Chapter 750 - 472: Secret Garden

Chapter 750: Chapter 472: Secret Garden

The cold, boundless cosmos unfolded before her eyes like a scroll painting, adorned with countless brilliant, shining stars.

Jiang Che saw the magnificent Butterfly Nebula. Nebulae are interstellar clouds of cosmic dust, hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases, encompassing nearly every type of extended celestial body besides planets and comets.

The nebula before her looked just like a butterfly. Its overall color was a dreamlike, phantasmal magenta, and its outstretched wings resembled roaring flames, as if it were flying through the cosmos—a truly magnificent sight.

It seemed close enough to touch, but in reality, it was likely hundreds of light-years away. The sheer volume of the nebula was unimaginably vast. Before it, the planet humanity depended on for survival was but a speck of dust—or even less. And an individual was more insignificant still.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Zhou Chen asked with a smile from beside her.

Sound couldn’t travel in a vacuum; he was using Essence to communicate with her telepathically.

"Mmm..." Jiang Che was momentarily lost in a daze. This was a magnificent creation of the cosmos, far beyond anything she had ever witnessed. It felt so ethereal and unreal that it was like she was dreaming.

’I’ve actually come to the depths of the cosmos to see a magnificent, sprawling nebula with my own eyes.’

After a long moment, she came to her senses. "How did you do this?"

"It’s simple. Just make a few wishes."

Any Crowned King with the right Extraordinary Abilities could traverse the cosmos with ease, so there was no reason Zhou Chen couldn’t. Forget one person—even bringing an entire city’s population would only be slightly taxing for him.

"Where is this?" Jiang Che asked.

"Scorpio. 3,500 light-years away."

’Scorpio...’ Jiang Che was speechless. It was a name she’d only ever encountered in books and documentaries. She never imagined she would one day be here herself.

She knew Crowned Kings were capable of interstellar travel, but few ever ventured far from the Solar System. First, Crowned Kings were vital strategic assets, and each had a post to defend; they couldn’t just abandon their duties. Second, at such great distances, an Any Door would lose its signal, making it easy to get lost in the depths of the cosmos. Of course, the few Crowned Kings who held the Authority of space didn’t have to worry about that, but there were only a handful of them, and they all had their own responsibilities preventing them from leaving.

Even for those who held the Authority of space, arriving more than three thousand light-years away in an instant was no easy feat. These were light-years, not kilometers.

"Come on, let’s go to the next spot."

The scene shifted abruptly, and the two of them appeared in a galaxy.

"Look over there," Zhou Chen said, pointing into the distance.

Jiang Che turned and saw a brilliant flash of light erupt in the dark cosmos, like a bolt of lightning splitting the universe in two.

It was the dazzling radiance of a dying star at the very end of its life.

An unimaginable amount of Energy surged from the star’s scorching interior, turning it into billions of fragments and massive clouds of dust in the explosion. The powerful Energy propelled a torrent of high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation, which rushed out in all directions at the speed of light.

A Supernova Burst.

For a long time to come, the light from this star’s explosion would illuminate the entire galaxy. The exploded star itself had only two possible fates: either nothing would remain, not even a trace, or its outer shell would be blown away, leaving its core to collapse into a black hole.

The fall of a single star was but a fleeting bubble in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Every second, countless stars reached the end of their lives, concluding their existence in a final, brilliant spectacle.

Zhou Chen took Jiang Che to the next location.

In the dead silence of the cosmos, two enormous celestial bodies slowly drew closer until they finally collided. Their crusts shattered, and fiery red magma flowed out like the contents of a cracked eggshell. Everything was annihilated in the cataclysmic impact. In the end, both celestial bodies met their demise together, blooming like a splendid firework. If sound could travel here, it would have undoubtedly been a Soul-shaking roar.

Jiang Che felt the placid waters of her heart stir with an emotion called awe. She had always considered herself somewhat eloquent, but at this moment, she couldn’t find the words to describe what was happening before her. All she could do was stand there, watching in silence, and then, just like Zhou Chen beside her, blurt out, "Holy fucking shit."

The vastness of the cosmos, the insignificance of humanity... it stirred up a storm of emotions within her, making it difficult to remain calm.

Then, the scene changed again. They appeared in an ancient rainforest. The lush trees made Jiang Che think she was back on Blue Star, but when she looked up, she saw a massive, earth-brown planet visible to the naked eye. It loomed like a projection, covering the sky as it stood just beyond their own world.

"This is a moon where life has begun," Zhou Chen said, observing their surroundings. "Plants have started to evolve and colonize the land, but terrestrial animals haven’t appeared yet. Maybe in a few billion years, a civilization of plant-based lifeforms will emerge. Or perhaps another form of life will find a shortcut and evolve faster. Or a meteorite could just smash into it and wipe everything out."

Ever since the Abyss appeared, humanity had known they weren’t the only life in the cosmos. So, Zhou Chen wasn’t overly surprised to discover a world teeming with life, though it was certainly a deeply satisfying achievement.

"As the first people to discover this new world, we have priority naming rights. What do you want to call it?" Zhou Chen asked.

"I’m not good at naming things," Jiang Che said, shaking her head.

"Hmm... Then how about ’Dust Star’?"

"Looks like you aren’t very good at naming things, either," Jiang Che quipped.

Zhou Chen chuckled, took Jiang Che’s hand, and led her forward. They crossed a grassy field and climbed a hill, eventually reaching the edge of a cliff. ℴ

The evening glow filled half the sky. The golden afterglow of the setting sun lit up the horizon, casting its light on their faces.

Zhou Chen casually conjured two lounge chairs and a pair of coconuts with straws. "Let’s watch the sunset here."

They didn’t talk much, simply watching in silence, enjoying the beautiful, peaceful, and tranquil moment.

Half an hour later, the sun sank below the horizon, taking the last trace of its afterglow with it.

No moon rose. To be precise, this world didn’t have a satellite like the Moon. With no atmospheric pollution, the stars overhead were crystal clear. What did dominate the night sky was a vast, rose-shaped nebula. Its borders were out of sight, and it bathed the firmament in a mysterious and solemn, cool-toned blue light.

The cool blue light served the role of moonlight, and was perhaps even better, illuminating every detail on the ground with no hint of dimness.

Zhou Chen took out a bottle of fine wine. The two sat across from each other, sipping their drinks under the faint blue starlight, admiring the magnificent alien scenery and occasionally snapping a few photos.

"This really is quite the ’surprise.’"

Under the starry sky, Jiang Che was slightly tipsy. She half-closed her eyes and took a sip of red wine. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" Zhou Chen was taken aback.

"I really like the surprise you prepared. Shouldn’t I thank you for it?"

"If you like it, I can take you to a different planet every day to see the sights."

"Let’s not. It would lose its charm. Once in a while is enough."

Jiang Che finished the last of the wine in her glass. "I’m a little tired. Shall we head back?"

Zhou Chen stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. "Why don’t we sleep here?"

As he spoke, a soft, large bed materialized out of thin air with just a thought.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Che gave him a knowing look and cut straight to the point. "Sleep? You mean you want to have sex with me here, don’t you? This place certainly has the right mood for it."

Zhou Chen froze, stunned by her directness.

But what happened next was even more unexpected.

Jiang Che stood up, took off her suit jacket, and began to unbutton her white shirt, one button at a time.

"You..."

"I won’t deny it’s a romantic spot. So, get undressed."

·

The next morning, Zhou Chen looked up at the sky. The Sun had risen, and the massive planet once again came into clear view.

Pale golden sunlight streamed onto the bed. The damp morning air carried the distinct fragrance of the earth, which, mingled with Jiang Che’s scent, was utterly intoxicating.

"This is the life..." Zhou Chen sighed contentedly.

’If only every day could be this relaxing.’

A rustling sound came from beside him. Jiang Che awoke from a deep, exhausted sleep. After lying awake for a moment, she silently got up and began to dress. Within minutes, she had her suit back on, transforming back into the cold, aloof "Ice Queen" of a boss, her expression as placid and unchanging as ever.

Even when they were intimate last night, her expression had remained the same. Her body, however, had been very honest. Zhou Chen knew that beneath that icy exterior was a blazing volcano.

"Don’t you bring anyone else here," Jiang Che said suddenly.

"Understood."

This was their secret Garden.