Chapter 53: The True High-Compatibility Match

Chapter 53: The True High-Compatibility Match

The Soulmate System headquarters has about thirty floors spread across five or six buildings.

Upon entering, Xu Qingran checked in with the reception staff in the lobby.

The staff, recognizing him as a 'celebrity' of the empire, quickly grasped his purpose and cheerfully escorted him to the 20th floor.

As he walked through the unfamiliar environment, Xu Qingran couldn't help but look around more.

The interior was designed with a dreamy, romantic theme.

The walls, painted in soft blues and pinks, were decorated with cartoon images and slogans of soulmates embracing. Unlike most government offices, the atmosphere here was more laid-back and casual.

As they walked by, they saw employees lounging by department leaders' offices, chatting and laughing over coffee.

The air itself seemed sweet.

In addition to the staff, many residents of the empire were coming and going, consulting about soul compatibility. The facility also offered marriage counseling, arranged marriages, and matchmaking services for singles... a whole range of options.

"Mr. Xu, our representative will be with you shortly to discuss next steps. Please wait here for a moment."

Xu Qingran was shown into a reception room.

The room had several dark sofas, a gray-white coffee table, and a TV airing Soulmate System promotions. Through the glass window of the adjoining room, medical equipment and special instruments were visible, likely part of the workspace.

After bringing him a drink, the staff left.

Xu Qingran was texting back on his phone.

They were from Qi Heqian and a few academy acquaintances. After hearing about the Yun Tian Building terrorist attack on the morning news, they all checked in on him.

Xu Qingran hadn't mentioned the family banquet, but they kept prying into his plans.

He replied the same to all: "No big deal."

Then got a flood of: ???

"...Research suggests human souls might originate from different worlds, spaces, or even dimensions."

The TV promo looped back to the segment on souls, starting the explanation again.

Hearing this line, which seemed to hint at transmigration, Xu Qingran instinctively glanced up.

The voiceover, paired with cute cartoons, explained: "Renowned soul researcher Zheng Bai once theorized that souls resemble energy. Like the conservation law, they aren't created or destroyed. What we call death is just the body's end, while the soul transforms and lives on."

"According to space and dimension theory, souls can travel to limitless worlds."

"In this vast universe, the odds of two highly compatible souls meeting in our world—let alone the same country—are incredibly slim."

"A thread binds souls; cherish this connection."

Xu Qingran: "..."

So, this topic ultimately circles back to romance.

The door to the reception room was soon pushed open from the outside.

Xie Shaoming entered with Xie Nanyi and other staff members wearing the Soulmate Department uniforms.

Xie Shaoming was beaming, clearly indicating that his recent work progress had been going well.

Xie Nanyi was as enthusiastic as ever: "Xu Qingran, fancy meeting you here!"

After greeting them back, Xu Qingran asked in confusion, "Aren't you from the research institute? Why are you here for my soul resonance test?"

Xie Nanyi pouted and complained, "You wouldn't believe it, after you left, my dad kept his eyes glued to your data, saying your soul behaves unusually. When he heard you were going to do another match with the E-types, he was dead set on coming to gather data and even made a bet with the lab staff that your matching results would be off the charts!"

"As for me," Xie Nanyi chuckled, flipping her golden ponytail, "I'm Xie Nanyi, the genius, of course, I'm involved in dual research! Soul resonance is also part of my research!"

"The leading expert in the soul resonance system, Zheng Bai, is my teacher... the old man you met last time!"

Xu Qingran remembered that old Mr. Zheng.

Xie Nanyi could talk non-stop once she started: "He's just slacking off more as he ages, and recently went abroad for a trip, no telling when he'll return."

"But I learn quickly, I've picked up most of what he's taught me, even Shen Tingyu before—"

She abruptly cut herself off, her expression freezing like a robot that had just short-circuited.

Xu Qingran looked up, puzzled, "What's up with Shen Tingyu?"

Xie Nanyi almost blurted out that she could tweak sample chips and had secretly helped Shen Tingyu modify one before.

She was so nervous she nearly bit her tongue off.

Xie Nanyi quickly covered up: "...Nothing, it's just, you know Shen Tingyu, he's super cautious and a tough nut to crack. Before, his and Tianyi's physical and soul resonance check-ups were all handled by me and my dad!"

Xu Qingran was silent for a moment, then commented, "True that."

Xie Nanyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she recalled the dilemma she'd been stewing over.

It was said that the most recent data on all unpaired E-types in the empire had been uploaded into the matching system here.

Although Xu Qingran's additional matching objects this time were only E-types, Shen Tingyu happened to be an E!

Xie Nanyi was now extremely worried.

Such a big matter, and Shen Tingyu hadn't given her a heads-up, Xu Qingran suddenly came over. With so many staff present, she couldn't possibly mess with anything, and she'd been trying to reach Shen Tingyu on her way over, but he hadn't answered.

She figured he'd come with Xu Qingran, but he didn't!

Lost in thought, Xie Shaoming and others unlocked the door to the adjacent studio, calling Xu Qingran in to extract his soul information specimen.

Xie Nanyi gazed at their backs, sighing inwardly.

Forget it, leave it to fate. Maybe Shen Tingyu's got a crush and decided to give it a try with Xu Qingran, which is why he didn't make any arrangements?!

At this very moment, Shen Tingyu, who was being thought of, had just arrived at the police station where Zhang Hongyan was detained.

Right at the entrance of the police station, he ran into another acquaintance.

Lu Cheng looked up and met his gaze, first startled, then frowned in dissatisfaction, "Shen Tingyu, why are you here?"

He was very surprised to see Shen Tingyu at this place at this time.

Shen Tingyu replied with a tight smile, "And why is Major General Lu here?"

For the first time, Lu Cheng clearly sensed Shen Tingyu's unvarnished coldness and disdain.

He hesitated, aware that he couldn't stand tall in front of Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran, and replied coldly, "I'm here to see Zhang Hongyan, to get to the bottom of what happened between her and Qingan."

He was furious when he found out the truth at Yuntian Tower that day, and he had pieced together the outcome from various angles, almost convinced of the facts.

But after cooling off and reflecting on it, he felt that even if Xu Qingan was to be convicted, it should be done clearly. So he came here specifically to talk to Zhang Hongyan and ask about the evidence.

Besides, Xu Qingan had also been brought here.

Lu Cheng, feeling the weight of the situation, heard Shen Tingyu say casually, "What a coincidence, I'm here to see Zhang Hongyan too."

Hearing this, he asked with suspicion, "What do you want with her?"

Shen Tingyu, however, ignored him and walked past into the police station.

Lu Cheng, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed.

Then they got into another argument inside the police station.

Normally, if they both wanted to see Zhang Hongyan, they'd have to take turns. But Lu Cheng didn't want to let Shen Tingyu, who got there first, go ahead, so he raised an objection. Shen Tingyu, usually easy-going, was unusually firm and had no intention of cooperating with Lu Cheng.

The junior officers didn't dare offend these two bigwigs and kept trying to mediate.

Until Su Wenxu, who had just finished talking with their chief, came out and saw what was happening.

He first greeted Shen Tingyu, whom he knew well, and after learning about their dispute, he said, "Ah, since it's all about the same thing, why not go in together?"

After saying this, he shot Shen Tingyu a strange look.

It wasn't his fault; having known Shen Tingyu for years through his brother, he rarely saw him lose his cool.

—Especially over such a trivial matter.

So, Shen Tingyu and Lu Cheng ended up seeing Zhang Hongyan together.

The report confirmed she had used the banned stimulant ST-891, confirming that the loss of control that night was largely due to the drug's influence. Now that the drug had worn off, her mind was clear again, and she could talk, but her eyes were lifeless, and she looked very haggard.

Seeing them both appear, Zhang Hongyan was startled at first, then slowly regained an eerie calm.

Shen Tingyu pulled out a chair and sat down.

Before sitting down, Lu Cheng spoke to Zhang Hongyan, "I just want to know the specific details of the incident and the evidence that can prove all this is true."

Under Zhang Hongyan's eyes were dark circles, and her gaze towards Lu Cheng was gloomy.

"Major General Lu is talking about Xu Qingan, right?" she asked in a hoarse, dry voice.

Then, before receiving a confirmation, she answered, "The truth is as I said."

"Because Xu Qingan discovered that Xu Qingran had a... very good high-compatibility match, he didn't want to see this outcome." At this point, she glanced at Lu Cheng again, her gaze somewhat meaningful.

"So he took advantage of his aunt's relationship with me and asked me to help change that high-compatibility match to someone else."

"He was ruthless, wanting to see your childhood friend paired with someone like Chen Shengfei, a real scumbag." Zhang Hongyan sneered.

Shen Tingyu lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Lu Cheng clenched his fists slightly, his face unreadable, and simply asked, "Where's the proof?"

Zhang Hongyan replied with calm confidence, "I'm not stupid. Even though I trusted Xu Qingan back then, when helping someone with illegal activities, I had to cover my tracks."

When Zhang Hongyan helped Xu Qingan process Lu Cheng's chip data at Yinlong United Hospital, she took care of the indoor surveillance system herself to avoid detection. Just in case, she saved a copy before deleting the records of Xu Qingan's communication with her.

She hesitated but decided to keep a backup, only telling Xu Qingan that she had contacted someone to shut down and interfere with the surveillance during that period.

Just as she trusted Xu Qingan, he trusted her in return. Knowing she valued her job, they were in it together, and he believed she would never let this come to light.

As for Xu Qingran later entering the studio, the surveillance during that time was completely jammed by the system he carried, so Zhang Hongyan didn't notice any abnormalities when she processed the backup.

"The evidence you're asking for has already been submitted. The video is crystal clear, and you can check it out at the police station," Zhang Hongyan now had a "what's done is done" attitude.

The officer on duty outside quickly brought in the display panel with the surveillance footage, placed it on the table in front of Lu Cheng, and then left.

Lu Cheng walked over to the table, steeled himself, and hit play.

Shen Tingyu stayed quiet, his eyes fixed on the display. From Xu Qingan entering and communicating with Zhang Hongyan to the two of them leaving while laughing, every action was caught on camera.

Finally, Zhang Hongyan added, "Oh, I forgot the surveillance doesn't have audio. You're probably still skeptical, huh?"

"I'll tell the police later to check my work badge. To prevent being framed or threatened, I always wear a recording device at work. If you go to my house, you should be able to find it."

However, Lu Cheng barely registered her extra comments.

His eyes were glued to the display, and he was rooted to the spot, still reeling from the shock that Xu Qingan had actually done such a thing.

He was furious.

Everything he thought he knew about Xu Qingan was turned upside down in an instant, leaving him with a sense of being deeply deceived.

It even made his past comparisons between Xu Qingan and Xu Qingran seem like a bad joke.

His gaze happened to meet Shen Tingyu sitting beside him, and he gave a bitter laugh.

He'd seen through Shen Tingyu's act, but Xu Qingan's lies had slipped right past him.

Furious, Lu Cheng spun around and marched toward the door, ready to confront Xu Qingan and demand answers about everything he had hidden.

But just before opening the door, he overheard the conversation between Zhang Hongyan and Shen Tingyu.

Shen Tingyu drummed his fingers on the table, his usual cold demeanor on full display. "I just watched the video, and there's footage of you modifying the chip data."

"So your claim that you and Xu Qingan only conspired but didn't act is also false."

His tone left no room for doubt.

As Zhang Hongyan fell silent, Lu Cheng also stopped in his tracks.

...That's right, how could he have overlooked this? That day at Yuntian Building, Zhang Hongyan had argued it was just a thought, but recalling the surveillance footage, she had clearly been modifying the data, with Xu Qingan watching beside her.

This alone proved Xu Qingan's involvement and guilt.

"I came here today with only two questions for you."

Behind him was Shen Tingyu's cold and detached voice. "First, did you modify the chip data of Xu Qingran's high compatibility match?"

Zhang Hongyan's expression faltered.

Finally, under Shen Tingyu's cold and piercing gaze, she confessed, "...Yes, I did change it."

Shen Tingyu remained silent.

Zhang Hongyan went on, "But the person I switched it to was Chen Shengfei. As you all saw, Xu Qingran wasn't matched with him. I..."

She opened her mouth, unsure of how to proceed.

She was certain she had switched it to Chen Shengfei, so how did it end up being Shen Tianyi? Moreover, after sending Xu Qingan away, she hadn't left the studio until she finished her work and registered the chip data, ensuring no one else had access to it.

Unless someone from a higher-level data transfer station had interfered during the upload.

But back then, Xu Qingran had a notorious reputation, and among the people she knew, there was no benevolent soul who would willingly assist. Besides, no one knew about their secret data tampering—who would coincidentally alter Xu Qingran's match?

By the door, Lu Cheng's hand had already moved away from the doorknob.

He turned around, staring at Zhang Hongyan in disbelief, still digesting her response.

...So, it wasn't just a conspiracy—it had already been executed!

Xu Qingan had been there, witnessing Zhang Hongyan push Xu Qingran into a pit, without a shred of guilt!

On the other side of the table, Zhang Hongyan was deep in thought when she faintly heard Shen Tingyu speak once more: "Alright."

"Second question, who was Xu Qingran's high-compatibility match before you changed it to Chen Shengfei?"

Zhang Hongyan was startled by his question.

Lu Cheng was also confused and instinctively glanced at the man sitting with his back to him.

...What did Shen Tingyu mean?

Was he suggesting that the 99% compatibility data between Xu Qingran and Shen Tianyi was incorrect? If it wasn't Shen Tianyi, then who else could it be?

—Although, he also found it odd that Xu Qingran, who was completely unfamiliar with Shen Tianyi, had such a large age gap, and seemed like they were from different worlds, could be a match.

Lu Cheng then wondered if Shen Tingyu was attempting to find a way to prove that he himself was the one compatible with Xu Qingran.

Just as he was growing angry at this thought, he looked up and noticed Zhang Hongyan was staring at him with a complex expression.

...?

Lu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and a bold, frightening idea flashed through his mind.

Then, he heard Zhang Hongyan respond to Shen Tingyu's question in a low voice: "The compatibility result at that time was... Major General Lu."

·

Queen's Star, Heavenly God System, Soulmate System Headquarters, 20th floor.

"Thank you for your cooperation. We've successfully uploaded your soul data into the system!" Xie Shaoming, sitting in front of a cluster of control panels, turned his chair around and smiled at Xu Qingran after the data entered the matching system.

He clapped his hands, more thrilled than Xu Qingran himself: "Now, let's see which lucky person will have a high compatibility with you!"

"Though, surpassing the 99% you have with Tianyi might be a bit difficult, huh?"

Beside them, Xie Nanyi, resting her chin on her hand, watched them idly, secretly laughing to herself.

Oh, when the data results come out later, it's going to astonish everyone!

Xu Qingran smiled but remained silent.

He silently asked the system, "This time, did they collect my soul data?"

The system replied, "Yes, it’s different from the original host’s!"

"So I’m not sure what the outcome will be. It’s a shame your matching range is limited to Type E this time. Otherwise, if you were free to match widely, you probably wouldn’t have such high compatibility with Lu Cheng again."

After a pause, it added, "Unless you’re as hopelessly in love with Lu Cheng as the original host was."

"But Lu Cheng might not feel the same way. Without mutual feelings, reaching 99% is impossible."

Like Lu Cheng? No way. This guy, inside and out, just isn’t his type.

But... it looks like Shen Tingyu is also among the matching candidates this time?

Xu Qingran wondered what the results would be if he and Shen Tingyu were tested.

They click pretty well, don’t they? Even if they can’t be lovers, they should at least be good friends.

The system was curious too. It even hoped they’d hit the max value of 99.99%. That would bring the host one step closer to completing the task!

With so many matching candidates, it’ll take a while.

Meanwhile, Xie Shaoming brought up his research on Xu Qingran’s soul data again: "Qingran, could you describe how you felt during the shaping process?"

"While you were in a coma, did anything unusual happen?"

Xu Qingran thought for a moment and replied helplessly, "Sorry, I honestly can’t recall."

"My memories from that time are hazy, and even my dreams are fuzzy. The only thing I remember is that Shen Tingyu took care of me for a few days."

"I see. No worries," Xie Shaoming sighed. "It’s just that your case aligns perfectly with a hypothesis we’re currently studying!"

Xu Qingran was puzzled.

Xie Shaoming explained, "For centuries, it’s been widely accepted that a soul’s personality and preferences reflect a person’s subconscious. We might not realize it, but we naturally gravitate toward choices that align with our soul’s inclinations."

"For example, if your soul is of the intellectual type, you might really enjoy reading books and subconsciously seek to learn new knowledge."

"So in past papers, we have followed this theory, believing that the soul has already decided the path for itself from the moment of birth. And according to research over the years, groups with various special soul and mental types indeed show signs from a young age."

"Each soul has its own strengths, and such choices are normal."

Xie Shaoming spoke earnestly, "However, we have recently been wondering if there might be some special souls that have more choices than others during the shaping period."

"It might be because they are in a period of confusion, or they are too outstanding."

"Or perhaps, their self-awareness is very strong, and through growth and the environment they experience, they diverge from the path predetermined by their deep consciousness during the shaping period. Thus, they take control of the shaping and choose the path their autonomous consciousness desires."

Xu Qingran listened with partial understanding, thinking that the things researchers deal with are indeed profound.

Then Xie Shaoming continued, "We have found signs of 'choice' in you that fit our hypothesis! But we are still researching and speculating on the specific reasons..."

Xu Qingran thought for a moment and said generously, "Then I guess the best explanation is that I’m just too exceptional."

He genuinely believed that no matter which path he chose, as long as he had time to learn, he could do well in it.

Xie Shaoming was stunned for a few seconds, then burst out laughing: "Qingran, you really are a confident person! I admire that attitude!"

"But scientific research still relies on evidence and theory, so if you remember any details, make sure to tell me!"

Xu Qingran agreed.

The wait for the matching results was quite a while. Xie Shaoming told him that if he felt bored and wanted to leave early, he could, but since he had nothing else to do, he decided to stay and wait for the results.

Several hours later, all the data was finally obtained.

It was even printed out on a long sheet of paper.

Xie Shaoming immediately looked at it on the computer screen, and as he scrolled down, the more surprised and delighted his expression became. He kept exclaiming, "Wow, snatching you away from Lu Wennian was the best decision I ever made!"

"Such matching data is really impressive! It’s definitely worth researching!"

Other staff in the studio gathered around Xie Shaoming to watch together.

Xie Nanyi, who was alone in the corner, had a display panel that could synchronize the data results in real time.

At first, she watched the earlier, almost magical matching data with great interest, like she was watching a juicy story unfold. But as she scrolled to the bottom, she saw the name of a familiar friend, and her smile vanished when she saw the matching data.

...How could this be?!

Xu Qingran grabbed the unnoticed printout and rushed to look at the bottom.

He knew Shen Tingyu was at the end. This matching was just a routine for him; he wasn’t interested in anyone else. The only person he was curious about was this general.

Xu Qingran quickly saw the result.

Perhaps the numbers above were surprising to him, but he could still take them in stride.

On the other hand, the system in his head shouted, "How is this possible?!!"

Xie Shaoming, still standing in front of the big screen, excitedly explained to everyone: "Look, Type E users are usually extremely selective, and the matching results are either below 10% or above 80%. But the data now shows that over 90% of Type E souls have shown compatibility with Xu Qingran, with compatibility rates between 30-50%!"

"Most of it is driven by the willingness of the Type E users, but..." Xie Shaoming sighed and shook his head, "the picky one turned out to be our Type D here."

The compatibility matching refers to the emotional resonance from both souls.

The data shows that most Type E users could give some response to Xu Qingran's soul data. Even if they had no intention of dating him, they were open to friendship. Those with rates as high as 50% were one-sidedly drawn, because no matter who it was, Xu Qingran's response was below 10%.

Overall, the highest compatibility score was from a Type E user named Ming Hai.

But it was only 60%, still not reaching the officially recommended threshold for marriage.

Xie Shaoming looked at the end again.

He was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Ah, this unusual outcome seems quite fitting for these two!"

·

The interrogation room was dead silent.

Zhang Hongyan looked at the two silent men in the room and fidgeted nervously with her hands on her trousers: "Xu Qingan only sought my help because, before the engagement, he discovered that Xu Qingran and Major General Lu had a 99% soul compatibility. He was worried it might impact him."

Lu Cheng's breathing gradually became more labored and noticeable.

Zhang Hongyan's words struck like a thunderbolt, striking him like a bolt from the blue, leaving his already chaotic thoughts completely blank.

He and Xu Qingran... have a 99% soul compatibility?

The memories of the past decade spent with him flashed through his mind like a movie, but it only made him feel more suffocated.

He heard his own voice trembling as he asked Zhang Hongyan: "Evidence?"

She said, "Although I manually deleted the records of the compatibility tests done for you two from the hospital system, but as long as there is data, there are additional backup records. If you need, I can retrieve them from my private work account for you to see."

Shen Tingyu remained calm after hearing her reply.

His expression didn't change much, only nodding slightly to Zhang Hongyan, he said calmly, "Alright, I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."

After that, Zhang Hongyan was escorted out by the police officers.

Only the two powerful figures who didn't get along remained in the interrogation room.

Lu Cheng's heart felt a splitting pain, and in the lingering shock, he regretfully realized that deep down, he still loved Xu Qingran the most.

Knowing the truth, his joy overshadowed everything else.

He couldn't let go of the ten years of friendship... Although Xu Qingan was very good to him and they got along without major conflicts, the emotional fluctuations and the heartfelt excitement were far less intense than when he was with Xu Qingran.

Xu Qingan was obedient, well-behaved, and sensible, but he couldn't truly bring him the feelings of falling in love.

It was more like—cohabiting out of convenience.

At that time, he couldn't understand this difference in feelings, thinking it was because both sides were steady and grounded, so life was peaceful. Now that he knew the truth about compatibility, it was like a drunk person being doused with cold water, instantly sobering up.

It’s fine, there’s still time—everything is still possible!

A 99% compatibility is data that would compel the empire to mandate a marriage. He could still be with Xu Qingran! With this data, the Lu family wouldn’t object either!

Thinking of this, the flame that Xu Qingran had extinguished long ago was rekindled with hope in his heart.

He wanted to find Xu Qingran immediately to talk about this, admit his mistakes, and reconcile with him!

With an excited heart, he was about to leave, but as soon as the door was halfway open, it was slammed shut by a sudden kick.

With a loud bang, it slammed shut.

"Shen Tingyu, what are you doing?!" Lu Cheng turned his head and snapped at the man who had walked up to him.

Shen Tingyu's voice was as deep as ever: "Your 99% compatibility with Xu Qingran cannot be announced yet."

Lu Cheng snapped: "Why not?"

He quickly had a guess and asked in anger: "Are you also interested in Xu Qingran, so you want to compete with me for him?!"

But Shen Tingyu still looked quite calm, apparently unfazed by such a result.

His gaze coldly fell on him, and he replied with a sneer: "Lu Cheng, have you forgotten what you've done before? Do you think Xu Qingran would forgive you now?"

"You've already forced him once, are you going to force him a second time now?"

Lu Cheng was stunned by Shen Tingyu's question.

He cheated, slept with Xu Qingan, whom Xu Qingran hated the most, and even argued with Xu Qingran for Xu Qingan, forcing him to accept the fact that they were breaking up, forcing him to face the reality that he was going to marry Xu Qingan.

Xu Qingran now feels such intense disgust towards him.

If the truth came out now, forcing him to reconcile under pressure, would he really be willing?

At this thought, Lu Cheng's heart ached again.

It was an inexplicable sadness, as if his remorse now was too late.

Breaking the silence, Shen Tingyu spoke again, "If you still want to be with him, you should first earn his forgiveness and acceptance, and then make it public."

"You've made such a big mistake; if you really love him, shouldn't you at least do this much?"

Lu Cheng didn't expect Shen Tingyu to say these things to him.

He wasn't trying to compete for Xu Qingran, nor was he using force to make him comply.

"Think it over carefully."

After leaving these final words, Shen Tingyu was the first to leave the interrogation room.

He walked back, occasionally greeted by passing officers, and responded with a smile.

His gentle and modest demeanor was the same as always.

Meanwhile, he got a call from the Golden Wing Battalion about an urgent situation in the Eagle Galaxy needing his help.

As he left the police station, he replied, "Alright, I'll be right there."

His voice was calm, as if he had just come for an answer today, unaffected by anything.

Meanwhile, Lu Cheng met Xu Qingan, who was also at the police station.

Xu Qingan's eyes lit up when he saw him, and he approached happily, "Lu Cheng, are you here to get me out—"

Before he could finish, Lu Cheng slapped him hard.

Lu Cheng's eyes burned with anger as he demanded, "You knew about the 99% compatibility between me and Xu Qingran, not only did you hide it, but you also tried to harm him because of it!"

Xu Qingan's smile froze, his expression turning to fear.

Zhang Hongyan... that old woman actually told Lu Cheng the truth!

Facing Xu Qingan now, Lu Cheng became clearer-headed: "So, among the Xu brothers, it's you who truly hates and wishes the other dead."

"Yet you played the victim to gain sympathy. Were those chance meetings with me also your doing?"

"Xu Qingan, how much of what you've told me is true?!" Lu Cheng's emotions were somewhat shattered.

He couldn't believe he had once hurt Xu Qingran for someone like Xu Qingan.

Xu Qingan still acted fragile, trying to save face: "No, Lu Cheng, you've misunderstood, I really didn't..."

However, the expression that once swayed Lu Cheng now only evoked disdain.

Lu Cheng pushed away the hand reaching out to him, his tone turning colder: "Zhang Hongyan has a lot of evidence; you can't escape these charges."

"It was you who reported Xu Qingran, leading to his capture at the Tower of Evil, wasn't it?"

"Well then, you can go in and cool off for a while too."

Lu Cheng delivered the verdict to Xu Qingan with a blank expression and then left, showing no sign of softening despite Xu Qingan's cries and shouts behind him.

·

Shen Tingyu returned alone to the spaceship, preparing to head to the Tianying system to handle work matters.

Just as he closed the craft door, several messages popped up on his phone.

"Xie Nanyi: !!!"

"Xie Nanyi: Big brother, where on earth have you gone?! Something huge has happened!"

"Xie Nanyi: The matching results between Xu Qingran and the E-Type individuals are out!"

Shen Tingyu lowered his head and stared at the messages on his phone screen for a full minute before typing a reply.

"What’s the number?"

Two words, but enough for Xie Nanyi to know exactly what he was asking.

Two minutes later, Xie Nanyi's reply came through.

"Xie Nanyi: …"

"Xie Nanyi: Your soul compatibility with Xu Qingran is 0.00%."

0.00%.

Shen Tingyu received the reply, his eyes and expression still calm.

Only his gaze remained fixed on those zeros, deep in thought.

Half a minute later, Xie Nanyi sent another message, a long string of text.

"Xie Nanyi: This is insane—what’s going on? I’m sure I didn’t misread that day. How did you two go from a rare 99% to a record-breaking 0.00?! The empire’s lowest ever was 0.01, but you two… it’s like you’re from different worlds!"

Not long after, another message followed.

"Xie Nanyi: But doesn’t this fix the problem you were so worried about? I remember how much you hated the idea. This works out—now the empire can’t force you into marriage."

Shen Tingyu read it but didn’t reply.

Instead, he texted Shen Tianheng, saying that he had something urgent and couldn’t make it to the Tianshen system, asking him to take Shen Tianyi home. He also asked Shen Tianheng to bring Xu Qingran back to Fei Star once he was done.

After sending the messages, he turned off his phone, tossed it onto the passenger seat, and took off for the Tianying system.

The quickest trip from Tianshen to Tianying took three days.

Halfway there, Shen Tingyu crashed in a transit star system. His craft crashed into the ruins of a suburban zone.

He managed to control the crash, escaping serious injury, but the craft was totaled.

In a deserted corner of the ruined city.

Shen Tingyu kicked open the jammed door, twisted from the crash, and emerged from the smoking spaceship. His usually crisp clothes were now rumpled and messy, and the crash left him bruised and cut, blood dripping from his wounds.

He stumbled out of the wreckage, found an open spot, and called Xie Nanjun.

Xie Nanjun answered quickly, "You’re there already? That was fast."

Shen Tingyu replied, "I was in a car crash, and the car is a total loss. Send someone to pick me up."

Xie Nanjun's voice shot up instantly, "You? A car accident??"

This news was more shocking than the Kayan Empire exploding.

Shen Tingyu didn't elaborate, only saying indifferently, "I've sent you my location. Thanks."

Then he hung up abruptly, forgetting even to keep up his usual demeanor.

The place where the vehicle crashed happened to be an ancient, deserted town.

Enveloped in silence and emptiness, Shen Tingyu walked over to what seemed like a collapsing wall, leaned against it, and sat down, waiting for the people Xie Nanjun had arranged to come pick him up.

He tilted his head slightly, bending one leg, and rested his wrist on his forehead, propped by his elbow.

His hand hung limply, covering his eyes.

Blood oozed from the wound on his temple, left to trickle down slowly, unheeded.

After a moment, he suddenly chuckled softly.

It was tinged with desolation.

So, it was all a lie.