Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Yi Ye stayed in that room for a long time, and when he emerged, his eyes were red. Bai Chuan noticed but didn’t say a word.

Dr. Anderson had transferred all the permissions of the underground laboratory to Yi Ye, including the system and several micro mechas that had been developed but not yet disclosed. A rough estimate placed their value in the billions. Hearing this, Yi Ye knew his life would be anything but peaceful. Just the ownership of the mechas would likely spark endless debates with the Senate elders.

After leaving the basement, they visited Dr. Anderson’s burial site.

Since he was still considered a traitor at the time of his death, he was not given a grand funeral. He was simply cremated and placed in a mechanical container, stored in the prison’s columbarium. Judge Ai Linya said the urn’s fate would need further discussion in a meeting. Given public sentiment, a proper burial was now necessary.

Overall, the saga of Dr. Anderson’s treason had reached its conclusion.

The Public Information Department had scrubbed all related news and clips from the live broadcast. At first, many were furious, accusing the empire of stifling free speech. But as new entertainment stories flooded in, their focus shifted, and Dr. Anderson was soon forgotten.

Occasionally, posts would pop up, hinting at the real reason behind Dr. Anderson’s suicide, but they’d be deleted and reported instantly. Gradually, even these whispers faded.

It was like a fleeting comet; once its light faded, the night sky returned to endless darkness.

Two days later.

That night, a gentle breeze swept through.

Yi Ye dragged a chair into the courtyard and sat down, clad in black long sleeves and pants. Fresh from the shower, his long, damp hair clung to his back, slightly dampening his shoulders.

He gazed leisurely at the shooting stars streaking across the night sky.

It felt like no time had passed, yet it seemed like forever since he’d last sat so carefree.

Earlier that day, his father had called and berated him for a solid five hours. Yi Ye was on the verge of kneeling and kowtowing in apology, but his father stayed livid, coldly declaring he wouldn’t speak to his “worthless son” for a year.

Yet, within minutes of hanging up, his father sent him an absurdly long list, demanding he buy foreign liquor from the main planet.

Yi Ye was torn between anger and amusement, cursing under his breath, but he dutifully went to buy the liquor.

He’d been busy until now, finally getting a chance to shower and sit down to rest.

He looked up and exhaled deeply.

At that moment, footsteps approached from behind.

As he turned, something covered his eyes. He blinked, and the light returned. Bai Chuan pulled the towel off his head and stood beside him, deftly drying his hair.

Since Yi Ye had mentioned several times that he didn’t like using a hairdryer, Bai Chuan had developed the habit of helping him dry his hair after every shower.

Yi Ye looked at him without speaking.

Bai Chuan glanced down at him, “Why are you staring at me?”

“Xiao Bai, do you think other younger brothers help their older brothers dry their hair?”

His eyelid twitched, “What do you think?”

“Probably not.”

After a moment of thought, Yi Ye laughed heartily and patted his arm, “A younger brother as good as you is a luxury most people can’t enjoy!”

"..."

You idiot.

Bai Chuan silently toweled his hair, exuding a gloomy, resentful aura. Once done, he urged Yi Ye to go inside and change into dry clothes. But Yi Ye figured the wind would dry him, so he lounged lazily on the chair like a dried fish, nearly forcing Bai Chuan to haul him inside.

"By the way, how did you guys handle the Emperor's ceremony back then?" Yi Ye asked, swinging his legs.

He missed the ceremony to attend the trial, thinking he would miss it, but Judge Ai Linya mentioned an unexpected delay in the ceremony, without specifying the reason.

"The Emperor just happened to have a stomachache."

"Just happened?"

Yi Ye narrowed his eyes, leaning on the back of the chair to look at him, "Was it really just a coincidence? You didn’t have a hand in it, did you?"

"What do you think I did, brother?"

Bai Chuan evaded the question with a faint smile.

Yi Ye caught on and burst out laughing: "Xiao Bai, you’ve got some nerve. If they found out, it’d be a capital offense, right?"

"It doesn’t matter."

He said seriously, gazing at Yi Ye's face: "Standing on that stage with you means more to me than anything."

In this chaotic world, without him, nothing would matter. But with him, even the withered flowers and the moss in the corner seem alive and beautiful.

It’s a strange feeling, but Bai Chuan relishes it.

"Xiao Bai, you do care about me as your brother, don’t you?"

Yi Ye suddenly blurted out, catching Bai Chuan off guard. Though he knew Yi Ye meant brotherly love, he couldn’t help the warmth and longing that surged in his chest, his eyes shining as he looked at him: "If I say I like—"

"Beep"

A beep from the terminal cut Bai Chuan off.

"It's General Lin Pei's call." Yi Ye turned on the terminal and waved at him, "We'll talk later, okay?"

Bai Chuan: "..."

"General, why did you think of contacting me in the middle of the night?"

"...General?"

Yi Ye walked aside to answer the call, but the voice from the receiver was chaotic, with a series of clattering noises, and it took a long time before Lin Pei's slightly hoarse voice came through.

"Sorry, wrong button."

"Your voice doesn't sound right, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

A few deep breaths trembled through the edge of the receiver, and Lin Pei calmed down a bit, but his voice was still terribly low: "I just ran into something. Tomorrow is your first time attending the Round Table meeting, are you ready?"

He changed the subject, and Yi Ye couldn't ask further.

"I've read a lot of stuff from the Senate these days, but it's all fluff, not useful for the meeting."

"It's no use. Tomorrow's meeting will discuss the handling of Dr. Anderson's estate and your future plans."

"Sounds like a career counseling session."

"You could say that, but they won't steer you towards anything beneficial. For now, you're still safe, but the Senate and Duke Jed will never give up on the Twelve Seats. They will do everything they can to make you voluntarily step down from this position. Tomorrow will be your first test of mettle."

Lin Pei paused, then asked softly, "Are you nervous?"

"General, I might be a bit afraid of death, but a group of old men? Not intimidating." The youth's pleasant laughter came through the terminal, "Remember when I punched Duke Jed?"

"You—"

"I know insulting the Emperor was impulsive, but I don't regret punching Duke Jed at all."

Lin Pei was silent for a moment, his voice calmer than before, "I know. Not taking action would be out of character for you. You're a laid-back student at the Imperial Honor Military Academy, but at certain moments, your blood and bones are harder than steel."

He blushed, "That's an exaggeration. I'd rather be as tough as a bodybuilder."

Lin Pei fell silent.

Yi Ye didn't mean to dampen the mood, but hearing Lin Pei speak so seriously with such praise made him profoundly uneasy. He couldn't help but think of Jiang Duming saying these things. But after their falling out in his past life, their relationship had deteriorated to the point of almost never speaking again. Hearing Lin Pei, who looked exactly like Jiang Duming, praise him felt oddly out of place.

He swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere, "I'll definitely be on time for the meeting tomorrow, General. Will you be there too?"

"Yes."

"Are you in good enough health for it?" Yi Ye asked considerately, with a sense of respect for the elderly, "I hear that middle age is often accompanied by various health problems—gallstones, high blood pressure, diabetes. Maybe you should get a check-up."

"..."

In the Galactic Empire, people generally live to be two hundred years old. Lin Pei, who appears to be in his forties, is actually in the early prime of life for an Imperial citizen, and this stage can last a long time. But Yi Ye's words made it seem like Lin Pei was on the verge of being socially irrelevant, stepping into old age and retirement.

"I'm forty years old," he tried to make Yi Ye understand that he was still quite young in the Empire.

Yi Ye: "Oh, that's getting up there."

Lin Pei: "..."

Yi Ye: "I actually want to get a check-up too, but I'm only 22. Isn't that too early?"

Yi Ye Langley, whose combined soul age from two lifetimes is 44, said shamelessly.

Lin Pei was at a loss for words. Compared to him, who was over forty, the youth was indeed too young. He had never thought his age was an issue before. Becoming the Empire's foremost active military commander at this age was already a miracle in the Empire's history. Before him, General Moxi didn't become the commander of the Central Army until he was over sixty.

But was he really getting old?

Lin Pei, who was always decisive in battle, started to reflect.

Meanwhile, Yi Ye, who had unintentionally baffled Lin Pei, flopped onto the couch, pondering what to have for breakfast the next morning.

*

The next morning, Yi Ye was awakened by Bai Chuan, who pushed him into the bathroom to wash up.

While changing clothes, Bai Chuan stood outside the door, providing him with a last-minute briefing on the detailed information on the eleven elders of the Round Table and what to pay attention to when interacting with them. Bai Chuan understood these aspects more thoroughly and keenly than Yi Ye, including how to best interact with these people, and could arrange everything meticulously.

Yi Ye suddenly remembered the last time they met Commander Moxi, Bai Chuan managed to get them out of a tight spot with just a few words, handling the crisis adeptly. Although he was usually cold and didn't like to socialize, he had an extraordinary talent in the political arena.

If he hadn't been a battlefield commander, he could have excelled as a politician.

"..." No, no, no!

He immediately shook his head, clearing these thoughts from his head.

The mission in this world is to help Bai Chuan become a commander and survive until the end. Can’t afford to get sidetracked...

Speaking of which, where has that damn system gone? It hasn’t said a word in centuries. It’s a total AI failure.

Yi Ye grumbled about how useless the system was, changed into his suit, and walked out of the bedroom. Bai Chuan was sitting on a high chair by the door, holding a stack of papers. When he saw him, Bai Chuan quickly set the papers aside.

"How is it? This is the first time I’ve worn such a formal suit."

Bai Chuan lowered his head to hide the infatuation in his eyes and whispered, "You look great."

"Is the collar missing a tie?"

"Yeah, probably."

Yi Ye wasn’t used to wearing ties, so he didn’t have one at home. He figured it might be okay without one, but then he saw Bai Chuan take out an elegantly wrapped box.

Inside was a navy blue striped tie.

"Hey, come here."

He stood up and beckoned. Yi Ye walked over and stood in front of him.

"What made you think of buying a tie?"

"I picked it out at the store yesterday. I thought it’d go well with your ring."

He took out the tie and began to tie it for Yi Ye, his long, slender fingers brushing over Yi Ye’s neck and shoulders, his expression serious.

Yi Ye caught the scent of Bai Chuan as he leaned in—not pheromones, just the smell of shower gel.

It was the shower gel they both used.

"Little Bai..."

"Hush."

Bai Chuan softly stopped him.

Once the tie was neatly tied, he held Yi Ye’s hand. The blue gemstone ring symbolizing the Twelve Seats was worn on the thumb, matching the tie perfectly.

Bai Chuan lowered his eyes, bent down, and with a reverent gesture, gently kissed the back of Yi Ye’s hand.

"My Twelve Seat, safe travels."

*

The Senate Chamber.

"I heard that the new Twelve Seat is coming today..."

"That kid from the Imperial Honor Military Academy? He’s just a kid. Don’t sweat it. He might not last long, and he definitely won’t hold that position for long."

"But I heard General Lin Pei is on good terms with him. General Lin Pei even vouched for him in court."

"That’s right! I heard that too. And he was previously in the Vanguard Legion, so he’s pretty tight with General Lin Pei."

"...Isn’t he a Beta?"

"In all these years, we’ve never seen General Lin Pei get close to any Omega. But then again, General Lin Pei probably has a thing for Betas..."

"??? So does that mean I have a chance?!"

...

The hall of the Senate buzzed with chatter until a figure in black appeared, and all voices instantly ceased as if a mute button had been pressed.

A young man with grey hair in a black suit coldly scanned the whispering crowd, let out a light snort, and immediately someone scurried forward.

"Deputy Speaker, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you for so long," he said flattering, glancing at the Members of Parliament in the corner. "I'll punish those gossiping later, making them pay for their loose tongues!"

The Deputy Speaker lifted his eyelids with a hint of arrogance. "The new Twelve Seats member is close to General Lin Pei?"

"Not at all! He was just a logistics officer in the Vanguard Legion before. General Lin Pei is fair and strict, and the new member only helped Dr. Anderson seek justice. General Lin Pei supported him due to his respect for Dr. Anderson."

"Is that so?"

The Deputy Speaker's ambiguous tone didn't reveal whether he was angry or pleased, but the cold lines of his face softened slightly.

The Member of Parliament wiped the cold sweat from his palms, he sighed in relief.

This Deputy Speaker, named Karan Jed, despite being a Beta, was the grandson of Duke Jed. Thanks to his grandfather's connections, he had become the Deputy Speaker of the Senate at a young age. Arrogant and looking down on almost everyone, his undeniable financial talent meant that even his detractors had to endure in silence.

But the main reason for his nervousness was more significant: Karan had a crush on General Lin Pei.

Though it was called a crush, it was an open secret within the Senate. All documents related to General Lin Pei had to pass through his hands, and any Member of Parliament who got too close to the General would either leave voluntarily or end up injured within three days. As a result, everyone kept their distance from General Lin Pei. Fortunately, the General was mostly off the main planet, sparing them much trouble.

But now that General Lin Pei had returned, and with the events in the courtroom, given Karan's possessiveness towards the General, the new Twelve Seats member was likely in for a rough time.

The Member of Parliament sighed to himself.

"A car has arrived," a sudden commotion erupted by the window.

Both looked over as the doors opened.

Accompanied by several guards, a young man with long black hair and a suit entered the hall of the Senate.

The blue gemstone ring on his finger clearly marked his identity.

—The current member of the Twelve Seats, Yi Ye Langley.

The moment Karan saw the man's face, he frowned deeply.

The young Imperial Honor Military Academy student had his hands in his trouser pockets, his posture relaxed. The tailored trousers outlined his long legs, casting a mesmerizing silhouette in the light. His striking presence and appearance caused everyone in the hall to pause their work, irresistibly drawn to look at him.

Soon, his gaze shifted and locked onto Karan in the crowd.

With a smile, he approached amiably, "Excuse me, friend, could you tell me where the Round Table meeting room is?"

Karan: "..."

Karan: "I don't know."

Yi Ye, puzzled: "But aren't you an employee here?"

Coldly: "I said I don't know, can't you understand human speech?"

"?"

Did this guy wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

But then again, it's understandable for an overworked employee to be a bit grumpy in the morning.

Yiye shrugged nonchalantly, "Alright, then I'll wait here for someone to take me in."

Before Karan could ask what he meant by waiting for someone, the door opened again, and Lin Pei, dressed in a silver-white military uniform, walked into the Twelve Seats under everyone's gaze. Karan’s lips immediately turned up in a smile, as if the clouds had cleared, and his eyes lit up with uncontrollable admiration.

But he tried to restrain himself, keeping his composure as he walked up to Lin Pei, "General Lin Pei, long time no see. Do you remember me? I'm Karan Jed."

Yiye: ... This guy’s ability to switch expressions is impressive.

Lin Pei hesitated, "Hmm."

Then he looked at Yiye not far away.

"Yiye Langley."

Yiye was contacting Duchess Wentz, who said she would be late and asked him to wait for her at the door, saying it’s better for two to be late than one. After sending the message, he heard Lin Pei call him, and he glanced up and responded, "Hmm."

"General, you’ve arrived too," he walked over.

"Just arrived."

Lin Pei's voice was still hoarse, and he looked unwell, with a sharp, intense air of hostility.

"Not going in?"

"I'll wait for Duchess Wentz, please go ahead."

Lin Pei didn't say much, "Alright."

Yet he remained standing, unmoving.

Yiye tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

"... That tie suits you well."

After saying this, Lin Pei turned and walked inside.

Confused, he turned to look at Karan beside him, but was met with a cold glare, and then Karan stormed off in anger.

Yiye: ...

Yiye: Well, it’s a rough morning for an overworked employee—anything’s understandable.

He waited at the door for more than ten minutes before finally seeing the late-arriving Duchess Wentz. She was sweeping in with a voluminous, intricate skirt, an extravagant white feathered hat on her wavy long hair, and a fragrant scent trailing her as she hurriedly rushed in on high heels, "Oh my, I’ve been so busy!"

Yiye: "You look even more stunning today, Duchess!"

Duchess Wentz smiled pleasantly, "You’re such a charmer."

"But why are you dressed so formally today? Is there a ball at the Twelve Seats?"

She rolled her eyes, "Hmph, what kind of ball would this place host? I have to rush to a friend's housewarming party after the meeting."

The two chatted as they walked in.

The Round Table conference room was almost full, except for those who usually wouldn't attend the meeting, and everyone had a thick stack of documents in front of them. As soon as Duchess Wentz entered, her expression froze, and a strong pheromone scent filled the air, making her cover her nose with a grimace.

Yiye: "What's wrong?"

"Bad news, today's meeting is going to be rough," the Duchess whispered, "I forgot you can't smell it, but there's a strong scent of Lin Pei's pheromones in the air—he must be entering his rut."

Yiye asked suspiciously, "What happens during a rut?"

As if recalling some terrifying past, the Duchess shivered, "Wait, you’ll witness him berating everyone without mercy, everyone, no one will be spared."

"As for you..." looking at Yiye with pity, "You’re on your own."