Luo Qi leaned closer to Cecil, whispering as if afraid of disturbing someone, "Dad, I secretly went out back then, you know?"
Cecil chuckled, "Did you think your little schemes could be hidden from me?"
Luo Qi feigned ignorance, "Hehehe, no."
Cecil pinched Luo Qi's cheek hard and said, "Dad has long known Ye Mu's intentions towards you, but I didn't know your intentions towards him. That's why, even though I knew you snuck out, I didn't stop you. But seeing you so distracted and foolish lately, you must have finally opened your eyes after that trip back, right?"
Luo Qi blushed, too embarrassed to admit it, and mumbled coyly, "No way."
Cecil didn't expose him but felt he had to say some things, "Whoever you like, whoever you want to be with, Dad will respect it."
Luo Qi's face lit up, and then he heard Cecil continue, "But no matter who your future partner, your beloved is, Dad wants you to be happy. So, you know what Ye Mu is doing, he wants to become the new leader of Earth. Only if this succeeds will I agree to you two being together."
Luo Qi's smile faded slightly, but he still said, "I know how capable Ye Mu is. He will definitely succeed."
Cecil's gaze held a chilling calmness, "It's your business that you're willing to believe him, but Dad needs to see a result."
Luo Qi nodded. He knew his father meant well, so he didn't argue further. Moreover, he truly believed in Ye Mu; Ye Mu could definitely do it.
Cecil thought for a moment and then added, "I don't know if Ye Mu has told you, but Dad still wants to tell you this. Ye Mu was injured recently."
Luo Qi's eyes widened in surprise, "When!"
Cecil tidied his sleeves, "I heard it too. It seems he encountered an assassination attempt, and the wound on his back is very long. The Earth's election has reached its most critical stage, and he must be under a lot of pressure right now."
Luo Qi stood up, intending to leave, but Cecil's words stopped him, "Do you still remember my punishment?"
Luo Qi clenched his fists and tilted his head slightly. His punishment was not being allowed to go out freely for a month. Luo Qi had been facing away from Cecil, and at that moment, he even suspected if his father had planned this all along, which was why he had proposed a punishment that wasn't really a punishment but now left him feeling powerless. This was the second time since he had secretly piloted a starship out that he had the urge to run out and see Ye Mu. However, he forcefully suppressed the thought. If Ye Mu didn't want him to know, it must be because he didn't want him to worry. At this time, it would be good if he could prevent Ye Mu from being distracted. Moreover, he didn't want to go against Cecil's wishes.
Luo Qi forced a smile and turned around, "I remember, Dad. I'm a bit tired, I'm going back to my room to sleep."
Cecil nodded, "Go ahead."
The room fell silent again. Cecil sighed. Luo Qi's expression from just moments ago seemed to still linger before his eyes. He knew Luo Qi would be unhappy if he stopped him from going out, but he did it anyway. In his life, he probably only had Luo Qi as his treasure. Even children he had watched grow up had to undergo trials. Of course, Cecil absolutely refused to admit that he found the human boy, who had been so cunning since childhood, displeasing and was making things difficult for him. Cecil smiled slightly, rubbing his fingers, "Ye family boy, you better not disappoint me."
Luo Qi shuffled back to his bedroom and listlessly threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in the duvet. His fingers brushed against his terminal. Luo Qi pulled his face out of the duvet, took out the terminal, and lit it up. His finger hovered over the contact name "Ye Mu." Since childhood, the name Ye Mu had filled his life. Now, after Cecil said Ye Mu might be seriously injured, these two words occupied his entire mind. He wanted to ask if Ye Mu was alright, if his injuries were serious, and if things were going smoothly. He wanted to tell Ye Mu not to worry too much, that even if he couldn't become the next leader, he would never give up and would find a way to be with him. But as much as he wanted to, Luo Qi ultimately didn't press the button. The terminal screen dimmed, and Luo Qi angrily stuffed the terminal back under the pillow.
111 wagged its tail and jumped onto the bed, raising its head and stepping on Luo Qi's back. Luo Qi coughed faintly, no longer bothered by the tangled mess of thoughts in his mind, and reached back to push 111 away. 111 retreated a couple of steps, jumped off him, and lay down in front of Luo Qi's head, rubbing its fur all over him. "Silly, what are you thinking about? Why do you seem so troubled lately?"
Luo Qi pouted, "Ha, you can even tell that?"
111 tutted, "What kind of talk is that? I not only know you're not very happy, but I also know you're troubled because of Ye Mu."
Luo Qi flipped over, propping his face with one hand, and looked at 111, "Then don't you have anything to say?"
111's tail wagged back and forth, and it sighed, "This system is being merciful today and will tell you one thing, but it comes at a price."
Luo Qi sat up straight, "Go ahead."
111 licked its paw, "There's a new cat food that just came out. It looks delicious."
Luo Qi smiled faintly, "Okay, okay, I'll order it later."
111 was finally satisfied and lay lazily on the bed, "You will get what you wish for."
Luo Qi paused for a moment, then ruffled the cat's face, "Okay."
When Ye Mu sent his usual communication that evening, Luo Qi, as always, chatted with him about trivial matters as if nothing was wrong. He told Ye Mu that he had planted a new flower today and wondered if it would sprout. Ye Mu also told him how to care for such a flower. Luo Qi shook his head, saying he couldn't remember, and smilingly urged Ye Mu to return to the insect star soon to find him. Ye Mu shook his head helplessly, promising he would return as soon as possible. Luo Qi was very happy and showed Ye Mu 111, who seemed to have gained a little weight after eating the new cat food. It seemed they were truly just a pair of unfortunate lovers temporarily separated, with only a bright future ahead and not a hint of gloom.
Time flew by, and the day of the Earth's election assembly arrived. The night before, during their evening communication, Luo Qi had carefully observed Ye Mu's expression, but he showed no signs of anything unusual, which also eased Luo Qi's tension. However, before hanging up, Luo Qi quietly said, "You have to do your best tomorrow."
Ye Mu smiled, "Don't worry."