Chapter 84

Chapter 84

"Cough, cough!"

Pushing the door open, spiderwebs rained down on their faces.

Yi Ye covered his nose and mouth and set the watermelon in the corner. The inside of the house seemed pretty spacious, and the furnishings were complete, but most were unusable from years of neglect. Everything needed replacing to make it livable. He gingerly pinched the burnt-yellow tablecloth with two fingers, already dreading the days ahead.

Bai Chuan glanced around and immediately grabbed his terminal to book a hotel. Sadly, with the Emperor's Birthday Celebration around the corner, the main planet was packed, and snagging a comfy hotel room was next to impossible.

"Let's just rough it. It's not like we can't crash here. We just gotta clean the place up."

He blew away the half-inch layer of dust on the table. The wooden dining table showed no rat damage, so the rat problem here must be under control.

Bai Chuan asked, "You’re really okay with sleeping here?"

"It’s fine. Just a leaky roof, peeling walls, busted appliances, and a ton of dust and spiderwebs. It’s livable."

Bai Chuan couldn’t tell if Yi Ye was serious or just being sarcastic.

"Alright," he said, turning to his terminal to order new appliances online. They’d arrive in a few hours.

As they waited for the deliveries, they started cleaning up the dust.

The little house had just two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom, not much bigger than their place on Qixing, but the layout was decent and it felt kinda cozy. Sadly, the guest bedroom’s roof was leaking, with light beams crisscrossing the floor and dust particles dancing wildly in the light. The guest bedroom was a no-go for now, while the master bedroom was relatively intact, though the ceiling was peeling badly. They cleaned the floor and made over twenty trips to throw out the garbage before finally clearing out all the dirt from the house.

By the time the sun set, the house was roughly half-cleaned.

The new appliances and daily necessities were delivered one after another. Yi Ye winced as he looked at the list of expenses. Although it was Bai Chuan's money, his heart ached.

"We must get Dad to reimburse us when we get back."

This reminded Bai Chuan of something from their childhood, and he looked at Yi Ye: "It's better not to."

"Why?"

"Mr. Langley once asked you to buy him alcohol with your pocket money, and later you went to him for reimbursement."

It was such a distant memory that Yi Ye's brain couldn't process it: "So, did I succeed in getting reimbursed?"

"No."

"He said it's only natural for a son to spend money for his father."

"..."

"How could he be so shameless!"

Bai Chuan said calmly: "Then you secretly poured his alcohol into the toilet tank."

Yi Ye froze for half a second, then thoughtfully held his forehead: "I think, since it's all in the past, it's better not to bring up childhood memories. What do you think?"

Bai Chuan: "I think we should start installing the appliances."

The topic smoothly shifted. Yi Ye was immensely grateful for the protagonist's high emotional intelligence, otherwise, he wouldn't know where to hide his face.

They set up the appliances and moved the old items out of the room, planning to sell them at a recycling station the next morning. After finishing everything, Yi Ye clapped the dust off his hands and headed back into the house. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, then quickly took a few steps back and looked to the right.

There was another small house with a red roof and green walls, but it clearly had more signs of life. There were potted plants on the windowsill, and the grass in front of the door looked freshly trimmed, indicating that someone lived there year-round.

"We’ve got neighbors around here too?"

The house bought by Kewen's father is located in an extremely remote area, surrounded by wasteland and dilapidated buildings, like a slum in a so-called land of the free amidst the prosperous and affluent main planet. Surrounded by towering tech buildings with windows gleaming with cleanliness, a few homeless folks reeking of decay squat in the corners, clutching bread that’s long since gone moldy. In comparison, their shabby red-roofed house could almost pass for a "villa," while the neighboring house bustling with activity can almost be described as "magnificent."

Incredible.

Who else but his dad would pick such a dump?

"Yo, Xiao Bai!" Bai Chuan was just coming out with two bags of trash, Yi Ye waved at him, "Let’s slice up some watermelon and drop it off at the neighbors’ later."

Bai Chuan glanced at the house and nodded. A few minutes later, the two brothers carried a plate of watermelon to the door of the house on the right, tapped lightly on the door, while Yi Ye put on a friendly smile, ready for a pleasant meeting with the new neighbors.

Thud! Thud thud thud!

Suddenly, a barrage of violent crashes erupted.

"...Hello, we are—"

"Get the hell out!!"

"Knocking on someone's door in broad daylight, how damn rude! Stay the hell away from my house!"

Thud! Another chair seemed to be thrown at the door, and Yi Ye could practically feel the shockwave rattling his face.

...Seriously, you’re mad over a watermelon delivery? What’s wrong with knocking on your door in broad daylight, it’s not like we rolled up in a tank!

Bai Chuan expressionlessly asked, "Still wanna play nice?"

"Forget it." Yi Ye placed his hands on his hips and sighed. Who knew the neighbor would be such a crank?

Bai Chuan turned around with the plate, but after taking two steps, he was pulled back, and then saw Yi Ye pointing at a few homeless people sitting in a circle playing cards in the distance, "These fine folks are also our neighbors for the next few weeks."

Bai Chuan: "..."

"Hey there, fellas."

The four homeless men were taking turns playing cards when a sharp male voice sliced through their laughter, standing out abruptly. They immediately looked up, noticing that the newcomers were two youths, looking very young, around twenty years old, wearing what seemed to be military academy uniforms, with embroidered badges on their chests. They looked like rich kids straight out of a mansion.

Sharing a quick, knowing look, one of them with a scarred face slowly put down his cards, "What do you want?"

Yi Ye smiled warmly, stepping forward and squatting down, the fingertips of his black half-glove unintentionally hanging by his boots, pressing against two daggers strapped to his thigh. The surface of the daggers was stained with a red liquid, indistinguishable whether it was blood or something else.

"Want some watermelon? Freshly picked, nice and crisp."

The four remained silent, vaguely sensing that these two were not to be trifled with. Yi Ye then actively waved his hand, signaling Bai Chuan to share it with them.

"You're students of the Imperial Honor Military Academy?" The scarred face didn’t stand on ceremony, taking the watermelon and eating it heartily.

"We're from the Imperial Honor Military Academy, just finished killing a bunch of Zerg recently, heard that the main planet is hosting the Emperor's birthday celebration, so we came to join the fun." Afraid they wouldn’t understand how to kill Zerg, Yi Ye kindly added, "It’s the Vanguard Legion, you should know about that, right?"

Vanguard Legion? You serious?

They still look like students, though.

"How old are you?" Someone next to him asked.

Yi Ye without changing his expression, "Me? Oh, I’m 37."

Everyone: "?????"

Bai Chuan remained silent.

"Haha, you guys thought I was 20, didn’t you?" Yi Ye embarrassedly touched his hair. "It’s just 'cause I look so young. People always mistake me for a student. Truth is, I’ve been at the Imperial Honor Military Academy for over a decade, but unfortunately, the fourth-year missions are too tough. Every year, I’m sent to the Vanguard Legion to kill Zerg. You know how General Lin Pei is—super strict."

Yi Ye spun his lies effortlessly. In just two minutes, he painted himself as a 37-year-old who’s been stuck in school half his life, slaving away in the Vanguard Legion, killing Zerg, driving him to the edge. So, he brought his well-behaved little brother to the capital for a chill summer break.

It was all nonsense, every bit of it.

But he sold it with such confidence, and even accurately described Lin Pei’s preferences and traits. How could an ordinary person do that?

These homeless folks, drifting around the capital with no permanent home, rarely had the chance to watch live broadcasts. They didn’t recognize the two guys who’d made waves at the Imperial Honor Military Academy a few months back. That gave Yi Ye the perfect chance to fool them. Plus, anyone in the Vanguard Legion was way out of their league. Whether it was true or not, robbing the wrong guy meant a death sentence. They were broke, but they weren’t about to risk their lives. So, they quietly ditched their robbery plans.

"You gave us watermelon, so what do you wanna know?" The scar-faced man picked up another piece of watermelon and continued munching.

"Nothing big, just wondering if there’s anything fun going on in the capital lately, besides His Majesty’s birthday bash."

"Recently?"

They exchanged glances.

"What’s fun here? The celebration’s not for us. It’s just the nobles showing off."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man was kicked by the scar-faced guy, who warned, "Just eat your watermelon and keep your mouth shut."

"...I didn’t say anything wrong."

"You idiot—"

Yi Ye quickly stopped them: "Honestly, my brother and I are from the sticks. We’re clueless about this stuff. After graduation, finding a job would be good enough. These days, money’s hard to come by, and life’s tough. We’re also scared of accidentally offending someone in such a bustling place, so we came specifically to ask you guys."

"You, students of the Imperial Honor Military Academy, have worries too? Aren’t you all from wealthy families?"

Yi Ye waved his hand, showing them the dilapidated house: "If my brother and I were rich, would we be living in such a place? We would’ve booked the Imperial Grand Hotel long ago. It’s just a facade. In the future, we might end up as homeless folks too."

The homeless folks looked at each other.

Seeing that the two students might end up as badly off as them in the future, they instantly felt a sense of balance, and their tone became much more casual.

The scar-faced man spat out a watermelon seed, crossed his legs, and leaned against the wall: "If you’re only staying for two months, remember not to provoke three types of people: those wearing red diamond badges, those in Prussian blue military uniforms, and those in golden robes. These three represent the Imperial Court, the Central Command, and the followers of the Holy Church."

"Why?"

"Do you know the Senate? The Chief Justice and the Commander of the Central Command hold the sixth and seventh seats in the Senate, respectively. These two factions are in fierce conflict. Every day, you can hear their people arguing to the death in front of the court. If you don’t want to die, don’t get involved in their wars, or you won’t see the sun the next day."

"What about the Holy Church?"

"The Pope holds the first seat in the Senate. These followers look down on everyone. If you provoke them, they can drag you to the church that very night and burn you to death under the charge of insulting religion."

"They’re especially brutal! One of my brothers was captured and burned to death by them," another homeless man chimed in. "Just because he got close to the Pope’s statue, they said his stench was a sin, a disrespect to the Pope. He died horribly."

Yi Ye frowned: "Does His Majesty not care?"

The scar-faced man sneered: "His Majesty is a follower himself. Why would he care?"

Yi Ye understood. No wonder the Holy Church could act so tyrannically in the empire. He nudged Bai Chuan’s arm, noticing that the latter seemed lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bai Chuan snapped out of it and shook his head: "Who are the members of the Senate’s round table? Can you tell us?"

"The first seat is the Pope, and I’ve already mentioned the sixth and seventh seats," the man counted on his fingers. "The second seat is General Lin Pei, you should know that."

"Yes, and the fifth seat is our military academy’s Principal Howard. What about the others?"

Another homeless guy jumped in: "The fourth seat is Duke Nikolai Jed! The Emperor’s teacher and the Empire’s Minister of Finance. I remember him well because I saw that old man from a distance—he was sharp and harsh. I have no idea how he landed the fourth seat. The third seat was an old general who died a few years ago, and it’s been empty since. The eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh seats are all leaders of the major families. If you know the big families on the main planet, you can figure it out."

Yi Ye nodded: "What about the twelfth seat?"

"The twelfth seat? It’s about to disappear—mmph!" The voice was abruptly cut off as the scar-faced man forcefully covered the guy's mouth, kicked away the watermelon rinds at his feet, and dragged him up. "The watermelon was great, but we’ve got stuff to do. Let’s bounce."

They grabbed their stuff and bolted like ghosts were on their tails.

"The twelfth seat’s got something weird going on," Bai Chuan said, watching their retreating figures.

"Looks like it, but it’s not our problem right now," Yi Ye picked up a few rinds from the ground and tossed them into a plastic bag. "If you need info later, don’t ask regular folks or the big shots. Regular people won’t dare say it, and the powerful won’t bother. Only these guys don’t give a damn."

Bai Chuan lowered his eyes: "So I have to say I’m 37?"

"Well…" Yi Ye smirked mischievously. "It’s fun. Out here, you make up who you are. If you say you’re just a regular cadet, they’ll mess with you." He then pulled out a dagger from his side, his fingers brushing over the smooth, slippery liquid on its surface. "Sometimes, slapping on some red paint to look like a cold-blooded killer does the trick."

After grabbing the watermelon rinds, he tapped the fruit plate and said, "Let’s roll."

After dinner, it was pitch black outside when they got back. The dim light from the street lamps filtered through the narrow window.

They stood by the window, staring at their last issue: where to sleep.

The guest room’s roof leaked, so they had to bunk together. Yi Ye was fine with it, but he wasn’t sure about Bai Chuan.

"Want me to take the couch?"

"No need," Bai Chuan said flatly. "We can share."

"Then I’ll go take a shower first." Yi Ye unbuttoned his uniform jacket and was halfway through taking it off when he suddenly remembered the bloodstains from Bush Meihua on his shirt. He quickly pulled the clothes back together and awkwardly shuffled toward the bathroom, laughing nervously: "I’ll strip inside… you hit the sack!"

With a *snap*, he darted into the bathroom.

The bathroom was steamy as Yi Ye rushed through his shower. He picked up the shirt and walked to the sink. Fortunately, bloodstains weren’t hard to wash out, and after a few scrubs, they disappeared. He wrung out the damp shirt and hung it to the side, then leaned on the sink and let out a slight sigh.

The mirror reflected the youth’s pale and sharp figure—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and faintly defined muscles with water droplets sliding down.

Yi Ye wasn’t buying that Bai Chuan and Judge Ai Linya’s talk was as simple as Bai Chuan claimed, but since Bai Chuan refused to elaborate, he had no way of knowing. The network of relationships on the main planet was complex, and what they had learned from the homeless folks was just a drop in the ocean. How could he help Bai Chuan establish himself here? And what about Bai Chuan’s family… If Bai Chuan knew his family was on this planet, would he choose to return to them?

Yi Ye didn’t know, and he didn’t want to think too deeply about it. It felt like if he did, separation would become inevitable. But after living two lives and finally having family after over forty years, it would be such a pity to part ways like this.

Yi Ye covered his face with his hands, exhaled a long breath, and then grinned at the mirror.

Let Bai Chuan decide. Even if it’s not now, they’ll have to split up someday.

"I’m done showering."

Yi Ye pushed the door open, drying his hair. Bai Chuan was tidying up the bedding, and Yi Ye tossed the towel aside and jumped onto the bed.

"Your hair isn’t dry yet."

Yi Ye rolled around: "Ah, it’ll dry while I sleep. The sound of the hair dryer is too annoying."

Bai Chuan didn’t say anything but decisively turned around, fetched the hair dryer from the bathroom, and stood next to him: "Get up. Dry it before sleeping."

On the verge of tears, Yi Ye struggled to sit up: "The sound of the hair dryer is really unpleasant."

"The lowest setting is fine."

He made Yi Ye sit up straight, lifting the damp black hair and running his fingers through it.

The faint hum of the hairdryer buzzed past, making Yi Ye's hair stand on end as he endured the sound so close to his ears. But Bai Chuan's technique was gentle, his fingertips massaging the scalp, gradually easing the discomfort from the noise. Half-asleep, Yi Ye suddenly laughed out loud, "Xiao Bai, if you ever get married, I think you'd make a really caring husband."

Bai Chuan focused on tidying his hair, "I’m not sure, I’ve never thought about getting married."

"How have you never thought about it? By the way, what’s your ideal partner? I don't think I've ever heard you talk about it."

He turned to look, his black eyes and hair reflecting the dim, weak light of the bedside lamp, like shimmering stardust. Bai Chuan liked seeing himself in Yi Ye's eyes; it made him feel truly alive, a person with warmth, blood, capable of crying and laughing.

Ideal partner? He had never thought about it, but if he had to say:

"I like people with black eyes."

I like people with black eyes, especially someone looking at me right now.

Yi Ye froze, his pupils widening slightly. Just as he was about to say something, Bai Chuan suddenly pushed him away, turning around almost in a panic, "Your hair is dry."

Like the air had been sucked out of the room, the bedroom fell into sudden silence.

"...Oh." Yi Ye rubbed his scalp and quietly lay back down.

The bedside lamp clicked off, and the sound of fabric rustling came from the other side of the bed. The mattress dipped as Bai Chuan's steady breathing became particularly clear in the darkness.

Yi Ye lay stiffly, staring at the ceiling.

It feels... a bit strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Is it just me who feels strange? Bai Chuan seems so calm.

The more he thought about it, the more he spiraled. Yi Ye frowned, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Then, his hand, which had been fidgeting under the covers, was suddenly caught by Bai Chuan, their fingers intertwining, the warmth of their skin merging. He felt the sticky sweat in Bai Chuan's palm, the tense muscles of his arm pressed against him. His breathing hitched, but he quickly tried to hide it.

"Xiao Bai... are you nervous?" He didn't understand.

In the darkness, he couldn't see Bai Chuan's face. After a long while, Bai Chuan brushed past Yi Ye's topic, "It's late, let's sleep."