Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Yi Ye suddenly understood why Bai Chuan had agreed to join the Committee.

Noticing Yi Ye's keen interest in the Committee, Kaiser narrowed his eyes and asked if he really wanted to join. Yi Ye paused for a second, then nodded. Kaiser then asked if it was to meet the Crown Prince, but Yi Ye genuinely had no interest in that and shook his head, which seemed to please Kaiser, as he let out a satisfied hum.

"If you're serious about joining, I can help you out."

"But didn't you refuse?"

"Are you clueless about the Audria family's influence?" Kaiser arrogantly lifted his chin, as if it were a matter of course. "If I say I want to join, no one in the Committee dares to refuse."

"..."

Yi Ye immediately clapped enthusiastically, "Wow, Young Master, you're really amazing!"

"I can help you, but you'll need to do something for me in return."

This was the first time Yi Ye heard Kaiser actively asking for his help. Thinking it might be important, he straightened up, looking serious, and gestured, "Go on."

"Help me find someone."

"Who?"

"Someone about your height, very good at fighting, especially accurate with a baseball bat." Kaiser spoke word by word, his gaze fixed on Yi Ye's increasingly stiff face, and mischievously smiled, "The key point is, their pheromone smells like rum."

"..."

Silence spread.

Yi Ye forced a natural smile, "Young Master, didn't you already post this on the forum? I saw it, haha, and if those forum folks couldn't find them, how could I?"

"I think you can pull it off, aren't you Mr. Popular?" Kaiser didn't give him room to bargain, "Anyway, whenever you find this person, I'll take you into the Committee."

With that, he pulled up the blanket, turned over, and went straight to sleep.

Yi Ye: Aghhhhhhh!!!!

"System: Told ya, host, you'd get busted eventually."

Yi Ye: Shut up! You play dead all the time, why show up now!

"System: ..."

Damn, this crappy system is playing dead again.

Yi Ye was dealing with the biggest crisis of his life, to the point where he couldn't eat and tossed and turned all night.

The next day, he absentmindedly poked at the braised pork skin with his fork. The tender, juicy skin broke apart easily, releasing a mouthwatering aroma and glistening with rich, red oil. But Yi Ye couldn't bring himself to eat. He sighed deeply, then spotted a few hairs on the skin, which made his expression even more sour. He bent his head and began plucking them out one by one.

Once done, he glanced up and noticed someone sitting across from him.

Bush Meihua: "Good afternoon, Yi Ye."

Yi Ye: "Why do you always pop up out of nowhere?"

"It means we're meant to be."

"...Haha."

Bush Meihua glanced at the mangled piece of meat on his fork. "Did Kaiser send you to find someone?"

Yi Ye was taken aback. How did he know about that?

"At the dance, he asked me about the enrollment ceremony. I haven't heard of any new student who's an Alpha with a rum scent, so he asked you to find him."

"Why me?"

"You're popular."

"..." Next life, he vowed to be a total loner, with "strangers keep away" written all over him.

Bush Meihua exaggeratedly covered his mouth. "Don't tell me you don't know him either?"

"I—" Yi Ye paused, wishing he truly didn't know! But... that bastard was himself!

"I heard that Alpha ambushed Kaiser with a baseball bat—pretty bold." Bush Meihua observed him with interest. "You know that servant at Audria mansion who cut Kaiser's hand by breaking a glass? He was beaten to a pulp, banned from the main planet for life, and left to starve at the port—his body thrown to the sharks."

Yi Ye swallowed hard. "Stop trying to scare me."

"Relax. You're not that nasty Alpha, Yi Ye. Kaiser won't cripple you."

Yi Ye decided not to speak.

He thought Kaiser might do more than just cripple him.

Yi Ye clutched his head, wincing. Bush Meihua leaned in closer, his platinum blonde hair tied in a high ponytail hanging by his face. "Why not move in with me? Kaiser treats you like crap—isn't it exhausting sharing a dorm with him? I can apply to the tutor to change dorms. You can move in, and you won't have to worry about him beating you up."

"I'm not like Kaiser; I'm actually nice to my roommates."

Yi Ye wasn't dumb enough to believe him.

He turned down Bush Meihua's offer and headed to the library after lunch to cool off.

The Imperial Honor Military Academy runs on a 766 schedule, with classes at seven in the morning, ending at six in the evening, six days a week. Cadets only get decent rest on weekends.

Bai Chuan went to the infirmary for a check-up and didn't want Yi Ye tagging along, so Yi Ye just picked up a book and slept in a corner of the library.

Here, the side facing the window let in sunlight, dividing the floor shadows into grids by the window frames. The dense text in the book was putting him to sleep, so he covered his face with the book, leaned back on the chair, and dozed off. His long legs were crossed under the table, a slender and prominent ankle glowing white, his shoes shiny and clean.

Sunlight streamed in, dust particles floating, and someone couldn't help but glance over, struck by the scene's beauty.

But the moment didn't last. A group of senior cadets approached, their uniforms and stern expressions commanding attention.

One of them knocked on the table. "Hey, wake up."

The book slid off Yi Ye's face and onto his lap. He opened his sleepy eyes to see four or five senior cadets of varying builds, his mind slow to react. "...Who are you?"

His hair was tousled from sleep, falling over his forehead, his sleepy eyes glistening, stirring something oddly tender.

Among them, a brown-haired youth was the first to regain his composure. He leaned on the table with both hands, his gaze on Yi Ye's face with a hint of speculation. "You're the Beta teamed up with Kaiser? Doesn't look like much—kinda... well, kinda dumb. Fran, don't you think?"

The brown-haired youth looked at the boy next to him holding a simulated doll, who curiously stared at Yi Ye, then after a while said, "I really like your black hair. Can you cut it off along with the scalp for me?"

Yi Ye woke up, chuckled, and lazily propped his chin. "I quite like your gray short hair too. Want to cut it off for me?"

The boy hesitantly touched his hair ends.

"No! Are you really considering it?" The brown-haired youth widened his eyes, then grabbed Yi Ye's collar. "Kid, you got any idea who you're talking to? Watch your tone!"

Yi Ye, as usual, maintained his lazy, smiling demeanor, "Isn't it obvious from the clothes? You're the seniors from the Honor Committee, right?"

He pointed to the badge on the youth's chest, who then shook off his hand and snorted arrogantly, "Hmph, at least you have some sense! I heard from Kaiser that you want to join the committee, right? With your qualifications, it's just a pipe dream. I don't know what Kaiser was thinking, saying he'd only join if you were allowed in."

Did Kaiser really speak up for him?

"But don't think we'll let you join. Even if you, a Beta, join, you'll just be doing chores for the committee. Forget about being a formal member," the brown-haired youth said, throwing a piece of paper at him, "Sign this quickly, then go back and tell Kaiser you've joined, and don't waste our time."

Yi Ye looked at the content of the paper.

This wasn't just any paper; it was a contract reeking of capitalist exploitation.

"I have to clean the committee's venue every week, prepare tea and snacks for you, and be on standby all weekend?" Yi Ye genuinely praised, "Are you insane?"

The brown-haired youth's eyes widened, almost popping out, unable to believe a Beta dared to call him crazy! He grabbed Yi Ye's collar again but was coldly stopped by another youth beside him, "Kappel, we're in the library."

Many students around were peeking at them.

"...Damn it!"

The brown-haired youth held back his anger and withdrew his hand.

"Sorry, junior, Kappel is always a bit impulsive," the youth nodded to him, "I'm Elia, the acting president of the committee."

"The Honor Committee is quite strict in selecting members. We've never had a Beta join in all these years, but Kaiser insists, and we hope to coexist peacefully with him. The terms on this paper do seem harsh, but it's only once a week, and I think it's a rare opportunity for you, coming from such a remote place."

Elia, wearing glasses, looked ordinary and upright, his tone very friendly, "I know you're from Qixing. Coming from such a remote place, you should seize every opportunity, shouldn't you?"

"Qixing is fine; I never thought it was a backward place," Yi Ye said casually, but his gaze carried a subtle warning.

Elia was taken aback and smiled apologetically, "Sorry, my wording was inappropriate, but I sincerely hope you'll sign. For your sake, and for Kaiser's. His father, General Moshi, was also a member of the Honor Committee. I think he shouldn't miss this opportunity."

"Then you should go beg him; I can't decide whether Kaiser joins or not."

Seemingly not expecting Yi Ye to refuse, Elia pursed his lips, showing some displeasure, but he struggled to maintain a decent smile, "What about for Bai Chuan's sake?"

"Bai Chuan's status doesn't really meet the committee's requirements, but his spiritual talent is exceptional, so we made an exception to invite him. Although he hasn't expressed it to us, if you could join, I think Bai Chuan would be very pleased."

"...Alright then."

Yi Ye was actually going to agree anyway, but he deliberately refused just to irritate the person in front of him. He pulled out a pen and signed with a flourish, then tossed the paper back to Elia, thinking for a moment before asking, "Will Prince Peide also participate in the committee's activities?"

"Of course, but Prince Peide is currently recuperating. He'll naturally participate once he recovers."

"It's been three months since he returned to Imperial Star, and he's still recuperating?"

"I can't discuss that," Elia nodded to him, "Welcome, Yi Ye, to the committee. We'll see you next weekend."

After signing, the group left.

Yi Ye took out his terminal and synchronized this "good news" with multiple parties. Within 10 seconds, continuous vibrations started.

"Why is Bai Chuan joining the committee?"

"Divine Kaiser, you signed that paper??? I told them you had to join as a formal member, damn it, I'll go settle this with them!"

"BSMH, then I'll join too."

"BSMH, by the way, Yi Ye, won't you reconsider moving in? My dorm is quite spacious."

Yi Ye replied to each message one by one, pausing briefly at Bush Meihua's message, opting to ignore it.

He had just barely managed to get into the committee, but there was still one problem left.

How on earth was he going to fool Kaiser?

However, even after a few days, Yi Ye still hadn't come up with a solution. Moreover, Kaiser had been busy with something recently and hadn't pressed him to find someone, only occasionally mentioning it in front of him, like a fisherman playing with the line, loosening and then tightening it, leaving Yi Ye feeling unsettled.

By the weekend, Yi Ye showed up at the committee's exclusive base an hour early, as planned.

It wasn’t so much a base as it was a standalone villa located in the center of the military academy's eastern district, surrounded by gardens, with access requiring identity verification.

When Yi Ye arrived, someone was cleaning the first-floor hall. The person was wearing a mask and gloves, with a white apron tied around them, fully decked out except for a pair of tired, sunken eyes.

"..." Why does this guy look familiar?

Yi Ye crept up behind him and whispered, "Hey there?"

"Ahhhhhhh!!"

The man was so startled he practically jumped out of his skin, dropping the spray bottle and cloth, his mask slipping down.

Yi Ye squinted at the gaunt face and smacked his thigh.

What a coincidence—wasn’t this the senior who helped Kaiser with his bed on the first day of school!?