ABRIWMTHM Chapter 23

Shi Xing was stunned, his mind crashing.

For a long time, he couldn’t associate the words “Your Majesty” and “Chi Yao” together.

The former felt too distant; he had only ever heard of it in news reports, from Lu Lu’s family, and in the signature of the divorce agreement he received from the Nest.

As for the latter, he had bumped into Chi Yao once before he died, and since then had seen him countless times in the Nest.

It might have started off feeling distant, but with each contact and conversation, Chi Yao had long since ceased to be an unattainable figure in Shi Xing’s heart.

Now, regardless of the science popularization on the star network, just looking at Steward Xu’s reply…

Your Majesty? Your Majesty?? Your Majesty?!!

This title rolled around on his tongue, chewed over and broken down, then recombined.

Your Majesty.

Shi Xing tried it out.

Tried it out again.

Tried it…

Forget it, he simply couldn’t equate these two in a short time.

It’s just that… they were too different in his heart.

“Your Majesty” felt like a symbol of power, a series of glorious achievements since the succession, including but not limited to the highly praised military reform, defeating a D-level mutated star beast that was SSS-ranked at the border, and reducing the scope of borders the Empire governed during his reign, and so on.

When it came to these two words, all Shi Xing could think of were these things.

“Your Majesty” was something everyone knew existed in the Empire, yet it remained hidden behind countless big and small matters.

Whereas “Your Highness,” or Chi Yao, was altogether different.

Chi Yao… was a real person in his life, someone tangible.

Especially since he was no longer as fearful of the other as he had been at first; rather, he could feel the vibrancy of the other person in the details of their interactions.

Shi Xing: “…”

He probably needed a longer time to accept this fact.

Fortunately, seeing that he hadn’t replied, Xu Jin quickly sent another message, as if guessing his thoughts.

【Have you fallen asleep, or are you too shocked?】

Realizing it would be rude not to reply, Shi Xing hurriedly responded,【I haven’t fallen asleep, just too, too surprised.】

Shi Xing honestly stated:【I need some time.】

Xu Jin chuckled on the other end,【You can still call him ‘Your Highness.’ In everyday life, we don’t get many chances to call him ‘Your Majesty.’】

【Partly because Your Highness spends a lot of time leading troops outside, and partly due to personal habits and Little Highness.】

After just a brief remark, Xu Jin felt that it was about time for Shi Xing to process the title “Your Majesty,” so he decisively changed the subject,【So, did you ask Your Highness about the matching today?】

After thinking for a moment, Shi Xing didn’t hide it; he briefly recounted his trip to the commercial area and what he had said upon returning to his study.

Xu Jin asked again,【And what is Your Highness’s attitude?】

Shi Xing replied,【It was a bit scary at first, but later…】

While in the study, he couldn’t say it was not scary at all. After returning, Chi Yao had stopped using his own aura to pressure him. The tone of his speech was actually quite normal and daily; it was just that… perhaps the questions themselves were too sharp, and even though their wording didn’t convey that meaning, it still couldn’t be described as particularly gentle in Shi Xing’s ears.

Shi Xing felt a bit frustrated and tried his best to describe it. Apart from the actual conversations, he vaguely reiterated the meaning of his remarks.

Xu Jin grasped two key points,【Did Your Highness ask you many questions?】

【Did Your Highness not refuse you at the start?】

Shi Xing reflected,【I feel like those questions were almost the same as a rejection.】

Especially after knowing the other’s identity, just thinking about those questions made Shi Xing’s head buzz.

“Your Majesty” had a mental power problem that couldn’t be treated, and it wasn’t just the personal attendants around him who knew; the entire upper echelon of the Empire was aware of it. It wasn’t a secret; during his time with the Lu family, Shi Xing often overheard the Lu family members discussing such matters, filled with worry or helplessness.

When it came to facing him directly, if he didn’t know the other’s identity, he might have felt capable enough to think he could heal him in the future.

But knowing now…

From his time with the Lu family, what Shi Xing heard day in and day out was the concern about “Your Majesty’s” condition!

— “Your Majesty’s” mental power was too strong; no therapist could heal the issues within his mental sea.

This had nearly become a part of Shi Xing’s understanding.

Moreover, it was very hard for a person to break their conventional perceptions; Shi Xing was very aware of this.

With these thoughts in mind, Shi Xing immediately responded back with a question,【What was the initial assessment of Your Highness’s mental power level?】

People in the Empire first assessed their mental power when they were in their teens, when their mental strength was still developing.

Although he knew this answer wouldn’t hold much reference value, it didn’t stop Shi Xing from using this data to comfort himself and cheer himself up.

Xu Jin hesitated,【Uh, the situation in the royal family is quite special. You’ve studied Imperial history in the Nest, so you should know that the royal family is accustomed to intermarriage, and the inclusion of other bloodlines is frequent, aiming for directed gene improvement and enhancing the mental power levels of their descendants.】

Shi Xing was still dazed, unable to respond immediately,【I know.】

Xu Jin continued:【Intermarriage and the tendency to seek partners with high-level mental powers have also persisted in the royal family… for a very long time.】

【So…】

Shi Xing:【So?】

Xu Jin:【The results have indeed been very prominent.】

Xu Jin:【For instance, if we calculate by standard assessment levels, Your Highness and Little Highness were both SSS-rated from the first assessment.】

Shi Xing: “…”

Shi Xing: “…………”

Great, not only did that not comfort him; it felt like a sharp knife that mocked his overestimating himself.

Shi Xing typed expressionlessly,【The results are indeed very prominent.】

He had never heard of anyone in the Empire being SSS-rated on their first assessment!

Forcing himself back to Xu Jin’s inquiry, Shi Xing replied:【Yeah, he asked me a lot of questions.】

【There wasn’t a clear rejection,】 Shi Xing self-deprecatingly added,【Perhaps Your Highness didn’t want to make me uncomfortable.】

Xu Jin:【That’s not true.】

【Your Highness is not that kind of person.】

Shi Xing:【?】

Xu Jin:【If he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, the first time you mentioned the matching, he would have actively brought up the rejection, blocking all possibilities from the onset before you even asked.】

Shi Xing was once again stunned; could the other really be like this…?

Xu Jin:【But Your Highness didn’t. Knowing you might have something intended, he didn’t shut down the conversation, and when you asked the second time, there was still no clear rejection. Your Highness doesn’t like to do unnecessary things; his lack of rejection proves that he is really considering it.】

【Including asking you so many questions is also part of that.】

【If he had truly decided against it, there would be no reason to spend time and effort saying all of this.】

【Since he spoke up, then he must genuinely want you to think it through and consider carefully.】

Of course, from Xu Jin’s understanding of the Prince, it was likely that the Prince had not made a definite decision yet.

From this perspective, Shi Xing couldn’t help but feel it made sense.

Thinking of something, Xu Jin asked again,【Has your hand ring’s light brain given the best recommendations yet?】

After checking, Shi Xing replied,【Not yet.】

Xu Jin had a vague guess in his heart but only said to Shi Xing,【Oh, it’s probably just not time yet.】

After bidding farewell to Shi Xing, Xu Jin noticed they had already talked enough that night; there was no more room for additional thoughts in his mind. The best course of action now was to give him time to digest and accept this information. Xu Jin was clear about this, so even if Shi Xing still wanted to ask, he didn’t continue.

He closed the communication interface, wished him goodnight, but did not sleep.

After thinking for a moment, he headed to the study.

As expected, Chi Yao was leaning against the window, arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought. The documents and markers on the desk were left unattended, unlike usual, when he would have tidied them up after even not working.

Chi Yao did not display the absolute rationality he appeared to have.

Xu Jin noticed that.

And felt it was a good sign.

Approaching him, he greeted, and Chi Yao lazily acknowledged him, not even bothering to turn around.

Knowing that he couldn’t hide his role as a catalyst in this matter from Chi Yao, and recognizing this wasn’t what Chi Yao wanted to see, he also understood that the presumably delicate Chi Yao probably didn’t really want to see him, the instigator, at this moment.

But Xu Jin had his own objective and still asked Chi Yao what he thought about Shi Xing.

Chi Yao’s response was somewhat indifferent, “You know, emotional factors are not a reference for me in choosing my partner.”

Xu Jin: “I know, the heirs of the royal family have always been cultivated as such, and they have that awareness.”

Xu Jin had followed both Emperors; it was impossible for him not to understand the self-restraint of the monarchs.

Xu Jin was very clear, perhaps too clear, that the previous long conversation about pairing had been based on this, making it so Chi Yao couldn’t refuse.

Xu Jin: “Your Highness, I was just casually asking.”

He only wanted to know.

After a while, Chi Yao contemplated and casually gave an answer, “The eye color is pretty good.”

When making this evaluation, Chi Yao was thinking about those sea-blue eyes, washed clean by the water.

Clear and transparent; when looking directly at someone, they contained something that Chi Yao couldn’t see among the people around him.

If he had to put it into words, it was probably a pure sincerity.

The people he dealt with often shunned this; pretentiousness and remaining unflustered were what they were better at.

Xu Jin: “?”

Xu Jin immediately thought he had misheard.

When he realized it, he couldn’t help but start doubting whether he had made the Emperor dislike him so much that he had to deliver such impractical words to fend him off.

This night was long, and Shi Xing fell into a drowsy sleep.

After a long time, he was startled awake from his dreams once more.

When he woke up, cold sweat covered him.

He dreamed again, but this time it was different; this time… he dreamed of the process of losing his abilities.

It was far more real than the questioning from Chi Yao that stirred up his memories, a million times more so.

So real that after waking, Shi Xing found it hard to escape that emotion of fear.

He buried his face into his knees, holding himself.

Shi Xing thought he might never forget this segment.

It was when Lu Lu took him away from the Lu family, heading to his elder brother’s army…

At that time, Lu Lu had a huge argument with the princess, and it was extremely unpleasant. Lu Lu even declared he wouldn’t return…