Chapter 35: Volunteering as a Backup

"Intrusive?"

"How intrusive?"

Nian Tu grew even more nervous. Her brain whirred at high speed, various conjectures flooding her mind. She even wondered if her identity as a transmigrator had been exposed, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed her reply.

Nian Tu: […Please, go ahead.]

Half an hour had passed since Feli's last message, yet he seemed to have been waiting for her, replying within seconds.

Feli: [Have you found a third guardian besides Xion and Lu Zhan?]

According to Imperial law, an unmarried female must have at least three guardians. The staff member in charge of her registration had warned Nian Tu that if she could not find a third guardian within a month, the system would automatically match one for her.

Nian Tu had pushed this matter to the back of her mind, forgetting it entirely, until Feli brought it up now.

Less than half of the one-month deadline remained.

Nian Tu answered truthfully: [No… I accidentally forgot about it.]

A female's guardians were, in reality, more akin to fiancés. Once someone became her guardian, it was equivalent to being branded by her; outsiders would naturally view them as her mates. She hadn't understood this at first, and only learned of the unspoken rules later. She even felt a pang of regret for having chosen Lu Zhan and Xion as her guardians, tying them to her side when she couldn't offer them the promise of being a partner.

Having to find yet another guardian under these circumstances made Nian Tu's head spin.

She ruffled her hair in frustration, unsure of what to do, when she saw Feli unexpectedly send her his medical examination report.

This was followed by his personal resume, a dazzling list of outstanding achievements, awards, and honors. Then came proof of his assets, including ownership of several planets—he was practically an interstellar tycoon.

Nian Tu stared, stunned, and in the next second, she saw Feli recommending himself, expressing his hope to become her guardian.

Nian Tu: "..."

She recalled that Feli was famously a lifelong bachelor who had no interest in females; why would he suddenly propose to be her guardian? Could it be to use her as a medium to get closer to Xion? Recalling how Xion viewed Feli with the vigilance of a rival in love, she didn't think this was a good idea.

Nian Tu: [Xion might not be very happy about that.]

She tried to decline Feli indirectly. Feli’s popularity was too high; he was an icon of the entire Empire, a Marshal, and her elder, which made her feel immense pressure. After all, she was just an ordinary person.

Feli understood Nian Tu's refusal, but he did not give up.

Feli: [Xion will have no objections.]

Feli: [He is the supreme commander of the 286th Regiment of the White Tiger Army and must work at the base long-term. Even with my help, it is difficult for him to be transferred back to the Central Star anytime soon, so he cannot fulfill the duties of a guardian.]

Feli: [As his uncle, I will take care of you on his behalf. Since you happen to be missing a third guardian, it is only fitting that I fill this vacancy.]

He had long set his sights on the position of Nian Tu's third guardian, but he had held back, waiting until Xion left the Central Star and settled in at the base before reasonably bringing the matter up to Nian Tu. He did not press her, instead taking a step back to give her space to consider.

Feli: [Everything is subject to your wishes. But if you cannot find a suitable candidate, I hope you will consider me. I will be waiting for your news.]

In Earth terms, this was called volunteering to be a backup.

Nian Tu fell silent. Since he had put it this way, she couldn't just refuse outright, so she promised to give it serious thought. Theoretically, Feli would not develop special feelings for her, and acting as her guardian was purely to fulfill responsibilities on Xion's behalf. It was the most suitable arrangement, exactly what she wanted.

But she found it hard to imagine how uncomfortable she would feel if Feli truly became her guardian. She feared Xion and Lu Zhan would also feel quite awkward.

Nian Tu sighed in distress.

Hearing the sigh, the kitten raised its tiny face and looked at her with concern: "Meow?"

The milky cat call improved her mood. She buried her face in the kitten's fluffy back and rubbed against it, deciding not to think about it for now. The priority was sleep; she had to wake up early tomorrow to take Marshmallow to the Pet Management Center to record its information.

She had asked Xion about it earlier—pets here didn't need a barrage of vaccines like on Earth, as most diseases had been conquered in this era, and infectious diseases were no longer prevalent. Even if one were to accidentally fall ill, it was easily cured. Similarly, pets didn't need to be microchipped; one only needed to scan and record their information into a file under her name, and they would officially become her cat, recognized by the state.

Nian Tu lay back on the bed, her long hair spreading out silkily, a faint fragrance lingering in the strands. The kitten was intoxicated by it, lazily collapsing into a soft, fluffy heap of cat-pancake beside her. Nian Tu held the "cat-pancake," feeling as if she were hugging a small heater, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the dead of night, while the person on the bed slept soundly, she suddenly felt the mattress sink and felt a heavy weight pressing down on her, leaving her unable to breathe.

Marshmallow... so heavy... why did it become so heavy? It felt as heavy as a tiger...

Her fragile frame couldn't bear the weight, and Nian Tu let out a distressed mumble in her sleep. The weight on her immediately vanished, and her breathing finally cleared.

When she woke up in the morning, Nian Tu had completely forgotten the hazy experience, nor did she see the white kitten glancing at her with a guilty look.

During breakfast, she heard that Lu Zhan's file had been accepted by the Imperial Military Academy and his transfer was complete; today was his first day reporting for duty.

Nian Tu bit her lip, looking down in guilt. If not for accompanying her, Lu Zhan wouldn't have transferred. She had influenced his career.

Lu Zhan shook his head, his voice gentle: "I was originally going to stay at the academy when I graduated, but there were some complications, so I went to the military."

Back then, he was just a commoner student without connections. Although he was considered a genius, he was powerless. Lin Xinwei, as an arrogant female, had unilaterally declared her interest in him and pursued him relentlessly. He didn't want to deal with it, so he hid far away for peace. Serving as a military doctor allowed him to shine, but it wasn't his strongest field. Now, being officially transferred to his alma mater to engage in medical research was truly like a fish returning to water. It wasn't him accommodating Nian Tu, but rather Nian Tu saving him.

His explanation was sincere, and Nian Tu touched his head sympathetically.

Reporting to a new workplace was undoubtedly a serious matter. Lu Zhan had finally reached the end of his hardships, and Nian Tu didn't want to hinder his new start.

After Lu Zhan left, she quietly picked up Marshmallow and went out alone to register the pet.

Since her transmigration, this was her first time going out alone and her first time taking public transportation. She felt like a bumpkin visiting the city for the first time, looking around cautiously, finding everything novel.

In reality, however, her presence was the most novel thing of all.

On the large public flight vehicle, everyone could hardly hide their shock. How could a noble female be reduced to riding public transport? Seeing a female on a cheap public flight vehicle was even more incredible than seeing an aristocrat.

Someone immediately stood up to offer Nian Tu the most comfortable front seat. A vacuum zone spontaneously formed around her, with the males too reserved to approach.

Marshmallow was tucked inside Nian Tu's clothes, and at that moment, its round, furry head popped out from her collar.

The surrounding people gasped again.

Good heavens, this poor female was actually traveling alone with a cub! What had she been through? Why wasn't her male by her side? Could she be a widow?

Aside from their partners dying in accidents, they couldn't imagine any other reason for a female to be out alone. A few bold males couldn't resist approaching to strike up a conversation, offering to look after her and the cub.

Nian Tu looked bewildered and politely declined them one by one. To the onlookers, this appeared as if she were pretending to be strong, which only made them feel more pity.

[Widowed female raises cub alone, falls on hard times and is forced to take public transportation.]

Sensationalist, exaggerated news headlines were prevalent even in the interstellar era. The news fabricated a large amount of false content, accompanied by only a single blurry photo, yet it garnered immense attention. In the photo, the petite female's features weren't clear, but her aura was incredibly gentle as she looked down, coaxing the cub.

—The Imperial Palace.

The Empress hurried to find the Emperor, who was busy dealing with state affairs. She tossed her light-brain to him, demanding he look at the news. The Emperor had been stressed over the Crown Prince's affairs for the past two days and took a distracted glance, his mood worsening immediately. The Empire allocated countless funds every year specifically to protect females; how could a female be living so miserably? What was the Female Protection Association doing?

"That's not the point!" The Empress tapped him in annoyance, hinting: "Don't you think this cub looks a lot like Kong Lin?"

Tan Kong Lin was the name of the Crown Prince.

The Emperor looked at the photo again.

It seemed... it really did look quite similar.