Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kerry’s intuition proved correct. Ansel’s indifference, Bernard’s mockery, and the pressure from Huainan—all these pierced Sean’s heart like thorny barbs.

At the dinner table that evening, he fought to maintain a neutral expression. Not only did he reveal nothing to his father, but after retreating to his bedroom, he contacted his married aunt.

In the silent room, the terminal’s flickering glow mirrored his rapidly fraying patience. He knew full well that the news would inevitably reach his father, that, as the saying goes, fire cannot be wrapped in paper, yet he stubbornly clung to his futile resistance.

[Beep—]

A clear chime sounded, and a virtual screen materialized before the terminal. A pale, delicate-looking female Omega quietly appeared before Sean.

"...Cough, Sean, what is it?" Hodges Barnett reclined against an intricately patterned chair, a lace fan lightly covering the corner of her lips. Every gesture exuded practiced elegance.

"Aun—"

"Call me Mrs. Barnett," Hodges interrupted him.

Sean stiffened at the correction, then remembered his aunt’s preference. He quickly amended, "Mrs. Barnett, Ansel has recruited another double-S-ranked Alpha."

"They’re already under Ansel’s spell and refused to join the Four Great Legions."

The cup clattered!

The exquisitely crafted enamel cup in Hodges' hand slammed heavily onto the table, spilling half of its crimson tea.

Her eyes turned to ice as she pinned him with a glare. "Speak!"

Sean ducked his head. He knew how easily his aunt flew off the handle when it came to matters related to Yi Shu—which was precisely why he had bypassed his father.

"Originally, Kerry had schemed to send Ansel and Bernard to recruit on the garbage planet, hoping to cause them some trouble. But who knew they’d encounter an extraordinarily talented Alpha there?" He added, as if it weren’t damning enough, "And from the looks of it, Bernard has been supporting her all along."

"Pathetic." Hodges set down her fan, her lace-gloved hands resting lightly in front of her. Her bloodless lips twisted in a sneer.

She wasn’t born yesterday—his scheming was transparent. Did he really think she could be fooled so easily?

"Sean Opus, let me remind you once again. A family’s strength depends on the collective efforts of its members. Bernard is, no matter what, a part of the Opus Family. You may guard against him, but do not be so foolish as to expect me to clear your obstacles for you."

"You’re not fit!" She leaned forward, enunciating each word with deliberate precision.

Sean’s head snapped down.

Seemingly calming herself, Hodges’ expression smoothed back into its usual composure.

She flicked the cup upright with a fingertip and spoke loftily, "A gem like this drops into our laps in the Federation. Shouldn’t you, as a scion of the Legions, extend congratulations and an invitation? If you can’t take a little heat in pursuit of greater goals, you might as well withdraw from the succession race now."

"Even if the other party remains obstinate, you should at least maintain appearances. Plenty of time to break them in later. Now that you know Ansel is behind this, you must think further ahead. Strengthening yourself is what truly matters—not wallowing in the flattery of fools."

Sean’s face soured, but with his current predicament, he had no choice but to submit. He knew that despite his aunt’s cold words, she would undoubtedly act against Ansel—

Because he was Yi Shu’s child...

Suppressing his emotions, Sean lifted his face, his eyes glazed with fake devotion. "Yes, your guidance is wise, Madam."

Hodges’ mouth hooked into a sneer. That spineless worm actually thinks he—What sewage is he calling thoughts?

With the Opus name at her back, there would always be room for maneuvering—as long as no idiot crashed the ship!

"Very well, I understand."

"Go and do what you must. One final reminder: if your mind is lacking, at least cultivate a strong body. Take a lesson from Kevin."

Sean ground his molars, enduring his aunt’s insults without retort. Only after the call ended did he raise his head, his eyes black with hate—

"You vicious—"

***

Night fell, countless stars dotting the vast sky as the city awakened. Neon streaked the buildings, dyeing the steel in psychedelic hues.

After a long day, Huainan’s group finally crashed in their dorm. Considering that high-ranking Alphas were often prideful, the dorm head, on the advisor’s orders, had arranged for a quiet Beta to room with her.

Though today’s events had made everyone aware of the new student’s talent, they’d also left a chill in the air. After all, Huainan had already butted heads with three Legion bigwigs on her very first day, and worse, she’d become entangled with Ansel, that walking disaster. Though the two appeared upright, the rumor mill was already grinding.

As the night deepened, Ansel and Bernard didn’t linger. After escorting Huainan to her dorm, they prepared to leave.

Throughout the journey, Ansel had gone unnervingly still, save for holding Torr’s small hand. Bernard clocked it but bided his time till Ansel was gone before doubling back to Huainan.

"Don’t forget, junior, you’ll need to register your guide in advance..."

Huainan bit back a laugh at Bernard’s antics. "Uh... got it, Senior."

Bernard kept glancing over his shoulder, as if afraid Ansel would reappear. "Just remember. I’ll head back now—Ansel messaged me saying he needs to find a school for Torr!"

With that, Bernard’s gold-streaked hair disappeared around the corner.

Huainan’s chest tightened.

The more she experienced, the more she felt indebted to Senior Ansel. Though today’s mess had blindsided her, it didn’t diminish her gratitude toward him.

Their deal hung between them—Huainan’s throat closed.

"Sister, is Torr going to school?"

A tug at her sleeve. Huainan knelt. She pushed the chaos aside and booped her forehead to Torr’s.

"Yes. There, Torr will meet lots of friends. But don’t force yourself, okay?" Unlike her, Torr’s mind was still developing. Having grown up on the garbage planet with no friends or proper education, the chance for him to live normally now filled her with both worry and joy. "How about this: Torr goes to class and learns what sister never had the chance to. Then, Torr can teach sister when you come back, alright?"

Torr gave a grave little nod. "Okay. Torr will teach sister when I come home."

The lock clicked. The door swung in.

Fei Lan, who unexpectedly learned he had a troublesome roommate, happened to witness this heartwarming scene upon his return. The frail, black-haired, blue-eyed Beta adjusted his glasses and spoke in a tone that utterly ruined the mood.

"You... haven't finished unpacking yet."

Hmm?

Hearing his slow, deliberate words, Huainan quickly stood up. "Sorry, I just arrived today."

She expected to hear a "No problem" in response, but after a long silence, she felt slightly awkward.

Yet the next sentence made her even more uncomfortable.

"Ah, I know. Huainan—caused quite a stir today." He glanced down at Tuo'er, paused for a few seconds, then added,

"He is... cute."

"So, goodnight."

Watching his retreating figure, Huainan couldn't help but chuckle. Was this the supposedly extremely quiet and gentle Beta she’d been recommended? Did the mentor misjudge him?

Shaking her head, she carried Tuo'er into the bedroom and put the matter aside.

At least there was no malice.

In this era of advanced technology, multifunctional household robots and cutting-edge nanotechnology had made tedious chores a thing of the past. Huainan could even adjust the interior styling to her liking.

After washing up, it was time for bed. The two lay on the soft mattress, with Huainan gently patting Tuo'er’s back, unable to sleep for a long while. Only now did she have a moment to reflect.

Everything was going well. Since they had no appointed guardian, Tuo'er could stay with her temporarily until his presentation, without disturbing others.

With this buffer period, she could spend the next few months earning credits to buy a small home on the main planet. She could even take on a secondary discipline to expand her options and connections. Who knows—it might even open doors to more influential networks in the future...

The thought filled her with boundless hope.

The next morning, Huainan put on her newly assigned uniform and set off with Tuo'er to Senior Ansel’s residence.

Earlier, Senior Bernard had left her a message saying the school arrangements were ready—now it was up to her to decide. Unfortunately, he had prior engagements today and couldn’t join them.

Huainan hadn’t expected things to move so fast—she hadn’t even had time to review the options!

The two rode a hover-car, swiftly navigating the city’s designated hover lanes. The automated hover-tunnels required no manual input—just input the destination into the terminal, and they’d arrive in no time.

Stepping out, Huainan looked around. It was truly an opulent castle.

The towering white structure stood halfway up the mountainside, its spired clock tower reaching high into the sky. The grounds below were lavishly adorned with countless fragrant flowers, a sea of roses transforming the place into a breathtaking sight—yet it felt... strangely lifeless.

As they approached, a rotund, cheerful steward bot appeared before them. Instantly recognizing them, its metal shell lit up with a flickering smiley face.

[Miss Huainan, Little Master Tuo'er, the master is preparing tea and asked me to welcome you.]

[Please follow me—]

It then trundled forward, leading them into the castle.

"This place feels different from other buildings..."

Huainan observed curiously. Compared to the varied residences around, she felt Senior Ansel’s home leaned more toward an Old Earth European estate.

"Because my mother liked it..." A gravelly, drawn-out voice came from the robot—apparently, Senior Ansel had overheard her musings. Simultaneously, the robot projected his image beside them.

Now she was even more curious. Was Ansel’s mother also black-haired and black-eyed? Aside from that, she and Tuo'er didn’t seem particularly special.

Before coming, Huainan had done some research. Ansel’s mother, Yi Shu, was an ordinary woman—had it not been for her potential, she wouldn’t have had the chance to study at the Federation’s top academy.

It was there that Yi Shu met Ansel’s father, Gale Xi'ao Duo Ni Le. Rumor had it that due to his unconventional tactics, many confident noble ladies at the school clashed with her, with Hodges being the most severe.

So that explained why Senior Ansel was so isolated.

Huainan wasn’t naive enough to believe both seniors were purely kind-hearted. In this world of rampant self-interest, money, status, friendships—everything inevitably carried some ulterior motives.

Still, Huainan believed that with their positive foundation and growing rapport, it was best to lower her guard a little. One axiom she followed was: *Don’t think too highly of yourself, nor too poorly of others—and vice versa.*

...

The castle was eerily quiet. Tuo'er, tilting his head back, stared up at the towering, domed ceiling, clearly fascinated by the intricate, archaic stone carvings.

"Wings, *Ao Ting*," he tugged at Huainan’s sleeve.

She glanced up. The circular dome was divided into four sections, each corner adorned with exquisitely rendered seraphs—all radiating compassion and holy radiance.

Fortunately, Tuo'er’s curiosity was fleeting. After a look, he lost interest.

After passing through several unoccupied passageways, they finally reached the receiving salon, where the busy senior awaited.

Ansel stood there in a dark blue robe, his crimson hair spilling unrestrained. His slender fingers idly stirred the food on the table with a spoon. Spotting them, the corners of his vermilion lips curled up—clearly in good spirits.

Author's Note:

*Let’s make waves! Let’s make waves!*