"Mm," Jiang Zheyu said with a faint smile.

In truth, she would have been fine even if Zexun had paid her no mind.

"These pink roses are just as lovely as your outfit today." Jiang Zheyu glanced from the pink roses in her arms to Zexun, speaking with sincerity. Her tone was casual, as if she were simply stating a fact.

"It’s my honor that my attire today is pleasing to your eyes, Miss Jiang." Zexun’s stunning red eyes curved into a slight smile.

Feng Qi watched from the side, his ink-black eyes filled with a cold, mocking light.

’Scheming bastard, all dressed up like a peacock.’

"Yu Yu, let’s go buy some flowers." Su Yan took Jiang Zheyu’s hand, as if declaring his sovereignty. His gaze fell coldly on Zexun. "Chief Judge Zexun must be quite busy. We shouldn’t disturb him."

Watching Su Yan so brazenly hold Jiang Yuyu’s hand, Feng Qi felt a surge of vicious anger.

’Just because he’s the first Beast Husband?’

’So what? The old makes way for the new, and he was the new one!’

"Commander Su, you can’t just say things like that," Zexun said with a harmless smile. "I took a special leave of absence today just to see Miss Jiang."

"She has plans today, so she may not be able to entertain you." Su Yan offered a faint smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"What Commander Su says doesn’t count." Zexun gave a calm, gentle smile, though a flicker of coldness seemed to cross his red eyes. He shifted his gaze from Su Yan to Jiang Zheyu, his expression softening once more. "I’ve bought flowers many times, so I know a little about them. What kind of flowers would you like to buy, Miss Jiang? I can accompany you. It just so happens I have nothing else to do today."

In that moment, three pairs of eyes all focused on Jiang Zheyu.

Jiang Zheyu broke out in a cold sweat.

’We’re just here to buy some flowers.’

"Let’s go, let’s go, we can all go buy flowers together," Jiang Zheyu said quickly, squeezing out of the triangle they had formed around her.

After Jiang Zheyu walked away, the three men who remained looked at each other, their expressions turning uniformly cold.

Su Yan’s red eyes were visibly dark and frigid.

Feng Qi’s pitch-black eyes stared at the other two as if they were trash, his gaze full of scorn.

Zexun’s calm, intelligent red eyes held a detached indifference toward them.

"Chief Judge Zexun, hasn’t the case of the female who killed her Beast Husband been resolved yet? How do you have time to be strolling around here?" Beneath his shock of fine red hair, Su Yan’s own red eyes were undisguisedly cold.

"Everyone needs to rest, and I am no exception," Zexun replied with a faint smile. "Besides, I will return to my case files later. It won’t cause any delays in the Judicial Court."

His tone then shifted slightly. "Speaking of which, Commander Su, aren’t you supposed to be preparing to annihilate a den of Star Thieves? Why the delay?"

"A day or two makes no difference. Every man to his own trade. If Chief Judge Zexun doesn’t understand tactics, he shouldn’t be so quick to pass judgment," Su Yan said, his eyes cold.

"Then I have overstepped," Zexun said, as if apologizing, but his tone held no hint of remorse.

"Tch. Don’t you understand ’first come, first served’?" Feng Qi started toward Jiang Yuyu, but Zexun was blocking his path. He strode forward and deliberately shoved past Zexun’s shoulder without a shred of courtesy. His ink-black eyes glared at Zexun. "I was here first, so move. Got it?"

The question seemed to have a double meaning: one, telling Zexun to get out of his way, and two, implying that since he came first, Zexun should get lost.

Feng Qi finished speaking and was about to walk on, but a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.

Zexun’s expression turned frigid as his shoulder was shoved. He grabbed Feng Qi, stopping him from going to Jiang Zheyu.

"The one who isn’t loved is the real latecomer." Zexun’s hand pressed down hard on Feng Qi’s shoulder as he walked past him. His voice was light and airy. "Besides, it’s not yet certain who came first."

With that, Zexun walked ahead toward Jiang Zheyu, not sparing a glance for Feng Qi’s livid expression behind him.

Su Yan and Feng Qi both followed, heading toward Jiang Zheyu as well.

And so, as Jiang Zheyu was looking at flowers, she once again found herself flanked by three men.

"These pink moth orchids are lovely. In the language of flowers, they represent nobility and elegance, symbolizing a happy, wonderful life. They also signify pure love, and people use them to say, ’I love you,’" Zexun said slowly, standing beside Jiang Zheyu. His voice was a low, gentle, and pleasant murmur.

Jiang Zheyu paused. "Is that so? You know about flowers too, Mr. Ze?"

"It’s an amateur hobby," Zexun replied, his gentle, ardent eyes filled with a smiling warmth as he looked at her.

"Doesn’t the little card right there explain all that?" Feng Qi said with a smirk. "What do we need you for?"

’What’s he showing off for? His vast knowledge?’

’What’s the use of knowing all that? It’s not like it can protect a female.’

"It’s merely the art of conversation. I’m simply chatting with Miss Jiang," Zexun said with another harmless smile. "Perhaps Captain Feng could learn about such things in his spare time, lest you find yourself with nothing to talk about with your Female Master in the future."

"Chief Judge Zexun truly lives up to his name as the King of Hell of the Judicial Court," Feng Qi retorted with a smirk. "You really know how to run your mouth."

Jiang Zheyu could feel the thick scent of gunpowder in the air.

"A yuan, let’s just buy these moth orchids," Jiang Zheyu said, quickly turning to Su Yan. She wanted to finish their shopping and get back to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.

"Alright," Su Yan agreed softly, his eyes lowered to look at her.

They quickly bought the moth orchids. After Su Yan paid, he arranged for the shop staff to deliver the flowers directly to their villa.

"I’ll have someone plant these orchids at our villa when they arrive," Su Yan said, stroking Jiang Zheyu’s head.

"Mm," Jiang Zheyu nodded.

The group walked out of the flower shop.

"Mr. Ze, we’re heading back to the Imperial Palace now. I’ll see you next time," Jiang Zheyu said, turning her head to look at Zexun as she got into the hovercar.

"Time together always flies by so fast." Zexun gave a seemingly helpless smile. He stepped closer to Jiang Zheyu, a faint smile on his lips. "The Observatory Tower is open. There’s a meteor shower predicted for the day after tomorrow. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of watching it with me, Miss Jiang? I’ll be waiting for your reply on my Light Brain."

He looked as if he were presenting himself as a backup option she could call upon anytime.

Jiang Zheyu paused, then forced a dry laugh. "I’ll think about it when I get back."

Seeing Jiang Zheyu’s hesitation, Zexun didn’t press the matter. He simply stood there, watching their hovercar until it completely disappeared from view before he slowly turned to leave.

"Yu Yu, if you want to see a meteor shower, I can take you to Deserted Planet 253. You can see the sky filled with them there all year round," Su Yan said, glancing sideways at Jiang Zheyu.

"Aren’t you supposed to be preparing to annihilate that den of Star Thieves?" Jiang Zheyu asked quietly.

"I can take you when I get back," Su Yan said after a moment’s thought, looking at Jiang Zheyu.

"Mm, then let’s go together when we have time in the future," Jiang Zheyu said simply.

’She couldn’t possibly ask Su Yan to abandon his mission against the Star Thieves just to take her to see some meteor shower.’