Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Back in the light, the Black Rock Bees frozen into ice balls resembled specimens preserved in amber, glinting in the sunlight. The Desert Rose spread out endlessly, with a path clearly made by footsteps in the middle, broken branches and a messy ground.

The surviving Black Rock Bees had moved on from their anger, and the nests that had fallen into the flower bushes had not yet found a new place to settle, but they had already started working diligently, busily collecting from this lush, untouched flower field as if they had stumbled into a paradise for bees.

Yun Wan let out a sigh of relief and turned to check on Lu Huai.

Then she went quiet.

"What are you doing?"

She noticed Lu Huai had a windbreaker draped over his head, and she could still smell the faint scent of disinfectant lingering at the tip of her nose, likely the same one that had just covered her head.

The tall man, with a jacket over his head, looked like a weird ghost, out of place in this sea of flowers, like some creepy intruder trying to snatch a girl.

"Are you hurt?" Yun Wan reached out to lift the jacket.

Lu Huai flinched away, "I'm fine!"

"..." Did he really look okay?

"Keeping it covered isn't helping."

As soon as the words fell, Lu Huai scratched at his face under the jacket. Yun Wan took the opportunity to lift the clothing, and as he suddenly came into contact with the dazzling light from the darkness, he squinted his narrow eyes, his pupils still momentarily dazed.

"Stop scratching!" Yun Wan grabbed his wrist, stopping his action.

Lu Huai's forehead had been stung, swollen up like a balloon, red and puffy, with a black bee sting standing in the center.

"Does it look bad?" Lu Huai's hand obediently followed Yun Wan's force and hung down.

He pursed his lips, his face tense.

Although Lu Huai was in a sorry state, and it was all to save her, his expression at this moment was really quite amusing.

Do all good-looking guys care this much about their image?

Yun Wan couldn't help but laugh.

"What if I said it looks good? Believe me?" Yun Wan blinked mischievously.

Lu Huai's face tightened even more, and he was about to raise his hand to scratch the itch.

Yun Wan stopped him before he could lift his hand, "Don't touch it, we'll get it treated later! For now, you can use this to fan yourself."

Yun Wan plucked a large leaf and fanned it towards Lu Huai's face, the cool breeze easing the pain, and Lu Huai's expression improved a lot.

"Here, fan yourself with this. I'll find someone to pick us up."

Yun Wan stuffed the leaf into Lu Huai's hand, opened her smart device, and sent a message and location to Hu Yuanyang, who quickly arrived in a flying car.

"Lord, I'm here!" Hu Yuanyang flashed a bright smile, with a short stubble on his chin, looking like a reliable man in his thirties.

"How come there's such a large flower field here?"

"This is the star flower of Shennong Star," Yun Wan explained as she got into the flying car.

"It's so beautiful! Apart from the Bee King Star, I've never seen such a large flower field."

The beekeeper Yun Wan reached out to was from Bee King Star, and Hu Yuanyang's words got her thinking.

The abundance of Black Rock Bees on Shennong Star might actually be a good thing; perhaps she could also raise bees and produce Shennong Star's signature honey. With such high-quality flowers, the honey would taste amazing.

Yun Wan told Hu Yuanyang to head straight to the sanatorium, taking Lu Huai to treat his wound.

"How on earth did this happen?" Dr. Lin asked, intrigued.

"A Black Rock Bee got me."

Hearing this, Dr. Lin was even more puzzled.

For a veteran Swarm killer like Lu Huai, a Black Rock Bee shouldn’t be a problem. He could take down SSS-level behemoths without breaking a sweat, so how could a tiny Black Rock Bee cause him harm?

While pulling out the black stinger, Dr. Lin couldn’t help but ask, "Didn’t you have your mech on?"

Lu Huai’s mental energy was too low to pilot the mech, but manipulating the versatile mech to transform its weapon forms was still within his capabilities. A Black Rock Bee should’ve been fried from ten meters out—how’d it even get close enough to sting him?

"The mech was acting up," Lu Huai admitted.

Lu Huai showed Dr. Lin how he controlled the mech. He could give transformation commands, but the mech’s forms were totally random. Basically, he only had half control.

Why was this happening?

Dr. Lin was stumped.

He used a laser scanner to check Lu Huai’s mental energy while controlling the mech and discovered that, apart from mental energy, Shennongsu also resonated with the mech. It was this resonance that caused the mech's transformations to go haywire.

It was like a glitchy connection.

Could Shennongsu fix genetic defects but mess up mech piloting?

For Stellar citizens, this was a fate worse than death!

Dr. Lin opened his mouth, unsure how to explain this to Lu Huai.

"Go ahead, I can handle it," Lu Huai said, surprisingly calm.

Dr. Lin let out a long sigh.

"Shennongsu might mess with mech piloting."

"I’m alive, that’s what matters," Lu Huai said with a shrug.

Dr. Lin sighed again.

One of the galaxy’s few 3S generals, first afflicted with a genetic defect, then finally having hope for a cure, only to face the inability to pilot a mech. Was the universe out to get him or what?

Many of those with genetic defects were top-tier mech pilots. Now, with this outcome, it was hard to say whether treating the genetic defect was a blessing or a curse...

Yun Wan listened to the entire conversation, her heart filled with disappointment.

She’d always dreamed of piloting a badass mech! Without even getting near a mech, her dream was gone.

After treating the wound, Yun Wan and Lu Huai walked side by side.

She was somewhat worried about Lu Huai, "Do you regret practicing Mental Cultivation?"

For native Stellar citizens, being unable to pilot a mech was equivalent to being useless, wasn't it?

"No," Lu Huai replied without hesitation. "Surviving is what matters most, right?"

Hearing these words from Lu Huai, Yun Wan felt quite relieved. He wasn’t the same lifeless person he used to be; now, Lu Huai was like a dead tree coming back to life in spring, his gray branches now full of new vitality.

"Exactly, surviving is what matters most. Even if you can't pilot a mecha, you can enjoy incredibly delicious food! You can always count on Shennong Star!" Yun Wan winked at him.

"Mm," Lu Huai nodded, thinking to himself:

And I can meet wonderful people too!

"Training has its perks too. I found that Shennongsu can speed up healing," Lu Huai pointed to his forehead, which had already reduced in swelling and showed no signs of abnormality.

"You're a genius!" Yun Wan exclaimed. She hadn't taught him this; Lu Huai was great at figuring things out!

Lu Huai’s lips curled into a wide grin, but he remained humble, "I learned from the best!"

"You’re just naturally smart. I didn’t do much," Yun Wan felt a bit embarrassed.

"Hey, why did you follow me back?"

Only at the safe house door did Yun Wan realize that Lu Huai had followed her all the way.

It was late, not ideal for training, and neither of them had noticed this while walking.

A glint of triumph shone in Lu Huai’s eyes, "Go ahead, Lord! I’ll head back to the sanatorium."

"Oh, okay, take care on your way back."

Yun Wan turned around, walked to the door, and then looked back. Lu Huai stood still, seemingly waiting to see her enter the house.

A weird feeling stirred in her chest.

Even after dinner, she couldn't figure out why Lu Huai had walked that extra distance, like he’d gone out of his way to walk her home...

It was even stranger!

*

Madam Qin had been watching Shennong Star for a while. Whether it was the vegetables or the restaurants on Shennong Star, they were all in high demand and very profitable, leaving the Ji Clan in the dust.

Seeing Shennong Star making a fortune every day, Madam Qin was very anxious, as if the money should’ve been hers but wasn’t, fearing that Yun Wan would squander it.

However, she couldn't reach Yun Wan by phone, and her private messages went unanswered. She thought, her daughter was being reckless, not even giving herself a safety net.

If she had brought out these good things earlier, the Qin family wouldn't have disowned her! It seemed that without being raised by her side, even with blood ties, she was still selfish.

She decided to visit Shennong Star herself and have a good heart-to-heart talk with Yun Wan.

Madam Qin's plan to visit Shennong Star was carried out in secret, keeping it from her husband and Qin Yan. She was afraid her husband would blame her for not treating Yun Wan well and that Qin Yan would hold a grudge.

In her heart, the Qin family was still to be handed over to the healthy Qin Yan, and she had to admit that she favored the daughter she had raised from childhood more.

Madam Qin was a decisive person and soon arrived at Shennong Star.

Logically, Yun Wan should have known she was coming after receiving her visit request, but she didn't come to the port to meet her, which made Madam Qin unhappy.

Was she still angry with her?

"Madam, where are we going now?" the flying car driver asked.

Madam Qin, carrying a delicate black high-end handbag, finished her makeup in the car, drawing a tall willow eyebrow, giving her a sharp, no-nonsense look.

"The Shennong Star Lord's estate," she remarked casually, sitting in the back seat of the hover car.

The hover car started, with robotic sentries on duty along the way. The roads were wide, and bright red flowers fluttered in the breeze, creating a beautiful scene. The streets were bustling with activity, and new buildings lined both sides, making it hard to believe this was once a desolate planet, now resembling the prosperity of a first-tier star.

Qin’s mother mused, this daughter of hers has quite the talent, what a pity!

Upon reaching the outer grounds of the Lord's estate, the hover car was stopped.

"Hello, the dining area is to the right."

Hu Yuanyang was stationed by the Mountain Gate Grand Array. Despite having placed conspicuous signs at the Mountain Gate Grand Array, careless visitors still wandered into it, and some even intentionally entered after experiencing the fantastical scenes within, which frustrated Hu Yuanyang, forcing him to personally supervise.

An elegant middle-aged woman alighted from the hover car, her long nails reflecting the sunlight.

"I'm looking for Yun Wan," Qin's mother said, with her driver holding a sunshade behind her. "Please step aside."

She waved her hand lightly, as if brushing away something dirty.

Hu Yuanyang disliked her attitude, typical of the nobility.

"Visiting the Lord requires an appointment. Do you have one?"

His words made the beautiful woman frown.

"Do you know who I am? Do I need an appointment to see her?" Qin's mother was indignant.

How pretentious! The first thing she’ll do upon taking control of Shennong Star is dismiss this incompetent fool!

"Sorry, I don’t know you, and the Lord didn’t mention any visitors," Hu Yuanyang replied calmly.

If she were truly close to Yun Wan, why hadn’t he received any notice to prepare for her visit?

"Ha! Then let me tell you, I’m her mother. How long are you going to make me stand here under the sun?" Qin's mother impatiently placed one hand on her hip.