The Little Princess of the Empire told Jiang Zheyu to have her people leave.

Jiang Zheyu had no choice but to look at the Commander and servants behind the Little Princess of the Empire. "Please step outside for a moment. I’d like to speak with Princess Jin Wan alone."

The Commander behind the Little Princess of the Empire hesitated.

So Jiang Zheyu had to offer a faint smile and add, "It’s alright. Nothing will happen."

The Commander finally nodded and led the servants out of the villa-palace.

Soon, only Jiang Zheyu and the Little Princess of the Empire remained in the grand hall.

"Alright, what do you want to say?" Jiang Zheyu asked, looking at the Little Princess of the Empire.

’Although,’ Jiang Zheyu thought, ’they probably had nothing productive to discuss. They would likely just end up arguing due to their conflicting opinions.’

"I came to inform you of something," the Little Princess of the Empire said, looking at Jiang Zheyu. "Tonight, and from now on, you are forbidden from using your Level 3S spiritual power to capture members of the Wandering Star Thief Group."

Jiang Zheyu was speechless.

’Great. She couldn’t even stand to listen after the first sentence.’

’Is she for real?’

"They’re coming to kidnap me. Why can’t I use my spiritual power to capture them in return?" Jiang Zheyu’s lip twitched.

"Last night, you captured Gu Ying from the Lonely Wanderer Star Thief Group. You’re so special that the other members will definitely come for you tonight," the Little Princess of the Empire said, slowly raising her gaze to meet Jiang Zheyu’s.

Hearing this, Jiang Zheyu nodded in agreement.

’After all, she was the one who’d ruined their game and even captured one of their members.’

’These incorrigible Star Thieves, who treated life like a game, would surely find her special and amusing. They’d want to change the rules, making her capture the new objective.’

’Jiang Zheyu didn’t even need to guess. They’d probably change the rules so that whoever managed to capture her would win the game.’

’As for Gu Ying being thrown in prison, what did the rest of them care?’

’They wouldn’t care if their own members lived or died.’

"So?" Jiang Zheyu asked, looking at the Little Princess of the Empire.

’So why was the Little Princess telling her all this?’

"So, tonight I’ll sleep in your palace, and you’ll sleep in mine," the Little Princess of the Empire said leisurely. "You don’t want to be kidnapped by the Star Thieves, and I do. This way, we both get what we want."

Jiang Zheyu was speechless.

’The request wasn’t actually harmful to her; in fact, it was beneficial.’

’However, the Little Princess’s actions would probably cause emotional distress to her Beast Husband, her brother, and the Star Emperor.’

’Jiang Zheyu wouldn’t stop the Little Princess from getting herself kidnapped by Star Thieves—she wouldn’t even get involved. But she couldn’t let the Princess get kidnapped by using her.’

"No, thank you. I think I’d rather capture all the Star Thieves from the Lonely Wanderer Star Thief Group in one go," Jiang Zheyu said with a faint, polite smile.

"You..." The Little Princess of the Empire, not expecting Jiang Zheyu to be so stubborn, grew angry. "How could you!"

Before the Little Princess could fly into a rage, Jiang Zheyu quickly interjected, "Princess Jin Wan, I’ve thought of a good solution. You like Gu Sui from the Lonely Wanderer Star Thief Group, don’t you? I have a way for you two to be together."

The burgeoning anger on the Little Princess’s face faltered.

She looked at Jiang Zheyu, puzzled. "What way? Other than having him help me elope from the Imperial Palace, what else is there?"

"Of course there’s a way," Jiang Zheyu said, her beaming smile reminiscent of a cute but cunning fox. "Once I’ve captured everyone from the Lonely Wanderer Star Thief Group, you can take Gu Sui, break his legs, and bind him to your side forever. Then just take him back to your palace, and you two can be together for all time."

Jiang Zheyu thought her proposal made perfect sense and nodded to herself in agreement. "Then, under the protection of the Imperial Army, you can take Gu Sui and travel the stars together. Whether he takes you to see the universe or you take him, it makes no difference. As long as the two of you are together, that’s all that matters."

When the Little Princess of the Empire heard Jiang Zheyu’s plan, her expression stiffened. "I want to be with him, not make him hate me."

"What’s the big deal with that? Didn’t you say lovers should understand each other?" Jiang Zheyu asked, her tone dripping with mock sincerity as she looked at the Little Princess. "I’m sure he’ll understand you breaking his legs. Everything you’re doing is just to be with him, just because you love him. If he loves you, he should understand you. That’s what lovers do, understand each other. Am I wrong?"

The Little Princess of the Empire listened, utterly dumbfounded by Jiang Zheyu’s speech.

’On the one hand, she knew Jiang Zheyu was probably just saying all this to placate her. On the other hand... what she said actually seemed to make some sense.’

’That’s right! As long as she kept him tied to her side, everything would be fine.’

’That way, the Empire couldn’t find her and drag her back, and they wouldn’t be separated by the walls of the Imperial Palace again.’

’As long as Gu Sui was captured, trapped in her grasp, they could be together forever and ever.’

"Fine. Capture them first, and we’ll talk after," the Little Princess of the Empire said, giving Jiang Zheyu a long look before turning to leave. "I’m going now."

’Jiang Zheyu couldn’t believe she’d actually managed to persuade the Little Princess. She hadn’t been confident at all; she was just throwing something out there to see if it would stick.’

’So it was true. You can’t reason someone out of a love-addled state; you have to push them deeper into it.’

Jiang Zheyu shook her head.

’Now, she had to think about tonight.’

’Just as the Little Princess had said, the Lonely Wanderer Star Thief Group’s target tonight would undoubtedly be her.’

’After Gu Ying’s capture, they would surely be much more cautious this time around.’

’Jiang Zheyu knew it wouldn’t be as easy to capture the others as it had been with Gu Ying.’

’But they probably didn’t know that even if they raised a Spirit Barrier, her Level 4S spiritual power could still knock them out instantly.’

’Unless they used Biorobots.’

’Still, Jiang Zheyu doubted the next Star Thief to come after her would have figured that out so quickly.’

’So for tonight, she didn’t need to worry about Biorobots.’

Jiang Zheyu decided to go to the White Tower to purify herself again. She wanted to at least raise her spiritual power to Level 5S to give herself a bit more confidence.

So, Jiang Zheyu stayed in the White Tower until evening, successfully breaking through to Level 5S spiritual power.

Name: Jiang Zheyu

Gender: Female

Current Spiritual Power Value: S+++++ (5032.5/6000)

Points: 2533.5

Seeing the extra plus sign on her status panel, Jiang Zheyu’s heart settled considerably.