"Lanlan, if you really want to save Garbage Star, I know someone."

"I’m certain he has the medicinal herbs needed for a cure."

"Who is it?"

Yu Lan’s eyes lit up instantly. She snapped her head up, her gaze fixed on Jun Lin Yuan, her pretty little face filled with resolve.

Seeing this, Jun Lin Yuan no longer held back. His thin lips parted, and he coldly uttered a name.

"The Lord of the Deep Sea—Pei Shiyi."

"Pei Shiyi?"

Yu Lan repeated the name, syllable by syllable.

Her mind raced, trying to place the name.

’For some reason, it sounds vaguely familiar.’

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her beautiful eyes widened slightly.

"Wait, wait, isn’t he... is he also one of my fiancés?"

Yu Lan’s voice trembled.

’At this point, she had to admit Queen Belina was really something else. Just look at the men she’d been betrothed to—each one more difficult and more powerful than the last.’

’The Lord of the Deep Sea. The title alone screamed that he was no simple character.’

’Would he really take a marriage decreed by Queen Belina seriously?’

’To him, was this an honor or a humiliation?’

’If she showed up at his door, would she just get thrown out immediately?’

Just then, Su Xingye spoke up to explain. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Deep Sea Star is a planet within the Empire’s territory with extremely abundant water resources. Over ninety-nine percent of its surface is water, and the male beastmen who live there are all various forms of marine life."

"The Merfolk Clan is the most revered among them."

"And Pei Shiyi is the current patriarch of the Merfolk Clan. He rules over all of Deep Sea Star and possesses the terrifying power to control the seas and summon storms and lightning."

"In the ocean, no one is his match. If Fu Chenhan, the Lord of the Sky, hadn’t been injured, he might have been able to challenge him."

"But now..."

Su Xingye shook his head, his expression grave and far from optimistic.

After their explanations, Yu Lan quickly understood the situation.

Deep Sea Star, the planet Pei Shiyi controlled, was technically within the Empire’s borders and under its jurisdiction. In reality, however, just like Jun Lin Yuan’s Jade Star, it had the ability to break away and declare independence at any moment.

Therefore, he could take or leave the Empire’s orders as he pleased. Queen Belina, not wanting to start an open conflict and create more powerful enemies for the Empire, was reluctant to force the issue.

This had resulted in an awkward, uncomfortable stalemate.

The marriage decree between Yu Lan and Pei Shiyi was nothing more than a test.

No one actually believed Pei Shiyi would obediently marry Yu Lan.

Asking Pei Shiyi for help would be no easier than contacting Fu Chenhan.

But right now, billions of people on Garbage Star were suffering from the plague.

No matter how difficult it was, she had to try.

Yu Lan’s expression hardened as she made her decision.

"I’m going to find Pei Shiyi."

"We leave now."

She then turned to Shen Zueran. "Director, the research in the lab during this time..."

Shen Zueran sighed. The moment Jun Lin Yuan had mentioned Pei Shiyi’s name, he knew what Yu Lan would decide.

’What could he do?’

He would always support whatever she wanted to do.

His dark eyes held a hint of a smile as he gave her a calm, restrained, and reassuring nod.

"Don’t worry. I will continue the experiments here at the lab."

Huo Zhanting, Jun Lin Yuan, Su Xingye, and Li Yucheng stood by Yu Lan’s side, their expressions utterly resolute.

"Lanlan, it’s fine if you go."

"But we’re going with you."

"I’ve already arranged for a Starship. We can leave immediately."

The men were completely determined, looking as if they wouldn’t let her leave unless she agreed.

’What else could she do?’

She was worried about the people on Garbage Star, but at the same time, she was touched by how much the men cared for her.

With a nod, Yu Lan’s soft lips parted as she agreed.

"Alright, we’ll go together."

The Starship shot toward Deep Sea Star at incredible speed.

「Meanwhile, on East Origin Star」

A guard glanced at the message in his hand, then quickly turned and ran toward the great hall behind him.

"REPORT!"

"Your Highness the Prince, a message has arrived from Queen Belina of the Empire! She demands that we depart immediately for Central Star to carry out the marriage to Princess Yu Lan."

After the guard finished speaking,

the entire hall fell into an unprecedented silence.

A long moment passed before a cold scoff echoed through the air.

"Your Highness!"

The guard pressed his forehead firmly to the floor and began to plead.

"The Empire is strong right now, and East Origin Star is weak. We dare not disobey Queen Belina’s proposal for a political marriage."

"I beg you to consider the citizens of East Origin Star, from the highest to the lowest."

"When East Origin Star is strong again, there will come a day when we can welcome you back to the palace."

"When all is said and done, it’s just about me going to serve someone with my looks."

The man sitting on the main throne in the hall scoffed, his charmingly handsome face filled with undisguised mockery.

As the most outstandingly beautiful male of his generation in the Fox Clan, he had been prepared since childhood to be sent to the rich and powerful at a critical moment, all for the sake of East Origin Star.

’After all, this was the Fox Clan.’

’Beautiful, foxy, and enchanting, with naturally soulful eyes that could look at a dog and make it seem like true love. Add to that a pair of sharp, fluffy fox ears on his head and a big, bushy tail.’

’When serving a Female Master in bed, all he’d have to do is whisper a little pillow talk, and surely no Female Master would be able to refuse.’

Belina had betrothed Yu Lan to six powerful, obviously troublesome males, never expecting any of them to actually fall for Yu Lan.

But Yu Lan was her daughter, after all. So, after some thought, she had thrown Sheng Yiqing into the mix as a form of compensation.

But Sheng Yiqing was unwilling and had been stalling for as long as possible—right up until the plague on Garbage Star, which led to Yu Lan’s furious confrontation with Belina.

In a fit of anger, the Queen had ordered Yu Lan to go home and have more cubs with her Beast Husbands.

She had then directly dispatched a fleet to escort Sheng Yiqing to Central Star.

The guard, his head still pressed to the floor, urged him on.

"Your Highness, the fleet from Central Star is waiting nearby. Please hurry and pack your things."

"If we anger them, they will report back to Queen Belina. Our small East Origin Star cannot afford the consequences."

"Heh!"

Sheng Yiqing’s enchanting, soul-stealing eyes suddenly darkened. His fingertips, resting on the armrest, turned white as he clenched his fist. "I know," he replied coldly.

Soon, Sheng Yiqing finished packing his belongings and boarded the Starship. Just as they were about to depart,

the guard came rushing up from behind, carrying a sealed box.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you forgot this box!"

He glanced left and right at the Imperial guards on the Starship, then cupped a hand over his mouth and whispered into Sheng Yiqing’s ear,

"Your Highness, inside this box are all the treasures our Fox Clan has compiled for serving a Female Master."

"You must treasure it carefully. With these treasures in hand, the other males will be no match for you."

"When the time comes, ahem, please put in a good word for us on East Origin Star."

After speaking, the guard pressed the sealed box heavily into Sheng Yiqing’s hands, then turned and fled.

This left Sheng Yiqing standing alone on the Starship, his face dark and his eyes gloomy as he stared at the sealed box in his hands.

A vicious smile touched the corner of his lips.

’Serve the Female Master well?’