CHAPTER 9

After the acceptance check confirmed everything was in order, Shu Yanyan paid the rent for the first three months and received a brand new lease contract from Fang Suqing. Fang Suqing handed her the access card and said, "From now on, this place is entirely under your control."

Shu Yanyan knew in her heart that Fang Suqing had given her a tremendous discount on the rent. She took a deep breath and gratefully said, "Suqing, thank you so much."

Fang Suqing smiled wryly, "Don't think too highly of me."

She stared at Shu Yanyan intently, "I'm also doing this for myself... for my own convenience in being able to enjoy the food I like."

With her skills acknowledged, Shu Yanyan's mood rose a bit. "I made some rice cakes. Take them home tonight for you and Tian Tian to taste. But the rice cakes are a bit spicy, so make sure to watch Tian Tian and don't let her eat too many at once."

Fang Suqing asked, "Yanyan, you must really like children, don't you?"

Shu Yanyan looked at the well-behaved Yunmiao and Fang Tian playing nearby and nodded without hesitation, "Yes."

Fang Suqing's gaze softened. "We both take care of our children independently, but compared to you, I always feel lacking. You are attentive and take good care of your family. If Tian Tian had a mother like you, she would definitely be happier than she is now."

Shu Yanyan didn't catch the implied meaning in Fang Suqing's words at all and instead asked back, "Why would you think that way?"

She felt a bit embarrassed and lowered her head. "Actually, I sometimes compare myself to you and feel that there are still many areas where I need to improve!"

Fang Suqing's smile deepened upon hearing this. "It seems our thoughts are the same. We both feel that the other person is more suitable to take care of the children. If we..."

She was interrupted midway as a sudden "ping pong" sound came from Yunmiao and Fang Tian's direction. They turned their heads and saw that a small ornament had fallen to the ground.

However, it didn't seem like an accident. Yunmiao was looking up in surprise at the white chubby bird perched on the counter. "Guan Guan, why did you push that down?"

Guan Guan replied, "...My foot slipped."

Yunmiao picked up the item and placed it back on the table. "Be more careful next time, okay?"

Fang Suqing redirected her gaze.

Her previous words were interrupted, and now she noticed that Shu Yanyan's attention was completely focused on the children. She reluctantly gave up. After thinking for a moment, she changed the subject. "That bionic bird... Did you buy it?"

Shu Yanyan shook her head.

"...It was a gift for Yunmiao from someone."

Fang Suqing asked, "Who was it?"

Shu Yanyan pursed her lips and appeared somewhat uneasy. "...A stranger."

Fang Suqing frowned. "You're someone who values boundaries... Normally, you wouldn't accept such a valuable gift, right?"

It was precisely because she understood Shu Yanyan that Fang Suqing came up with the idea of reducing the rent. In fact, if possible, she would even be willing to give the entire shop to Shu Yanyan.

Shu Yanyan hesitated and vaguely replied, "Indeed, I shouldn't have accepted it. I want to find an opportunity to return it."

Fang Suqing sensed that she didn't want to talk about it and politely refrained from asking further.

Afterward, the four of them left the shop and went to explore the nearby shopping street while having fun.

An hour later, at Shu Yanyan's insistence, Fang Suqing accompanied her and Yunmiao back home.

Having eaten a hearty lunch, Shu Yanyan made a light and plain congee for dinner. After playing all day, Yunmiao couldn't help but feel tired. After dinner, she started to feel drowsy. Shu Yanyan helped her with her homework, gave her a bath, and softly coaxed her to sleep.

It wasn't until she saw Yunmiao peacefully asleep that Shu Yanyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was even more exhausted than Yunmiao. The muscles around her eyes felt sore, but she resisted the urge to sleep, not having the slightest desire to rest.

After tucking Yunmiao into bed and ensuring she was comfortable, Shu Yanyan walked into the small living room and activated the smart brain search function.

"Huaqi Empire."

"Current Emperor of the Huaqi Empire."

"Current Emperor of the Huaqi Empire, missing."

The information on the star network was fragmented. Shu Yanyan changed her search keywords and conducted multiple searches one after another.

She wanted to know about the Emperor's whereabouts in the five years before her disappearance.

Soon, she pieced together a crude timeline.

Ten years ago, in the year 5360 of the Imperial calendar, the Huaqi Empire's long-standing rival, the Zul Federation, forcefully occupied imperial territories. Unlike the previous Emperors who had chosen to tolerate such actions, the young Emperor made the decisive decision to confront them head-on and personally led the troops to the frontlines. Under the leadership of the Emperor, the Empire not only reclaimed the lost territories but also expanded its borders to include the Zhelin Planet region.

In fact, the Zhelin Planet had belonged to the Empire two hundred years ago. The actions of the Emperor were not about expanding the territory but reclaiming what was lost.

The war lasted for several years until, finally, five years ago, the Zul Federation could no longer hold on and signed a peace treaty with the Empire. The Emperor led her soldiers triumphantly back home. However, their return journey was attacked, and half a year later, news of the Emperor's disappearance gradually spread on the network.

The Prince Regent took over, and as long as three years passed, he could declare the Emperor dead and directly ascend to the throne.

Fortunately, at the end of the second year, the Emperor was found by a private special forces mercenary group, regaining control of the situation.

During that time, due to Chu Yu's disappearance, the Zul Federation showed signs of tearing up the ceasefire agreement and frequently engaged in border skirmishes. After Chu Yu's return, she directly launched counterattacks, subduing the Federation and forcing them to retreat. It was also during this time that the Zhelin Planet incident, which was currently a topic of controversy on the star network, erupted.

"Although there are some discrepancies, the period when the Emperor was missing coincides with the time I was with Shu Qing. The Emperor reappeared after Shu Qing disappeared..." Shu Yanyan murmured softly. "If the Emperor lost her memory and ended up in the Chaotic Federation five years ago, could it be, could it be..."

Could she be my Shu Qing?

Shu Yanyan minimized the webpage, opened her photo album, and pulled up a somewhat blurry picture.

Shu Qing didn't like taking photos.

Shu Yanyan once had a sudden idea and suggested putting her photo on the star network, hoping to find clues about her identity, but she was rejected by Shu Qing.

In the Chaotic Federation where they were at that time, the identity verification system was practically non-existent. As long as one went to register, they could obtain a citizen ID card, making it an ideal hiding place for many criminals. For a while, Shu Yanyan suspected that Shu Qing might be a fugitive.

Even if she had lost her memory, Shu Qing was unwilling to expose herself on the star network.

Shu Qing guessed her thoughts and asked her why she didn't try putting her own photo online.

Shu Yanyan felt guilty.

Although technology had advanced greatly in the interstellar era, time travel was still a shocking concept. She knew that no information about herself could be found online, and she naturally didn't want to put her appearance and various information out there for anyone to judge.

However, after that, Shu Yanyan no longer dwelled on Shu Qing's identity.

Everyone had their own hidden past that was difficult to talk about.

She and Shu Qing made a pact to let go of the past and focus on living in the present.

Shu Qing was incredibly attractive and had a great personality, capturing Shu Yanyan's aesthetic preferences completely. It didn't take long before Shu Yanyan was completely infatuated and confessed her feelings with a flushed face and a racing heart. Shu Qing, the sly fox, waited for this innocent little rabbit to jump into the trap herself. That night, she devoured Shu Yanyan completely, leaving nothing behind.

They had made a pact to leave the Chaotic Federation and live a good life together, but on their first night, luck was on their side. They temporarily settled in the Chaotic Federation to take care of the pregnant Shu Qing until she disappeared later.

In Shu Yanyan's mind, there was only this one blurry side profile photo of Shu Qing.

The woman in the photo had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, facing sideways as she selected items from the shelves. Half of her face was covered by bangs, but her straight nose and sharp jawline were still visible.

Unfortunately, the woman's hair color was very light, a faint blonde-brown shade. If one were to only look at this blurry photo, it's unlikely that anyone would immediately connect the person in the picture with Chu Yu, who had dark hair during their street patrol today.

Shu Yanyan stared at the photo, lost in her thoughts.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly felt two blue dots appearing in her field of vision. She looked up to find that the little chubby bird in its nest had already entered a standby state, seemingly "awakening" with a shimmering light in its eyes.

She stared straight at the little chubby bird, realizing that it had noticed her presence, but it didn't fly to her side as usual.

Shu Yanyan was puzzled and called out, "Guan Guan?"

The little chubby bird lost its balance for a moment and almost stumbled to the ground. After recovering, it stabilized itself and struggled to fly onto the table in front of Shu Yanyan.

After the communication with Yunmiao in the palace during the day, Shu Yanyan already knew that the "big sister" who had sent the little chubby bird in the marketplace was the esteemed Emperor in the palace.

Guan Guan's former owner was none other than Chu Yu.

Shu Yanyan looked at the bird and suddenly asked, "Guan Guan, is there a member of the royal family who looks very similar to the Emperor?"

The little chubby bird seemed to pause for a moment, puzzled as it asked, "Why are you asking this?"

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