When Lu Yu received the intelligence, Shen Ying naturally also got her orders.

The departure time aligned with her expectations—after all, the old emperor’s passing had been imminent for days.

That mediocre, unremarkable ruler, whose reign had stretched far longer than his achievements, had been bedridden for years. His death surprised no one.

The directive from above not only sternly demanded Shen Ying’s return to the imperial capital to face the new emperor’s summons but also didn’t forget the investigation team.

Shen Ying made no fuss. She simply jumped the aerial prison to orbit a planet near the imperial capital’s star.

Then, ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍with her entourage in tow, she swaggered into headquarters.

The old guard at headquarters were stunned at the sight of her.

One elder, who had previously grilled her during a holographic conference, spoke up first. "Why did you return without a word?"

Shen Ying replied coolly, "Under confidentiality protocols, I have the authority to arrange my itinerary as I see fit."

The room fell silent. Was that really the issue?

The real question was that they’d all assumed Shen Ying would be torn between treason or returning to face Crown Prince Lien’s judgment.

Rumors said the Crown Prince had received no special treatment in the aerial prison. This woman had crossed him repeatedly—even obstructed his counterattack at a critical moment, nearly costing him the power struggle.

Would the Crown Prince let her off so easily?

Yet against all expectations, the young prison warden had returned without hesitation.

Shen Ying ushered the investigation team forward. "Here they are, returned safely. My apologies for detaining them in the aerial prison."

"Though, given the circumstances, I trust Team Leader Yan has already explained."

Team Leader Yan, meanwhile, looked like a man mourning his own funeral. The warden had exposed his betrayal in front of the Crown Prince himself.

He’d then doubled down on his allegiance to Lien—now that the Crown Prince had won the struggle, Yan and his family’s fate was all but sealed.

At best, they’d fade into obscurity for decades.

Headquarters officials exchanged uneasy glances. They genuinely didn’t know how to handle Shen Ying.

By protocol, Warden Shen answered directly to the emperor. Every prisoner’s entry or release required the emperor’s personal signature.

Given current events, everyone knew her fate was grim—yet no formal charges had been filed.

Some had even requested Crown Prince Lien to authorize her indictment, but the prince hadn’t signed the documents.

For now, on paper, Shen Ying was merely an official dutifully returning for debriefing.

They had no grounds to restrict her.

While they hesitated, Shen Ying pressed further. "Since the paperwork’s done, am I free to move about while awaiting the Crown Prince’s summons?"

A mustached official hastily interjected, "Headquarters has arranged accommodations. You’d best stay within the compound these next few days."

Shen Ying didn’t even consider it. "No. My job keeps me drifting through space year-round. I barely get to experience real society."

"Now that I finally have a few days, you can’t strip me of that right."

"You’ve only been in the role for two months," another official snapped. "Your father never made such demands in over a decade."

"Which is why my father died young," Shen Ying retorted, arching a brow. "Don’t expect me to follow his work ethic."

With that, she strode out of headquarters, leaving the room seething in her wake.

Someone suggested, "Why not just take control of her?"

But another reminded them, "Her Sky Prison is hidden within the star system. If we push her too hard and she retaliates, no one can bear the consequences."

The Sky Prison system was far too advanced, with substantial armed forces. Even its self-destruct mechanism could breach the capital planet's shields and cause chaos.

During this period of national mourning, recklessly pressuring someone who already held her position with little reverence for the soon-to-be-crowned emperor was unwise.

"Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne and the emperor's supreme authority is transferred, that will be the time for final reckoning."

The only authority above the warden of the Sky Prison was the emperor himself.

The reason these people hesitated to act, aside from risk assessment, was the Crown Prince's ambiguous stance.

And so, Shen Ying—a woman many considered treasonous—simply walked out of headquarters, boarded a starship, and headed to the capital's most bustling commercial district.

She checked into the most luxurious presidential suite at the top of the galaxy's finest imperial hotel.

A thousand meters above the ground, the view from the skyscraper's pinnacle showcased the capital's dazzling splendor.

Shen Ying changed out of her warden's uniform and indulged in the futuristic allure of commerce.

She had taken Lu Yu out of prison once before, but that was to a junk planet—its central district paled in comparison to the capital.

Here, the entire planet exuded opulence and sophistication, every corner pristine and brimming with cutting-edge technology.

The residents of the capital carried themselves with an air of refined arrogance.

No wonder it was the Crown Prince's home turf.

Despite the convenience of highly advanced shopping systems, Shen Ying chose to visit the mall in person and spent the afternoon on a lavish spree.

Just as she was splurging her ill-gotten gains, the tech specialist of the White Stone Pirates exclaimed excitedly, "We've got a lock on it!"

Lien rushed over. "Where?"

"The fourth planet in the capital star system—uninhabited. Based on previous game data, the Sky Prison docked there, so we traced it."

This should have been cause for celebration. After all, apart from Warden Shen's deliberate leniency, who had ever successfully located the Sky Prison?

Even if it involved some luck, it was still a feat.

But Lien's expression darkened. "She went to the capital planet?"

"What's the point of that damn place? Is she seriously going to meet that idiot Crown Prince?"

Lien cursed under his breath, while his first mate remarked dryly, "Yeah, she wouldn’t even add you as a friend, but she’ll go see the Crown Prince."

Lien stiffened, shooting a venomous glare at the first mate.

Unfazed, the first mate casually dropped another piece of intel.

"Oh, right—can’t call him ‘Crown Prince’ anymore. He’s ascending in a few days."

"Traditionally, leaders of special agencies directly under the emperor’s jurisdiction must return for an audience."

"After that, the emperor decides whether to retain or replace them."

He gave Lien a pitying look. "Too bad. Warden Shen would rather risk being purged than defect from the Empire."

Lien’s expression turned stormy—this time, he was genuinely furious.

That woman was greedy, shameless, and would exploit any advantage—but he refused to believe the Crown Prince held any special place in her heart.

So now he still couldn’t understand why that guy would make such a choice knowing full well he’d face retribution.

Without even a second thought, he immediately ordered, “We’re heading to the Imperial Star.”

The vice-captain thought he’d lost his mind. “Captain, you just got out of prison.”

“The Imperial Star has the people who arrested you and the ones who locked you up. If you’re addicted to being a prisoner and want to go back to jail, just say so. We’ll pick a new captain—I’ve been waiting for you to step down.”

Lien kicked him. “Enough with the crap. If you had the skills, you’d have staged a coup in the two months I was locked up.”

The vice-captain sighed. “At least look at the bounty notices across the galaxy. With the Imperial Star’s recognition systems, you’d be identified the second you set foot there.”

Lien nodded. “That is a problem.”

Just when everyone thought he’d back down, the guy suddenly pulled out a medal.

“So I stole the Crown Prince’s royal insignia.”

When the Crown Prince was imprisoned, he was still wearing his royal robes—a white-and-gold outer garment with the royal insignia pinned to his chest.

At the time, Lien’s thought was that stealing the thing would make causing trouble on the Imperial Star a breeze.

The royal insignia could bypass all surveillance and recognition scans—a supreme privilege reserved for only the highest-ranking members of the royal family.

Back then, when the warden searched him, they took everything else but left a couple of small items behind, one of which was the insignia he’d stolen.

Lien still didn’t know why the guy had let him keep something so suspicious.

Was it all preparation for today? Was he hinting that Lien should come find her?

The mere possibility of that sent a surge of excitement through him.

He redirected the fleet, making dozens of consecutive wormhole jumps until the crew was dizzy and nauseous—his 3S-level mental resilience kept him fine, but the others were on the verge of vomiting.

Lien ordered the fleet to hide in a secluded asteroid belt within the system, then took a ship alone to the Imperial Star.

With forged documents, entry visas, and the cover of the royal insignia, Lien slipped into the Imperial Star without a hitch.

Though he was a wanted man and couldn’t show his face openly, the White Stone Pirates still had an intelligence network operating there.

He went straight to a contact, handed over a photo of Shen Ying, and demanded intel on her whereabouts.

The answer came absurdly easily—she’d been blatantly wandering around for hours.

“Right now, she’s at—got it. The Desert Oasis Club.”

Lien’s face darkened. “What kind of club?”

The informant, oblivious, assumed the captain genuinely didn’t know and helpfully explained, “Desert Oasis is a classic exotic theme, dating back to the Blue Star era. The style features tanned skin, revealing outfits, and extravagant gemstone jewelry. Lately, it’s been pretty popular among noblewomen in the Imperial—”

“Shut your mouth.” Lien smacked the back of the guy’s head.

What an idiot. How did he end up with such a moron under his command?

With the address in hand, Lien stormed straight to that damn Desert Oasis Club.

Instead of entering through the front, he slipped into the backstage, hacked into the club’s system (courtesy of the informant), and pinpointed the warden’s private room.

Just as he was about to barge in, two people walked into the dressing room—clearly performers of the club’s “exotic” theme.

Lien gritted his teeth, feeling an itch of irritation. Without hesitation, he knocked the two men unconscious and proceeded to strip one of them, swapping clothes.

"Swapping" was an understatement—it was more like shedding most of the garments. The lower half consisted of loose, ethnic-style trousers with wide legs, while the upper body was left bare, adorned only with an array of intricate, ornate jewelry.

Grumbling under his breath, Lien fastened the accessories and checked his reflection in the mirror. Satisfied, he stepped out and headed straight for the designated room number.

Meanwhile, Shen Ying was leisurely sipping her drink, awaiting the service she had ordered. In this interstellar era, the entertainment industry had reached unprecedented levels of competition—especially in the capital planet. Establishments that thrived in such affluent districts employed only the most exceptional professionals in the trade.

Each one was a perfect blend of beauty, emotional intelligence, talent, and physique.

Her anticipation grew until the private room’s door slid open, revealing a tall, striking figure stepping inside.

Shen Ying’s gaze immediately landed on the dazzling jewelry draped over the newcomer’s bare torso.

The physique was so flawless it seemed unreal—a masterpiece beyond the realm of reality.

For a moment, she congratulated herself on choosing the right place. Then her eyes traveled upward, and the air abruptly stilled.

Shen Ying: "...This order cost me over a million."

Lien’s face twisted at her words. He closed the distance between them, his voice laced with disbelief. "A million? What kind of trash-tier looks do these bastards have that you’d drop that much cash?"

"I break my back for just eight hundred a pop."

Shen Ying smirked. "Of course. How could a virtual fantasy compare to the real thing?"

"Think about the effort they pour into this profession—the investment in appearance, the social stigma they endure."

"You really think a fleeting dream in the virtual world could measure up?"

Lien’s resentment flared hotter. With a cold laugh, he seized the back of Shen Ying’s head and crushed his lips against hers.

The moment their mouths met—the moment he confirmed this was reality, that he was truly invading her space—his entire being trembled with raw intensity.

It was like a parched man losing all restraint before the only source of water within reach.

Lien’s emerald eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, radiating the dominance of an apex predator.

His voice came out rough, dripping with desire: "I’ve wanted to fuck you in reality for so long."