Free Web NovelChapter 196: Chapter 196
Ye Ming spent nearly the entire night burning the midnight oil.
He pulled out all his university courses related to females and reviewed them from start to finish. In the end, he once again came to the same conclusion: sometimes, following a textbook to the letter is useless when pursuing a female.
He had to be flexible and adaptable.
He thoughtfully jotted down notes, circling the part about the pity ploy Yan Huoshui had used.
But as the Eldest Prince, he wasn’t foolish enough to actually injure himself. After all, he had a younger brother eyeing his position as heir like a hawk.
He just wanted to use it as a reminder not to follow the textbook blindly. When it came to females, he could stand to be a little less formal.
The night passed quickly, and the sky slowly began to brighten.
Ye Ming turned off the chip recording and roused himself to wash up.
Despite not having slept all night, his eyes were still bright and sharp, retaining the cold, stern authority of a Prince who commanded respect without needing to show anger.
An heir’s day is a busy one.
Early in the morning, subordinates reported on the status of various planets under the Empire’s administration, either online or in person. Ye Ming needed to review and summarize these reports, then brief his father on all important matters.
To familiarize the heir with the Monarch’s duties ahead of time, he was responsible for managing half of the Empire’s affairs.
It wasn’t that he was overwhelmed; after all, he was long accustomed to the rhythm of the work. Most of the time, planetary administration was calm and uneventful. Recently, however, the Insect Clan seemed to be growing more active, and several planetary administrators had reported civilian casualties.
The populace affected by the casualties needed to be placated with aid, and it was also crucial to prevent the spread of misinformation that could incite public panic.
Beyond that, he might attend various meetings, including one concerning the unusual movements of the Insect Clan near the Border Defense Star.
Today, however, was a little different. After handling his duties, Ye Ming was also required to attend the coming-of-age banquet for the daughter of Councilman Lai Yang, the administrator of the neighboring Kabuda Planet.
This served as a chance to get acquainted, as Councilman Lai Yang would be handing over administrative authority to his daughter in the future.
Most of the time, as the heir, Ye Ming was not permitted to leave the Capital Star casually. The risk was considerable, as the possibility of extremists wanting to assassinate a Prince could not be ruled out.
However, he possessed 3S Spiritual Power, and his personal combat ability was more than adequate. Since Kabuda Planet was also very close to the Capital Star, Ye Ming led two columns of soldiers and departed directly for Kabuda.
He wore the same outfit as yesterday.
In that sense, he hadn’t lied to Shi Lan. Yesterday could be considered a dress rehearsal.
But Leo could clearly see that the Eldest Prince had put in less effort today; the wrinkles on the hem of his clothes weren’t even smoothed out.
Like a nagging butler, he couldn’t resist smoothing out the Prince’s clothes. Ye Ming shot him a cool glance and frowned, and Leo obediently returned to his spot behind him.
The Eldest Prince’s temper had improved so much recently that he’d almost forgotten: the Prince didn’t actually like people getting too close to him.
Ye Ming boarded his private spaceship. Onboard, as if recalling something, he spoke. "I remember Kabuda Planet is famous for its diamonds. Didn’t they just mine a pink diamond the other day?"
Leo nodded. "I believe they usually put that type of diamond up for auction. After all, a lot of females like to have them made into jewelry."
"Prince, why do you suddenly ask about this?"
Ye Ming’s gaze softened. "Yes. I’m thinking of buying it for someone."
"A female you like?!"
Leo’s eyes went wide with shock and a thirst for gossip. Elsewhere on the ship, other crew members discreetly widened their eyes and strained their ears.
’What’s this? The Eldest Prince suddenly has a female he likes?’
’Who is it?’
No one had ever seen the slightest hint of this. Now, hearing this sudden news, they all feigned diligence at their posts while their minds drifted elsewhere.
Ye Ming didn’t elaborate, only stating coolly, "There’s no rush. You’ll find out when the time is right."
"Oh."
Leo temporarily suppressed his nosiness, but his curiosity was piqued, and his mind was far from calm.
Meanwhile, Shi Lan had an early morning visitor. The moment Jiang Xia entered the place she was temporarily staying, he couldn’t wait to wrap his arms around her and plant a kiss on her lips.
He had missed Shi Lan so much that he even dreamed of Lanlan’s scent. Now that he could actually see her and smell her fragrance again, he seemed intoxicated. With a dazed expression, he affectionately nuzzled his cheek against the top of Shi Lan’s head.
"Lanlan, I missed you so much."
Hearing him, anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they hadn’t seen each other in years.
Shi Lan poked him in the waist in exasperation. Jiang Xia, being sensitive there, flinched away as a delighted laugh erupted from his chest. "Haha, that tickles!"
Shi Lan said, "Alright, alright. I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet. You’re here too early."
She was living at Ye Ming’s house now, but there weren’t any groceries in her rooms. The place had a sterile, unlived-in feel, so she had just been about to head to the supermarket to buy food for the next couple of days.
Jiang Xia reluctantly hugged her again, taking two deep breaths of her scent before pressing several light kisses to her neck.
Worried he would leave a mark, Shi Lan told him to hurry up and let go.
Jiang Xia could only release her, saying pitifully, "There won’t be a mark. I kissed you lightly."
Shi Lan checked herself in the mirror and gave a perfunctory nod. Seeing that there was indeed no mark, she patted his cheek and praised, "Well done."
Jiang Xia immediately brightened up. He pulled her by the hand over to the dining table and, like a magician, produced a huge spread of food from his storage space. "Lanlan, this is breakfast my family made. It’s still warm. Quick, eat up."
Jiang Xia hadn’t been home in a long time, so Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, doting on their son, had made a huge amount of delicious food. Mr. Jiang had personally cooked much of it; because Jiang Xia had poor health as a child, Mr. Jiang always complained that robot-made food ruined the nutritional value.
So, the moment their son returned, Mr. Jiang prepared over twenty different dishes for a single breakfast, and Jiang Xia had packed up more than half of it to bring over.
When they asked what he was doing, he said he was delivering it to his future female. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang just beamed and praised him, "Our Xiaxia is all grown up. He knows how to dote on his wife now. Yes, yes, take it all with you."
Of course, Jiang Xia did leave a little for his family.
At that moment, smelling the aroma of breakfast filling the air, Shi Lan’s eyes lit up. "Your family’s breakfasts are this elaborate?"
Jiang Xia nodded. As if sharing his favorite toys, he pushed his favorite dishes in front of Shi Lan and introduced them one by one. "These are gugu-meat dumplings. The wrapper is made of ice skin, and they’re filled with soup. They’re delicious, it’s my father’s specialty..."
"Oh, this is a soup-filled lotus root and meat bun. The meat inside isn’t the gugu-meat or gaga-meat you usually like, but it’s not tough at all. It’s especially delicious."
"And this is my absolute favorite, lotus flower and lotus seed cake. It’s sweet without being cloying. My father used to make it for me after every meal..."
Shi Lan listened to his excited explanations, and just from the way he spoke, she could tell how utterly pampered Jiang Xia was at home.
