548: conflict

"Although I don't know what you're laughing at, I don't have time to bother with you."

Heaven Tyrant took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, his gaze fixed on Qi Yu, his tone carrying an undeniable stubbornness as he said in a deep voice.

"What I want to say is, I hope Young Miss Qi Yu can be friends with me... perhaps we could even become fated lovers."

The moment these words landed, the surrounding air suddenly solidified again, and even the lingering traces of laughter vanished without a trace.

The playful look on Qi Fang's face instantly receded, replaced by a stern chill. His eyes, dark and heavy, stared at Heaven Tyrant, and a hint of ferocity emanated from his body.

Qi Yu also slowly lowered the hand covering her face. The smile on her face had long since disappeared, her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with coldness and impatience.

A sharp aura quietly spread, steady and powerful, forcefully suppressing the indignation around Heaven Tyrant, making the surrounding atmosphere even more tense.

"What did you say?"

Qi Fang's angry roar suddenly erupted, ferocity instantly ignited in his eyes, and his aura abruptly turned cold and heavy. He took a step forward, his clenched fists turning white at the knuckles, clearly intending to teach this ignorant fellow a good lesson.

"My sister be friends with someone like you? And even become fated lovers? Don't you even consider if you're worthy!"

As soon as he moved, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by Qi Yu.

Qi Yu's grip wasn't heavy, but it held an unyielding firmness, effectively stopping him behind her.

She looked up at Qi Fang, her eyes calm, silently signaling him to cool down. Heaven Tyrant was, after all, an official of the Tianzhuo Constellation Galaxy, and even the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance Office. Even if he was truly annoying to look at, acting here would completely change the nature of the situation, only bringing them unnecessary trouble and not being worth the effort.

Qi Fang's heart was filled with unquenchable anger, but he understood Qi Yu's concerns. He could only glare hatefully at Heaven Tyrant, his chest heaving violently as he forcibly suppressed the urge to strike.

At the same time, Qi Yu had already seen through Heaven Tyrant's little scheme.

Her cold gaze fell on Heaven Tyrant, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. He wasn't genuinely trying to make friends; he was clearly eyeing her identity as a human, wanting to leverage this connection to climb the ladder and secure a smoother political future.

During her time in the Empire, she was well aware of the current atmosphere. Humans held a special status in the Star Domain, inherently possessing a 'noble' halo. Even if they weren't of the same race, as long as one could form an intimate relationship with a human, or become a partner, they would receive many implicit preferential treatments in officialdom.

Under the same conditions, when it came to promotions, those with human partners would always be considered first. Even if one was not human themselves, this connection alone could grant them opportunities far exceeding others.

Even if it didn't reach the level of a partner, merely maintaining a friendship with a human was enough to earn others' respect, subtly gaining many conveniences and confidence.

This was the 'noble' treatment the Empire bestowed upon humans, and also the root cause of why countless non-human races went to great lengths to curry favor with humans. Ultimately, it was all for the sake of attaching themselves to this identity to gain benefits.

This trend was somewhat more restrained in the central areas of the Empire, especially in Galaxys like the Milky Way Galaxy where humans frequently appeared; people saw them more often, and the fervor of admiration would be a bit milder.

However, in remote border Star Domains like the Tianzhuo Constellation Galaxy, where human traces were rare, this 'noble' halo became even more dazzling, and the desire to cling and fawn became more eager and direct. Heaven Tyrant's actions were merely the most common opportunism in border Galaxys.

Earth Tyrant listened beside him, his scalp tingling, his wine glass almost slipping from his hand as he cursed inwardly.

Damn it, I just wanted to make friends with these two, have a drink and chat, but you, on the other hand, are full of dirty thoughts and even set your sights on someone's sister?

He suddenly stood up, pointing at Heaven Tyrant's nose and roaring.

"Heaven Tyrant, are you crazy? How can you talk like that?!"

His tone was anxious and angry, fearing that these words would completely enrage Qi Yu and her younger brother.

Heaven Tyrant, however, looked unconcerned, even with a hint of offended arrogance.

"I'm not crazy."

He glanced at Qi Yu, the flirtatiousness in his eyes almost unconcealed.

"Besides, with my status, Deputy Director of the Tianzhuo Ministry of Finance, son of the Speaker, marrying a human citizen, am I not worthy? If anything, she would be getting the better deal."

"Heh."

Qi Yu was so angered she laughed, a cold arc forming at the corner of her lips.

She admitted that Heaven Tyrant's words might hold some truth to others. His status and position were indeed prominent in Tianzhuo, and he was certainly qualified to marry an ordinary human citizen.

But that was for others.

For her, Qi Yu, this arrogant man in front of her didn't even have the right to earn a second glance.

His so-called status and position, in her eyes, were no different from a dog wagging its tail begging by the roadside.

Qi Yu didn't speak, she just slowly raised her eyes, her gaze like an ice-tempered knife, stabbing directly at Heaven Tyrant. The contempt and disgust in her eyes were unconcealed, more hurtful than any harsh words.

Earth Tyrant watched from the side, his heart in his throat, and quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Sister, don't stoop to his level. This guy's brain is jammed, he's just spouting nonsense!"

He wasn't speaking up for Heaven Tyrant, but rather didn't want to miss the opportunity to befriend the two humans because of him.

Heaven Tyrant's heart clenched under Qi Yu's gaze, the arrogance on his face stiffened, but he still stubbornly retorted.

"Am I not speaking the truth?"

The gunpowder in the air was almost ready to explode. Qi Fang had already clenched his fists; if Qi Yu hadn't signaled him with her eyes to calm down, he probably would have thrown a punch already.

"Alright, I have no interest in you, nor do I have any desire to form any connections with you. Let's end it here."

Qi Yu's tone was cold, her expression full of impatience. Her previously good mood had been completely ruined by this suddenly appearing Heaven Tyrant, and she felt annoyed even staying for another second.

Saying this, she turned around, raising her hand to signal Qi Fang to follow, preparing to leave directly.

Qi Fang hadn't said much throughout, only sweeping a cold gaze over Heaven Tyrant. Seeing her signal, he immediately nodded and quietly followed beside his sister, clearly having no lingering attachment to the situation at hand.

Earth Tyrant, seeing this, couldn't help but sigh heavily, his eyes full of regret.

He had originally planned to make friends with these two and establish a good relationship, hoping for future interactions. Who would have thought that this idiot Heaven Tyrant would suddenly pop up? And not only did he show up, but he also spoke carelessly, completely ruining everything, leaving no room for salvage.

Heaven Tyrant's face instantly turned as dark as iron. He could barely tolerate Qi Yu's earlier mockery, but now she was so openly disdainful of him, completely disregarding his status. This contempt pierced his heart like a needle, causing his anger to surge.