Chapter 42: Ceremony

Chapter 42: Ceremony

Lanen lowered his gaze, his expression somewhat grim.

The trial day was two months away, yet the male insect had said he would marry him only then. Any mistake in between could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Despite the turmoil in his heart, Lanen managed to maintain a perfectly appropriate smile. He continued to adjust Lin You's scarf with patience and meticulousness: "Then I will await your good news, my lord."

—He didn't even ask Lin You for a reason.

Lin You rubbed his nose, hesitant to meet those azure eyes. Beneath Lanen's raised collar were still the marks of kisses, yet he refused to promise a wedding, resembling a commitment-phobic jerk. But the novel's plot was set; the first half was all about Lanen's fervent attentions, with the third prince ambiguously stringing him along, interspersed with punishments like kneeling, until the wedding concluded and the next chapter began.

Unfortunately, Lin You couldn't bring himself to say anything.

He muttered a farewell to Lanen and boarded the aircraft.

"..."

Lanen gathered his coat, suppressing all emotions beneath a gentle facade, bid farewell to the butler, and headed towards the general's mansion.

Meanwhile, he took out his light brain and disabled silent mode. The moment he did, countless messages flooded in, buzzing non-stop.

Devin alone had sent nearly fifty messages.

8:55: "Lanen? Are you finished?"

9:35: "Not done yet? Are you being punished by kneeling?"

10:17: "Did the third prince say anything? Did he agree to marry you?"

...

Just now: "My god, I haven't been able to reach you all night. What's going on? Are you alive, Lanen? Did the third prince make you kneel all night?"

Lanen replied briefly: "Alive."

Devin responded instantly: "My god, what happened to you, what did the third prince do to you? Are you okay?"

Lanen's hand, holding the light brain, paused.

...What had happened to him?

A soft cushion, a fairly satisfying hotpot, countless kisses, and a good night's sleep.

The scent of orange still lingered around him, making his body relax involuntarily. If only the male had made a promise, it would have been the most comfortable day Lanen had experienced in years.

However, these were not for others to know. Lanen evasively replied: "I'm fine, I'm good. Have you arrived?"

"I'm near District 23, and I can see the cemetery."

"Hmm, have a pleasant journey, and give my regards to our departed friends."

At this point, the conversation seemed to end. They both went offline, then switched to the Third Army's independent satellite frequency, which was triple-encrypted, accessible only to high-ranking officials of the Third Army.

Devin: "I used the excuse of paying respects, but I'm not sure if the old guys from the Second Army bought it. Damn it, just after crossing the border of District 23, my aircraft was tailed. They're following very stealthily, using cloaking paint, my electromagnetic radar is completely useless."

The equipment he had installed was the latest technology of the empire. To block radar detection was not something any random black-market pirate could do.

Lanen: "Be safe. If they disguise themselves as pirates and attack you, I'll have to accept it."

Devin: "I've set the stage, just bought some wine, will offer it as a tribute during the aircraft ceremony tomorrow, then escort the 'graveyard'. Once I sense them approaching, I'll return immediately."

Lanen nodded: "Let me know right away if anything comes up."

They logged off again, returning to the chat channel where everything remained calm and uneventful.

They exchanged a few more casual words, and when Lanen arrived at the Third Army office area, about to log off, Devin asked again: "By the way, is Admiral Hoyle satisfied? Is your marriage all set?"

Lanen gave a bitter smile: "No."

This is going to take a while.

*

That morning, Lin You hurried to General Hoyle's residence.

The prince's coming-of-age ceremony is a major event in the empire, from the selection of the date to the seating arrangement, General Hoyle reviewed everything. He handed the schedule to Lin You and asked: "Anything you're not happy with?"

Lin You lowered his eyes and saw a familiar name: Liam White.

Lanen's former fiancé.

Early in the novel, White and Lin You were the main tormentors of the protagonist.

The coming-of-age ceremony is another key moment of torment. At that time, besides the third prince, the other two princes, and Lanen's severely injured former fiancé—the only male of the Liam Family, Liam White—will all be present.

According to the novel's timeline, White had been recovering at home until now, and this is his first public appearance after his injury.

Although there is currently a lack of hard evidence, White has already regarded Lanen as the culprit, and rumors are spreading like wildfire through the city, which the original host has caught wind of.

Between the two of them, White is seething with resentment, while Lin You, on one hand, covets the wealth of the Collet Family, and on the other hand, although he is not familiar with White, he is extremely dissatisfied with Lanen's actions of harming males, and is determined to stir up trouble, so he keeps Lanen hanging with the marriage while tacitly allowing White's various excessive actions.

If Lin You remembers correctly, there will be an extremely excessive humiliation at the coming-of-age ceremony, and the third prince will stand by and watch without saying a word.

Lin You doesn't like this type of novel, he can't stand the long, humiliating descriptions, so he skimmed through it quickly, but now with the banquet approaching, he has to take out the novel and read it again.

General Hoyle saw him looking at the invitation list for a long time without speaking, and asked: "Anyone you'd rather not invite?"

Lin You shook his head: "No."

The story demands their presence.

General Hoyle nodded, and asked again: "Any other changes you'd like to make?"

Lin You knows nothing about the noble etiquette of the Zerg, so he just glanced at it and put it aside, letting the general decide on his own, while he wandered around the general's residence, quite curious.

General Hoyle has outstanding merits, and is one of the most famous generals of the Zerg, his medals take up an entire bedroom, Lin You looked at them one by one, marveling that the original host's father was indeed extraordinary, and finally stopped by the egg-shaped instrument in the middle of the bedroom, trying to turn it on.

—He had seen this in the Third Army's exhibition room, it's a military simulation training device.

General Hoyle noticed that his son seemed to want to lie down in it, and he was quite troubled: "Youyou, what are you doing?"

Lin You looked up: "Can I try it?"

He'd heard the simulation device was like a human shooting game, a full-on 3A experience, and he was eager to give it a try.

Hoyle: "...This is not for playing."

The military system is very realistic, one shot and it's bloody, he's afraid it will scare Lin You.

Lin You: "Just for a little while, okay?"

Admiral Hoyle had only one child, a single precious offspring, and although they spent little time together due to work, he was still a treasured and pampered treasure from childhood. Now, Lin You sat in front of the training simulator, half-leaning over it, searching for the power switch. His amber eyes gazed at him expectantly as he gently pleaded for permission, earnestly asking, "Can I?"

"..."

Admiral Hoyle, with a stern face, replied, "Yes."

He adjusted the pain sensitivity level to the lowest for Lin You and switched the system to practice mode. The military system required real-name registration, but Admiral Hoyle, being one of the top leaders of the military, didn't care about real names. Using his admin rights, he conjured up a dummy account for Lin You, advising, "Play for a bit and then come out. Too long, and you'll get dizzy."

Lin You casually picked some initial settings and then entered the system.

Admiral Hoyle was still by his side, so he didn't dare to go all out. He just tried out the guns, shooting at fixed targets. Earth's firearm tech was no match for the interstellar age. In the interstellar era, whether it was recoil, reloading methods, or other parameter indicators, there had been significant advancements. A compact pistol could pack a punch like a sniper rifle.

Lin You picked out a sleek silver automatic pistol, his stance relaxed and natural. He raised his hand, extended his arm, aimed, and pulled the trigger—

He missed the mark.

The gun's handling was crucial, and the interstellar guns felt alien to Lin You.

But missing the target only stoked Lin You's competitive fire. He had exceptional talent in this area, with exceptionally sharp dynamic vision and extraordinary reaction speed. While others relied on experience to aim, Lin You relied on instinct. In most action games, he could master the controls in a few tries, get the hang of it within five tries, and dare to jump into high-level matches within ten tries. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached the national ranking in "Star Warfare" within two months of streaming.

Lin You took out a dozen guns in front of him, testing each one's feel. Within ten minutes, without any guidance, he could consistently hit the seven-ring on static targets.

The system gave a round of applause, "The host's got some serious skills."

Lin You: "No big deal."

He was about to continue testing when Admiral Hoyle knocked on the cabin door, "Youyou, feeling dizzy?"

Many males would get dizzy from 3D visuals.

Lin You still wanted to play, but the original owner was a proud and willful prince who would faint at the sight of blood. He didn't dare to deviate too much from the original character, so he opened the cabin door and climbed out, pretending to rub his temples.

"So dizzy."

Admiral Hoyle looked at him disapprovingly, "I told you this wasn't suitable for you. Come out quickly, lunch is ready."

Lin You climbed out of the cabin, looking at him earnestly, softly saying, "Father—"

Admiral Hoyle: "?"

He was wary, "What do you want?"

"I'm an adult now, but you haven't given me a birthday gift! I want a birthday gift!"

"...What gift do you want?"

"I want this game pod... no, this military training pod."

"..."

Admiral Hoyle looked at him blankly.

Lin You looked back expectantly.

They stared at each other, the admiral continued to look blank, Lin You continued to look expectant, and two seconds later, the admiral gave in.

The top leader of the military, with a headache, gestured for Lin You to do as he pleased. So, Lin You directed the servants to drag the admiral's training pod directly to the prince's residence.

In the middle of the day, he had no intention of taking a nap and directly lay down in the game pod. 66 helped him bypass the admiral's account and register a new one.

66: "What kind of initial model do you want for the avatar?"

Lin You hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Can I use my virtual wife?"

66: "...Sure."

It imported the data for Lin You, and soon, a tall, long-legged, silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty appeared in the system. Lin You tested the feel and named the character "A Pomelo Lord"—his streamer name.

He completed the default tutorial in under thirty minutes, eager to try the real-person mode. Unable to resist, he entered the matchmaking lobby, where the world chat kept refreshing with messages flying past.

To prevent retaliation, most players in matchmaking mode were anonymous, except for a few commanders whose personal styles or nicknames were too distinctive to hide. Currently, the lobby was abuzz with discussions about Major General Lanen from the Third Army.

"What's going on with Major General Lanen? Who pissed him off? He's been on a rampage today."

"The Major General is in a bad mood today. I'm terrified just looking at his icy face. It feels like he's about to drag me to the tribunal and skin me alive."

"He's been playing since noon, almost until the end of the workday. He must have played at least thirty matches."

"I just got headshot by the Major General..."

66 followed Lin You in the virtual system, simulating a robot accessory, and poked him: "Are you going to join a match?"

In front of Lin You, Lanen always appeared gentle and polite, like a refined gentleman. But Lin You knew that wasn't the real Lanen. He gripped his silver-white pistol, eager to test his skills.

The system's electronic voice echoed in his ear, "You have been matched. The IDs for this group are: Pure White Iris, Iron Ambition... A Pomelo Lord."

Given Lin You's current experience level, he shouldn't have been matched with Lanen. But Lanen had been slaughtering opponents all afternoon, scaring others away. It took a while to gather a full group, which is how Lin You got his chance.

The simulation system was somewhat like real-life Counter-Strike, with automatic team grouping. The last player standing wins. The system simulated various extreme environments in the universe. This round was set in a primeval forest, with twisted branches blocking the sky and roots and low shrubs sprawling across the ground, creating a dense and tangled environment.

Lin You had played similar games before, but this was his first time in full immersion. His stealth skills were average, his aim inconsistent, and he was unfamiliar with the rainforest environment. Within minutes, Lanen caught him.

The Major General's icy blue eyes stared coldly at him, like lifeless gemstones, his expression terrifyingly indifferent. He raised his gun decisively, his high ponytail of silver hair drawing a beautiful arc in the air. The dark muzzle pointed straight at Lin You, the gloved finger slightly bent, and the pistol fired—

Bang.

The gunshot echoed, and Lin You logged off.

66 commented, "Host, your wife is quite fierce."

Lin You was intrigued, "Indeed."

Lanen, who always appeared gentle and humble in front of him, was like this in the military?

He logged back in and requested another match.

This time, the map was a seaside abandoned town. Due to the low number of players, he was still grouped with Lanen.

This time, Lin You's anti-reconnaissance skills were better, and he gradually got used to the movement in the full immersion system. He lasted fifteen minutes before being cornered in a desolate alley again.

Lanen stood atop a ruined clock tower, his gun aimed directly at the corner. The strong wind lifted his pure white coat, and his epaulettes gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting a golden glow.

He pulled the trigger.

A Pomelo Lord logged off.

Lin You: "I just don't believe it..."

He matched again.

This time, his handling was more skilled, with hardly any missed shots. He lasted over twenty minutes, and the system, with its all-hearing capabilities, offered some assistance. One of his bullets even grazed Lanen's sleeve, dislodging his sapphire cufflink.

But with the magazine emptied, he was still cornered.

The trigger was pulled, and "One Pomelo Lord" logged off again.

Lin You's competitive streak was fully ignited. He was about to start another round when the butler knocked on the door, softly inquiring, "Your Highness, dinner is ready. Would you like to dine now?"

Food was still a priority. Lin You logged off, climbed out of the training pod, and took his seat at the dining table. Just as he was about to pick up his knife and fork, his light brain vibrated slightly.

Lanen: "Good evening, my prince. Though only half a day has passed, I already miss you a little."

Accompanied by a photo of a bouquet, the main flowers were roses and Iris, surrounded by green snow willows and fresh lemon leaves.

Lin You set down his chopsticks, his tone ambiguous: "Oh?"

—Miss me? You just headshot me three times in the game.

Lanen: "I've prepared a bouquet of Iris floral art for you, hoping you'll like it."

The flowers in the vase were beautifully arranged, with roses and Iris being rare and expensive varieties not commonly found on the main planet. The petals were delicate, having been airlifted from their origin that same day.

Lin You: "I like it; it's beautiful. Did you prepare this yourself?"

Males prefer soft color schemes, and many females take courses in home aesthetics, but clearly not Lanen. He had just come out of a match two minutes ago, and this floral arrangement was layered with many levels, high and low, well-coordinated. Besides the main flowers, there were many small branches and leaves as accents. Such a complex floral arrangement couldn't possibly be completed in two minutes; the floral foam would have sparked.

Lanen sidestepped the topic, saying only: "I hope it brings you a moment of joy."

Lin You, through the screen, could imagine the Silverhaired Beauty's restrained tone. He chuckled silently and replied, "Of course, thank you."

Lanen let out a sigh of relief.

Although the third prince hadn't immediately agreed to the marriage, his attitude remained gentle, indicating some fondness, unlikely to grow weary immediately after the night.

Lanen was polite and cautious in his reply: "Thank you, it's my honor."

His polite phrases were becoming more frequent. Lin You, through the screen, could sense Lanen's nervousness. The other seemed uneasy about his rejection that morning, hence the frenzy in the combat system and the careful probing of his attitude.

The conversation should have ended here, but after a moment's thought, Lin You added a few more words, as a form of reassurance: "I am about to hold my coming-of-age ceremony, and I will invite you. Remember to attend."

The reply came quickly: "Of course."

It seemed the typing speed had picked up.

"..."

Lanen had no idea what he would face according to the novel's plot. The dignity of the Iris Major General would be discarded, like the bouquet Lin You trampled, ground into the dirt.

Lin You sighed softly.

He frowned as he opened the novel, thinking to himself: "I'll have to think about how to act again."