Chapter 2: Never Pat a Man’s Head

“Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt…”

The lights in the cabin suddenly dimmed. The urgent, flickering warning lights flashed eerily, each pulse squeezing at everyone’s hearts.

Three seconds later, a rough, menacing voice boomed from the speakers, so loud it nearly shattered eardrums.

“You bastards, get your asses off my ship! You’ve got fifteen minutes. After that, the ship’s self-destruct will activate. Hahaha! If you’re dumb enough to stick around and get blown up, you’ve only got yourselves to blame! Kekekeke!”

Everyone in the cabin froze, then chaos erupted.

“Shit! They’re not even leaving us this piece of junk? Are they even human?!”

“Goddamn nobles, stingy as hell.”

Cursing and grumbling, everyone scrambled to grab their belongings and rushed out, terrified of being blown up with the ship.

Yun Qimu sat quietly in her seat, calmly observing the chaos. Only when she turned and saw the man she’d been holding onto did her expression freeze in shock. She blurted out, “Dad?”

“Hey, sweetheart!”

Yun Jingzheng’s eyes lit up as he answered loudly.

Then he grinned, giving her a goofy smile.

All that cold, steely aura, that razor-sharp presence—gone in a second. Now he just looked like a big, silly lug.

Yun Qimu’s mouth twitched, her expression twisting for a moment.

She scratched her head, her mind a jumbled mess.

What the hell is going on?

Didn’t she die because her body gave out?

And this man in front of her—he was so real. He was the father she’d dreamed of since she was a child. But something was off. In her dreams, her father was tall, imposing, mature and stern—not… this goofy.

“Miss Yun.” A gentle, refined voice sounded above her, interrupting her thoughts.

Yun Qimu quickly composed herself. She reached out and covered her father’s grinning face, leaning in to whisper, “No smiling.”

Seeing her “father” obediently close his mouth and return to his cold, stern look, she felt instantly satisfied.

She fixed her expression, slipped into her noble lady persona, and looked up with a polite smile. “Can I help you with something?”

Fei Jie stood in the aisle in a crisp white shirt, lifting his suitcase slightly. He smiled warmly at her. “I saw that you and General Yun hadn’t moved, so I came to check if you needed any help. We should get off the ship—the threat just now was pretty scary. Even a strong man like me was a little shaken.”

He was handsome, gentlemanly, and had a great sense of humor. No one could dislike him; it was easy to accept his help and build a friendly rapport.

But Yun Qimu turned him down.

“Don’t worry, my father and I aren’t in a rush.” She winked playfully. “Even if we’re a few seconds late, I’m sure my father can get us out safely. He is a 2S-level ability user, after all.”

Her tone was just as light and confident, making it impossible to tell what she was really thinking.

Fei Jie’s confident smile froze for a split second, but he quickly covered it up with a look of mild regret. “You’re right. Since the beautiful Miss Yun doesn’t need my help, I’ll head out first.”

He gave a gentlemanly bow and turned to leave.

But as soon as he turned, his handsome, smiling face darkened.

Watching his retreating figure, Yun Qimu pressed her lips together, her brows furrowing again.

She glanced around the now-empty cabin, then tugged Yun Jingzheng along and headed out, empty-handed.

Yun Jingzheng kept his intimidating, stone-cold expression—the kind that could make kids cry—but obediently let her lead him, the big guy following closely behind.

Outside the ship.

A gray, hazy sky greeted them, as if seen through a pane of dirty glass.

Ahead lay scorched earth and heaps of trash piled like small mountains.

The stench hit them in the face as the wind blew.

The newly disembarked crowd looked around, their moods turning as gloomy as the sky.

“So this is Exile Star? Damn, the air is awful.”

“Trash, nothing but trash. Hell, it’s worse than the slums I lived in.”

“I heard the mutant beasts here are vicious and violent. It’s dangerous at night. We’d better find a safe zone fast.”

“I’m heading to Molan City. That place used to be run by Imperial Major General Mo Xie. I checked before coming—security’s the best there.”

“I’m going to find a native settlement. I’m a B-level ability user—maybe I can even snag a pretty wife.”

“Hahaha, that’s all you ever think about. But you’re not wrong. The women in Kimberly City are all so stuck-up. It’s different here—I heard you can get a pretty wife for just thirty energy coins.”

“Really? That cheap? Let’s go, let’s go. Now you’ve got me interested…”

In a rush, most of the people left, but a few stayed behind.

These were big, rough-looking men, some with cruel, vicious eyes. They all stared openly at Yun Qimu, like bloodthirsty hunters eyeing their prey.

It was clear these were dangerous, desperate criminals.

Yun Qimu stood with a faint smile, but as soon as her brow twitched, a figure stepped in front of her, blocking those hostile gazes.

Looking up, she saw Fei Jie’s refined, handsome face again.

He invited her, “Miss Yun, which safe zone are you heading to? Why don’t we go together? It’ll be safer that way.”

This guy is persistent, Yun Qimu thought, forcing a polite smile as she prepared to brush him off. But suddenly, a wailing cry sounded from behind.

A little boy, about five or six years old, came running toward them, dragging a pink suitcase in one hand and pulling someone along with the other.

Yun Qimu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Xiao Yu?”

The little boy puffed and panted as he ran up to her, tilting his head up, his beautiful black-diamond eyes lighting up.

But he quickly suppressed his excitement, his chubby baby face turning stern. He huffed and shouted at her, “Stupid Mu! All your stuff got stolen and you didn’t even notice. If I hadn’t followed you, you’d be eating garbage by now. Hmph! Stupid Mu, so dumb, dumb!”

“Uh…” Yun Qimu’s mouth twitched. She reached out and gave his fluffy little head a good rub, soothing him, “Okay, okay, thanks to you, Xiao Yu.”

Yun Qiyu tossed the pink suitcase aside and quickly hugged his head, struggling in indignation. “Let go! Let go! I told you, a man’s head can’t be patted! You’ll make me as dumb as you!”

“Uh, I forgot, little man.” Yun Qimu forced a smile, awkwardly withdrawing her hand.

“Hmph.” Yun Qiyu carefully smoothed his short hair, then glared at her, cheeks puffed out, as if to say, ‘I’ll let it go this time.’"