Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Arno had been staring intently at Ye Mo, who was clinging to Mrs. Ye. It wasn't until Ye Zhiyuan thanked him that he noticed Ye Zhiyuan, Ye He, and Ye Yun standing nearby. As if just realizing their presence, he turned slightly and bowed to Ye Zhiyuan, who had expressed gratitude, but his words were not gentle.

He still relied solely on the device around his neck to assist with vocalization outside.

"No need, Commander Ye. I did nothing. You should be thankful you didn't do anything unnecessary."

He continued, "The true culprit who stole the Grass genes years ago during the chaos has now been apprehended, Commander Ye. You are merely cleared of the charge of stealing Grass lineage. You will still need to face appropriate consequences for your actions. Disciplinary measures within the military will be issued soon."

Ye Zhiyuan nodded. He clearly understood that the situation was not as lightly dismissed as Arno made it sound. Compared to the real stakes, military discipline was a mere slap on the wrist. In fact, it was almost a hint that after this punishment, the matter would be considered closed. The signal given was that the Ye family could continue to develop within the military.

Ye Mo clung to Mrs. Ye for a good while before finally letting go. He lowered his head, quickly wiping the tears from his face.

Mrs. Ye held him close with her arm. Only then did Ye Mo notice Ye He and Ye Yun standing beside him. He called out, "Big Brother, Second Brother," and finally looked at Ye Zhiyuan, who was standing with Arno, and called out, "Dad."

Ye Mo rarely called Ye Zhiyuan "Dad," usually using the more formal and distant "Father."

Arno turned his head away, shifting his gaze to the wall beside them.

Mrs. Ye stroked Ye Mo's head. "Let's go home. You've all gotten so thin."

Arno moved, walking directly to Ye Mo's side. His voice was still the mechanical electronic synthesis. "I'm sorry, Madam. Ye Mo needs to reside in the Grass Palace."

He then turned to Ye Mo. "We'd better get back before dinner."

It was already evening.

Mrs. Ye looked at Arno, then at Ye Mo, appearing very anxious. Before she could speak, Ye Mo comforted her first. "It's okay, Mom. This is already good enough."

He even managed a slight smile, his eyes seeming to sparkle like starlight. "It's fine. I'm just so happy I could see you, Mom. I'll see you again."

They walked together to the entrance. Ye Mo hugged each family member in turn. Ye Yun was clearly upset, but he hugged Ye Mo very earnestly, pulling him into a hug before Ye Mo was fully balanced. "Don't let anyone bully you."

Arno stood to the side. The device around his neck flickered once, then went dark.

When Ye Mo hugged Ye He, he heard him whisper softly in his ear, "I'm sorry."

After letting go, Ye Mo looked at him in surprise. Ye He's expression remained unchanged, very composed. "I'm sorry for being immature."

Ye Zhiyuan stepped forward next and hugged Ye Mo. He was usually a man of few words who rarely showed his true emotions, but now he gently patted Ye Mo's back and told him, "Take care. Look after yourself."

Ye Mo hugged Ye Zhiyuan back. He still remembered the sense of security he felt that night, held in Ye Zhiyuan's arms. As a father, he had given Ye Mo just as much attention as he gave Ye He and Ye Yun, perhaps even more.

Ye Mo didn't know the full truth yet. He only understood parts of the whole situation, but he could sense that his family loved him very much.

After the meeting ended, following Arno's cue, Ye Mo reluctantly bid farewell to his family and got in the hovercar. Ye Mo kept looking back through the glass, watching until they were out of sight, and still he looked.

Arno, sitting beside him, initially wanted to say something—like assuring Ye Mo that he wouldn't be bullied in the Grass Palace—but when he saw the lingering moisture in Ye Mo's eyes, he swallowed his words.

They rode in silence.

Ye Mo seemed embarrassed about his earlier crying. He stayed very quiet, finishing dinner early and returning to his room.

Arno was still downstairs. Adelaide brought Arno a plate of fruit and placed it beside him.

Arno suddenly asked, "Adelaide, do you remember if any of us ever cried in our mother's arms? Or have you ever seen a Grass who cries?"

Adelaide's smile remained unchanged. "Excuse me, let me confirm. Are you asking if you or your siblings ever cried in your mother's arms?"

Arno nodded.

Adelaide shook his head firmly without a second thought. "No. Although I am old, I have no memory of such a thing. I only recall the young masters following His Majesty into the insect caverns. One of the young masters had his arm bitten off by a King Insect and brought it home. When the Queen saw it, she was terrified and cried from anger."

Arno obviously remembered; he was the one whose arm was bitten off. "That's because they were all afraid of getting their clothes dirty and didn't want to carry their little brother's arm for him."

After defending himself, he went back to their earlier topic.

"You don't know what I saw today. I saw a Grass who cries today. I should have recorded it on my terminal to show my brother. Actually, there should be surveillance footage there. I need to retrieve it. Do you want to see it? I'll show it to my brother later."

...

August had been pestering Kevin Greenton for several days.

"You were definitely there, Dad. Tell me. We're family. Who is the other Grass besides His Majesty? Or you could give me a little hint. Are we going to have a new Grass?"

"No, I refuse. I signed a confidentiality agreement. I absolutely will not reveal a single word to anyone."

August clenched his fist and slammed it on the table, his expression dark. "Damn old man."

Kevin Greenton, demoted from "Dad" to "old man," remained completely unmoved, not even giving a glance to his youngest son who was throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way.

The Grasses were probably the world's most watched yet most low-key royal family. The Grasses all seemed impatient with cameras, appearing only at necessary official occasions, and even then, media photography wasn't always permitted. Unlike other royal families, who updated their official websites frequently, maintained dozens of external social media accounts, and had dedicated teams managing them, the Grasses were different. Their official website hadn't been updated in years.

The citizens of the Empire could only catch glimpses of their Emperor in photos from foreign media during state visits or important conferences.

It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Empire was fanatically obsessed with the Grasses, who had managed to build a super empire from a hellish starting point.

The slightest change on the official website could trigger massive discussions across the star network. Even a change in the palace staff list could inspire eight-thousand-word analytical essays dissecting every minute detail.

But the information available was too scarce. The happiest times were years ago when the Queen was still alive, because she often posted about her children and daily life on social media platforms. That was also the period when the Grasses appeared most frequently in the public eye.

Almost the entire Empire watched the Little Grasses grow up. Fans could even deduce which two Little Grasses had wreaked havoc on the mecha training ground that afternoon by analyzing clues left in the photos.

Since the tragic incident within the Grass family years ago, the Empire had long been very guarded about the topic. This wasn't just a Grass wound; the fratricide that began among the Grasses was also a heavy blow to the Empire.

The Queen's death was the final straw. The Grasses had been a bit more obedient in front of their mother. At the best of times, the Queen even posted an update—a family photo of the Grasses.

But her sudden death completely tore off the last veil of decency. From then on, the Grasses became increasingly unapologetically frenzied. Turmoil began both within and outside the Empire. Neighboring countries started to stir, eyeing the Empire covetously like a piece of fat meat. Unfortunately, they miscalculated. The Grasses could be fighting each other one day and go to the battlefield wounded the next. If you calculated carefully, the Empire's territory actually expanded quite a bit during that period.

The Grasses remained powerful, but the outside world could see the discord among them. The Empire could only watch helplessly as they gradually fell apart. It seemed that after the Queen's death, the situation spiraled out of control.

In the end, only Norton Grass remained among the Grasses. This outcome had been foreshadowed for a while. Norton Grass was the most outstanding even among the Grasses. From the Queen's posts, it was clear Norton was the alpha of the pack.

He was also the only Grass who never did anything outrageous. While his father and siblings successively descended into madness, causing various horrifying incidents that couldn't be stopped due to their high combat prowess, Norton Grass was always the one who stepped up to handle things.

The Empire's people hoped that after he matured, he would inherit the Empire and put an end to the endless Grass strife.

Later, Norton Grass stabbed his father to death on the throne, finished off his remaining siblings, and declared that the Grass line would end with him, shocking the entire Empire.

When only one Grass remained, many countries thought they had another opportunity. Then the Empire's borders began to expand again.

A long time had passed since those events, so long that both inside and outside the Empire, people assumed Norton Grass would be the last Grass.

The appearance of a new Grass was like a stone thrown into calm waters.

If they hadn't all signed confidentiality agreements, the military academy forums and various platforms would be buzzing with heated discussions by now. He'd bet his old man's hair that the group hanging around with the old man were also secretly discussing it. They had more sources of information and had probably seen the Little Grasses several times already.

August bit his spoon, muttering to himself, "Little Grans still needs mental soothing, so he probably isn't fully mature yet. I wonder if he needs playmates selected. I haven't graduated yet, so I'd be perfect for that..."

Just then, Kevin's eldest daughter, Grace Greenton, came downstairs. As the heir, her daily schedule was packed, and she had slept very late the night before. "Did I just hear 'Grans'?"

August straightened up. "Sorry, no comment. I signed a confidentiality agreement."

She turned to Kevin Greenton, who also shrugged. She didn't press further. "Speaking of which, I was once a playmate for the Grans."

August fixed her with an intense look, reproaching her, "You never told me about this! Quick, tell me what it was like! Did you know them?"

"Excited at first, but I came back halfway through. How to put it... a very frustrating but also an incredible experience."

"Why did you come back? Did Dad make you come back to be the heir?"

Grace Greenton calmly cut up the food on her plate. "Of course I wouldn't give up that opportunity for that reason. It was because we couldn't keep up—completely couldn't keep up with their pace, even though the Grans children were a few years younger than us at the time."

For the first time, these prodigies realized how insurmountable the gap between them truly was.

...

"I'm entrusting you with the Ye Mo matter."

"Your Majesty."

Secretary-General Lin went straight to the point, "How do you wish me to handle it? Lord Arnold has already approached me several times to inquire. Should I add the young master's name to the Grans family roster on the Star Network?"

All members of the royal family were clearly listed on the dedicated official website of the Star Network. Secretary-General Lin was asking whether to reveal Ye Mo's existence—whether to let Ye Mo live in secrecy or to acknowledge him, allowing him to appear openly in the public eye as a Grans.

Lin Huixuan couldn't fathom His Majesty's attitude. Sometimes he even felt that the usually decisive and resolute Emperor was himself wavering and hesitant.

Norton Grans was indeed hesitating. He didn't know where to position that child.

This was a different kind of existence from parents and siblings—it was his child, meaning complete responsibility, an existence that shouldn't have been in his planned future.

He had always believed, and still believed now, that it would be merciful to let Ye Mo's life end before he touched the truth. He had also promised his father to end the Grans bloodline, to give them rest.

But Norton subconsciously ignored this option. Arnold had already exchanged military merits for his survival, and he had promised Arnold.

Even so, Norton held no expectations. Ye Mo would eventually walk the same path as all Grans, and perhaps even faster than Arnold.

"Prioritize arranging his life first. As for the public..."

"Keep it under wraps for now."

This meant he had no intention of acknowledging Ye Mo's existence and wanted Ye Mo to live in secrecy.

Secretary-General Lin gave a slight bow and was about to leave when the study door opened.

Arnold stood outside the door, holding something in his hand. He had been in good spirits and mood these past few days, but now his face was cold, clearly angry.

Secretary-General Lin nodded to him and was about to leave when Arnold suddenly spoke up, "Wait."

Arnold strode into the study.