"Greetings, Governor Zhu." Zhao Chen laid a hand over his chest and saluted Governor Zhu.
Governor Zhu chuckled and waved a hand. "No need to be so stiff about it — just the way you were a moment ago is quite fine. I'd been curious, at first, what sort of grandson-in-law that old fellow Chu had picked, that could actually be worthy of our Xuan'er. And now I do believe it — not bad at all indeed; fit to be a grandson-in-law of mine."
Chu Xuan's cheeks flushed, and she glared at her grandfather. "Grandpa, what are you saying… don't… don't go saying these things here."
"What's this? Your grandfather on the Chu side is allowed to call him grandson-in-law, but I'm not allowed to call him a grandson-in-law of mine? Xuan'er… you've gone and forgotten all your grandpa's kindness to you! When your Chu grandfather wouldn't allow you to join the Empire's military fleet, it was I who arranged for you to join the North Wind Star Region's Empire military fleet — though some unpleasant things did happen afterward. And on account of that business, your Chu grandfather came round to curse me out every two or three days for a good while there!" Governor Zhu put on the aggrieved airs of some poor pitiful little wife.
Chu Xuan paid this grandfather of hers no further mind, and looked at the girl beside Zhao Chen in the dark glasses and hat. "And this is…? Surely not some illegitimate daughter of yours from outside the family, Grandpa?"
"Pah, pah, pah! Xuan'er, that's talk you mustn't loose so wildly!" Governor Zhu's face changed, and he rushed up at once to clap a hand over his granddaughter's mouth, then looked apologetically at the dark-glasses girl.
Now Zhao Chen too began to grow curious about this girl's identity. To be able to appear together with the North Wind Governor, and moreover to put the North Wind Governor so on edge. In the Starlight Empire… this age… a girl…
Zhao Chen at once laid a hand over his chest. "Imperial Viscount Zhao Chen, greeting Her Highness the little princess."
The little princess?
Chu Xuan gave a start. In the whole Starlight Empire there was but one who could be called the "little princess." That was the very treasure the Starlight Emperor doted upon above all!
"You truly are clever — to have guessed it so quickly, of all things." The girl removed her disguise, revealing her true countenance. Skin so fine it seemed it would break at a breath, features of a limpid, otherworldly beauty. Though she looked but 16 or 17, Zhao Chen could say for certain that once this girl was grown, she'd beyond all doubt be an existence to topple kingdoms and undo nations.
"Your Highness the Princess…" Chu Xuan exclaimed, and thereupon hurriedly saluted the little princess. "It was I who misspoke a moment ago; I beg Your Highness will forgive the offense." To have said the little princess was her grandfather's illegitimate daughter — was that not as good as saying that His Majesty the reigning Emperor…
"It's all right, it's all right. Sister Chu Xuan needn't be so on edge; we were only joking in the ordinary way, and besides, a moment ago you didn't know my identity," the little princess said with a smile.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp.
A stretch of the sound of military boots striking the floor came, and the eyes of everyone in the banquet venue turned to the entrance. A squad of women-soldiers in gold-and-white women's military uniforms was walking briskly into the banquet venue. Mind you, into a place like this, ordinary soldiers would never dare to come. Yet on seeing this squad of women-soldiers barge in, no one dared to stop them — indeed, people reflexively cleared a path.
The woman-soldier captain at their head anxiously swept her eyes over the banquet venue, as though searching for someone.
"Isn't that the little princess's guard?"
"Since the little princess's guard has come, how is it there's no sign of the little princess herself?"
By now the little princess before Zhao Chen had put her veil back on, though she hadn't donned the dark glasses and hat again.
"I never thought they'd find out so quickly; it seems all we can talk of today is only this much." The little princess looked at Zhao Chen, rather at a loss.
Just then that squad of women-soldiers, too, caught sight of the one they'd been searching for, and walked briskly over.
"Your Highness, did my Big Sis come along with you as well?" Zhao Chen asked quickly.
"Oh — your sister, is it. Your sister didn't come this time; she went off to carry out another mission. If you want to see your sister, you can, once this procurement fair is over, come back with me to the Capital System and wait a month or so, and your sister will return," the little princess explained.
Big Sis wasn't here.
Zhao Chen felt a touch of loss within. Though in his heart he'd been somewhat nervous about seeing this Big Sis of his, now that it had truly come to not seeing her, there was a hollow, empty sort of feeling.
"Your Highness!" That squad of women-soldiers had, by now, come to a halt before the little princess, and saluted.
In this instant, the eyes of everyone gathered on the little princess — but because of the veil over the little princess's face, no one could see her countenance clearly.
"We pay our respects to Your Highness!" The whole crowd present began to salute this girl.
The little princess, too, cast off the playful bearing of a moment before; an aura proper to royalty alone switched on, a trace of a haughty look showed in her eyes, and to those who had greeted her she gave a slight nod. Then she walked straight for the innermost-ring spot of the banquet venue, where a private booth had been readied for her well in advance.
"This must count as her first formal appearance in public. Xuan'er, you and my grandson-in-law chat here first; I'll go look after the little princess." The North Wind Governor took his leave of Chu Xuan and Zhao Chen and quickly followed after the little princess.
With the North Wind Governor keeping company at the little princess's side, no few of the people who'd meant to step up and cozy their way close to the little princess put the thought aside, and merely saluted from a distance.
"Come to think of it, this really does seem to be the first time one's heard of the little princess attending an occasion of this sort," Chu Xuan said with slight surprise.
Zhao Chen kept his gaze on that girl of 1,000 graces, advancing as though the stars themselves cupped the moon. But he could sense it — that behind those gem-like eyes was hidden the girl's true self. Set against her now, so much like a puppet, the girl who a moment ago had sat by his side like a walking 10,000 Whys was far more a living, breathing existence.
"Your younger sister and the others seem to have run into trouble," Chu Xuan said suddenly from beside him.
Zhao Chen looked in the direction Chu Xuan pointed — and saw that Feng Xiaowei was just now pestering his sister and the others. Zhao Chen set down the drink in his hand and walked straight over.
"Wan'er, do you see? At this procurement fair, our Hurricane Conglomerate's T2 Hyena is certain to win the bid. A grand military order of 40 billion star coins — and then our Hurricane Conglomerate will become one of the several strongest conglomerates in the whole Starlight Empire! Just say you're willing to be with me, and I can give you a great deal!" Feng Xiaowei said with an arrogant air.
"I've told you, I haven't the faintest interest in that crap conglomerate of yours," Zhao Wan'er said in disgust.
Feng Xiaowei rattled on without cease, "You may have no concept of 40 billion star coins — but that's wealth that brother of yours couldn't scrape together in 10 years, in a whole lifetime, even! Just come with me, and you can leave that country backwater behind."
As he spoke, he even reached out a lecherous hand toward Zhao Wan'er's face.
Slap.
A slap landed, without the least ceremony, square on Feng Xiaowei's skull, striking him till his head swam and his vision blurred.
"Who… who hit me!"
Feng Xiaowei turned his head, and saw Zhao Chen; and on seeing this man, he reflexively backed away several steps. For that earlier experience aboard the T3 Blizzard was still vivid before his eyes.
"The words I spoke to you before — you let them go in one ear and out the other, did you?" Zhao Chen stepped up and delivered three slaps in a row, leaving Feng Xiaowei reeling and dazed.
This, too, drew the eyes of the people around. To dare raise a hand at an occasion like this was no small matter. And the one being struck, moreover, was the young lord of the Hurricane Conglomerate.