Free Web NovelChapter 185: Chapter 185: Return to the Capital Star
On the spaceship, Mu Tangfeng finally couldn’t resist asking suspiciously, "Lanlan, didn’t you say you were going back the day after tomorrow? Why the sudden change of plans?"
Shi Lan was preoccupied with Yan Huoshui’s injuries and didn’t give it much thought. "Yan Huoshui is injured," she said. "I’m going back to check on him."
"What? Did his spiritual power collapse value act up again?"
Jiang Xia’s round, golden eyes widened in surprise. He clung to Shi Lan’s arm, refusing to let go.
On her other side, Mu Tangfeng quietly slipped his hand between her fingers and interlaced them.
Shi Lan felt the fiery warmth from either side, and suddenly, that familiar guilt, as if she’d been caught cheating, surfaced once more.
For some reason, she found herself at a loss for words. She was indeed realizing that changing her plans so suddenly had been impulsive.
Mu Tangfeng frowned, staring intently at her. "Lanlan, are you hiding something from us?"
As he spoke, his fingers grew restless between hers, tracing slow circles. It felt like a feather brushing against her heart, teasing it relentlessly.
Perhaps their last kiss had given him a surge of confidence, because he was growing more and more comfortable with initiating intimacy.
Though still shy, he would subtly seize any chance to be close to her.
Shi Lan’s heart began to beat a little faster. As if he’d heard it, Jiang Xia gently rested his head against her chest. His rosy lips curved into a smile, like he’d discovered something new. "Lanlan," he said, puzzled, "your heart is beating so fast."
"Don’t tell me... you really are hiding a secret?"
Shi Lan couldn’t help but be grateful they had booked a private cabin. It was just the three of them, so at least there wouldn’t be an attendant staring.
Her breath hitched with nervousness, and her chest rose and fell in tandem. Jiang Xia felt something soft against his ear. When he realized what it was, he sheepishly pulled his head back, his body flushing with an inexplicable heat.
After a long moment, Shi Lan finally managed to explain. It should have been a perfectly normal thing to say, but their intense stares made her realize how strange it sounded, which was why she’d found it so hard to bring up.
She stammered, "N-No, there’s no secret. It’s just... Yan Huoshui broke his leg during a competition..."
Mu Tangfeng suddenly scoffed, his voice turning sharp. "A broken leg? Heh. You’re not a Treatment Pod. Why would he come to you for a broken leg instead of going to a Treatment Pod? What are you going to do, set the bone for him?"
If it was a spiritual power issue, he could understand. But a broken leg... He saw right through Yan Huoshui’s blatant intentions.
That was exactly what Shi Lan understood, and precisely why she felt so guilty.
But emotionally, she was still worried.
’Yan Huoshui is a Beastman with 2S Spirit Power. Who could possibly injure him so severely? He didn’t get into a fight with Ye Ming, did he?’
Shi Lan’s mind raced. And speak of the devil, she received a message from Ye Ming just then.
She thought her suspicion had been confirmed and that he was injured too, but when she opened the message, she saw that wasn’t the case.
Ye Ming got straight to the point, asking when she would be back.
He said: "Lanlan, I happened to see your marriage matching notification. When do you plan on returning? I’d like to talk to you."
Of course, Ye Ming hadn’t seen it by chance. Ever since he saw He Hanshi’s social media post, he had been the one to hint that the matching center should send the notification. Coincidentally, it was indeed about time for Shi Lan to receive such a reminder.
He wanted to use this as a way to hurry her back.
Yaoxing was a long way off, after all, and his status didn’t permit him to leave the Capital Star at will. This was the only way he could get her to return.
Shi Lan didn’t overthink it and replied honestly: "I’m already on my way back."
Ye Ming: "Good. I’ll come pick you up. When do you arrive?"
Ye Ming was in the Eldest Prince’s palace on the Capital Star, receiving a report from a subordinate. Upon seeing her message, a faint hint of warmth finally appeared in his perpetually stern, cold eyes.
Inside the palace, the soldier giving the report had been trembling. They had yet to find the mastermind behind Fang Yuan, and he could feel the Prince’s aura growing colder and sharper by the second. Suddenly, the piercing gaze fixed on him softened considerably.
He still didn’t dare look up. After a moment, he heard the Prince say, "Continue to follow up on this. Focus on those with close ties to the military. I don’t necessarily need a final answer, but I can’t be left with no useful information whatsoever. Understand?"
"As you command!"
The soldier breathed a silent sigh of relief, though he also felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. His Highness was right; he had been working on this for so long without providing any useful information. He really had been incompetent...
In the past, His Highness would have punished them for such a failure. This time, however, he seemed to be letting it slide.
But the soldier didn’t dare utter a word of protest. He accepted his orders and withdrew.
After the soldier left, Ye Ming looked at the timestamp of Shi Lan’s reply on his comms chip. The last trace of imposing authority vanished from his expression, replaced by pure gentleness.
’Lanlan... she’s finally coming back...’
As if struck by a thought, he hurried back to his private chambers and began rummaging through his wardrobe.
For the first time in his life, the Eldest Prince began to pay serious attention to his appearance. Facing the mirror in his room, his fingers drifted unconsciously to the eyepatch on his face...
’He’d worn it for so long, he had almost forgotten what he truly looked like.’
With that thought, he changed course and headed for the research institute to find Dr. Ai.
「On the spaceship.」
Shi Lan’s explanation didn’t really fly with Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng. In the end, she gave each of them a kiss, and the two of them finally settled down. But they still held onto her hands, their fingers intimately intertwined with hers.
Mu Tangfeng lowered his gaze, toying with the soft, delicate hand in his. Even though Shi Lan was right there beside him, he couldn’t help but worry about what was to come.
’Lanlan only has two hands. She can only hold hands with two people.’
’Will I be one of them?’
For a moment, Mu Tangfeng felt his courage falter. But then the proud young master remembered that he was the most beautiful of the Birds of Paradise, and that Lanlan had been the one to kiss him so deeply last time. His confidence instantly returned.
’Lanlan clearly loves my face, my lips. Admiral He isn’t here, so what do the other two have that could possibly compete?’
At that thought, he began to play with Shi Lan’s fingers with renewed interest.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xia simply hugged Shi Lan’s arm and fell fast asleep, looking completely untroubled.
The return trip by spaceship took nearly two days, and the trio finally landed on the Capital Star.
The moment she stepped onto the Capital Star, Shi Lan could feel how much more comfortable the climate was. There were no biting winds like on Yaoxing, no harsh winter. Instead, the breeze carried a hint of warmth without being sweltering.
She took off her thick coat, changing into a light blouse. Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng’s luggage was temporarily stashed in Shi Lan’s Space Bag, so they were already in short sleeves.
Shi Lan walked out, holding Jiang Xia’s hand on her left and Mu Tangfeng’s on her right. They hadn’t gone far from the landing pad when she spotted a tall figure standing beside a Hovercar.
His back was to them. He was dressed in a formal tailcoat, looking every bit the noble gentleman, and was adjusting his sleeves. Even from just his silhouette, she recognized him. It was Ye Ming.
