“Yanyan, what’s your plan?”
Gu Yincheng closed his eyes and mulled over many things before asking Lin Huanyan about her plans.
“This is what I’m thinking: Since my abilities are the core of it all, I should naturally take center stage. Then, I’ll bring in other factions to form a coalition group strong enough to deter anyone from acting rashly. Together, we’ll sell the products I’ve developed.”
“That’s actually a pretty solid plan,” Gu Yincheng nodded in approval. “What’s your specific reasoning behind this approach?”
Lin Huanyan thought of her inspiration for the plan—it came from how some companies on Earth operated.
When a product is exceptional, with vast potential and enormous profits, major players will inevitably investigate, analyze, and try to claim a share of the pie.
If such a company lacks strong backing, it could face unprecedented challenges and even suppression.
Thus, in reality, many major companies have numerous stakeholders—some who invest actual money and others who are influential figures.
You share your profits with them, and they, in turn, shield you, ensuring no one else dares to target you. It’s akin to paying for protection.
This is a universal principle that applies across nations.
Even in another world, another nation, the same logic holds.
Thus, Lin Huanyan decided she would focus solely on creating products—zero-pollution plants and animals. The factions she brought in would protect her and help market her goods.
She detailed her plan and the rationale behind it to Gu Yincheng.
“So, which factions are you planning to bring in? And how will the shares be distributed?”
Lin Huanyan projected the contents of her plans from her smart device for Gu Yincheng to see.
“I’ll obviously take the largest share—at least 51%. That way, I’ll retain absolute decision-making power. I don’t want anyone dictating terms to me later.”
“As for the remaining 49%, I’ll leak the information and let the factions compete for it. I trust they’ll be more familiar with these matters than I am.”
Hearing this, Gu Yincheng wasn’t happy.
“Yanyan, you heartless little thing—you didn’t even consider me?”
Gu Yincheng feigned a comical expression, making Lin Huanyan burst into laughter.
She hadn’t expected this interstellar pirate leader to completely disregard his image after confessing his feelings and revealing his identity.
Originally a pitiable little figure, but now? One moment he’s reliable and full of security, the next he’s utterly mischievous, making everyone laugh out loud.
Gu Yincheng looked at Lin Huanyan, who was laughing so hard on the sofa that she was practically rolling around, tears streaming from her eyes.
Suddenly, he leaned forward, his long, jade-like fingers reaching out to gently wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
As they drew close, every detail of each other came into sharp focus. Lin Huanyan saw the smooth and refined contours of the man’s face, while Gu Yincheng was captivated by the faint pink at the corners of her eyes, paired with her peach blossom gaze—utterly enchanting.
Their breaths mingled, shadows nearly overlapping, forming a perfect tableau of almost-but-not-quite intimacy, words hovering on the edge of being spoken.
Lin Huanyan couldn’t help but recall the kiss they had shared before.
Her delicate, slender hand pressed against the man’s strong chest, giving a light push, which he easily allowed.
Sensing her resistance, Gu Yincheng naturally stepped back, not wanting to provoke her displeasure.
Lin Huanyan’s cheeks were faintly flushed from the earlier atmosphere. Her voice, soft and sweet, carried a touch of complaint but lacked firmness.
“Gu Yincheng, you… you shouldn’t get so close to me out of nowhere, and… and don’t just… just kiss me randomly.”
The word kiss was barely audible, but Gu Yincheng caught it.
“Understood. Next time I kiss you, I’ll be sure to file a report in advance, okay, my dear Yanyan?”
He was utterly cheeky, deliberately emphasizing the word kiss.
As expected, Lin Huanyan’s face blossomed with a bright blush again.
Though she was knowledgeable and had plenty of theoretical experience, it all remained purely theoretical. When it came to real-life interaction, she was just a shy little novice who turned red at the slightest tease.
Truly, a giant in thought but a dwarf in action.
Gu Yincheng could disarm her completely with just a short sentence.
As the head of Tianyu Group, Gu Yincheng was no fool.
He could easily distinguish between Lin Huanyan’s shy embarrassment and genuine anger. At this moment, his heart was filled with joy, all thoughts of profit and gain forgotten.
Seizing the moment, his eyes filled with deep emotion, his voice low and resonant, with a faint upward lilt at the end, carrying a hint of enchantment:
“Yanyan, did my kiss feel good? You even closed your eyes. Were you enjoying it too?”
Lin Huanyan never expected him to be so shameless as to ask such a question.
She felt so flushed and hot she couldn’t stand it. Forget looking at him—she didn’t even dare glance his way.
Reaching for the sofa cushion beside her, she lowered her head and buried herself in it, hiding completely like a little ostrich.
Gu Yincheng, of course, didn’t want to press too hard. He merely leaned in slightly, keeping a respectful distance.
“Yanyan, you know I like you. At first, I just thought, ‘How can this little girl be so beautiful, hitting every note in my heart?’ So I took the chance to get closer to you. As we spent more time together, I realized how wonderful your personality is, how comfortable and natural it feels to be with you. You’re shy and easy to tease, but so very adorable.
“The more I got to know you, the more I liked you. I planned to confess once we were closer, but things didn’t go as planned. Suddenly, my feelings were exposed. When you distanced yourself from me, I was really upset. That’s when I realized I couldn’t be without you. Luckily, when you awakened your powers, I was able to help you. I was so grateful to share even a small part of your burden.”
At this point, his voice paused, his eyes filled with brilliant starlight and unwavering affection.
“Later, when your attitude towards me softened, I was overjoyed. When you teased me with the lip tint, I couldn’t hold back and kissed you. But Yanyan, you didn’t object, did you?”
With that, he tilted his head slightly, a playful smile in his eyes.
“So, Yanyan, you like me too, right?”
After speaking, Gu Yincheng looked expectantly at the figure hiding on the sofa.
For a long time, there was no response. The hope in his eyes began to dim.
Finally, from beneath the soft cushion came a muffled “Mm.”
In that instant, it was as though fireworks burst into brilliant bloom within him, leaving Gu Yincheng feeling utterly dazed and giddy.
“Then, Yanyan, will you be my girlfriend?”
This time, he didn’t have to wait long. Soon, Lin Huanyan’s voice came through, still soft but far more decisive: “Mm.”
Now, Gu Yincheng couldn’t hide his smile even if he tried—it was brighter than a sunflower in full bloom.
He looked at Lin Huanyan, still hiding behind the cushion, her slender, pale fingers clutching it tightly.
Reaching out his large hand, he placed it gently over hers. The smooth, delicate texture made him reluctant to let go.
He gave a light tug. “Yanyan, aren’t you coming out? Don’t suffocate yourself back there.”
Lin Huanyan was still reeling from the sudden confession. Though she indeed had feelings for him, she was too shy to face him right now and just wanted to hide for a while.
Her voice, muffled and soft from behind the cushion, came through: “I don’t want to come out. I’m embarrassed. Let me stay here a little longer, okay?”
She wanted to hide, and Gu Yincheng, of course, would indulge her. He wouldn’t dare scare off his newly acquired girlfriend.
“How about this? I’ll go back to the bedroom, not look at you, and you can stay in the living room with your head uncovered. Otherwise, what if you smother my girlfriend?”
Lin Huanyan let out a muffled “Mm.”
Then came the sound of the man walking away.
After a while, she finally lifted her head out of the throw pillow.
Her pale, delicate face, adorned with a pair of peach blossom eyes, was glistening slightly, likely from being pressed for too long. Her gaze was enchanting.
She looked around, and after confirming she was indeed alone, slowly climbed up from the sofa.
Just as she was about to do something, the AI device on the table lit up with a notification.
Picking it up, she saw it was Gu Yincheng, her newly appointed boyfriend.
Her big peach blossom eyes curved as a small smile emerged.
[Echoes of Dust]: Yanyan, are you out yet?
[Yan the Great]: Out.
[Echoes of Dust]: Why are you so shy? Is it because your boyfriend is so handsome that you can’t bear to look at him?
[Yan the Great]: …
[Echoes of Dust]: Alright, I won’t tease you. I’ll give you some time to adjust. You need to get used to your boyfriend being around, or I’ll be heartbroken.
[Yan the Great]: It’s your fault for asking such embarrassing questions earlier. That’s why I was shy. You should be the one to blame.
[Echoes of Dust]: Which question? About whether you enjoyed the kiss?
[Echoes of Dust]: That’s a question I really can’t avoid. I need to make sure I give my girlfriend the best experience possible, don’t you think?
…
The two continued their back-and-forth chatter, filled with light, meaningless banter that made them seem less like the boss of a star pirate group and a high-IQ researcher and more like a couple of kids.
Finally, after much difficulty, they remembered their actual task—planning the development of the research lab.
Gu Yincheng, as the newly minted boyfriend, naturally didn’t want to make things hard for his girlfriend. He assured Lin Huanyan that she only needed to maintain her share of responsibilities, and he’d handle the rest, ensuring she could work happily and stress-free.
Lin Huanyan gladly accepted—after all, it saved her a lot of trouble.
Still, boyfriend or not, Lin Huanyan didn’t feel a strong sense of attachment to the empire. However, the original owner of her body had deep ties to the empire, and those feelings had somewhat influenced her. For that, she was genuinely grateful.
Moreover, the Black Hole Research Lab she currently worked at was part of the empire’s research institute.
She shared the original owner’s background and her own recent experiences with Gu Yincheng as a reference. After all, the empire and the institute couldn’t be forgotten entirely.
Discord
@dogfoodplease or @dogfoodplease#8837translation works:
ARTTEDSBGT (After Rebirth The True Eldest Daughter Starts Brewing Green Tea):
main story – completed translating
extras/side stories – i still dont have money and account to access this
ATISIUP:
ongoing
