Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Bush Meihua was the one who couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Instantly, all eyes turned toward him. He covered his mouth with his hand and apologized, but the smile in his eyes refused to fade. As a gentleman who had excelled in etiquette since childhood, Bush Meihua believed he could maintain a calm demeanor in any situation, especially in a serious place like the Senate.

But he couldn’t help it.

It was just too adorable.

He even wanted to see the youth’s reaction to his laughter.

Hmm... as expected, his ears turned even redder, his hands clenched into fists on the table, looking like he might rush over and smash his nose any second.

Not good, the more he looked, the cuter it got.

Bush Meihua pursed his lips, lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

But just because he could barely hold it in didn’t mean others could. The Duchess of Wenz burst into loud laughter, her body shaking like a leaf, tears streaming down her face.

Kaiser was struggling to hold back. Standing tall behind Moxi, his facial muscles twitched, his hands desperately pinching his thigh muscles, causing a mix of pain and laughter, his handsome face contorted with the strain of holding back.

Only when Moxi turned with a warning look did he press down hard on the corners of his mouth.

Suppressed laughter filled the air, an awkward atmosphere enveloped the room.

Duke Jedd’s mouth twitched, thinking Yi Ye wore the mask to disrespect him, never expecting his face was actually swollen to such a grotesque extent. He coughed awkwardly: "A good appearance is important for the Senate... you... you should go and get your teeth treated. What kind of look is this?"

Yi Ye, resentful, scanned every face holding back laughter and mumbled indistinctly: "Understood."

"There’s no need for the old duke to criticize the Twelve Seats," Wentz said, her face stiff with laughter, wiping the smudged makeup at the corners of her eyes and regaining her composure. "It’s common for young people to have wisdom teeth. Didn’t the old duke have wisdom teeth when he was young?"

Duke Jedd: "How can you compare them!"

"Wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth, there’s no distinction," Wentz looked at Yi Ye with his swollen face. "'The Twelve Seats who is still growing wisdom teeth'... if this gets out, the public’s impression of the Senate might soften."

Duke Jedd: "..."

Yi Ye pressed his forehead, frustrated.

Although he knew Wentz was speaking up for him, could they just skip the topic of "wisdom teeth"? He really didn’t want the whole world to see him with a swollen face and too scared to go to the dentist! Couldn’t they build him up with some image like "super tough guy," "eight-pack abs," "heroic and mighty"?

So annoying... Hearing them hold back their laughter made him furious. Now he resented everyone and added them to his little black book.

No one gets to live! Sooner or later, he’ll take down all those taller and stronger guys!

Fortunately, Duke Jedd himself felt that continuing this topic was too absurd and quickly shifted to discussing other matters. Later, Yi Ye sneakily put his mask back on, and no one had the heart to stop him.

...

As soon as the meeting ended, several senators left early due to official duties. Yi Ye immediately jumped up, ready to make a quick escape, but just as he reached the door, he was called out by Ling Pei.

Kaiser and Bush Meihua, who were about to leave, both stopped and looked over.

Yi Ye forced a bitter smile: "General, maybe you could let me off today—"

"Wisdom teeth hurting?"

Yi Ye: ...Is this guy really using this chance to make fun of me?

"It doesn’t hurt at all," he said firmly. "It’s actually quite comfortable."

General Lin Pei calmly replied, "You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about growing wisdom teeth. You’re young, it’s just a normal thing. People who laugh at you are the ones who are wrong."

Bai Chuan/Kaiser/Bush Meihua: ...Who is he referring to?

"Did you book an appointment with the dentist?" he asked again.

Bai Chuan stepped forward, his voice cold and guarded, "I’ll take care of this for my brother."

"As his family, you should keep a closer eye on his diet and routine."

Bai Chuan: ...

"It’s just a toothache, not cancer… You’re overreacting!"

Yi Ye glanced at Bai Chuan and then at Lin Pei, afraid that the two might argue, and quickly spoke to ease the tension. From the previous incident, he sensed that Bai Chuan had a bit of a brother complex and was somewhat possessive of him. Given his personality, Bai Chuan was probably quite annoyed with Lin Pei right now.

While he was somewhat pleased, it wouldn’t help if Lin Pei got really mad.

He quickly changed the subject: "By the way, General, how have you been during your rut these past few days?"

"Thanks to you, I’m doing much better," Lin Pei said with a nod. "If you need anything else, just let me know. And about your gland—"

"I know, I know!" Yi Ye said, grabbing Bai Chuan. "We’re heading to the hospital this afternoon. Let’s go."

Bai Chuan stayed quiet, letting Yi Ye drag him out the door.

As they passed Kaiser and Bush Meihua, Yi Ye stopped and glared at them, "And you two, I won’t forget this."

Kaiser/Bush Meihua: ...

They watched as the two walked out.

"He’s mad at you because you laughed at him earlier," Kaiser said, trying to distance himself. "Don’t drag me into this, okay?"

Bush Meihua sneered coldly, "What, you didn’t laugh? You think Yi Ye missed you pinching your thigh?"

"At least I didn’t burst out laughing," Kaiser said, rolling his eyes. "The guy who bragged about his manners couldn’t even keep a straight face. Pathetic."

Bush Meihua gave him a cold look, too lazy to waste words on someone who didn’t use their brain.

"Why did General Lin Pei ask Yi Ye about his toothache?" Kaiser suddenly asked. "When did they become so close?"

"..."

Bush Meihua’s expression was blank, "Didn’t you and Yi Ye join the Vanguard Legion?"

He also wondered, how did Yi Ye even get the Second Seat’s attention? And from their conversation, it sounded like Yi Ye helped Lin Pei through his rut? What happened? The more he thought about it, the more Bush Meihua’s expression darkened.

"Idiot," he muttered, which was unusual for him.

It was one thing for him to be clueless, but to lack any sense of urgency was another. Even as more people gathered around Yi Ye, he was still wondering how they got so close. How did he end up in the same school as this muscle-headed idiot who only knows brute force?

"What’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly cursing at me?"

Kaiser rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

Bush Meihua scoffed, "Go pick a fight with a wooden stake. I'm leaving."

He pushed the door open and left quickly.

Kaiser laughed in frustration, about to follow when a Member of Parliament stopped him.

"What do you want!"

"Master Kaiser..." the Member of Parliament wiped his cold sweat, "General Moxi just left a message, asking you to return to the mansion as soon as the meeting is over. He said there will be guests arriving this afternoon, and you are to receive them."

"What guests are so important..." Kaiser frowned and glanced at the door, but the Member of Parliament blocked him and refused to let him leave, making him click his tongue in annoyance, "Alright, alright."

As Yi Ye dragged Bai Chuan out of the conference room, the meeting had been chaotic. Yi Ye almost forgot about the "dog" he had kicked to sit by the door when he walked out. Once in the corridor, he spotted that arrogant figure from a distance, sitting on a luxurious soft chair, surrounded by several Members of Parliament, legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Only then did it dawn on him.

But, a dog?

This dog was lounging more comfortably outside than he was inside.

"Done already?"

Eugene bit the end of his unlit cigarette, looking up with a weary gaze. His eyes slid over Yi Ye and Bai Chuan's tightly pressed arms, and he chuckled coldly.

"Sticking together right after the meeting, huh? Interesting."

He stood up and walked over slowly, his figure closing in, "I’ve got nothing on today, where to?"

Eugene clearly meant to tag along.

Yi Ye was ready to tell him to get lost, as far as possible, but before he could speak, Eugene whispered, "With so many Members watching, don’t make a scene."

Yi Ye: "..."

From the way those Members of Parliament fawned over Eugene earlier, it was clear what his status in the Senate was—how many wanted to curry favor with him, how many feared him, and how many followed his lead. Making a scene with him in front of everyone might feel good, but it wasn’t smart.

"The hospital," Yi Ye muttered reluctantly.

"?"

"Are you sick?"

None of your damn business.

Not wanting to answer, Yi Ye led Bai Chuan straight out of the Senate.

Eugene hopped into his car and followed them all the way to their destination, only to realize that Yi Ye was indeed heading to the hospital—but a dental hospital. Combined with the youth's stubborn refusal to remove his mask, he immediately understood the reason.

He leaned back, laughing hysterically.

The alarmed driver turned around, "Young Master... are you okay? Has the Holy Church finally driven you mad?"

Eugene couldn’t stop laughing, licking his lips, "No... just found a cat with a wisdom tooth."

Meanwhile, the cat with a wisdom tooth sat in the consultation room.

Doctor: "Open your mouth."

Yi Ye obediently leaned his head back: "Ah—"

The flashlight shone over the young man's clean, straight teeth. After a moment, the doctor set down the flashlight, shook his head, sighed, and started typing on the keyboard. "We’ll start with an X-ray."

"Doctor..." Yi Ye choked with sorrow, "Is there any hope for me?"

The doctor gave him a deadpan look: "It’s just a wisdom tooth, not cancer. Just pull it out."

"So... will you have to use a drill?"

"It depends," the doctor paused, "but in your case, it might be necessary."

"..."

Yi Ye, as good as dead.

After taking the X-ray to confirm the condition of the wisdom tooth, Yi Ye was all geared up and sent to the operating room. Before his "death," he even entrusted Bai Chuan with his bank card password, terminal unlock code, and the stash of sweets hidden under his pillow at home, like a hero marching to his doom.

Bai Chuan: "Enough already, just go."

Yi Ye: "..."

No love! You’re dead to me!

He was dragged off to the operating room, sniffling. As the door of the treatment room closed with a snap, the hallway instantly went quiet.

Bai Chuan waited outside the treatment room for the procedure to end.

Footsteps approached. He looked up and saw Eugene walking toward him. He frowned slightly, but he didn’t speak, quickly averting his gaze back to the door of the treatment room.

Eugene didn’t speak either.

In a wordless silence, the two youths stood on either side. With similar features and hair color, yet completely opposite temperaments, the two bound by blood now seemed more like strangers than passersby.

Eugene, hands in his pockets, turned and sat down on a chair, glancing at Bai Chuan's face, which disgusted him to the core.

"You’ve got it made, huh?" he suddenly sneered.

Bai Chuan didn’t even flinch, as if he hadn’t heard the remark.

After a pause, Eugene suddenly added, "Did you and Yi Ye hook up?"

Bai Chuan: "..."