As Belina finished speaking,

Louisa was the first to curl her lips into a smile.

A strange feeling welled up inside her.

For some reason, she always felt that Belina treated her far better than she treated Yu Lan.

It was as if she were the biological daughter, not the other way around.

Meanwhile,

Yu Lan, who had been standing under Belina’s insistent gaze, finally moved. The Queen was determined to have her make a promise and agree to the terms.

She pulled the planet she had drawn from the lottery tube and showed it to everyone.

"I drew White Sand Star."

"Since Your Majesty has already spoken, then let’s do as you say."

"I will accept the Empire’s supervision at any time to guarantee absolute fairness."

"Likewise, I will have Huo Zhanting and the others supervise Louisa. If there is any unfairness, such as secretly using her Princess status or wealth, she will be considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from this competition."

"What do you think, Your Majesty?"

If they were going to be fair,

Yu Lan didn’t mind making the penalty for breaking the rules even more severe.

She didn’t believe that she would be any worse than Louisa when it came to governing based on intelligence alone.

As Yu Lan finished speaking, Louisa’s expression shifted.

But she could no longer hide behind Belina and remain silent.

She had to step forward and state her position.

The faint smile on Louisa’s face stiffened for a moment. Meeting Yu Lan’s calm gaze, she had no choice but to nod and say,

"That’s how it should be."

"Lanlan is right. If I secretly take advantage of my status as a Princess or use funds from the Princess Mansion, I will immediately be considered to have failed and will withdraw from the competition."

Louisa had made her stance clear.

Yu Lan’s gaze shifted to Belina. "What does Your Majesty think?"

Belina, who had originally planned to secretly subsidize Louisa: "..."

With Huo Zhanting and the others watching, she clearly couldn’t do it without anyone finding out.

’Thankfully...’

A glint flashed in Belina’s eyes as she nodded. "Lanlan is right. We’ll proceed as planned."

"Alright, now that this has been settled, go back and pack. You’ll set out tomorrow."

"The sooner you leave, the sooner you can get familiar with things."

"Yes!"

Yu Lan and Louisa replied in unison. They exchanged a look before slowly backing out of the room.

*

「Just as they reached the entrance of the Imperial Palace,」 Sheng Yiqing couldn’t wait any longer and blurted out,

"Lanlan, you shouldn’t have agreed to her terms just now."

"We are your Beast Husbands. Everything a male has belongs to his female. Our wealth is your wealth, so it’s only natural for us to help you."

Besides, the Beast Husbands married by previous Queens were all from top noble and powerful families.

It wasn’t just about a suitable status; it was also a way to better control the factions under them.

For Belina to even suggest not getting help from one’s Beast Husbands was utterly absurd.

"Is she really your biological mother, Lanlan?"

Sheng Yiqing frowned. ’Her actions don’t make any sense!’

As Sheng Yiqing finished speaking, the expression of every single person present changed in an instant.

"Quiet!"

Huo Zhanting immediately cut him off with a cold command, his eyes darting around to ensure no one else could overhear their conversation.

He then turned to Yu Lan, his sharp features softening slightly.

"Lanlan, Shen Zueran and I have discussed this in private. Belina’s attitude toward you is too strange. We sent people to investigate, but the investigation only raised more suspicions. You need to be mentally prepared."

Yu Lan’s eyes widened slightly, her heart suddenly beating wildly.

’Could it be that Belina really isn’t my mother?’

’Then my mother is...’

For some reason, Yu Lan thought of Marquis Yisha.

She nodded. "Don’t worry. I can handle whatever happens."

"As for this trip to White Sand Star, you don’t need to worry too much either."

"I’ll bring enough guards and do my best."

As she spoke, she looked at the men, who clearly couldn’t hide their worry. The corners of her eyes lifted as she raised an eyebrow.

"What? You still don’t trust me?"

This rare display of playful charm from the beautiful young female helped to wash away the men’s worries.

Stared at by those quiet, amber eyes, even the coldest heart would melt.

"Alright. We’ll be on Central Star waiting for your triumphant return."

"Good. In that case, let’s go back and pack first."

Yu Lan lifted her chin.

The hovercar sped directly toward the villa.

On the way, Su Xingye and Li Yucheng had already quickly looked up all the details on White Sand Star’s geography.

Li Yucheng’s brow furrowed, a rare gloominess clouding his features.

"White Sand Star is on the edge of the Empire, bordering the Federation. The planet has no valuable minerals or resources, and the trade routes to it have been abandoned for a long time."

"I heard there’s also a Star Thief Group nearby, and the people live very difficult lives."

"Last time, because of the Garbage Star incident, there was an uprising and a wave of defections to the Federation."

"I don’t know what the situation is now, but it’s still within the Empire’s territory."

"This is simply..."

As Li Yucheng listed off the information he had found, one item after another,

everyone’s expression grew grim.

On the surface: White Sand Star, a vassal planet of the Empire.

In reality: An Imperial traitor with a 90% chance of rebellion and a 90% poverty rate.

If Yu Lan went to White Sand Star and accidentally did something to anger the populace,

she could be captured and sent to the Federation in an instant.

It was a disastrous start, to say the least.

Su Xingye, however, had been searching the map and added a piece of information:

"The closest star system to White Sand Star happens to be Marquis Yisha’s territory."

"Lanlan, if you need anything, perhaps you could contact Marquis Yisha and get in touch."

This was a hint.

Whether it was because of the truth of Yu Lan’s mysterious past, which was shrouded in fog,

or for the sake of winning this competition.

After his initial anger, Li Yucheng let out a breath.

"I’ll notify all the major suppliers under the Li Group to organize a merchant fleet to go to White Sand Star for trade."

"The prices will be set at market value, or even lower."

This was normal business conduct; it wouldn’t be considered direct help for Yu Lan.

Even if Belina wanted to cause trouble, she wouldn’t be able to find any grounds for it.

’Is Louisa really going to govern her planet honestly?’

With Li Yucheng speaking up, the other men also began to think of their own plans.

They would do their best to help Yu Lan without breaking the rules.

「Just then, they arrived at the villa.」

Not wanting to miss this last chance to spend time with Yu Lan, the men personally helped her pack her things.

Yu Lan, on the other hand, frowned slightly as she looked at her chat window, which had remained empty ever since she returned.

’Why haven’t I heard from Yu Wenzhou or Shen Zueran?’

’I’m leaving Central Star again tomorrow. Who knows when I’ll see them next?’

Yu Lan wanted to say goodbye to them in person.

With that thought, she pressed the contact for Yu Wenzhou.

The next second—

BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ...

It was the muffled sound of a special contact’s ringtone, ringing continuously.

And the sound was coming from the second floor of the villa—from the bedroom closest to Yu Lan.

Yu Lan looked up at the second floor, from where the ringtone continued to sound.

A sense of foreboding gradually washed over her.

’Yu Wenzhou is home. Why didn’t he come out to see me?’

’What happened to him?’