1TL: Here’s the part 3. đź’ś It had been a sunny day, on a grassy field. His Majesty had held up the football, smiling as he said to the two young boys, “Whoever wins today’s match, this ball will be theirs as a reward!”
At that time, both the young Second Prince and Jun Yuzhou had looked up, their eyes fixed on the ball, filled with longing and eagerness to play.
The atmosphere was relatively casual, and the surrounding guards and attendants were chatting among themselves with interest.
“Looks like the Second Prince is in trouble.”
“The Crown Prince’s physical abilities have always been his strong suit.”
“How about a bet?”
“No, no, you clearly think the Crown Prince will win!”
“The Crown Prince should let the Second Prince win a bit, haha!”
The voices reached the King, who slightly furrowed his brows. The Second Prince lowered his head, falling silent.
No one thought he had the ability to compete with Jun Yuzhou. Jun Yuzhou, however, bent down, resting his knee, and looked up at the Second Prince from below. Despite his young age, his voice was steady and calm as he said, “Yu Ze, let’s have a match.”
The Second Prince froze for a moment.
He looked at his elder brother, who said seriously, “Yu Ze is also very strong. I’ll have to give it my all to compete with you.”
The Second Prince snapped out of his reverie and smiled widely, nodding vigorously. “Yes! Let’s both bring our best to the competition!”
In that instant, every scene flashed vividly through his mind—everything from that day to the days that followed…
Since childhood, his older brother had never acted like a child. Compared to others his age, and even to many adults, Jun Yuzhou was always more mature and composed.
He remembered how, when they were younger, Jun Yuzhou would cover him with a coat when the elders weren’t around, reminding him to stay warm when it got chilly. He would sit by his bed when he was sick, reading a book while keeping him company. He would pull a chair next to him when he couldn’t solve a problem, patiently tutoring him over and over.
And whenever they faced off in any competition, Jun Yuzhou would always say seriously, “I’ll give it my all, Yu Ze.”
Jun Yuzhou never looked down on him. He always regarded him as a worthy opponent, and that was his unique way of encouraging him.
But as they grew older, after countless “competitions,” with the Second Prince losing each time to his older brother, a question began to form in Jun Yuze’s mind.
…Where exactly was the difference between him and his older brother?
Yes, every time, they both gave their best, but Jun Yuzhou was always the one who won.
Of course, many times, even when Jun Yuzhou won, he would give the reward to Jun Yuze and ruffle his hair.
But where, exactly, was the difference between him and Jun Yuzhou?
Jun Yuze began to feel an unsettling sense of dissatisfaction.
At that moment, Jun Yuze suddenly clenched his teeth, a surge of emotion rising in his chest. His eyes reddened as he looked up, wanting to speak, but Jun Yuzhou was already gazing at him, his voice low and steady, asking, “Do you want me to lose to you, Yu Ze?”
Jun Yuze’s eyes widened in shock.
“Is it wrong for me to take every competition with you seriously?”
Each word seemed to strike Jun Yuze’s heart with a heavy thud.
In an instant, he was speechless.
— What exactly did he mean by “I don’t think I’m worse than you”?
— It was simply unwillingness to accept.
— Yes, at first, he hoped his older brother would see him as a worthy opponent, and they could compete fairly with full effort. But over time, that hope turned into a deep dissatisfaction.
He had even, on several occasions, tried to do something during their games out of frustration and unwillingness, but each time, he had held back because of the serious look in his older brother’s eyes, and the loving, expectant gazes of their parents.
But in this final “game,” he couldn’t hold back anymore.
He took a real sword in his hands and stabbed it into his older brother.
It wasn’t a toy sword that would retract after hitting; this sword truly pierced Jun Yuzhou’s chest.
However, in the end, his older brother just stood there in front of him, blood dripping, and slowly asked, “Have I always been wrong?”
……
Was it wrong?
Would Jun Yuze have been happy if his older brother had deliberately lost to him?
Would he have been happy if he won this last “game” by any means necessary?
No.
At that moment, Jun Yuze finally heard the answer deep in his heart.
And in that moment, as though all his emotions were shattered, Jun Yuze let out a low sob, suddenly collapsing to his knees.
He clutched his head, pulling at his hair with all his might, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.
The room fell into silence.
Jun Yuzhou’s gaze, which had once been calm, finally shifted into a complex and indescribable look.
After a moment, the guards surged in, restraining Jun Yuze and his personal guards, turning and escorting them out.
The Queen kept her eyes covered, struggling to hold back her emotions, not looking at Jun Yuze again.
Jun Yuzhou, however, remained standing in the center of the room, watching as Jun Yuze was taken away.
Mr. and Mrs. Xu sighed quietly.
Xu Yin, his emotions mixed, gazed at the tall figure of the man in the center of the room.
As Jun Yuze walked out, he tilted his head slightly.
It seemed he wanted to look back at either the Queen or Jun Yuzhou, but no one could say for sure.
Perhaps he wanted to look at both of them.
Yet, in the end, he didn’t turn around.
He only tilted his head just enough to stop, then turned and stepped out.
Xu Yin lowered his head in silence.
In truth, both Jun Yuzhou and the Queen should have realized that, while it would be difficult for the second prince to directly kill Jun Yuzhou, if he were truly determined to kill Xu Yin—whether or not he would succeed—he could have found many more opportunities to strike.
At this point, Xu Yin had to admit that, aside from the recent incident with the Xu family, there had only been the attack by the black bear guards. Even Xu Yin himself had to acknowledge that the attack had been rather mild.
Why this was the case, no one really knew, but one could guess. Perhaps it was out of caution, as the second prince didn’t dare to strike too easily. Perhaps he also doubted whether Xu Yin had truly healed Jun Yuzhou, and thus questioned whether it was really necessary to risk eliminating him. Or maybe, he had once remembered his serious and composed older brother, who had always looked out for him.
But regardless of the reason, by this point, it no longer mattered.
Often, some harmful outcomes cannot be changed just because the person who caused them hesitated or regretted during the process. The second prince must have understood this by now.
The room fell silent once again.
Mr. and Mrs. Xu felt awkward and uneasy.
Xu Rusu moved his lips, attempting to speak but faltering.
Suddenly, the Queen spoke, her voice cold: “Mr. Xu, you’re getting older. You don’t need to trouble yourself with tasks in the palace that are not your concern. After you leave today, you can take Xu Shu with you.”
Xu Rusu’s expression changed drastically.
This was clearly an attempt to sever the Xu family’s ties with the palace completely!
The Xu family had come this far primarily for two reasons: first, they had cultivated many outstanding illusionists, and second, they had an inseparable connection with the palace.
In recent generations, however, the Xu family had gradually become less exceptional, with fewer talented individuals and even fewer hardworking ones. This was why Xu Rusu had treasured someone like You Yuan, treating him like a prized possession.
But now, not only had he fallen out with You Yuan, but the Queen also seemed intent on severing the Xu family’s ties with the palace. What would be left for the Xu family?
Under his leadership, the Xu family would be destroyed!
At that point, the outside world would mock the Xu family and ridicule him.
As the head of the prestigious Xu family, Xu Rusu had always been proud and confident. How could he accept such a harsh reality? He urgently spoke, “Your Majesty, we—”
“Is there more you want to say?” The Queen abruptly turned to face him, her voice icy. “Perhaps we should continue discussing how you tricked Xu Yin into returning home to interfere with Yuzhou’s treatment?”
Xu Rusu staggered, struggling to catch his breath.
“And as for You Yuan, you’re still young. I think you should take the time to travel and experience the world. Coming to the palace to become a court illusionist is still too early for you.” After addressing Xu Rusu, the Queen turned her gaze to You Yuan.
You Yuan’s face turned green with anger.
You Yuan had originally planned to take this year’s palace illusionist exam. From the looks of it, both the King and Queen seemed to have no objections, and everything was set. But now, the Queen had clearly shut him out, rejecting him outright!
She had said it was “too early,” and from the tone, it sounded like even if he were seventy or eighty years old, he still wouldn’t be allowed into the palace!
You Yuan was on the verge of losing it. What did this have to do with him? What part had he played in all of this?
He had been trying to stay out of trouble, but everything had been stirred up by Xu Rusu and You Ran!
At that moment, You Yuan wished he could strangle the two of them.
After addressing them, the Queen turned her gaze to You Ran.
You Ran shuddered and quickly spoke up, “I-I won’t go back to the palace! I won’t get near Xu Yin again, I promise to stay far away, and I won’t do anything! I’ll even go work out of town tomorrow!”
The Queen pressed her lips together, casting a cold glance at the group, but said no more.
Turning back to Jun Yuzhou and Xu Yin, she said, “It’s getting late. Anything else can wait until tomorrow. You two should get some rest. I’ll have the guards escort Xu Yin’s parents back.”
Jun Yuzhou and Xu Yin stood to see the exhausted Queen out.
Xu Rusu, You Yuan, and You Ran, all fuming, stormed out of the palace. They didn’t get far before they started fighting — punches, insults, and even tugging at each other’s pants, the fight was intense.
Xu Yin’s parents were promptly escorted to the carriage by palace guards, leaving peacefully.
By the time the chaos died down, it was already two or three in the morning, and the palace finally quieted down again.
Xu Yin turned and looked at the man standing beside him.
The concept of family was always rather thin for him, but this man was different.
After tonight, his emotions were certainly complex.
However, Xu Yin didn’t know what exactly to say about what had happened that evening.
He thought for a moment, just about to speak, when the man suddenly transformed into the silver wolf.
Xu Yin froze for a moment.
The silver wolf sat quietly on the steps, gazing into the night, calm and still.
The night wind swept gently through his silver-gray fur, and it was hard to tell what expression he held. Only his gaze was deep and distant.
Xu Yin remained silent for a while, then crouched down and gently embraced the silver wolf, resting his head against his back.
The silver wolf turned his head and nuzzled against Xu Yin’s cheek with affection.
“I’ll stay with you.”
Just like in the other world, when the outside world criticized him, he would wake up, open his eyes, and see this man in a night robe, opening the door to his room, coming to his side, offering comfort and companionship.
“No matter what happens.”
Xu Yin softly kissed the silver wolf’s forehead.
“Forever.”
