Chapter 69: Roland Willett

Chapter 69: Roland Willett

"Are you still angry with me?"

Yun Huai, expressionless, sitting beside Lu Lin'an: "Still am."

Lu Lin'an, frowning: "But we had breakfast together this morning."

Yun Huai: "Having breakfast together doesn’t stop me from being angry."

Yun Huai thought to himself that he couldn't create any more tragic and glorified stories for this person. There was nothing pitiable about Lu Lin'an; the pitiable one was himself, who had just found out a day ago that Lu Lin'an was the lord of an alien tribe.

Buried in piles of alien affairs taller than a person, he looked at Lu Lin'an and suddenly asked: "You didn’t have to fight to the death to earn your position as lord, so where is your predecessor, your father?"

Not sure if it was his imagination, but Lu Lin'an’s face seemed to stiffen for a moment, though it quickly disappeared. Lu Lin'an looked at him and said: "He retired. Naturally, he can sleep and enjoy life every day now as a former lord."

Yun Huai frowned: "Really?"

Lu Lin'an nodded: "Really. Along with my mother. She loves freedom and adventure, but ultimately, she decided to return to our family planet with my father."

Lu Lin'an's expression softened unusually when he spoke of his parents, leading Yun Huai to guess that his parents must have shared a loving relationship.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have persisted in hatching a dragon species that took over three hundred years to break out of its shell.

"Your parents left you here alone; don’t they think you would feel lonely?"

Lu Lin'an: "They have their world for two, and I didn’t want to intrude."

From the moment a Nilier dragon successfully hatches, the elders who hatched it have completed their task. Male dragons are competitive and often can’t get along harmoniously with their family’s male elders.

Lu Lin'an’s ability to stay beside the old lord for fifteen years was largely thanks to Lady Avila.

She was an enlightened, extroverted, and excellent mother who adored children.

Thinking, Lu Lin'an smiled and said, "To banish loneliness, one can’t rely on parents. Rather than depending on others, I’d prefer to find a companion to share the long years ahead."

His gaze on Yun Huai was heavy with suggestion: "If you’re no longer angry, I’d like to return to the Empire with you. The affairs here are both numerous and boring every day, nowhere near as joyful and interesting as being with you."

Yun Huai: "..."

Yun Huai, serious: "Since you’re here, work diligently. Don't dwell on irrelevant things."

Lu Lin'an, pleadingly shrugged his shoulders, his golden eyes returning to some documents he had to review personally.

[Pitiable dragon, now that it’s time to actually garner sympathy, you don’t say a word.]

Lu Lin'an: What’s there to say.

[Shouldn’t you tell him that you’ve lost your parents who loved you, and they may never wake up from the Magma Dragon Tomb, never again to call you their little rascal dragon.]

Lu Lin'an: "Do you know what the true essence of love is?"

【？】

Lu Lin'an: "It's about bringing positive emotions to your partner. Immutable tragedies only cause them pain, which contradicts my initial intention in pursuing him."

The self-aware gene fell into a rare silence.

Lu Lin'an: "His eyes seem to hide many sad stories. I want to bring him happiness, so you need to keep quiet too."

[Understood.]

Lu Lin'an thought to himself, you don’t understand anything.

[You're a god of love, from now on I won't command but only support. You take the lead.]

Lu Lin'an: "..."

Alright, you really do understand.

-

Yun Huai didn't just casually accompany Lu Lin'an to the Lord's official residence; he intended to take this opportunity to learn more about the alien forces.

A day ago, he was thinking of contacting the alien lord through Lu Lin'an to handle border affairs, but a day later, he found himself sitting in front of the lord himself.

It seemed that handling some matters had become a bit more convenient.

Lu Lin'an owned the entire top floor of the official residence. Yun Huai looked around and noticed Tong Zhou and the blue-haired individual standing at a distance.

Renen and Iliad stood in opposition on the other side. Thinking about some matters at the border, Yun Huai spoke to Lu Lin'an: “Pay more attention to the person who is instigating the conflict between the Empire and the aliens.”

Lu Lin'an looked up.

Yun Huai: "Don’t underestimate him due to arrogance; his potion is very peculiar."

Lu Lin'an: "I will have him captured."

Yun Huai nodded: "As long as you haven’t forgotten what I told you."

Whenever Yun Huai spoke to him, Lu Lin'an would get distracted from his work, gazing intently at him. Yun Huai frowned: "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Lu Lin'an was very direct: "I’m still thinking about you kissing me. If I handle this matter well for you, could you kiss me again?"

Yun Huai: "?"

[I shouldn’t sympathize with you; you’re really a ruthless dragon who doesn’t need his parents to worry about his life.]

Yun Huai incredulously: "I don’t want to expose you, but you know very well who wanted to kiss whom."

Lu Lin'an was unabashed, cleverly avoiding the main point: "Of course, I want to kiss you too, but you only like being friends and won’t let me kiss you. If you kiss me, it’s fine. No matter our relationship, I’d be happy to let you kiss me."

“…………”

Yun Huai took a deep breath, feeling uneasy: "I’m not willing!" Is this really about kissing? Is Lu Lin'an even working seriously?

A hint of sadness crossed Lu Lin'an’s eyes, "Really not possible?"

Yun Huai: "No!"

Lu Lin'an seemed to sigh: "Even if it’s not possible, I will still handle your matter properly."

Having seen enough of the Lord's official residence, Yun Huai felt he might get frightened to death by the alien lord if he stayed any longer. He simply stood up, and Lu Lin'an called out to him: "Where are you going?"

Yun Huai, without looking back: "To the border star, my guard team is waiting for me there."

Lu Lin'an immediately stood up: "I'm coming too."

Yun Huai: "You need to stay here and help me catch someone."

Lu Lin'an became anxious: "Such a trivial task can be delegated to others."

Yun Huai simply stopped talking and walked out, bumping into the alien affairs officer.

Tong Zhou quickly bowed in greeting, then glanced towards Lu Lin'an: "Sorry, my lord, I need to leave immediately."

Lu Lin'an, displeased: "What for?" He was short on hands for tasks.

Tong Zhou: "My brother is in trouble."

Lu Lin'an: "Don’t you only have a sister?"

Lan Si quickly interjected: "His sister has become his brother. Just now, a subordinate third-level planet of the Genesis Star Domain urgently contacted Tong Zhou, saying Tong SiSi and an exploration team encountered an attack by an unidentified creature."

Before Lu Lin'an could respond, Yun Huai asked, "Who was attacked?"

Lan Si, not daring to meet Yun Huai’s eyes and also bowing his head with Tong Zhou, said, "It’s Tong Zhou’s brother, Tong SiSi."

Lu Lin'an turned: "Do you know them?"

Yun Huai exhaled: "I might know them, but I'm not sure."

Tong Zhou instinctively looked up, locking eyes with the King of Ita for a moment.

In that instant, he vividly recalled the pale, indifferent face that flashed across the light screen during a link-code communication with Tong SiSi.

...Although he had guessed that the person Tong SiSi encountered on K420 was the King of Ita, Tong Zhou still found it hard to believe.

It wasn’t until Yun Huai spoke that Tong Zhou became certain that Tong SiSi might have met the King of Ita before even the lord.

Realizing this, a chill ran down his spine.

Lu Lin'an's deep, magnetic voice slowly resonated as he looked at Yun Huai: “So, Tong SiSi is that very, very beautiful explorer you met in the K420 abyss that you mentioned before?”

……

Yun Huai hadn’t expected that he would meet Tong SiSi again.

Since parting with the lively, free-spirited interstellar explorer, Yun Huai had been prepared to forget her, but when her name was brought up again, he could still instantly picture Tong SiSi in his mind.

Lu Lin'an’s face was gloomy the entire journey, annoyed that his beloved had met another impressive person before him.

Yun Huai, sitting in the Ares, advised: “Don’t hold a grudge against a young girl.”

Lu Lin'an coldly added: “She has already become a young man.”

Yun Huai still didn’t understand how Tong SiSi had transformed from a girl to a boy; alien species were full of oddities, perhaps she had her own strange ways.

Surrounding the Ares were spaceships from the Empire and the lord's own fleet.

Lan Si, with shock in his eyes, said: “Old Tong.”

Tong Zhou, wearing a pained expression: “Speak plainly, don’t disgust me.”

Lan Si murmured: “Do you know how significant Little Tong’s background is?”

Tong Zhou: “…………”

Lan Si, in disbelief: “That’s not just anyone; that's the King of Ita… And now with a lord here too. Your brother gets hurt, and the leaders of two of the universe’s greatest powers immediately assemble. If I ever had such treatment, I could die and come back to life laughing.”

Tong Zhou, with a faint smile: “Do you want to go die now?”

Lan Si was startled into silence.

Tong Zhou: “The lord is in a rising phase of love. If the King of Ita weren’t such a calm and rational person, guess whether a Nilier dragon out of control would devour everything around it that he perceives as a romantic rival.”

Lan Si: “Wuu, stop, you’re scaring me.”

Tong Zhou: “Knowing who the real boss is makes things much easier.” With a stern face, he added: “But this advice is superfluous for you, since you’re naturally smart in this regard.”

Lan Si, puzzled: "So who is the real boss?!"

Tong Zhou, gritting his teeth: "Of course, it's the King of Ita!" Are you really that clueless?

Lan Si, even more confused: "What's there to recognize! To survive under the lord, of course, you cling to the King of Ita’s coattails! Can’t you share some survival tips I don’t know about?"

Tong Zhou's silence was deafening.

After a few moments, he finally said: "You don’t need any other survival tips, you're already a master of returning to simplicity."

Lan Si: "…?"

……

Tong Zhou, having to look after his 'useless' colleague and worrying about his only kin, found that when he directed the spaceship to the third-level planet, the Ares and the Imperial spaceships had already landed at the spaceport.

This planet was very primitive, but as it was within the Genesis Star Domain, it didn’t appear too backward.

Following the link-code location, Tong Zhou led the two leaders straight to the hospital where Tong SiSi was.

By the time they arrived, they realized the situation was more serious than they thought. Not only was Tong SiSi’s team affected, but also some other local residents, all lying in emergency recovery pods.

Lan Si went to take a look, then came back and whispered to Lu Lin'an: "Looks like insect bites."

Lu Lin'an frowned: "This planet shouldn’t have an insect swarm."

Lan Si: "We’ve never discovered this before. The spaceport on a primitive planet has very strict species screening, so it might be someone deliberately brought the insects here."

Lu Lin'an didn’t say anything; beside him, Yun Huai raised his hand and the guard Renen respectfully handed him a mechanical mask.

The King of Ita placed the mechanical mask over his face, his voice becoming more distant and faint: "Let's go inside and see."

Lu Lin'an immediately followed.

Lan Si cursed under his breath.

Tong Zhou heard him and remarked, "Damn, that’s so cool."

The affairs officer with floating glasses frowned deeply. What else did you expect? You think just anyone can catch the eye of Nilier dragon genes?

Tong SiSi was among the last group of explorers sent to the planet's hospital. Yun Huai easily spotted her figure on the periphery of the group of injured.

Compared to his memory of her at K420, the current Tong SiSi, dressed more like a young man, seemed sturdier than before. Yun Huai approached slowly and noticed her figure was more robust than he remembered.

Male genes modify physical constitution. From the moment Tong SiSi decided to become a male, her genes had been preparing for this transformation.

Lu Lin'an, not straying a step behind Yun Huai, saw Tong SiSi, who was less injured than others. She struggled to open her eyes upon hearing the movement nearby.

With bizarre and opulent attire, and eyes clear as emeralds, Yun Huai was certain that the person in front of him was the strong explorer he had met on K420.

Lu Lin'an smiled slightly at Tong SiSi: "You’re awake?"

Tong SiSi seemed still somewhat dazed.

Lu Lin'an couldn't understand; the kid in front of him wasn't even enough to fill his tooth gap. So how could he be considered beautiful? Was he as beautiful as himself?

Knowing Lu Lin'an's condition, Yun Huai grabbed him and stepped back a bit. Tong Zhou quickly approached; Tong SiSi recognized him and his eyes lit up: “Brother!”

Yun Huai's ears twitched.

A familiar face, but not a familiar voice.

Tong SiSi’s androgynous voice had deepened, now completely resembling that of a young boy.

Lan Si also rushed forward: "Are you okay, little brother?"

Tong SiSi nodded weakly: "I'm fine. It's just that one of my teammates got seriously injured protecting me..."

Lan Si: "It’s good that you’re okay! You’re now the pride of the Genesis Star Domain!"

Tong Zhou suddenly smacked Lan Si’s head.

Tong SiSi, tilting his head in confusion, turned to look at the two figures standing in the back, his danger perception honed in alien survival training kicking in.

One with a mask was unfamiliar, but obviously of extraordinary bearing, and the other...

Tong SiSi: “.”

Holy shit.

Isn’t this that love-brained lord with a ton of wives??

His gaze stiffened towards Tong Zhou, just as he heard his brother whisper to him: “The Lord heard about your situation and came with me.”

Tong SiSi closed his eyes.

He didn't deserve this.

Lan Si patted his face: "Wake up first, there's someone else here you know."

Forced to open his eyes, Tong SiSi saw the strange masked person accompanied by armored guards approaching. He seemed to be observing him before finally speaking: "Long time no see."

Initially, Tong SiSi didn't recognize him, only finding Yun Huai's voice familiar. It wasn't until Yun Huai said to him, "I told you not to remember me because I thought you wouldn't see me, this 'insignificant person', again."

The King of Ita paused, feeling a drastic change in his mindset since his arrival here. He said to Tong SiSi: "You can remember me now. My name is Yun Huai, I am from the Empire."

As he spoke, Yun Huai's pale, cool fingers slightly lifted the mechanical mask, his soft, rosy lips pursing slightly: "The free explorer of K420, we meet again."

[Identification successful: Adolescent male, weak in attack, average in beauty, lowest-tier species of the Lord's planet.]

[Assessment result: Low competitiveness, low threat level, edible but not satisfying, won’t be enjoyable to eat.]

The sound of Lu Lin'an grinding his teeth was noticeable.

The competitive gene determined that consuming this weak species might counteract his pursuit, it flashed irritably for a moment, emphasizing the main point.

[He’s not as important as you, don't worry.]

Author’s note:

Tong SiSi, male, species unknown, born on an alien lower-class planet, a free individual, first-generation fan researcher of the Genesis Star Domain, with the widest network in the region, friend circle: King of Ita.