Editor and Proofreader: Oceanblue

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At the bustling registration desk, the two staff members finished processing all the sign-ups and began chatting.

“This year, there are so many people signing up,” one of the staff members with long hair said to her colleague.

“Guess who that person in the hat is?”

“Who? I was too busy earlier, didn’t notice.” The other staff member with short hair replied.

The long-haired girl looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in and whispered, “That’s the infamous ‘Flower Picker,’ She Qing. Hmph, he must’ve found someone to pretend to be his lover so he could enter the competition.”

This “Flower Picker” was skilled at disguising himself, and no one knew what his abilities were. Those he had targeted, no matter how unwilling or heartbroken, could never give useful information to the interstellar police. So, he had always been able to live freely, with the police unable to capture him.

“Really? Is it him? What’s he here for?” The short-haired girl gasped.

“Is he looking for someone who catches his eye and plans to make a move?”

“I think so,” the long-haired girl lowered her voice.

“Pah! I hope he sets his sights on a powerful beauty and gets a taste of his own medicine!”

Though, the “Flower Picker” was extremely powerful, and it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to teach him a lesson.

As they were talking, someone walked up to them to register. The long-haired girl looked up and gasped.

Standing before them was a young man, perhaps in his twenties, with nearly transparent and pale skin and exquisite and handsome features, exuding a unique scholarly aura. His light amber-colored eyes, more beautiful than gems, were half-hidden behind long eyelashes, enough to mesmerize anyone who gazed into them.

They had worked here and seen countless beauties, but none compared to the person standing before them.

“Hello, I’d like to complete the registration process,” Ye Qingyun said politely.

The two staff members stared at him blankly, momentarily speechless.

Ye Qingyun: ‘…..’

The two girls quickly snapped out of it, their faces turning red. “Ah, we’re so sorry. We got distracted for a moment. You’re here to register, right?”

Ye Qingyun nodded and was handed a registration form.

As Ye Qingyun filled out the form, the two girls exchanged a glance, remembering the earlier conversation about the infamous “Flower Picker.”

If they were the “Flower Picker,” it was clear that the man before them would be their primary target.

After a brief hesitation, the girls decided to warn the striking young man to be cautious. It was best not to participate in the competition and to leave early for safety.

Once Ye Qingyun finished hearing their advice, he smiled and thanked them. “Thank you for your warning, but it’s okay. My partner is very capable, and I trust that he can protect me.”

The two girls immediately became anxious. Perhaps his partner was powerful, but the “Flower Picker” was no weakling either. If two equally strong people met, who could guarantee the outcome?

There were many people among the Flower Picker’s victims whose partners were strong, but they still lost, didn’t they?

They were about to persuade him further, but Ye Qingyun had already finished the form and slid it toward them.

The girls unconsciously looked down.

In the partner’s name box, a name was written.

Gu Shenyuan.

… Gu Shenyuan?

This name was known to everyone in the entire galaxy.

The long-haired girl was shocked and took a while to regain her composure. As she stamped the form, she said to Ye Qingyun, “What a coincidence, your partner shares the same name as our highest commander…”

Her voice trailed off as she saw the man who had been standing behind the young man, wearing a hood. They hadn’t noticed him before, but now he stepped forward and took the young man’s hand.

This person was clearly…

The girl glanced at the name on the registration form, then at the man’s face beneath the hood.

The girls: ‘…???’

Had they been working too long and were now hallucinating?

Wait, it didn’t seem like a hallucination. He was real!

The man led the young man away, leaving the two girls speechless in shock.

They slowly turned to look at each other, wide-eyed with disbelief.

It seemed like this competition had two extremely important figures.

———

Ye Qingyun held Gu Shenyuan’s hand, looking concerned. “How do you feel? Do you feel awkward?”

After all, Gu Shenyuan, as such a high-ranking leader, was here to help him win a small pendant. It wasn’t easy for him to accompany Ye Qingyun like this.

But after revealing his face, they were attracting so much attention, so Gu Shenyuan kept his appearance concealed as much as possible.

“I don’t feel awkward,” Gu Shenyuan replied. He paused and then added, “Don’t worry about the Flower Picker.”

Ye Qingyun chuckled, “What do I have to be afraid of? I have you.”

Gu Shenyuan’s lips curved upward slightly. “Mm.”

With him around, Ye Qingyun had nothing to fear. He could do whatever he wanted, with Gu Shenyuan supporting him from behind.

———

After registering, Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan found a spot in the rest area. Ye Qingyun sat in a corner while Gu Shenyuan sat on the outside, blocking others’ view.

Gu Shenyuan noticed several resentful glares aimed at them. Clearly, many people were unhappy with his actions of blocking their view. It was obvious that if everyone hadn’t brought their partners, they wouldn’t have remained seated obediently but would have approached them to get a closer look.

Gu Shenyuan smirked inwardly and blocked Ye Qingyun more thoroughly.

When their number wasn’t up yet, they began watching other competitors’ matches.

Most people fought fiercely, and the audience discussed eagerly, creating a lively atmosphere.

However, when it was one person’s turn to compete, the atmosphere suddenly shifted, becoming tense and uneasy.

“It’s She Qing! How did he get here?”

“This guy always causes trouble. Who’s he planning to harm this time?”

“My goodness! I’m so beautiful. He’s not planning to target me, is he?”

Standing on stage, She Qing wore an evil smile, scanning the crowd. He soon locked eyes with a beautiful person in the farthest corner: “The beauty sitting in the second-to-last row, to my right. Come with me tonight, and I’ll give you an unforgettable evening.”

Ye Qingyun froze, looking around to confirm his position.

That person was indeed talking about him.

Ye Qingyun wasn’t scared at all. He lowered his head and squeezed Gu Shenyuan’s hand.

Well, it was over for him. With a guess, he knew that Gu Shenyuan would probably eliminate this guy without a trace.

He wouldn’t plead for this person’s mercy; he deserved it.

Some time later, it was Gu Shenyuan’s turn to compete.

Coincidentally, since Gu Shenyuan’s previous round had been empty, he was now matched up against She Qing, who was competing in the second round.

She Qing was eager to fight, recognizing the young man standing beside him as the one who had been with the beauty he had his eye on.

She Qing couldn’t see Gu Shenyuan’s face, so he didn’t know who he was. But he didn’t care. No matter how strong his opponent was, he had ways to survive.

She Qing provocatively said to Gu Shenyuan,

“Be sensible and let the person go. I have plenty of gold and treasures to reward you with. That will be enough for you to live a good life. Otherwise, if I knock you down and take your person, it’ll be quite embarrassing for you, don’t you think?”

Gu Shenyuan did not speak. He simply waved at the referee, signaling for the match to begin.

He could hear the voices from the crowd below, people discussing how they were sure he would be defeated by She Qing, wondering if they should take advantage of She Qing’s absence to make a move on the beautiful man, since She Qing never cared about these things.

Gu Shenyuan lowered his gaze.

Anyone with ill intentions towards Ye Qingyun would not be spared.

To Ye Qingyun, their relationship hadn’t yet reached the point of a public marriage, but Gu Shenyuan had to use other means to make those who were eyeing Ye Qingyun aware that Ye Qingyun was not someone they could touch.

This time, he would set an example and kill the chicken to scare the monkeys—eliminate this person to deter others and make them know who the man behind Ye Qingyun was.

She Qing was clearly enraged by Gu Shenyuan’s arrogance. He drew a blade from his waist, which seemed to be made of an unknown material, and swung it at Gu Shenyuan.

At the same time, Ye Qingyun heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head and saw a few men walking towards him with greedy looks on their faces.

These men were pretending to be a couple to sneak in. They looked at Ye Qingyun, swallowing their saliva, and said, “Beauty, I see your man is about to be done for. Rather than being defiled by She Qing, how about you come with us and have a good time? What do you say?”

Ye Qingyun raised an eyebrow, sneered, and turned his head back, too lazy to even look at them.

The men, excited by Ye Qingyun’s indifferent attitude, stepped forward, intending to place their rough hands on his shoulders.

A thick black mist suddenly appeared out of nowhere, draping over Ye Qingyun like a small shawl.

The men’s rough hands were instantly melted, leaving only bare wrists.

The man stared, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened. He looked at his wrist in shock, then glanced at the black mist, and slowly turned his head to look at the stage.

On the stage, the man who had been boasting and provoking—She Qing—was nowhere to be seen, only his blade lying alone on the stage.

Meanwhile, his opponent stood there unharmed, appearing like an ordinary person. But now, no one thought he was ordinary. The black mist surrounding him was recognizable to all.

The audience, which had been silent for so long, suddenly erupted into a frenzy.

“He is… Gu, Gu…”

“Why is he here?”

“Did he come here for a break with his partner?”

“Ahhhh! Which little fox spirit seduced Brother Shenyuan? I’ll fight them!”

Various cameras zoomed in on Gu Shenyuan, and everyone finally got a good look at his expression on the big screen.

Gu Shenyuan didn’t say a word. His gaze shifted to the few people standing behind Ye Qingyun.

In his eyes, everyone could read one clear message.

That was his treasure, and no one should dare to touch it.