Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Two months later, with the arrival of the scorching summer, Yi Ye marked the end of the semester with a final dramatic moment amidst the torment of final exams.

"Yi! Ye! How many times have I told you not to draw on your exam papers? Can't you keep it together until the very end?"

The office exploded with Instructor Clark's furious yelling. His face flushed red, his kind face turned into a fierce scowl, his finger jabbing heavily at Yi Ye's forehead.

He swore he must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to encounter a student like Yi Ye. There were countless good students in the empire, but which good student would draw on their exam papers every time, sketching cats, dogs, and even turtles? The most infuriating part was that he even wrote a diary on the exam paper. Who cares if you had a salty or sweet dumpling for lunch?

Yi Ye: "Wah."

"You still have the nerve to act cute, huh?" Clark was so angry he almost fainted from lack of oxygen, his vision blurring. He pressed his hand to his forehead, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Jing, who usually hid in the neighboring research room, appeared like a damp, eerie ghost, glaring at them with a sinister look.

He complained: "Clark, you're too noisy."

"...Sorry, I'm disciplining a student."

He tried to calm his emotions, adjusted his slipping glasses, and sternly warned: "Do it again, and you get a zero!"

Yi Ye pouted: "Oh."

Clark: What are you saying 'oh' for!

"Is Yi Ye going to the main planet tomorrow?" Jing suddenly asked Clark.

The latter shot a sharp glance at Yi Ye, his tone unconsciously speeding up: "The spaceship leaves at 9 AM tomorrow. We'll send this kid to the main planet then. If he dares to act as recklessly as he did at the Imperial Honor Military Academy, he'll face the consequences from the authorities on the main planet."

After a pause, he turned to Jing: "Are you going back to the main planet too?"

Jing: "No."

Jing: "The air there is filthy."

Yi Ye looked left and right, sneaking in a question: "Instructor Jing, are you from the main planet?"

"You don't get to talk here." Clark glared at him, "Go pack your bags. Your assessment score is deducted by ten points this year. Get out!"

Yi Ye pouted unhappily, grabbed his crumpled exam paper, and as he turned, he mouthed to Instructor Jing: "Wuwuwu, look at him yelling at me, you have to get back at him for me!"

Then he quickly pushed the door open and fled the battlefield before it exploded.

*

When it came to packing, Yi Ye always believed that "packing the suitcase until it bursts is an art." He casually rolled up his clothes and daily necessities, tossing them into the suitcase, using the remaining gaps to stuff in small items like terminals and snacks. Four gaps, four terminals, perfect fit. Yes, he still couldn't bear to throw away the oldest, most beat-up terminal.

Kaiser stood to the side with his arms crossed, frowning at the chaotic mess inside the suitcase.

"Did this suitcase wrong you in a past life?"

Yi Ye, kneeling on the suitcase, ready to use his body weight to lock it, asked in confusion: "Huh?"

"Get up."

Kaiser rolled up his sleeves, made Yi Ye stand up, and with his muscular body, he crouched down and unceremoniously threw out all the haphazardly stuffed clothes, then neatly folded each piece. Yi Ye let out a "Wow," his eyes wide in amazement, as if he had just seen a monster crawl out of a cave.

"What are you staring at!" Kaiser growled fiercely.

"I'm really curious."

Yi Ye crouched beside him, hugging his knees, his small frame looking tiny, "Young Master, every time I see you, I'm amazed. Which nobleman can fold clothes as neatly as you?"

Kaiser snorted, unable to conceal his pride.

This is where Kaiser and Yi Ye differ the most. As the young master of the Odellia family, Kaiser has enjoyed a life of being the center of attention since childhood, with countless followers at his beck and call. You'd think someone like him would live a pampered life, but on the contrary, he’s quite adept at small tasks like folding clothes and tidying up rooms.

Yi Ye, on the other hand, though capable, is terrible at it. His philosophy is: if it works, great; if not, forget it. As for the reasons behind his habits, most of them come from having slept in all sorts of garbage dumps during the zombie apocalypse. So, although he doesn’t like it, he basically forces himself to adapt. In short, he’s low-maintenance, both in personality and physically. As for packing luggage, since it’s all going to be opened and taken out eventually, why waste time arranging it neatly?

But if Kaiser insists on helping, he’s all for it.

"Don’t assume everyone’s like you. I’m going to be a warrior in the future, so of course, I need to do these things well." He paused, fishing out a woolen hat from the bottom of the suitcase. "This..."

"Oh, that. Dad told me to bring the cat-ear hat. Didn’t you see it when school started... Wait, you took a photo of it, right? Where’s the photo? You didn’t share it, did you?" He widened his eyes.

"How could I? Am I sick?" Kaiser retorted.

"Why’d you even take the photo? You’re not planning to use it to threaten me in the future, are you?"

Kaiser seemed to recall something, suddenly coughing and turning his head away, his ears and neck tinged with a faint red. He said stiffly, "That’s my business. The photo I took is mine. It’s not cold on the main planet, so this hat’s pointless. I’m taking it."

Yi Ye waved his hand, letting him take it, wishing he would never see the thing again.

After placing the suitcase by the wall, the two took showers and went to bed. Yi Ye was out like a light, his legs sticking out from the blanket, sprawled out like a "big" character. Kaiser propped his head up and watched him for half an hour, then pulled up the photo Yi Ye mentioned on his terminal, his thin lips tightening, before turning over and burrowing into the blanket.

...

The night dragged on.

The next day, everyone boarded the small spacecraft heading to the main planet on time.

The Imperial Honor Military Academy team, which won the league simulation battle, had fourteen members. As an undercover agent, Bush Meihua was naturally left out of the medal ceremony, but since he was also going back to the main planet for the holiday, he still set off with them. All fourteen students could receive medals from the Emperor, which was the highest honor, but not everyone received the same reward.

As first-year students, Yi Ye and Bai Chuan were awarded the promotion from B-level to A-level honor students. However, since Kappel and others were already A-level students, and the requirements for promotion to S-level were not yet met, Yi Ye heard that they would be allowed to go to the Central Command for training starting next semester.

This meant more than just medals and honors. After their fourth year, students mostly stop studying on campus, focusing mainly on mission execution and military inspections. The number of missions they complete and the evaluations from military commanders determine where they will be assigned after graduation. With good luck, they can join a high-ranking military unit; with bad luck, they might be relegated to a remote planet as laborers, possibly never returning to the main planet again.

However, no matter how important these things are, they have nothing to do with Yi Ye and others who are still in their first year and have not yet fully entered society.

The small spacecraft was crammed with a dozen strapping young men, the noise bustling. Yi Ye grabbed a random seat, flipped over, and started rummaging through his backpack for an eye mask to sleep. Bai Chuan sat beside him, while Kaiser and Bush Meihua sat side by side in the front seats.

The moment they sat down, the air crackled with tension.

Everyone exchanged glances and quickly found other seats to avoid them.

Bai Chuan, Kaiser, and Meihua—their animosity for each other, on the surface, seemed to be a peaceful coexistence, but if you really dug deep, according to the street boxing strength tester, it would be a punch followed by a flying kick, explosion, and all-around inhumane destruction until the machine was completely wrecked.

Death? Sure, everyone dies, but these two have to go before Yi Ye and me. Not only must they die early, but after they die, I will take Yi Ye to dance on their graves and show off.

—This was the fantasy shared by all three.

"Kaiser, can you rein in your pheromones?" Bush Meihua smiled. "The spacecraft is a closed space. Please don’t release anything unpleasant."

Kaiser sneered, "Better than some people whose pheromones are sickly sweet Baileys, disgracing Alphas."

Bai Chuan said coldly, "Can you two be quiet?"

Kaiser and Bush Meihua turned to him in unison, "Don’t think just because you’re his brother I won’t hit you. Don’t forget how badly I beat you the last two times."

Bai Chuan: "..."

They argued back and forth, their verbal sparring as incompatible as fire and water, the sparks crackling and visibly growing, about to transform into three giant tanks and start a bombardment mode.

"It's so loud..." murmured the youth, displeased, his voice trailing off in a lazy drawl as he slept with an eye mask on.

Suddenly, the group fell silent, their gazes drawn to the youth's collar, where his shirt had slipped down to reveal two delicate and soft collarbones, his skin glowing white. Even though he was a Beta, he seemed to give off a scent that could drive someone crazy.

The three of them stood still, the sound of swallowing faintly audible in the air.

The youth looked uncomfortable in his sleeping position, as he kept murmuring complaints. The small spacecraft's equipment wasn't great, and the seats were hard, forcing the youth to maintain an upright position while resting. But how could this fit the idea that a kitten should sleep lazily sprawled out?

So, the three of them watched as Yi Ye slowly shifted his hips, instinctively searching for a comfortable sleeping position, finally snuggling into Bai Chuan's chest, curling up in his arms. He looked so soft and beautiful that they couldn't help but breathe softly, afraid to disturb him.

Kaiser clenched his teeth, wishing he had kicked Bai Chuan aside earlier to take that spot!

Bush Meihua showed no change in emotion, wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his gaze strangely fixed on Kaiser, clearly implying, "You don't eat this well every night, do you?" The latter rolled his eyes. Eat well? No one in the world could understand his pain.

As the clear winner, Bai Chuan just smiled faintly, stroking the sleeping youth's hair.

"Sleep tight, brother."

Meanwhile.

*

In the Senate on the Empire's capital planet.

Three candles burned at the center of the twelve-seat round table, their flames flickering, casting shadows on the walls. The first, second, third, eighth, and last seats were vacant. According to the rotation, today's Senate ceremony was presided over by Duke Nikolai Jed, the fourth seat.

The sound of a cane tapping the ground was crisp and forceful. Duke Jed, with his gray beard and sharp, stern face, radiated harshness.

"Gentlemen, today we will discuss the trial date for the twelfth seat."

"Duke Jed, we have discussed the trial of the twelfth seat many times," said a dignified lady with green eyes sitting in the ninth seat, holding a fan made of peacock feathers, half-covering her beautiful face. "With the Emperor's birthday approaching, holding the trial now would be inappropriate."

"Quiet, ninth seat," Duke Jed scolded. "Would you let a traitor keep living in this world? If we do not try him, we cannot imprison him, and letting him roam freely—do you think that benefits our Senate?!"

"Can the Empire's judicial system not handle a frail old man?" the ninth seat said with a charming smile, looking ahead. "If even Judge Aylin's judicial department can't handle him, then the Empire is truly finished."

Judge Aylin Meihua, sitting in the sixth seat, glanced sideways, his gray-green eyes showing no emotion. "Lady Wenz, you can trust the laws of the Empire's prisons and the judicial system."

"Oh, Judge Aylin, you spoke to me? I'm flattered."

"Enough," Duke Jed said, forcefully tapping his cane to regain everyone's attention. "We can't delay this matter any longer. The Emperor's birthday is approaching, and after the celebration, he must be tried, imprisoned, and executed immediately. There is no room for negotiation. I will submit the documents to the Emperor."

The ninth seat sighed and lifted her hand. "Duke Jed, you're such a stubborn old man. Very well, since that's the case, I won't oppose it."

As the group raised their hands to vote, one of the candles suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness, enveloping most of the attendees. Someone's voice floated like a whisper.

"The twelfth seat... why did you choose treason..."

Three hours later.

*

The spacecraft finished its jump and landed smoothly at the main planet's first port. Yi Ye stepped off the ramp, stretching his arms, his face showing the satisfaction of a good sleep. Behind him, several Alphas walked down with grim expressions, exchanging cold glances.

"Why do you all look so terrible?"

Kaiser chuckled. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing." He glanced at his terminal. "My driver is here. Yi Ye, do you have a place to stay? As a roommate, I can let you stay in the room next to mine."

Yi Ye shook his head, pulling out a key and waving it, indicating he was going to find the house left by old man Kewen.

Kaiser figured that since they were already on the main planet, there would be plenty of chances to meet, so he stopped talking, put his hands in his pockets, picked up his bag, and left.

Bush Meihua and Kaiser both had chauffeurs from their respective residences waiting to pick them up. After Kaiser left, Bush Meihua also got ready to go. At that moment, a middle-aged man in a smoky gray suit approached them. Bush Meihua narrowed his eyes slightly as the man bowed respectfully to him.

"Good evening, Young Master Bush."

Bush Meihua: "Shouldn’t you be waiting outside?"

"My apologies, but the patriarch has given special instructions, so I had to interrupt your conversation."

"Special instructions?"

The man looked at Yi Ye and Bai Chuan: "Young students, the patriarch has personally invited you to dine at the Meihua residence tonight."

They exchanged a look.

Yi Ye frowned: "But we have other matters to attend to."

"It’s only dinner," the man said gently. "If you decline, I will have a hard time explaining myself."

It sounded like an invitation, but his words made it clear there was no refusing.

Indeed, Yi Ye was somewhat curious about the Chief Justice of the Empire. After a moment of thought, he shrugged: "Alright, we’ll accept then."