Chapter 110

Upon waking up the next day, Xia You instinctively cocooned herself in the blanket. After wriggling slightly, she realized something was amiss and quickly opened her eyes.

It was already late morning, yet the usually early-rising Marshal of the Empire was still seated at the bed's head. The three or four projection screens in front of him had their brightness dimmed. With his right hand, he gently tapped and swiped on the screen while his left hand rested naturally, holding Xia You's hand.

Xia You moved her fingers slightly.

They had held this position all night. Her fingers felt slightly stiff, but Xia You was reluctant to let go.

"Awake?"

Lu Yinghuai's gaze swept over the projection screen, landing on Xia You who was nestled in the blanket, revealing only her eyes that stared intently at him.

Xia You's eyes twinkled as she poked her head out, resting her chin on the edge of the blanket. In a cheery voice, she greeted, "Morning, Your Highness!"

"Ding—"

The personal devices of both emitted simultaneous notifications of important messages, causing Lu Yinghuai and Xia You to pause momentarily.

"Oh..." Xia You opened the notification. It was a message from the central computer regarding her psychic power level assessment.

Xia You had previously sensed that her upgrade wasn't going to be some intermediate level like A+. At the very least, she expected an S. However, she hadn't anticipated that the central computer's evaluation of her psychic power would be SS-.

This was an unprecedented psychic power level.

Lu Yinghuai's ascent in psychic power from S to SSS was astoundingly swift, resorting to various methods to delay the rate of his progression. Aside from him, only Lu Jiuzhu, prior to entering the hibernation chamber, briefly achieved an SS-tier psychic rating.

Lu Yinghuai swiped down on the holographic screen to read the central processor's evaluation: [Excessive fluctuations in psychic data. Inconsistent with healing-class psychic users. Recommend retesting after stabilization.]

Xia You saw those remarks as well. She rubbed her head against the pillow and then rolled over to lie on her back, staring at the projection screen. "My mind seems quite calm to me..." she mused.

The test took place a day after she woke up, and Xia You genuinely didn't feel that there was anything amiss with her mental strength.

However, Lu Yinghuai seemed to have a thought, musing, "Perhaps we should have Wenxuan test it again later."

Xia You looked up at Lu Yinghuai.

Lu Yinghuai closed the projection screen in front of him and leaned over to tousle Xia You's hair. "Get up; Uncle Zhou will be knocking soon."

Xia You: "!"

Upon hearing about Uncle Zhou's imminent visit, Xia You quickly sprang up like a startled fish. She didn't care about the bed she was lying on or the hand she was holding. She hopped off the bed and darted into the bathroom at record speed.

Grabbing a handful of cold water, Xia You fiercely scrubbed her face, her eyes filled with embarrassment.

Now, whenever she sees Uncle Zhou in the bedroom, she can't help but recall the time when Zhou stuffed the sleeping His Highness into her bed.

Could she perhaps regret those days when His Highness was asleep?

No, no, no...

Alarmed, Xia You swiftly splashed another handful of cold water onto her cheeks to cool them, then began to wash up with utmost concentration.

*

By the time the two went downstairs, the Emperor was already dining in the dining room. Seeing them, he put down his documents and smiled enigmatically, "Awake?"

Xia You glanced at the time.

Half-past ten.

Lu Yinghuai gently placed a hand on Xia You's back, leading her towards the dining table, "Your Majesty, are you truly embracing the leisure of post-abdication life?"

Xia You looked at Lu Yinghuai with a touch of surprise.

Lu Yinghuai had always exuded a sense of steadiness and propriety. Unexpectedly, when facing the Emperor, his words lacked the usual caution and formality, and he occasionally even threw direct barbs.

However, to Xia You's contemplative ears, this did sound—more affectionate.

For those in power, this kind of closeness is perhaps more rare and comforting than the most reverent of respects.

"I've told you, we don't have an emperor in the house. Can't your brother-in-law have a lie-in?" The emperor chuckled, pointing with his chin to the seat opposite. "Alright, sit down and eat."

Uncle Zhou crafts his custard buns with bunny ears, his walnut buns with cute kitten markings, and his meat buns shaped like little dogs. Xia You adeptly picked a walnut bun for Lu Yinghuai, and for herself, a custard bun.

The emperor, from a distance, glanced at the massive white tiger sprawled on the sofa, and helped himself to a lemon bun.

During the meal, Xia You sneaked several glances at the emperor sitting opposite her. Yet, most of her attention was discreetly on Lu Yinghuai, ensuring his bowl was never empty.

Observing this, the emperor burst into a hearty, unrestrained laughter, as if recalling something amusing. After catching his breath, he inquired, "By the way, Xia You, I'd like to hear your thoughts on something."

Lu Yinghuai paused, chopsticks in hand, and looked across the table.

The emperor, seemingly unburdened by the aristocratic custom of not speaking while eating, took a bite of his bun, chewed, and slowly asked, "Have you considered a second treatment for the companion beasts that previously responded well to therapy?"

Xia You's psychic evaluation was divided into three parts. The emperor also received the report that morning.

Xia You, seemingly prepared, set down her chopsticks, sat up straight, and with a slight chin lift, offered a regal smile: "I have considered it, Your Majesty."

How to put it... This reaction felt as if Xia You had been awaiting this topic for a long time.

The emperor's eyelid twitched, sensing somehow that the situation wasn't in his favor.

Lu Yinghuai, observing the emperor, who was usually undefeated in wordplay and steering conversations, barely concealed his amusement and continued to quietly enjoy the breakfast served by his beloved.

The emperor felt something was amiss, but once the topic was broached, it had to continue: "In the past six months, there has been a long list of visitors to the Blue Star, many of whom are high-ranking military officers from noble families. Quite a few wish to learn more through the live broadcasts."

"Does Your Majesty intend to completely unlock the viewing permissions of the live stream?" Xia You posed the straightforward question.

It had been a while since someone was this direct with the emperor, especially after Lu Jiuzhu's slumber. The emperor was momentarily caught off guard but eventually nodded in agreement.

"However, it will also depend on the extent of healing you can currently achieve."

Both the emperor and Lu Yinghuai had previously restricted access to the live stream. A significant reason for this was that Xia You couldn't fully cure psychic disorder—she could only temporarily delay its progression while offering a glimmer of hope for treatment.

Such news, representing progress without a fundamental breakthrough, could easily lead to panic if prematurely disclosed.

"The Empire once contemplated revealing the existence of psychic entities and companion beasts. However, due to the emergence of the psychic disorder, this proposal has been shelved until now."

The emperor placed the document he was holding onto the table, sliding it towards Xia You.

Xia You naturally picked it up and began to read.

Clearly, this proposal from many years ago had been revised. Alongside the revelation of the psychic entities' existence, it also detailed the process of publicizing the psychic disorder.

There was no attempt to downplay the dangers of the psychic disorder, nor any evasion of acknowledging those who had contributed significantly to this cause.

Even the presence of various companion beast warriors at the Blue Star base would be showcased to the Empire's citizens through live streams for the first time.

Those geniuses who once shone brightly but vanished from the public eye, warriors who toiled anonymously on the brink of life and death, and the stars who once risked themselves as test subjects hoping for a better future—

They were all set to re-emerge before the world.

"Yet, for this proposal to be implemented, it needs a catalyst," the emperor stated, tapping his finger on the table with measured patience, "A piece of news explosive enough to rock the stars."

Xia You caught on and smiled, "My sister's companion beast is in excellent condition. Regarding the treatment cycle, it would roughly require five sessions."

"I've already inquired with the Hibernation Center. When my sister first entered the hibernation pod, it was rather abrupt and her physical injuries weren't fully addressed. However, over the years, the center has continuously adjusted the drug formula, and her vital statistics have now recovered to the point where she can safely exit the hibernation pod."

"Once her psychic condition stabilizes, upon waking from the hibernation pod, she can immediately be transferred to a medical pod for further treatment. At a minimum, she should recover physical attributes that match an S-class psychic capacity."

"Given the complexity of my sister's situation, as a healer, I would advise treating several simpler cases with varying conditions before proceeding with her final treatment."

Her words were impeccably and elegantly phrased, leaving no room for critique.

The emperor couldn't help but glance at Lu Yinghuai, sitting next to Xia You.

How had he trained his partner?

From a naive child so easily deceived, into such a seasoned negotiator in such a short time?

Lu Yinghuai lowered his head, sipping his porridge, refraining from commenting on the conversation between his partner and the emperor.

The emperor felt something was amiss. As he pondered, Xia You took the initiative to speak.

"Your Majesty, since future broadcasts will be aimed at the entire Empire's citizenry, they can't be considered exclusively military activities, correct?"

Lu Yinghuai clearly understood Xia You's intent, his drooping eyelids masking his increasingly amused gaze.

The emperor didn't respond immediately, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize Xia You.

With a dignified tone, Xia You elaborated, "Your Majesty, while I serve in the First Legion and am a healer affiliated with them, my contract is a private agreement between the Legion and myself. Essentially, I haven't enlisted nor engaged in politics."

"Therefore, if the Empire requires regular, timely, and assured live broadcasts, shouldn't there be an employment agreement ensuring the interests of both parties?"

The words were concise, the intent clear.

Treatment is possible, and so is broadcasting.

Essentially, the military department hasn't paid Xia You any military salary, and the Empire hasn't granted him an official position. Previously, Xia You had been working pro bono for the military, primarily due to the Empire's marshal.

The nature of the live broadcasts has shifted from spontaneous collaborations for research to placating the national sentiment and supporting the Empire's new decrees concerning psychic entities and companion creatures. With the increased complexity and doubled workload, it's unreasonable to expect Xia You to continue working for free.

By proposing an employment agreement, Xia You made it clear: he doesn't desire military ranks or official positions. He merely seeks a contractual collaboration with the Empire based purely on trade terms.

The emperor fell silent.

He had anticipated many of Xia You's concerns—like the challenges in treatment, the selection criteria for the treated, or other matters. What he hadn't expected was for Xia You to ask for compensation.

No one had ever negotiated salary terms with the emperor after being assigned a task.

The emperor looked towards Lu Yinghuai.

Lu Yinghuai was enjoying walnut buns, delicately biting into each one.

His movements were graceful, yet fierce.

Though he remained silent, his demeanor was unmistakably supportive of his partner.

Recalling the expressionless marshal who once lamented about being financially strained, blaming the Senate's reluctance to allocate funds, and resorting to drawing from his private coffers, the emperor had a moment of realization.

He should've known sooner—one bed doesn't produce two kinds of people.