No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 1632: Take It Slow

"Mm," Arnold Simmons pursed his lips, "I didn’t want to ask—it was you who mentioned it."

So awkward.

Hannah gently rubbed his head with her uninjured hand, as if comforting a child, "Okay, you didn’t ask. It was all me saying it."

A twinkle of laughter flickered in her eyes, her voice soft, and as she tilted her head to look at him, her eyes shimmered like brilliant stars.

"Arnold, I’ve finished what I needed to do."

Arnold clenched her uninjured hand and rubbed her head gently, just as she had done earlier, "Hmm, where do you want to go next?"

She pondered, her expression free and spirited as in the old days, "I want to see the fireflies."

"What else?"

"To watch the meteor showers, the aurora, and many, many more."

"It’s okay, we’ll take our time."

The clouds in the sky were scattered by the wind, and the frosty moonlight spilled over the earth, casting overlapping shadows.

The shadows flickered, and insects chirped from the trees.

She walked ahead, stepping on the moonlight, her smiling eyes curved.

"Arnold, can we always be together?"

She stopped, hands clasped behind her back, gazing at him. There were no stars tonight, for all the twinkling splendor was in her eyes.

He smiled tenderly, stretching out his hand towards her, "Okay, let’s always be together."

She laughed radiantly and dashed straight into his embrace.

That night, the stars fell into his arms—she was the one he would protect for a lifetime.

*

In the year that followed, great changes took place in the empire.

Those so-called high and mighty royals seemed to vanish overnight, and the deeply entrenched doctrine of ’Imperial supremacy’ crumbled, easily toppled at a touch.

As the empire plunged into chaos, Sheffield Benedict who had been absent suddenly reappeared.

He was always a clever man, born to be a leader, his face as warm as the spring sun, his eyes coldly piercing. With his blend of firmness and gentleness, the restless citizens were soon pacified.

For the past century, he had already built up his own network. Even without the royal family, he could live freely.

Just like... Hannah once did.

He thought countless times that one day he would cast off all shackles and follow in her footsteps.

But in the end, he came back.

Back to the empire.

Because Hannah said he was suited.

Suited for what?

Suited to be the new ruler of the empire.

Taking over the empire, Sheffield’s first act was to abolish the millennia-old doctrine of ’Imperial supremacy’. From that moment, there would be no more royalty or superiority.

The people of the empire didn’t need a false ’god’.

The day he officially took over, the wanderers left the borders, and the mech academy students, having undergone days of trial, finally returned to Mo City.

Although their days with the wanderers couldn’t be described as pleasant, they made it clear that the wanderers were not as ferocious and brutal as the royals had portrayed.

Returning to the academy, Jay Brown went to see the old principal and told him everything that happened at the borders, and about encountering Hannah.

The principal listened and felt sentimental.

Sentimental about the spirited young men and women who eventually embarked on different life paths.

Perhaps that’s what youth is.

Summer days, blazing sun, cicadas singing, and cool breeze.

All these ordinary things took on different colors because they were touched by the joyful laughter of their youthful days.

Six months later, Sheffield decided to publicly reveal the truth about Hannah’s past.