dawn, maintaining its stable stealth mode in the sea of stars, cycled through its internal time, soon ushering in the night of the third standard day in the Emerald Sea.

Bai Cheng finished analyzing the latest detection data from the Dark Dust Star Belt, and a faint resonance fluctuation from the emperors imprint on her forehead vibrated.

She closed the light screen, lightly pressed her brow with her fingertip, and let out a silent sigh of relief.

Leaving the command module, she did not return directly to her resting quarters but turned toward another side of the living area.

She stopped before Yu Nian's cabin door and raised her hand to knock lightly.

The door opened quickly. Yu Nian was wearing a light green cotton loungewear set, her long hair loosely pinned up behind her head, with a few stray wisps hanging by her cheeks.

She was holding the main stem of the pure heart vine in her arms, its gentle luminescence reflecting in her soft eyes.

"Bai Cheng?" She stepped aside, concern evident in her eyes. "Come in."

The cabin interior was simply furnished, yet every detail showed care:

A bed, a small table, and in the corner, the cultivation base for the pure heart vine. Soft green light filled the modest space, and the air carried the unique fresh scent of plants mixed with a calming, faint fragrance.

Bai Cheng walked in and sat naturally on the edge of the bed.

Yu Nian closed the door, gently placed the vines on a nearby cushion, and then sat down /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ beside her.

"How are you today?" Yu Nian asked softly, her gaze fixed on Bai Cheng's forehead.

The light of the imprint there was slightly more active than usual, faintly flowing.

"Same as always," Bai Cheng shook her head slightly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible weariness. "The power fused during the star track reconstruction was too vast. Full synchronization between the imprint and the soul... still requires time."

Yu Nian didn't ask further, only extended her hand, her fingertip glowing with a warm, soft emerald light.

The pure heart vine seemed to sense her intent, extending several slender, soft tendrils that gently wrapped around Bai Cheng's wrist and fingertips.

A gentle and pure life force, carrying a special frequency that soothes soul fluctuations, slowly transferred over.

Bai Cheng closed her eyes, feeling the warm current flow along her meridians, smoothing out the subtle impedance and tension deep within her spiritual consciousness caused by the law resonance.

The lines of her shoulders and neck gradually relaxed.

Yu Nian carefully regulated the output of power, her eyes resting on Bai Cheng's profile.

Under the soft lighting inside the ship, this Empress, who usually shouldered the future of the entire Emerald Sea with eyes as resolute as the stars, now possessed less majesty in her brow and a touch more of the gentleness belonging to the individual 'Bai Cheng'—even... a hint of dependence.

After a moment, Bai Cheng opened her eyes; the trajectory of the galaxy in her silver eyes appeared much calmer.

She turned her hand and gently held Yu Nian's, lightly stroking the back of her hand with her fingertip.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Yu Nian's earlobes flushed slightly, and she shook her head: "It’s good if I can help you."

She hesitated for a moment, her voice becoming even softer, "Do you... want to lean on me for a while?"

Bai Cheng looked at her, a faint smile appearing in her eyes.

She did not refuse, slightly tilting her body and gently resting her head on Yu Nian's shoulder.

Yu Nian's body stiffened momentarily, then quickly relaxed.

She adjusted her posture to make Bai Cheng more comfortable. One hand remained clasped with hers, while the other was raised very lightly and tentatively, stroking Bai Cheng's silver-white long hair. Her fingers moved through the strands, the action clumsy yet incomparably gentle.

The pure heart vine stretched out their leaves quietly nearby, and the light they emitted seemed to become even softer and more tranquil, enveloping the two in a small world of peace.

"The Emerald Sea must be very quiet right now..." Bai Cheng suddenly spoke, her voice slightly muffled, carrying the languor of relaxation.

"Mhm," Yu Nian replied softly. "The belief network is very stable. The Spark Successors are all working hard; everyone... is waiting for you to return."

"Not just waiting for me," Bai Cheng said. "They are waiting for all of us to return with new hope."

Yu Nian felt the breathing of the person leaning on her shoulder gradually become even and long.

She stopped speaking, simply maintaining the position, occasionally running her fingers through the soft silver hair, feeling the warmth and trust from the other person transmitted through her palm.

The cabin was extremely quiet, only the almost imperceptible hum of the star sea navigation background and the two gentle breaths. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

After an unknown amount of time, Bai Cheng seemed half-asleep, unconsciously snuggling closer to Yu Nian's neck, murmuring something indistinctly in a low voice.

Yu Nian didn't hear clearly, but her heart felt as if it had been lightly brushed by a feather, stirring up a dense warmth.

She slightly tilted her head, her cheek almost touching the top of Bai Cheng's hair, which carried the clean, pleasant scent of interwoven starlight and the pure heart vine.

She didn't move, allowing this tranquility and intimacy to linger.

It wasn't until the cabin's simulated night light system indicated late night that Yu Nian very carefully, bit by bit, adjusted her posture, supporting Bai Cheng, who seemed to have drifted into a light sleep, and gently laid her down, covering her with a thin blanket.

She lay down beside her fully clothed, and the pure heart vine extended over, like a luminous, soft ribbon, lightly draped over both of them, continuously emitting peaceful fluctuations.

In her sleep, Bai Cheng unconsciously turned over, facing Yu Nian, one hand resting naturally on her waist.

In the dim, soft light, Yu Nian looked at her peaceful sleeping face; the light of the imprint on her forehead had completely settled down.

She watched for a long while before lightly closing her eyes, a hint of serene contentment on her lips that she herself hadn't noticed.

Outside the window, the stars flowed silently.

dawn carried them, navigating toward deep space, and also carried this companionship and trust, which was enough to warm each other's souls while traversing the cold sea of stars.

This was not a grand oath, but the concern and protection flowing naturally in the small details of daily life—the most solid yet softest strength on the road they walked side by side.