Chapter 112

Chapter 112

...

Upon learning that he was about to become Eugene's subordinate, Yi Ye had a nightmare that very night.

In the dream, a pale beast chased him frantically, and as he ran, he kept shouting, "Why are you chasing me? Why are you chasing me?" Suddenly, the beast stood up and transformed into Eugene's face, wearing an indescribably eerie expression, saying, "Because I want to—"

Before he could finish, Yi Ye woke up in a panic.

He lay with his eyes wide open until dawn, his gaze empty, like a monk completely drained of energy, then floated ghost-like into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Noticing that his gums were bleeding, he turned to Bai Chuan with a weak, sorrowful expression, claiming he might have a terminal illness and should skip the meeting at the Senate today.

His tearful act was truly dramatic.

Bai Chuan paused silently for a moment, then motioned for him to open his mouth.

Yi Ye obediently opened wide.

Seeing blood oozing from the inner side of his clean, neat teeth, Bai Chuan frowned slightly, turned to the kitchen to pour him some warm salt water, jotted down on his terminal to buy a new soft-bristled toothbrush and oral anti-inflammatory medication after the meeting, and even scheduled a dental cleaning for Yi Ye two days later.

His actions were quick and decisive, leaving Yi Ye speechless.

Wait, wasn’t the whole point to let me skip the Senate meeting?! Why are you even scheduling a dental appointment for me?!

Forced into Bai Chuan's plan for a dental check-up, Yi Ye was completely miserable on the way to the Senate. He hated dental hospitals more than anything!

In the car.

Bai Chuan skimmed through the documents for the day's meeting, glancing at Yi Ye out of the corner of his eye: "Not happy?"

"No."

Yi Ye turned his head and grumbled, "I'm quite happy."

"..."

Liar.

"Afraid of the dentist?"

"Nonsense!" Yi Ye jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, "Impossible! Me, your big brother, not afraid of the Zerg, how could I possibly be afraid of the dentist?!"

It was clear.

He really is afraid of the dentist.

Thinking back, Bai Chuan had never seen Yi Ye go to the hospital for dental issues since childhood. But it wasn’t that he never had toothaches; when a cavity hurt so much that he tossed and turned in bed at night, not only did he endure it without telling Mr. Langley, but he also repeatedly warned himself never to let it slip, his youthful face filled with fear of being dragged to the dentist by the scruff of his neck by Mr. Langley. Even when Bai Chuan went to the hospital for a toothache, Yi Ye pretended to be sick to avoid going...

Rubbing his fingers on the surface of the documents, Bai Chuan smirked with amusement.

A brother scared of getting a tooth pulled...

Even cuter than imagined.

"Stop looking at me like that," Yi Ye pointed at him sharply, "I’ve told you a million times, I'm not afraid of the dentist! I just think it's unnecessary. Look how much money we've spent coming to the main planet. Sure, I have a lot of money, but it's going to run out someday! And going to the hospital for a little gum bleeding, isn’t that blowing things out of proportion? You know how expensive dental care is! No... your spending has been ruined by the empire’s extravagance. As your brother, I need to correct this in time. So, let's not discuss it anymore. I've decided, we're not going to the dentist. I’ll just rinse with mouthwash at home."

Yi Ye went on and on, finally running out of steam, took a breath and insisted firmly, "So, we’re doing what I say! No dentist!"

After just saying "afraid of the dentist," Bai Chuan prompted a lengthy response from Yi Ye: "..."

"This is non-negotiable," he closed the folder, a faint smile in his eyes. "The appointment is already set for 2 PM the day after tomorrow. If you don’t go, I’ll tell Mr. Langley."

"?????"

"The car’s here."

Bai Chuan turned and got out of the car, walked around to open the other door.

Yi Ye, fuming with anger.

He was filled with regret—he shouldn’t have been so kind to him yesterday!

He gritted his teeth and made a face at Bai Chuan, then stormed into the council chamber, leaving Bai Chuan trailing far behind.

One day, he would definitely blow up all the dental drills in the universe.

But before blowing up the drills, he had to sit through today’s tedious meeting.

Everyone in the Round Table meeting room had arrived early. Today's meeting was to discuss the unresolved issues from yesterday, with the same group of people attending.

Ling Pei seemed much calmer than yesterday; he didn’t lash out at everyone. The Duchess of Wenz wore a more subdued and tactful suit, arriving early and on time, sitting in her chair, seriously engrossed in the documents.

—It would’ve been better if she wasn’t secretly messaging her new lover behind the documents.

Although she was scolded badly by Ling Pei yesterday, she still rushed off to a friend’s housewarming party after the meeting, as if nothing had happened. That night, she bombarded Yi Ye with messages, raving about the dazzling muse she met at the housewarming party and how she was about to start a grand, platonic love affair of the century.

Platonic...

He didn’t buy it—Wentz seemed like a carnivore.

Soon, she was gushing about how amazing her night had been. Yi Ye, uninterested in others’ romantic escapades, let her words go in one ear and out the other, when the door suddenly swung open.

"Very sorry for being late, today, I’m still here to take notes for the council members."

Karan Jed hurried in with a notebook, his eyes red and swollen as if he had cried all night. He stood behind Duke Jed, stealing a cautious glance at the composed Ling Pei, then bit his lip and started working diligently with the notebook.

Yi Ye: ...What's going on...

"Oh by the way..." Wentz whispered in his ear, "You know this young man likes Ling Pei, right?"

What?!

Wentz covered her mouth and laughed: "So you didn’t know, no wonder someone told me you’re slow, really a dull young man."

"No, who told you I’m slow... ah forget it, it’s not important, he actually likes Ling Pei?"

"Yes, it’s well known in the Senate."

Apparently, this person didn’t include him.

He was wondering why Karan had such an inexplicable hostility towards him.

"But Ling Pei couldn’t possibly like him."

"Why?"

"Ling Pei, such an old prude, must like someone completely opposite to himself, like a little sun..." As she spoke, Wentz suddenly winked at him, "You’re just his type."

Yi Ye scoffed, "Give me a break, I'm not into men."

"If you're not into men, how about hanging out with your big sister? Although I'm old enough to be your mother, a mommy-son fling could be pretty wild."

Yi Ye was so freaked out he nearly bolted from the room.

Where does Wentz get off saying stuff like that?! A mother-son relationship?!

He waved his hands frantically, muttering, "No thanks, no thanks!" as he hurried back to his seat.

General Moxi, seated beside Wentz and having caught every word: ………………

After the brief uproar, the second meeting finally officially began.

The agenda was pretty much a rerun, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Jedd seemed to get that he couldn't just snatch control of the Mecha Department and Anderson's manuscripts from Yi Ye, so he made a concession, asking Yi Ye to find a more suitable person to temporarily take over these matters.

Yi Ye had no choice but to agree, as he would be returning to the Imperial Honor Military Academy in a month, and indeed needed someone to manage the affairs on the main planet.

After some serious back-and-forth, the Round Table came to a decision that Yi Ye and the Senate would jointly select a temporary manager from the first-level engineers of the Mecha R&D Department. After the review was confirmed, the person could take office.

After discussing this matter, they shifted the topic to Yi Ye.

Regarding his future development, the entire Senate and even the Empire were secretly paying close attention. Making it through the Imperial Honor Military Academy and then officially taking over the Mecha R&D Department in the Senate seemed to be the most conventional path.

But Ling Pei was pushing for him to join the Vanguard Legion, while Duchess Wentz was worried the Vanguard Legion was too risky and believed it would be more suitable for him to stay on the main planet. As for whether he would become a government official, a court member, or one of the Central Legion, it would depend on Yi Ye's own choice.

But to be honest, Yi Ye thought that neither the court nor the Central Legion would want him. He was a walking liability no matter where he ended up, and even if he graduated, he might not be able to integrate into the Round Table. Just surviving and landing a desk job in the government would be a miracle.

……

An hour later.

No one could nail down a solid plan, and after looking at each other, they had to call it quits for the day and wait for the next discussion.

The Twelve Seats had their hands full with their own stuff, and people gradually left the conference room.

As Yi Ye was gathering his things to head out, Duke Jedd called him to inform him about the assistant matter.

"The Senate's picked Eugene from the Melville family as your assistant. You should have met him before, and he will arrive tomorrow."

"...Got it." Yi Ye sighed.

Of course, he'd still have to deal with that lunatic.

The big shots of the Twelve Seats families always made sure their kids got into the Senate and had the status of a Member of Parliament. It was all about making sure their heirs weren't left hanging when they stepped up, so they would start building a network of connections very early. Therefore, not only Eugene, but also Kaiser and Bush Meihua had the status of Members of Parliament.

But the difference was that Eugene was not the Pope's assistant and had even refused to become anyone's assistant.

This move caught Jedd off guard. He didn't know about the private matters between Eugene and Yi Ye, and only thought that Eugene, as the Pope's confidant, was more capable than other Members of Parliament to restrain Yi Ye.

Moreover, based on his understanding of Eugene, he might just snap one day and off Yi Ye, which would be even better, killing two birds with one stone and dragging the Pope down with him. Even if Yi Ye managed to survive, it would still cause him a lot of trouble, and Jedd would be happy to see it.

Thinking of this, Jedd's old face showed a rare smile, "I believe you will get along well with Eugene tomorrow. That child actually has a very gentle personality."

"……"

Gentle, huh? More like the type to pop a cap in someone without a second thought.

Yi Ye forced a smile and nodded at Duke Jedd, then turned to leave, seeing Bai Chuan waiting by the door.

Still feeling a bit sore about the dentist visit, he shuffled over: "Couldn’t you just sit on the sofa in the lobby? Why wait here for me?" Like a little lost puppy.

Bai Chuan: "I was worried you’d come looking for me."

Glancing inside: "So, how’d the meeting go? Any updates?"

"It was pointless, just a lot of hot air."

As they chatted and walked out, they noticed General Moxi still in the lobby, deep in conversation with a Member of Parliament. Yi Ye thought of Kaiser, wondering if he was still locked up.

"Hang on a sec." Handing the documents to Bai Chuan, Yi Ye made a beeline for General Moxi.

"General Moxi!"

Moxi had just finished talking with the MP, lowering his gaze to him and waving the MP away.

"Cadet, what brings you here?"

"How’s Kaiser doing?"

Moxi's lips tightened in displeasure: "Family matters are none of a cadet’s business."

Yi Ye chuckled, "As just a student, I wouldn’t have the right, but Kaiser and I are friends. I’m just looking out for a friend. Or do you think, now that I am one of the Twelve Seats, I’m still not qualified to be his friend?"

Moxi clicked his tongue.

"After you backed me in overturning Dr. Anderson’s case, I know you are at least a fair and just person. Kaiser has helped me a lot, and it’s only fair I return the favor. You wouldn’t deny me this chance to show gratitude, would you?"

"You’ve got a sharp tongue," Moxi said coldly. "Kaiser’s been spending too much time with you—that’s why he’s acting out."

"You’re blaming the wrong guy. With a name like Kaiser, you expect him to be a pushover? If he were truly obedient and a good son, would you really be satisfied?"

"..."

Moxi stayed silent, his eyes scanning Yi Ye’s face, weighing his words.

After a while, he frowned and looked at his watch: "You’ve got 10 minutes with Kaiser."

At the Audria residence.

*

"You sure you don’t want me to tag along?" Bai Chuan asked him.

"No need," Yi Ye shook his head. "General Moxi’s only letting me in. Wait here—he wouldn’t dare mess with me now."

Bai Chuan looked down, his expression unreadable, and gave a quiet nod.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel jealous of Kaiser, who hadn’t appeared for so many days yet could easily make Yi Ye do so much for him, care so much about him.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be back."

Yi Ye patted his head, then turned and followed the butler inside.

Walking through the courtyard and garden, Yi Ye followed behind the middle-aged man in a smoke-gray suit.

Last time I was here, he was the one who showed me around—what’s his name again?

"Sir, what’s your name again?"

The man: "...Kate."

"Oh yeah! Now I remember, dude, what happened to your forehead?"

"Bro—" Kate's eye twitched, his face going pale. Who does this guy think he is, calling him brother?!

A piece of gauze was taped to his forehead, his complexion much paler than the last time he was here, his cheeks sunken: "It's all your fault! You got the Young Master to grab me by the neck and slam me into the door, and the wound hasn't fully healed even after so many days!"

"Me?"

I'm innocent as a lamb, what does this have to do with me!

"The General never should've let you in! You just mess with the Young Master's head, how can the Young Master care so much about you?!"

Seriously, what's so special about this guy? There are tons of hotter Omegas out there! Yet for him, the Young Master took a beating for over ten days without a word, the scabs from the baton wounds piling up on his back. Everyone knows how fast Alphas heal! Yet it's still not healed. What's he even worth?

Kate cursed under his breath the whole way, only calming down when he reached the stairs to the confinement room.

"The Young Master is down there," he resentfully threw the key into Yi Ye's hand, "Go down, you must come out in ten minutes!"

The stairs disappeared into pitch blackness, a damp chill hitting him in the face.

Yi Ye frowned, giving Kate a complicated look: "Are you sure it's down here?"

"Of course it's like this, you think the military's confinement room is a five-star hotel?"

Yi Ye let out an exasperated laugh: "But how can you compare the military to home?"

"..." Kate was speechless.

He was just about to open his mouth when the youth had already turned and descended the stairs.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the steps.

The wall lamps flickered on in the dark corridor, casting a dim light. There was only one confinement room in the basement. Yi Ye stopped at the door and knocked softly.

The moment the knock sounded, something heavy slammed into the door, a hoarse roar: "I'm not eating! Get out!"

Yi Ye: "..."

He took out the key and inserted it into the lock.

"I said get out! Do you want to die?!"

The youth turned a deaf ear and directly opened the door.

With a creak, the damp and musty smell of the room rushed in, and along with it, a table lamp was hurled at him, shattering into pieces as it hit the wall. With a loud bang, the glass shards from the bulb flew towards his cheek.

A trickle of blood appeared, and Yi Ye's eyelid twitched.

He touched the blood on his cheekbone, looking at the violently manic youth inside the room.

His gaze swept over the chaotic room, and he chuckled helplessly: "Young Master, it's only been a few days since we last met, and you already hate me enough to throw things at me?"

"Didn't I come?"