ABRIWMTHM Chapter 32

The attendant returned to the office and did not see Tan Shao’s figure, causing his heart to skip a beat.

He asked the assistant at the door and learned that Tan Shao had left about half an hour ago. The attendant’s mind raced, and he hurriedly turned to go to the tree garden.

However, before he had even exited the main building, he ran into Shi Xing, who was returning.

The attendant hesitated, calling out, “Shi Xing…”

Shi Xing greeted the attendant politely.

After pondering, the attendant pulled Shi Xing into his office.

“Did you meet anyone on the way?”

After closing the door, the attendant nervously asked.

Shi Xing understood, “You want to ask if I saw the Princess Consort, right?”

The attendant: “.”

If he could respond like this, then the answer was already clear.

Shi Xing confessed, “I saw her on the way back from the tree garden. She came to see you today, right?”

When Shi Xing saw Tan Shao, he probably guessed how she had arrived.

The security at the tree nest was always tight, especially since it was the day he and Chi Yao were returning to sign a contract; the entire nest would have been well-prepared and would not let any idle individuals in.

Moreover, the prince’s mental power level was extremely high, and even five SS-ranked officers sneaking into the nest would not escape his perception. Therefore, the only possibility for Tan Shao to enter the nest smoothly was that she came in openly through the front door.

And since Tan Shao was not a candidate and held a prominent identity, her being allowed in at this time was self-evident.

The attendant said, “Yes, it seems Lu Lu… Young Master Lu has been young and reckless, persistently entangled with you isn’t a solution either. The news that the prince has taken you away has already been relayed back to the Elders Council. In a while, the entire high-up of the Imperial Capital should get wind of it; this matter can’t be hidden for long.”

“If she wants to know about your superior, I thought it would be better to let it flow naturally. When she sees the prince, she will naturally restrain Lu Lu.”

In fact, that was indeed the case. Even before the attendant had to tell her in person, when Tan Shao encountered Xu Jin in the corridor, she already realized Shi Xing’s status as a superior.

After realizing this, her attitude changed abruptly, from wanting to see both of them to only wanting to see Shi Xing.

The attendant said, “I refused her request to see you.”

“She insisted on staying in my office, waiting for me to change my mind. Given her status, I couldn’t just kick her out. I didn’t expect…”

Little did he know, Tan Shao saw Shi Xing going to the tree garden and followed him out.

Shi Xing nodded, not surprised, and did not let the attendant feel awkward, saying, “From your perspective, it indeed wouldn’t be easy to handle.”

“You have already planned well for me.”

Not allowing the attendant to ask what he and Tan Shao discussed, Shi Xing proactively said, “The Princess Consort has already promised me that she will keep Lu Lu in check. I also don’t want to escalate this matter before the prince. Waiting a year or two, when Lu Lu comes to his senses, things will naturally be fine.”

Noticing that Shi Xing did not want to mention the contents of the conversation, the attendant ultimately just nodded.

He also reminded, “The prince is a very responsible person. If there’s anything you can’t solve, you can discuss it with him; don’t force yourself.”

After saying that, he looked Shi Xing up and down as if addressing a younger relative.

“Take good care of yourself during your maturity period.”

Knowing that the attendant had the best interests of every Blue Star human in mind, Shi Xing nodded.

“Why is there so little here? What about the others?”

Chi Yao flipped through the treaties sent by the Elders Council, raising an eyebrow.

He casually handed it to Xu Jin, who scanned through it and confirmed there was indeed a lot missing. While flipping through, he said, “Only the most basic recognition materials from the Elders Council for when His Highness gets married, the royal asset confirmation regarding partners after marriage, documents confirming the responsibilities and rights of partners within the Empire, and the detailed rights confirmation directing to the Elders Council are all missing.”

Chi Yao looked at the people from the Imperial Capital. “Only the most basic royal consent agreement and royal identity verification documents are there, all of which are just procedural documents. The important ones are missing. You came rushing from the Imperial Capital overnight; does the Elders Council want me to praise their efficiency, or are they expecting to hear other comments from me?”

Ren Hong had been smiling since entering, but upon being pointed out for his oversight, he respectfully bent slightly, his smile undeterred.

“Your Majesty, here’s the thing.”

“You didn’t hear any news about the matching in the Imperial Capital before today, and there are numerous documents to prepare after the matching. The ones you and Officer Xu pointed out are particularly important. Given the special nature of your partner’s identity and ethnicity, the Elders Council has been meeting every day, drafting urgently.”

“The chairman asked me to bring the basics first; the important documents will be prepared soon, and he will personally contact you for your review.”

Chi Yao remained non-committal.

This reason clearly did not convince him.

He remained silent, and Xu Jin pointed out mercilessly, “These documents are all clearly stipulated by laws and regulations. Redrafting is merely tailored to the unique aspects of each Emperor’s partner, making some detail modifications, having meetings every day? Is there really a need for that little work to be addressed daily?”

Ren Hong only smiled.

Chi Yao lightly tapped the table, “That old fox Ren Yan Yong must be plotting something, afraid that if the documents come together, I will contradict the Elders Council, and in the end, not sign a single one, right?”

Ren Hong’s smile stiffened.

Xu Jin also caught on.

The Elders Council and himself were aligned in their attitude about the matching; they very much wished for Chi Yao to take a Blue Star human. Today, the Elders Council brought the materials as it was Chi Yao’s idea, indicating they were ready to sign together with the documents from the tree nest.

And the documents from the tree nest just happened to include the matching confirmation letter and marriage agreement.

In essence, it would only become final and effective once signature was done.

If the Elders Council opposed Shi Xing’s rights within the royal family, they would presumably not dare to bring it up and confront Chi Yao at this moment. Should things escalate, if His Majesty doesn’t even sign the tree nest documents, the Elders Council would only come out worse for wear…

So…

“Does the Elders Council have any objections to the duties and rights the young prince is to have in the royal family?” Xu Jin asked solemnly.

Ren Hong had a hint of sweat on his forehead, his tone increasingly respectful, “How could that be? It’s just that the Emperor’s spouse is a Blue Star human, and they have no family concept. There will be more changes to some important documents; the Elders Council will inevitably be more cautious in phrasing and detailing, wishing to make it perfect.”

Chi Yao chuckled softly, “It would be best if that were true.”

Chi Yao: “You know my temperament; go back and tell your father that everything should follow the regulations. There’s nothing else to discuss.”

Ren Hong was the elder son of Ren Yan Yong, the head of the Elders Council.

Xu Jin felt it was not quite right and hesitated, holding the documents, “So, Your Highness, will we be signing these today?”

Chi Yao extended a hand, “Yes, let’s finalize the identity first. Then the subsequent arrangements for your personal assets and palace room renovations can proceed alongside. If the Elders Council dawdles, I want to see what surprises they can come up with later.”

Ren Hong’s smile had become rather forced.

Fortunately, after mocking this round, signing proceeded exceptionally swiftly between Xu Jin and Chi Yao. In just a few minutes, they had completed the signatures and sealed the documents, which Ren Hong could take back to the Elders Council for filing and activation.

Ren Hong then congratulated them several times on their new marriage.

Just then, Xu Jin notified Fu Qing that it was time to finish, and at that moment, Shi Xing, who had already met with Fu Qing, arrived at the door with him.

Ren Hong’s eyes lit up upon seeing Shi Xing.

That look was all too familiar; Shi Xing had seen it on Xu Jin’s face and also on Fu Qing’s. Now…

Shi Xing politely smiled and nodded at Ren Hong.

Ren Hong immediately introduced himself, “Hello, young prince. I am Ren Hong from the Elders Council, here to deliver documents to His Majesty. We will have many opportunities to meet in the future, I hope for your guidance.”

Shi Xing was still not quite accustomed to the official tone, forcing out two words: “Hello.”

Ren Hong looked at Shi Xing with bright eyes, “May I take a picture of you? Our chairman has always wanted to see…”

Before he could finish, Shi Xing was pulled behind by Chi Yao, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “No.”

“Since those documents have had you meeting every day, I suspect Ren Yan Yong has no time to look at pictures right now.”

Ren Hong: “…”

Chi Yao: “When he has them ready, he can come see you; there’s no rush.”

Before Ren Hong could object, Chi Yao had already pushed Shi Xing away.

After walking for a while, Shi Xing looked back at Ren Hong with confusion, seeing the Elders Council employee standing frozen in the spot, seemingly wanting to keep him, but not daring to offend Chi Yao.

Did he look a bit… pitiful?

However, after the group had walked a distance, their attitudes seemed to indicate it was far from that.

Fu Qing opened his mouth to ask, “What new shenanigans is the Elders Council plotting again?”

Shi Xing’s head was filled with big question marks.

Not knowing who to look at, he ultimately turned his gaze to the prince beside him, his sea-blue eyes filled with curiosity.

Chi Yao found his expression amusing and reached out to tap Shi Xing’s forehead lightly, explaining, “I can’t make it clear to you right now; just remember that they are an entity that regulates royal conduct.”

“As for specific behavior, it’s not complicated to summarize.”

“They can’t manage two practical tasks but are experts in performing face-saving acts.”

Ah…

If he couldn’t catch the drift from that, he would have to be considered slow.

Shi Xing cautiously asked, “So, are they not particularly on our side?”

Xu Jin acknowledged, “Their stance has already been determined. With the royal family holding power, they regulate and supervise the exercise of the royal authority, which makes the two sides inherently oppositional. Do you think they would be cooperative?”

Shi Xing let out a small “Oh,” understanding.

Chi Yao: “Before we return to the Imperial Capital, Xu Uncle will clarify with you. We are not in a hurry to return; first, we will go to two nearby cities, and the flight will take about a week.”

Shi Xing nodded obediently. “I will learn well.”

Before leaving the tree nest, they encountered someone.

General Fei Chu, who had been undergoing treatment.

Previously Chi Yao had mentioned that once Fei Chu woke up, he would take Shi Xing to meet him. That, however, didn’t happen because it was just before the matching banquet. After Shi Xing expressed interest in choosing Chi Yao, the two of them had yet to clarify their relationship, so Chi Yao did not bring it up.

Treatment was nearly completed; Hua Li had already stopped coming, while Yun Wu would stay for a while longer until it was confirmed Fei Chu was completely fine before leaving.

The medical bill Shi Xing proposed had never been presented to Chi Yao.

After the matching, Chi Yao wrote one himself and brought it along to meet Fei Chu.

Fei Chu had already expressed his gratitude to Shi Xing in person. The two cousins exchanged a few words, and Chi Yao sent payment for the medical fees to Fei Chu’s communicator.

Shi Xing glanced at it, feeling there were a lot of items he wasn’t familiar with and didn’t want to stare at for too long.

After looking it over, Fei Chu fell silent for a moment, hesitating, “This bill is… my new marriage gift?”

Chi Yao: “No, it’s merely the treatment fees.”

Fei Chu gasped softly.

Chi Yao: “If you don’t want to give it to me, you can send it to my aunt. I feel like she will have a lot to say if she finds out about your injuries.”

Fei Chu immediately surrendered, “No, brother, cousin, please grant me an escape route, seeing how severely injured I am.”

Chi Yao: “If I didn’t want to grant you an escape route, I wouldn’t have taken a warship to bring you to the tree nest.”

Chi Yao: “After you’re discharged, you won’t have to go to the battlefield, and neither I nor my aunt will have to worry about your disobedience again.”

Fei Chu took a deep breath, sensing every word Chi Yao said was a trap since he was getting more cautious and careful, sending off this giant Buddha.

Before leaving, Chi Yao tossed down a final bombshell, “Oh, right, you have three months off. After you leave the hospital, go straight back to the Imperial Capital and don’t return to the army.”

As they exited, faint cries from General Fei Chu echoed down the corridor—

“Isn’t this the same as telling my mother? I can’t bear to tell her myself!”

A bit later, Shi Xing learned from Fu Qing that during the battle with the star beast, General Fei had pushed too hard, aiming to finish it off quickly, but he’d ended up in a trap and got seriously injured.

Fu Qing said, “But my commander was also considering the prince. The prince… his mental sea is not suitable for extensive use of mental power before the therapists arrive this year. Without the heavy blow from my commander, the prince wouldn’t find it so easy to defeat that star beast afterward.”

Fu Qing sighed, “But I can understand why the prince is so angry. It was too dangerous. If he hadn’t encountered you and if Therapist Yun Wu hadn’t arrived in time, the commander would have been incapacitated, and the prince wouldn’t have gotten any satisfaction. The royal family itself…”

Upon saying this, Fu Qing clenched his teeth and muttered a curse.

“If only we could eradicate these things completely.”

“Every year, there’s a beast tide, and the threat level is continuously rising. When will it ever end?”

At this point, Shi Xing didn’t know how to respond, lowering his head and simply echoing, “Yes.”

Later on, this story received a more detailed recounting from Xu Jin.

After dinner, while wandering around the mansion to digest, Shi Xing thought about something else.

The last time he had filled in the cracks in Chi Yao’s mental sea, he sensed a residual mental power from the star beast. At the time, he could do nothing about it. Now, was this mental power still lingering in the prince’s mental sea?

Would it cause him discomfort every day?

There was no answer.

If tallied, this mental power had existed since their meeting.

However, throughout this time, Shi Xing had not seen Chi Yao show any unusual behavior in everyday life.

Yet just because it wasn’t visible didn’t mean it didn’t exist. The specifics could only be known by Chi Yao himself.

As Xu Jin had mentioned in the daytime, he returned and arranged a new room for Shi Xing, placing him next to Chi Yao. Their rooms were in the same corridor, while Xu Jin, Fu Qing, and the attendant Yan Changyue’s rooms were all separated by a staircase, a considerable distance apart.

Shi Xing thought about the events of the day for a long time. At night, hugging a cushion, he knocked on Chi Yao’s door.

As he knocked, he felt a wave of mental power, then upon searching again, it had vanished.

Shi Xing was unsure if it was just his illusion.

After several seconds, the door was opened by mental power, and Chi Yao’s voice came through, “Is there something at this late hour?”

Shi Xing stepped inside, seeing Chi Yao in pajamas sitting on the sofa, the area before him filled with projection screens from floor to ceiling.

“Your Highness, am I disturbing you?”

Shi Xing felt uneasy.

“No, I’m trying to get a head start on tomorrow’s work while it’s still light lately. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for a stroll in Ancheng.” Chi Yao, as always, multitasked, his hands never stopping while he spoke, “Last time Yun Wu suggested going out to have fun, I noticed you looked quite happy. Xu Jin also recommended we all go out together to foster better understanding.”

As Shi Xing had just joined them, he would definitely need more support from them.

He suddenly felt something while speaking, paused, and finally turned to look at Shi Xing.

Once their eyes met and confirmed his perception wasn’t wrong, Chi Yao was surprised, “Why are you standing so stiffly? Did you do something wrong?”

Shi Xing was uncertain if he had done something wrong.

His body unconsciously shifted slightly, feeling nervous, “I have two things I want to discuss with you.”

Chi Yao patted the side of his sofa, gesturing for Shi Xing to sit.

Shi Xing hesitated, and Chi Yao chuckled, “It’s not a report from subordinate to superior level. If you keep standing, are you afraid I’ll pull you over to sit down?”

Shi Xing: “…”

The tone Chi Yao used left no room for negotiation, so Shi Xing sat down.

He rested his chin on the cushion he had brought along. Not speaking, Chi Yao didn’t rush him either, continuing his work.

On the cold projection screens, information flickered as Shi Xing’s tension slightly eased with the progress of work. He considered it for a moment before speaking again, “Your Highness, before we leave, I’d like to meet my friend again. You know, Shi Ran, that Blue Star human who treated General Fei with me.”

“Yes, I want to say goodbye to him.”

Chi Yao asked, “Have you set a time?”

“I have.”

Shi Xing provided the time and added, “It’s not finalized yet; I want to confirm this with you first before returning to him.”

It was a time shortly before they were set to leave Ancheng, an afternoon departure was planned, leaving the morning free for Shi Ran.

Chi Yao said nothing but remarked, “Then let Fu Qing accompany you.”

He had other arrangements that morning and had tasks to handle.

Shi Xing nodded, knowing Chi Yao had other matters to deal with.

What he needed to discuss next was a significant matter. Shi Xing took some time to mentally prepare himself before bringing up his transaction with Tan Shao.

He didn’t mention specific names but stated that it was a classmate from the tree nest whose mental sea had some issues. He would take a look with his abilities and help map out a distribution of the mental sea’s illness nodes to help reduce the treatment time.

Yes, Lu Lu’s difficulty with treating his mental sea was precisely finding the illness nodes.

Afterward, he supplemented, “It won’t use much of my ability; it won’t exhaust much mental power.”

Those were issues he had pieced together for Lu Lu bit by bit. In fact, he didn’t even need to look. The problems that had troubled him back then took a vast amount of time and energy. Now he could visualize those complex issues with his eyes closed; each one was something he had worked hard for.

Now, drawing that out in exchange for five beast cores was also a way to utilize the memories from his mind.

“Mainly, I just happen to have this talent, and we were classmates; he… used to have a good relationship with me.”

Shi Xing: “Of course, if you think it’s inappropriate, then forget it. I won’t go.”

Chi Yao glanced at Shi Xing, but Shi Xing couldn’t discern his emotions.

Chi Yao asked, “Will you charge for this?”

“I will. I asked for five beast cores, rank S.”

Chi Yao was momentarily taken aback and couldn’t help but look at Shi Xing again. Feeling uneasy, Shi Xing heard the man chuckle, “That’s acceptable; it doesn’t even involve treatment, quite exploitative.”

Just as Shi Xing was about to say to lower the price, he heard Chi Yao affirmatively state.

“Not bad; from now on, let’s set this standard – starting at five beast cores.”

Shi Xing: “…”

Shi Xing bewilderedly asked, “Do you think this is expensive or cheap?”

“Expensive,” Chi Yao’s eyes curved in a smile, “But I also don’t want you taking patients. This price is just right; it will definitely deter some.”

In other words, highly discouraging.

Shi Xing: “…………”

Chi Yao: “I guess this isn’t a close relationship with a classmate, is it? If I had to take a guess, hearing your tone, it seems quite strained.”

“It wouldn’t be that classmate who interfered with you last time, would it?!”

Shi Xing: “!”

Shi Xing was stunned, completely unaware of how Chi Yao had pieced that information together.

Noticing Shi Xing’s expression, Chi Yao clarified, “It’s not hard to guess. If it was someone close, you would have mentioned it right at the start to plead your case. But during your discussion about this matter, you didn’t express any willingness to help, almost as if I was a bit displeased, and you’d back off if I said a word.”

“Adding in this last bit about the charge… it’s quite clear.”

Shi Xing buried his face in the cushion, muttering, “In front of you, I’m just transparent!”

He might as well have no secrets.

Chi Yao laughed lightly, not smoothing things over with false words, “Many people think that way in my eyes.”

“You aren’t the only one.”

Shi Xing cried out, “Thank you; I didn’t feel comforted at all.”

After saying this, a hand suddenly reached out, ruffling his hair.

Shi Xing nearly jumped up from the sudden contact but realized who it was and froze in place.

Chi Yao seemed to perform this act without thinking, withdrawing his hand quickly. He then asked, “How about now?”

Shi Xing’s ears turned red. He covered his head, feeling confused about what to say, seeming still a bit stunned.

“Nothing? Should I try again?”

While saying this, Chi Yao switched hands to handle the documents and pretended to raise his hand.

Just as he raised it, Shi Xing moved away quickly, “No, no, it’s fine; I do feel it.”

“I did feel comforted!”

After finishing, he realized Chi Yao started to laugh heartily.

And that raised hand did not follow through with any further movement.

It dawned on Shi Xing after a moment that he had seemingly been toyed with by the prince.

Shi Xing: “……”

Shi Xing: “…………”

Shi Xing felt dejected, “If you say you didn’t intend to, I’ll just assume you didn’t.”

Chi Yao quickly replied, without a shred of burden, “I didn’t intend to.”

How infuriating, of course, he did!

Caught between feelings, Shi Xing buried his face back into the cushion, and Chi Yao laughed out loud.

After a while, Chi Yao said, “If you have your own considerations, then go ahead. I’m not going to interfere in everything you do. You don’t have to share every detail; there’s no need to be so careful.”

“Everyone has a bit of privacy after all, and I consider myself quite open-minded in this regard.”

Now leaving Chi Yao’s room, as Shi Xing reflected on this conversation before sleeping, he suddenly sat up straight in realization.

Could it be that the prince had… seen through his desire not to answer that question and was intentionally changing the subject?

Hmm.

With the reflection on Chi Yao’s last sentence, the likelihood of this possibility was enormous, and Shi Xing felt troubled, holding his head.

On one hand, he felt deeply appreciative of Chi Yao’s kindness.

On the other hand, he couldn’t help but worry about his future. If he was this easily seen through, wouldn’t he be thoroughly at the prince’s mercy in the future?

With no answers, Shi Xing felt he was likely doomed.

With a prince of this standing, he couldn’t hope to compete and had no chance of a struggle.

Once he lay back on his bed, Shi Xing felt an overwhelming calmness wash over him.

He lay down with a sense of resignation.

Finally, that day, Shi Xing said farewell to Shi Ran as planned and exchanged contact details with the officer he had chosen.

Turning around, he met Tan Shao at the agreed location again.

Upon returning to the mansion, the attendants and the prince had boarded the spacecraft, all ready; Shi Xing and Fu Qing could leave upon their arrival.

Once they were aboard the spacecraft, Chi Yao glanced at the beast cores Shi Xing had collected and smiled as he returned them to him.

Shi Xing leaned against the window, watching Ancheng grow smaller and smaller, saying nothing.

Chi Yao gently spoke beside him, “We will come back.”

Shi Xing nodded.

He knew.

And the next time they returned.

He should be a therapist by then.