After Crossing Over, I Just Want to Live Well – Chapter 1

Ch 1: Returning to the Imperial Star

A floating car stopped at the spaceport, and out jumped a figure clad in black combat armor. She had a slender, graceful build, waist-length straight black hair, and a fair, delicate face partially obscured—three-fifths of it—by oversized dark sunglasses.

At that moment, she was bending down, speaking to someone inside the car. “Got it, got it! Big Brother Leng, you’ve said this a dozen times already. I really can go to the Imperial Star on my own!”

Whatever the other person said, the girl removed her sunglasses and flashed a charming smile. “I’m almost 18 now. Haven’t I been to more dangerous places before?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll contact you the moment I arrive.”

“I know, I’ve already told Second Brother Shi about it.”

“No need, really. It’s not my first time heading out.”

“We’ll see who ends up beating who. If they dare mess with me, I won’t let them off easy!”

“Alright, alright, I got it. I promise I’ll keep in touch with you the whole time.”

With that, the girl put her sunglasses back on, turned, and headed into the spaceport. The floating car behind her remained stationary until her figure vanished into the crowd, only then slowly driving away.

The girl with the sunglasses, Yu Duoduo, paid no attention to the car behind her and made a beeline for the ticket checkpoint.

Following the crowd, Yu Duoduo found her assigned seating cabin. She wasn’t fond of chatting with strangers, so as soon as she entered, she lay down, and the cabin door sealed shut.

She had hoped to catch a nice, long nap, but her mind stayed restless, buzzing with thoughts about the real reason the Yu family wanted her to return.

The story rewinded to a day earlier.

Yu Duoduo had just returned from a barren star with Leng Ruoheng when she received a video call from an unfamiliar source. She initially planned to ignore it but hesitated, worried it might be important—especially since she had already passed the entrance exam for the First Military Academy on the Imperial Star.

Yu Duoduo pressed “accept,” and an angry female voice immediately burst through.

“Yu Duoduo, do you even still see me as your mother? Does it take a year to answer a video call?”

Looking at the woman on the screen claiming to be her mother, Yu Duoduo felt no stir of emotion. She didn’t even recognize her.

“Who are you? I don’t know you, and I’ve never met you!” she said, preparing to end the call.

“Wait! I’m your mother, Yu Yao. You can verify my info with your guardian records.”

“And what’s that got to do with me? I don’t have a guardian—never did, never will!” Yu Duoduo snapped, hanging up without hesitation.

Still, to ease her mind, she accessed her personal info on her optical brain. Sure enough, it listed Yu Yao as her guardian. But so what? She was long past the age of needing anyone to lean on.

An hour later, though, the same unfamiliar video call connected again. This time, the woman on the other end wore a broad smile and spoke in a much softer tone.

“Duoduo, Mommy was wrong earlier. It’s just been so many years since I last saw you, and I got nervous. Forgive Mommy…”

“Miss Yu Yao, if you have something to say, just say it. Everyone’s time is precious,” Yu Duoduo cut in, unwilling to watch her fake performance.

She didn’t want to waste energy on this charade and interrupted directly.

The woman in the call looked furious, on the verge of shouting, but after glancing sideways, she swallowed her words. Instead, she said, “Fine, fine, Mommy won’t waste your time. Short and sweet:

Your brother Lu Yunye is coming back, and Mommy hopes you’ll return too, so we can all reunite as a family!”

Yu Yao finished and gazed at Yu Duoduo expectantly, as if she were a doting mother who cherished her daughter.

“I see. I’ll think about it when the time comes. Anything else?” Yu Duoduo’s cold, stiff reply caused the woman’s face to twist for a split second before she quickly regained her composure.

“No, that’s all. Mommy will be waiting for Duoduo at home!” Before Yu Yao could finish, Yu Duoduo ended the call.

She couldn’t bear to look at that so-called mother a second longer—every glance felt like it dirtied her eyes.

After hanging up, Yu Duoduo sat motionless. Her face showed no emotion, but an air of dejection hung over her.

After some time—how long, she didn’t know—tears began to trickle from the corners of her eyes. Yu Duoduo knew these weren’t her emotions; they belonged to the original Yu Duoduo, the three-year-old whose feelings lingered within her.

She had always known the original owner hadn’t fully departed. It was as if some unresolved obsession kept her spirit tethered, silently lingering in the quietest corner of Yu Duoduo’s consciousness, doing nothing but waiting.

Had she finally found what she was waiting for?

When Leng Ruoheng returned, he found Yu Duoduo sitting on the living room sofa, her eyes slightly red—a clear sign she’d been crying.

He crouched down to her eye level and asked, “Duoduo, what’s wrong? Who upset you? Tell Big Brother Leng, and I’ll take care of them for you!”

Yu Duoduo looked at the man before her: short, thick black hair, sharp leopard-like eyes that were cold yet softened by golden pupils, a high nose bridge, and well-shaped lips. He was a cool, handsome guy, his bronzed skin adding a rugged, wild charm.

Realizing she’d been staring too long, Yu Duoduo quickly coughed to cover it up. “Cough, cough, it’s nothing. No one’s bullied me.”

“Then why were you crying?” Leng Ruoheng asked, clearly unconvinced.

“Uh, well, I just got a call from a woman claiming to be my mother. She told me to return to the Imperial Star because my brother’s coming back. I don’t know why, but the tears just came on their own. I didn’t mean to cry!”

“Mm-hmm, our Duoduo definitely didn’t want to cry. It’s just her eyes having their own ideas!”

Hearing this, Yu Duoduo shot him an annoyed glare and turned her head away, ignoring him. She didn’t notice the faint smile tugging at the corners of Leng Ruoheng’s mouth.

“So, does Duoduo want to go to the Imperial Star?”

“Of course! Have you forgotten I got into the First Military Academy on the Imperial Star? I’d have to go in a month anyway!”

“Then when are you planning to head out, Duoduo?”

“Tomorrow. I want to get there early and figure out what’s going on—why they suddenly remembered me, the daughter they abandoned.”

Thinking back to the original owner’s memories from when she first arrived here, Yu Duoduo felt a surge of anger.

“It’s Big Brother’s fault. I’ll book your starship ticket right now,” Leng Ruoheng said quickly, steering her focus elsewhere.

“Great! Big Brother Leng is the best!”

“Good to know. Just don’t forget your Big Brother Leng once you’re on the Imperial Star. You’re going to investigate, right? How about waiting a few days? I’ll wrap up my work and go with you.”

Seeing Leng Ruoheng’s concern, Yu Duoduo smiled and raised her right hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Besides, Second Brother Shi is there too! If anything urgent comes up, I’ll definitely ask him for help!”

Hearing that Yu Duoduo would turn to Shi Yichen if something happened made Leng Ruoheng’s chest tighten, like a sharp p*ick, though he quickly brushed it off and returned to normal.

“Alright, if something happens, stay calm and don’t act rashly. Memorize what the person looks like, and Big Brother will find someone to deal with them later.”

“Got it, I’ll remember.”

After that, Leng Ruoheng—the cool guy—said nothing more and started helping Yu Duoduo pack her things.

The two were in the middle of organizing when Yu Duoduo’s optical brain chimed with a soft “ding~” sound.