Chapter 39: Omen

Chapter 39: Omen

The moment his soul resonated, all the meridians in his body felt as if they were being tugged by puppet strings all at once, resulting in a slight twinge of pain.

It was incredibly uncomfortable.

Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, the system hurriedly said, "It's a normal phenomenon. Host, you should stabilize in a few days."

Xu Qingran felt unwell both inside and out, and his head also felt heavy, as if he was on the verge of leveling up again.

...Could it be that stabilization and leveling up were happening simultaneously?

At this thought, his appetite vanished instantly.

He didn't even want to go downstairs to eat.

The system was as excited as if it were unboxing a mystery gift: "I wonder what the host will become? Anything is fine, as long as it's not A or I!"

Xu Qingran paused, "I know about I, but what's A?"

"A refers to the 'specialized' art students, with exceptional talents in painting, calligraphy, and other artistic pursuits. Including those in the entertainment industry, such as renowned singers, actors, and actresses, most of them are of this spiritual type, naturally blessed by heaven to follow this path."

Xu Qingran's face paled slightly.

He had absolutely no intention of venturing into the entertainment industry.

He leaned on the desk for a while before finally suppressing the discomfort from the soul fluctuations.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar communication request came through on his communicator.

After answering, Xu Qingran found out it was Qi Heqian.

Seeing his confusion, Qi Heqian smiled and said, "For someone like me with well-connected information, getting your contact details isn't too difficult, right?"

Indeed.

Although the Qi family was no longer at its peak, their connections should still be quite strong. Otherwise, Qi Heqian wouldn't have been able to uncover the Xu family's affairs. He heard that the case against his stepmother was already underway, with ample evidence, and it was progressing smoothly.

Once she was sentenced, he planned to personally bid her farewell.

Xu Qingran sat down and asked, "What do you need from me?"

Qi Heqian: "Well, it's about the recent events that have happened to you. The Qi family has heard about them. They asked me to invite you to the Qi family."

"It's nothing major, mainly your grandparents, uncles, and aunts haven't seen you in a long time. Aren't you on vacation? This weekend is your grandmother's birthday, so they wanted to ask if you could come back for a meal?"

Mentioning family gatherings, Xu Qingran thought of the troubles with the Xu family.

So he wasn't particularly looking forward to meeting the Qi family, but since Qi Heqian had extended the invitation, he had no reason to refuse: "I understand. Send me the time and address, I'll be there."

"Great!" Qi Heqian sounded relieved and happily ended the communication.

Downstairs, it was quiet and empty.

Auntie Song and Shen Tianyi were nowhere to be seen, and even Shen Tingyu, who had returned last night, wasn't home, but there were some meals left in the kitchen specifically for him.

Feeling bored and ravenous, Xu Qingran took out his small planet and decided to make some extra money by live-streaming while having a meal.

The live-streaming account, which had been gathering dust for half a year, had not only maintained its followers but had actually increased several times since he last checked. As soon as he started, a group of viewers flooded in. Now, he was a big streamer who didn't need to rely on Shen Tingyu's live-streaming room to attract a growing audience.

Unlike previous times when they came in just to scold him, this time the fans' comments were oddly quirky.

"Is today my lucky day or what?! I just opened the live stream to reminisce, and the host is actually live!"

"Little lunatic, I knew you couldn't handle the holiday boredom!"

"Bad review! Where's your QR code? If you don't put it up, how am I supposed to throw money at you! What? Did the military academy turn you into a saint? Have you started to see money as dirt?"

"Has the eldest son settled on his type yet? Has he? I really want to know the result!"

"Young Master Xu, did General Shen really send you that special invite?"

"Little lunatic, are you sticking with Silver Dragon after graduation, or are you jumping to Golden Wing?"

Xu Qingran heated his meal while watching the barrage.

He didn't reply to a single comment but quickly posted the QR code. Fans eager to send gifts cursed while scanning the code, and the sound of money hitting his account was oddly satisfying.

"Being a fan of the little lunatic feels like self-harm..."

"I don’t want to either, but I just can’t help myself!!"

"Make room, let me see what culinary disaster the host is cooking up today."

"Eldest son! I want to have your babies!"

"? Girlfriend fans already? Seriously?"

"Sorry, I’m more of a husband fan."

He found some ingredients close to their expiration date in the fridge and said, "Today’s bonus dish: chocolate shrimp rice noodle rolls."

"???"

"Good, just what I’d expect from you (in a bossy tone)."

"Take it back! I’m telling you to take it back! Rice noodle rolls are a Silver Dragon Fairy staple! You’re on your own with this one!"

Not long after he started prepping, there was a knock at the door.

Shen Tianyi bounded in, with Shen Tingyu trailing behind, holding his report card. Shen Tingyu closed the door, stared at the dismal scores, thought for a moment, and then let out a soft sigh.

After half a year, the kid seemed to have shot up a bit.

Knowing his uncle’s temper, Shen Tianyi immediately quieted down, pouting and looking pitiful, until he spotted Xu Qingran in the kitchen.

He rushed over like he’d found a savior, clung to his leg, and wailed, "Auntie, save me! Uncle’s going to kill me!"

Shen Tingyu, who was heading to the living room: "...?"

The live stream audience, who caught every word: "???"

Xu Qingran, unfazed and used to this, didn’t bat an eye. When Shen Tingyu appeared, he simply said, "Go easy on him."

Shen Tianyi: ?

This family is unbearable for even a day.

The audience also went crazy.

What on earth is this "auntie" business? Is this how rich families roll?

Netizens immediately conjured up a full-blown soap opera.

For example—since you're still young, your fiancée will be my wife first, and I'll return her to you when you grow up.

The chat exploded, everyone demanding the juicy details.

Seeing Xu Qingran still live streaming, Shen Tingyu grew even quieter.

He even started to feel a bit resigned.

Despite the netizens prying into everything from "auntie" to Shen Tingyu to the dropout rumors, Xu Qingran stayed silent. Shen Tingyu took his nephew to the living room and set the record straight on the title, hoping to avoid future mix-ups.

Shen Tianyi asked, "So what should I call him from now on? Keep calling him wife brother?"

Shen Tingyu gave him a long look before saying, "Just call him brother."

After setting his nephew straight, he headed back to the kitchen.

Xu Qingran held his special rice noodle roll, his back to Shen Tingyu as he faced the camera and the chat.

He ate in silence, bite by bite.

"Little lunatic, you're being awfully quiet today."

"...How about you, eldest son, throw in a few curses? You're being too well-behaved—it's weird."

"Is it because you're nearing your shaping period, so you're feeling off? Before my boyfriend's shaping, he had major mood swings, getting mad over the smallest things, and it took forever to calm him down."

"Exactly! Speaking of which, isn't the eldest son super compatible with the little nephew? I heard that the more compatible the souls, the easier it is to calm them down. Maybe if the eldest son spends more time with the little nephew, it'll help."

Xu Qingran was too drained and lazy to reply.

It wasn't until the person behind him approached, and he felt the clash of two different spiritual powers, that he realized he'd developed a strange new sense. It seemed to only work on those who had already shaped, allowing him to sense the "aura" of their spiritual energy.

Noticing Shen Tingyu eyeing his food curiously, he paused, speared a piece, and asked, "Want a bite?"

The chat was going wild, begging Shen Tingyu not to eat that chocolate shrimp rice noodle roll.

But General Shen, looking intrigued, nodded, gently took Xu Qingran's wrist, and casually took a bite.

After a thoughtful taste, he said, "Not bad."

Chat: ...

Two hardcore dudes.

Xu Qingran's face, blank all day, finally showed a flicker of life: "You've got good taste."

·

Just as the doctor had warned, the closer Xu Qingran got to his shaping day, the more uncomfortable he became. These days, he couldn't even sleep well, sometimes not because he was uncomfortable, but because of an inexplicable sense of irritation piled up in his heart.

When he was unhappy, he would go upstairs to harass Shen Tingyu, who happened to be at home during this period.

When he was full of energy, he would drag him to spar.

If he felt sleepy, he would deliberately do things that would annoy him—like directly curling up on his double bed and sleeping like the dead. Perhaps such actions were indeed a bit too inconsiderate of the homeowner's feelings, but Xu Qingran just couldn't control himself from causing all sorts of trouble.

He only felt better after doing these things.

——Probably because he hadn't yet adjusted his impression of Shen Tingyu from a 'dog man' to a friend.

Shen Tingyu would generally agree to any request he made. Even during their sparring sessions, Shen Tingyu would hold back, mindful of his injuries, which often meant he ended up taking a few heavy hits himself. As for him sleeping in Shen Tingyu's bed, it wasn't like before, when Auntie Song would change the sheets after just one night.

Anyway, he had been feeling quite comfortable these past few days, and by the time he attended the Qi family's banquet over the weekend, his mental state was excellent.

The birthday banquet for his grandmother was held at the Qi family's main estate.

The main estate is located on Moon Star in the Fairy Galaxy, a large, historic house decorated in a very retro style, blending the ancient charm of a quadrangle courtyard with the design of a modern villa.

When he arrived, Qi Heqian was already waiting outside for him.

"Are you nervous?" Qi Heqian asked as they walked toward the house.

Xu Qingran glanced at Qi Heqian, who seemed even more tense and reserved than usual, and replied, "I think you look more nervous than I am."

Qi Heqian laughed and sighed, "Ah, back when your Xu family was thriving and the Qi family was declining, your father cut off ties between the two families. Now that you've finally returned, not just me, but everyone in the family is on edge."

Inside the house, a group of people was sitting in a circle.

They were all chatting and laughing, but as soon as he and Qi Heqian entered, it was like someone hit a pause button, and everyone fell silent.

Xu Qingran's expression remained cold.

He was even mentally prepared for another round of battles with his troublesome relatives.

But after a moment of silence, a middle-aged woman in a cheongsam, with an elegant demeanor, stood up excitedly, her eyes red, "Ah, Ah Qian, have you brought Ranran back?"

Qi Heqian nodded, "Yes, Grandma."

"Qingran, this is the leading lady of our Qi family today—your grandmother!"

She was celebrating her 70th birthday that day.

The other people in the living room, upon learning his identity, swarmed around him, even more excited than his grandmother, as if welcoming home a child who had been wandering for years, asking him all sorts of caring questions.

They even asked with great tact, carefully avoiding the more sensitive topics that had been surrounding him recently.

Rather than gossip, they were more concerned about his well-being—whether he had been eating well and whether the Xu and Shen families were still giving him a hard time.

Xu Qingran had lived two lifetimes, and after losing his last relative at the age of nine, he had never experienced anything like this before.

For the first time, he felt a bit helpless and awkward.

When faced with provocation and insults, he knew how to fight back.

But when it came to care, he didn't know how to respond, so he could only maintain his cold, fairy-like expression, his fingers slightly clenched.

He had never expected the atmosphere at the Qi family to be like this.

"I heard your voices from the back hall!"

"Let me guess—has my cousin come back?"

A clear and gentle female voice floated into the living room, and Xu Qingran followed the sound, his gaze falling on the girl with purple hair, and he was startled again.

System: "Wow! Isn't that Duo Lili, the idol my nephew likes?!"

"She said you are her cousin!"

It was only then that he realized that the famous D-type idol of the Kayan Empire—a term referring to a specific category of performers—was actually a child of the Qi family.

Her original name was Qi Duo, the youngest daughter of his second uncle. Duo Lili was her stage name, adopted after her debut to appeal to a broader audience.

Qi Duo laughed lightly, "I heard from the Lin Muyao siblings about you. You're still their idol."

"...Hello," Xu Qingran greeted.

Qi Duo frowned with worry, "Sigh, it feels so distant. Which cousin greets their cousin like this?"

The Qi family was so concerned that they took extra care of him that night, piling his plate high during dinner, as if afraid he wouldn't have enough to eat. He had the fullest meal since his transmigration, and the frustration from the stereotype began to fade.

After dinner, when the heartless Xu Yan was mentioned, everyone in the family cursed him.

The Qi family had trusted the Xu family and Xu Yan's character, trusting in his remarkable business acumen, and had invested most of their assets in him. They thought that since Qi Shengxue had married him, if the Xu family thrived, both families would prosper.

Who knew Xu Yan was a treacherous man, and the Xu family was cold and selfish. After Qi Shengxue's death, they even helped Xu Yan suppress the Qi family, taking the assets they had given to Qi Shengxue, and profiting handsomely at their expense.

Xu Qingran's grandfather fell gravely ill upon hearing of Qi Shengxue's death and passed away a year later. The Qi family lost a major pillar at that time, and the elderly patriarch was already frail and ailing, unable to assist in managing affairs, plunging the family into chaos and leaving them unable to recover.

His aunt shook her head and sighed, "Thankfully, you are willing to return."

"Over the years, because of your father, we lost touch. Hearing from Aqian that you were willing to come back, we were worried for several days."

"Afraid that you might resent us, not knowing how much you've suffered all these years, and unable to offer timely help."

Xu Qingran did not respond.

Perhaps Xu Yan did indeed restrain the original host, but the original host was old enough to manage his own affairs, yet he didn't even have a single contact from the Qi family, entirely focused on winning back his father's approval and conforming to his wishes. If the original host had reconnected with the Qi family, perhaps he wouldn't have been so vulnerable when trouble struck.

Xu Qingran stayed at the Qi family for a long time.

Until late at night, when the Qi family's matriarch was due to sleep, they reluctantly allowed him to depart.

Qi Duo, who had left two hours earlier for her schedule, gave him two concert tickets.

As he was leaving, Qi Heqian, who accompanied him to the gate, presented him with a folder: "These are the dowries your mother took to the Xu family, which I've compiled for you. In a little over a year, you'll come of age to inherit, and you can start thinking about how to deal with the Xu family."

Xu Qingran solemnly took the file and thanked him, "Tell... grandma and the others, I'll make time to visit often."

Qi Heqian's eyes lit up with emotion, and he tightly hugged him, patting his back, "No problem, I will definitely convey this message for you tomorrow!"

Xu Qingran was somewhat unaccustomed, his hands stiff in mid-air, nowhere to place them.

Until a familiar voice called from outside.

Calling his name: "Xu Qingran."

Both the hugger and the hugged turned their heads.

On the quiet road, Shen Tingyu stood there, saying to him, "I've come to pick you up."

He wore his usual faint smile, but beneath his blue eyes, a chill seemed to fleetingly pass.

However, what relieved Xu Qingran was that the overly excited Qi Heqian finally let him go, though his gaze towards Shen Tingyu was scrutinizing and appraising. The person being stared at calmly returned the gaze, his eyes deep and unfathomable, yet seemingly able to see through the eyes of the one being watched.

Qi Heqian instinctively averted his gaze.

For a moment, he felt as if the secret he had buried deep within his heart for so long had been exposed.

Many years ago, he had secretly harbored feelings for the kind and gentle Xu Qingran. Back then, with Lu Cheng by his side, he kept his feelings locked away in his heart. Now, he had moved on, thinking that after so much time apart, discussing feelings seemed absurd.

Now, he simply treated Xu Qingran as a real younger brother to take care of.

But if this affection were to be laid bare and examined, he would inevitably feel a pang of guilt.

Beside him, Xu Qingran approached Shen Tingyu: "Why are you here? Where's Xiao Zhang?"

Qi Heqian stared at his back, feeling the tension in his body from the entire day finally ease at the sight of the newcomer.

Shen Tingyu replied: "I had some business at the Silver Dragon Battalion, so I thought I'd pick you up."

"Alright," Xu Qingran said, glancing back at Qi Heqian, "I'll head out now."

Qi Heqian snapped out of his reverie and waved him off.

Maybe the Shen family treats Xu Qingran well? If that's the case, it's somewhat comforting.

On the way back, neither Xu Qingran nor Shen Tingyu said a word.

He rested his head against the seat with one hand, eyes closed. After flying for a while, Shen Tingyu suddenly asked, "Being your sparring partner all this time, have you let out enough of your pent-up frustration?"

Xu Qingran opened his eyes and replied, "Honestly, not really."

Not only was it not enough, but it was also getting more frustrating by the day.

Even after all the chaos he caused in Linglong City, he still wasn't satisfied. If this were the apocalypse, Mu Ziyu would've been torn apart and fed to the beasts by now.

Shen Tingyu chuckled: "Alright, tonight I'll let you vent as much as you want."

Xu Qingran glanced at the mysterious smile on the driver's face and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't in a rush for answers, leaning back as the aircraft entered the territory of the Silver Dragon-SP Celestial Serpent system.

Only then did he speak: "Today's the day Mu Ziyu returns to the palace from Linglong City."

"It's a private trip, and he has fewer guards than usual since most were left in Linglong City to handle the aftermath."

As he spoke, Shen Tingyu smirked: "With defenses like that, I can break through easily."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qingran spotted a few small, gleaming silver spacecraft appearing in the distance.

Xu Qingran grinned: "You're not planning to kidnap the empire's third prince and let me beat him up, are you?"

Shen Tingyu: "As long as you don't kill him, it's all good."

"Are you sure? This isn't some trick to get me sent back to the Tower of Evil, is it?" Xu Qingran asked skeptically.

Shen Tingyu smiled, his voice steady and confident: "I'm sure."

"I can guarantee nothing will happen to you."

Xu Qingran saw him quickly suppress his smile, skillfully manipulating the control panel inside the aircraft, his gaze in the distance so cold. It was as if only in such important and serious moments could one slightly tear open his disguise and see his true inner self.

It was ruthless, indifferent, and disregarding death.

Most people who saw it might be startled by his appearance.

But Xu Qingran was a bit of an oddball.

Unlike Shen Tingyu's usual gentle, smiling demeanor, he actually preferred this sharp, cold, and ruthless side of him. It always seemed to hit his peculiar preferences, and with each glance, the initial reluctance he felt upon receiving the mission would lessen a bit.

After all, only someone of his caliber was worth taking on such a task.

Up ahead, Mu Ziyu was barking orders at someone on the other end of the communicator to thoroughly investigate the sudden incident in Linglong City: "If I find out your defense system screwed up, you're all fired!"

Not only was it humiliating and infuriating, but he also had to shell out billions for repairs out of nowhere! What made it worse was that Xu Qingran had the nerve to treat him like that that day! Placing a knife right next to him—wasn't that a threat?

The online buzz was also swayed by the live broadcast clips, forcing him to back down first.

If stopping such a popular live broadcast wouldn't have caused backlash, he would've been furious enough to cancel the show!

"...Your Highness, there's a small combat spacecraft tailing us from behind. The system detected it sped up five minutes ago and is gaining on us."

"According to the camera footage, it's a private small spacecraft with the Golden Wing Battalion emblem, likely belonging to one of their military personnel."

Mu Ziyu glanced at the system screen, unfazed: "Take it down."

"There's only one of him, and you've got a whole team—can't you handle it?"

His guards were all top-tier 3S-level operatives. Unless it was someone as monstrous as Shen Tingyu, breaking through their defenses was nearly impossible!

Unfortunately, Mu Ziyu had the bad luck of running into Shen Tingyu, who usually stays calm but turns into a monster when he loses it.

General Shen was an ace pilot, and his spacecraft was armed with cannons ready to fire.

No matter how strong Mu Ziyu's guards were, their spiritual power paled in comparison to Shen Tingyu's, making their attacks and defenses useless against him. Several spacecraft, including Mu Ziyu's, were swiftly taken down one after another.

Watching this, Xu Qingran mused that no matter the world, the strong always got their way.

On the desolate plain, the spacecraft crashed and burst into flames.

The least damaged and sturdiest spacecraft was engulfed in scorching flames.

Mu Ziyu stumbled out of the wreckage, a mess, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

...Impossible!

The only person in the Golden Wing Battalion he could think of with the spiritual power to effortlessly break through his top guards' defenses was that one guy! But he hadn't had any friction with that person recently, how could they possibly do this to him?!

Through the flames, a figure slowly approached.

Before he could make out who it was, he was thrown into a sack, knocked out with a blow, and dragged away.

·

Mu Ziyu regained consciousness, awakened by pain.

His vision was still dark, and he was shamefully thrown on the ground, with ropes binding him infused with extremely strong spiritual power. Like lead and iron, heavy and oppressive, his spiritual power was no match for the overwhelming strength and could not break free.

As he pondered, he was kicked again.

The kick didn't seem very forceful, but it hurt to the bone.

He angrily cursed: "Do you know who I am? How dare you treat me like this?!"

In response, another kick was aimed at his jaw.

The kick left half his face numb.

Then came several rapid kicks to his abdomen, causing him to retch violently: "Cough... cough! You better not let me find out who you are! Otherwise, you're dead!"

Mu Ziyu had initially feared for his life, but he soon realized that the person had no intention of killing him. They simply wanted to torment him, to watch him suffer.

This was even worse than killing him outright!

For the next hour, Mu Ziyu endured the most painful and humiliating moments of his life.

Actually, strictly speaking, it was the second most humiliating, because when he was a teenager, he had experienced something similar. That, too, had been a nightmare he wished to forget, and for some reason, he felt a similar vibe from this person today.

By the end, he was covered in injuries everywhere but his face, and only then did the person finally stop.

Then, however, he heard a cold laugh.

The familiar tone jolted his memories, dragging him back to that night over a decade ago.

He was picked up helplessly like a doll and forced to stand. The hood covering his head was yanked off, and the face that was both unexpected yet anticipated—a face of unparalleled beauty that had haunted his nightmares for years—came into view.

"Third Prince, long time no see," the man said in a deep, magnetic voice, his tone lazy and his smile faint.

Mu Ziyu trembled slightly, clearly out of anger.

Shen, Ting, Yu!

As a teenager, he had met Shen Tingyu, who had come to the palace with the Shen family. Back then, Shen Tingyu was rough around the edges, never smiling, and seemed strange and aloof, unable to fit in with anyone.

So Mu Ziyu had teamed up with a few palace guards to corner him, intending to bully him.

But instead, Shen Tingyu went berserk, knocking everyone to the ground. Even as the guards lay dying, he kept beating them, his eyes bloodshot, leaving them with broken skulls and shattered knuckles.

Mu Ziyu himself had been beaten so badly that he had to stay in bed for a month.

The look in young Shen Tingyu's eyes as he hit him was terrifying, like he wanted to devour him alive. He grabbed Mu Ziyu's hair and slammed his head into the ground over and over, not stopping even when blood spilled, showing no mercy despite Mu Ziyu's royal status.

If the adults hadn't arrived in time to stop him, Mu Ziyu might have died that night.

Ever since, he had been terrified of seeing Shen Tingyu again.

Later, when Shen Tingyu was sent to the Tower of Evil, Mu Ziyu had the chance to torment and humiliate him, but he never dared to take it. Even then, he had a feeling this demon would escape the Tower of Evil unscathed.

"Shen Tingyu, I haven’t provoked you lately, have I?!" Mu Ziyu shouted, blood in his mouth, his anger growing as he spoke.

As he shouted, he noticed another familiar figure standing not far behind Shen Tingyu.

It was Xu Qingran, who was calmly adjusting his cuffs with his head slightly lowered. Sensing the gaze, he looked up.

The silver dragon emblem looked quite dashing.

Xu Qingran thought to himself.

Too bad the leadership isn't reliable, no wonder the recent reputation and performance have been increasingly inferior to the Golden Wing.

Mu Ziyu's mind clicked instantly.

He pointed out sharply: "...Was it Xu Qingran who just beat me?!"

The answer to this question was undoubtedly yes.

Shen Tingyu had brought Mu Ziyu here precisely to let Xu Qingran vent his anger. The recent incidents caused by Mu Ziyu had even displeased him, a member of the Shen family, let alone Xu Qingran, who had personally experienced it all.

However, Shen Tingyu had no intention of revealing the truth to Mu Ziyu: "It was me."

"He was just brought here to watch the spectacle."

Mu Ziyu laughed bitterly and asked, "Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?!"

Shen Tingyu retorted, "You don't believe me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he punched Mu Ziyu in the face.

As Mu Ziyu staggered and steadied himself, Shen Tingyu's lips curled into a cold smile: "Believe me now?"

Mu Ziyu: "..."

He was so furious that his breathing became rapid.

The two most humiliating moments of his life had both been caused by the same person. He truly had a grudge he couldn't swallow! Yet, over the years, the gap between his and Shen Tingyu's spiritual power had only grown wider, and in a one-on-one fight, he was completely no match for him!

"No hidden meaning here—just a reminder to the Silver Dragon faction that Xu Qingran is now under the Shen family's protection."

"Stop your scheming."

Mu Ziyu gritted his teeth.

He thought to himself, "With this attitude, those in the know would think Shen Tingyu is protecting his future nephew's wife, while outsiders might think he's protecting his own wife!"

"What is your Shen family worth? Aren't you just small-time players relying on the royal family?" Mu Ziyu sneered, openly mocking, "Without the royal family's status and support, what are you?!"

As expected, Shen Tingyu gave him another beating.

He shouted, "Shen Tingyu, aren't you afraid I'll report you to the higher-ups and get your position revoked?!"

Shen Tingyu gave a faint smile: "Go ahead."

"I think, since the Queen and your mother are enemies, she likely won't speak up for you. So my advice is, you'd better report directly to His Majesty."

As he spoke, his eyes curved slightly, chillingly: "Let's see if he'll side with you or protect me."

Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran, the two troublemakers, after beating Mu Ziyu up, tied him to a flying vehicle and 'kindly' sent him back to his palace.

The kind of 'sending' where they kicked him out mid-air.

That day, many in the palace saw their third prince, bruised and battered, being thrown down from high altitude. Mu Ziyu was so furious he nearly fell ill, and when he closed his eyes at night, the shadows of his youth haunted him once more.

The difference was, this time Xu Qingran appeared in his dream too.

Watching him get beaten without lifting a finger, even cheering Shen Tingyu on from the sidelines.

So furious that when he woke up, his eyes were bloodshot.

·

Xu Qingran followed Shen Tingyu to dump Mu Ziyu on the Queen's Star in the Celestial System, then left.

No matter what, Shen Tingyu's bold actions this time left him deeply shocked.

Mainly because if he himself went crazy, he could handle the consequences, but if others had to bear heavy responsibilities because of his actions, this level of loyalty was more than he could handle.

So in the car, he asked the driver again, "...Are you really going to be okay?"

"I know what I'm doing," Shen Tingyu replied, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "After all the effort I've put in, I wouldn't take any unnecessary risks."

Xu Qingran fell silent.

After a while, he chuckled and said, "If this gets to the Emperor and you still come out unscathed, then that's truly impressive."

"Speaking of which, I'm quite curious. Since it was Mu Ziyu's private itinerary, how did you know about it?"

Shen Tingyu was quiet for a few seconds before answering, "I have my ways."

Then, he suddenly turned his head and smiled gently, "So if you need help, just let me know."

Xu Qingran recalled their first meeting at the Tower of Evil, when they were still so confrontational. He was fine now, but Shen Tingyu seemed... ever since finding out he wouldn't become an E-type, his attitude had completely changed.

He paused, hesitating before asking, "Shen Tingyu, do you... think of me as a friend?"

The person he asked turned to look at him again, his deep blue eyes filled with a hint of confusion, as if pondering why he would ask such a question.

"If I didn't think of you as a friend, you wouldn't be in my car."

Xu Qingran leaned back against the seat, his face appearing somewhat pale under the dim light outside the car.

"I didn't know General Shen cared so much about his friends," he said softly.

Shen Tingyu chuckled and replied bluntly, "Not exactly."

"I don't have many true friends, and someone like you... for now, you're the only one."

"You're unique," Shen Tingyu said directly, perhaps because it was just the two of them. "If we don't end up as enemies, I'd like to think of you as my closest friend."

Like that night dealing with Mu Ziyu.

This kind of approach was what he enjoyed most, even easing the pressure of suppressing his psychic energy. But in the Kayan Empire, where image and character are everything, no one would ever approve or join him in enjoying it fully.

But Xu Qingran could.

He even seemed to enjoy it, working with him without any hesitation. Because he knew they were both thrill-seekers who thrived in life-or-death situations.

Xu Qingran glanced at Shen Tingyu.

He got it now. Shen Tingyu might seem deep and calculating, and he was indeed shrewd, but at heart, he was a straightforward guy. When he said he wanted to be friends, he really meant it.

At least, that's how it seemed.

Xu Qingran felt a bit relieved.

Even though his mission was to win over Shen Tingyu, if he suddenly started acting or saying he liked him, it might freak him out.

The aircraft flew on for a while until they entered Sirius territory.

Shen Tingyu had just placed his hand on the control stick, intending to switch to autopilot mode temporarily, when his wrist was suddenly grasped lightly.

The hand that grabbed him was unusually cold.

He paused, then heard Xu Qingran whisper beside him, "Friend, I need your help with something urgent."

"Before heading home, could you take me to the hospital first?"

Glancing at Xu Qingran in the passenger seat, Shen Tingyu noticed his furrowed brows and the pain etched on his face, his lips pale from the strain, and a layer of cold sweat forming beneath his messy hair.

Without a word, Shen Tingyu accelerated the aircraft to its top speed, heading straight to the nearest Golden Wing United Hospital.

By arrival, Xu Qingran had already slipped into a coma.

The doctor explained that his soul was stabilizing, and the fluctuations were unusually chaotic compared to those of ordinary people, making his condition seem more severe. Such chaos was rare; even rare types didn't experience such intensity during stabilization.

It took considerable effort to finally stabilize the groggy Xu Qingran.

Fortunately, his spiritual pool was unaffected. However, his body was running a low-grade fever due to signs of advancement, requiring a few days of hospitalization.

In the private room, the unconscious Xu Qingran lay quietly, appearing docile.

Even when medicated to aid his spiritual pool recovery, reduce fever, and stabilize his soul, he slept peacefully without resistance.

Shen Tingyu stood by the window, glanced at him a few times, then looked away before continuing to speak to Auntie Song: "He's stable now, nothing serious. He needs to stay hospitalized for a few days, so we won't be returning yet."

"Please look after Tianyi, and keep this from him."

After hanging up, Shen Tingyu pulled up a chair and sat by the bed.

The room was silent.

Two small medical devices by the bed alternated in displaying his health status.

The soul type wasn't updated yet, but the soul state had stabilized.

Shen Tingyu gazed at Xu Qingran's peaceful face, still unsure whether to release the burden he'd carried for days.

He had actually taken leave specifically for this.

That day, he had only meant to deliver an invitation to Xu Qingran, but Auntie Song described his stabilization reaction as quite severe. During his own stabilization, he had been so irritable he felt like destroying a city, knowing the discomfort well.

Though he didn't feel that way now, he couldn't deny that Xu Qingran was still his highly compatible partner, according to the soul compatibility data.

Besides, he had previously accessed Xu Qingran's soul memories in Linglong City.

The triggering of soul memories was rare.

Apart from occurring only in individuals with high-level spiritual pools, another necessary condition was a soul compatibility of over 90%. No matter how reluctant he was to face it, he had to admit that the compatibility data between him and Xu Qingran had a 90% probability of being accurate.

If it were someone else, it wouldn't matter.

But Xu Qingran—he didn't want to see such an interesting person disappear just yet.

While Shen Tingyu was still lost in thought, the door to the ward suddenly opened.

A nurse in a white and gold uniform walked in, her slightly flushed cheeks revealing her excitement: "Mr. Xu's soul stabilization was successful, and the type result is out!"

"It's a D-type!"