Chapter 55: Holding Back

Chapter 55: Holding Back

Xu Qingran's voice was calm, almost indifferent.

There was no panic after being discovered, nor any fluster to find excuses to hide the truth.

It just softly reached Shen Tingyu's ears. While he felt relief at finally getting a definite answer, his heart was otherwise heavy.

What was the source of this heaviness?

He didn't know.

On the other hand, Xu Qingran remained so calm, as if he had always been prepared for this revelation.

"Indeed, my original 99% compatibility was actually with Lu Cheng, not Tianyi."

He said to the man in the living room: "Because of him, Xu Qingan had Zhang Hongyan replace Lu Cheng's information with someone else's."

Although Shen Tingyu had already known the whole truth, when it was spoken by Xu Qingran himself, it still brought him a great impact.

Like a stone cast into water, sending ripples far and wide.

He felt somewhat dazed.

Just a year ago, as Xie Nanyi had mentioned, he had fervently wished that the compatibility data he received was fabricated. Every night after first hearing the news, he struggled to sleep, and even work offered little solace.

Now that events had unfolded as he once wished, why did he not feel the anticipated relief and joy?

On the sofa, the man's fingers on his leg slowly curled towards his palm.

As if he was slowly becoming aware of the unwarranted flutters in his heart.

He repeatedly questioned himself in his heart.

—Shen Tingyu, do you truly wish to spend your life under others' control?

"They selected Chen Shengfei for me, and by chance, I uncovered this."

Xu Qingran stood within earshot, his eyes betraying a hint of disgust at the mention of Boss Chen: "You know I could never agree to be paired with Chen Shengfei, unless I was driven to the brink of committing murder."

Thus, he substituted Chen Shengfei with another.

Reflecting on this, Xu Qingran cast a glance at Shen Tingyu's expression.

His lips were slightly compressed, betraying no emotion. His gaze was fixed on an arbitrary spot, appearing as lost as if he, not Shen Tianyi, had been declared the compatible match.

Xu Qingran observed him and then, unexpectedly, laughed.

A realization was slowly solidifying in his heart.

He inquired, "Do you know whose details I entered on Lu Cheng's specimen chip after swapping out Chen Shengfei?"

Hearing this, Shen Tingyu redirected his gaze to Xu Qingran.

At that moment, the young man in a beige turtleneck sweater met his gaze, his peach blossom eyes curving as he spoke with a lingering tone: "Allow me to rephrase that."

"Shen Tingyu, did you replace the chip with your information with Shen Tianyi's?"

Shen Tingyu's gaze faltered slightly, taken aback.

The living room was filled with a heavy silence.

He was upfront, answering every question with a simple "Yes."

"Soul information processed by non-soulmate affiliated institutions passes through several data transfer stations, where it's reviewed and screened before reaching the final system at headquarters."

"Xie Nanyi was one of the reviewers at one of those stations. She came across my personal information and took a sneak peek for me."

And that's how we ended up here.

After getting the answer, Xu Qingran suddenly let out a light chuckle.

He should've realized it sooner.

Even though Shen Tingyu and Shen Tianyi's names are similar, their IDs are completely different. How could the system mess up? And him moving into Shen Tingyu's place—maybe the Shen family set it up at first, but with Shen Tingyu's personality, if he really didn't want it, he could've found a way out.

Now it finally clicked—the system's arrangement back then wasn't a mistake.

Shen Tingyu likely resisted accepting the match. At the same time, he couldn't let this ticking time bomb loose, so letting him stay was also about keeping an eye on him.

No wonder Shen Tingyu was so cold and hostile when he first moved in with the Shen family.

No wonder Shen Tingyu seemed so on edge and distracted at the Soulmate System headquarters, desperate to get the truth from Zhang Hongyan.

No wonder Xie Nanyi looked so shocked and dazed when she saw the match.

Is Zheng Bai one of the empire's data modification authorities?

As his protégé and being so sharp, Xie Nanyi must know how to do it too, right?

When Shen Tingyu heard Xu Qingran chuckle, his mood shifted from gloom to an odd sense of guilt.

His emotions tangled into a messy knot. Before he could untangle them, Xu Qingran added, "It's fine."

Those two simple words defused the tension.

The tense atmosphere in the room eased as Xu Qingran spoke with a calm, relieved tone.

Xu Qingran's face showed no trace of the expected coldness or anger, nor any resentment over the earlier disdain.

He just said, "Isn't this what you wanted all along?"

"You got lucky, Shen Tingyu."

His amber eyes still held a faint smile.

He spoke casually, like he was chatting with a friend: "Before confirming with you today, I thought I'd messed up and mixed up Shen Tianyi's info with yours."

Shen Tingyu replied calmly, "No."

"I've always known the data pointed to me as the true match."

He'd even begun to grudgingly accept it.

But then the situation took a turn, and what made him even more unhappy was that the true 99% match was actually Lu Cheng.

—Someone like Lu Cheng, is he worthy?

Shen Tingyu was furious inside, but on the surface, he had to maintain his composure and calmness.

Xu Qingran thought for a moment and explained, "Back then, the Shen family was my best option."

Whether to get out of a tough spot or for the mission.

Shen Tingyu didn't reply, unsure if he was lost in thought or angry about the deception. Looking up, his figure seemed lonely and fragile, with a faint, cold desolation in the light and shadow.

Xu Qingran remembered Shen Tingyu's reaction when he learned his soul type was D, and now he understood why he had been so upset. A 99% match with a D-type must have been his worst nightmare, as an E-type.

After a moment, he sighed softly, "I'm sorry."

"I didn't realize a 99% match would cause you so much pain if it were forced on you."

Hearing those words, Shen Tingyu didn't feel any better.

Instead, it weighed him down, making it hard to breathe.

Then Xu Qingran calmly said, "Now that my match result with an E-type is out, our compatibility won't be used by the empire to throw you into the fire. As for the percentage... since you're asking me today, you must already know, so I won't repeat it."

"I'm glad the worst-case scenario didn't happen. Whether it's a false match or real compatibility, it won't affect your life."

Xu Qingran meant it.

The closer he got to Shen Tingyu, and the more he understood the pain of being forcibly bound as an E-type, the more he felt it was a good thing the binding hadn't worked.

If it had worked, they might have ended up on a different path, full of rejection and hatred.

A few seconds later, Xu Qingran snapped out of it and said, "Once the Soulmate System announces the E-type and Zhang Hongyan's crimes, I'll find an excuse to retake the match test with others in the empire."

"Once the results are in, I'll end the engagement with the Shen family."

He could tell his soul compatibility with Shen Tianyi wouldn't be anywhere near 99%.

Xu Qingran checked the time on his health bracelet and said to the motionless man on the sofa, "Give me five days. I'll clean out my mom's villa at Bishui Mountain, then I'll move out right away. I won't bother you and Tianyi anymore."

"Thanks for looking out for me during this time."

After that, the living room fell into a long silence.

When Shen Tingyu snapped out of it, Xu Qingran, who had been talking to him, was already gone.

He didn't know how long he'd been gone.

Even though his communicator had buzzed three times, he hadn't answered.

His mind was stuck on what Xu Qingran had said about ending things with the Shen family and moving out.

Xu Qingran was right, though.

This was the nightmare he'd always wanted to escape, and now that it was over, he should feel relieved and happy.

The communicator buzzed a fourth time.

The man on the sofa still didn't move, letting the communicator buzz and then go silent.

·

"Huh??"

"Host, you're really ending your cohabitation with the target? If you return to the Silver Dragon Battalion, you might not have many chances to interact in the future!"

Especially since it saw that the atmosphere of today's conversation between Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu didn't seem very good.

When the system asked Xu Qingran, he had just boarded the aircraft.

While starting the aircraft, he replied to the system, "There's no other way."

"I don’t like relationships that only happen because someone’s forced into it."

The system paused, then asked, 「Even if it might mean not getting your abilities back, is that okay?」

Xu Qingran froze for a moment.

Abilities?

Indeed, abilities are very strong, and with them, he would be the biggest anomaly in this world.

But really, his abilities are so important because they’re the last thing Xu Qingyao left him.

When he first arrived in this world, he was determined to retrieve them, even if it meant dying.

Even now, he still feels the same way. If endless suffering was the price to get his abilities back, he wouldn’t think twice.

But now, the method to retrieve his abilities comes at the cost of harming someone who treats him as well as Xu Qingyao did.

He paused, torn by the decision.

After a long pause, the system spoke up, 「Ah, it’s fine, host. Let’s just take it easy!」

Perhaps sensing his struggle and pain, it was surprisingly understanding for once: 「Even though your abilities are still sealed, they’re technically with us, so they’re kind of by your side, just waiting for the seal to break!」

Xu Qingran was surprised that this time the system was the one suggesting he take it easy: "Aren’t you worried about missing your KPI?"

「Oh, host, are you worried about me?」 The system’s tone was almost bashful, 「That extra task is just for extra credit. As long as the host can live through this world's life well, I won’t be destroyed!」

Xu Qingran laughed as he piloted the aircraft away from Fei Star, casually telling the system, "Alright, I’ll do my best to stay alive."

"And then make sure everyone who deserves it gets knocked out of the picture."

System:「……」

The latter part is unnecessary!

However, in fact, Xu Qingran is now about to set off to send someone flying.

His destination was Bishui Villa.

One of Qi Shengxue’s inherited properties, the large villa at Bishui Villa, is located in the SP-Tian Snake galaxy under the jurisdiction of the Silver Dragon Battalion.

It’s Villa 9, perched at one of the highest points in the entire estate.

The view from there is absolutely stunning.

On a sunny afternoon, Xu Yan was in a small garden pavilion, brush in hand, his face a picture of deep concentration as he practiced calligraphy.

The stone table was cluttered with inkstones and a messy stack of papers.

Scraps of paper covered in sloppy characters littered the ground.

It had been more than three days since Xu Yan returned from Cloud Sky Tower, exceeding the deadline set by Xu Qingran.

But he continued to live in the grand villa with a sense of entitlement, clearly brushing off Xu Qingran's warning. He thought that, no matter what, he was Xu Qingran's biological father, and even if the child hated him, he wouldn't dare to go to extremes.

As for the Xu family, after the old patriarch found out he had ruined Xu Qingan's birthday banquet, he was so furious that he ordered him to temporarily step away from managing the family's affairs. Now, with nothing to do, he spent his days enjoying life in the big house, treating it like a vacation.

Xu Yan was admiring his own handwriting when a woman wearing a sapphire blue dress suddenly rushed to his feet.

It was Xu Qingan's mother.

She still had her usual bun, but her hair was slightly disheveled, lacking its usual neatness. She looked haggard, no longer the beautiful and radiant woman she once was.

She clung to Xu Yan's thigh, her mind in a fog: "Husband, you must help me!"

"Just now, the lawyer called and said the evidence supporting Qi Shengxue's lawsuit is rock-solid, and my appeal has failed! They’re going to arrest me soon. I don’t want to be taken to the Tower of Evil..."

Xu Yan frowned: "Ailian, the Xu family is in a difficult situation now, and grandfather has stripped me of my management rights. What can I do to help you?"

"Besides, the evidence of your plot to harm Qi Shengxue is conclusive. I didn’t even know back then that you were so heartless as to harm the child in her womb. No matter how much power I have, I can’t save you!"

Zhu Ailian, seeing his calm demeanor, as if he had washed his hands of the matter, angrily got up and grabbed his shoulders, shouting: "Who did I do all this for?!"

"It was you who promised me that once the Xu family was stable, you’d find a way to kill Qi Shengxue or divorce her. But Qingan was already so big, and you still hadn’t made a move. I had no choice but to take action myself for the sake of our family’s reunion!"

Zhu Ailian grew angrier as she spoke, tears streaming down her face: "I was your real first love, your true partner, but in the end? I could only enter the Xu family as your second wife, and for over a decade, An’an couldn’t even truly acknowledge you as his father."

"Now I have to endure the shame of being the other woman, and even An’an is being called the child of the other woman by outsiders..."

She spoke sorrowfully: "Don’t forget that the compatibility between you and Qi Shengxue was also altered by my sister’s friend Hongyan! If I’m really taken to the Tower of Evil, I’ll spill all your secrets, and we’ll die together!"

Xu Yan grew anxious: "Ailian, do you have to do this?!"

"Over the years, haven’t I given you and An’an a life of wealth and luxury? The best in the house, I always gave priority to you and your son. When you first got involved in the lawsuit, I also poured a lot of money and effort into helping!"

"I really tried my hardest!"

Zhu Ailian was still crying.

She had been so stressed and worried that she lost her appetite, her cheeks sunken from weight loss: "What about An’an?"

"I don’t know what’s going on, but An’an has been detained too, and I heard he’s going to be sent to the Tower of Evil! Husband, if you can’t help me, at least save our son, right?"

Xu Yan looked troubled.

They had recently lost contact with Xu Qingan, and after asking around, they found out he was suspected of incitement and conspiring to tamper with soul matching data. Major General Lu Cheng had already given the order to send him to the Tower of Evil for discipline.

That’s Lu Cheng, Xu Qingan’s fiancé, the future son-in-law of the Xu family!

What a mess this is?!

The couple was in distress when they suddenly heard a loud noise outside, like the house was being torn apart.

Startled, Xu Yan dropped his brush and hurried to the front yard, where he saw a vehicle destroyer from who knows where, smashing his parked aircraft into pieces.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?!" Xu Yan ran out, shouting to stop them.

Before he could run far, he saw a tall young man push open the front yard’s iron gate and stride in.

Behind him were a group of people hired from who knows where, and he was directing them: "Smash everything, and all the furniture in the house, smash it all to pieces."

Xu Yan was furious: "Xu Qingran, what are you doing?!"

Xu Qingran watched with satisfaction as the people began to destroy the additions made by Xu Yan and some of the original furnishings of the villa, then answered Xu Yan's question: "Didn't I tell you? If you haven't moved out in three days, I won't let it go."

"I even gave you a few extra days. Since you have no shame, I won't hold back."

Xu Yan's neck turned red with anger: "Are you insane?"

"Most of the things in this house were custom-made by your mother. Aren't you afraid of destroying her belongings too?!"

"Just furniture," Xu Qingran smiled slightly. "Anyway, I have money. After smashing them, I can have identical ones replaced."

"As for you, Dad, you probably don't have much usable money left now, do you? Do you want to drag this out with me?"

Xu Yan watched the group causing chaos in the front yard and hurried back before they could enter the house, pushing Zhu Ailian, who was about to come out to investigate, back inside and quickly locking the door.

Not long after, Xu Qingran, with tools he had somehow obtained, began to destroy the door lock with the help of his spiritual energy.

Each loud bang sounded like the knock of death, striking fear into their hearts one after another.

Zhu Ailian, momentarily forgetting her panic over her lawsuit and Xu Qingan's situation, hid behind Xu Yan and kept asking, "What's going on?!"

Seeing that force wasn't working, Xu Yan started playing the victim, shouting through the door: "Qingran, Dad just had his control over the family's assets taken away by your great-grandfather, and the bank accounts are frozen. The hometown is so dangerous now, and I heard other outer districts of Red City are being overrun again. Who knows when it might fall like Silver Dragon City."

"Dad really has no choice!"

"Tianshe is one of the only two star systems in the Silver Dragon governance zone that hasn't been overrun by the devil horde. For future safety, can you lend the place to Dad and Auntie for now? After all, your mother left so many properties, and you can't live in all of them by yourself!"

"With Dad here, I can help you take care of the house!"

Xu Yan spoke tearfully, genuinely feeling more and more pitiful as he went on.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the sturdy door was smashed with a loud crash, hanging crookedly on its frame.

His eldest son, Xu Qingran, kicked the door a few times from outside, testing it, then with all his strength, sent the door panel flying.

Xu Yan and Zhu Ailian, hugging each other, barely managed to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit by the flying door.

Both of them were scared out of their wits.

That was a metal door that required several strong men to carry. Xu Qingran must have at least double S or even triple S spiritual energy to be able to smash the door bare-handed!

At the doorway, Xu Qingran, with his soft, curly hair and an angelically beautiful, innocent face, was wearing a beige cotton coat that accentuated his gentle demeanor.

But his eyes were as cold as ice, and he held a versatile stick in his hand, saying coldly, "Nice talk."

"But did you two scumbags ever give my mother a chance back then?"

"I'll say it once," Xu Qingran's expression was cold, his eyes devoid of any familial warmth, only disgust. "Will you leave on your own, or will you be carried out horizontally?"

The system listened to Xu Qingran's words in silence.

It pulled out the redemption plan it had drafted for this host at the beginning of the transmigration, which read: 「Act obediently to move the 'protagonist' and win back the father's love, reclaiming the property left by the birth mother.」

Looking at Xu Yan, who was almost scared out of his wits, the system cried.

There's no going back, really no going back. Not a single part of this redemption plan was useful!

Xu Yan was frightened by Xu Qingran's serious, almost 'righteous extermination' gaze.

But for the sake of a comfortable life, he still braced himself and said with a trembling voice, "Qingran, you can't be so unfilial—"

Before Xu Yan could finish his sentence, Xu Qingran swung the rod and struck him heavily.

The blow sent him sprawling to the ground, howling in pain and looking utterly disheveled.

Xu Qingran glanced coldly at Xu Yan on the floor, then turned his gaze to Zhu Ailian, who was trembling with fear. "Let me make this clear: I have no morals."

"If you piss me off, I’ll hit you, woman or not."

Zhu Ailian's legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

Only after realizing Xu Qingran truly had no humanity, no conscience, and was capable of harming them did the couple reluctantly leave the house.

In the front yard, the flower beds, saplings, and stone sculptures Zhu Ailian had painstakingly arranged were all smashed to pieces.

She looked on, heartbroken.

Arm in arm, Zhu Ailian and Xu Yan slowly made their way to the front gate, when they suddenly ran into several police officers who had just arrived.

After confirming their identities, the officers sternly said, "Ms. Zhu Ailian, Zhang Hongyan, during her interrogation regarding illegal activities, revealed that she had once complied with your request to falsify matching data for your husband and Ms. Qi Shengxue."

"You’ll need to come with us for questioning."

"Mr. Xu Yan, you’re also involved, so you’ll need to come with us."

Zhu Ailian wasn’t good at keeping her cool.

Hearing the officer’s words, her face went pale.

...Zhang Hongyan had actually exposed something from so long ago!

How dare she! Once this mess was over, she’d make sure Zhang Hongyan paid for this!

Xu Yan, blindsided by this, shouted angrily, "Why should I go with you just ’cause you suspect me?! I haven’t broken any laws, I know nothing about this, let me go—"

His reaction was too much, and the officers, citing obstruction of justice, cuffed him and hauled him away.

The noisy yard went quiet after they left.

Xu Qingran paid the guys he’d hired to wreck the place and watched them leave.

They hurried off, avoiding his gaze, as if afraid some beast might chase them if they lingered.

Outside the gate, a few nosy neighbors had gathered, drawn by the ruckus.

When they met his gaze, they scattered like scared rabbits.

Xu Qingran glanced at the rod still in his hand, didn’t toss it, and carried it back inside.

Truth was, most people couldn’t handle his temper.

He didn’t feel sad—he never cared much what others thought of him.

He just felt a little regret.

Regretful that the one person who could accept him might be slipping away.

Xu Qingran returned to the house, tidied up the mess at the entrance, contacted someone to repair the door and renovate the yard, and then left again.

Before departing, he sat in the aircraft, holding his phone, lost in thought for a long time.

Finally, he clicked on a chat box with a donut profile picture and sent a message.

"Nanyi, I have something I need your help with."

·

SR Canis Major System - Fei Star.

Golden Crow City, Golden Wing Battalion Military Headquarters.

In a conference room in the main building, a few people were scattered around the room.

Xie Nanjun was sucking on another orange-flavored candy, puffing out one side of his cheek.

His black hat marked with a golden feather emblem was placed on the table, and his expression was as sour as if he'd been dragged into an interview. He complained to the black-haired man beside him, "Ugh, after finally getting a vacation post-mission, I still get dragged back for a meeting."

The person next to him remained silent, just sitting in his chair, head slightly lowered, as if lost in thought.

In fact, whatever he was thinking about seemed quite important, given his very serious expression.

It made Xie Nanjun feel awkward enough to almost ask if someone in his family had recently passed away.

Shen Tingyu had been in a pretty lousy mood these past few days.

When he arrived at the military headquarters building, he couldn't even muster the energy to put on his usual facade. He was icy and aloof, and except for Xie Nanjun, no one dared to get too close to him.

Today marked the fifth day since Xu Qingran had walked out.

It was also the day he had promised to move out.

Shen Tingyu had been laid up at home recovering from his injury these past few days.

And Xu Qingran hadn't returned once during that time.

Thinking about this made Shen Tingyu even more uncomfortable.

There was a nagging sense of unease stuck in his chest, as if if he didn't make an effort to hold on, he might let something important slip through his fingers for the rest of his life.

As the meeting time approached, more and more people entered.

The person chairing the meeting today was the commanding general of their Golden Wing Battalion, a man of advancing years with half-gray hair.

Gathered here were not only officers from the main battalion but also high-ranking officials from the sub-battalions, mainly to discuss the recent situation of the Golden Wing Battalion.

As the reputation and achievements of the Silver Dragon Battalion continued to plummet, the prestige of the Golden Wing Battalion was steadily climbing. So, the atmosphere in the Golden Wing Battalion had been filled with joy lately, and even the usually stern-faced senior officers seemed downright cheerful.

Once everyone in the conference room had arrived, the general began speaking at the front, summarizing and praising.

He spoke with animated enthusiasm, even singling out the recent well-handled incident in the Aquila System to highlight, praising everyone who had participated in the mission one by one. Finally, he singled out Shen Tingyu, urging him to step forward and say a few words.

All eyes turned to the handsome black-haired, blue-eyed man when the general called his name.

But he seemed oblivious, sitting motionless in his seat, showing no intention of responding.

"...General Shen Tingyu?"

The person at the front of the conference room called out a few more times.

Xie Nanjun couldn't help but elbow him hard.

Shen Tingyu finally heard his name and stood up with a blank expression.

Seeing him walk towards the front of the conference hall, the people around him raised their hands, ready to applaud his achievements, but then he said, "Sorry, I won't be attending today's meeting. There's an urgent matter at home that I need to deal with."

Without waiting for the chairperson's approval, he put on his hat and walked straight out the door.

Everyone in the conference hall was stunned.

Xie Nanjun was completely baffled.

...What the hell is up with this guy?

It's the first time I've seen him so careless about work, rushing around like a madman. If I didn't know better, I'd think his wife was in labor!

·

After several days on the road, Xu Qingran finally returned to Fei Star.

He hesitated for a few seconds in front of Shen Tingyu's house before placing his palm on the smart lock.

"Soul recognition successful, welcome home!"

The voice of the smart system sounded as a green circle appeared on the screen. Xu Qingran paused for a moment before pushing the door open and entering.

The house was eerily quiet, with no sign of anyone.

No one was home.

Xu Qingran thought to himself, it's better to slip away quietly.

It saves the trouble of having to say any sentimental or polite goodbyes.

The room looked exactly the same, even the suitcase he brought back from the hotel was still leaning quietly against the desk.

No need to bother with the things in this suitcase.

He pulled out a larger suitcase and a few spacious handbags from the cabinet and started packing the things he had brought from the Xu family. Over the past year, he had spent most of his time at the military academy, so he hadn't accumulated many personal items, making it easy to pack up.

Even the toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom were packed up.

The suitcases and handbags were packed in no time.

He zipped up the last backpack and headed to the desk for a final check.

From the back of the drawer, he found the notification letter from the Soulmate Headquarters that he had forgotten in the corner.

The energy infused into it had run out, and the two souls on the envelope's Magpie Bridge had gone still.

Xu Qingran picked up the beautifully crafted letter, studied it for a moment, then smiled faintly and left it on the desk.

For two compatible souls to meet, connect, and fall in love is ultimately a rare occurrence.

Especially for someone like him, who refuses to settle.

After making sure he had packed all the important things, Xu Qingran hauled his belongings out of the room.

He passed through the long corridor, the kitchen that had been live-streamed countless times, and the spacious living room before finally reaching the front door.

Just as he reached for the door handle, the door was suddenly shoved open from the outside.

He stepped back just in time to avoid being hit by the door.

Shen Tingyu, standing outside, looked up and froze for a moment when he saw him.

Xu Qingran, noticing his hurried look as if he'd forgotten something and rushed back to get it, raised an eyebrow and joked, "General Shen Tingyu, what's the rush? Trying to kill me?"

It seemed to tie back to their earlier conversation.

Shen Tingyu stared at him, motionless and silent.

His eyes were dark and unreadable.

"You came back just in time," Xu Qingran said, not feeling like guessing today. "I'm leaving. Remember to remove my info from the smart lock, so I don't end up breaking in to steal something if I'm broke."

With that, he moved to step past him and leave, but suddenly, the other man grabbed his wrist.

The grip wasn't tight, just enough to stop him.

Xu Qingran glanced over.

The man holding him lowered his gaze, his long lashes fluttering before looking up again.

He heard Shen Tingyu ask, "...Can you stay?"

His tone was unusually serious.

Xu Qingran gave him a half-smile.

The hand holding the bag suddenly released it, and the bag of clothes and essentials hit the floor with a thud.

"Fine," Xu Qingran said.

His response was as quick as dropping the bag.

Shen Tingyu blinked.

...So he didn't even need to pretend anymore?

Xu Qingran caught the flash of surprise in his eyes and said casually, "This is your place, so it's your call."

Since the owner asked him to stay, there was no reason to refuse.

Xu Qingran sighed, "Why didn't you come back sooner? I just finished packing."

"Maybe I should move out for a bit and come back later?"

"...Xu Qingran," Shen Tingyu cut in.

Xu Qingran then met his gaze again and asked, "So, General Shen Tingyu."

"Why do you want me to stay?"

Shen Tingyu let go, and the tension in his face from the past few days eased.

He pursed his lips and answered Xu Qingran's question, "You still owe me so many favors. Letting you go like this would be a bit of a loss for me."

Xu Qingran nodded and asked, "Then how do you want me to repay you?"

Shen Tingyu fell silent again for a long while.

The gaze from the azure eyes fell upon him, and he replied solemnly, word by word, "I want you to help me heal the damage to my spiritual pool."

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow slightly.

Healing the spiritual pool meant they needed to form a temporary bond.

He folded his arms, tilted his head slightly, and gazed at Shen Tingyu for a moment before casually remarking, "Didn't you say you didn't want it to be formed out of obligation or duty?"

During his time at home, Shen Tingyu had been thinking about his relationship with Xu Qingran every day.

He was well aware that he should feel relieved for finally being free.

But the thought of losing Xu Qingran, especially with their compatibility at a mere 0%, filled him with frustration. He couldn't muster any happiness, only a deep sense of anxiety.

He had calmed Xu Qingran's spiritual turbulence during his stabilization phase, and he could even see his soul memories.

Why did it turn out this way?

Then, he came to understand a few things.

"Shen Tingyu, I may not be able to give you the response you're hoping for. Is that still okay?"

As he pondered, Xu Qingran's voice came again. His tone was as calm as always, but this time, there was a subtle hint of softness.

Shen Tingyu suddenly smiled, his deep voice carrying a firm resolve: "Then I'll keep trying until I can sense your response."

The pain after forming a bond likely comes from the partner's lack of affection.

After days of reflection, he finally understood that if Xu Qingran was the one he cared for, he needed to find a way to win his affection.

After all, he had always been one to fight against fate.

Instead of relying on cold, hard data, he chose to follow his heart.

Xu Qingran looked into Shen Tingyu's eyes.

Those deep, enigmatic blue eyes, usually so hard to decipher, suddenly seemed clear to him in that moment.

His heart fluttered slightly, and then he let out a soft chuckle.

"In that case, I'll give you a gift as well," Xu Qingran said, pulling out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket.

With that, he handed over the neatly folded paper.

Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What is this?"

Xu Qingran watched as he slowly unfolded the paper layer by layer, and replied unhurriedly, "The most recent soul compatibility results between me and Lu Cheng."

The man before him stopped abruptly as he unfolded the paper.

Xu Qingran's eyes crinkled slightly.

Rewinding to two days earlier.

When Xie Nanyi, still at the Soulmate System headquarters, passed him the documents, she inquired, "Why do you need the soul compatibility data between you and Lu Cheng?"

This was the request he had made to Xie Nanyi—to see if she could quickly run a compatibility test between his and Lu Cheng's soul data.

As a key officer, Lu Cheng, much like Shen Tingyu, had to undergo annual physical exams, so Xie Nanyi had no trouble obtaining his sample data.

Xu Qingran took the result from her hand, glanced at it, and told her, "Just to comfort someone."

Xie Nanyi was puzzled at first.

But being quick-witted, she soon caught on, immediately widening her eyes and covering her mouth.

—Damn! Could it really be what she was thinking?!

Xu Qingran folded the paper neatly and put it in his pocket, then said to her, "It's just a possibility."

He wasn't planning to hand this result directly to Shen Tingyu.

He wanted to see what choice he would make.

On the way back to Shen Tingyu's house, he asked the system, "Is it impossible for two completely incompatible souls to be together?"

The system replied that the Empire has no strict regulations.

「However, over ninety percent of low-compatibility couples who force themselves to stay together end up breaking apart.」

「Generally, if souls are incompatible, it indicates that you're not suitable for each other, lacking similar interests, topics, and commonalities. Like a lock and a key that don't match, it's impossible to open.」

「Especially two incompatible DEs; forcing them together is a recipe for disaster.」

Xu Qingran said, "But personally, I'm quite satisfied with Shen Tingyu, and I don't feel like we're out of sync."

"And didn't they say? 0% is a special case."

So he decided then that if Shen Tingyu chose to take that step, he would take the gamble with him.

Bet that their 0% soul compatibility—

is a zero with infinite possibilities.