ABRIWMTHM Chapter 25

From the moment the Empire’s Star Tree Nest was established, it has been dedicated to caring for a Mother Tree brought over from the now-vanished Blue Star.

When the Mother Tree finally took root and bore fruit, the Nest expanded its area, and from that day on, every three to five years, a batch of Blue Star humans would be born.

For over a hundred years now, the Nest has successfully hosted more than twenty matching banquets, sending off over three hundred mature Blue Star humans.

Now, over a hundred medical therapists in the Empire have emerged from the Nest, nurtured by it.

On the day of the matching banquet, Shi Xing and all the other Blue Star humans of the same generation sat in the classroom after a long time, listening to the teacher recount the history of the Star Tree Nest as per regulations, emphasizing the spirit of camaraderie and mutual assistance among their kind.

After the opening, there was an explanation of the matching mechanism for the banquet.

In the initial few rounds of matching banquets, everything was open and transparent, but the reality of too many candidates and too few spots changed that. The number of candidates was set to be 1.5 times the number of Blue Star humans looking for matches (this is the optimal number calculated by the light brain, which indicates the ideal candidate pool needed for all Blue Star humans to find matches), which meant that some officers would inevitably be eliminated, leading to situations where Blue Star humans had to choose between the two.

Conflicts arose over the scramble for Blue Star humans in the earlier banquets, and under such circumstances, the Nest, Senate, and Elders Council jointly decided to change the banquet system, transforming it from an open and transparent process to the semi-transparent mechanism that has remained in use today.

Before the banquet, the entering Blue Star humans and candidates would each receive a cloak, an energy mask that manipulates mental power, and most importantly, a matching bracelet.

The cloak conceals one’s form, and the surface absorbs mental power, forming a unique force field that cannot be stared at for too long.

The mask obscures one’s appearance, and as long as it isn’t willingly removed, no one can take another’s mask off.

Finally, the most critical item, the matching bracelet, relies heavily on communication throughout the entire matching process.

All bracelets are connected to the light brain and come with a positioning feature. After entering, Blue Star humans can select the individuals they wish to locate from their personal candidate pool, and if they gain the other’s consent, the bracelets will enable mutual positioning, guiding both individuals.

The difference is that the Blue Star humans’ candidate pool is fully open, meaning they can request to locate any candidate.

However, this is not so for the candidates’ bracelet pools. The candidates’ pools undergo an initial screening by the Blue Star humans before the banquet starts. The Nest will tally the matching preferences of the Blue Star humans, opening their locations to some while masking the information of others. Ultimately, based on this data, the Nest generates the candidate pool for each individual candidate.

For example, Shi Xing, whose talent has been assessed at an extraordinarily high level, only included five officers in his candidate pool while outright declining the other candidates in the presence of the administrator and all banquet officials.

When the officials called for the other Blue Star humans, Shi Xing was sent out by the administrator, and he too had questions to ask.

Shi Xing: “Teacher, may I ask, why can’t I choose His Highness?”

He had just carefully examined the candidate pool, and there wasn’t a photo of Chi Yao.

This question stunned the administrator, who immediately looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then pulled Shi Xing aside several steps, lowering his voice, “Who told you to ask this, Assistant Xu?”

Assistant Xu had already given the administrator a heads-up on that day, so the administrator’s first instinct was to think of Assistant Xu’s suggestion.

However, Shi Xing shook his head, “I just found it odd that I didn’t see His Highness.”

He added, “Assistant Xu said His Highness is also among the candidates.”

The administrator fell silent for a moment, wishing he could smoke a cigarette and discuss with Shi Xing the hardships he had faced being at His Highness’s beck and call for decades.

In the end, he managed to control his emotions and said, “What are you thinking? Do you think His Highness is just someone you can see in the candidate pool?”

“He has never appeared in the candidate pool; His Highness can only locate others, while Blue Star humans cannot locate him.”

They couldn’t even dare to allow that kind of positioning.

Moreover, given Chi Yao’s status, even if the Elders Council or the Senate were to come, no one would dare grant that kind of authority.

This question jolted the administrator into realization, and he looked Shi Xing up and down, “You and His Highness…”

Shi Xing was quite straightforward, “I want to choose His Highness, but he hasn’t responded to me.”

The administrator: “Oh.”

This was not unexpected.

The administrator was curious again, “Has His Highness not rejected you?”

“No clear rejection.”

The administrator nodded, thinking this could be good news, perhaps…

He might finally fulfill the task assigned by the Elders Council decades ago.

However, after dragging this matter out for decades, the administrator, who was eager in the first ten years of his role, had since adopted a rather ambiguous attitude.

After all, if His Highness did not wish to match, no one could force him!

Having asked his question, Shi Xing prepared to leave when the administrator abruptly called him back.

“I have something to say to you.”

“What is it? Is Lu Lu still contacting you?”

Lu Lu…

Shi Xing replied honestly, “Sort of. We had a fight, and Major General Fu sent him away. Subsequently, I moved to where His Highness is, so he couldn’t find me anymore.”

The administrator pondered, “You two…”

Shi Xing knew what the administrator was getting at and provided the most direct answer. Hearing about Shi Xing’s unintentional entanglement with Lu Lu, the administrator sighed in relief. He felt Lu Lu was not being considerate, but put on a facade and said, “Sometimes these things happen. After you leave the Nest, and after not seeing each other for years, it will just pass.”

Shi Xing nodded, “I think so too.”

As for why the administrator asked this.

The administrator: “Lu Lu is looking for you.”

“He first waited at my place; later, when you didn’t come back, he came to my place twice. He refused to leave the second time, but luckily his family also came to Ancheng. I had to ask Princess Consort Tan Shao to take him away.”

“He will also attend the matching banquet tonight; you… stay alert.”

The administrator was worried that Lu Lu, in his youthful impulsiveness, might cause a scene at the banquet.

Such situations were not uncommon, especially since Lu Lu came from a prestigious background; they couldn’t warn anyone before something happened, so they had to enhance security measures at the banquet.

Shi Xing nodded obediently, “I understand.”

The Nest had never had such a high-ranking Blue Star human, perhaps out of the teacher’s obligation, or perhaps because he had watched the child grow up, the administrator sincerely cautioned, “For decades, His Highness has never taken away a Blue Star human. If His Highness doesn’t choose you, don’t be stubborn.”

“The other five officers all have excellent backgrounds and skills.”

“If it weren’t for His Majesty, who do you intend to choose?”

This question was one that Shi Xing had thought about himself when he entered.

If His Highness did not come today, or if he came and did not choose him, who would he choose?

Indeed, he had no alternative options at all.

The first two days of hearing Fu Qing and Xu Jin discuss royal matters had left him dizzy, but no matter how they explained, it was just a rough outline. Later, Shi Xing visited the library many times to find information and delve deeper into his understanding.

After learning, he felt an immense pressure.

Shi Xing had to admit that there were moments when he felt like withdrawing.

But those moments were fleeting.

As the administrator stated, he had a somewhat stubborn personality; once he decided on something, no matter what, Shi Xing wanted to give it a try.

If he failed, at least he could say he had tried it, without regrets.

This had always been his principle in dealing with the world.

Most of his energy was spent on the few questions posed by Chi Yao. He already knew the backgrounds and identities of the officers; he figured out their personalities during these days of interactions.

Tan Yan was outgoing and enthusiastic, Xiang He Ze calm and stable, Guan Qun young and flamboyant, Pu Zhong Guang attentive and considerate, and Ge Ming had the handsomest looks but was equally pleasant in demeanor.

If he had to say, except for the fact that these five people belonged to different legions, none of them had any glaring flaws in Shi Xing’s eyes.

No glaring flaws, yet there wasn’t anything particularly attractive either.

Shi Xing found it hard to come up with the details for those questions before the matching banquet; in the end, he chose to invest his personal time into understanding the latter, leaving the former to give everyone a chance to make passive choices.

Shi Xing knew himself. Though he appeared gentle, he was not particularly remarkable in any aspect.

His most unique trait was probably his high status, SS+, which ensured that many would not give up on him.

Aside from that, he did not consider himself to be a particularly interesting person.

Having no choice but to make a selection, he realized he couldn’t choose like one would pick from a menu when choosing the five officers, so Shi Xing decided to be honest, striking out any mention of His Majesty, and plainly stated that he could not make a choice for now.

If they felt he was dragging it out or being disrespectful, they could opt out.

This would ensure that when they met again later, it wouldn’t be awkward. Shi Xing also promised that once he passed the maturity period and became a therapist, if the five officers needed anything, they could contact him, and he would do his best to help.

Therapists charge for external treatments, and they could negotiate the fees if they sought him.

With this promise, Shi Xing was offering a favor.

He was also concealing an unspoken apology within his heart—sorry, you are not my first choice.

Shi Xing thought that given their high statuses and strong pride, saying this would lead one or two to opt out, effectively helping him make a choice, but… none of them opted out. Instead, they encouraged him, saying there was no rush…

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Fine, this works. If His Highness did not choose him tonight, he still had more people to consider.

Shi Xing tried to find humor in it.

Upon entering the matching hall, the teacher announced: “This building is exclusively for the matching banquet. It has three levels; the third level leads directly to the rooftop garden, which features many flowers transported directly from the Empire, making it a great place for exchanges. The second floor has specially designed mental power isolation rooms that can only accommodate two people at a time, decorated like lounges for chatting. As for whether to remove your masks or reveal your true identities, that’s up to you.”

“The matching banquet will run from tonight until dawn, and in principle, it will continue for several days until the last Blue Star human completes their match.”

In practice, it generally concludes within one or two days. The early sessions provide ample time for understanding, and those who are mutually satisfied match quickly, while those who settle for less will soon firm up their decisions.

After all, there aren’t many Blue Star humans.

“The garden outside the building is also accessible; the Nest has set up barriers for privacy.”

“Finally, your bracelets come with alarm features. Should you encounter any disputes or unwanted attention, please notify the Nest immediately. The Nest will expel candidates who violate the rules.”

“If everyone is clear, let’s get familiar with the building now. In half an hour, the candidates will enter one after another.”

After the teacher finished speaking, he left, and everyone felt curious about the banquet hall.

A band was playing improvised music; currently, it was a solo violin performance, and the banquet tables were filled with cute sweets and cakes.

Shi Ran looked at the neatly arranged transparent drinks and gasped in awe.

Shi Xing had been to this place in his past life and wasn’t particularly curious; his mind was focused on the message he had just sent.

He read it several times to ensure there were no errors before sending it off.

After sending it, he felt inexplicably anxious.

He took a trip with Shi Ran to the upstairs garden and then wandered around the second floor; Shi Xing’s attention remained on his communicator, wanting to see if there was any reply.

Ding Dong—

Suddenly, a notification sounded, and Shi Xing instinctively checked.

It was a message from someone completely unexpected.

Shi Xing didn’t anticipate that Lu Lu would send him a message during the matching banquet.

“[Star, are you going to participate in the matching banquet?]”

“[How do you know about my circumstances?]”

“[I have my ways.]”

Shi Xing froze for a moment, sensing that the sender was not benign, and hesitated to reply.

His instincts were correct.

It indeed felt unwelcome.

Once the matching banquet started, all candidates entered, and Shi Xing stood in the second-floor corridor, where he could observe. He didn’t need to see under the masks; he could simply identify everyone’s distinct mental powers emanating from them. Each person’s mental power appeared different in his eyes.

Sure enough, Shi Xing saw Lu Lu among the crowd and the five officers.

Yet, there was no sight of Chi Yao.

For a fleeting moment of disappointment, Shi Xing wasn’t in a hurry; internally, he was prepared to give His Highness an hour. If, after an hour, he still hadn’t arrived, or if he rejected him in the process, he would choose from the five officers present.

It was a lovely thought until Lu Lu frantically started searching for him in the hall.

Shi Xing didn’t know what Lu Lu had been through, but he appeared to be in an unusual state.

This situation was unlike anything he would normally do.

Moreover, amid this abnormality, he maintained a good sense of decorum.

Had it been a disturbance or harassment, he would’ve been expelled, yet Lu Lu was not; he politely approached one Blue Star human after another, gauging each inquiring if they had seen Shi Xing.

Shi Ran sent a message to Shi Xing first, “[Star, Lu Lu is looking for you.]”

“[He asks everyone he sees if they’ve spotted you and your whereabouts.]”

“[Luckily, the teacher gave us some time to move; otherwise, everyone would know our exact locations.]”

Their masks were only turned on just before the banquet was announced to start.

Though referred to as masks, they are actually energy barriers clipped onto the ears, about the size of a thumb, creating a distortion layer in the air that effectively covers the face.

Shi Ran’s report was finished, and then came Lu Lu’s message.

“[I know you saw my message; reply.]”

“[Have you already made your decision?]”

“[Tan Yan? Xiang He Ze?]”

“[Or are you leaning towards the three high-ranking officers approved by the Senate?]”

Shi Xing’s pupils constricted; the subsequent selections were internal processes; how did Lu Lu gather this information?

Did he really go so far as to investigate this matter?!

Lu Lu was indeed behaving abnormally.

Shi Xing reaffirmed his suspicion.

Circling around the second-floor railing, he used his talent to locate Lu Lu, walking to an elevated point on the second floor, where he could see Lu Lu approaching a Blue Star human in the hall; without asking who the person was, he straightforwardly stated, “I am Lu Lu. Have you seen Shi Xing?”

Shi Xing: “…”

Upon closer inspection, they were classmates; he introduced himself, so the Blue Star human wouldn’t feel alarmed. Yet, Shi Xing wondered…

What was Lu Lu trying to achieve?

Even if he located him, what could he say? The matters regarding the Lu family and their disputes had nothing to do with him. In his past life, he had been dragged into these problems, but now that he was reborn, confirming it with him wouldn’t resolve Lu Lu’s internal issues.

As for matching, he had no intention to choose Lu Lu; he had made that decision from the moment he returned. Would finding him be an attempt to trigger the alarms and have security disband Lu Lu?

Was Lu Lu willing to lose all dignity?!

In truth, it appeared that Lu Lu was disregarding everything in his search for Shi Xing.

In the hall, all Blue Star humans were asked if they had seen him, and after counting the numbers, Lu Lu headed toward the garden.

Shi Xing: “.”

Taking advantage of Lu Lu’s temporary absence, Shi Xing swiftly rushed downstairs, still believing that Chi Yao would arrive.

His judgment was correct, but it had nothing to do with Chi Yao because several Blue Star humans from the rooftop also descended, and as they merged into the brightly lit hall, Lu Lu turned back.

Shi Xing’s heart raced momentarily, feeling he probably wouldn’t find many people in the garden now.

But Lu Lu’s actions upon returning gave Shi Xing a jolt.

He was counting the Blue Star humans.

Lu Lu had an exceptional memory; a few Blue Star humans and candidates had conversed in the hall just now. Shi Xing glanced over, noticing that at least half of those chatting remained in place, so…

After Lu Lu finished counting, he headed straight toward a Blue Star human who had just come down from the top floor.

If Shi Xing’s eyes did not deceive him, it was Yu Man.

Shi Xing subtly expanded his mental power; it was faint, as Blue Star humans’ powers were not easily detectable. As he discreetly monitored Lu Lu’s proximity, he walked towards the open doors of the banquet.

If it really came to that, he simply…

“I am Lu Lu. Have you seen Shi Xing?”

Lu Lu repeated this question twice. Yu Man ignored him while moving forward.

Seeing Lu Lu receive different reactions from Blue Star humans, he quickly followed up, repeating the inquiry again.

Yu Man still wouldn’t respond.

At that moment, Shi Xing wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved that he and Yu Man had issues between them, or else Yu Man wouldn’t be able to hold Lu Lu back.

The thought barely crossed his mind when the situation suddenly changed; there was a sound of a glass shattering as Lu Lu directly grasped Yu Man’s arm.

Those around were startled and turned to look.

Yu Man cried out in pain, “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?!”

“Let go, you’re hurting him!”

Nearby officers realized something was wrong and spoke up, several high-level mental powers spreading instantly within the hall, causing Shi Xing’s footfalls to momentarily halt. He maintained his pace, attempting to blend into the smaller group as he moved forward.

With the orchestra obscuring him, his retreating figure shouldn’t appear too conspicuous.

Amidst the chaos, the first person to take action, whom Shi Xing recognized, was Xiang He Ze, who compelled Lu Lu to release his grip with his mental power.

However… in the next moment, Lu Lu removed his mask.

The young master of the Lu family, even if officers in the Imperial Capital didn’t know him, would at least recall his face, and after introducing himself, the commotion died down due to the influence of the Lu family.

Lu Lu appeared calm, saying, “I’m looking for someone.”

But Shi Xing felt an unsettling sensation rising within; Lu Lu clearly was not as composed as he seemed.

“Who are you looking for?” Xiang He Ze asked.

“Shi Xing.” Lu Lu cleverly made an excuse, “We went to school together and are classmates; I have something I wish to discuss with him.”

“But his talent evaluation level is too high; he no longer resides in the Nest. So I wanted to see if I could find him here at the banquet after an unpleasant argument previously.”

Adding, “It relates somewhat to my family. I’m rather anxious.”

Shi Xing: “…”

He recognized Lu Lu as clever but felt this set of explanations was… shameless.

Fortunately, Xiang He Ze was no fool and retorted, “Then why not just message him?”

“Being classmates, you shouldn’t be without his contact, right?”

“I do. But the content exchanged isn’t for you to see; the number can be checked with you.”

Shi Xing: “…………”

He sensed Lu Lu would soon evade this situation, wondering how long Yu Man could remain silent, so Shi Xing quickened his pace.

Yu Man suddenly scoffed, “Aren’t you supposed to have a backup story? Young Master Lu!”

“I don’t know, can I leave now?”

Shi Xing felt empty inside.

Lu Lu had escaped.

His communicator buzzed again with messages.

Lu Lu: “[You saw it, didn’t you?]”

“[You should have noticed.]”

“[There are still five newly appeared Blue Star humans in the hall; do you want me to find you one by one, Star?]”

“[I want to ask you a few questions.]”

“[Is it that you don’t want to see me at all?]”

This was a side of Lu Lu Shi Xing had never seen.

Oh no, perhaps he had seen it, in his past life.

When he was pushed to the limits, cornered with nowhere to go, Lu Lu acted exactly this way, so…

Shi Xing dared not think deeper. He subconsciously gripped the alarm button on his bracelet; if Lu Lu truly behaved this way, then he…

Lu Lu: “[Four]”

Lu Lu: “[Three]”

Shi Xing’s pupils constricted. He was actually counting down to threaten him, and he…

Yet the next moment, Lu Lu encountered another Blue Star human who chose not to respond; this time, the Blue Star human took the initiative and pushed the obviously troubled Lu Lu aside.

Chaos erupted once again in the hall.

Shi Xing felt his mind begin to explode; he strongly sensed that if this continued, Lu Lu would wreak havoc on the entire matching banquet.

Just as Shi Xing contemplated whether he should alert security ahead of time, another message popped up on his communicator.

Thinking it was a countdown from Lu Lu, Shi Xing initially intended not to look, but due to heightened tension, his hand trembled as he opened it.

Chi Yao: “[Come to the entrance.]”

Shi Xing froze.

For a moment, he felt dizzy, unsure of what day it was.

His Highness… has arrived?!

His Highness is here?!

At that moment, all the surrounding noise faded into the background, and Shi Xing no longer maintained a steady pace but instead started to run, leaving all chaos behind him.

The lights in the entrance brightened as Shi Xing felt a rush of wind brush against his cheek.

Like that night, it poked at his cheek.

“Slow down, why are you running?”

Carried by Chi Yao’s voice, it had the opposite effect, making him quicken his steps.

In the eye of the whirlwind, Lu Lu sensed something and glanced toward the entrance, but before he could see clearly, a gust of wind rushed through the hall, forcing him to instinctively close his eyes. When he reopened them, the extended perception of his mental power was shaken by a powerful mental force, prompting him to withdraw immediately.

Lu Lu felt a moment of confusion about his perception, but when he recollected, he realized all of Shi Xing’s candidates were within the hall and that he couldn’t leave, slightly easing his tension as he focused ahead.

When Shi Xing reached the entrance and saw Chi Yao standing straight outside the building against the night sky, he finally halted and leaned against the door frame to catch his breath.

Chi Yao looked helpless, “Didn’t I tell you not to run?”

His tone was normal—very calm.

Shi Xing noticed Chi Yao had neither a cloak nor a mask on.

But he did wear the bracelet.

Well, that’s fine; the most important things were present. If they weren’t, he would have to consider other possibilities.

After catching his breath, Shi Xing removed the mask and looked at Chi Yao, feeling like he should say something, but before he spoke, he couldn’t help but reveal a brilliant smile.

This smile was too joyous and had a contagious quality.

It made Chi Yao unable to resist asking him, “What are you smiling about?”

Shi Xing tilted his head, his eyes crescent-shaped, “Happy.”

“I thought you wouldn’t come, Your Highness.”

“But you still came.”

“Happy, I’m very happy.”

Direct and pure, making it hard for the listener to maintain a stony face.

Chi Yao likewise found it difficult; during their gaze, he chuckled, shaking his head as the corners of his lips lifted.

Once Shi Xing had smiled enough, the atmosphere between the two gradually grew delicate. Just as Shi Xing was about to ask if Chi Yao would enter the banquet, the latter moved before his words could get out.

Chi Yao raised his hand and gently beckoned to Shi Xing, saying, “Come.”