Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The 'Wife' at Home Is the Jealous Type

Time ticked by. The bell for class rang again, and Jingliu returned to the academy right on cue, walked back to her classroom, and — under the peculiar stares of her classmates — flicked her long hair, sat down at her seat without a care in the world, spine ramrod straight.

Even in a nation of long-life species, an orphan's life wasn't easy. Living alone meant you had to be strong.

"Jingliu, are we still going to explore that abandoned starskiff port tonight? I heard there were more weird signal fluctuations there last night."

Jingliu hesitated for two seconds. "No, my boyfriend's the petty type."

She thought about it — she wasn't alone anymore. She didn't have to tag along with everyone all the time, forcing herself to do things she didn't enjoy. So tonight, she wanted to go home.

"Tch... seriously, the moment you get a boyfriend, you ditch us?"

"And such a mean, stingy boyfriend at that!"

Someone muttered that last part. Jingliu didn't bother tracing the source — it was pointless. She even wanted to nod!

That wretched little Wangshu hadn't even asked about her social circle, and didn't show a hint of jealousy when asking if her morning had been fun. No wonder he'd been tricked by her future self!

......

Meanwhile, at the bookshop —

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Jingliu: "For records on the Propagation swarm, look up Notes on Otherworldly Insects Across the Realms, authored by Sir Dulwich of the Intelligentsia Guild. He traveled extensively across the sea of stars, and his work is still considered one of the more thorough references on swarm behavior and subspecies."

Jingliu: "It should already exist by Star Calendar Year 6299."

Asta: "I never expected Senior Jingliu to be so well-read."

After all, that was a pretty obscure book. She'd only just looked it up herself.

Jingliu: "..."

She wasn't the well-read one — Jing Yuan was. All she had to do was ask. Though Jing Yuan did seem to be getting more headaches lately.

Wangshu: "Found it. It's under the Astral Curiosities category. The bookshop in Cangcheng sure is empty though."

From the outside, the bookshop didn't look large, but inside was a genuine grotto-heaven — a three-to-four-meter doorway that opened into what felt like a massive library.

Yet the aisles between shelves were mostly deserted, with only the occasional leisurely Xianzhou native browsing for books.

Jingliu: "..."

Asta: "It's not just the Xianzhou. Library-type buildings everywhere are pretty empty nowadays."

Technology had advanced too rapidly. Most of the time, there was simply no need for physical books anymore.

People always said that physical books gave you a special sense of leisure, but in practice, very few actually spent the time seeking that feeling.

Wangshu: "Come to think of it, are you seniors really this free? Every time I have a question, you seem to show up right away."

Like NPCs nobody ever talks to. Though thinking about it that way was rather rude.

Jingliu: "..."

Jingliu had definitely sensed the offense.

Asta: "My main task right now is observing when the chat group will upgrade, and exploring whether there's a function for inviting new members."

Wangshu: "Oh right, you're basically working for Herta."

Wangshu: "...So has anything changed on your end, Senior Jingliu?"

Jingliu: "What do you mean?"

Wangshu: "For instance, adjusting your current plans because of this chat group's appearance?"

Jingliu: "Completely unnecessary."

Quite the confidence. Though based on the main cast's progress, Jingliu wouldn't have time to adjust anyway — the Amphoreus incident was about to dominate the Xianzhou's agenda.

Wangshu muttered to himself, then pulled the first volume of Notes on Otherworldly Insects Across the Realms from a nearby shelf.

He found a quiet spot by the window and sat down, quickly scanning the table of contents. The layout was practical — no drawn-out introductions, straight to the point.

"After Tayzzyronth — the Swarm Sovereign — fell, the locust swarms lost their endless energy source. To survive, the remaining swarm species diverged onto completely different paths under the leadership of the Swarm Lords."

He quietly murmured the key passages: "Some even transformed themselves into semi-plant organisms, becoming producers within their ecosystems — the Pacifist Swarm."

Wangshu worked to memorize it all. The game's storyline had actually covered most of this, but the information was scattered across various corners — very few people actually paid attention.

"Currently, only two Swarm Lords remain active: the Phantasmal Swarm Lord, who drowns victims in illusions, and the Pestilent Swarm Lord, who continues to wreak havoc across the universe by collecting energy and spawning offspring."

He paused, mulling it over: "Looks like the two active lineages diverged based on their different functional roles."

"Mm."

A sweet, clear voice suddenly sounded from extremely close range, softly affirming.

Wangshu's body went rigid. The moonlit card materialized at his fingertips, ready to activate at any moment.

But the person beside him made no further move.

Wangshu slowly turned his head. The petite girl who'd called herself Huoshi had somehow silently taken the seat next to him, chin propped in both hands, watching him with keen interest — and the book in his hands.

"Keep turning the page. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

Huoshi blinked, her smile innocent and adorable, her tone as natural as if they were friends who'd planned to read together.

According to Notes on Otherworldly Insects Across the Realms, the Alluring Swarm Lord's lineage specialized in deception — voluntarily shedding their shells and claws to appear harmless, blending into other civilizations as one of their own, and then... ripping those civilizations apart from the inside.

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu: "Help, everyone! I think I'm done for!"

Jingliu: "?"

Asta: "Ms. Herta says: Don't panic. Tell us what danger you're facing, slowly. We have plenty of resources on our end that could help."

Wangshu: "The Alluring Swarm Lord is sitting right next to me. I can even smell some kind of inexplicable sweet fragrance."

Asta: "If she isn't showing much hostility, you could try engaging in conversation. Ask some questions."

Asta: "If your mind goes blank, you can listen to my questions and repeat them... this is also Ms. Herta speaking."

Wangshu: "That's not comforting at all."

Jingliu: "...You won't die. But if it comes to a fight, please don't do it in a crowded area. Battle between Propagation-level Emanators takes a long time — long enough to hold out until the other Xianzhou send reinforcements."

Wangshu came back to his senses and looked at the lovely young woman beside him... though age-wise, she was probably older than some Aeons.

Huoshi seemed to detect the subtle shift in his emotions. She deliberately tilted her head, striking an even cuter pose, her youthful cheeks radiating docile charm.

Wangshu looked back down at Notes on Otherworldly Insects Across the Realms, then at the living footnote sitting beside him, and sighed.

"Useless book. Claims the Alluring Swarm Lord lineage excels at disguising their identity. What a load of lies."

"That's correct." She nodded gently. "Though that description probably applies to the larvae."