ABRIWMTHM Chapter 9

Shi Xing felt an indescribably complex mood, deciding to take a shower first to clear his mind. After washing up, he sat on the bed and projected all the messages in front of him.

His headache was overwhelming, but no matter how painful or confusing it was, he had to face it.

More than ten messages, which was a lot compared to Lu Lu’s usual brevity.

The last one was from Lu Lu, telling him not to be afraid, saying he meant no pressure for Shi Xing to respond.

Even though Shi Xing’s decision was set in stone, seeing the usually proud Lu Lu being so humble made him lose focus for a moment, unable to coldly ignore it.

Of course, as the young master Lu, he couldn’t just disregard it.

【I just fell asleep on the sofa after returning, just woke up】

Shi Xing: 【I’m looking at it now, will reply after I finish】

As expected, Lu Lu was waiting by the communicator, responding immediately with, 【Okay】

Shi Xing braced himself and began scrolling through the messages.

The earlier ones were fairly normal, just asking about Shi Xing’s health and what he was doing.

Later on, besides the few admissions he had seen when he woke up, there were more—some that could provoke complex emotions within Shi Xing.

【At first, I wasn’t really sure why, I just felt it was easy to talk to you, and being with you was very comfortable. Later, when heading back to the Imperial Capital, I would miss life in the Nest, though mainly I would miss my classmates in the Nest, and… miss you】

【I don’t even know when it started, but once I realized it, I couldn’t ignore it】

【There are many new and fun things in the Imperial Capital, always making me think it would be great if you were here, but you couldn’t leave the Nest. Eventually, I got used to bringing you things, hoping to have more common topics to discuss, and of course, I couldn’t help but want to get close to you and treat you well】

【Looking back now, it seems like it has been a long time】

Indeed, it had been a long time. In the second year after Lu Lu moved to the Nest, he had brought Shi Xing gifts each time he returned from the Imperial Capital.

If the items were common, all classmates would receive them; if rare, Lu Lu would secretly give them to Shi Xing.

Yu Man, who sat close to Shi Xing at that time, also had feelings for Lu Lu. Lu Lu’s small gestures could avoid everyone’s eyes but couldn’t escape Yu Man’s notice. Over time, how could Yu Man keep his balance?

At first, Yu Man had also competed for Lu Lu’s attention, unintentionally crashing into them or inserting himself during their interactions, leading to frequent small moves; later, Lu Lu noticed and simply had the teacher change seats to separate Yu Man.

From then on, Yu Man stopped making unnecessary attempts, but the rift between him and Shi Xing only deepened.

Meanwhile, Shi Xing had always been very tolerant. The more he tolerated, the more it emboldened Yu Man to become worse.

At that time, Shi Xing didn’t understand the principle of not letting things get out of hand repeatedly. Blindly tolerating would always lead to a point of no retreat; some things should never be allowed from the start.

Lost in thought, when his focus returned to the projection, Shi Xing’s mind was already made up.

Yes, many things just couldn’t diverge from the beginning.

In fact, in the garden, besides a clear rejection, he had already expressed very thoroughly the reasons why it was inappropriate.

Lu Lu didn’t believe it, and he didn’t want to force things, intending to wait until after the talent assessment… but unexpectedly, Lu Lu confessed.

The instinct to reject came at that moment as Shi Xing exhaled, typing: 【I’ve finished reading】

The four words were devoid of emotion or attitude, and Lu Lu instinctively felt this beginning… wasn’t good.

As expected, Shi Xing didn’t mention the confession but instead said, 【After staying in the Nest for so long, you should know that once a Blue Star human chooses someone, it’s like handing their life over to the other, right?】

The weight of his words made Lu Lu’s eyelids twitch, and his unease grew stronger upon seeing the words “handing life over.”

【I know】

【Blue Star humans are different from Imperials; even if an Imperial’s mental sea dries up, they can still live a long life. If a Blue Star human’s mental sea starts to dry during their growth period, they will naturally die in a few years】

Lu Lu typed steadily, promising, 【I won’t let that happen to you】

Shi Xing: “…”

Shi Xing smiled slightly, a bittersweet smile.

【Lu Lu, I want to become a therapist】

Shi Xing didn’t respond to Lu Lu’s promise but instead dropped this line without context. Although it wasn’t a rejection, Lu Lu wasn’t a fool.

Especially after confessing for so long without receiving any clear response, this statement sounded more like an emotional trigger to Lu Lu, igniting his anxiety, 【Can’t you be a therapist if you’re with me?】

The frustrated emotions burst forth and couldn’t be reined in.

【Is there something wrong with the Lu family? Is there something wrong with me?】

Shi Xing was momentarily at a loss for words. The brief pause felt to Lu Lu like a form of consent, provoking him further.

Lu Lu: 【Before, you worried I wouldn’t be able to support you. I later went to the library and browsed through all the talent assessment results. I confirm that the Nest has only ever given out A-rank evaluations】

【Although I shouldn’t say this, even if you are A-rank and eventually become an S-rank therapist, I see no issue in the Lu family supporting you】

Before Shi Xing could respond, Lu Lu continued, 【Yes, I haven’t been graded yet, but the Lu family will never lack crystals. We can exchange beast cores with the other six major legions. Even if we can’t get them, they should always be available in the alliance’s black market, right? We can simply pay more!】

【It’s not a problem if my mental power reaches SS-rank】

【Shi Xing, I don’t understand what you’re so afraid of】

Why was it so difficult for him to promise? He wasn’t in a poor position; on the contrary, he had always been exceptional among his peers.

【Or do you already have other thoughts, looking down on the Lu family, or looking down on me?】

The self-deprecating tone, laced with a sense of outpour, was too sharp, and Shi Xing remained silent in response.

By the time Lu Lu realized something was amiss and tried to retract his words, it was already too late.

Shi Xing: 【Didn’t you say you wouldn’t pressure me?】

The repetition of Lu Lu’s words struck him like a warning bell, ringing loudly in his ears.

Shi Xing: 【I’m not afraid】

Now that the matter had escalated to this point, Shi Xing gave up on gentle subtlety, 【The Lu family is great, you are great】

The moment Lu Lu saw those eight words, his heart skipped a beat.

Not being afraid, the Lu family is great, he is great… this line…

A wave of immense panic suddenly engulfed Lu Lu…

Shi Xing: 【Matching is not a trivial matter. I had originally planned to consider it carefully】

To figure out how to minimize the hurt.

【But if you insist on an answer today】

As Shi Xing typed “I think we’re not suitable,” the message was only halfway through.

【I’m sorry!】 Lu Lu’s abrupt apology interrupted his response.

This was a sentence Lu Lu had nearly completed on instinct. Before he fully realized what he’d done, his fingers had already hit send.

A moment later, Lu Lu repeated: 【I’m sorry, I was too agitated】

【I didn’t mean to force you. It’s just that I’ve been feeling uncertain lately】

【I really like you, Xing Xing】

The liking was so intense that Lu Lu couldn’t accept the strong premonition within him about what Shi Xing was going to say next.

【Did you really mean ‘consider carefully’ earlier?】

【Forget it, it’s okay, you’re right—I shouldn’t have pressured you, and you don’t need to rush to have an answer today】

【Since you’re feeling uneasy, let’s discuss it after the talent assessment. Once you’re calm and have considered it thoroughly, we can continue】

And so he too could calm down and sort out his thoughts.

After a pause, Lu Lu affirmed, 【Yes, we will wait until the assessment results come out】

Once the results were out, there would at least be no more excuses of “not being able to support you.”

【I’m sorry for my outburst tonight. Let’s leave it at that. I’m signing off】

Shi Xing hadn’t even processed it yet, while Lu Lu’s mood seemed to dim.

Was Lu Lu… afraid of his rejection?

There was no answer. Shi Xing tried to send a few more messages, but they fell into silence, confirming that Lu Lu wouldn’t reply anymore.

He turned off the communicator, not knowing whether to feel relieved or regretful, his thoughts a chaotic jumble.

Alright, let’s talk after the talent assessment; at that point, Lu Lu wouldn’t doubt that his reasons were mere excuses.

Before sleep, Shi Xing thought he needed to rest properly; between Yu Man and Lu Lu, he couldn’t afford to mess up the talent assessment again.

Perhaps it was the confession, or perhaps recalling some past moments during their discussion that caused Shi Xing to have nightmares again.

This time, the dream was vivid, the Princess Consort’s voice felt so real.

——“Enough! If it doesn’t work, send him back to the Nest.”

——“There’s never been a precedent for sending him back! Sending him back would create one!”

The overly sharp voices seemed to pierce through Shi Xing, tightening his brow as if he would wake up at any moment.

In the next moment, Shi Xing did not wake up. A powerful mental force suppressed all turmoil, flowing through his mental sea like gentle yet forceful hands covering his eyes and ears, suddenly silencing everything around him.

Shi Xing felt the aura was familiar, bringing him comfort, but he couldn’t recall who it was.

On the bed, Shi Xing’s brow gradually relaxed, and he fell asleep once more.

“Your Highness.”

“Your Highness!”

The moment Chi Yao sat up, Fu Qing and his attendant knocked on the door almost simultaneously.

Chi Yao realized he had leaked his mental force.

When the two entered, Chi Yao was already investigating his mental sea. To his surprise, there was no abnormality in his mental sea; in fact, it felt more stable than usual during his stay in the Nest.

Chi Yao: “I’m fine.”

“The mental sea is currently stable; there’s still some time before I experience a disturbance.”

After the attendant asked, he stepped back outside. Fu Qing was about to leave when he paused, as if he had remembered something, turning back and hesitating.

Chi Yao disliked guessing games. “If you have something to say, say it. If not, leave.”

After a moment of silence, making a certain resolution, Fu Qing half-knelt in respect, “Your Majesty, this year, are you not planning to take any Blue Star humans with you?”

Having changed his title to a more formal one, Chi Yao quietly regarded Fu Qing.

Fu Qing: “The doctor has already made it clear that your disturbance can no longer be forcibly suppressed with medication; it requires timely guidance.”

Chi Yao’s expression was flat. “Oh, so the Elder Council urges me every year, and you’re joining them now, is that it?”

Chi Yao had also changed his self-reference.

The indistinct tone made Fu Qing break out in a cold sweat. He knew His Majesty hated being urged the most, so even though this thought had been churning in his mind for a long time, he had always held it back in his throat, refusing to speak. Yet…

Fu Qing suddenly lowered his head. “I know it’s because there hasn’t been a matching Blue Star human, which is why you haven’t pursued it for a long time. However, this year is different; this year there will definitely be one with a decent level—have you considered it?”

Fu Qing had someone in mind, and both he and Chi Yao were well aware of it.

Chi Yao remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

Just when Fu Qing felt there was a hopeful opening, Chi Yao spoke, “So, what do you think his talent assessment will be to potentially become an SSS-ranked therapist?”

The cold tone felt like a bucket of cold water drenching Fu Qing, making him feel thoroughly chilled.

Indeed, His Majesty’s mental level was too high; if the therapist was not SSS-ranked, it was unlikely they could heal him.

Fu Qing knew Shi Xing would likely exceed A-rank, but that was completely different from being able to reach SSS-rank. The Nest had existed for over a hundred years, and during that period, there hadn’t been a single SSS-ranked therapist…

Even having an SS-ranked therapist would be a first.

But the meaning behind His Majesty’s words was clear… he only needs an S-rank therapist.

Fu Qing fell silent for a long time, and Chi Yao waved his hand. “Enough, you can leave.”

A gust of wind carrying mental power directly pushed Fu Qing out of the bedroom; by the time Fu Qing steadied himself, the door had tightly closed in front of him.

Having been disturbed and unable to sleep, Chi Yao got up and leaned against the window to drink water. Covered by the mental force of the Mother Tree, the feeling of being disturbed from sleep suddenly began to rise again, yet awake, Chi Yao could affirm that his mental sea showed no abnormality.

Realizing something, Chi Yao held a strand of wind outside the window and then released it.

This strand of wind, entwined with mental power, floated gently under the Mother Tree’s canopy, sneaking into Shi Xing’s room and eventually merging into Shi Xing’s body.

At the moment he felt completely calm, Chi Yao frowned and murmured, “Just one or two times, and the bond created is this strong?”

“Or is it because we are within the Mother Tree’s range…”

His voice trailed off, blending into the night breeze.

Another week went by. Shi Xing had his final recheck, and the doctor confirmed he was fine. The administrator finally announced the specific date for the talent assessment.

On this day, Major General Xiang He Ze from the Fifth Army and Major General Tan Yan from the Seventh Army also arrived at the Nest simultaneously.