[1]
After several games,
Annie's face was already scribbled all over like a ghost's talisman.
She sat there in despair.
Beside her, Zhao Chen quietly opened the camera function of his handheld terminal and took a photo of himself and Annie.
On the camera page,
photo after photo was recorded.
First a picture of the two together in one frame.
Then Annie noticed Zhao Chen peeking.
In the next, Annie pointed at Zhao Chen in fury.
In the next, Annie came flying at Zhao Chen, all teeth and claws.
…
That night, everyone had a very happy time.
Even Nannan, who looked so grown-up, often laughed with delight.
Somehow, here there was a feeling of being carefree, of being able to relax.
Nannan looked at everyone playing about, then at that man of the stories:
the Fierce Dragon Emperor.
The man said to stand at the very peak of power, yet at this moment there was not the least about him to make one's blood run cold.
Instead he had a warmth that made one want to come near him.
Above all when he was teasing the children, with that kindly smile on his face.
It could be seen that he truly loved children; she had heard he had children of his own too.
Then he must be a very good father.
If only she too could have a father like this.
Nannan could not help daydreaming.
At the same time,
the ship carrying Marshal Chu Xuan returned to the Dragon Palace Starport.
When she got off the starship,
she asked the investigators for the latest news.
They had not yet found exactly where Nannan was, but one thing could be confirmed:
Nannan should be in the Dragon Palace Starport now.
That being so, finding Nannan should not be hard.
In truth, if she really wanted to find her, using all her authority would do it.
But that would make too much noise and draw others' attention, which Chu Xuan did not want.
Since Nannan was in the Dragon Palace Starport, she ought to be safe.
And she had kept a move in reserve too.
She raised her hand and opened a handheld terminal.
On it a tracking signal could be seen.
It was a tracker she had left on Nannan, but its range was limited.
Still, within the bounds of the Dragon Palace Starport now, it could find her.
It was because of this that she could feel at ease.
Now, switching on this device, she saw a cursor on it.
This cursor was not moving.
That meant Nannan was right at this spot.
Chu Xuan at once followed this cursor's guidance and walked toward the spot.
Her steps were quick, more anxious than ever before.
She drew nearer and nearer, nearer and nearer, to the cursor's position.
Very soon she reached a villa district.
This villa district was very upscale; generally only people of good standing chose to stay here when they came to visit the Dragon Palace Starport.
The last five hundred meters remained.
Chu Xuan checked the weapon at her waist; though she believed Nannan had met no danger,
wary as she was, she had still made thorough preparations.
Even if some danger really did arise when she found Nannan, she made sure she had means enough to deal with it and protect Nannan's safety.
"This is the place." Chu Xuan looked at the villa before her; the tracker showed Nannan was in this very villa before her, under twenty meters away in a straight line.
She took a deep breath and did not choose to push open the gate.
Instead she went straight over the wall.
She was Chu Xuan; there were few places here she could not go.
Drawing nearer and nearer to Nannan, she heard laughter, and among it seemed to be Nannan's voice.