TCFGBH Chapter 102

Due to the theft of Xia Yan’s intelligent brain, the question of whether he cheated on the exam became even more enigmatic.

Although the Xia family suppressed the online discussions, conversations within the school continued unabated. In this delicate moment, Lina Carter discreetly visited the school to request an extended leave of absence for Xia Yan.

Shortly after, Hans Dill abruptly applied for withdrawal, leaving the Imperial Central Military Academy, a dream institution for countless students.

That was the Imperial Central Military Academy!

Graduating from there practically guaranteed a position as a senior officer in the military, a complete life transformation and an assured step into the upper echelons of society. Who would willingly give up such an opportunity?

The suppressed rumors flared up once more.

【Oppression of civilians, forcing a withdrawal—classic nobility tactics.】

【The duchess leaves, and suddenly Hans “voluntarily” withdraws. Do they think we’re idiots?】

【Stop spreading baseless rumors. I heard Xia Yan was slandered, and his mood plummeted. The Duke and Duchess, heartbroken over their child, simply took the initiative to request a break from the principal.】

【The die-hard fans of Xia Yan are here.】

【I’m so angry! Do you know how hard it is for ordinary people to get into the Central Military Academy? Losing their future over such a ridiculous matter—it’s absurd. For the first time, I feel the class disparity between nobles and commoners so clearly.】

【Go ahead and complain quickly. This post will disappear soon. The Xia family… Ha.】

【…No way…】

Thirty seconds later, as users refreshed the thread, a familiar icy message appeared:

# Upon review, this post violated relevant laws, regulations, and policies. The offending content has been deleted. Please speak kindly and maintain a positive online environment. #

The crowd: “…” Oh my, we have a prophet among us.

The more the truth is suppressed, the more people want to uncover it. Discussions didn’t vanish—they simply moved to hidden corners, flourishing in cryptic codes and slang.

Meanwhile, Xia Yan remained oblivious to the swirling rumors.

He was on a spaceship bound for the border auction.

As for missing his appointment with the protagonist shou, he’d thrown out a casual excuse when they met that evening. Ian hadn’t shown anger, but his gaze was odd, as though grappling with an immense internal struggle, staring at Xia Yan’s face all night.

Muttering words Xia Yan couldn’t comprehend, Ian seemed torn.

“…real world… beautiful… Do I like plain appearances? That can’t be… Damn it…”

Xia Yan: “…”

What?

In the blink of an eye, three days passed. After traversing the final wormhole, the spaceship finally landed on the border planet, where travelers disembarked to be greeted by a breathtakingly rugged beauty, starkly different from the Empire’s capital.

–

Planet HHX29

Originally an unremarkable border world plagued by poverty and crime, survival here was a constant struggle.

Fifty-eight years ago, a massive earthquake revealed hidden gemstone reserves beneath the surface. Merchants swarmed in, and the planet’s ruler acted decisively, leveraging the gems to create affordable products that drew tourists while heavily investing in infrastructure.

Now, it’s a renowned “gemstone paradise,” attracting travelers and off-duty soldiers seeking relaxation. Unlike the capital’s sophisticated elegance, its architecture exudes a bold and untamed charm.

HHX29 hosts a grand auction every May, during which its hotels are perpetually fully booked.

–

Front Desk of the Xika Hotel

Three men were checking in. Clad in black military uniforms, their towering frames and pristine appearances exuded an intimidating aura, as though the faint scent of blood lingered in the air.

That was the kind of edge only true battlefield soldiers carried.

“Nine thousand eight hundred credits a night—what a rip-off,” one grumbled.

“Prices skyrocket during the auction,” his teammate shrugged. “We should’ve booked earlier. Regular hotels are full—we’re stuck with Xika now.”

The man handed over the room cards, cursing with a laugh, “Fine. Let’s see what makes a hotel for nobles so special.”

The Xika Hotel was a luxury brand brought in to cater to aristocratic guests. Its lavish interior oozed extravagance and wealth.

As the two chatted, they noticed their third teammate silently fiddling with his intelligent brain, engrossed in its contents.

Curious, they leaned closer. “Nick, what are you looking at?”

Nick, a sharp, righteous man, shared the screen: an anonymous forum buzzing with abbreviations. Those following the Central Military Academy withdrawal scandal would instantly recognize the target of the abuse.

Frowning, Neil muttered, “I wonder how that student is doing.”

“Hopefully alive and not silenced by the Xia family,” his companion sneered, eyes glinting with disdain for the nobility. “Damn this corrupt world.”

“I heard Xia Yan Gardner is supposedly ‘depressed,’” another scoffed. “What a lame excuse. If it’s true, he’d better stay in a psychiatric ward for life.”

These men, who had clawed their way up from the bottom, despised the privileged.

“If I ever see that brat, I’ll knock his teeth out,” one spat.

“Hey! Careful not to accidentally kill the poor little noble boy with one punch—”

Before he could finish, the hotel manager approached, deliberately bumping his shoulder and raising his voice.

“Young Master Xia Yan, welcome!”

Employees quickly lined up on either side of the entrance, bowing respectfully.

“Welcome, sir.”

“Young Master.”

The group froze. Slowly, they turned to see a young man in sunglasses, only the lower half of his face visible. His pale skin contrasted sharply with his rosy lips, exuding an inexplicable allure.

Two towering bodyguards flanked him silently.

This was… Xia Yan Gardner?

Charlie’s mind went blank. Anxiety gnawed at him—had Xia Yan overheard their badmouthing? But at the same time, he couldn’t help staring, utterly mesmerized by the half-revealed face.

The same went for his companions. The entire lobby seemed to hold its breath.

The young man removed his sunglasses, tossing them casually. One of the black-suited bodyguards caught them deftly—a seamless, practiced gesture.

Silence. Absolute silence.

If whispers or covert photos had been taken earlier, now no one dared move, entirely captivated by the youth’s presence.

Xia Yan’s features were immaculate, and his beauty was so striking that it was almost surreal. His alluring eyes radiated an innate charisma, tempered by the cold detachment of his golden gaze.

With a smirk, he sneered, “Knock my teeth out? You?”

Charlie: “!!!” He heard me!

The man’s face turned bright red. He had forgotten all his hatred for aristocrats and was overwhelmed instead by shame and panic. He wanted to explain but found no words.

After all, he had said it.

“S-sorry… I… I shouldn’t have…” He stammered nervously, his voice faltering. This tall, burly man now looked pitiably meek, wide eyes glistening as if about to cry.

But Xia Yan looked away, disinterested. “I expected more. Disappointing.”

The youth glanced at their white room cards. “Peasants.”

“?????”

Charlie: “You son of a—”

Before he could finish, Nick Joseph clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him from saying anything worse. “Calm down,” he warned.

Xia Yan didn’t spare them another glance. His golden eyes swept indifferently over the crowd before he followed the manager toward the elevator, heading for the top-floor Moonlight Suite.

Did he let Charlie and the others off the hook? Was it mercy?

No.

It was disdain.

Humans harbor grudges against those they consider equals. But when two ants chirp at each other, is it worth caring? Crushing them underfoot would feel like a waste of effort.

“Shit!” Charlie swore under his breath, inexplicably unsettled. He vented his frustration with curses. “How is he depressed? I’ve never seen anyone more carefree!”

Landon’s face flushed. “But he’s so good-looking…”

Charlie rubbed his nose, muttering, “How is his skin so white? Like a block of fresh tofu. He doesn’t look like a military cadet; he looks more like… like…”

He racked his brain before finally landing on the right term: “A movie star.”

Landon: “He’s a second-year student. Do you think he might join our team next year?”

“…If his internship performance sucks and I scold him, do you think he’d cry?”

Nick Joseph, silent until now, rubbed his temples in frustration. “The commander of the Thirteenth Unit, Major General Rob Ivan, is a commoner funded by Duke Xia. Xia Yan will likely intern with the Thirteenth Unit.”

Both men looked disappointed.

“Don’t forget his true nature,” Nick cautioned in a low voice. “Looks aren’t everything. A radiant soul matters far more than outward appearances.”

Though his words were noble, Xia Yan’s stunning looks were undeniably captivating.

Humans are visual creatures, inherently prone to judging by appearances.

Under Nick’s warning, Charlie and Landon reluctantly pull themselves together, suppressing their infatuation. They regretfully apologized and swore never to be swayed by Xia Yan again.

An upright S-class soldier, Nick Joseph nodded in approval, relieved to see his teammates come to their senses.

The other hotel guests, however, were not so lucky. Completely bewitched by the youth’s beauty, they snapped photos and videos in a frenzy of dopamine-fueled excitement and posted them on social media with audacious declarations of love.

#I’m in love again.#

#From now on, anyone who badmouths him is my enemy.#

#Am I the only one who finds him electrifying? That cold gaze, that look of disdain, like a god on high. I wish he’d trample me underfoot.#

The posts were flooded with dramatic, over-the-top comments.

Netizens: 【???】 This is ridiculous.

The situation at the Central Military Academy had been officially suppressed, but rumors still simmered beneath the surface. Now, seeing these sudden declarations of love, the online community quickly assumed it was a publicity stunt by the Xia family to rehabilitate Xia Yan’s image.

Curious, they clicked on the videos.

Twenty minutes later.

Well… they’d only rewatched them five, six, seven, or eight times.

【Suddenly, I feel like we were too harsh on Xia Yan. He’s just a kid in his early twenties—young and reckless. It was clearly the Duke who overstepped.】

【Could there have been a misunderstanding about the cheating scandal? He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.】

【Finally, someone speaks up for Xia Yan. I’ve followed him since he was born. Yes, he’s arrogant, and his pride is intense, but he trains hard. How could he possibly cheat?】

【I’m a peasant too. Come yell at me, wifey.】

【Don’t be so ridiculous above.】

【Quick question—does anyone remember why Xia Yan took leave? Never mind, it’s not important. If my wife says he’s feeling down, I’m blindly supporting him.】

【Damn this shallow, looks-obsessed world.】

【Ahhhh, that face belongs in movies! Give me close-ups! Extreme close-ups! Immortalize that beauty for us face-worshippers!!!】

【Pro tip: There will be live broadcasts when the King ascends the throne. Also… the royal website occasionally shares glimpses of the King’s daily life.】

【Got it. From now on, I’m officially Team Xia Family.】

【Ahhhhhh, this trash forum is deleting posts again. I forgot to save the video! Can someone kind-hearted send me a copy? Thanks in advance.】

【Is Xia Family PR even doing their job? Compliments are being deleted now?】

【Still chatting? Hurry up and save the content!】

Xia Yan’s photos and videos were quickly scrubbed from the internet. Some accounts were suspended under the pretext of violating image rights. Those still active were in a frenzy, secretly spreading the files.

They were determined to share Xia Yan’s beauty with the world.

Damn it, why didn’t we notice how gorgeous he was before?