Chapter 99: Determination

Chapter 99: Determination

"Ziyue, if you're not strong enough, even as a prince, you'll only be beaten."

That year, Mu Ziyue was six years old.

Su Ya sat in the palace garden, watching her son undergo training from the servants.

Though just a child, his mental reservoir was already showing signs of development.

To many ambitious parents, this meant higher expectations for the child.

Because the earlier the mental reservoir manifests, the higher the mental hierarchy will be when it fully develops.

This was not Mu Ziyue's first time undergoing training.

But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't defeat the three or four servants who surrounded him.

—Of course, such a result was normal for a child only six years old.

"I think you wouldn't want to become a loser trampled underfoot by your brothers in the future, would you?"

Su Ya's education had always been decisive and ruthless.

As a profit-driven person, only children who could meet her expectations were worthy of her attention and affection. The royal family's competition was always this brutal. She assessed her children early, and if she saw potential, she pushed them relentlessly.

Mu Ziyue, who had been knocked down to the ground by the servants in a counterattack, felt deeply humiliated and angry.

Provoked by Su Ya's words, he charged at one of the servant sparring partners with all his might. The impact was powerful, and since he was still young and not very good at controlling his spiritual power, he lost control and used too much force.

The servant, unprepared for his sudden counterattack, was sent flying by the impact.

He fell by the flower bed, hitting his head on a decorative stone. He was slightly injured, not fatally, but bleeding. The pain and dizziness kept the servant from getting up right away.

Coming to his senses, Mu Ziyue was about to help the man up.

Suddenly, a knife was thrust into his hand from the side.

The person holding the knife was none other than his mother, Su Ya.

Su Ya looked down at him, her eyes kind yet cold: "Do you remember what I told you?"

"To achieve greatness, you must abandon your useless compassion."

"Now that you have the chance, kill him."

That was the first time Mu Ziyue killed someone.

There was a flicker of fear and unease, but it was overshadowed by an indescribable thrill. Watching someone who had once been stronger than him beg for mercy, abandoning all dignity and pride, yet ultimately submitting to his power.

For the first time, he truly grasped Su Ya's words.

He no longer wanted to be the victim; he wanted to be the one at the top, wielding the power to kill.

Su Ya had also told Mu Ziyue many stories.

He knew that in the struggle for power, family bonds meant nothing. So from a young age, he saw all his siblings as rivals, even his own twin brother. Later, his exposure to Type E made him crave their power, confident that he could rise above others and master nature itself.

Unfortunately, not everything turns out as one hopes.

Not everything one desires can be obtained through power and wealth.

Suddenly, a basin of water was poured over him.

It was as cold as if it had just been scooped from an icy pool, making him shiver and wake up groggily.

It had been an unknown number of days since he left the Tower of Evil.

Xu Qingran, without any potion, temporarily halted his continuous torment, allowing his mind a brief moment of clarity. However, some of the physical damage he suffered was irreversible.

To this day, being in the hands of Xu Qingran, this madman, he had nothing to say.

After all, the other party had something he had never seen before, something that seemed capable of restraining them—a 'nemesis'.

However, upon opening his eyes and seeing the man who appeared with Xu Qingran, Mu Ziyue's emotions still fluctuated significantly.

He had once considered countless methods.

He had even forced his subordinates to conduct research to see if Shen Tingyu's soul and spiritual type could be transferred to him, if his iris could be transplanted into his own eyes, to make them his own.

The answer was no.

Perhaps there might be a way concerning the eyes, but the soul and spirit he cared about most—the talent and power of the E-type—could not be achieved with current technology.

Mu Ziyue was furious at the sight of Shen Tingyu.

He instinctively struggled to get up, but his hands and feet were still restrained, and his spiritual pool had long been ruined by Xu Qingran. He was temporarily unable to use his spiritual power extensively and could only glare at him with his usual fierce eyes.

Until two somewhat familiar figures stepped into his view from the side.

The older one stared at him for a long time before speaking indifferently, "Long time no see, brother."

By then, Mu Ziyue had already been transferred from the aircraft to a small room.

Surrounding him, besides Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu, were Mu Zixuan, whom he had almost killed, and Mu Zisheng, who had become a victim of his quest for royal power. They were the ones Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran had decided to invite after discussing.

After all, these two also had old scores to settle with Mu Ziyue.

If Mu Ziyue had to meet his end today, then these two should not miss it.

At the sight of Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan, Mu Ziyue's composure wavered slightly.

With a hoarse voice, he demanded, "Why are you here? No, how are you still alive, Mu Zixuan?!"

He had clearly seen him buried!

Mu Zixuan, now a teenager, had grown much more sensible and had long known the truth of what happened back then.

Seeing Mu Ziyue's reaction, he was somewhat disappointed. "Brother, I am your own brother. In the years you thought you had killed me, didn't you feel even a shred of guilt?"

"Why should I feel guilty?"

Mu Ziyue chuckled lowly, "If it wasn't you who died, it would have been me!"

Mu Zixuan didn't understand, "I had no intention of competing with you for power..."

Mu Ziyue cut off his impending familial discourse, ruthlessly stating, "But you were still a potential threat!"

Although the royal power is great.

But with the empire's vast population, even with Suya paving the way for him, if he ultimately doesn't win the people's recognition and admiration, and his reputation doesn't surpass that of other potential competitors, he could lose everything in an instant.

Mu Zisheng had had enough.

He asked, "Is the throne really that crucial to you?"

Their father had occupied that position for so many years.

What did he really gain from it?

"Of course, it's important!"

Mu Ziyue shouted, his voice hoarse and eyes tinged with red: "I've walked this path for so long, all the efforts I've made since childhood, turning myself into this shadow of a person... everything was for that goal."

"If I lose it at the last moment, what's the point of it all?!"

For Mu Ziyue, it was like a condition etched into his very being, something he must accomplish.

If he couldn't do it, he would lose everything he had. Besides the power and status he had grown accustomed to, he would also lose control over everything below him, and even Suya's attention.

He knew what kind of person Suya was.

A mother even more ruthless and unfeeling than he was. She had invested everything in him, going to great lengths to pave his way to the throne and fully control the Kayan Empire. If he failed, her disappointment would drive her to personally ruin him.

These were her exact words.

Mu Zisheng was silent, filled with melancholy.

Mu Zixuan felt little affection or understanding for his elder brother. Back then, he turned a blind eye and left the empire, only to learn the truth from Mu Zisheng as an adult. He wanted to see Mu Ziyue to hear his explanation, to find out if he really wanted to kill him.

After waiting for many years, he finally got an answer.

He felt unexpectedly calm, without a trace of sadness.

Perhaps he could even understand the pressures Mu Ziyue faced.

But he couldn't agree.

Mu Zixuan's communicator chirped.

A teammate's voice crackled through his earpiece, asking, "Xiao Xuan, where are you?"

"Aili says she's in so much pain she's dying, and she desperately needs you to come over and heal her wound with a hug."

As the playful voice trailed off, a girl's angry shout erupted in the background.

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking about? I'm really in so much pain that I need our cute little doctor..."

Mu Zixuan had chosen to wander with Mu Zisheng back then.

By chance, he came into contact with medical-related matters and became quite interested in healing and saving lives. Over the years, he had been self-studying with the help of encountered masters and collected medical books. Although he hadn't attended a formal medical school or received training, his comprehension was excellent, making him the 'little miracle doctor' on the starship.

Everyone would call him for help when they got injured.

Mu Zixuan acknowledged his companions' request, nodded to Xu Qingran and the others, and left calmly.

Without another glance at Mu Ziyue.

As he walked out, he encountered Xu Qingran's white dog.

The white dog's reaction was quite odd, acting like a meticulous inspector. It sniffed him, the fur between its eyes slightly wrinkling, as if puzzled by some scent and instinctively on guard.

Mu Zixuan showed no fear. He just paused for a moment, carefully examining the white dog, then turned back with a puzzled look at Shen Tingyu: "Fifth brother, it..."

Shen Tingyu, who had remained silent, spoke gravely: "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"It's Qingran's contracted pet."

"Oh, okay," Mu Zixuan replied, then closed the door and left.

The grudge between Mu Zisheng and Mu Ziyue was neither minor nor major. Initially, he was quite angry with him, but upon seeing that he had already paid for his actions, he chose not to take further action against him. He gazed at him with mixed emotions for a long while, then decided to leave the space to Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu.

He said to Shen Tingyu: "Zixuan and I have long since stopped caring about him."

"Thank you for giving us the chance to confront him today. As for how you wish to handle him, it's your call."

After saying these words, he left the small room without a backward glance.

The firmness with which Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan closed the door seemed to mark their farewell to the past.

When the door closed, Xu Qingran turned his attention back to Shen Tingyu.

Aside from responding to Mu Zixuan, Shen Tingyu had remained silent since entering, only gazing coldly at Mu Ziyue.

Xu Qingran asked him: "Do you think I overdid it?"

Reducing Mu Ziyue to a shadow of his former self.

Shen Tingyu, lost in his thoughts, was startled by his words and turned around. His tone slightly incredulous, "Do I seem like such a kind person?"

Xu Qingran remained silent.

Perhaps it's what you'd call a lover's bias, but after seeing Shen Tingyu's past deeds and combining them with his current stable and calm nature, he still considered him quite kind. If their lives were swapped, he might have blown up the entire empire at the start of a new life.

He wouldn't have cared about so many people's exits.

Shen Tingyu's indirect answer soothed Xu Qingran's slightly uneasy mind.

He turned his attention back to Mu Ziyue, his feelings at this moment indescribable.

Revenge on Mu Ziyue like this was a scene he had fantasized about countless times during his painful past.

However, he ultimately couldn't be as bold and unrestrained as Xu Qingran. The issue with his spiritual pool had always been an obstacle when facing Mu Ziyue. As long as his spiritual pool's injury wasn't healed, daring to go mad at Mu Ziyue and Su Ya would lead him back to the ending of his previous life.

He could only start from the military department.

Step by step.

He never expected that in this world, someone would one day be so resolute, doing these things for him.

He had to admit, at the moment of seeing Mu Ziyue in such a miserable state, besides being stunned by the surprise, he mostly wanted to laugh.

—Finally, Mu Ziyue could taste the pain he had woven with his own hands.

Shen Tingyu had once pondered what kind of ending he should give Mu Ziyue if he ever managed to capture him.

What method should he use to end Mu Ziyue's life.

He pondered over it extensively but remained indecisive.

But now, he felt he had an answer.

Upon hearing the conversation between Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran, Mu Ziyue understood Xu Qingran's motive for bringing him to Shen Tingyu.

He raised his head and sneered at Shen Tingyu: "What? Your lover's done tormenting me, now it's your turn, huh?"

"Go ahead, since I'm at your mercy today, I can only blame my own shortcomings."

As the proud eldest prince, Mu Ziyue would never submit to anyone, always convinced of his own righteousness.

His only regret was failing to become the E-type he so desperately aspired to be.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have found himself in such a dire predicament today!

His only misstep was targeting Xu Qingran in the first place.

He believed Xu Qingran would honor the marriage contract with the Shen family's young heir, thinking he could manipulate him to control Shen Tingyu. Little did he know, the seemingly gentle and kind D-type would prove to be the most uncontrollable of the two.

Shen Tingyu crouched down in front of him.

Gripping a psychic energy knife, his eyes level with Mu Ziyue's, he declared: "Mu Ziyue, our feud has dragged on for too long to be settled with mere words or blows."

"I won't prolong your torment."

Xu Qingran shot him another glance.

A flicker of surprise crossed Mu Ziyue's eyes.

Shen Tingyu seized the back of Mu Ziyue's head, yanking it back to expose his neck.

He then pressed the blade to Mu Ziyue's neck.

"I'm exhausted, Mu Ziyue."

"So I'll bid you farewell in the simplest way possible."

Shen Tingyu said, giving him a faint smile.

With a touch of relief, he added, "In this life, I have more precious and beautiful things by my side, so I choose to move on."

The weight of hatred is truly heavy and burdensome.

Day by day, it nearly suffocated him. From the moment of his rebirth until adulthood, nightmares would occasionally jolt him awake, and his sleep remained restless. Every recollection reignited the bitterness and pain in his heart.

Compelling him to exert even greater effort to stabilize his fragile psychic world.

Maintaining clarity, he advanced steadily toward his goal.

Those days were utterly draining.

Shen Tingyu harbored no intention of ever forgiving Mu Ziyue.

Perhaps he could never forgive or let go in his entire life.

He just wanted to bring these thoughts to an end.

This way, he could set aside the resentment, tuck it away in the cabinet of memories, and step into the light, focusing all his attention on the person he wanted to gaze upon forever.

Before Shen Tingyu acted, he asked one more question.

Staring into Mu Ziyue's intact eye, he asked, "Mu Ziyue, have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror in your life?"

Mu Ziyue was struck dumb by this question.

His gaze turned vacant, staring ahead as if the question had plunged him into deep thought. The faint glimmer of light in that eye soon faded bit by bit as the blade slashed across his neck.

Eventually, it dimmed like a falling star, losing all its light.

Mu Ziyue.

A man who had confined himself his entire life within the frame Su Ya had crafted for him, peeking through the only small window, coveting the beauty outside. He never thought to open the unlocked door, nor did he ever truly examine the things about himself that were worthy of his own love and care.

Xu Qingran, as an onlooker, felt little emotion.

He didn't deny Shen Tingyu's choice, only asking, "What do you plan to do next?"

Referring to Mu Ziyue's corpse.

Xu Qingran, heartless as he was, could only think of something rather harsh: "Send him to Su Ya?"

Not out of a desire for revenge against Su Ya, but simply to stir up trouble in the empire.

Shen Tingyu, however, said, "No."

"Sending him back would only give him the chance for a grand funeral."

"Find a place to dump him, let him feed the outsiders."

Shen Tingyu's tone was indifferent, far from the gentle demeanor he had just shown: "Even in death, his body can still contribute to those in need. Consider it as accumulating merit for him, hoping he can be a normal person in his next life."

Xu Qingran chuckled.

Nodding, he said, "That works too."

"Sigh, there aren't many kind people like the Fifth Prince anymore."

"Someone wants to kill you, and you still want to help them accumulate merit."

Shen Tingyu walked over.

With a frown, he pinched Xu Qingran's cheeks, not daring to use too much force: "You're just taking advantage of the fact that I won't treat you like I did Mu Ziyue."

Xu Qingran smiled, his eyes curving like crescents.

The peach blossoms in his eyes seemed ready to float out.

From entering the Tower of Evil until now, they had finally settled a matter of the heart.

Xu Qingran also felt a sense of relief, physically and mentally exhausted, he leaned forward and nestled into Shen Tingyu's embrace, holding him tightly without moving.

Shen Tingyu stood obediently in place, letting him cling.

Xu Qingran listened to the strong and steady heartbeat near his ear, feeling inexplicably calm.

There was no need to do anything; it felt quite comfortable just like this.

"System, thanks for hooking me up with such a great mission target."

The system really wanted to rib him about how different his attitude was at the start.

But it couldn't help but choose to say first: "Host, what's with this tone of final farewell and gratitude?"

Xu Qingran's eyes crinkled slightly: "Don't be so sensitive."

"Can't I just let my feelings out?"

The system thought, how could it not be on edge?

Xu Qingran's life countdown was less than half a month away, it was practically driving the system up the wall!

The atmosphere was eerily quiet.

The sound of paws pacing back and forth outside the door became unmistakable.

Shen Tingyu suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, I have a surprise... well, I guess you could call it a surprise? I want to give it to you and your white dog."

Xu Qingran pulled away from his embrace, surprised: "So last minute, and you still managed to prepare a surprise for us?"

He was already starting to suspect that everything happening now was all part of the dog man's meticulous planning and scheming.

Shen Tingyu chuckled: "Nah, it's really just a coincidence."

Xu Qingran arched an eyebrow.

—A surprise born out of coincidence is even more intriguing.

Shen Tingyu led Xu Qingran and the white dog through countless spaces and corridors of the starship, finally arriving at a place resembling a medical clinic.

Every starship has a section like this, specifically designed to assist those in need of spiritual power. A long hallway with wards on both sides. The medical equipment in each room varies slightly, tailored to the specific needs of the patients.

Mu Zisheng's starship was no different, with very orderly arrangements.

The entire facility was fully equipped, with a clean and comfortable environment.

Mu Zixuan, who had left ahead of them, had already finished treating his patients and was standing outside the ward, tidying up and organizing his equipment.

Seeing them appear, Mu Zixuan didn't inquire much about Mu Ziyue's situation, smiling and greeting them: "You two just came back from such a dangerous place, you must have taken quite a beating, I guess you could use some medical help?"

Shen Tingyu smiled: "Before we accept any help, I'd like you to take us to see it."

Hearing this, Xu Qingran glanced at him.

Mu Zixuan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly caught on.

But the first thing he did was glance at the white dog beside Xu Qingran.

The white dog's attention wasn't on them.

Whether out of curiosity or sensing something, it was looking around, its eyes still alert with a hint of confusion.

Mu Zixuan exhaled lightly, sighing with a smile: "I was just thinking, they look so much alike."

"I didn't anticipate that what you referred to when you sent something over earlier pertained to this."

Shen Tingyu smiled but remained silent.

Xu Qingran looked at them, puzzled by their cryptic conversation.

Mu Zixuan set aside what he was holding, walked straight down the corridor, and motioned for them to follow.

Shen Tingyu glanced at Xu Qingran with a mysterious look in his eyes and said, "Come."

Xu Qingran and the white dog followed them to the last room at the end of the corridor.

The wards here had transparent doors and windows, allowing a clear view inside. Before entering the final room with Mu Zixuan, they caught a glimpse of the scene inside.

The next moment, they paused in their tracks.

A large, fluffy creature lay on the hospital bed in the room.

It was about the same size as his white dog, perhaps even a bit larger.

It looked very similar to the white dog.

Apart from the fur color, it was identical, clearly from the same clan.

The clan refers to the wolf dogs of North City.

His white dog seemed to recognize the creature.

Upon seeing it, the white dog dashed into the room, stood by the hospital bed, and gazed at the wolf dog with a mix of shock, disbelief, anger, sadness, and joy.

Its fur was a deep black.

Unlike the gray-black fur of most wolf dogs Xu Qingran had seen in North City. Just as the white dog's fur was pure white, this one's was jet black, gleaming like obsidian.

The black dog appeared to have been severely injured.

Even though its external wounds had healed, it could only lie on the bed, eyes closed, dependent on medical equipment to stay alive.

Xu Qingran entered the ward last.

For the first time, he saw profound sadness in his white dog's eyes as it gently nuzzled the big dog on the bed.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

He recalled Shen Tingyu refusing Xie Nanjun's request for a dog matchmaking over the phone, firmly stating that his white dog already had a mate.

He instinctively turned to Shen Tingyu and asked, "So, this black dog is...?"

Shen Tingyu blinked, leaned in, and whispered softly, "Yes, in a past life, I visited North City and discovered your white dog had a deep-seated enmity with Mu Ziyue. I learned a bit about it then."

According to sources in North City, the white dog had a companion.

It was a black dog, once the king of Tianguang Mountain's dogs.

However, it lost to the white dog in a fight, relinquishing its title as king, and it was the last dog king the white dog challenged in North City.

In theory, a defeated dog king would voluntarily leave the pack.

They might go in search of a contract guard or join a new pack, but most would not be willing to stay and become a subordinate—the disparity was too great. But after losing to the white dog, the black dog did not leave. It had fallen in love with the brave and powerful white dog, so it shamelessly stayed despite the pack's strange looks. Not only did it stay, but it also shamelessly pursued and won over its mate.

The two big dogs were very close.

Until someone who coveted the wolf dogs of North City showed up.

Poachers usually don’t dare to mess with the dog king.

So the one who had his eye on them was an outsider—Mu Ziyue.

Mu Ziyue had somehow caught wind of the wolf dogs’ exploits in North City, along with the rumors about the former king and his dog king.

He was a proud and vain man, and he wasn’t about to pass up a chance to boost his reputation. So he snuck into North City, aiming to capture the strongest dog king of Tian Guang Mountain.

True.

To mirror the legends, he first went after the white dog. But the white dog had the black dog guarding it, so he couldn’t pull it off. The black dog took the brunt of the attack, shielding the white dog.

In Shen Tingyu’s past life, the black dog ended up dying while protecting the white dog, killed by Mu Ziyue and his guards.

So the white dog hated him with a passion.

And in this life, the white dog saw it the same way.

The black dog held the line alone, covering the pack’s escape from the humans’ high-tech weapons. By the time the pack came back for it, the black dog was gone—vanished from North City for good.

Either snatched up by Mu Ziyue or killed.

That’s why the white dog loathed Mu Ziyue.

Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran leaned by the door, whispering, "Yeah, I had a rough idea when it’d go down, so I kept tabs on Mu Ziyue."

"When I caught wind of him sneaking into North City with his crew, I tipped off Mu Zisheng and the others, asking them to help me save a dog up there."

After saying that, Shen Tingyu couldn’t help but chuckle.

He looked down and said, "Call it a thank-you to the white dog for not killing me in my past life."

There was also a bit of a debt for saving my life.

Otherwise, he didn’t know how much longer he would have been tormented by Mu Ziyue.

North City was under heavy guard by rebels and the security team, and even breaking in from the air wasn’t a walk in the park.

By the time Mu Zisheng’s crew showed up, the black dog was already badly hurt and close to death. They just barely made it in time to stop Mu Ziyue’s men from finishing off the black dog and managed to save it.

Shen Tingyu had planned to wait for the black dog to recover and wake up before having Mu Zisheng and the others send it back to North City to rejoin its pack.

But things turned out worse than they thought. The black dog had been rescued for years, and while its injuries—inside and out—had mostly healed, even the damage to its bones and tendons...

But it just wouldn’t come to.

"Zixuan thinks it’s probably tied to its spiritual pool."

"Its spiritual pool took a serious hit back then, and it was nearly drained," Shen Tingyu added, "Worse than when you saw me at the base."

"Even though it’s recovered now, its subconscious might still believe it’s in a state of death or near-death, with its body’s defense mechanisms activated, cutting off all external perceptions."

Mu Zixuan and the others tried many methods but couldn’t wake it up.

Shen Tingyu recently tried to get some fur with the white dog’s scent and sent it to their secret retrieval site in the empire, to see if the black dog could be awakened by the white dog’s scent.

It is said that its mental energy waves have a resonant response to the fur of the white dog.

But the response is very weak, and there's been no sign of it waking up yet.

Xu Qingran sighed softly, "So that's why you wanted me to bring the white dog here, to see if it could help the black dog."

Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow, "Yes, after all, it's the black dog's partner. The final step is up to it."

The white dog probably understood this as well.

After entering the ward, it had no intention of leaving for the time being, laying its head on the bed, its gaze fixed on the large figure lying on the bed.

Xu Qingran observed for a moment.

Shen Tingyu drew him into his arms, turning his head to say, "Alright, the surprise is all set."

"Why don't we give them some space and go rest?"

The two had been stuck in the base for so long and hadn't had a proper rest in days.

Xu Qingran accepted his suggestion and went back with him to the room Mu Zisheng had arranged.

It was a room with a double bed, as before.

After showering, they both lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

However, when Xu Qingran opened his eyes again, he found himself in a ward in the medical department.

Xu Qingran: "...?"

His mind was foggy, wondering if he'd overslept.

"Mr. Xu, you're awake."

Mu Zixuan's voice came from the bedside.

Xu Qingran first glanced at him, then looked outside the room at Shen Tingyu, who was talking to Mu Zisheng.

The two were deep in conversation and hadn't noticed his awakening yet.

Mu Zixuan explained, "You've been asleep for three days, and we couldn't wake you up no matter what we tried."

"My fifth brother was so worried he rushed you here."

It took Xu Qingran a while to realize that the fifth brother Mu Zixuan mentioned was Shen Tingyu.

He fell silent, processing this.

He had actually slept for three days.

He could just imagine what Shen Tingyu, who had just seen the black dog, must have thought when he didn't wake up for so long.

"There's something I haven't told fifth brother and the others yet."

"I wanted to talk to you first."

Mu Zixuan's gentle tone had a serious edge to it.

Xu Qingran looked up at him.

He listened as the doctor said, "I've conducted several examinations for you. Aside from some internal and external injuries likely from the fight, there's nothing major wrong with your body."

"These injuries are also healing, so in theory, you should be out of danger."

"However, for some reason, my instruments indicate that your vital signs are gradually declining."

Before a psychic dies, they give off a special kind of signal.

Except for those suffering from certain illnesses, including those who die of old age or natural causes without suffering, this data fluctuation can be detected by special instruments about a month before death.

What baffles Mu Zixuan is that Xu Qingran is still so young and does not have any terminal illness or incurable serious injuries.

He doesn't understand why such fluctuations are being detected in him.

After hearing this, Xu Qingran remained very calm.

So calm, it was as if he already knew.

Although Mu Zixuan doesn't understand the exact reason, he's a bit worried about Shen Tingyu: "If you go, my fifth brother might lose it."

According to the data, Xu Qingran has only about ten days left.

Xu Qingran, however, told him, "Don't worry, and keep it to yourself for now."

"I'll be fine."

The ward door was pushed open from the outside.

Xu Qingran smiled at a worried Shen Tingyu and said in a normal tone, "I just haven't been resting well and slept a few extra days. Did you really need to make such a fuss and send me to the ward?"

Seeing he was fine, Shen Tingyu relaxed a bit.

He joked, "I didn't know you had a hidden lazy streak."

Hearing this, Xu Qingran grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

The mood between them was quite light.

Mu Zixuan, standing nearby, glanced at Xu Qingran again, struggling to hide his concern.

When Xu Qingran returned to his room to wash and change clothes, he got a quiet reminder from the system: "Host, you've only got 10 days left."

He didn't speak.

After changing, he sat by the bed and opened the task panel to check the details for the first time in ages.

He was surprised to find that the task progress between him and Shen Tingyu had somehow jumped to 99%.

He was puzzled: "System, when did this 1% increase?"

The system replied, "According to the backend data, it seems to be the day you and General Shen were completely honest with each other."

He pondered.

"Just 1% left!"

"If nothing else works, I can secretly get some medicine from the management bureau, you can knock Shen Tingyu out and force it, right?"

Xu Qingran pursed his lips.

Staring at the numbers on the panel for a long time, Xu Qingran suddenly hesitated: "Do you think the task is really that shallow? Is it certain that I have to form a deep connection with him to reach 100%?"

System: "Besides this, I can't think of anything else that could boost the mission's progress."

Xu Qingran initially ignored the task and later didn’t focus on it, rarely checking his progress on the panel. Usually, the system reminded him that his spiritual energy level had risen again, and only then did he realize there had been a significant leap.

However, looking back at those moments of sudden breakthroughs in the past, each time it happened unexpectedly, always from an unusual approach.

Given Shen Tingyu's attitude, it was clear that his excessive fondness made him overly cautious and hesitant to move forward.

In this case, according to the initial plan of collecting affection, it should have already maxed out. So why was it still stuck just shy of completion?

Xu Qingran was lost in thought, staring at the panel.

Suddenly, he asked the system: "Are you sure this mission progress bar really reflects Shen Tingyu's affection for me?"

·

Everyone on the starship was different from those in the military department.

There weren’t as many strict rules; everyone was relaxed and casual, more like a close-knit family than mere colleagues.

It was time for the midday meal.

Everyone habitually gathered in the canteen, chatting, laughing, and horsing around.

Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan were getting their meals in the canteen at the time.

Seeing Shen Tingyu approaching alone, they greeted him and asked, "Hey, where's Young Master Xu?"

Shen Tingyu replied, "He has something to do. He said he’ll come over later."

"Oh," Mu Zisheng nodded. He was about to continue walking when he bumped into Mu Zixuan, who had suddenly stopped in a daze. The utensils in their hands clattered to the ground.

"Good thing I hadn’t started filling my plate yet!" Mu Zisheng exclaimed.

"Second brother, sorry," Mu Zixuan said, snapping out of it as he crouched to pick up the items.

Mu Zisheng bent down to help, noticing his absent-mindedness.

He crouched beside him, cupped his face, and asked, "Xiao Xuan, what’s been going on with you lately?"

"You always seem distracted and lost in thought. This morning, I heard others say your usually careful nature almost caused a mistake in the medical department because you were spacing out. You never let yourself slip up."

Mu Zisheng grew increasingly concerned: "Have you been feeling okay recently?"

Mu Zixuan frowned.

He pursed his lips and stayed quiet for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Shen Tingyu, who was watching their little scene.

"Fifth brother, I have something to tell you."

……

In the room, Xu Qingran, who had excused himself to the bathroom, was once again gazing vacantly at his reflection in the mirror.

It has been eight days since he woke up from that coma.

The system’s life countdown is also only about two days away.

Xu Qingran held a syringe in his hand.

He aimed the needle at the spiritual mark on the back of his hand, hesitating for a long time.

Lately, he's been enjoying his time with Shen Tingyu every day, while also looking into other ways to finish the task.

As a result, they've done many things together, and he even made Shen Tingyu say the mushy 'I love you' every day, sharing sweet moments and secrets, but the progress bar is still stuck at 99%.

Could it really be that shallow and direct—a home run?

He really wants to scoff—isn't there any couple that prefers a platonic relationship?

Or does he need to come clean to Shen Tingyu about the cost of the ability exchange?

Just as he thought this, the door suddenly slammed open from the outside.

He hid the syringe in his hand and walked out.

Seeing Shen Tingyu, who had just left, suddenly return with a terrifyingly gloomy expression.

His eyes showed a hint of panic.

Xu Qingran didn't speak.

From his demeanor, it seems he already knows about his condition.

That kid, Mu Zixuan, couldn't keep it to himself after all.

Breaking the silence, Shen Tingyu spoke first.

He asked in a deep voice, "Xu Qingran, what else haven’t you told me?"

Xu Qingran ignored his question and instead asked, "Shen Tingyu, are you an idealist?"

Shen Tingyu’s lips tightened, and he stayed silent.

Clearly, he was annoyed by the attempt to change the subject and more urgently wanted an answer to his earlier question.

Xu Qingran didn’t care. He went on, "I am."

"So, just this once, can you not look at those so-called data?"

"But choose to believe in the feelings and connection between us?"

As Xu Qingran finished speaking, the needle in his hand had somehow already pressed against the spiritual mark.

That hurdle is tough to cross.

But thinking it’s for Shen Tingyu, this step doesn’t seem so hard anymore.

"I’ve been thinking about how to express my feelings for you in a way that’s true to my style."

The thin needle pierced through the skin and sank into the flesh.

The sensation of the foreign substance slowly entering his body was so vivid.

It was so repulsive that it made him want to vomit and give up instantly.

But this time, Xu Qingran held back.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly at the person by the door, saying with a hint of arrogance, "I think this should be the most appropriate choice."

As his consciousness began to fade, Xu Qingran saw Shen Tingyu rushing toward him in a panic.

At the same time, the system announcement rang out in his mind.

"The special mission progress has reached one hundred percent."

"The Life Count Law has been revoked, and the rewards are now being issued."

"Congratulations, you’ve completed the task."

"...Wait, what?"