Above the Galaxy
Chapter 115 - 87, Killing by Overpraise!

Chapter 115: Chapter 87, Killing by Overpraise!

Phoenix gently swirled the red wine in her glass, her gaze drifting carelessly over Chen Fenglei, who stood behind her father, attending to him.

The old man’s eyes were fixed on his nose, his nose on his heart, with a serene smile on his face, as if he hadn’t heard the conversation between father and daughter at all.

"What role did he play in all this?" Phoenix wondered to herself.

As the Grand Steward of the palace, there was nothing he didn’t know, and no one could bypass him.

Was he a participant? Or just an observer?

"Has someone said anything to you?" Phoenix asked with a smile, "Who could be so idle as to gossip behind others’ backs?"

"Ha ha ha, I’m just taking precautions. With so many young heroes in Phoenix City whom you don’t fancy, just imagine... if you picked a wild lad from the Old Land, how could I, as your father, ever be at ease?"

"Father, I’ve never even considered such a thing," Phoenix replied, putting down her glass and looking earnestly at Zhong Daolong. "You know that Tang Fei and Little Fatty are friends I made in the Old Land, and they are also my lifesavers. It was with Father’s permission and agreement that I had the capability to bring them to New Star... If you hadn’t stood up for your daughter, I wouldn’t even have been able to properly express my gratitude."

"Now that they are in New Star, I can’t just ignore them to avoid suspicion, can I? They’re strangers here, with no relatives or friends. If I don’t make some arrangements for them, how will they live? What can they do in the future?"

"If that were the case, by bringing them to New Star, wouldn’t I be harming them? All they know is hunting and quarrying... There’s no place in Phoenix City for them to use these skills..."

"That’s why I thought of pleading with Dean Shang to give them a chance to enroll, so they can learn a skill in school..."

"After they graduate, whether they work for a company or start a small business with their own money... they’ll eventually have a way out, right? That way, they can settle down in New Star for generations, living an ordinary and stable happy life..."

"That’s all I, as their daughter, can do for them... How did it get twisted into romantic entanglements?"

"All right, calm down," Zhong Daolong lifted his glass, signaling for Phoenix to join him for a drink.

After the father and daughter clinked glasses, Zhong Daolong drained the red wine in his glass and then said, "I’m not blaming you; I just want you to understand that people’s words can be fearsome. You are the Princess of the Phoenix Empire, the most watched young lady in Phoenix City... It’s normal for some unflattering rumors to spread."

"I’ve said that I won’t interfere with your freedom, but you also need to think about your own reputation and the royal dignity... Once this is over and your two Old Land friends are settled, you should also keep an appropriate distance from them..."

"I know you want to repay your debt of gratitude, but think about it: you’ve brought them out of that dreaded place, bought them houses, given them cars, arranged for their schooling... What you’ve done is already more than enough to repay them, right?"

"Yes, I’ll be careful in the future," Phoenix promised with her head bowed.

She knew her father too well; since he had brought this up openly, it signified that he already had some ideas in mind.

If she argued or rebelled, he wouldn’t do anything to her, but Tang Fei and Little Fatty would then be in danger...

Best to agree with him now and then find another solution later.

"Hmm. I’m not asking you to completely sever ties with them, but incidents like today’s..." Zhong Daolong looked at Phoenix and said, "When malicious people exploit the situation, linking the two of you together, even hyping up a scandalous relationship... It poses a great threat to the royal dignity."

"Even born into the Emperor’s Family, we can’t just do whatever we want. Often, we must live more arduously than others... because we have many rules to abide by and a reputation to uphold."

Phoenix looked up at Zhong Daolong and said, "Father, I understand. I will certainly be careful in the future."

Zhong Daolong was very pleased with Phoenix’s response and said, "Come on, drink up. It’s been a long time since we, father and daughter, have sat down to drink together. I know you can hold your liquor, so today, let’s not stop until we’re joyful."

"Alright, I’ll join Father in not stopping until we’re joyful," Phoenix declared spiritedly.

She also wanted to drink for reasons unknown to her.

Phoenix hadn’t truly gotten drunk. When she returned to her Phoenix Pavilion, she retained at least a semblance of sobriety.

Sitting down on the sofa, her little Bichon Frise, Ball Ball, rushed over, hugging her leg and desperately trying to jump out.

Phoenix picked up Ball Ball, holding him in her arms, and said, "You little thing, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?"

"I had fallen asleep, but I jumped out of the doghouse when I heard Miss’s voice," the maid Xiao Huan said.

Smelling the alcohol on Phoenix, she said, "Miss, I’ll go make you a sobering soup."

"Thank you," Phoenix said.

"Oh, Miss, you’re always so polite to us. It’s our duty to serve you," Xiao Huan said with a smile.

She was able to take care of the Princess within the palace, and who knows how many people envied her. Even her parents would often boast to others, saying their daughter was working for Her Highness.

Little Fatty brought over the hangover cure, and after Phoenix drank it, she immediately felt refreshed; her head no longer ached, and her body no longer felt uncomfortable.

Technology was highly developed now, and the medical and pharmaceutical industries were also highly advanced.

Problems like curing a hangover, which did not require much technological content, had been conquered by medical scientists a long time ago.

Once sober, the drowsiness also disappeared.

Phoenix hesitated for a moment, then made a video call to Sheng Xinhua, "Are you asleep? Want to chat for a bit?"

"What if I have a few muscular, hot young guys in my room when you call at this hour?" Sheng Xinhua appeared on the screen wearing a red silk nightgown, her long hair loose and her posture languid and enchanting.

"I know you. All bark and no bite; you’re probably scared you haven’t seen a man for many years," Phoenix teased.

"My parents brought me into this world, but only Xiu Xue knows me. You guessed it; I’m so lonely I might as well be growing moss... If it really gets too much, why don’t we give it a shot?" Sheng Xinhua suggested teasingly.

"Spit, I don’t want to try anything with you. I’m calling you because there’s something serious..." Phoenix rebuffed.

"Is it about your little boyfriend?" Sheng Xinhua picked up her phone, went to pour herself a glass of whiskey, and continued the conversation with Phoenix.

"How did you know?"

"Apart from matters of the heart, for which you can’t figure out a solution, what else would you need my advice for... So what is it? Has something been exposed? Or are you pregnant and it was found out?"

"You can’t spit anything good out of a dog’s mouth," Phoenix retorted angrily and continued, "My dad asked me to have dinner with him tonight; he wants me to maintain my distance from Tang Fei as much as possible from now on."

"Isn’t this what we were worried about from the start? What, did you still have any illusions?"

"Not really... It’s just that this talk seems to have come a bit too early," Phoenix said seriously, her face sincere. "They’ve only just arrived on New Star a few days ago, so why is my dad so concerned about this now? And why did he specially have me come back for an informal talk?"

"It must be related to the assessment that took place today," Sheng Xinhua said.

"The assessment? You saw it too?"

"Of course. I’ve been keeping an eye on your little boyfriend..."

"Besides, with the ordeal being such a big deal, how could I not see what the fuss was about? Right now, the name ’Tang Fei’ is a buzz in the Imperial First Military Academy... I’ve heard students from other schools have even come over, curious to see the light of the Old Land..."

"Light of the Old Land?" Phoenix was taken aback.

Since when did Tang Fei gain such a nickname?

"Don’t you know? The refugee youth from the Old Land, who saved the life of a Princess of the Phoenix Empire and thus got the opportunity to become a citizen of New Star. In the entrance examination for the Imperial First Military Academy, he was trapped by a scheme of the Shen Family, broke their ’Ghostly Despair’ with a lump of black mud, and even when one arm was severed, he fought fearlessly with unpredictable ancient martial arts skills, carving out a miracle with each swing of his sword, ultimately defeating Tongyou with a mid-grade qi control..."

"After hearing about this, the Shen Family Master became furiously enraged, directly sending the despicable Shen Qingping to guard the borders at Ghost Mountain, while the ’Light of the Old Land’ Tang Fei is supposedly living a shameless and happy life with the Empire’s Princess Xiu Xue..."

"How is it? Does it sound like a story? There are heroics, an underdog’s counterattack, unparalleled cunning, a defiance of fate, and a fairy-tale ending... The young man ends up with the Princess... Isn’t it quite thrilling and sensational?"

Phoenix felt a chill in her heart and said somberly, "Did you make this up, or is it what’s being said outside?"

Upon seeing Phoenix’s grave expression, Sheng Xinhua took a big swig of whiskey and asked, "What? You’re scared now?"

"It’s smothering praise," Phoenix said fiercely. "They want to snuff Tang Fei out in his cradle."

A youth from the Old Land, newly arrived on New Star, wasn’t he as vulnerable as a newborn child?

What could he do in the face of such rumors and slander?

"Yes," Sheng Xinhua spoke with a smile. "Even the sharpest sword cannot overcome a few words of gossip. If your little friend were useless, they might step on him a few times, spit a few times, and then let him be."

"But he had to stand out so much... So, they shine all the lights on him, use all the praise on him, build a high platform under his feet, regardless of whether he wants it or not... But what about our ’Light of the Old Land’?"

"In this story, he has offended the royal family; after all, the Royal Family could never allow their Little Princess to marry a youth from the Old Land, not even an ambiguous relationship would be permissible... And he has offended the Shen Family; this time, in the story, the Shen Family is the big Demon King, the first evil Dragon slain by the heroic youth... No matter how indulgent and elegantly the Shen Family might seem on the surface..."

"But let’s not forget how they came to sit on the throne of the First Family of the Empire..."

"The massacre on the nineteenth, heads rolling everywhere, it was all done by the Shen Family Army..."