Holy Dan Academy, as the undisputed top 1 in the entire galaxy, boasts facilities that are downright luxurious. Take the size of the campus, for instance—it could easily rival a small planet, strategically located right in the heart of the interstellar center, like prime real estate.
The whole galaxy is famous because of this prestigious academy, and the Mecha Department, being the most popular in the academy, even has its own small desolate star as a training ground.
Right now, the students from the Holy Dan Academy Mecha Department are gearing up in their custom training gear, getting ready for the upcoming intercollegiate league. Winning isn’t just their goal; they’re aiming to win in style.
Jiang Qian spotted an Omega, a guy not far away clutching a stack of books. He exuded an icy vibe, and from a distance, one could almost smell the cold fragrance. Oddly enough, his pheromones were like a crisp pine scent, enchanting and mysterious.
It seemed like he was searching for someone, and a smirk played on Jiang Qian’s lips. Without making Ji Yun wait, he halted his training, removed his helmet, and leaped down from the mecha.
Ji Yun, hearing the commotion, smiled and waved when he saw Jiang Qian’s figure approaching.
Jiang Qian strolled over, and as naturally as can be, took the books from him. With a nod, he guided him to a nearby lounge.
“I promised I’d come watch your training. I happened to have some free time today.”
“Did I disturb you?” Ji Yun was a little embarrassed.
“Not at all. I’m glad you could make it. Did you just come from the library?” Jiang Qian pointed towards the books in his hands.
Being from the Therapy Department, Ji Yun often spends most of his time immersed in the library. He was genuinely reserved, and even someone as renowned as Jiang Qian took the initiative for quite a while before the other party remembered to come and watch his training.
Jiang Qian found such a personality intriguing, feeling a sense of conquest. Moreover, compared to Sang Lan, Ji Yun seemed like a more fitting companion for him now. Proficient in therapy arts, which are very compatible with his Mecha Department, and to top it off, a major shareholder in Holy Dan Academy.
Ji Yun, a man of few words, simply nodded.
Despite being pursued persistently by the highly popular alpha, he was gradually warming up to the idea of getting to know him better. He wanted to understand Jiang Qian’s intentions better. Little did he know about Jiang Qian’s childhood friend on Charles Star, or the lingering ambiguity.
“In a while, you’ll be heading into the league. Early congratulations on that. Unfortunately, I’ve got to accompany my mentor to a professional meeting that day. Otherwise, I’d love to be there cheering you on,” Ji Yun said with a tinge of regret. He didn’t hold much value in these outings with mentors, considering Holy Dan Academy’s already high expertise in therapy arts; he doubted he’d learn much from such events.
This was Ji Yun’s first attempt at taking the initiative, and Jiang Qian seemed genuinely pleased. “No worries, you can always catch the live broadcast. But for such a serious student as Ji Yun, is it okay to be distracted?” he teased.
Ji Yun chuckled lightly, “Well, it depends on whether your performance is distracting enough for me.”
Jiang Qian was about to respond when he felt a vibration in his pocket. Irritated by the interruption, he frowned, and the expression deepened when he saw Sang Lan’s name.
“You should take the call,” Ji Yun politely inclined his head.
Jiang Qian took a few steps away to answer the phone. “What’s up?” His tone was cold. While Sang Lan initially seemed cute, now he just annoyed him.
When Sang Lan was engaged to his elder brother, Jiang Qian appreciated the omega’s advances. However, after the engagement was called off, Jiang Qian found it increasingly difficult to tolerate Sang Lan. Why should he want someone that someone else rejected?
Especially when his eyes were now filled with the cool and composed Ji Yun. Someone who willingly approached felt like nothing to Jiang Qian.
“What’s the matter? You won’t even answer my calls now?” Sang Lan’s voice carried a hint of anger, its tone turning colder.
This situation had been going on for quite some time, leading Sang Lan to feel a sense of crisis. He worried that if he didn’t take action soon, Jiang Qian might actually break things off with him.
“If it’s nothing; I’ll hang up,” Jiang Qian said, casting a quick glance at Ji Yun, who was patiently waiting nearby. He felt extremely restless, concerned that the omega might leave early.
“Wait, I need to tell you something,” Sang Lan stopped complaining and got straight to the point.
“The Emperor recently wanted to reclaim Jiang Ling from the King of Burke Star. Are you aware of that? I think His Majesty might have reconsidered matters regarding the heir. Regardless, I’m always on your side. As long as you’re willing, my father can help you too.” Sang Lan spoke in a hurry, fearing Jiang Qian would hang up before he could finish.
Hearing Jiang Ling’s name after a long time, Jiang Qian found it somewhat unfamiliar. He pondered for a moment but didn’t give it much thought. In his eyes, someone without spiritual abilities couldn’t possibly be his competition.
To him, this might just be Sang Lan’s attempt to grab his attention.
Taking a step back, even if his father genuinely wanted Jiang Ling to return to Charles Star, Jiang Qian doubted his father could withstand the pressure from ministers and even the public to declare Jiang Ling as the heir. If his father truly cared for him, he wouldn’t have sent him to be a hostage in the first place.
“Done talking? If so, I’m hanging up.” With that, Jiang Qian quickly ended the call and switched his phone to silent mode.
Jiang Qian suppressed his earlier impatience and returned to Ji Yun’s side, putting on a handsome smile.
“Who was that just now?” Ji Yun wasn’t initially inclined to ask out of politeness, but his growing interest in Jiang Qian prompted him to inquire. Considering their budding relationship, he felt a bit curious. So, he decided to ask.
“Oh, just a friend.” In an effort to appear more open in front of the omega, Jiang Qian even voluntarily shared the conversation’s topic. “He was talking to me about my brother, saying that during my time at the academy, my father wanted to bring my eldest brother back to Charles.”
Jiang Qian’s royal identity wasn’t a secret at the academy, but the details about the Charles royal family were indeed kept confidential.
“I don’t need to know about your family affairs,” Ji Yun replied gently, not pressing for more information.
Jiang Qian didn’t see any reason to keep things hidden. He was even willing to reveal that his older brother was somewhat of a waste. Moreover, in front of Ji Yun, he wanted to flaunt his sense of superiority.
“It’s okay. You can know about my matters. As some gossip suggests, my elder brother was sent to Burke Star and has been out of touch. But given the notorious reputation of the ruler there and my brother’s lack of spiritual abilities, he might not be living well,” Jiang Qian shrugged.
Ji Yun found the whole situation a bit strange because Jiang Qian seemed indifferent. Reflecting on this, he thought, perhaps this is how the royal family operates.
However, Jiang Qian noticed Ji Yun’s uneasiness and calmly added, “Because of his lack of spiritual abilities, he’s always been quick-tempered and easily angered. And when I got into Holy Dan Academy, his attitude towards me worsened. You know, it’s tough for him to study at the academy. So, we’re not close.”
He made it clear—Jiang Ling envied him.
Ji Yun nodded understandingly, subconsciously starting to lower his impression of the Crown Prince. Nevertheless, these family matters didn’t concern him. He knew Jiang Qian, and that was where his loyalty lay.
The following days marked a short break at Holy Dan Academy, and Ji Yun returned to his hometown for a few days to catch up with relatives and friends.
[I won. Please keep your promise and stop bothering me.] Jiang Ling felt annoyed by Ji Kai’s persistence. He almost regretted agreeing to attend the meeting. Initially disregarded, he couldn’t resist Ji Kai’s goading in the end.
Ji Kai, just out of the competition room, went offline without saying a word. His actions caused quite a stir, and little did he expect the ending to be such a joke.
However, losing didn’t mean he acknowledged Jiang Ling. Clearly, the difference between them wasn’t significant, as Jiang Ling was only slightly faster. Ji Kai didn’t realize that Jiang Ling might have intentionally played with him, enduring until late into the night to mock him.
Facing such situations, Jiang Ling had become accustomed to it. Whether the other person acknowledged him or not was irrelevant. However, resolving this trouble did bring him genuine relief.
Now, he didn’t need to log in to the app frequently. Despite his best efforts, Warwick’s organization lacked strong foundations, and although they made it to the second round, they couldn’t progress further.
Nevertheless, even reaching this stage came with substantial rewards. Making it to the second round placed Warwick among the top fifty organizations in the therapist category, earning them recognition and attracting more fresh talents.
All Jiang Ling had to do now was wait for the official staff to pick him up when the meeting started. They would cover his food, accommodation, and travel expenses. Overall, it was a good deal. He considered it an opportunity to travel to other star systems with Chu Wenyu.
Within the Warwick organization group chat:
[Little Jiang, now that the prize money is in, several of us who live nearby are planning to meet up soon. Wanna join?]
[Yeah, we’ve known each other for so long, and I’ve never seen your real face. I’m really curious.]
[Plus, we got this prize money, all thanks to your efforts. If you come, we’ll cover all your expenses—food, accommodation, everything!]
Jiang Ling awkwardly glanced at Chu Wenyu, who was beside him, chin propped up and watching the chat interface. This time, things were relatively calm; there was no immediate outburst like before. He just looked at Chu Wenyu as the latter turned his gaze toward him again, seemingly curious about Jiang Ling’s response.
[No, thanks. You all enjoy yourselves. I need to spend time with my boyfriend,] Jiang Ling replied, and Chu Wenyu flashed a faint smile.
The group reacted with a collective ‘Oh~,’ but they didn’t insist.
However, someone realized something and sent another message.
[Wait, Little Jiang got invited to the meeting, right? Even though we didn’t get invitations, we can watch the live broadcast later and see him.]
[Yeah, let’s discuss it later.] Jiang Ling casually replied before closing the chat.
He knew he wouldn’t be the main attraction in such events. Perhaps a brief introduction would be enough. Besides, he had already requested to keep his true identity hidden, so he figured nobody would pay much attention to him.
However, Chu Wenyu began to contemplate. If he followed as well, there might be a chance of being seen.
“Would it bother you if I went?” Chu Wenyu pointed to his leg, indicating that unless he didn’t stay with Alpha, there was a high probability of meeting other people.
He needed to hide his identity, and there was a concern that others might mention Jiang Ling’s boyfriend being disabled. Chu Wenyu hesitated with his head lowered.
“Who am I? Besides His Majesty, who would recognize me? Don’t worry,” Jiang Ling reassured in a gentle tone, squatting down to massage Chu Wenyu’s calf. It seemed like he was making up for all the insincere taunts about Chu Wenyu’s leg from before.
The author has something to say:
There will be some angsty moments for Chu Chu later on, but it’s a mix of sweetness and angst. Please be kind to him; he’s going to be really heart-wrenching.
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)
