It isn’t sure if it’s spring, summer, or autumn at this time of year. The flowers in the garden’s bushes are in full bloom, the air is slightly cool, but the sunshine on the skin feels warm.
Due to the artificial climate control in Gita’s capital, Jiang Miao’s sense of the seasons has become quite blurred.
Jiang Miao stood in the slightly cool air for a moment, then withdrew her hand: “Let’s talk when I’m no longer angry.”
She said “let’s talk,” not “no,” so He Yan was undeterred and even quite pleased. He stood up, picked Jiang Miao up, and with a sunny smile, said, “Okay, we’ll wait until you’re no longer angry… no matter how long it takes!”
Jiang Miao, speechless, ruffled his hair twice, and as he carried her back to the bedroom, she couldn’t help but ask, “What about the ring?”
He Yan was puzzled: “What?”
Jiang Miao held back her anger and said, “Isn’t a ring needed for a proposal?”
Although she hadn’t agreed, it was still the first time in her life that someone had proposed to her. Without a ring, she doubted his sincerity.
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Tl Zyd oyp pwarakple: “Ebu es usw dlle y akdt vs rasrspl?”
Kkydt Ykys: “…”
Mblu pvyale yv lynb svbla qsa y xsxldv, alyzkgkdt psxlvbkdt xwpv cl oasdt.
“Bx, kd ydnkldv Oyavb vkxlp,” Kkydt Ykys pyke, “obld rasrspkdt, usw’e wpl y akdt. Mbkp akdt kp vbl ldtytlxldv akdt.”
“Rp vbyv yd sze nwpvsx?” Tl Zyd pweeldzu wdelapvsse. Rd Qkvy, saekdyau rlsrzl esd’v tlv xyaakle, ps vblu byhl ds nsdnlrv sq rasrspyzp sa oleekdtp. Ls osdela Kkydt Ykys alqlaldnle ydnkldv Oyavb nwpvsxp. Tl pxkzle yde lmrzykdle, “Tlal, ol esd’v byhl ldtytlxldv akdtp, sdzu oleekdt akdtp, obknb yal zypla-ldtayhle sdvs vbl qkdtla.”
Mbl elpktdle ryvvlad kp zypla-ldtayhle sdvs vbl qkdtla yde qkzzle okvb xyvlakyzp nbspld cu vbl dlozuolep.
Mbl xyvlakyzp nyd cl yp lmrldpkhl sa nblyr yp sdl’p lnsdsxkn pkvwyvksd yzzsop. Mblal yal pkzhla yde tsze srvksdp, yp olzz yp qkdlzu taswde ralnkswp tlxpvsdlp.
Xdnl nsxrzlvl, vbl “akdt” clnsxlp sdl okvb vbl qkdtla.
Although she knew it wouldn’t hurt much with current technology, Jiang Miao still felt it would hurt!
Her expression made He Yan laugh.
“It won’t hurt much, but it will hurt a little,” he said. “Here, marriage is a very serious matter, so the ring ceremony is solemn. It’s meant to awe people, making them remember with pain to respect marriage.”
Jiang Miao said blankly: “A bachelor sure speaks convincingly.”
He Yan smiled: “I didn’t come up with this.”
“Really?”
“It was Evelyn,” He Yan said. “She told me when she took me to someone else’s wedding. I’ve always remembered.”
He Yan and his foster mother had too short a time together, and their relationship was brief. That wedding was one of the more significant events they attended together, so He Yan remembered Evelyn’s words very clearly.
“People don’t have to get married,” He Yan explained to Jiang Miao as he held her and sat by the bed. “There are cohabitation agreements and partner agreements, which are sufficient for most people. Deciding to get married is something only those who are very determined would do.”
Thanks to He Yan’s explanation, Jiang Miao learned that in the Nash Republic, marriage is essentially stratified. When lovers who have lived together for a long time want to be together permanently, they can sign a cohabitation agreement, which covers everything from financial matters to the division of responsibilities for raising children.
Going a step further is the partner agreement, which is almost equivalent to an actual marriage.
The real difference between marriage and these two agreements lies in joint property rights and inheritance rights. Only through marriage can couples fully share post-marital property and have inheritance rights to each other’s assets.
Therefore, for most men and women who develop feelings and want to be together, a cohabitation agreement or, at most, a more financially binding partner agreement is sufficient. When it comes to marriage, it requires even more caution.
As a result, most marriages in Nash are very stable, with a very low divorce rate.
“Mother was thirty years older than father. At that time, she had encountered some issues on the battlefield and was on a temporary leave to recuperate due to PTSD,” He Yan recounted to Jiang Miao.
A female officer with PTSD traveled alone to adjust her condition and encountered a young, poor musician performing outside a café to make a living.
The female officer was healed by the young musician’s music and fell in love with him. They first experienced cohabitation, gradually signing a cohabitation agreement and then a partner agreement, and finally… they got married.
They lived together for seventy years until the husband, who was thirty years younger, passed away first, and the general soon followed.
Jiang Miao had heard the ending before but was hearing the full story for the first time.
He Yan gazed at her and asked, “Is this the kind of marriage you want?”
Jiang Miao’s gaze fell on the dust in the air, and she murmured, “Maybe…”
He Yan was dissatisfied and tightened his grip around her waist. “What do you mean, maybe?”
Jiang Miao yelped and pried at his arm. “I’ve never been married, how would I know? Didn’t General Evelyn also start with cohabitation, then a partner agreement, and finally marriage? It’s all a step-by-step process.”
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open, and Jiang Rui, sweating, rushed in. “Mommy, Daddy! Let’s go out and play!”
The little guy wasn’t content just playing with the companion robot; he wanted his parents’ company. But when he came in and saw his mom wrapped in a thin blanket being held by his dad, he immediately protested, “Rui Rui wants a hug too! Hug together!”
His little dirty hands, covered in mud, left small black prints on Jiang Miao as he grabbed at the blanket, trying to climb up.
Jiang Miao quickly pulled the blanket tighter around her chest to avoid exposure and called out to Jiang Rui, “You’re too dirty! Go take a bath! Go take a bath!”
However, He Yan, grinning from ear to ear, scooped up Jiang Rui and tucked him into Jiang Miao’s arms. So Jiang Miao held Jiang Rui, and He Yan held both of them.
“Take a bath, and I’ll take you out for a walk to get familiar with the surroundings,” He Yan said, but he didn’t let go.
With Jiang Miao and Jiang Rui in his arms, both of them soft and warm, He Yan felt that this moment made his life complete.
Jiang Rui had been very happy recently because his parents didn’t need to work for the time being, and they could both spend time with him.
Jiang Rui loved riding in the car his dad drove; it was more exciting than the roller coaster at the amusement park. He Yan first took them around their home and the city, then to other interesting places on Silver Star.
However, when they wanted to leave Silver Star and go to a vacation planet within the star system, they had to notify the immigration office in advance. According to regulations, new immigrants in the observation period were not allowed to leave their designated planet.
He Yan must have used his connections and exercised special privileges to get an exception.
While soaking in the bath, Jiang Miao listened to music and lifted her right foot from the bubbly water, frowning at the ankle bracelet under the light for a long time.
The first month for the family of three was like a vacation until Jiang Miao suggested going home. She wanted to set up a workspace in He Yan’s house.
Even if she wanted to find a job, she’d have to wait until the six-month period was over. She didn’t like being idle and wanted to find something to do.
He Yan, of course, fully supported her. Jiang Miao had no qualms about buying any equipment or materials she wanted, indulging her interests.
Then the security bureau came knocking.
The security bureau brought technicians to inspect Jiang Miao’s workspace, ensuring that what she was tinkering with wasn’t a large-scale weapon of mass destruction but rather some indescribable things. Many of the items made with advanced technology and materials were simply to satisfy Jiang Rui’s little fantasies.
As a result, they gave Jiang Miao strange looks, likely labeling her as a “mad scientist” or something similar.
Jiang Miao shrugged, “Just something to pass the time and have fun.”
After the false alarm, the security bureau left somewhat sullenly.
This incident confirmed to Jiang Miao that the security bureau’s surveillance on her wasn’t just a tracking anklet.
She acted casual and relaxed in front of the security bureau personnel, but after they left, she spoke very little.
“Big brother submitted your resume to the National Academy of Sciences. Then, after Dr. Johnson and Dr. Pierre took the teleportation equipment back, they jointly submitted a report strongly recommending you. The military is also very interested in you, so… your naturalization process is different from others. You’re a high-priority observation subject now,” He Yan tried to explain.
“Oh.” Jiang Miao retorted, “Should I feel honored?”
He Yan was speechless.
For the next few days, Jiang Miao remained quiet. To distract her, He Yan shared some new information from Gita.
“The main brain seems to be back online,” he said. “This time, Gita’s congressional meeting lasted more than a month longer than usual. Officially, they said it was because there were too many bills, but… it was actually because of the main brain.”
Jiang Miao was indeed intrigued and couldn’t help but ask, “What changes will there be without Li Ping’s brain in the future?”
He Yan hesitated.
Some things shouldn’t have been shared with Jiang Miao, but… considering she had been involved from the beginning and gave up everything to follow him to Nash, Jiang Miao had sacrificed more than just assets. She had parents and friends back there. Since their reconciliation, although she couldn’t easily reunite with Zhang Ya due to the distance, they often talked on the phone, trying to make up for the lost years.
Not to mention Tanaka. He was Jiang Miao’s good partner. When he was kidnapped by Xiao Yu, Jiang Miao was brave enough to go alone to rescue him. When Jiang Miao was in trouble, he dared to risk his own safety to help her.
Thinking of these things, He Yan decided to temporarily put the “Secrecy Law” aside.
“We’re currently in a temporary ceasefire,” he said.
In reality, many past conflicts were not initiated by Nash. For Nash, it often seemed like they were suddenly attacked by Gita.
“Those orders were hidden among many normal orders, but in reality…” he said, “it was Li Ping’s doing.”
Li Ping’s logical thinking had controlled the main brain for many years. Her “kill order” against the moderates had always been there. She was no longer alive, existing only in the form of logical computations, not realizing that so much time had passed and not only had she died, but those who knew her secrets had also died.
More importantly, with the passage of time, even the biggest secrets would eventually lose significance.
This is something the living can understand, but the “Li Ping brain” could not.
What Li Ping’s brain did was equivalent to issuing false edicts in Earth’s ancient times.
When He Yan freed the true main brain and eliminated Li Ping’s brain, the logic of “eliminate the moderates to cover everything up” disappeared.
The true main brain reevaluated everything, no longer secretly issuing hidden orders to the front lines. Nash, being prepared, immediately retracted its forces upon noticing Gita’s defensive pullback, signaling a desire for peace.
“Can there really be negotiations?” Jiang Miao asked, dazed.
If Gita and Nash, the two major republics, could sit down and have a proper conversation, the entire human-inhabited star region would change.
But such things are never that simple. It involves too many internal affairs, diplomacy, economics, military issues, primary and secondary conflicts, internal and external conflicts, and so on. Even someone as averse to politics as Jiang Miao understood that.
He Yan, however, said, “It must.”
Jiang Miao was stunned.
He Yan knew he shouldn’t be telling Jiang Miao these things, but seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he threw all principles out the window.
“Because this human-inhabited star region is about to face an even bigger war,” he said. “Because humanity is about to face a common enemy.”
When He Yan told Jiang Miao this, he was neither gentle nor smiling. His gaze was stern, his aura heavy, his eyes sharp as a blade.
Jiang Miao was shocked and frightened.
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