“Little angel?”

Cheng Jin doubted whether he was hearing things. How could Lu Tao say something like that? Was this man really his legitimate husband?

Cheng Jin was so surprised he couldn’t put it into words. After a moment, he stammered, “But you always looked down on me at the beginning. You never showed me any kindness. How could that be considered liking…?” He recalled their first meeting—he had fallen for Lu Tao at first sight and had tried to get close several times, only to have his requests for a relationship turned down. It was after that he sought help from home, leading to the forced marriage that followed.

“I had feelings for you,” Lu Tao met his gaze again, and the earlier shyness seemed like an illusion. “I’m just not good at expressing positive emotions. I wasn’t intentionally targeting you at the beginning.”

Cheng Jin was even more confused. “But when I confessed to you, you didn’t agree…”

“Isn’t there a process to falling in love?” Lu Tao frowned slightly. “And the way you confessed back then—was it really a confession? I thought you were just going after something you liked. To you, I seemed no different from your pretty accessories.”

“I-I didn’t…” Cheng Jin replied, feeling a bit guilty.

Lu Tao seemed eager to move past this topic. He glanced at his wrist to check the time and asked, “Want to go for a walk?”

“Ah? Are we leaving now?” Cheng Jin didn’t quite understand.

“No,” Lu Tao clarified. “I’m taking you out to stroll.”

Hearing those words from his husband left Cheng Jin utterly shocked. But after all the surprises he had already received that day, he found it easier to accept now than he had at the start. He felt like he’d hit the jackpot, holding a fortune yet still feeling it was unreal.

After bundling up in his coat, Cheng Jin, thanks to his experience living on the geothermal planet, knew how to keep warm. He even wore a cute, hand-knitted wool hat. Lu Tao, dressed in military attire topped with a coat, looked especially striking as they walked outside.

Once they took the elevator down, they strolled along the street. The heavy snowfall had stopped, leaving a blanket of white on the ground where footprints could easily be made. After walking for a while, Cheng Jin realized where Lu Tao was taking him and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you taking me to the Crystal House?”

Lu Tao glanced at him. “Didn’t you want to see it?”

This kind of “thoughtfulness” made Cheng Jin feel a little awkward. He quietly asked, “Are you really… your main personality? Not a derived personality?”

Lu Tao stopped and looked at him, his tone calm. “Only me!”

That statement felt like a repeated reminder that the derived personality was gone. Cheng Jin felt a bit uncomfortable, and Lu Tao noticed, slightly furrowing his brow. It seemed he wanted to say something but held back, his footsteps becoming a little more disordered than before. Cheng Jin caught this subtle change and felt strange, a nameless feeling spreading inside him.

It seemed that only by catching a glimpse of Lu Tao’s unusual emotions could he understand the “liking” the other spoke of.

The Crystal House looked beautiful up close—enormous and resembling a beehive, with the shops inside appearing like individual honeycombs. This was the largest shopping mall on the Ice Crystal Planet, selling almost everything. Of course, the majority of the stores were for clothing and accessories.

Cheng Jin hadn’t shopped in such a bright and beautiful place for a long time. The central market on the geothermal planet felt like a wholesale market compared to this, but prices here were definitely much higher.

Unsure where to start shopping, he worried that the man beside him would become impatient, especially since Lu Tao didn’t seem like someone who could tolerate shopping. After passing a few stores without going in, Lu Tao finally spoke up, “Don’t you want to buy anything? You’ve been out for so long; you should bring back some gifts.”

Cheng Jin was taken aback. “Outing?”

Lu Tao replied, “How else would you explain it to others?”

Cheng Jin hurriedly said, “Exactly, an outing! I really should bring gifts for my grandmother, Eureka, and Ai Xue.” Finally feeling bold, he stepped into a jewelry store and began selecting gifts.

After picking out two sets of plates and a small Ice Crystal Planet figurine, Cheng Jin initially planned to pay with his balance, but before he could even raise his wrist, another hand reached over to scan the payment machine, effortlessly grabbing the packaged items the server had prepared.

“You…” Cheng Jin was stunned again, unsure of what to say.

This was so strange! His husband was so strange! He seemed like a completely different person from the Lu Tao of old!

But when he caught sight of Lu Tao’s poker face, Cheng Jin realized they were still the same person, with not even a shift in personality.

But how had he become so considerate? Could it really be because he was pregnant?

Cheng Jin pondered this repeatedly, settling on that as the most fitting explanation.

They also visited a well-known restaurant to eat. Just by looking at the number of diners, Cheng Jin could tell the economy here was doing well. In places with poor economies, most people’s food consists of nutrient soups, and it’s rare to have a proper meal. Unlike the Imperial Planet, where nutrient soups are highly despised, Cheng Jin had hardly eaten any since his birth.

After they were seated and had ordered, while waiting for the food to arrive, Cheng Jin absentmindedly flipped through a newspaper provided for guests to pass the time. When he saw his brother’s photo on the front page, the concerns he had previously felt came rushing back. He murmured, “Is Yan Qi really searching so tirelessly for my brother because he likes him? I still can’t believe it.”

“Who knows?” Lu Tao poured a cup of warm water and handed it to Cheng Jin.

Cheng Jin rubbed his temples. “I’ve never seen this newspaper on the geothermal planet, so I didn’t know about this.”

It seemed Lu Tao could answer this question. “The geothermal planet is the only planet that doesn’t publish this newspaper globally for three reasons: first, the economy is poor and needs to cut unnecessary expenses; second, the distances between residences are too far, and many places are uninhabited; third, the transportation is poor. But your brother is negotiating with the central government, right? So he must have seen this newspaper.”

Cheng Jin felt a bit lost. “So this newspaper does exist on the geothermal planet?”

Lu Tao didn’t seem angry at his confusion; instead, he explained in simpler terms. “Yes, but it’s only sent to government agencies and not sold to the public.”

“Then my brother has seen it, but he never told me…” Cheng Jin replied.

Lu Tao said, “What use is that?”

Cheng Jin felt deflated. “You’re right; it’s of no use. I can’t help my brother with anything. I still don’t understand how they got entangled. Could it be because of me…?” Just then, their food arrived. Lu Tao handed Cheng Jin a clean fork and calmly said, “Eat first; don’t overthink it. Yan Qi won’t be able to find this place for now.”

Cheng Jin immediately asked, “Really? He really can’t find this place for now?”

Lu Tao said, “As far as I know, he’s focusing his efforts in the south, around Planet Six.”

“Planet Six?” Cheng Jin bit his lip. “That Yan Xiao Qi is so cunning! He must know that our previous target was Planet Six, right? But how does he know?” No one answered that question, and feeling hungry, he had to focus on his meal.

Perhaps the matter concerning his brother had lightened the earlier mood. Cheng Jin felt more relaxed, yet occasionally still found it novel that he could dine out with his husband—not for work or any obligatory reason, but just like an ordinary couple, taking a break while shopping and stopping for a meal.

Cheng Jin couldn’t help himself; he kept stealing glances at the husband sitting across from him. Lu Tao’s dining etiquette was as impeccable as ever—graceful and courteous, and he wasn’t picky about food. Though he didn’t chew slowly, his manner was far from rude, exuding perfection.

After the whirlwind of emotions, Cheng Jin thought of something and couldn’t help but ask, “How did you find me?”

This was the second time he’d asked this question, and Lu Tao’s answer was still the same. “I found the sixth folded space route.” Seeing that Cheng Jin still looked puzzled, he added, “I arrived at Hell Planet and then tracked your direction through inquiries.”

Cheng Jin was taken aback. “Is it really that simple? And you found me just like that?”

When he heard the word “simple,” Lu Tao paused for a moment but quickly replied nonchalantly, “Yes.”

“What a coincidence! I just happened to bump into you right after I came out of the marriage registration office…” Cheng Jin still had doubts.

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Lu Tao said, “I have monitored your identity information. Whether it’s inquiries or registrations, I receive signals that allow me to locate your exact position.” He continued, “When you first entered the geothermal planet, you registered on paper, so you weren’t in the system. Otherwise, I would have found you thirty-five days ago.”

Hearing him specify the exact number of days felt a bit odd to Cheng Jin, making his heart race slightly.

The way Lu Tao said this made it seem like he truly cared about him.

Lu Tao added, “The registration system on the geothermal planet is too outdated. When I get back, I will request new electronic equipment for them. Their system is so behind that even inquiries leave no trace, as they rely on outdated cached databases. But fortunately, the marriage registration system has been updated.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jin realized that Lu Tao must have spent time searching for him on top of his work, which made him feel a little guilty. He quickly said, “I’m sorry… I was too willful and didn’t tell you. I—I saw the news. My dad’s and brother’s names were on the death list, so I thought…”

“Not true.” Lu Tao looked at him seriously. “That was just an initial erroneous list; it was corrected later. You’re now listed as missing persons.”

“Ah…” Cheng Jin licked his lips. “If it weren’t for Ta Ta, we might really have…”

“Not going to happen.” Seeming to realize what he was about to say, Lu Tao’s tone turned even more serious. He gazed deeply at Cheng Jin and declared, “I will save you!”