Chu River Star Region
Chu Xuan rubbed at her temples; right now her mind and spirit were in constant disquiet, her heart hung upon her grandfather, far off in the Imperial Capital star system.
She'd learned the news that her grandfather had been rescued out by the Chu Family Shadow-Guards; glad as she was, she was very worried besides.
She knew full well that the Prince Faction would absolutely not let her grandfather off lightly.
If the Prince Faction held a death-list in hand, then among the top three names upon it, there'd surely be Chu Changhe.
Every five minutes, Chu Xuan would ask her trusted adjutant whether there was any word from the Imperial Capital star system.
But the answer she got was always no.
For now, with the relationship between the Prince Faction and the Chu family as it was, the comms-traffic between the two places that had originally been permitted was all cut off.
And the Prince Faction was, all the more, now blockading to the outside all news concerning Chu Changhe.
And so, at this very moment, though no small number of people within and without the Starlight Empire were watching the situation of Chu Changhe, there was very nearly no one who could get any definite word.
Under such circumstances, who-knows-how-many people had pushed aside the various matters at hand and were bitterly awaiting this first-line news.
Chu Xuan was, naturally, all the more unable to sit or stand at ease.
The female adjutant walked into the office carrying a meal, looking at Chu Xuan pacing back and forth within the office.
Since Chu Xuan had taken the helm of the Chu family, she'd never once seen Chu Xuan so far lose her composure.
One could see she was truly very worried for this grandfather of hers.
"Miss, eat something first." the female adjutant urged.
"No appetite." Chu Xuan didn't so much as glance at that delicious meal; she walked to the desk, looked at the photograph of herself and her grandfather, her eyes somewhat moist.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
Just at this moment Chu Xuan's handheld terminal flashed with light — someone had a comm request.
Chu Xuan opened it without a word — but what she saw was the note 'Zhao Chen.'
Had it been before, seeing Zhao Chen call her might have stirred some special feeling in her.
But now, her whole heart was taken up with worry over her grandfather.
She hesitated a moment, then clicked accept all the same; at the same time, she could note that beside the accept-window there were several hundred comm requests Chu Xuan had refused — all of them people who wished to reach her on account of Chu Changhe's affair.
Zhao Chen's face appeared before Chu Xuan, the background still that bridge of the some-such T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser.
"How are you doing now?" Zhao Chen looked at Chu Xuan with a smile.
Chu Xuan rolled her eyes.
"How can I be doing? Something's happened to my grandfather, and there's still no definite word. If it weren't for my grandfather's standing order that I'm not to send troops against the Prince Faction, I'd right now lead the Chu family legion straight across the star-region border, drive straight for the Starlight Central Star Region, and kick over that damned Prince Faction!"
Chu Xuan supposed Zhao Chen would next say some words of comfort.
Something like "Don't worry, you've got me here," or "Rest easy, nothing will happen to your grandfather" — words of that sort.
But the smile on Zhao Chen's face didn't change; he even said, somewhat impishly, "Tell me — if I were to go and rescue your grandfather back, how would you thank me?"
Chu Xuan was taken aback, then looked at Zhao Chen speechlessly, taking this for no more than a joke of Zhao Chen's.
"I'm in no mood to joke with you right now. If you're concerned for me, I accept the sentiment. But right now I'm really rather… vexed; if there's nothing else, let's not talk for now."
Zhao Chen said hurriedly, "I'm not joking. Say it first. If I bring your grandfather back to you whole and unharmed, how will you thank me?"
Chu Xuan still reckoned Zhao Chen was trying to coax her into a better humor, and so she said offhandedly, "Then from now on, whenever I, Chu Xuan, see you, I'll be all deference and respect — serve you tea and pour your water, wash your feet and give you a massage. You tell me to go left, I'll never go right; whatever you have me do, I'll never say so much as half a 'no.' There — will that do? What a time to be joking. How tiresome." Chu Xuan was somewhat angered by now, and, so saying, made ready to close the comm window.
"I'd advise you not to be in such a hurry to close the comm — and to remember what you just said." Zhao Chen looked at Chu Xuan with a mischievous grin; then his body began to move, and the comm window moved along with it.
At this point, an old man who was inspecting and touring this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser appeared in the picture.
"Chu Xuan, look — whose old grandfather is this."
Chu Xuan's expression went abruptly stiff; her whole face was very nearly pressed up into the video window — if this video window had been a passage-door, she'd likely have burrowed straight through it then and there.
"Grandpa! How is my grandpa aboard your starship!" Chu Xuan said in glad surprise.
"That's a long story; I'll tell you slowly by and by. Remember the thing you promised me just now, Big Miss of the Chu family." Zhao Chen teased.
Chu Xuan's cheeks flushed red — the words she'd just said offhandedly, was she now, of all things, to make good on them?
What was it she'd said just now?
'You tell me to go left, I'll never go right; whatever you have me do, I'll never say so much as half a "no."'
At the thought of these words, Chu Xuan wished she could find a crack in the ground to burrow into.
But the most important thing at present was, of course, still Chu Changhe.
"Old sir, won't you come and greet your darling granddaughter," Zhao Chen called to Chu Changhe, who was still immersed in the advanced craftsmanship of this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser.
Chu Changhe walked over; seeing the Chu Xuan opposite, he said with a chuckle, "Granddaughter."
Hearing that familiar call, Chu Xuan's eyes went hot; she nearly lost her composure.
She bit lightly at her rosy lip, and glared at her grandfather.
"You're all right — why didn't you contact me the first thing! Do you know… do you know how worried we all were for you."
Chu Changhe clapped himself on the head.
"Aiya, I forgot. Just now this fellow Zhao Chen invited me aboard this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser of his; I was so taken with this interstellar warship that the thing slipped my mind."
Chu Xuan rolled her eyes, and said in shamed vexation, "You might as well not come back at all — go off with your warship instead."
Chu Changhe was taken aback; he hadn't worked out why this granddaughter of his would, of all things, be angry at the sight of him.
The chief culprit at his side wore, in this moment, a look of "I know nothing at all about it."
"Where are you now? Are you safe?" Chu Xuan very soon reined in her feelings, and asked the important question.
"We're very safe now — right in the star-system edge-space outside your Chu family's home star system," Zhao Chen answered.
Chu Xuan was taken aback, and looked at Zhao Chen in astonishment.
"You're outside the Chu family's home star system? How can that be — my grandfather was plainly still in the Imperial Capital home star system before this; how much time has even passed?"
Zhao Chen gave a mysterious little smile.
At his side, Chu Changhe pointed at Zhao Chen with a laughing curse.
"Xuan-er, you have no idea how many fine things this fellow has stashed away. What's it called again… the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship, a starship that can open a star gate at long range. It brought us straight back from the edge-space outside the Imperial Capital star system. This thing… is just too impossibly impressive."
Chu Changhe eyed Zhao Chen sidelong; right now, the more he looked at this granddaughter's-husband, the more he liked what he saw — if he could be given a few more of these T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ships, that'd be finer still.