Jingliu said softly, "You forgot?"
"Today is your birthday too."
"Husband, happy birthday."
Almost without thinking, Zero raised a hand and touched the laurel leaves on top of his head.
The scene before him overlapped with the one in his memories.
The others followed Jingliu's lead and offered their birthday wishes as well.
Zero looked back at everyone and let out a light laugh.
"Thank you. I really like it."
Dan Feng reached into his sleeve and kept feeling around.
The High Elder's sleeves were the widest, making them perfect for hiding things.
"Don't rush. There's more."
A moment later, he took out a small, finely made gift box and held it out to Zero.
"Open it and take a look."
Zero untied the ribbon and opened the box.
Inside were dozens of letters.
Yingxing said with feeling, "They wrote you so many letters."
Baiheng added, "We spent a long time picking them out with Daiyang, Guanliang, and the others..."
Then the Foxian changed her tone.
"Of course, Jingliu did most of the work."
Zero looked at Jingliu.
Under the warm yellow light, she looked even more beautiful than usual.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, as though she were shy.
"This is only a small portion of the letters. As for the other gifts..."
"You'll see them when you get home."
Zero's voice unconsciously became gentler.
"You've worked hard."
Jingliu looked back at him, her eyes becoming even softer.
Her husband deserved the best things in the world.
After a thousand years, the long-overdue love and respect had finally reached Zero.
Dan Feng had long grown tired of hearing the two of them talk like this back at the academy. Now, he found their growing affection even harder to watch.
The High Elder raised a hand.
A waiter appeared at once, holding a bottle of wine and showing everyone the label.
Dan Feng urged his friends, "Come on, let's have a toast."
Jing Yuan was the first to raise his glass and hand it to the waiter.
On the Xianzhou, when parents held a coming-of-age ceremony for their children at the academy, it meant they had become adults.
But in Jing Yuan's and his classmates' eyes, only drinking freely with friends like the wandering heroes in storybooks truly made someone an adult.
His eyes were full of anticipation as he watched the waiter.
The others held back their laughter and quietly looked at Jing Yuan, unwilling to miss his expression when he drank.
Jing Yuan tipped his head back and drained the entire glass in one bold gulp.
Everyone stared in shock.
"Wait..."
The next moment, Jing Yuan coughed so hard it sounded like he was coughing up his lungs.
Dan Feng and Baiheng, sitting beside him, quickly patted his back and handed him water.
After a while, Jing Yuan complained, "It doesn't even taste good."
Zero sighed.
"You drank too fast."
Dan Feng didn't think much of it.
"Once you get used to drinking, it won't taste bad anymore."
Baiheng frowned.
"Should we add some ice?"
"Why add ice?" Yingxing argued with the Foxian. "Jing Yuan's still young. If he can't handle alcohol, then don't make him drink."
"That's right."
Jingliu first agreed with Yingxing before telling the waiter, "Bring him milk instead."
Jing Yuan tightly protected the wine glass in his hand.
"Yingxing, what do you mean I'm still young?"
"Look around this table. Only you and I are the youngest."
"If I drink milk, then you have to drink it with me."
Yingxing said irritably, "How old are you? How old am I?"
Jing Yuan answered confidently, "You're a Vidyadhara now. You're not even three years old yet."
Yingxing forced out a fake smile.
"Heh. That's right. Our Cloud Knight strategist, the lieutenant General Tengxiao has high hopes for, the child everyone on the Luofu thinks understands the 'Father of the Xianzhou' best..."
Zero gave an awkward but polite smile.
'Can you two argue without dragging innocent people into it?'
Yingxing clearly listed Jing Yuan's long string of titles.
Then he added quietly, "And yet you're not as good as a Vidyadhara who's not even three years old."
Jing Yuan's face darkened.
Yingxing's attempt to provoke him was far too obvious.
Jing Yuan raised his glass toward the waiter and called out, "Another one!"
Ignoring the burning pain in his throat, he followed his friends' advice, added ice, took a small sip, and slowly swallowed it.
After repeating that a few times, he finally started to taste something.
Dan Feng, Zero, and the others naturally began discussing different wines.
Jing Yuan only understood bits and pieces. He couldn't tell what they meant by "smooth" or "rich," so he quietly memorized the brands along with everyone's comments.
Baiheng was thoughtful and had the waiter bring over several different kinds of wine.
Everyone took turns explaining the differences to Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan only took a tiny sip each time.
By the end of the banquet, he had finally learned the difference between flavors like "smooth" and "rich."
If he ever attended a formal banquet, he would be able to drink with the guests and pass himself off as someone who knew wine.
At the table, Zero only drank a few symbolic glasses.
The previous two times the Luofu celebrated the birthday of the "Father of the Xianzhou," he had stayed in the research institute.
If not for Jing Yuan, he probably wouldn't have come this time either.
Tomorrow, Zero would be returning to the institute.
Keeping that in mind, no one urged him to drink.
Dan Feng came back to his senses and looked around the table.
Baiheng had been the first to collapse.
Yingxing was next.
Looking down again, he found Jing Yuan sitting on the floor, fiddling with his battle saber.
Dan Feng had a headache.
He had given half of his power to Yingxing.
Even now, his friend still hadn't gotten used to it.
Why not use Cloudhymn Arts to heal himself?
Dan Feng rubbed his forehead.
"Zero, you still have to go to the research institute tomorrow."
"You and Jingliu should head back first."
"Alright."
Before Zero could answer, Jingliu replied for him.
Then she added, "Husband, the pastries are good."
Zero understood what she meant and stood up to look for the waiter.
Dan Feng was puzzled.
Jingliu had deliberately sent Zero away.
What did she want to say?
As he wondered about it, Jingliu stood up and walked over to Jing Yuan.
"Jing Yuan, if you run into any problems in the future, just ask Zero."
After hearing that, Dan Feng immediately understood.
Zero had very few friends.
Jing Yuan was one of them.
But now that Jingliu had married Zero, Jing Yuan had become Zero's junior.
Things would naturally be awkward between them.
Instead of telling him to call Zero Grandmaster, Jingliu had deliberately used Zero's name, hoping they would continue getting along as friends.
Jing Yuan was drunk, hugging his battle saber tightly.
Whether he understood what Jingliu really meant was anyone's guess.
Dan Feng caught sight of Zero returning from the corner of his eye and quickly urged Jingliu, "Alright, I understand. You two should go."
Jingliu looked at him deeply.
"Alright."
After the two of them left, Dan Feng walked to the window and looked down at them.
Under the moonlight, Zero smiled, turned his head slightly, and said something to Jingliu.
At that moment, the "god" showed a truly human expression.
Dan Feng finally understood what Jingliu had meant.
Zero needed more anchors.
With that thought, Dan Feng pulled himself back and turned his head.
At some point, Jing Yuan had already come to stand beside him.
After thinking for a moment, he repeated what Yubiexin had once written.
"Zero is a very pure person."
"For example, his eyes are as clear as a child's..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dan Feng laughed.
The corner of Jing Yuan's mouth twitched.
"As clear as a child's? He's obviously just childish!"
Dan Feng laughed for quite a while.
After a moment, his laughter faded, and he sighed.
"Sometimes... his eyes are filled with a sadness and loneliness that no one can understand."
Jing Yuan said nothing.
The two fell silent.
Perhaps Dan Feng was drunk.
Or perhaps it was simply because it was late at night, when people tended to become sentimental.
Without thinking, he said, "When I undergo rebirth..."
'What should I do?'
The last bit of reason he had left made him stop himself in time.
Jing Yuan's eyes widened.
"Brother Dan Feng, what are you talking about?"
Hearing the confusion in the young man's voice, Dan Feng forced a smile.
"I've had too much to drink. I was talking nonsense."
He gave a light cough before adding, "Jing Yuan, if you run into any problems, remember to find Zero."
Jing Yuan was silent for a while before finally nodding.
The two of them were still sober enough to watch the waiters take Baiheng and Yingxing to one of Dan Feng's properties.
After settling the two of them in, Dan Feng led Jing Yuan into the courtyard.
The waiters had already prepared hangover soup.
Dan Feng pulled Jing Yuan down to sit, hurriedly drank a few mouthfuls, then looked at him.
He muttered, "Jing Yuan... when are you going to grow up?"
Jing Yuan felt completely helpless.
He set down his spoon, patiently looked at Dan Feng, and said, "Dan Feng, you're drunk."
"Today was my coming-of-age ceremony."
Dan Feng let out a quiet laugh.
"That's right. Tomorrow you'll be leaving the Luofu..."
He wanted to say, Jing Yuan, wait a little longer.
You're still young. Your mind isn't fully settled yet. Wait another hundred years before making your decision.
But the moment he thought of the Galaxy Rangers, Jing Yuan started smiling.
"That's right. Starting tomorrow, I'll be a Galaxy Ranger who punishes evil and upholds justice."
The words reached Dan Feng's lips before he swallowed them back down.
Seeing him stay silent, Jing Yuan quickly said, "We promised we'd drink together again."
"In ten years, I'll definitely return to the Luofu."
Dan Feng lowered his eyes slightly and still said nothing.
After thinking for a moment, Jing Yuan brought up their friends instead.
Not long ago, Yingxing had met the General of Zhu Ming and received the short dagger forged by his master from Zero.
If it hadn't been for the Huai'en Festival, he would probably still be shut up in his workshop.
Then they talked about Baiheng.
Out of nowhere, Dan Feng asked, "Now that she's become an Emanator... will it affect her lifespan?"
Baiheng had previously become an Emanator of the Joyseeker.
The day she learned she had received the blessing, she had told everyone, "I'm so lucky..."
After asking for her opinion, the Luofu's higher-ups had not changed her position.
She herself hadn't taken it seriously.
After all, the people of the Xianzhou only truly cared about the Reignbow Arbiter.
Baiheng had never used that power, as though she had never been blessed by an Aeon at all.
Jing Yuan answered hesitantly, "Maybe... she'll live longer?"
Dan Feng repeated after him, "Live longer?"
Jing Yuan replied, "That's only my guess."
Thinking back to Dan Feng mentioning rebirth and growing up earlier, Jing Yuan inwardly cursed his own carelessness.
What was he doing?
Why was he talking about lifespan with Dan Feng?
Jing Yuan immediately changed the subject and brought up something from his past with Zero.
Dan Feng's eyes shifted onto him.
Jing Yuan had been born into a family that served in the Divination Commission.
According to his parents' plans, he was supposed to join the Divination Commission after graduation, inherit their work, and live a peaceful life.
Unexpectedly, all Jing Yuan wanted was to join the Cloud Knights.
His parents patiently explained every difference between the Divination Commission and the Cloud Knights, laying out all the pros and cons in detail.
They even found a retired Cloud Knight, hoping he would change Jing Yuan's mind.
But Jing Yuan had already made up his mind.
He insisted on becoming a Cloud Knight.
If hitting children hadn't been against Xianzhou law, his parents might have beaten him.
Back then, Jing Yuan wasn't even ten years old.
He wasn't yet the brilliant strategist General Tengxiao had placed such high hopes on.
Children...
When they argued with their parents, what solutions could they possibly come up with?
Nothing more than burying themselves in studying or going on a hunger strike.
Thinking back to the foolish things he had done as a child, Jing Yuan couldn't help smiling bitterly.
People couldn't truly understand their past selves.
A hunger strike...
That really had been a stupid idea.
It was Dan Feng's first time hearing this story, and he became interested.
"So you messaged Zero, and he brought you food?"
Jing Yuan replied, "Yes... and no."
His parents had come to his courtyard several times to call him, but he never answered.
He had been so hungry that his chest felt stuck to his back.
When Zero climbed over the wall and appeared in front of him, he had thought he was hallucinating from hunger.
After drinking, Jing Yuan's head felt heavy.
One hand supported his head while the other gestured at a height.
"A four-meter-high wall..."
"Back then, all his electives were things like tea ceremony, knitting, and baking..."
"It really... scared me."
Dan Feng couldn't picture what Zero looked like attending those classes.
His mind froze for quite a while before Jing Yuan continued, "He brought lots of snacks and drinks. There were even my favorite pastries."
"We talked for a long time. After I finished the pastries, he finally told me they had been prepared by my parents."
Dan Feng thought to himself, 'Zero really is Zero.'
Jing Yuan had been starving himself to fight against his parents.
After finally finding what seemed like a lifeline, he learned that lifeline had been sent by his parents.
For a child, that was nothing short of the sky falling.
That bite of pastry was no different from a soldier surrendering before the battle even began.
Dan Feng knew he shouldn't laugh.
He tried his best to stop the corners of his mouth from rising.
"And then? Did Zero make you cry?"
Jing Yuan: "...No. I cut ties with him on my own."
Dan Feng nodded cooperatively.
"Oh."
If Jing Yuan had been a few years younger, Zero definitely would have made him cry.
Jing Yuan continued, "At the time, I thought he was a very strange person."
"He could get along with anyone, but he always kept a certain distance from them."
"And when I talked with him, he showed no respect at all for the Reignbow Arbiter."
Dan Feng sighed.
"It's a good thing you didn't report him."
Jing Yuan sighed as well.
"Yeah."
"Who could've imagined..."
Then he changed the subject with a smile.
"Looking back now, the 'Father of the Xianzhou' personally climbing over a wall to bring me food..."
"If people found out, a lot of them would probably envy me."
"Alright, Brother Dan Feng, don't worry."
"From now on, every time I reach a new place, I'll send all of you a message."
"When that happens, you're not allowed to find me annoying."
The next day, all five of them, Zero, who had just joined the research institute, Baiheng and Yingxing with their hangovers, and the others, gathered at Starskiff Haven to see Jing Yuan off.
Zero reminded him, "When you're away from home, spend money when you need to."
Jing Yuan paused before only saying half of what he wanted.
"If I run into trouble... "
Jingliu's eyes shifted toward Zero.
Zero thought for a moment before saying only, "If I see your message, I'll reply as soon as I can."
After saying goodbye to Jing Yuan, he went to the research institute and attended classes as usual.
During class, Chanzhen sent him a message.
[Chanzhen: Do you need me to personally protect the Crown Grandson?]
Zero's head was full of math formulas.
After seeing the message, he thought about it for quite a while before realizing that the "Crown Grandson" Chanzhen was referring to was Jing Yuan.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he turned down Chanzhen's suggestion.
After Jing Yuan left, he often shared scenery from his travels, the new friends he met, and customs from worlds different from the Xianzhou in their group chat.
Sometimes he would also message Zero to talk about his troubles.
One day, as usual, Jing Yuan shared a photo of himself with a new friend.
The others looked at it without paying much attention.
They only vaguely remembered that the new friend had striking red hair.
For several days in a row, Jing Yuan kept sharing stories about this new friend in the group chat.
Even Dan Feng, the High Elder, remembered the man's name.
Igor.
Jing Yuan talked about Igor's hometown and expressed regret over their situation.
A few days later, he contacted Zero.
He had been earning Patrol Marks through Zero.
If it had only been a small amount, he could have decided on his own.
But this time, it was an enormous expense.
Jing Yuan felt he needed Zero's approval.
Through his jade abacus, Zero quickly went through the group chat and figured out what had happened.
To be honest, he didn't care about the royalties Jing Yuan had earned through him.
Nor did he care how many Patrol Marks Jing Yuan spent.
However, Jing Yuan had a good chance of becoming the next Marshal of the Xianzhou.
After thinking for a moment, Zero said, "Give me a reason."
"Is it because he's your friend?"
"Or because this planet will bring you greater returns in the future?"
"Choose one."
Jing Yuan was silent for a long time before answering firmly, "It will bring greater returns to the Xianzhou."