The passengers on the starship were guarded by soldiers for a long time, tired and sleepy. While many deserved it, innocent people like Lien, who had never done anything wrong, suffered as well.
“Did he make a mistake? The criminal might not be on our starship at all,” someone complained softly. The originally well-organized plan was now disrupted, and the person in charge of finding the criminal hadn’t succeeded yet, preventing them from leaving.
“Yeah, why are they detaining us? I’m not even from Burke Star.”
Scar-face was the most vocal among them, but when the soldier approached, he backed down.
Meanwhile, Lien stood alone in a corner, appearing burdened. As the person who had been with Jiang Ling the longest, he easily noticed his absence. He suddenly remembered how Jiang Ling was always concerned about the progress of their route, and Jiang Ling had boarded the starship from Burke Star. Lien had a premonition that Jiang Ling might be the person the Burke Star Monarch was looking for.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Chu Wenyu.
He had never seen such an imposing aura, and strangely enough, he felt a somewhat familiar sensation from this monarch, similar to what he sensed in Jiang Ling.
Seemingly indifferent to everything yet extremely stubborn. Especially, he still remembered the momentary change in Jiang Ling’s eyes when he spoke about the Burke Star Monarch.
Lien sensed that their relationship was not simple, but he didn’t report to escape. If it was what Jiang Ling hoped for, then let him escape smoothly.
Having mysterious connections with someone like this might be more terrifying than confessing to the burly wild man who had feelings for him.
Chu Wenyu waited on the starship the entire afternoon, maintaining an unchanged posture, yet displaying remarkable patience and composure.
“He has escaped the encirclement,” Chu Wenyu muttered to himself.
“Your Majesty, the leader of the smuggling group stated that they have cooperated with our inspection and now requests to leave,” a soldier reported.
Chu Wenyu tapped his fingers, showing no hint of emotion in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, do you think Prince Jiang Ling might not have been on the starship at all?” a higher-ranking officer cautiously inquired, knowing that only someone of his status could speak a few words by Chu Wenyu’s side.
“Just now, I asked the leader of that group to inquire about the passenger list of the starship. We found that Prince Jiang Ling’s name is not on it,” he added, feeling a sense of pride for thinking of something others had overlooked.
However, no praise followed.
Chu Wenyu glanced indifferently at him, not in the mood to speak. His sixth sense was strong, and he was certain that Jiang Ling had been on the starship not long ago but had successfully escaped.
“I’ve brought the list, Your Majesty. Please take a look,” he offered, presenting the list with a courteous demeanor.
Chu Wenyu didn’t feel the need for confirmation; the list was not sufficient evidence for him. Nevertheless, he casually took it and glanced over it.
When he saw the name ‘Wilson,’ he was acutely aware that Jiang Ling might have assumed the identity of this person. This validated his instincts even further.
“Your Majesty, shall we continue searching?” he asked cautiously.
Since the monarch had already seen the list, it was essential to promptly explore alternative flight paths.
“No need to search,” Chu Wenyu coldly smirked.
He cast a disdainful glance at the people nearby, appearing as insignificant as ants in his eyes.
The officer was about to issue orders for the preparations to return when an emotionless voice interrupted.
“All individuals on the starship protecting the criminal will be detained and interrogated rigorously. If the criminal is not handed over within an hour, Burke Star will have to enforce international security laws. Make sure to spread the message, let everyone know.”
Especially that person.
He couldn’t have gone far.
The officer hesitated for a moment. Having received a solid legal education, he understood the complexities of interstellar issues among different nations. He was also well aware that his monarch was not extending any courtesy to other star systems.
Understanding Chu Wenyu’s character, he promptly went to carry out the order.
The officer conveyed the monarch’s decree to the squad leader for execution.
When the squad leader approached the leader of the smuggling group, the latter was somewhat surprised, thinking that Chu Wenyu had realized his mistake and was now releasing them.
However, with a wave of the squad leader’s hand, everyone was detained .
“Protecting the criminal, take them back to the starship for interrogation.”
Among the passengers, there were indeed some skilled interstellar criminals, but facing trained military personnel, they were powerless. Despite the anger and frustration of the passengers for being detained under such an unrelated pretext, they were helpless.
The starship was equipped with comprehensive execution facilities. Even someone with good physical fitness would be severely affected after undergoing a round of interrogation, losing a significant portion of their vitality.
Jiang Ling found a run-down motel nearby that didn’t require any ID, constantly keeping an ear out for information. He thought he’d get news about Chu Wenyu leading the warship back to the Burke Star, but never did he imagine that Chu Wenyu would actually use people from the starship to threaten him.
Jiang Ling is no saint, let alone having a good impression of most people up there. It’s just that his bottom line absolutely won’t allow him to turn a blind eye, especially when people close to him are affected because of himself. Someone like Lien, whom he barely considers an acquaintance, is, in fact, a good lad.
With a serious expression, Jiang Ling stared at the scene on the big screen in the room, where current affairs were being reported. He could see the confused but fearful residents, as well as the people he had seen being escorted onto the warship by towering soldiers, including the frowning Lien.
Jiang Ling believed that Lien must have noticed something unusual but didn’t report him, leaving him to deal with the consequences. He felt a bit guilty.
Of course, he could also see Chu Wenyu on the warship, with a cold and indifferent expression, as if everything was under control, not sparing a glance for those beneath him.
This person, who stops at nothing to achieve his goals, has once again broadened his horizons. Just as Lien sensed, Jiang Ling is inherently stubborn; he may yield due to his soft heart but never because anyone forces him to.
If, in the past, Chu Wenyu was a choice of the heart for him, now the other party only evokes anger and disgust. However, the aversion is directed solely at his actions; Jiang Ling still finds it difficult to despise Chu Wenyu as a whole person because of these aspects.
But he still can’t accept it.
An hour’s deadline is short, highlighting Chu Wenyu’s patience reaching its limit. He wants to see Jiang Ling immediately, even to immediately control Jiang Ling’s freedom.
Moreover, he truly understands his alpha.
As soon as Jiang Ling learned of the news, he made a choice.
He shed his disguise and quickly checked out of the room.
Since he hadn’t gone far, Jiang Ling indeed arrived near the hill within an hour.
The entire hill was surrounded by soldiers, and no one could enter or exit.
Approaching an entrance, Jiang Ling calmly said to the soldiers, “I request an audience with His Majesty.”
The soldier didn’t recognize him at first glance, having never seen the real person. Besides, the information clearly depicted Jiang Ling as an aristocrat with luxurious, slightly curled golden hair. Now, however, he had a buzz cut, and his demeanor was far from the gentle appearance in the records; instead, he exuded a fierce determination, a hint of ruthlessness. He looked less like a noble and more like a rugged outlaw.
Most importantly, normal people had already escaped; who would come back?
The soldier, growing impatient, almost immediately grumbled, “No disturbances from irrelevant individuals.”
With only a few minutes left, Jiang Ling had no choice but to attempt a forceful entry.
Chu Wenyu probably didn’t anticipate that there would be a day when the alpha actively sought to meet him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the soldier was about to intervene when he noticed an officer patrolling nearby.
At his position, the officer had encountered Jiang Ling once or twice before.
The officer’s eyes lit up, and he briskly walked over, a far cry from his usual imposing demeanor.
“Your Highness, I will take you to see His Majesty immediately,” he spoke with unparalleled gentleness. Before coming, he had diligently gathered information from the palace steward, inquiring about the background of the person His Majesty was looking for.
Despite sending out numerous valuable gifts, all he got in return was a proverb.
“Even when you find the person, make sure to treat him well. His Majesty will be generous.”
The officer couldn’t quite understand the meaning at first but, trusting the steward, he followed the instructions. No one could fully understand the monarch, but the steward, at least, had managed to stay by the monarch’s side by understanding the times.
As the moment of a real face-to-face meeting with Chu Wenyu approached, Jiang Ling’s heart sank deeper, and even his steps felt like a thousand pounds each. He could probably guess what he was about to face.
In the end, Chu Wenyu won, as always. He was, indeed, unbeatable.
The officer was anxious; his steps quickened, hopeful for a promotion.
Finally, they reached the side of the warship, and even before Jiang Ling could be taken on board, Chu Wenyu, sitting outside the cabin the whole time, seemed to sense his arrival as if by intuition.
Immediately, with an anxious push, he turned his wheelchair around. His expression remained calm, but the trembling fingers betrayed emotions not visible on the surface.
For the first time, Chu Wenyu looked down at Jiang Ling, and the face in his mind became clear, overlapping with the person before him.
It seemed that the other was not pleased to see him, lips tightly pressed together, even cutting his hair short to avoid him. Of course, Chu Wenyu paid no mind to these details. In his eyes, everything about the alpha was just right. What he couldn’t tolerate was that all these changes happened with the purpose of distancing himself.
Jiang Ling’s presence brought a sense of peace to Chu Wenyu, yet at the same time, it provided an outlet for the accumulated discontent.
Jiang Ling stood silently without a smile, and Chu Wenyu’s eyes held a deep mystery.
Each had their own thoughts.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
