Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

When everyone came out of the movie theater, it was already late at night, and most of the lights in the ancient city had been turned off, with only the streetlights still on duty.

Lin Bufan was still not in a good mood, after all, it was too disheartening that no one could discover his excellent acting skills!

Everyone knew that Lin Bufan was a little unhappy, so they tacitly decided to stay in the ancient city for one night before going back. This was not entirely because it was late, but because they dared not hand the steering wheel to Lin Bufan in this state, fearing that if he got upset, he might actually do something that would lead to mutual destruction.

After all, it's not surprising that something like this happened to Lin Bufan.

The hotel wasn't far, so the group decided to walk there. The ancient city at night had shed its daytime hustle and bustle, the cobblestone streets gleaming coolly under the streetlights. A gentle night breeze rustled the leaves of the trees lining the road.

As Chen Nanxing walked, he suddenly stopped, looked up at the night sky, and said with a slightly anxious tone, "Hey?! Where's the Morning Star? How could my big Morning Star just disappear like that?"

Upon hearing this, the others also subconsciously looked up and searched the night sky.

The night sky remained clear, dotted with countless stars, and the Milky Way was faintly visible. But that radiant, golden-white star, which had outshone all the other stars, had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed. That area was now only filled with the ordinary starry sky, quiet and distant.

"It's true...it's gone," Nana murmured.

"Could it be that the clouds are covering it?" Da Mai guessed softly, but there were clearly no clouds in the sky tonight.

……

Just as everyone was whispering among themselves, Lin Bufan, who had been walking silently with his head down, almost subconsciously, and with a slightly annoyed tone, chimed in:

"Wouldn't this easily cause panic? I hid it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

Everyone—Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, Damai, Hu Youyu, and Bai Manjun—turned their heads sharply in unison, their gazes fixed on Lin Bufan's face like searchlights!

His eyes were filled with shock, realization, inquiry, and a burning light that seemed to say, "Just as I thought," and "You've finally been exposed!"

Lin Bufan realized something was wrong as soon as he spoke, and his heart skipped a beat. He stiffly turned his head and met six pairs of bright eyes, a chill running down his spine.

"I...I mean," Lin Bufan tried to salvage the situation, forcing a dry laugh, "it might...be shy, so it's hiding itself. After all, it's so bright, it's obviously a girl, so it's normal for it to be a little shy, right?"

Although Lin Bufan offered an explanation, it was clearly too late. Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, Da Mai, Hu Youyu, and Bai Manjun's eyes lit up simultaneously under the dim streetlights, staring intently at him.

The air was silent for two seconds.

Chen Nanxing was the first to jump up, pointing at Lin Bufan's nose, his voice rising with excitement and the smugness of "catching him red-handed": "Lin Bufan! You finally admitted it! Still shy? Still a girl? Do you think we're three-year-olds?! Tell me! Qi Nanxing—no, what exactly happened to that Death Planet? Was it your doing?"

Although Xu Hongdou wasn't as agitated as Chen Nanxing, her gaze was also fixed on Lin Bufan. Her tone was calm but carried an undeniable probing: "Now that things have come to this, what do you have to say? Admit it, we won't laugh at your alien identity!"

Nana crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and mischief: "Hey Mr. Lin, tell me, what kind of alien are you? Which galaxy are you from? What's your purpose in coming to Earth?"

Although Da Mai didn't speak, her bright eyes and slightly forward-leaning body revealed the burning gossip within her as a creator.

Even the usually gentle Bai Manjun covered her mouth at this moment, her eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.

Hu Youyu, needless to say, practically had his eyes glued to Lin Bufan, just waiting for Lin Bufan to admit he was an alien so he could pounce on him and cling to his leg!

Lin Bufan felt a chill run down his spine under the gazes of those six eyes, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He opened his mouth, trying to struggle a little more: "No... I just said it offhand, just kidding! You actually believed me? If I had that kind of ability, I..."

"How are you?" Chen Nanxing interrupted, pressing on relentlessly, "You've already ascended to heaven, haven't you? You said that before! Lin Bufan, let me tell you, confess and you'll be treated leniently, resist and you'll be punished severely! Quickly confess honestly!"

Looking at the faces before him, each one screaming "You can't get away with this," Lin Bufan felt a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him. He knew that if he didn't provide a "reasonable" explanation, he would never get through this.

never mind!

Destroy it!

Lin Bufan took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping. The feigned composure and joking expression on his face vanished completely, replaced by a tragic expression that was heavy, weathered, and tinged with a sense of "being forced into a corner."

He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the night sky, as if looking towards his distant homeland. His voice grew low and slow, carrying a weariness that seemed to transcend time and space.

"Alright... since you insist on asking... then I won't hide it from you."

Everyone held their breath instantly, even Chen Nanxing fell silent and stared wide-eyed.

Lin Bufan closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes seemed to be filled with the sorrow of shattered stars: "I... am indeed not from Earth."

The very first sentence was earth-shattering. Although they had suspected it beforehand, hearing it with their own ears still sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"My homeland is a beautiful planet called 'El' in the distant Andromeda Galaxy. There are nights with two moons shining, rivers flowing with liquid light energy, a highly developed civilization, and we live in harmony with nature... I am Xingche, the prince of El."

A prince?! Everyone's eyes widened even more.

"However...good times are always short-lived." Lin Bufan's tone suddenly turned somber, filled with deep pain: "A group of raiders from the dark abyss—the Shadow Devourers—invaded our star system. They are greedy and brutal; wherever they go, stars dim and civilizations are annihilated. El...was the first to be hit."

It was a brutal war that lasted for dozens of El eras. Our warriors fought bravely, but the Shadow Eaters were too powerful… In the end, the defensive barriers of our home planet were shattered, and the royal city fell… My father, the last king of El, in his final moments, activated the only hyperdimensional jump device he had ever researched…

Lin Bufan's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes seemed to redden: "He sent me out along with the last spark of the El civilization—a core of civilization that condensed all the knowledge, history, and life gene sequences of El Star. And he himself... in order to protect the stability of the jump portal, chose to... perish along with the core energy of the royal city."

By this point in the story, it had taken on an epic, tragic tone. A cool night breeze blew by, and the audience listened intently, even their breathing becoming soft.

"I carried the hopes of the entire El civilization, drifting through the endless void for countless years, and finally... fell onto this blue planet."

That core of civilization is the planet Qinan you see. It's not a planet, but a massive, invisible preservation device for civilization. I can control its external behavior to some extent through special connections—for example, making it glow, or… hiding it.

I bear the heavy responsibility of continuing a great civilization. I am the only one left on El Star… Therefore, I must survive, I must find a way to give the flame of the El civilization a chance to reignite.

At this point, Lin Bufan's gaze slowly swept over Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, and Damai, his eyes filled with an indescribable expectation and pleading:

"So, do you understand now? The reason I... well, I've become closer to you isn't because of my nature... well, you know. It's all for the continuation of the Aiur civilization! I need excellent, beautiful, and kind genes, I need emotional resonance and bonds to help me better understand this planet, and to explore more possibilities for the future of the Aiur civilization. This isn't just personal emotion; it's the responsibility of a civilization! It's a mission across the stars!"

Now you know my secret, you know it concerns the survival of a civilization! Are you... willing to help me? Are you willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility with me? For El, and for... this bond between us that transcends race?

After Lin Bufan finished speaking, he looked at the four women expectantly, waiting for them to be moved by this "tragic mission" and show expressions of sympathy, understanding, and even willingness to "sacrifice themselves".

however……

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

A few seconds later—

Four voices rang out almost simultaneously!

Chen Nanxing curled her lip, looking disgusted: "Tch, boring. I thought I'd get an alien boyfriend!"

Xu Hongdou shook her head, her tone calm yet incisive: "After all that, the core message is that I'm lustful, but I have a legitimate reason? To make lust sound so refined and elegant, even bringing up the continuation of the race and the inheritance of civilization... Lin Bufan, isn't your thick skin the most supernatural part of you?"

Nana crossed her arms, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "President Lin, your acting skills... if you used that in a movie, just that tearful, patriotic monologue, who would dare say you're a bad actor? Oscars would be lining up to offer you one!"

Amidst the laughter, Da Mai, who had been listening quietly, suddenly raised his hand timidly and spoke up in a soft but remarkably clear voice:

"Um... I... I'm willing."

Everyone froze, turning their heads in unison to look at Barley with the eyes of someone looking at an alien (in a physical sense).

Xu Hongdou frowned slightly: "Da Mai, what did you say?"

Da Mai's face flushed under the streetlights. She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with an almost devout seriousness: "I said I'm willing. I'm willing to shoulder this responsibility and help President Lin... no, help Prince Xing Che to continue the El civilization."

The air was deathly still for a few seconds.

"Da Mai!" Chen Nanxing was the first to react, reaching out to touch Da Mai's forehead: "Have you gone mad from writing supernatural novels lately? Can't you tell the difference between fiction and reality? He's obviously making this up to fool us! How does he look like a tragic prince burdened with the survival of civilization?"

Da Mai shrank back, dodging Chen Nanxing's hand, and argued softly but stubbornly, "But...but I think what President Lin said...no, what Prince Xingche said might be true! Think about that star, and all his strange abilities...and he just described how miserable he was, saying he was the only one left on the entire planet, stranded on Earth, all alone. Shouldn't we...shouldn't we help him? He's the hope of a civilization!"

Everyone: "..."

Even Lin Bufan was puzzled, and even began to suspect that he had unintentionally activated the skill of emotional manipulation!

Nana facepalmed, both amused and exasperated: "Da Mai, Da Mai, open your eyes and look! He's miserable? You call that miserable?"

He's a billionaire, a strong contender for the title of the world's richest man, handsome, with tons of female friends, spending his days either chasing girls or finding new ways to have fun, and occasionally pulling off some earth-shattering act to show off. Tell me, where's the tragedy in that? What about us, who's practically losing all our hair every day just to pay rent, work, and get our hair done? Are we the protagonists of a tragic world?

Damai was speechless by Nana's series of questions—compared to Lin Bufan, who was burdened with the task of reviving civilization, it seemed that she herself was indeed in a worse situation!

The determination on Da Mai's face began to waver, and his eyes became confused.

Seeing this, Xu Hongdou added gently, "Da Mai, Lin Bufan's words are 11 out of 10, don't let him lead you astray."

Chen Nanxing quickly chimed in, "Exactly! I'd rather believe I'm Empress Wu Zetian than him! Let's go back to the hotel and get some sleep; we have to get up early tomorrow!"

As they spoke, Chen Nanxing and the other two hurriedly pulled Da Mai toward the hotel. They couldn't give Lin Bufan another chance, or Da Mai would really be fooled!

In the blink of an eye, only Lin Bufan and Hu Youyu, who hadn't moved an inch, remained under the streetlights.

Seeing the women walk away, Hu Youyu immediately sidled up to Lin Bufan, his face plastered with an extremely fawning smile, his eyes gleaming frighteningly: "Teacher Lin! Master Lin! Prince Xingche! They may not believe you, but I do! I, Hu Youyu, am utterly loyal to you, as the sun and moon can attest!"

Lin Bufan glared at Hu Youyu without saying a word!

Hu Youyu rubbed his hands together like a fly: "Um... Your Highness, you come from such a high-level civilization, you must have a lot of... um, high technology, right? Like that kind of enlightenment that instantly stuffs knowledge into your brain? Or... a brain-computer interface or something? Let me instantly become a superstar who can write lyrics, compose music, and sing! Don't worry, once I become famous, I will definitely not forget your great kindness, and we'll split the profits 50/50... no, you can have 70% and I can have 30%!"

"Get lost! What good is it if you believe me?!" Lin Bufan shoved Hu Youyu aside and turned to chase after the women who were almost at the hotel entrance. The streetlights cast his shadow long and short, and he shouted as he chased, his voice echoing through the empty ancient city streets:

"Hey! Red Bean! Southern Star! Nana! Barley! Don't walk so fast!"

"You all heard what I just said, right? My secret, the secret of Planet El! Now that you know, you have to take responsibility! Do you hear me?"

"This is no joke! The continuation of a civilization, the inheritance of a race, what a heavy burden! How can I shoulder it all by myself?"

"For the Horde, oops... for El, you have to help me! You absolutely must help me!"