Extra: What Happened Afterwards

What Happened Afterwards 1:

After the voting ended, no one was allowed to linger in the hall. One by one, everyone filed out of the building.

Minister Li, all smiles, presented gifts from Earth to the representatives of the ten major star systems, regardless of how they had voted.

Feng Jingyu thought for a moment, then hurried after the representative of the Noble Star System.

“Thank you for casting your vote for Earth,” Feng Jingyu said politely to the Shida Chunlu family. Whatever their reasons, she felt she ought to express her gratitude.

Before the Shida Chunlu family head could respond, Wo Shida Chunlu blurted out, “Autumn Whisper, don’t get the wrong idea. I only voted for you because of the Great Sage.”

“Is that so? What a coincidence,” Feng Jingyu replied, unfazed. She took a space box from the satchel slung over her shoulder. “This is a commemorative art collection of ‘Journey to the West,’ a rare edition numbered 00000001. Since you’re such a fan of the Great Sage, I’d like you to have it, as a token of appreciation.”

Wo Shida Chunlu’s eyes went wide, but he still muttered, “Who wants your stuff…”

His older brother, Wo’er Shida Chunlu, stepped forward, took the space box, and shoved it into his brother’s hands.

“Hold on to it,” Wo’er Shida Chunlu said gruffly, “so you won’t complain at home every day about missing out.”

Wo Shida Chunlu’s face flushed red as he clutched the box, awkward and bashful.

Feng Jingyu nodded to the Shida Chunlu family and turned to leave, but Wo Shida Chunlu called out to her again.

“Autumn Whisper, I almost killed you back then. Why did you…”

Feng Jingyu was taken aback, then smiled. “How could you possibly have killed me? 77 was watching over me the whole time.”

“I see…” Wo Shida Chunlu felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He immediately put on a stern face. “Go on, I don’t want to see you anymore.”

“All right, I’m leaving right now, so I won’t offend the young master’s eyes,” Feng Jingyu replied with a cheerful grin as she walked away.

The Shida Chunlu family didn’t linger and soon left the decision center.

·

What Happened Afterwards 2:

When the delegation returned to Earth, they were greeted with a hero’s welcome. Not only was there a commendation ceremony, but also a celebratory banquet.

S-77, Yuhui, and Qing Lan were all among the invited guests.

Feng Jingyu, cradling her favorite milk tea, sat in an inconspicuous corner, watching everyone’s every move with great interest.

Cen Lan soon found her and sat down beside her.

“Hiding here again?” Cen Lan said with a smile.

Feng Jingyu grinned sheepishly. “Come on, Sis, spare me this time.”

Cen Lan took a sip of her drink, still smiling, but said nothing.

Feng Jingyu’s eyes sparkled as she blinked at Cen Lan. “Sister Cen Lan, can you clear something up for me? You’ve always treated the Yu family a bit differently.”

Cen Lan pondered for a moment before slowly replying, “When I was ten, I happened to see a live concert by the Yu family. It was a concert held by Madam Yu Xiuqing. As a child, I was deeply moved. From that moment, I wanted everyone in the Interstellar Federation to hear such beautiful music. Later, that became a wish to let aliens experience our culture.” Cen Lan took a deep breath and gave Feng Jingyu a rare, utterly genuine smile, free of any other emotion. “We’ve done it. It’s wonderful.”

Feng Jingyu smiled too. “Yes, it really is.”

·

Cen Lan’s terminal chimed with a virtual communication request. She glanced at it, gave Feng Jingyu an apologetic smile, and walked to a quiet corner.

The call connected, and a familiar face appeared in the holographic projection.

“Sister, it’s been so long!” The woman on the other end was a little emotional, waving vigorously at Cen Lan.

Cen Lan, recognizing her, smiled faintly.

“It has been a while, sister-in-law. How are Mom and Dad?”

“Father and Mother are both well, don’t worry. We all watched the live broadcast that day. Sister, you were amazing! Duoduo even said she wants to be as awesome as you when she grows up!”

At the mention of her niece’s nickname, a gentle look appeared in Cen Lan’s eyes.

“Tell her to study hard—that’s how she’ll make her dreams come true.”

“Sister, when will you come home for a visit? A’Cheng wants to apologize to you, and Father and Mother really miss you.” Her sister-in-law’s expression was a little cautious as she spoke.

Cen Lan’s gaze grew distant for a moment before she replied, “In a few days. I’ll let you know the exact time.”

“All right, just let me know in advance, and I’ll make you something delicious!”

“Mm.” Cen Lan nodded and ended the call.

She stood there for a while before returning to Feng Jingyu’s side.

Feng Jingyu didn’t ask what it was about, but Cen Lan spoke up on her own.

“My parents want me to come home for dinner in a couple of days.”

“Wow, then you should order all your favorite dishes,” Feng Jingyu suggested enthusiastically.

Cen Lan couldn’t help but laugh. Only Feng Jingyu would say something like that.

“All right, I’ll make sure the whole table is filled with my favorite foods.”

Feng Jingyu gave her a thumbs-up. “That’s the way.”

·

What Happened Afterwards 3:

Yuelü resigned from her position as governor of the Central Star System.

During the transition, people kept trying to persuade her to reconsider—even her chosen successor tried to talk her out of it.

But Yuelü stood firm and told everyone who came to persuade her the same thing:

“As governor of the Central Star System, I had personal motives when I voted on the emergency protocol. That alone has ended my political career. I can’t get past this myself. Please, stop trying to change my mind.”

After she said this, those around her stopped trying to persuade her.

On the day she moved out of the governor’s residence, she didn’t let anyone see her off, except for her friend, the Wordweaver, Star Anchor, who brought Yuhui along.

“Aunt Yuelü, I’m sorry…” Yuhui was so ashamed she couldn’t meet Yuelü’s gaze.

“Silly child, what is there to apologize for?” Yuelü embraced Yuhui with motherly affection. “At your age, having your own convictions and judgment is a wonderful thing.”

Yuhui hugged Yuelü and burst into tears.

Yuelü gently patted Yuhui’s back, her eyes as gentle as a mother’s. When her friend first found this child, she had no experience caring for a baby. Yuelü had helped raise her, teaching her much along the way.

This was her second child—how could she bear to blame her?

The Wordweaver, Star Anchor, also gently embraced them both.

Once Yuhui calmed down, she let go of Yuelü, a little embarrassed.

“Aunt Yuelü, I’ve already bought my ticket to Earth. When you arrive, come live with us in Wangyunli. Stay in my apartment—I’ve already prepared a room for you.”

“It’s a deal, then. Don’t you dare complain about me when the time comes.”

“How could I? Let me tell you, I’m now a master of Earth cuisine—I can make all sorts of delicious dishes. Teacher loves them, too,” Yuhui said proudly.

“Yes, her cooking is absolutely top-notch,” Star Anchor added, making a thumbs-up gesture only someone from Earth would use.

“Now I’m really looking forward to it,” Yuelü said with a smile. “From now on, life on Earth will be in your hands, Yuhui.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt Yuelü. I’ll make sure you’re well-fed and happy. And if you ever get bored, you can be a consultant at Youjian Entertainment. I’m telling you, it’s such a fun place…”

As Yuhui chattered on about her life on Earth, Yuelü glanced at her smiling friend, her eyes full of happiness.

From now on, it would be a new life.

·

What Happened Afterwards 4:

Earth time, June 22, 5210, 10:00 a.m.; ST 2030-010:080:542—the second “Federation Cup” Summer Tournament began.

Originally, the tournament was meant to be held annually, but because Earth had been preoccupied with recalculating its civilization recognition rate, it had been postponed. Now that everything had settled, the second tournament could finally take place.

This time, the format was completely different from the first. With the help of the Supreme Intelligence, the Interstellar Federation’s E-sports Joint Affairs Committee divided the Federation into ten regions, each with two seeded teams advancing to the finals. In addition to the titles and peripherals from the first tournament, generous cash prizes were now offered.

These teams weren’t “national teams” from each star system, but rather club teams competing for a spot in their regional finals.

The new format had been announced right after the first “Federation Cup.” Star systems with lower average psychic power placed great importance on it, quickly establishing their own club teams from scratch.

After years of training, these teams and their players had become quite formidable.

Of course, not every star system was fully invested in e-sports. While some enthusiasts had formed teams, they never gained much momentum and remained a niche interest.

But with the Federation’s enormous population and so many star systems, competition for each region’s qualifying spots was fierce.

Earth, as its own region, saw the competition reach fever pitch from the very start.

The previous champions were now scattered across different club teams. In the end, the teams of Gu Qingyun and Zhou Tong won the qualifying spots and advanced to the finals.

This time, the alien opponents were on a whole new level, armed with something Earthlings lacked—psychic power.

Though psychic power couldn’t be used in the holographic games, it gave alien players extraordinary learning abilities in daily life.

This tournament no longer had time limits, but after intensive training, the alien teams didn’t drag out the matches.

Later, in the semifinals, Zhou Tong’s team suffered a narrow defeat, and the championship came down to a contest between Gu Qingyun’s team and the Galaxy Village team.

It felt like a continuation of the first championship match.

Gu Qingyun’s tactics were even more refined than before, leading her team to victory and clinching the championship.

The glory of Earth’s teams would continue to be written in her hands.

·

What Happened Afterwards 5:

Earth time, July 7, 5210, 8:00 p.m.—Youjian Entertainment released its third holographic game: “Great Detective Holmes.”

This was a detective game focused on reasoning and puzzle-solving, set in nineteenth-century London. Players took on the role of Holmes’s friend Watson, solving cases together.

To prevent spoilers, the game was released in both an Earth version and a Federation version, with differences in content.

For the same cases, the names and appearances of the culprits differed between the Earth and Federation versions, and even the timeline of each case was different.

If, after all that, Earth players still went out of their way to spoil things, well, nothing could be done about it.

Within a month of launch, its unique gameplay and world-building attracted countless alien players. After all, detective fiction was unique to Earth’s culture, and the game was adapted from a timeless classic.

Other Earth game companies followed suit, releasing many similar games, some of them excellent original works, thoroughly satisfying the appetites of alien players.

·

Seeing the game’s approval rating remain sky-high, Feng Jingyu was delighted and began preparing her next project—only to be ruthlessly stopped by Yu Huaiyin.

“What? Travel? No, no, no.” Feng Jingyu shook her head like a rattle drum.

“You can’t just stay cooped up at home every day. I’m not asking for your opinion—I’m informing you,” Yu Huaiyin said coldly.

Feng Jingyu’s expression was complicated. “Huaiyin, you really need to stop reading so many domineering CEO novels.”

Yu Huaiyin felt the urge to go dark, but managed to restrain himself.

“Anyway, pack your things. 77 and I will pick you up the day after tomorrow.”

“77?” Feng Jingyu’s expression changed instantly, now looking deeply hurt and incredulous. “How could you? You and 77 are going to meet the parents—why drag me along as a third wheel? How could you be so heartless, so cruel?! Yu Huaiyin, I’ve misjudged you!”

Yu Huaiyin calmly watched Feng Jingyu finish her performance.

“Remember, 10 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Even if you haven’t packed, it doesn’t matter—we can buy whatever you need when we get there.”

·

On the day of departure, Feng Jingyu had, after all, packed her bags and obediently followed Yu Huaiyin and S-77 to Qiming Spaceport.

The moment she saw Cen Lan, she rushed over and began complaining about Yu Huaiyin’s villainy.

“Sister Cen Lan, if he wants to meet the parents with 77, just let him go. Why drag me along? I’m so small, helpless, and pitiful.”

Cen Lan, as always, patted Feng Jingyu’s back and said with a smile, “Go out and see more of the world. Have fun.”

“Sister Cen Lan, you’re really not coming with us?” Feng Jingyu pouted.

“When I’ve saved up enough vacation days, I’ll go with you. And remember to bring back some local specialties.”

“All right.” Feng Jingyu boarded the ship, looking back at every step.

Cen Lan watched their ship depart before turning to leave.

No one could have guessed that this would be a wild and chaotic journey.

They left their stories in different star systems, tales that would be told for many years to come.

·

Finally:

ST 3026-206:120:999—the handover of the Interstellar Institute of Literature’s directorship was completed without incident.

The new director was Shu. The title of Wordweaver would be with him for a long time to come.

After leaving the institute, Star Anchor went to Earth to live with Yuelü.

When Yuhui learned that Shu had become director, she rushed back from a remote star system, traveling day and night.

Those who had intended to object fell silent when they saw Yuhui appear at the institute.

With Yuhui’s backing, Shu smoothly took over the institute’s affairs, becoming a Wordweaver in his own right.

Yuhui saw all of this.

Later, one day, Yuhui slipped away without a word, setting off to continue her journey, to fulfill a friend’s last wish.

When Shu read the message Yuhui left for him, he hid away and cried in secret.

Afterwards, Wordweaver Shu left a bold and colorful mark on the history of interstellar literature. As for Yuhui, her legendary adventures continued on.