Hua subconsciously touched her arm.
Fortunately, she didn't get goosebumps.
After spending eight years with her guardian, Hua had already gotten used to the way he spoke.
For example, when she was feeling down, the guardian would deliberately come closer and ask, ("What? Don't tell me you cried?")
For another example, when she was angry, the guardian would add fuel to the fire, making her shift her anger onto him.
'How is someone like this thousands of years old?! He's clearly a minor with a mental age of only sixteen or seventeen!'
But ignoring the process and only looking at the result… it really did help regulate her emotions.
Besides messing with people's mental state, the guardian especially liked saying mushy things.
No matter how mushy it got, he never admitted their father daughter relationship.
Hua didn't care about that.
Just like the chief strategist said, what was she even competing with him for?
If he was immature, fine, but was Hua supposed to lower her own mental age too?
'For him to say something like this… could it be he saw some blond guy again?"
As soon as that guess appeared, Hua took a deep breath and stood up, walking toward the floor to ceiling window.
She patiently used the same patience she had when she once experienced life by volunteering to take care of troublesome children, and said earnestly, "Stop reading jokes on the star network. I already told you, I won't get married."
Zero felt extremely helpless, "I didn't read the star network… forget it, let's not talk about this."
He changed the subject, his tone certain.
"I believe with your ability, you can easily solve whatever difficulties you encounter."
"Don't care about other people's opinions. The more you care, the easier it is for them to control you."
"If one person hates you, that person has a problem. If a group of people hate you, it means they all know each other."
"As long as you want, the road ahead will be green lights all the way. In this lifetime, you won't need to give your all for anything."
"The only thing I worry about is your future partner…"
Hua immediately sensed something was wrong.
The way the guardian was talking… could it be he planned to completely walk away from everything?
But through the jade communicator, hearing the guardian's deliberately regretful tone, and combined with the word partner, she completely lost her temper.
"How many times do I have to repeat this? I really won't get married."
Zero automatically ignored that sentence, "We gave you excellent material conditions. Don't be moved by cheap gifts given by others."
"For example, a flower, a grass woven ring. This kind of low cost effort is nowhere near worthy of my heir."
"Don't believe the stupid saying that love alone can satisfy hunger. With your current status, if one day you become infamous and fall into poverty, those people won't come near you anymore."
Then Hua heard the guardian speak to her in a very soft tone, "In the future, you will have many decades."
Hua was just about to ask more when she heard him say, "Now, you have received the last gift."
Combining this with what the guardian had just said, Hua vaguely guessed the answer.
Holding onto the last bit of hope, she asked to confirm.
"What is it?"
Zero chuckled softly, "It's the Xianzhou Alliance."
Hua, "..."
Her eyes widened, her lips opening and closing for a long time, but she couldn't say a single word.
Even through the jade communicator, Hua could clearly sense the guardian's excited mood.
Zero's voice was almost inaudible.
"I'm leaving the Xianzhou to you."
His tone suddenly changed, sounding extremely happy.
"This is the third gift I'm giving you. Surprised? Unexpected?"
"My dear heir, I believe you can definitely do it."
"Goodbye..."
Hua, "..."
Zero finished speaking on his own and immediately hung up the communication.
Hua stood there dumbfounded, still holding the jade communicator beside her ear.
She watched with her own eyes as the Astral Express departed from Cangcheng, gradually disappearing from her sight.
Hua stood frozen in place, taking a long time before she recovered.
She burned with anger, gripping the jade communicator tightly in one hand, her knuckles slightly turning white.
'Who would want a gift like this?!'
On the Astral Express that had begun its new journey, Akivili deliberately slowed his pace, walking together with the small and slow stepping Pom Pom.
Lowering his voice, he whispered, "My dear friend… is very special."
Hearing this, Pom Pom stopped walking.
When Akivili was trailblazing, he could delay the entire train's schedule by himself.
Someone described as special by him… just how special could they be?
Pom Pom narrowed his eyes, raised his head, and looked at Akivili.
Akivili, "…Pom Pom, don't make that face. It makes me look like some unforgivable criminal."
Pom Pom snorted coldly, "Who exactly spent all the crew's budget?"
Akivili talked around the subject.
The Aeon did not reveal his dear friend's identity to the trusted conductor, and instead said the prepared explanation and the dear friend's alias, Erik.
"This dear friend of mine doesn't respond well to pressure."
"Others might think he's cold and heartless, but actually… he's very easy to talk to."
"As long as you go along with what he says when he makes decisions."
"His current condition, using professional psychological terms from books..."
Pom Pom widened his eyes and subconsciously interrupted Akivili.
"You actually read books?"
Akivili snorted in mock dissatisfaction.
"Of course! I'm not like the conductor..."
Pom Pom nearly jumped up and crashed into a god in anger.
Akivili quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, back to the point. My dear friend went to war, and after the war he didn't receive proper psychological counseling, so he developed post traumatic stress disorder."
Pom Pom opened his mouth wide. "What you just said… actually sounds pretty professional."
Akivili grinned.
"Of course! I'm Akivili, whose friends are all across the star sea! I specifically asked around and studied it."
"Other people might develop insomnia, personality changes, excessive anxiety, or memory loss. But my dear friend…"
He paused, his tone carrying some heaviness.
"Erik's symptoms are… avoidance and numbness."
"And along with that comes low mood and depression."
"My dear friend is very slow when it comes to emotions. He can't correctly judge the relationship between himself and others, let alone other people's feelings toward him…"
Pom Pom's fluffy face turned serious and asked, "Then what should I do?"
Akivili crouched down and said softly, "Compared to interacting with others, Erik is more used to being alone."
"He might need a long time before he can integrate into the Nameless."
Akivili sighed.
"I'm not a professional counselor. I can't help him. I can only try to make sure he has fun…"
Pom Pom fell silent for a moment, then quickly put his hands on his hips and declared confidently, "Don't worry. As long as he boards the train, he'll get better soon..."
Akivili looked moved. "Pom Pom…"
Pom Pom raised his head.
"If he stays with a troublesome Nameless like you… he'll probably only have time to clean up your messes. How would he have time to be sad?"
Akivili's expression stiffened.
"…That's too much, Pom Pom."
The Aeon straightened his expression.
"When the time comes, I'll have to trouble the conductor to take good care of him."
"Just leave it to Pom Pom." Pom Pom nodded, then asked, "Speaking of which, that potted plant he sent over, and that strange new Nameless…"
Akivili understood what Pom Pom left unsaid.
He smiled.
"Put the potted plant in the observation car. It has miraculous healing effects."
Akivili paused.
"As for the new Nameless, as long as they are willing to start a new journey with us… then they are Nameless."
"And that one is also my dear friend's close friend!"
Pom Pom couldn't help feeling confused.
'One has a lively and noisy personality.'
'The other is depressed and used to being alone.'
'How did they even become friends?'
Pom Pom blinked. "Hard to imagine."
Akivili shrugged, "To be honest, I was also very surprised that they became close friends."
"It's as strange as salty wontons paired with yogurt."
The Aeon rubbed his chin with his hand.
Facing Pom Pom, Akivili couldn't reveal the truth, so he slightly polished the past between them.
"Pom Pom, if I sold you, would you still come back to be the conductor?"
Pom Pom was filled with righteous anger. "…Trading intelligent lifeforms violates interstellar law!"
Akivili corrected him, "You're wrong. Only human trafficking is illegal."
"How should I put it? Something similar happened between them…"
"Erik has an emotional disorder. Only the purest sincerity and kindness can move him."
"The fact that he allowed that one to call him dear friend… their relationship must really be good." Pom Pom nodded thoughtfully.
Nameless would do small tasks during their free time.
For example helping prepare ingredients, cleaning the train cars, organizing supplies…
After some time, they grouped themselves and set rotation schedules.
Pom Pom wasn't worried about Erik.
He was Akivili's recognized dear friend. What outrageous thing could he possibly do?
Pom Pom was most worried about the newly arrived Nameless. After thinking, he said, "In that case, you three will be one group."
Akivili's eyes lit up. Looking at Pom Pom with shining eyes, he clapped and said, "As expected of the conductor! Truly thoughtful!"
Pom Pom snorted.
"Yes. With Erik around, you and that new one should finally behave yourselves."
Akivili hesitated to speak, but in the end didn't break Pom Pom's illusion.
Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to see that special Nameless.
Pom Pom followed Akivili's gaze and saw the person too, urging, "Go find him."
Akivili retraced his steps and knocked on his dear friend's door.
After the door opened, he saw his dear friend's face that usually carried a smile, now expressionless.
Only when their eyes met did some warmth appear in his gaze.
Akivili thought this was completely normal.
If a ruler kept a cold face all day, it would create a lot of pressure for subordinates.
Akivili pretended not to notice and asked with a smile, "Dear friend, want to meet the other Nameless?"
Zero did not refuse. As soon as he left the room, he and Akivili ran into a red haired black eyed…
'A man or a woman?'
That person had large wavy curls, making Zero unable to tell the gender at first. Only after the person spoke did he confirm it.
'Male.'
The androgynous looking Nameless enthusiastically came forward. His movements were quick as he grabbed Zero's hand.
He grinned, revealing two sharp canine teeth.
"Hello, I'm Bacchus."
After hearing that name, Zero almost failed to maintain his indifferent expression.
'Akivili, you call this a surprise?'
"Erik."
Zero kept a cold face, pulling his hand away, and said stiffly, "I guess your parents really like mythology."
Bacchus's expression immediately changed. He looked like he was about to cry. "Sorry… I don't have parents."
Zero, "..."
Akivili opened his mouth, about to say something, but Bacchus frowned, covered his face, turned around, and left.
Zero and Akivili looked at each other.
He couldn't believe it.
How did Akivili let this thing onto the train? Wasn't he afraid something would happen?
Bacchus was also Dionysus, the wine god in mythology.
If it were someone else, they might have the same reaction.
Someone who names their child that must really understand mythology.
However, Zero happened to know some trivial things.
After meeting that mysterious machine intelligence, he specifically looked up information about tarot cards.
As an ancient divination tool, its origin has always been a mystery.
There are seventy eight tarot cards in total. Zero didn't have the patience to look through them one by one, so he only glanced at a few.
Among them was The Fool card.
This is the first tarot card.
The name of this card made Zero very unhappy, so while reading the materials, he couldn't help looking at it a few more times.
The prototype of The Fool card is Dionysus, the wine god.
Combined with the highly suggestive name Bacchus…
Zero couldn't help doubting his life.
Is this a surprise? What exactly did he do that made Akivili misunderstand his relationship with Aha?
Akivili spoke hesitantly, "What's wrong?"
While searching through his memories in a mental storm, Zero asked, "Is it really okay for them to be here?"
Akivili smiled.
"As long as they are willing to travel with us, they are Nameless."
"The Astral Express welcomes all Nameless."
"I know what you're worried about. Don't worry."
Then Akivili and Zero walked together toward the observation car.
He talked about strange sights he had seen recently, discussed the culture and customs of planets, and finally talked about life on the Astral Express.
Zero looked troubled. "You mean… the Nameless have to take turns cooking?"
He only knew how to make tea. He couldn't cook.
Akivili was extremely optimistic, "Don't worry, dear friend. It's group cooperation. You, me, and Bacchus are one group. If we work together, we'll definitely make the most delicious food."
One human and one god stepped into the observation car.
After seeing them, Bacchus curved a bright smile and looked at the other Nameless present.
Zero felt a strong sense of foreboding.
Bacchus changed from his earlier rough voice and spoke in a soft and androgynous tone, "According to unofficial historical records, the Xianzhou Marshal has close relationships with multiple Aeons. They would even die for him. One of the Aeons even bore a child for him..."
Zero, "..."
Akivili, "..."
'Dear friend! Hold on! With this kind of perseverance you can succeed at anything!'