.

Looking at Luo Nanqiu, Jiang Xun couldn't help but smile.

She took Luo Nanqiu's hand and led her to the center of the living room.

She knelt on one knee.

"Nanqiu, will you marry me?"

"We're already married," Luo Nanqiu choked out, struggling to say a complete sentence.

"Of course I will. I'm so happy I could die. I feel like this is all a dream."

Her hand twitched slightly, as if urging her on.

"Hurry up, put it on me."

Jiang Xun had a whole speech of prepared formal words that she didn't get a chance to say. The unspoken tension dissipated at this moment.

She took the Eldest Miss's fair, slender hand and put the ring on her.

"Where's yours?" the Eldest Miss asked.

Jiang Xun had indeed prepared one for herself, but hers was a bit cruder, and she hadn't even had time to carve a pattern on it.

Jiang Xun hesitated for a moment, but still took it out.

Luo Nanqiu took one serious look, then hurriedly dragged Jiang Xun's carving tools out from under the bed. Looking at the ring on her own hand, she carefully traced the pattern, stroke by stroke.

Finally, an identical ring also appeared on Jiang Xun's finger.

Luo Nanqiu clasped Jiang Xun's ringed hand. Watching the rings reflect the light on their fingers, Luo Nanqiu caressed them fondly, as if they were some kind of priceless treasure.

That night, the head of the Luo Family, who hadn't updated her Starbo in ten thousand years, suddenly posted a new entry.

Two photos, and a relatively short sentence.

One photo was of the wedding rings, which Luo Nanqiu had spent a long time finding the right angle to shoot.

Their hands were clasped, and the rings shone brilliantly on their fingers.

The other photo was of a wood carving.

After the Eldest Miss carefully researched the meaning of the pattern, she satisfyingly posted it on Starbo along with the wedding rings, and added a caption.

【My birthday. The engagement ring she made up for me, and the belated gift that should have been given to me several years ago.】

Next came an extremely perceptive repost from Zuo Si, followed by reposts from the official Starbo accounts of the Luo Consortium's various industries, and even the Empire's official account reposted it.

And at this time, the baffled interstellar citizens:

【Who's this? Making such a big deal over a make-up engagement ring, so love-struck?】

【Ho-ly shit—it's the head of the Luo Family!!!!】

【Ho-ly shit, it's the Imperial Regent!! Has domineering CEO fiction become reality?!】

【Who is it? Who? Who is lucky enough to marry the Regent? How can they be so blessed? [crying with sunglasses emoji]】

The clueless masses waited for the officials to explain and drop the gossip, but the nobles who knew who Luo Nanqiu had married...

They read the post over and over again, even analyzing every nook and cranny of the photos.

What was it again, a make-up wedding ring.

Luo Nanqiu clearly married a dead person.

And this belated gift.

It really was the kind of birthday gift Jiang Xun would have given Luo Nanqiu several years ago.

After all, this was a specialty of Qingfei Star.

But isn't Jiang Xun dead?

What on earth does this mean?

Could she have been resurrected?

Backed by Luo Nanqiu's status, just a small post made the entire galaxy explode.

After someone with ulterior motives deliberately released the information, Jiang Xun's identity was also exposed.

On all sorts of websites across the galaxy, countless people were searching for the truth.

【Jiang Xun, isn't she a traitor to the Empire? Although the Regent doesn't seem to care, I just want to know, is this whole 'traitor' thing part of your kink? Please, tell us, I'm dying of curiosity.】

【Jiang Xun, ah, she was the star of the military in our year. She even outshone Colonel Qing Yue's brilliance.】

With the endorsement of some entertainment outlets, the Regent, and the Imperial media, some people actually forgot about Jiang Xun's status as a traitor and began trying to find the reason for her treason.

Of course, there were also some who were defiant.

【What terrible taste, to actually find a traitor.】

But just then, some players who knew the inside story and had discovered this conflict in the galaxy couldn't help but retort.

【She's not a traitor, she was clearly framed by the Little Emperor!!】

【That's hilarious. You say she was framed, what proof do you have? You can't just get married and have all your sins disappear, can you? A bunch of people sucking up to that Regent woman so hard they've abandoned their conscience.】

The players were pissed half to death. They went to the forums to rally their friends, deciding to curse out these clueless, randomly-insulting idiots until they were black and blue.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xun, who had gotten up after a restless half-night, glanced at her Optical Brain as if sensing something.

Everywhere, people were arguing about whether she had committed treason, fighting as if a world war was about to break out.

Jiang Xun looked at the situation and was silent for a long time.

She remembered she hadn't had time to deal with the Little Emperor yet.

She had to find a way to make him write an Edict of Self-Condemnation.

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