Chapter 43

Chapter 43

A few days later, Old Master Peng arrived at the Yan residence. After considerable effort, he finally reached the entrance, looked up at the towering manor, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Quite the life of luxury."

The guards behind him carried boxes as they followed, watching Old Master Peng stride cheerfully into the house, where he greeted the handsome young man sitting by the window.

"Xiaochu, what made you suddenly think of looking for me?"

Ruan Yunchu, dressed in a crisp white shirt, looked youthful and clean. He turned at the sound of the voice and offered a faint smile.

"Didn't you want to play chess?"

"Yes." Peng Yun plopped down across from him and signaled the guards to set up the table. "But coming all the way here just for a game is such a hassle—it's exhausting."

"Then how about staying the night? It's not like you're in a hurry to get back."

Ruan Yunchu picked up the teacup and poured him a cup.

Peng Yun mulled it over and seemed to find it reasonable. "But isn't this the Commander's home? I should probably ask for permission."

"You've rendered great service to the Alliance and are a respected figure. Even if he knew, he wouldn't refuse."

At this, Peng Yun's expression darkened. He waved his hand dismissively, clearly disagreeing.

"Ah, you don't know that little brat. He's always done whatever he pleases—there's not a shred of respect for the elderly or care for the young in him."

"Is that so?" Ruan Yunchu smiled.

"Absolutely. Take any responsible person—could they possibly abandon so many official duties and disappear for months on end? If not for the fact that the frontline situation was relatively stable during that time, I would have been frantic with worry."

Ruan Yunchu gave a slight nod, catching his drift. "You've known Yan Zhuo for a long time?"

"That's right. I practically watched him grow up. I was the one who recommended him to the military academy, and during the special training, I gave him a good thrashing—he was furious about it."

At that, Ruan Yunchu couldn't help but laugh.

"You don't believe me?" Peng Yun, thinking he was being doubted, immediately put on a serious expression. "I was their special training instructor back then. Yan Zhuo was the most mischievous of the lot. Every field training session, he'd secretly hide somewhere, scaring me into thinking something had happened to him. Then he'd leisurely walk his way to the finish line, always refusing to follow orders and never letting the machines detect him. I really don't know what kind of damn temper he has."

Ruan Yunchu smiled without speaking, simply continuing to pour him tea.

But after saying all this, Peng Yun's expression turned wistful. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "To be honest, though, that kid Yan Zhuo is really cut out for this role. He may be unmanageable, but his abilities are just too strong. That's why, even after all these years of people eyeing his position, no one has been able to pull him down."

Ruan Yunchu was just nodding along when Peng Yun suddenly added, "You and him together—it's quite fitting."

He nearly choked on his tea. Coughing twice, he said coldly, "We're not in that kind of relationship."

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"..."

Ruan Yunchu was silent for two seconds before rephrasing, "We've already broken up."

Peng Yun clicked his tongue. "I don't see it that way. Even if you say that, do you believe it yourself?"

"..."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ruan Yunchu decided not to speak further.

The guards had already set the table, and Peng Yun opened the chess box he'd brought. Unable to resist, he made the first move on his own.

Ruan Yunchu didn't mind going first or second, so he casually began the first game with him.

Peng Yun wasn't quiet while playing. He kept trying to strike up a conversation with Ruan Yunchu, but the latter didn't seem all that interested.

Thinking it over, Peng Yun felt this was way too dull. His eyes darted around for a moment, and then a thought struck him.

"How about this? I'll tell you a story about Yan Zhuo."

Ruan Yunchu glanced up at him, not showing much interest, but Peng Yun knew he was intrigued.

"Once, during a special training selection, Yan Zhuo was a sure bet for first place. But right before departure, someone tampered with his equipment, causing him all sorts of trouble that day. He still made it into the top three, but not with the score he'd aimed for."

Ruan Yunchu's hand, holding the chess piece, paused slightly. "And then? No one found out?"

"In the end, the culprit was caught. But since the culprit didn't end up in the top three either, messing with Yan Zhuo didn't really change much of the outcome. The higher-ups at the time wanted to let Yan Zhuo in on an exception, but he refused."

Ruan Yunchu lowered his gaze and said nothing.

That was typical of Yan Zhuo.

"It was only later that we found out the culprit had been discovered by Yan Zhuo as soon as they entered the training forest. He tormented him the entire way, which is why the guy confessed so readily during the final investigation."

Peng Yun shook his head and remarked, "That guy holds a grudge like no other."

Seeing that Ruan Yunchu remained silent, he looked up and chuckled. "The next year, Yan Zhuo entered the Alliance with top scores in every subject and successfully joined that elite team heading to the front lines."

"..."

After hearing all this, Ruan Yunchu looked out the window again, feeling a sense of daze.

As for Peng Yun, he seemed to have only mentioned it in passing. He dropped the topic and focused on the chess game, no longer rambling.

The afternoon slipped away like that.

Late at night, Ruan Yunchu returned to his room. After washing up, he caught a glimpse of the letters on the bedside table out of the corner of his eye and noticed there was another one.

Yan Zhuo had sent him another letter today.

Lying in bed, he stared listlessly at the empty room, but eventually, almost against his will, he reached for the four envelopes.

They were arranged in chronological order. He opened the earliest one, and a sharp, forceful handwriting came into view.

"To my young master:

Perhaps this is a bit too formal, but I'll make a proper report. I'm almost at the front lines. I heard you haven't been keeping up with your rehab. If it's because you don't like the people around you, I can have them replaced. Don't joke with your health—rehab is always better the sooner you start.

...

I don't know if I'll be able to write again after this. This is my handwriting, but since the distance is too great, it can only be scanned over. Once I'm back on A-Star, I'll be sure to write you love letters every day.

Love you."

Ruan Yunchu: "..."

He closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the anger rising in him, and opened the next one.

"Not much free time today, but I suddenly missed you terribly. I've tasted being alone on the front lines many times before, thinking I had come to terms with it, but now I realize that's not the case.

I want to go home, and I miss you, but I will still do my duty. Wait for me."

Without pausing, he opened the next one. As expected, the content wasn't too different from the previous ones.

The last envelope was very thin. He opened it and found only a single photograph inside.

A spacious cockpit, with a breathtaking universe outside the glass—countless starships scattered as specks of light, forming the dazzling scene in the picture.

Turning it over, in familiar handwriting were four simple words.

"Miss you, love you."

Ruan Yunchu took a deep breath, stuffed the letter back into its envelope, and tossed it into the drawer of the bedside table, unwilling to look at it again.

Every single word was a confession, yet he felt not a trace of love.

He leaned back against the headboard, and for a moment, his mind was unusually calm.

Peng Yun's words kept echoing in his mind. He thought he should be very angry, but he wasn't.

Someone like Yan Zhuo, who would avenge the smallest slight—once he set his sights on you, it wasn't easy to escape.

But he would never be a caged canary, staying in this beautiful, ornate prison, waiting for his master's return.

"..."

-

Since the Alliance troops went to the front lines, Ming Ya rarely saw his brother at home.

He knew that Ming Yuan had to receive treatment at Jiaxie Hospital every morning, but he didn't understand why he was spending more and more time there.

Until one day, someone called via star comm to him.

When he saw it was Ruan Yunchu, Ming Ya was pleasantly surprised and quickly answered, but the caller only said a few brief words.

His expression gradually turned serious, and he nodded earnestly, memorizing every word.

A few days later.

Chen Quan, for once, arrived at the Yan residence early in the morning, delivering a formal suit.

Assistant Xiao sensed something was going on. As she went upstairs, she asked and learned that Ruan Yunchu was going to attend a banquet that day.

"It's the celebration banquet of the Ming family," Chen Quan explained with a smile. "Our young master and Mr. Ming Ya have always had good relations, and there's also cooperation between our companies."

Assistant Xiao thought for a moment. "I'm afraid I'll need to get permission."

The smile on Chen Quan's lips faded a bit. He looked at her intently for a moment before finally nodding.

As she turned and left, he furrowed his brows, unhappy about it.

They were really treating their young master like a prisoner.

When Assistant Xiao returned upstairs, Ruan Yunchu had already changed into his formal attire. His hair was styled simply, not too eye-catching, with the hair at the back tied up, revealing a flawless and handsome face.

She stood at the door for a long time before slowly walking in.

"Mr. Ruan."

"When do we leave?" Ruan Yunchu asked directly.

Assistant Xiao finally gave a resigned sigh. "We can go now. Everything is ready."

"Good. Thank you."

Seeing this, Chen Quan casually walked behind Ruan Yunchu and slowly pushed the wheelchair.

Initially, Ruan Yunchu was curious about how they would leave, but as they slowly drove out of the estate and he saw the small starship parked on the lawn, he suddenly realized.

So that's why he never saw anything flying in the sky above.

It turned out that the airspace above had long been controlled.

"Please, we will land at the Ming residence. It won't take too long."

Ruan Yunchu nodded slightly and said nothing.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the starship slowly came down. He opened his eyes and looked out the window, and sure enough, saw the familiar skyline of the city.

But strangely, there weren't many people looking up from below.

Ruan Yunchu's heart sank, and he instantly understood. The starship they were in had a cloaking function and could not be detected.

The starship slowly touched down. The surrounding attendants suddenly snapped to attention, seeing the hatch open. A row of bodyguards in black suits stepped out in an orderly manner, followed by a silver wheelchair slowly emerging. The young man in the wheelchair had a calm expression and strikingly handsome features.

Ming Ya stepped out onto the lawn. Spotting the familiar figure from afar, his face immediately lit up with joy, and he ran over.

"Yunchu!"

Ruan Yunchu let out a light laugh and did not pull away from Ming Ya's embrace.

Ming Ya was overjoyed. He was about to say something when he noticed the people behind Ruan Yunchu and suddenly looked nervous.

"Uh, why don't we go to the lounge first?"

"Sure."

Ruan Yunchu followed him slowly into the Ming residence, and those behind him did not stop him.

Seeing this, Ming Ya felt a quiet relief.

Once they reached the private room, Chen Quan stepped forward at the right moment. "The young master is going to talk to his friend. Wait outside the door."

The men hesitated for a moment. One of them touched his earpiece, as if reporting to someone on the other end. Chen Quan knew perfectly well that Assistant Xiao had connections to the Alliance, so it wasn't convenient for her to appear at such occasions.

Fortunately, after a moment, the men nodded in agreement and spread out along the corridor.

Chen Quan breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced back at the closed door and did not enter.

"..."

After entering the room, Ruan Yunchu saw Ming Yuan. His face was slightly flushed, as if he had just finished an intense training session. Ruan Yunchu raised an eyebrow instinctively.

"Mr. Ming, you're still doing rehab even at a time like this?"

Ming Yuan was skillfully tying his tie and replied with a smile, "My condition has been getting better lately. Doing more rehab is good for me."

Noticing his gradually steadier gait, Ruan Yunchu nodded. "It does seem a lot better."

Meanwhile, Mingya pulled him to see the newly completed design blueprints.

"This is the exterior I designed myself. I've incorporated all your requirements, and the final product is almost ready. It's too bad you can't see it today, huh?"

Even as he asked, his face still showed obvious anticipation, as if hoping Ruan Yunchu would agree.

"Unfortunately, today really isn't suitable."

Ruan Yunchu was good at turning people down, but with friends—especially someone with Mingya's temperament—it was hard to say no.

Mingya let out a long sigh, then managed a smile. "It's fine. There's plenty of time later, after all. They can't keep you locked up in there forever."

Ruan Yunchu gave a soft laugh but said nothing.

Mingya didn't really know the details of his situation; he just figured Yunchu had gotten into some trouble recently and needed to lie low for a while.

"Mingya, let Mr. Ruan take a look at the control settings—see what he prefers," Ming Yuan chose that moment to remind him, snapping Mingya out of his gloom.

"Oh, right!"

Mingya immediately opened his terminal and brought up the starship's simulated controls.

"Beyond a few default settings, everything else can be adjusted. You can just tell me what you want."

Ruan Yunchu glanced at it and had no objections. "Send me a copy. I'll check it out when I get a chance. For now, just keep it as is."

Mingya hesitated, then nodded. "Sure."

The two chatted a bit longer. Ming Yuan had to go downstairs to receive guests, so he left first.

Once Ming Yuan had left, Mingya immediately changed the subject and asked curiously, "Yunchu, why did you have my brother build that starship in the first place?"

Ruan Yunchu met his clear, innocent eyes. After a brief pause, he suddenly smiled.

"To make a run for it."

"Huh?" Mingya's eyes widened. "Is A-Star really that messed up?"

Ruan Yunchu decided to drop the joke. Looking down at the clean, tidy simulation pod, he said softly, "Just to be ready for anything."