“The details are inaccessible to us due to our limited clearance, but you can contact your husband for more information.” The staff member’s tone shifted to a more respectful one, likely after noticing the title in Cheng Jin’s information. There was even a hint of surprise in her voice.

After all, in her opinion, it was shocking that Cheng Jin had abandoned a marriage with the General and instead chosen to marry some poor guy. Such a thing seemed truly unbelievable.

“I see…” Cheng Jin still hadn’t recovered from the shock. After a long pause, he finally asked, “So… we can’t get married now?”

“That’s correct. And remember, bigamy is a crime.”

Ma Yuan was just as stunned, staring at Cheng Jin with uncertainty. He couldn’t help but whisper, “What should we do now?”

The two slowly walked out of the marriage registration office—Ma Yuan feeling nervous while Cheng Jin was in total disarray, his steps unsteady. Ma Yuan softly asked, “Brother Cheng, what’s going on? I—I…”

“Thank you,” Cheng Jin tried to pull himself together, giving Ma Yuan a faint smile. “Thank you for coming with me. Sorry to make you come for nothing.”

His politeness made Ma Yuan’s face flush, and he awkwardly replied, “It’s nothing. I didn’t really do anything. Since it didn’t work out, I… I’ll go back and refund the money to you…”

“There’s no need. No need to refund.” Seeing that Ma Yuan was about to protest, Cheng Jin insisted again, “Really, there’s no need. After all, the issue is on my side.”

“But I can’t just take your money for nothing. My mom will scold me if she finds out. I’ll go back and get it right away,” Ma Yuan said as he started to run off. But after only a few steps, he was blocked by Cheng Xu, who had been waiting outside. Cheng Xu asked, “What’s going on?”

Cheng Jin was about to explain when suddenly he heard a distant rumbling sound. Startled, he instinctively looked toward the source of the noise. When he raised his head, he saw something approaching from the sky.

Sunlight was rare on this geothermal planet, but Cheng Jin’s eyesight was sharp enough to make out what was drawing closer.

It was a small military spaceship.

This type of transport was common on the Imperial Planet, but on the geothermal planet, it was a rare sight. Ma Yuan, who had only seen one or two in his entire life, was practically glowing with excitement. His eyes lit up, and he shouted eagerly, “It’s a spaceship!”

People from the nearby shops rushed outside to watch. As the ship got closer, a strange feeling stirred in Cheng Jin’s heart. When he saw the familiar insignia on the side of the spaceship, that feeling became real, and his whole body started trembling slightly.

How could it be? Why would Lu Tao’s military insignia be on that spaceship?

Could it be… him?

If it really was him…

Cheng Jin instinctively wanted to hide, but for some reason, his legs felt like they were made of lead, too heavy to move. His heart pounded erratically, and amidst the swirl of emotions, a bit of joy crept in quietly.

How could he not be happy at the possibility of seeing someone he thought he’d never meet again?

But… maybe it’s not him…

The spaceship slowly descended onto the central square, the snow rippling from the gusts of air. Once it landed, a long staircase extended from the ship, and soon, a tall figure appeared at the top.

He was dressed in a sharp military uniform with a cape, standing straight and looking dashing—utterly dazzling.

Even though it had only been a little over a month since they had last seen each other, to Cheng Jin, it felt like a century. His whole body quivered at the sight of Lu Tao. His eyes, cheeks, lips, heart, and even his limbs seemed completely out of his control.

As the handsome man strode toward them, Ma Yuan couldn’t help but whisper, “So cool… He must be a high-ranking officer, right? What a powerful aura.” Then, with a hint of envy, he muttered, “When will I ever be like that?” But soon, he noticed something unusual. The man’s gaze was fixed on them. This made Ma Yuan nervous, wondering if he had done something wrong. As his nerves grew, he noticed Cheng Jin’s expression, and a bold thought crossed his mind. He wanted to ask but couldn’t muster the courage when the man got closer. Instead, he quietly stepped back.

Cheng Jin’s whole body felt stiff. In this brief moment, his world narrowed to just Lu Tao. His heart raced faster and faster, and when Lu Tao stood just two meters away, Cheng Jin feared his heart might stop.

Their eyes met—one gaze was cold and stern, while the other couldn’t help but want to look away.

Seeing that Lu Tao had no intention of speaking, Cheng Jin stammered, “W-Why are you here?”

Lu Tao stared at him, his thin lips moving slightly as he spoke in a firm, powerful voice, “I’m here to take you home.”

“Home… home…” Cheng Jin was taken aback. He had never thought that Lu Tao would consider that place “home.” He always thought he was the only one who felt that way. In the past, he would’ve been overjoyed and moved to tears, but now there were so many concerns, so much fear, that he couldn’t respond immediately. After a while, Cheng Jin mustered the courage to say, “That place… isn’t home.” He clenched his fists, but his tone carried no accusation, only a careful hesitation. “It’s not home when only one person lives there… so, so I won’t go back.”

Lu Tao’s eyes seemed to grow colder for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. He said, “Your decision doesn’t matter. We are still legally married, and you need to come back with me.”

Cheng Jin was at a loss. He always felt powerless in the face of Lu Tao’s dominance, repeatedly compromising in the past. Even now, when he wanted to harden his heart, he didn’t know how. He looked to his brother for help, but his brother had somehow disappeared, leaving him even more lost. Lu Tao’s earlier words echoed in his mind—“legally married,” “need”—and from these, Cheng Jin drew a conclusion. “Is it because the divorce application didn’t go through? I… I’ll go back with you to take care of it.” His mind was a mess, and he still felt awful. “But I need to go home first and talk to my dad and brother.”

Lu Tao replied, “You can bring them along.”

Cheng Jin shook his head, avoiding looking directly at him. He first said goodbye to the stunned Ma Yuan in the distance, then began walking home. But after just a few steps, Lu Tao grabbed his wrist, his tone commanding, “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Cheng Jin wanted to say, “No need,” but he knew Lu Tao’s personality too well—once Lu Tao made a decision, there was no changing it. So, he nodded.

The spaceship wasn’t large, and there were already two people seated inside, but Cheng Jin didn’t recognize either of them. He politely greeted them and sat in the back. When Lu Tao sat down beside him, Cheng Jin felt a wave of panic wash over him again.

Before the ship took off, Lu Tao asked, “Address?”

Cheng Jin gave the address. He saw the pilot input it, showing that they would arrive in five minutes, and couldn’t help but feel amazed.

After all, when they came, it had taken half an hour on a snowmobile.

The spaceship’s windows were transparent, and as they ascended, Cheng Jin finally got a clear view of the place he had been living in for over a month. Nearly everything was covered in snow—a vast expanse of white. The houses were mostly made of wood, giving the town a monotonous appearance. As the ship climbed higher, Cheng Jin realized that the town was nestled against a giant mountain. The peak, also covered in snow, blended so seamlessly with the sky that he hadn’t noticed it before.

Halfway through the flight, Cheng Jin remembered to ask, “How did you… find this place?” He bit his lip. “Did Ta Ta tell you?”

“What do you think?” Lu Tao looked at him, his tone cold. Cheng Jin could even hear a trace of anger in it. Feeling guilty, Cheng Jin quietly explained, “At the time, I thought about telling you, but I figured… it would be better to cut things off cleanly, and you probably didn’t want to hear from me anyway.”

“Your presumptuousness hasn’t changed a bit.”

The harsh tone made Cheng Jin feel even more guilty. He shrank into his seat and said, “Sorry.” He didn’t dare ask more, fearing it would provoke Lu Tao’s anger again. He had no desire to see the disdain in Lu Tao’s eyes any longer. Even the memories were enough to wound him. But just as the ship was about to land, Lu Tao asked instead, “It’s only been a little over a month, and you’ve already found a new target?”

Caught off guard by the accusation, Cheng Jin asked in confusion, “A new target?”

Lu Tao stared at him, expressionless. “That guy just now—weren’t you two about to get married?”

“How did you…” Cheng Jin suddenly remembered that they had been standing right outside the marriage registration office, and he quickly shut his mouth.

“Why?”

The short question made Cheng Jin feel immense pressure, and he didn’t dare meet Lu Tao’s eyes. He nervously fiddled with his fingers, trying to figure out how to answer. Finally, he gathered the courage to say, “I wanted a fresh start, and he seemed simple, maybe more suitable for me.” He couldn’t say the real reason. Going back would just trap him in the same old cycle. Lu Tao didn’t love him, and he’d had enough of living in a loveless marriage. Facing Lu Tao’s indifference was unbearable, and cutting things off completely seemed like the only way out.

“So you’re that desperate? It’s only been forty-two days.” Lu Tao’s tone carried a clear hint of anger, and even Cheng Jin could sense it.

Cheng Jin didn’t understand why Lu Tao was so angry and could only chalk it up to male pride. He forced a smile and said, “Yes, I’ve always been in a hurry. When I chased after you and forced you into marriage, wasn’t I rushing then, too?” After saying this, he finally mustered the courage to look at Lu Tao, but his icy gaze made Cheng Jin shiver. Still, he pushed forward. “So since you’ve come to find me, that suits me just fine. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to marry him. Lu Tao, once we get back, let’s finalize the divorce.”

Successfully divorced, and then we’ll have nothing to do with each other for the rest of our lives.

Even though it still hurt, and his heart bled, Cheng Jin now understood that long-term pain was worse than short-term suffering.

The man beside him had an overwhelming presence, his face devoid of any emotion. His gaze bore into Cheng Jin, making him wonder if he had touched a nerve. But thinking it over, everything he said should have been what Lu Tao wanted to hear. So why was Lu Tao so angry? After a long moment, Lu Tao gave an order to the pilot, “Abort landing. Return directly to the Imperial Planet.”

Was this a sign that Lu Tao had agreed to the divorce?

Even though Cheng Jin had known this was coming, now that they were about to take that final step, he couldn’t stop the surge of pain in his heart. He bit his lip and softly said, “Are you really in that much of a rush? So much so that you won’t even give me time to say goodbye to my father and brother?”

“I’ll send someone to explain to them later.” Lu Tao no longer looked at him but stared straight ahead. Then, suddenly, he said, “I never planned on divorcing you. I’m only here to bring back the partner who left without permission.”