Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Lesson

A lesson?

What kind of lesson?

What do you mean by a lesson?

Questions swirled in Xia You's mind, and even his stare at Lu Yinghuai became unintentionally accusing.

Just a few days ago, His Highness had promised him a pet fish. Why was he breaking his word now?

Lu Yinghuai said patiently, "I've found the book Yuan used to read during his lessons when he was young. Would you like to hear it?"

Xia You opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

After a brief pause, the young boy gently stroked the yawning leopard that had just woken up beside him.

It's terrifying, utterly terrifying.

In the Marshal's residence, even a leopard is taught lessons, with the prince himself reading aloud.

Xia You asked humbly, "Your Highness, may I ask... does Yuan enjoy his lessons?"

Lu Yinghuai hesitated for a moment, then candidly replied, "No, he doesn't. He always finds ways to skip class and sneaks off to the hunting grounds."

The young Lu Yinghuai wasn't seen as a prodigy by most. He was hard-headed, didn't enjoy studying, and due to his unique psychic abilities, he found the vast jungles more comforting than being confined in the Marshal's residence.

Xia You nodded in agreement.

Exactly, since when do leopards enjoy human lectures?

Not even the most intelligent beasts of the interstellar era!

But the fact that His Highness took out time specifically to teach him shows his care and attention. Xia You can't resist those who treat him well.

The young boy exerted force from his waist, pushed himself up from a lying position, brushed off the grass from his clothes, and effortlessly moved behind Lu Yinghuai, reaching out to grip the handles of the wheelchair, "Let's go to the greenhouse then! There are lounge chairs, and it seems to be bathed in bright sunlight."

Not used to someone being so close and taking control of his wheelchair, Lu Yinghuai slightly tilted his head, fingers twitching, and softly said, "Alright."

The greenhouse was predominantly deep green. Bright windows were set against walls adorned with plant leaves, and the roof consisted of transparent glass panels. Apart from rows of flower shelves and varied height tables, there were two wicker chairs placed to the right.

Inside the wicker chairs were warm orange cushions, soft to touch, warmed by the sun.

Xia You looked around, feeling that this place had a different vibe than the Marshal's residence.

Lu Yinghuai's wheelchair was positioned by the window, in front of which was afternoon tea, carefully prepared by the butler. The rose tea inside the teapot shimmered with a delicate amber hue.

Xia You sat opposite Lu Yinghuai, beside her crouched a large black leopard.

The wicker chair was designed for comfort. As Xia You settled into it, her head was almost level with the crouching black leopard's.

Hanging behind Xia You was a potted spider plant. From Lu Yinghuai's perspective, it looked as if the young boy had donned a brown hat with long braids, giving off a whimsical charm.

Lu Yinghuai suddenly realized why he felt a familiar yet unsettling sensation when he looked at Xia You.

The boy before him, clearly of noble birth and befitting a true young nobleman, had eyes that sparkled with untamed wildness.

It's as if... he was once a flower in a greenhouse, yet blossomed brilliantly in the barren desert.

Noticing Lu Yinghuai just staring at him, Xia You had an epiphany and quickly reached out to pour a cup of tea for his teacher.

A hint of amusement flashed in Lu Yinghuai's eyes. Without explaining, he lowered his head and opened the hardbound book resting on his lap.

"In the year of the Stellar Calendar, humanity set out from the Solar System..."

Lu Yinghuai's voice was warm and deep, mingling with the afternoon sun, reminiscent of soft gauze lifted by a breeze at the window's edge.

What should have been the driest of imperial histories captivated Xia You. As he listened, the young boy nestled cross-legged in a wicker chair, atop which rested the fluffy head of a toy leopard.

Holding a delicate glass cup, Xia You sipped his rose tea slowly. When the narrative grew tense, he'd hold his breath, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Lu Yinghuai.

"...With that, the Helman Empire was established. Humanity looked back at the Solar System from afar, not setting foot on their homeland for a thousand years."

After concluding the prologue, Lu Yinghuai paused, providing an opportunity for his student, whose face was full of question marks, to inquire.

Xia You quickly asked, "What about the Blue Star? Who first discovered that it had regained its vitality?"

"The Empire has been monitoring the Blue Star. Two hundred years ago, a researcher from the military first detected a unique magnetic field emanating from it and thus proposed the inaugural 'Mother Planet Exploration Project' to the emperor of that time."

"That's impressive."

Xia You placed his empty tea cup back on the table, taking each ear of the toy leopard in his hands and rubbing them together.

"The Blue Star was ravaged by viruses during the great disaster, a veritable apocalypse. Though humans eventually coexisted with this end of times, the planet's ecology suffered greatly, with intensified virus attacks and subsequent natural catastrophes. Those who dared to first return to the Blue Star... truly heroes."

Lu Yinghuai looked at him and asked, "Why bring this up now?"

In the current interstellar age, as humanity ventures into the vast cosmos, there's limited emotional connection to their ancestral planet, often obliquely referenced in history.

The ecological degradation of the Blue Star was due to human actions. And for survival, humanity chose to abandon it.

The Blue Star is not only humanity's homeland but also a reflection of past mistakes they long to leave behind.

Xia You spoke hesitantly, "It's just... a sudden thought."

The Blue Star holds a different significance for Xia You.

Perhaps in this interstellar age, in the Imperial Star, he had lived a peaceful nineteen years, yet always in a daze.

After being reborn on the Blue Star, the apocalyptic world did have survivor bases and a relatively well-established set of survival rules. Yet for Xia You, a once pampered young master, merely concealing his identity and anachronistic abilities to adapt and survive was challenge enough.

It was like a seed thrust into the soil, drawing nutrients with vigor, eventually breaking out and sprouting resilient shoots.

Even when he first returned and encountered Xia Qing, whom he once despised deeply, Xia You realized that the profound hatred was merely like a pebble in one's shoe during a walk.

Not worth dwelling on.

Xia You yearned more for the serenity of blue skies and white clouds, the leisurely chirping of birds and scent of flowers.

Nothing is more essential than experiencing this regained tranquility in a peaceful world.

Moreover... compared to the Imperial Star, the Blue Star felt like the nurturing soil allowing Xia You, the seed, to germinate, bringing him a sense of closeness and freedom.

"I'm glad to be back here," Xia You said with a smile, "I love it here."

Lu Yinghuai also smiled briefly, lowering his eyes and flipping his book to a new page.

He never mentioned to Xia You that the pioneers of the Blue Star expedition were his parents, who had perished there, never making the journey back.

The two sat in the flower room that afternoon, surrounded by shades of green. Amid the subtle floral scent, they breathed new life into the otherwise dull "History of the Empire".

Xia You's mental energy, growing increasingly relaxed, discreetly extended its tendrils, frolicking among the plants, occasionally brushing against a leaf or flower petal.

Sensing the overflow of Xia You's mental energy, Lu Yinghuai discreetly activated his own psychic barrier, enveloping the flower room to prevent any further spread.

Xia You's psychic energy was distinctive. Lu Yinghuai felt a natural affinity towards it. Although there were many psychic entities on the Blue Star, few approached the Marshal's mansion. Still, it was better to be cautious.

As Xia You listened intently, he split the snacks on the table in half: one portion for the black panther, and the other he popped into his mouth.

At that moment, both their psychic energies faltered, and their expressions shifted abruptly.

The black panther, which had been nestled in Xia You's lap, shot out like an arrow, darting into the layers of flower shelves in the room.

Author's note:

Note: The big cat, during its cub phase, makes a sound that goes, "Ah ah ah ah ha~!"

(Before researching, I really didn’t expect such a call, I couldn't help but laugh!)