Chapter 91: Because, You’re Not Worthy
SCREECH—
Zelda slammed on the brakes.
The sudden stop sent everyone inside lurching forward from the inertia.
THUD—
HSSS—
Bai Zhi and the others grimaced, rubbing their aching heads as they looked ahead. A vehicle had appeared in front of them, and someone was getting out.
When Zelda saw who it was, his face grew grim. Without turning his head, he said to the others in the car, "Stay in the car. Don’t get out, and don’t make a sound. The windows are tinted; they can’t see inside."
With that, he opened the door and stepped out.
Olay watched Zelda get out of the car alone and raised an eyebrow. "Just you? Not going to let the others out to say hello?"
Zelda retorted coolly, "Who do you want to see? And even if there was someone, what makes you think you have the right to look?"
The two faced off, the air between them seeming to crackle with sparks.
Olay narrowed his eyes, staring at him for a good ten seconds before suddenly smiling. "Looks like you still haven’t found your little friend. You really are something. The entire Alliance has given up the search, but you just won’t quit."
Zelda glared at him. "Anything else? If not, move. I’m busy."
Olay leaned against his vehicle, crossing his long legs. He said lazily, "Well, everyone else was busy, so they insisted I come looking for some S-Class female. I wasn’t planning on it, but then I heard you were here. I figured if you were willing to come to this backwater place, you must have found some new clue. I thought I’d come take a look. Seems it was a huge disappointment, though."
Zelda let out a cold, noncommittal laugh. "You have so much free time. Does the Eldest Prince know about the things you do behind his back? Should I tell him for you?"
Olay’s eyes instantly turned cold, his gaze sharp as it swept over Zelda. But in the next second, he was smiling again. "You’re still the same. You get your hackles up the moment he’s mentioned. People need to learn to accept reality. If you’re willing, for the sake of our many years of ’friendship,’ I could even recommend you to the Eldest Prince."
Zelda suddenly laughed. "’Friendship’? What friendship? The kind where I want to stab you to death? I have no use for a traitor’s sentiment. And another thing—don’t you ever let me hear his name from your lips again."
His gaze turned icy and sharp as he looked at him, and he enunciated every word. "Because. You. Are. Not. Worthy."
For a moment, Olay’s expression darkened. He pressed his pale, thin lips together tightly, a flash of anger in his golden eyes. "You think you two were so close? From start to finish, he never once saw you as a real friend. You were just useful to him—a convenient, obedient, and loyal dog! That’s all! Otherwise, do you think he would have ever given you a second glance? Think about it! All these years, haven’t you been the one eagerly trailing after him like a puppy? But what has he ever done for you?"
Olay continued, "Give it up. Stop searching. He’s already dead! He died in that battle with the Insect Clan!"
As he spoke, he extended a hand toward Zelda. "Come on. Help me support the Eldest Prince. We can be like we were before."
After hearing this, Zelda didn’t get angry. Instead, he gave Olay a look of pity. "You don’t know anything at all. From the day you betrayed him, we were destined to be nothing but enemies."
Then, his tone shifted, and he commanded sharply, "Now, move!"
Olay stared at Zelda in disbelief. He had laid it all out so clearly, yet Zelda was still so stubbornly delusional.
He roared, "He’s dead! The Eldest Prince is the one with the most potential now, don’t you understand? Once the Eldest Prince takes the throne, if you don’t pledge allegiance, there’s only one path for your families: to be completely struck from the Four Great Families! If you come over to our side now, not only will the Eldest Prince forgive the past, but your family will also rise to even greater heights."
Olay said earnestly, "Zelda, he’s dead. Even if you keep searching, you won’t find anyone. Stop being so deluded."
Zelda just watched him coolly. "Are you finished? I know exactly what kind of person you are, so stop pretending. The only reason I listened to you for this long was to figure out your objective this time. It seems the Eldest Prince is getting desperate, which is why he sent you to play the friendship card. What a shame. He probably doesn’t understand our relationship, or perhaps, he overestimated your importance."
Then he pulled open the car door and got back inside.
Olay watched as Zelda got straight into the car. A crimson glint flashed in his golden eyes, and his hands clenched into tight fists.
’If the Eldest Prince didn’t need their family,’ he thought, ’I wouldn’t have bothered coming here just to be stonewalled like this.’
Olay stepped away from his own vehicle and took two steps toward Zelda’s car, roaring, "You’ll regret your decision today!"
His only response, however, was the roar of an engine.
In an instant, the car shot forward like an arrow. WHOOSH.
Olay’s expression changed as he saw the car speeding straight for him. He rapidly transformed into his beast form, and a leopard leaped over the hood.
THUD—
SCREECH—
A loud THUD came from the car’s roof—Olay, in his beast form, had landed on it. The thud was followed by a sharp SCREECH as Zelda slammed on the brakes and swerved, sending Olay flying off the car from the inertia.
Bai Zhi yelped in fright. Thankfully, Hu Yan was quick to react, pulling her toward him and pushing her head down, which saved her from getting crushed by the denting roof.
But the violent swerve nearly gave her whiplash.
The others had all reacted quickly and taken cover. Yue Junxiao, however, looked indignant. If Lang Qiu hadn’t been holding him back, he would have jumped out to fight that Olay guy.
Only after the car had driven a good distance away did Bai Zhi dare to lift her head. She then saw a huge dent in the roof, right next to where she had just been sitting.
If Hu Yan hadn’t pulled her away just then, her head might have been flattened by the impact.
Bai Zhi couldn’t help but shudder at the thought.
Once he was sure that madman Olay wasn’t following, Zelda finally turned back to ask them, "He shouldn’t be chasing us anymore. Are you all okay?"
Bai Zhi shook her head, rubbing her forehead. "I’m fine."
Zelda frowned and said to Hu Yan, "I didn’t expect him to show up. The situation is more serious than I thought."
’It makes sense, though,’ he thought. ’If things weren’t serious, why would the Emperor, who was known for his frugality, throw a huge banquet for his sixtieth birthday and even grant amnesty across the entire interstellar empire just to dispel bad luck?’
’The Eldest Prince is so desperate to win over various factions; he clearly can’t wait any longer. Everyone is being pulled into the struggle.’
Hu Yan’s eyes were downcast, his mood clearly soured.
Bai Zhi had overheard most of the conversation and had a vague idea of what was going on. She glanced at Hu Yan. ’If I’m guessing right,’ she thought, ’then for someone of Hu Yan’s status to be the previous owner’s Beast Husband... what a complete and utter waste.’