CHAPTER 456: CHAPTER 154 LATE RETURN_3

Du Xixi looked at her bowl, then at Ke Lian’s bowl, and let out another silent sigh. She hadn’t even taken a bite when Ke Lian had already eaten half the bowl, and Ke Xing and Mo Feng across from them were certainly not willing to be outdone.

Du Xixi lowered her head and forcefully stuffed a chopstick full of white rice into her mouth, managing an unusual fierceness as she ate. So, it wasn’t that Ke Lian and the others ate too much, but that she ate too little, right?

After finishing a delicious dinner, even though Du Xixi was still somewhat preoccupied with the origin of the bloodstain on the rear wheel, she had no intention to ask further questions at this moment; she just leaned lazily in her seat, watching 2569 excitedly clearing the table.

As a housekeeper robot, 2569 always had an extraordinary enthusiasm for chores.

"Xixi, Fengzi and I have some matters to discuss in the study." Du Xixi was sitting there absentmindedly, just starting to daydream when Ke Lian’s soft words brought her back to reality.

Du Xixi looked at Ke Lian and noticed an emotion hidden in his eyes, possibly reluctance, yet determined. She then smiled lightly and pretended not to know anything as she said, "Go ahead, but don’t talk too late. If it gets late, Fengzi can just stay overnight at our place."

Du Xixi was gentle and accommodating, but seeing Du Xixi’s clear eyes, Ke Lian felt as though she had seen through something. Not wanting to lie to Du Xixi, his mind wavered, almost blurting out the secret he was keeping from her. Thankfully, he managed to hold back, nodded with clenched teeth, and dragged the full and immobile Mo Feng upstairs.

From afar, Du Xixi could still hear Mo Feng’s miserable shout: "Bro! Take it easy! You’re choking my neck!"

"Men, having a few little secrets is perfectly normal!" Ke Xing was a "big kid," even though he was considered middle-aged among interstellar citizens, raising children for a long time had given him a childish nature, "Don’t worry, I used to hide some things from Ah Lan’s mom too!"

Du Xixi: ...

***

Last night, Mo Feng and Ke Lian talked until very late; Du Xixi only vaguely remembered Ke Lian sneaking into the room and then onto the bed, tossing and turning quietly as if he hadn’t slept well all night.

Mo Feng naturally stayed over at the Ke Family’s house; with many guest rooms available, he randomly picked one to rest in. Given that 2569 cleaned daily, it was neither dirty nor messy—quite the opposite, it was very clean.

Du Xixi woke up very early, the sky still dark and far from dawn. Ke Lian hadn’t gotten up yet, and Du Xixi didn’t rush to wake him. She looked at the pale blue beneath his eyes, and with heartache, gently smoothed the furrowed "川" on his brow, waiting until the time was about right before softly waking Ke Lian: "Ke Lian, wake up."

Ke Lian had always been a light sleeper; he hadn’t slept well throughout the night, making it difficult to wake up in the morning. As Du Xixi gently pushed him awake, he opened his eyes with a deep fatigue, but upon seeing Du Xixi, he smiled lightly: "Xixi, morning."

"Morning." Du Xixi returned his smile, then got up to wash in the bathroom. When she came out, Ke Lian was already fully dressed, standing by the bed, looking almost no different from usual despite the lingering fatigue on his face.

"If you’re really tired, take a day to rest?" Du Xixi leaned over as Ke Lian held her hand, speaking gently: "You’re not made of steel, and the Military Department has plenty of talent. Resting one day won’t cause any issues."

Ke Lian had begun delegating responsibilities to trusted aides. Apart from necessary duties, as the Imperial Marshal, he could afford to stay at home on idle duty. However, Ke Lian was conscientious, often returning to the Military Department to oversee various military affairs, which left him exhausted.

After saying this, Du Xixi hesitated to speak further, but ultimately didn’t continue. She had a guess that Ke Lian’s exhaustion was linked to his late return last night.

But even if Du Xixi’s suspicion were true, what could she do? She wasn’t part of the Military Department and couldn’t meddle just because her husband was the Imperial Marshal or she was the Empress.

Moreover, Ke Lian clearly intended to keep the matter tightly under wraps from Du Xixi, unwilling for her to know even a shred of it. If Du Xixi spoke abruptly, it would only cause Ke Lian more worry.

The matter Ke Lian would rather lie about to keep hidden from Du Xixi... Du Xixi took a deep breath, watching Ke Lian shake his head before heading to washup, as an unsettling thought crossed her mind.

Recently in the Blue Star Empire, major events had mainly revolved around political changes among the courtiers, a subject somewhat related to Du Xixi.

Could it be...

Du Xixi’s gaze cooled slightly; while listening to the sound of running water in the bathroom, she tidied the messy bed, feeling a heavy burden in her heart. If the matter truly concerned her and Ke Lian was striving to keep it concealed, someone might be targeting her.

The confirmation of Du Xixi’s suspicion came after Ke Lian finished washing up and spoke to her. Tapping the side of Du Xixi’s hair, he voiced concealed concern in his tone: "Xixi, have the mechanical soldiers stay close to you for the next few days. Don’t let them leave during classes."

"You need to pay extra attention to safety."