Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

“Not only does our cousin have strong cultivation potential, but she’s also very intelligent. Even if she were of common birth, she would still earn the admiration and respect of those around her,” the Crown Prince said softly.

Watching the video of Ruo Manni playfully chatting with her friends, anyone with eyes could see how well she got along with them. The Crown Prince couldn’t help but smile.

“After all, she’s from the Hua De family. Even if she grew up in a civilian area on the fringe star, her mind is naturally sharp. No matter what, she wouldn’t be lacking,” Hua Deqi said with pride and satisfaction.

The Crown Prince glanced at Hua Deqi, resisting the urge to put him down. After all, he himself was half Hua De by blood. Criticizing Hua Deqi would be the same as insulting himself.

As the two cousins were talking, another video showed a heavily guarded royal landing field where a starship had just touched down. A strikingly handsome, black-haired middle-aged man stepped out, followed by a beautiful woman in a yellow ceremonial gown.

The yellow gown worn by the beautiful woman was almost identical to the one Ruo Manni was wearing.

Hua Deqi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Aunt is being way too obvious! No wonder she insisted on choosing the design herself. Wasn’t this just supposed to be a casual meeting with our cousin, to invite her back to the Hua De family for a formal reunion? Now anyone with eyes can tell what’s going on! She’s being way too eager.”

“Finally being able to recognize her daughter, how could Second Aunt possibly hold back? She’s probably dying to let everyone know about our cousin’s existence, making sure no one underestimates her. To be honest, our cousin looks quite similar to Second Aunt. When they stand together, no one would have any doubts,” the Crown Prince said nonchalantly.

Since they’re planning to officially acknowledge her, why not do it at a grand occasion where many aristocratic families are present? Our cousin isn’t some illegitimate child who can’t be presented in public. It’s even better for others to see how much the Hua De family values her.

“Are you sure the new Queen won’t try anything against Ruo Manni? After all, if she could do something like that back then, even though she claimed it was out of grief for her sister, it shows she’s truly a madwoman. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come up with such a method,” Hua Deqi asked worriedly.

Of course, Hua Deqi wanted everyone who should know to realize that Ruo Manni was the little princess of the Hua De family, not some commoner from a fringe star. He didn’t oppose what Second Aunt was doing, but he was concerned it might provoke Queen Amber, especially since the assassination bounty issue hadn’t been fully resolved.

“She knows we’ve uncovered the entire truth, so there’s no need for her to act to cover it up. I’ve already warned her—if she doesn’t want everyone to know what she did, she won’t dare to do anything more.”

The Crown Prince said calmly, “She’s not as crazy as you think. In fact, most of the time, she’s quite calculated and pragmatic.”

Ruo Manni had no idea that after the Crown Prince and Hua Deqi discovered her identity, the two brothers had already investigated her situation. To protect her, the Crown Prince had immediately “spoken” with the Queen about the matter.

Now that the truth was out, Queen Amber had no choice but to remain quiet. There was no need for her to target Ruo Manni again. This left Ruo Manni wondering why, even after arriving in the Imperial Capital and appearing in front of the Hua De family, Queen Amber had done nothing at all.

Ruo Manni, unaware of the full story, couldn’t possibly be so carefree as to let her guard down after arriving on enemy territory.

Her friends thought she was mesmerized by the beauty of the scenery, not realizing that she was actually multitasking. While pretending to be completely captivated by the view, she was secretly observing her surroundings, taking note of the intentions of both the servants and guests at the banquet.

By putting on an act of being a naive country bumpkin experiencing new sights, she could easily fool those secretly watching her, causing them to underestimate her abilities.

“Why does she love looking at scenery so much? She’s completely zoned out again,” Sheila wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained, knowing it wouldn’t be ladylike.

Just as Sheila was about to make a snide remark towards Ruo Manni, she noticed that her other friends were all looking utterly shocked. Their mouths were slightly open as they glanced between Ruo Manni and something behind them, as if they had just seen something incredible and were at a loss for words.

Following their gaze, Sheila turned around and saw a noblewoman in a yellow gown walking quickly towards them. The woman’s eyes were fixed on Ruo Manni, filled with undeniable excitement.

Sheila recognized the noblewoman, but…

Sheila looked at her friends in confusion, then at Ruo Manni, and finally at the noblewoman, as if she was seeing the noblewoman for the first time today.

Ruo Manni naturally “noticed” Sheila’s strange expression. Following her gaze, she turned around “casually,” and then a smile appeared on her face. She turned back around and, under the various surprised gazes of the crowd, gave a polite bow and warmly greeted, “Aunt Lixi.”

Sheila felt her face freeze in shock. What was happening? What on earth was going on?

“Manni!” Lixi Amber called out excitedly, quickening her pace toward her.

However, the smile on Ruo Manni’s face quickly faded because she saw an exceptionally handsome middle-aged man also approaching. His gaze remained fixed on her, and there was a hint of emotion in his eyes.

The onlookers, stunned by the unfolding scene, glanced at the man, then back at Ruo Manni, as if yet another shocking revelation had been thrust upon them.

Sheila, meanwhile, felt completely disoriented, wondering, “Who am I? Where am I?”

Because she also knew this middle-aged man.

Could someone tell her why her little friend, her companion from a marginal star and a commoner, not only looked so much like the second lady of the Huo De family, but also bore some resemblance to the second lord of the family? The most important thing was the way this couple looked at her friend—as if they were seeing their most treasured possession, their eyes even slightly reddened.

What on earth was happening? Could someone please explain?

Ruo Manni’s gaze once again fell on Lixi Amber, and she felt as if something had finally broken. So, she really was the second lady of the Huo De family, and it seemed that avoiding the situation had been futile.

When she was with Li Qixing, Ruo Manni had pretended to know nothing, never asking about Aunt Lixi’s identity, thinking it was enough to interact casually. But she couldn’t avoid Lixi Amber’s desire to reunite with her daughter.

“Manni…” Lixi Amber finally reached Ruo Manni and met her gaze, which seemed to see through everything yet remained calm. Lixi felt an overwhelming surge of pain and helplessness in her heart.

Huo Deqi said that Ruo Manni had long known her true identity, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of acknowledging them. Was she angry because she thought she was too foolish? Indeed, what mother could be as foolish as she was…

“Manni, can we talk?” The second lord of the Huo De family looked at the young girl before him, clearly emotional. He thought he could stay calm, but…

She looked so much like his wife, almost identical to Lixi in her youth. However, back then, Lixi didn’t have this kind of gaze… and that was all his fault.