Jiang Qiuqiu wasn’t worried about accepting an award, walking the red carpet, or giving a speech. After all, she’d done it all many times before.

However, this year’s gala also included a singing performance.

Although she had already chosen her song, practiced it in advance, and it wasn’t particularly difficult, Jiang Qiuqiu couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about doing a crossover performance.

So, with the next day not yet upon her, Jiang Qiuqiu took advantage of her free time to practice the song again.

This was a folk song from the original owner of her body’s home planet. Before coming to Federation Star, the original owner had sung this song at a New Year’s performance at her orphanage.

A couple of days ago, while Jiang Qiuqiu was browsing a music website and wondering what to sing, this folk song had surfaced in her mind on its own.

Without overthinking it, Jiang Qiuqiu had her butler robot play the instrumental track. She lowered her gaze and began to hum the familiar melody, the familiar tune.

It was a very cheerful folk song with short, repetitive lyrics sung in a dialect. The general meaning was: I’m so happy to be on stage performing for you all today. I’m very happy, and I hope I can pass this happiness on to you, so let’s all be happy together.

This practice run went very well—it was natural and full of emotion. ’If I can perform with this same energy tomorrow on stage, there won’t be any problem.’

She ran through it a few more times, then, not wanting to be tired the next day, Jiang Qiuqiu washed up and quickly went to bed.

Just as she lay down, her terminal beeped. It was a message from Black Hole, who was on Polar Planet.

Black Hole: Are you going to the annual gala tomorrow?

Jiang Qiuqiu: Yes, why?

Black Hole: We’re setting off to head back in a few hours.

Jiang Qiuqiu: You’re coming back!

Black Hole: Mmm. It’s the New Year. The soldiers on rotation this year also need to come back and see their families.

Jiang Qiuqiu: So when you get back, are you going straight to Starry Sky Wander?

Black Hole: Mmm. Qiuqiu, about what time are you heading to the gala tomorrow?

Jiang Qiuqiu: I’m leaving around four. Why?

Black Hole: It’s nothing.

Black Hole: Big galas like that take a long time to prepare for. You should get to bed early.

Jiang Qiuqiu: You always seem to be telling me to go to bed early. We haven’t seen each other in so long, does every chat have to end with ’go to bed early’?

The terminal linked across tens of thousands of light-years to Black Hole.

He stared at the words on his terminal, gazing out at the vast river of stars beyond the mecha transport ship. After a moment’s thought, he replied:

—Then, how about you go to bed early? When you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll be able to see me.

—And when we see each other, I won’t have to tell you to go to bed early.

After sending the messages, Mo Si shut off his terminal as if it had burned his hand. Dressed in a navy blue military uniform with a white cape draped over his shoulders, he strode into the command cabin, his expression stern. He then broadcast to the entire fleet: "We depart now."

It was time for him and the soldiers aboard this ship to go home.

To see the family, the lovers, and the friends they had left behind in their homeland.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qiuqiu stared at the last two messages he had sent, falling into a thoughtful silence.

Those two messages...

’Was he responding to the fact we haven’t seen each other in so long, or to my complaint about him always telling me to go to bed early?’

-

「The next day was the day of the Federation Live Broadcast Company’s annual gala.」

With the New Year approaching, people had pieced together fragments from lost ancient texts originating from Earth. They learned that their ancestors cherished the color red and lanterns during the New Year. As a result, the central hubs of every planet in the Empire were now adorned with red lanterns.

The commercial districts were a hub of activity. Even in the morning, people were already out shopping for New Year’s goods.

Even though delivery robots were highly advanced, interstellar people still enjoyed going out for a stroll during the holidays.

The shopping streets were bustling with people, and the towering skyscrapers of the various malls took the opportunity to broadcast promos for this year’s Federation Live Broadcast Gala Night.

The scale of the event was massive, so by seven that morning, the tag #FederationLiveGalaPreviewNight had already started trending.

And at that very moment, Jiang Qiuqiu was just opening her eyes.