ABRIWMTHM Chapter 7

Shi Xing fell asleep and was completely unaware.

However, for Lu Lu, the emotional journey over these three days has been extremely tumultuous.

Considering the conflict between Shi Xing and Yu Man, and their subsequent conversation in the tree garden, Lu Lu initially thought it was simply because Shi Xing was about to enter maturity and his emotions were off.

But after returning to his residence, the details of the conversation kept slipping into his mind inadvertently. The more he recalled, the more something felt amiss.

No, everything was wrong.

Shi Xing was too calm, and the questioning look in his eyes was too firm.

Those words didn’t sound like they were the result of emotional pressure leading to careless thoughts; instead, it felt like Shi Xing had learned something and was solemnly informing him…

Yes, Shi Xing’s words didn’t feel like a suggestion to him.

It felt like…

A unilateral rejection.

The next day, Lu Lu suddenly realized this and frantically dialed Shi Xing’s communicator, but… it went unanswered.

Communication couldn’t be established, and tentative messages weren’t replied to at all.

After waiting for himself to calm down, he went to the library to look up information.

The Empire’s matching banquets had been held more than twenty times, and all the talent assessment results were recorded.

Since most Blue Star humans did not enter the maturity period or had just entered it when participating in the assessment, the results of the talent evaluation were somewhat reliable, but in a literal sense, they were also unreliable.

The pattern was that, under normal circumstances, the results of the talent assessment would be one level lower than the true level after passing the maturity period.

This meant that amid the current majority of therapists at the A-level, the average talent assessment result was B.

Blue Star humans with an A-level assessment result were rare; it implied that after safely passing the maturity period, they could reach S-level, and S-level was currently the highest mental power level among therapists in the Empire.

Though he understood all this clearly, Lu Lu only felt relieved after checking through the assessment results and confirming that the highest rating identified by the Tree Nest in the past was only “A”.

But he still felt uneasy.

While chatting with friends in the Imperial Capital before bed, he learned that his childhood friend Bi Shu was sick and didn’t come to school. After a few concerned remarks, the topic shifted: “Do you think there are better options at this matching banquet than our family?”

“Are you asking if there are any Blue Star humans who wouldn’t choose you?” His friend’s joking remark struck at Lu Lu’s heart. “Don’t worry, each family that controls the seven major armies usually has an S-level therapist, and most participants in the matching are their subordinate officers. Your Lu family holds the third army, so what are you afraid of?”

Yes, at present, it seemed that the background of the officers participating in the matching couldn’t be more powerful than that of a prince’s residence.

Thinking this way, Lu Lu felt somewhat steadier.

Then the next day, amidst news of “a particularly impressive Blue Star human this year from the Tree Nest,” the announcement of the delay in the talent assessment, and the news that Shi Xing was hospitalized due to entering maturity, all arrived in his ears at the same time.

How the rumors spread in the Imperial Capital was unclear, but other army members were already inquiring. After their inquiries, several groups met with Yu Man, who first entered maturity through the administrator.

What they didn’t know was that one night, battleships filled the skies above the Tree Nest.

Lu Lu saw it with his own eyes. Coming from a military family in the capital, he genuinely hoped the news referred to Yu Man, but he could not deceive himself.

How could the world be so coincidental?

The battleships hovering at night, Shi Xing’s disappearance the next day, and then the delay in the talent assessment along with the various rumors swirling in—if he claimed there wasn’t any correlation, Lu Lu wouldn’t believe it.

Especially since the Tree Nest forbade visitors to see Shi Xing; under normal circumstances, he hadn’t heard of such restrictions during a typical maturity period.

Thus, suppressing his feelings of anxiety, he endured three more days. When he heard rumors in the capital that the Tan family, which controlled the seventh army, might participate in the matching this year, Lu Lu couldn’t sit still any longer.

His relationship with Shi Xing had always been natural, but this time, Lu Lu deeply sensed that he needed to do something.

Shi Xing was in a daze; after taking half a cup of water, he could barely speak. Upon realizing what Chi Yao from the royal background had done, Chi Yao had already pressed the call button before him.

Doctors filed in one after another, placing distance between Shi Xing and Chi Yao.

Shi Xing tried to lighten the mood and thought sluggishly that this was fine too; it spared them both the awkwardness.

The diagnostic devices quickly covered Shi Xing’s body.

“Body temperature normal.”

“Mental sea stable.”

“Mental power fluctuations are within the normal threshold for the maturity period.”

As reports kept coming in, Shi Xing felt dazed. Soon, the doctor gave a conclusion, “Recovery is good. After observing for another two days, you can be discharged.”

Shi Xing suddenly remembered something and urgently said, “The talent assessment…”

The doctor replied, “You’ve slept for three days; it’s already postponed.”

“The administrator will confirm the specific time for the talent assessment after you are discharged,” Chi Yao’s voice was not loud, but everyone in the room could hear it clearly.

Shi Xing reacted and thought, oh, that’s fine then.

The doctor finally handed Shi Xing a basket of crystals, “There are no beast cores stored in the Tree Nest. If you feel inadequate in the next few days, use the crystals for now. If your condition doesn’t improve after absorption, remember to call me.”

After receiving Shi Xing’s assurance, the medical staff came and went promptly.

Holding a crystal in his hand, Shi Xing noticed it was not red ore, but the kind of crystal provided beneath the Mother Tree. If he remembered correctly…

Shi Xing quietly asked, “Are these still taken from the battleship’s energy storage?”

Crystals and beast cores were common durable energy sources in the interstellar era.

Chi Yao sat back down on the chair in front of the hospital bed and acknowledged.

Shi Xing instantly felt the crystal was a bit too hot in his hand. “Is it…too wasteful for me to use it?”

Clearly, the battleship supported by this high-level crystal couldn’t be an ordinary model.

“Why say that? As long as it’s useful, it’s not called waste.” Chi Yao found Shi Xing’s question odd.

Assuming the higher-ups wouldn’t care about these things, Shi Xing could only smile at him and, lowing his head, caught a glimpse of the serious and intricate embroidery on Chi Yao’s collar and cuffs. He lingered for a moment on the special insignia and subtly withdrew his gaze.

Had it been someone else, Shi Xing might have thought all the details were too extravagant, but Chi Yao’s demeanor completely carried his attire. Moreover, Shi Xing faintly had the sense that his outfit was too simple compared to Chi Yao’s, not knowing whether it was because people from the royal family inherently matched formal attire so well.

The hospital room fell into silence for a moment, before Chi Yao suddenly said, “There’s no need to be formal.”

“It’s me who asked you to take over Fei Chu’s case. I bear responsibility, and it’s only right to come see you.”

Shi Xing raised his eyes slightly. The pair of solemn gray eyes before him curved slightly.

“Also, since I brought you over, your attending physician has already said to you in person that we’ve been too reckless at least ten times. Fei Chu is fine; if I don’t come to check you, who knows how she’ll scold me behind my back.”

Shi Xing: “!”

Shi Xing hurriedly clarified for the doctor, “No, she wouldn’t.”

“How do you know?”

Chi Yao casually asked, while Shi Xing’s mind, which had just started working, blurted out without thinking, “She wouldn’t dare.”

Having realized what he’d said, Shi Xing understood this was bad. He assumed Chi Yao’s identity was significant, but some things were better left unspoken. He didn’t know if he had committed some taboo…

As expected, Chi Yao fell silent at that. His gray eyes stared straight at Shi Xing.

Until Shi Xing felt beads of sweat form in his palms and couldn’t stand it any longer, wanting to look down; suddenly, Chi Yao lifted the corners of his lips.

Not strong, but slight—it was a real smile.

It relieved the subconscious crisis within Shi Xing and left him somewhat dazed.

Chi Yao nodded, not denying, “Indeed, she wouldn’t dare.”

“But I feel like you seem more nervous than her. Am I that frightening?”

Shi Xing was just thinking of how to make up for it when Chi Yao didn’t want his reply. “You’ve slept for three entire days; don’t you have anything to ask?”

There were a lot, many things.

Initially, they were awkward to ask, but some sort of serious atmosphere had been broken by that smile.

Noticing that Chi Yao was patiently waiting for him to speak, Shi Xing earnestly began to ask.

Other than feeling somewhat uncomfortable upon waking and seeing Chi Yao, and later the administrator and two therapists’ visits, Shi Xing handled everything quite smoothly. Moreover, he didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that the two therapists treated him a bit too well.

He had circled around asking the administrator about Chi Yao’s identity, who only told him to remember to address him as “Your Highness,” but nothing else was said.

To some extent, this indicated that this prince truly had a significant background.

Two days later, Shi Xing was discharged smoothly and was sent back to his residence by Fu Qing, who took the initiative to exchange contact information with him.

Fu Qing said, “If you feel unwell or face difficulties later, you can reach out to His Highness. My superior still hasn’t woken up. His Highness said he would personally thank you once he wakes up. Well, giving you His Highness’s contact information isn’t very convenient, so remember mine first. Just contact me if you need anything; it’s the same.”

“Thank you, Major General.”

“It’s nothing. Here’s a box of crystals for you. Not much, just a little token of goodwill.”

After Fu Qing left, Shi Xing opened the box to take a look. It was indeed the energy stones from the battleship. He found he quite liked them.

When absorbed, they felt cool and very pleasant.

Holding a box of crystals, Shi Xing revealed a satisfied smile.

But this smile didn’t last until he returned to his room. Upon seeing Shi Ran sitting on the steps with red-rimmed eyes at the entrance of his residence, it faded away.

“Shi Ran, what’s wrong?” After a pause, Shi Xing frowned and asked, “Who upset you?”

Shi Ran was sulking outside alone and hadn’t expected that Shi Xing would be discharged today. His expression turned unnatural for a moment, and he quickly lowered his head, saying, “N-no one, I’m just in a bad mood…”

“Is it Yu Man? Yu Huai? Or Yu Cai?”

Shi Ran stammered.

Realizing he had guessed correctly, Shi Xing asked, “Did they make some snide remarks or do something to you?”

Shi Xing’s unusually assertive tone startled Shi Ran, making him instinctively refute.

“No, no, it’s not that. They didn’t say anything about me…”

Shi Xing seized the key point. “They didn’t say anything about you, so why are you unhappy?”

Shi Ran choked up again, and Shi Xing understood, “Could it be they said something about me? What did they say about me?”

Shi Ran hesitated.

Seeing this, Shi Xing instead calmed down. He offered a crystal to Shi Ran, and his stance shifted from angrily interrogating to one of curious investigation.

Shi Ran laughed and cried, “They’re talking about you!”

“I know that, but what did they say about me?”

Since they were at this level, knowing he couldn’t hide it any longer, Shi Ran ultimately decided to tell Shi Xing.

The matter was divided into two parts: first, Yu Man had recently met several high-ranking officers from the seven major armies, and word around the residence was that they had their eyes on Yu Man and might be competing for him, which made Yu Man a little cocky.

As Blue Star humans approaching maturity were all at the Tree Nest, their channels for acquiring information were relatively singular. However, Shi Xing knew slightly more than Shi Ran.

Recent rumors circulating in the Imperial Capital had already been conveyed to Shi Xing by Chi Yao while in the hospital.

Regarding the news leak that might trouble Shi Xing, that prince had apologized. While there was no way to stop the covert competition for each other, he guaranteed that after the talent assessment, Shi Xing’s matching partner would not be subpar.

Knowing all this, and hearing about Yu Man’s circumstances from Shi Ran, Shi Xing immediately realized that those officers had likely come based on the rumors and had even mistaken the person.

Shi Xing had no feelings about this; his personality was not one that enjoyed the limelight.

The second matter was the main focus of Shi Ran’s anger, born from the first. With so many officers mentioning him personally, the current Yu Man was adamant that he was the most outstanding one among this batch of Blue Star humans. He had embellished the conflict he had with Shi Xing that day in the tree garden, turning into a version where he claimed Shi Xing, taking advantage of his instability before entering maturity, tricked and bullied him by absorbing his mental power.

“Did he really say that?” Shi Xing raised an eyebrow.

Shi Ran nodded, enraged. “He just used your hospitalization to make a fuss—saying you definitely showed signs of entering maturity at that time but were using your instability to deceive him…”

And the real reason Shi Xing was hospitalized had been told to Shi Ran by the administrator, who mentioned it couldn’t be shared.

Shi Ran added, “He’s just playing the victim in every way possible. With his recent good fortune… too many people believed him.”

At this, Shi Xing simply smiled, handed the box over to Shi Ran, and turned to enter his residence.

“Xing Xing, where are you going?” Shi Ran, holding the crystals, was a bit confused.

Shi Xing waved his hand without turning back, “Going to make what Yu Man said a reality.”

“?”

“!”

Shi Ran realized and quickly followed.

But Shi Xing walked quickly. By the time they met again, Shi Ran saw a group of people surrounding Yu Man, chatting by the flowerbed, while Shi Xing stood behind them, eavesdropping.

Shi Ran’s eyelid twitched. Just as he was about to shout, he saw Shi Xing suddenly lift his leg and kick Yu Man down.

At the same time, the news of Shi Xing returning to his residence was also sent to Lu Lu’s communicator by other Blue Star humans.