Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 173: A Peaceful Evening in Dune City
The dune city was hidden beneath layers of endless sand.
When Yue Yue first arrived in this place, she clearly remembered the spaceship had disappeared deep beneath the desert surface. Yet now, before her eyes, stretched a vast golden horizon glowing under a setting sun.
She still did not understand it.
Was this an underground world built with advanced interstellar technology? Or some kind of shifting illusion that projected sky and sunset above them?
Whatever it was...
It was breathtaking.
Golden sand rolled in soft waves like a quiet sea. Above, the sky shimmered faintly, almost too perfect, as if it were made from artificial light panels instead of clouds. Far away, tall structures blended subtly with the dunes.
The air was clean and warm.
This small city had barely a few hundred residents. Pollution was almost nonexistent. The wind carried only the faint scent of sand and dried flowers planted near the pathways.
And females were even fewer.
Perhaps thirty. Maybe a little more.
Yue Yue did not know the exact number, but she could guess this much.
Among them, females close to her age were rarer still. She had only met a few of the younger females. Lian Xin, who was soft spoken and gentle; Mo Ruyin, who liked laughing; Sha Li, who was quiet but observant; and little Anya, who liked holding her arm. She was just a teenager.
Today, all of them had come for a small picnic here.
Each carried a small basket filled with handmade snacks, dried fruits, sweet sand cakes, and sparkling fruit drinks sealed in glass bottles. It was simple, but everyone had prepared something carefully.
They laid blankets over the warm sand.
The sunset slowly deepened into orange and crimson, painting the dunes in layers of fire. Light reflected off distant golden towers, reminding Yue Yue again that this was still an interstellar world.
Yet in this moment, it felt peaceful.
They had told her this was the most perfect place for their small get together. And she also agreed with them. It was truly beautiful. She felt so peaceful here and close to nature.
It was nothing like the empire’s land. She truly wondered what the empires would do when they found that such a beautiful place still existed.
Sigh.
It would be better if they never found out about this place.
The girls sat close together, chatting softly, sharing food, and laughing at small jokes. Their shadows stretched long across the sand as the sun lowered. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Yue Yue hugged her knees and watched the horizon.
For a brief moment, she forgot everything outside this hidden world.
Mo Ruyin suddenly leaned forward with a mischievous smile.
"So, Yue Yue... when will you mate with the prince?"
Yue Yue, who was silent, immediately looked up with a speechless expression.
"What?!" She coughed, her eyes widening as she looked at the mischievous expression in front of her. "Why would you say that? There is nothing between us!"
Lian Xin rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Come on, Yue Yue. Do not be shy. How could there be nothing? Prince Xing Luoguang’s eyes were practically overflowing with love every time he looked at you."
Sha Li nodded seriously. "Do you really think that was just a gentleman act? There is no motive behind that?"
Yue Yue froze. Her cheeks slowly turned warm.
She was not that clueless. She was still a young girl. How could she not feel something when faced with such a gentle and attentive man? And it was not like she had never looked at Xing Luoguang a little longer than necessary.
He seemed... perfect.
But he had never initiated anything.
And she was far too shy to speak first.
What if there was truly nothing? What if he only treated her kindly because she was a guest? If she misunderstood, would she not make a fool of herself?
She had even hinted a few times to test his feelings for her, but found nothing.
Yet he never took a step forward. But she clearly knew that she had fallen for his gentle side.
Maybe... in their eyes, she was still just a pawn. Someone useful. Someone to protect for now, not someone to love.
Her fingers tightened slightly on her dress.
She could not tell them the truth.
That she had not come here because a prince liked her... but because she had been kidnapped for reasons tied to the empires and their deep hostility.
She had seen trust in these girls’ eyes whenever they spoke of the two brothers.
Pure trust from people who almost worshiped their leaders. She did not know what the animosity was between the brothers and the empires.
But she could not bring herself to say anything that would create conflict between them, nor did she want to tell them that she was from the empire.
And despite everything... she had been treated gently here. So there was no reason for her to show discord.
Suddenly, Mo Ruyin snapped her fingers in front of her face.
"Where are you lost, Yue Yue? Did you start daydreaming about the prince already?"
The girls burst into laughter.
Before she could defend herself, another female sighed dramatically and fanned her face.
"Honestly, I think Prince Xing Luoye’s emotions are even more intense. Have you seen the way he stares at our Yue Yue? If it were me, I would have fainted on the spot."
She placed a hand on her chest. "Ah... but I could never catch the prince’s eye. I am not worthy at all. Our prince definitely deserves someone like Yue Yue."
Yue Yue was completely stunned.
"What are you even saying?" she blurted out. "When has Prince Xing Luoye ever stared at me?"
She shook her head quickly. She could understand about Luoguang, but Luoye, definitely not.
The man literally wanted to murder her, let alone stare at her with loving eyes.
"I have barely met him! I have only ever seen his back. He did not even acknowledge me properly."
In her memory, Xing Luoye had always detested her whenever she got close to his brother.
Stare at her?
They must truly be imagining things. Now she really realized that they must be exaggerating everything.
The girls only laughed harder.
Their eyes sparkled as if they were watching a live drama unfold in front of them. Every small reaction of Yue Yue seemed to excite them even more.
Yue Yue’s face burned.
Why were they treating her like some gossip topic?
