After Being Transformed Into Cannon Fodder For Death, The Heartthrob Chapter 42

Words spoken are like water spilled—hard to take back. Seeing the rare excitement in Gu Shenyuan’s eyes, Ye Qingyun steeled himself, deciding they should just go buy the rings first.

They were both lone wolves; they didn’t need to report to family, so did getting married really make a difference? Didn’t they already live together like this? Or perhaps, was Gu Shenyuan already impatient for their wedding night?

…That seemed quite likely.

Gu Shenyuan didn’t ask what Ye Qingyun was thinking. He had already guessed that Ye Qingyun didn’t understand the custom at all. But since Ye Qingyun’s words were already out, he wouldn’t give him a chance to back out.

Marrying Ye Qingyun—just a few days ago, this was a dream he could only indulge in during the dead of night. Now that the dream was becoming reality, even if he knew it might be a mistake, he would absolutely not let go.

He was too impatient. Impatient to announce to the whole world that Ye Qingyun was his lover. Impatient to… gain a legitimate title that truly belonged to him.

Regardless of whether Ye Qingyun might like someone else or stop liking him in the future, at least he would be Ye Qingyun’s first legal husband.

Gu Shenyuan lowered his head slightly, his lips pressed into a thin line, looking somewhat melancholy. Ye Qingyun couldn’t stand seeing Gu Shenyuan look like that, so he raised his hands in surrender: “Alright, alright, we’ll get married then. I wasn’t trying to trick you. Look up where the best rings are, and we’ll go buy a pair.”

Given that neither of them had much artistic talent—designing their own rings would likely result in a disastrous outcome—it was most sensible to just buy a pair.

Gu Shenyuan opened the terminal on his wrist and searched the Star Net for the location of the best wedding ring designers. Coincidentally, someone had asked the same question recently, so Gu Shenyuan clicked on the thread to read the replies.

[You’re naive, buddy. The best jewelry designers are forcibly recruited by the Royal Family to design for the royals. How could we ever get access to them?]

[Haven’t you paid attention to this stuff before, man? Sigh! Basically, the top talent in every industry has been recruited by the Royal Family.]

[If you’re rich enough, you can go to the most expensive jewelry store on Blue Star. Their rings are considered the absolute best among those available for purchase.]

Gu Shenyuan finished reading the comments and frowned slightly.

He truly hadn’t paid attention to these matters before. He wanted to give Ye Qingyun the best wedding ring, the most envied wedding, and the most respected status, but he couldn’t achieve any of that right now.

Gu Shenyuan lowered his eyes.

He didn’t want Ye Qingyun wearing rings that weren’t the best; only the most exquisite jewelry and design could be worthy of Ye Qingyun. If that was the case, then he would just kidnap the world’s top designer…

“What are you thinking? Your expression is terrifying.” Ye Qingyun leaned over suspiciously. He glanced at the content on Gu Shenyuan’s terminal screen, and his mind immediately connected the dots, causing him to gasp in alarm. “You aren’t planning on forcibly bringing the best designer here, are you?”

Gu Shenyuan: “…”

Ye Qingyun truly had a telepathic connection with him.

“I don’t want that. Rings are external objects; the most important thing is your sincerity toward me.” Ye Qingyun immediately spoke up to stop Gu Shenyuan from pursuing his brutal idea. He pointed to one of the comments on the terminal screen and said, “We’ll go to Blue Star and buy them there. Don’t think about it anymore, understand?”

Since Ye Qingyun insisted, Gu Shenyuan had no choice but to temporarily settle for less, slowly planning his schemes to ensure he could give Ye Qingyun the best in the future.

Ye Qingyun researched various jewelry stores himself and settled on one. After resting for a while, he and Gu Shenyuan set off for Blue Star.

Before officially departing, Ye Qingyun considered the previous conflict with the Third Prince. Fearing they might encounter similar people who would take a malicious interest in Gu Shenyuan because of his black hair and black eyes, Ye Qingyun simply changed Gu Shenyuan’s hair color temporarily.

Based on Gu Shenyuan’s cold, unapproachable aura, Ye Qingyun gave him silver hair. When the result appeared, Ye Qingyun himself was stunned.

“Your admirers could definitely fill a black hole,” Ye Qingyun sighed emotionally. Then, remembering that Gu Shenyuan was the Heartthrob in the original novel, he quickly corrected himself: “Sorry, I undersold it. A black hole couldn’t even hold the heads of all your suitors. I have so many Love Rivals, big brother. Can I be your official wife?”

Gu Shenyuan: “…”

The consequence of Ye Qingyun’s casual flirting was another flare-up of his Tattoo. He felt weak all over, so soft that he almost couldn’t hold onto Gu Shenyuan’s neck.

As Gu Shenyuan carried him onto the spaceship, Ye Qingyun criticized him with a flushed face: “You can’t keep doing this to me. It’s too stimulating!”

Gu Shenyuan said coldly, “Stop flirting recklessly, or one day I won’t hold back, and I’ll show you something even more stimulating.”

What could be more stimulating? Ye Qingyun didn’t dare ask, and he obediently shut his mouth.

Blue Star’s jewelry industry was highly developed because the planet was rich in various gems. Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan successfully arrived at Blue Star and went to the most famous jewelry store.

The store clerk was very enthusiastic, their eyes practically sparkling as they looked at Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan.

“Please look at this one, ‘Adolescent Love.’ The ring is shaped like a flower, symbolizing the union of love and beauty—even the stars in the sky would praise it. It truly suits you both!”

Ye Qingyun: “…Mhm, uh-huh.”

Gu Shenyuan remained silent.

The clerk realized they weren’t interested and immediately switched to the next item: “Then look at this one! It’s the latest popular design, combining jadeite and black ice stone. It possesses absolute beauty and perfectly complements long fingers and fair skin. It is truly ideal for you two!”

Ye Qingyun: “…”

Gu Shenyuan’s gaze swept over the rings in the display. The quality of these rings actually fell short of his standards. However, since the best rings weren’t available here, he couldn’t be too demanding.

Gu Shenyuan asked Ye Qingyun, “Which one do you like? Don’t worry about the price; just tell me which one you want.”

Since Ye Qingyun hadn’t expressed an opinion on any of the rings, and knowing Ye Qingyun wasn’t a picky person, Gu Shenyuan reasonably suspected Ye Qingyun was trying to save him money.

But he didn’t need Ye Qingyun to save money for him. He wanted to spend lavishly on Ye Qingyun and give him all the most expensive things.

Ye Qingyun looked around, leaned close to Gu Shenyuan’s ear, and whispered, “I think all these rings look pretty much the same! Aren’t they just a circle with some random decorations added? There’s no real difference. After seeing one, I forget what the last one looked like. Let’s just pick one randomly.”

What was the difference between these rings and lipsticks that were peach red, bright red, berry red, fluorescent red, or purple-red? They looked subtly different, but when worn, they were all the same!

Gu Shenyuan was usually such a straight man. He probably couldn’t tell the difference between these rings either. Since neither of them could tell them apart, they shouldn’t waste money on them.

Gu Shenyuan: “…”

Gu Shenyuan expressionlessly took over the heavy responsibility of choosing the rings, instructing Ye Qingyun, who had zero aesthetic sense for jewelry, to stand quietly beside him.

Ye Qingyun watched blankly from the side, thinking it was terrifying that Gu Shenyuan, a man who usually acted like a complete straight man, actually had better taste than him.

The clerk gave a dazzling introduction to two more rings, but Gu Shenyuan was dissatisfied with all of them. Seeing Gu Shenyuan’s critical expression, the clerk’s eyes darted around. They lowered their head, unlocked the bottom drawer of the counter, and pulled out a tray.

On the tray were two extremely simple rings. They were so plain that even Ye Qingyun, who lacked aesthetic judgment, could tell they should be very cheap.

“This is one of our store’s treasures,” the clerk said passionately. “The material of this ring is very ordinary—just simple white gold. The design is also quite minimalist. But this simple exterior cannot conceal its unique quality!”

The clerk paused. Seeing that neither Gu Shenyuan nor Ye Qingyun spoke, they continued: “This pair of rings was crafted by a loving elderly couple. That couple only made ten pairs of rings in their lifetime, and nine pairs have already been sold. Coincidentally, every couple who wore the rings made by that elderly pair never separated throughout their lives. People speculate that the couple might have infused some mysterious blessing into the rings, allowing the wearers to love each other forever.”

Gu Shenyuan’s expression shifted slightly.

Ye Qingyun: “…”

This sounded like false marketing. All this flashy talk, but in reality, it was just a plain white gold ring.

No gems, no unique design. Five thousand Star Coins, tops.

The clerk: “This magical pair of rings is only ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand Star Coins!”

Ye Qingyun: “???”

Now he finally understood why people who bought these rings never separated. After all, anyone willing to buy this was rich and foolish. Only an idiot would break up with someone like that. Why look for another rich fool when you could just cling to this one? Wasn’t that much better?

Ye Qingyun didn’t believe a word of it and was about to pull Gu Shenyuan away to find a more reliable store, when he heard Gu Shenyuan say, “We’ll take this one.”

Ye Qingyun: “???”

Ye Qingyun watched helplessly as Gu Shenyuan handed over his card; he didn’t even have time to stop him.

Ye Qingyun nearly fainted: “Are you crazy? Why buy this? It’s way too expensive!”

Gu Shenyuan turned his head and said faintly, “The meaning is good.”

Ye Qingyun watched the clerk swiftly swipe the card, feeling his heart bleed. He felt like he was watching Gu Shenyuan being scammed right in front of him.

Ye Qingyun tried to persuade Gu Shenyuan again: “You don’t need to buy something like this. I’ll stay with you forever anyway!”

Gu Shenyuan didn’t reply. He calmly completed the payment under Ye Qingyun’s despairing gaze.

He truly didn’t know if the ring’s effects were real, but if he could use this small amount of money to ensure he and Ye Qingyun stayed together forever, it was absolutely worth it.

After the payment was made, the clerk asked Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan for their finger sizes so they could make minor adjustments to the rings.

Ye Qingyun, utterly resigned, allowed Gu Shenyuan to lift his hand and measure the size.

Gu Shenyuan lowered his gaze, slowly stroking the base of Ye Qingyun’s ring finger.

Ye Qingyun’s fingers were long and fair, the tips slightly pink. Unlike his own powerful hands, they looked delicate and refined—clearly the hands of a scholar.

Ye Qingyun had never liked wearing accessories, and he had never seen Ye Qingyun wear any genuine gold or silver jewelry on his hands. But soon, this hand would wear a wedding ring that matched the one on his own.

Gu Shenyuan was lost in thought, and his grip tightened slightly, causing Ye Qingyun to let out a soft sound. Gu Shenyuan immediately loosened his hold.

Because the rings were so valuable, the clerk invited Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan to watch the adjustment process nearby, to prevent any disputes should a switching incident occur.

Ye Qingyun had no interest in watching, and his feelings toward the ring remained complicated for the time being. So, he told Gu Shenyuan, “I’m going to wander around here and look at their other items.”

Gu Shenyuan glanced at the simple ring he had made using his Ability, which was wrapped around Ye Qingyun’s middle finger, and nodded.

At such a close distance, he could rush over in time if anything happened. It was fine to let Ye Qingyun look around.

Thus, Ye Qingyun began wandering through the mall on his own. This entire shopping center dealt exclusively in jewelry. The area he had just left specialized in rings, but the mall also featured various necklaces, ornaments, and other decorative items made from gemstones.

Perhaps because the prices were so steep, there weren’t many people around. Ye Qingyun casually walked and looked, unconsciously arriving at a counter selling necklaces.

A man and a woman were standing there, speaking in voices that were neither too loud nor too soft. Ye Qingyun had no interest in eavesdropping on private conversations and was about to turn and leave, but he inadvertently caught sight of the woman’s face.

The woman was quite attractive, but her overly arrogant expression detracted somewhat from her beauty.

This person… looked a little familiar.

Ye Qingyun struggled to recall, finally remembering who this woman resembled.

She looked like the Third Prince, the one who had previously caused trouble for them. There were similarities in her features, appearance, demeanor, and temperament.

The Third Prince had an older sister—the Second Princess of the Empire.

Had the Third Prince already guessed that Gu Shenyuan was the person he was looking for? Would the Royal Family prepare some kind of measure against Gu Shenyuan?

Ye Qingyun stopped walking away. He pretended to stand in front of a counter looking at jewelry, but in reality, he was listening to what the Second Princess was saying.

The man standing beside the Second Princess flattered her in a soft voice: “You look beautiful wearing anything. No jewelry can compare to even a fraction of your radiance; they only serve to enhance you. I adore you the most!”

“Your words are sweet,” the Second Princess said. She placed a crown-shaped headpiece on her head and asked the man, “What about this one?”

“Oh, my goodness, this suits you perfectly! Beautiful and imposing. A true crown should belong to you!” The man continued to fawn over her.

The Second Princess smiled, but suddenly changed the subject: “I heard that my useless Third Brother found the whereabouts of the Humanoid Weapon. If that’s true, the situation for the throne will be advantageous for him. You used to follow him, didn’t you? Do you want to go back?”

The man was strangely silent for a moment, then quickly said, “Oh, I would never leave your beauty. My heart belongs entirely to you!”

“Hmph, smart move,” the Second Princess scoffed, continuing to try on other jewelry.

After a moment, the man couldn’t hold back and asked the Second Princess indirectly: “Did the Third Prince really find the Humanoid Weapon? Does that put you in danger? If you are in danger, please tell me, and I will do my best to protect you.”

The Second Princess tried on several headpieces before finally saying disdainfully, “Danger? A mere high-level Ability user? Hmph, only my foolish brother would think the Humanoid Weapon can still defeat everyone under the heavens. Look at the era we live in now! Technology is so advanced. With the device our Royal Family developed, no number of Humanoid Weapons could overturn the situation. If one comes, we’ll kill one.”

The Second Princess tried on a few more pieces of jewelry, then slowly added, “If I had found that Humanoid Weapon, I would definitely kill him first, then go back and claim the reward from Father.”

Hearing this, Ye Qingyun couldn’t help himself and secretly glanced at the Second Princess.

The Second Princess sensed the stranger’s gaze and looked back with displeasure, ready to loudly reprimand them. But upon seeing the person’s face, she froze.

…What a beautiful young man. With looks like that, he could even be the head of her harem.

This man, she decided, was hers!