The Sunny Hotel on the geothermal planet was almost a towering presence that could overlook the entire world. In such a frigid place, it stood at a whopping thirty-six stories, equipped with the most advanced security and heating systems on the planet. On the geothermal planet, the best job wasn’t being a government official but getting a position as a cleaner or security guard at the Sunny Hotel.

Guests were rare on the geothermal planet; only a handful could afford the pricey hotel. Yet, the Sunny Hotel not only remained operational but had also managed to avoid losses, thanks to its other investments. Although profits weren’t substantial, they were enough to keep things running.

However, compared to facilities on other planets, the Sunny Hotel was quite shabby. But now, it seemed like a huge turning point was on the horizon.

Li An looked excitedly at his boss—a talented young man, Young Master Yan Qi, born on the Imperial Planet. Since the day he arrived, Li An knew his opportunity had come.

“Have all the materials arrived?” Yan Qi asked, sitting on the sofa and flipping through the delivery list.

Li An quickly replied, “Everything has arrived, and the quality is top-notch!”

Yan Qi nodded slightly. “Good, go talk to him about investing in the ski resort.”

“Got it, I’ll take care of it this afternoon.”

With a wave of his hand, Yan Qi dismissed Li An, leaving him alone in the reception room with a middle-aged woman.

The woman appeared to be in her fifties or sixties, her features elegant without excessive embellishment, exuding a subtle grace. She was reading a stack of papers that wasn’t very thick but studied it carefully for over an hour before looking up.

When Yan Qi met her gaze, the cool detachment and pride he usually wore vanished, replaced by a nervous urgency. He asked, “Master, have you thought of a good method?”

The woman, referred to as “Master,” replied, “Wait.”

Yan Qi blinked in surprise, then stood up, almost pacing the room in frustration. “I’ve waited long enough! It’s been nearly five months since he left! I’m going crazy! I know he’s here, yet I can’t see him. Do you know how hard that is for me? I want nothing more than to run to him, hug him tightly, and never let him go!”

The “Master” smiled slightly. “If you do that, you’ll never earn his true heart.”

As soon as those words left her lips, Yan Qi deflated. He cradled his head and slumped back into his seat, finally asking, “Then when will I have to wait?”

“Wait until his heart softens,” the Master replied.

Yan Qi felt even more discouraged. “How could his heart soften? He wouldn’t even soften at my kneeling; he still refuses to see me! If I hadn’t monitored all his close contacts, I wouldn’t have been able to find him at all.” To locate Cheng Xu, he had devised many plans. Naturally, he first checked all the routes from the Imperial Planet to Planet Six, and then he combed through Planet Six vigorously, monitoring anyone who had previously interacted with Cheng Xu.

This plan wasn’t too difficult since Yan Qi had done it before. He liked Cheng Xu and was naturally jealous of anyone who had close ties to him. He had kept an eye on young men and women, memorizing their names in his mind. He didn’t believe Cheng Xu would hide in some remote place; with his character, he would surely want to make a comeback. Even if he couldn’t return to his previous state, he wouldn’t just waste away.

The people on that list had been silent for a long time. Knowing that Cheng Jin had reappeared, Yan Qi rushed to block him. Yan Qi was certain that Cheng Jin must have his brother’s contact information. He originally planned to use connections to track down his communication device signal to find out Cheng Xu’s new contact number, but his brother Yan Yi flatly refused.

“Monitoring civilian communications without permission is illegal! Besides, the other party is the General’s wife. If discovered, I might as well resign! Do you think I would mess around like that?” Yan Yi was so furious his hands trembled.

Yan Qi shot back, “If I lose my position, so be it. If I’m discovered, I’ll just support you for the rest of your life!”

Yan Yi was almost driven to bloodshed by his youngest brother’s words. “How can you think so simply? This isn’t just about losing a job; it’s a stain! Do you know what a stain is? If it gets connected, it will affect the entire Yan family! Get out of here! I’ll pretend I never heard your nonsense today. And don’t even think about bribing others; as long as their brains are functioning, no one would help you with that!”

“I don’t believe it!” Yan Qi gritted his teeth, staring at his elder brother as if he was ready to fight to the end. “As long as there’s money, there’s nothing that can’t be done!”

“Are you kidding me…” Yan Yi jumped in anger. “Do you believe I should lock you up right now to let you think things through? Besides, if having money could solve everything, why doesn’t Cheng Xu stay with you? Why doesn’t he look at you?”

His words struck a sensitive nerve in Yan Qi, and the brothers nearly ended up in a quarrel. In the end, it was Yan Yi who restrained his urge to draw his weapon, losing his composure for the nth time. “Get lost! I won’t bother with you anymore! You idiot, go and make trouble for yourself!”

Yan Qi knew how hard it was to bribe someone, but he was willing to do anything for even a sliver of hope. He had already sent people to search the Northern Galaxy, and just as he was looking for someone to help him, he received a new message from a hired person.

The person he was monitoring, Tang Ge, suddenly bought a ticket to the Northern Galaxy.

Upon hearing this news, Yan Qi could almost immediately confirm that this trip was related to Cheng Xu.

It wasn’t purely instinct; it was because he had thoroughly investigated the interactions between Cheng Xu and Tang Ge. They had met at a conference when Tang Ge was still a struggling designer, yet for some reason, Cheng Xu had taken a liking to him and even introduced him to several jobs. They hadn’t had any financial or business dealings, but whenever Cheng Xu traveled to other planets, if the timing was right, they would meet up for a meal.

To Yan Qi, this behavior seemed rather ambiguous at the time!

Though he knew in his heart that Cheng Xu’s admiration for that young architect was purely platonic, he still felt an intense jealousy back then.

Yan Qi instructed someone to closely follow Tang Ge’s movements while he also planned to depart from the Imperial Planet to catch up. However, before leaving, he hesitated and went to meet Miss Ji La.

Miss Ji La was well-known on the Imperial Planet as a master of emotions; she held a PhD in psychology and was one of the most renowned psychologists in the world. She specialized in resolving people’s emotional issues, having facilitated many successful relationships through her interventions. She had a keen ability to perceive people’s weaknesses and devise coping strategies.

Previously, Yan Qi had looked down on seeking external help to win his affections. He was quite arrogant, believing that as long as he took action, nothing would escape his grasp. But regarding Cheng Xu, he was genuinely afraid.

The moment he heard that Cheng Xu might have already died, he was filled with regret to the point of wishing he could die alongside him. He understood that the result was entirely due to his own arrogance. If he hadn’t treated Cheng Xu that way, Cheng Xu surely wouldn’t have distanced himself and faced disaster.

But fortunately, heaven was willing to give him another chance.

So, he absolutely could not waste this opportunity! If he approached this like before, he would definitely mess things up again and deepen Cheng Xu’s dislike for him. Thus, he decided to hire Master Ji La as an emotional consultant to teach him how to win back Cheng Xu’s heart.

He brought Master Ji La along as they followed Tang Ge’s journey, stepping into a backward planet he once wouldn’t even want to glance at—Geothermal Planet.

Upon seeing the heavy snowfall and sparse buildings, Yan Qi almost doubted if the person he loved was truly here. But when he learned that the communication systems here were extremely outdated, he quickly became certain: this was the place!

His missing person ad was published worldwide, offering a generous reward. He had no idea how many people had submitted false information in hopes of claiming that hefty sum. There was no reason for Cheng Xu to live around so many people who “treat money like dirt,” and since Cheng Xu couldn’t change his appearance, the lack of real tips could likely be due to the fact that the majority of the locals couldn’t even see that newspaper!

Yan Qi was ecstatic. When he saw the figure coming to pick up Tang Ge through his binoculars, he immediately recognized the person he had been yearning for. He nearly lost his mind, wanting to leap out of the car, run over, and hug Cheng Xu tightly, giving him a passionate kiss, and then find a place to claim him, to relieve the deep longing and worry he had felt for so long. But just as he was about to open the door, Miss Ji La calmly said, “If you appear before him now, it will only make him choose to flee again.”

Her words successfully stopped Yan Qi from opening the door. His face turned ashen, soon replaced by despair. “Then what should I do?”

Master Ji La replied, “Observe and gather all his information for me.”

After settling into the Sunny Hotel and cautiously investigating, Yan Qi discovered that Cheng Xu was living in dire conditions and understood what he wanted to achieve. Upon hearing this, Ji La instructed, “Offer help, but don’t show your face.”

Yan Qi had been here for over a month, with the person he liked so close yet so far away, making him incredibly restless. So when he heard Ji La say to wait until the other party’s heart softened, he felt even more desperate.

Ji La looked at him somewhat helplessly. “So this is the fundamental reason for your failure.”

Yan Qi was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Because you can’t even see his true nature, you’ve been using the wrong approach towards him.” Ji La raised an eyebrow. “If he wasn’t a soft-hearted person, would he have sent you an umbrella when you confessed your feelings and failed to win him over? Even when you drugged him and got caught by his father, he still defended you?”

Yan Qi frowned. “But this time I… kneeled…”

“Not enough,” Ji La said with a slight smile. “You’ve touched his bottom line, but merely kneeling isn’t enough. So you’ll need to wait for a new opportunity to show him your sincerity.”

Yan Qi took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the agitation within him. “I understand!” He added, “I will be patient. I’ve prepared myself this time. As long as he forgives me, I could take a dozen stabs. As long as I have one life left, I can spend the rest of it with him!”

Ji La smiled in satisfaction. “That’s the spirit.”

On the seventh day, the opportunity finally arrived. Li An came in to report that the small official working with Cheng Xu had gone missing.