Chapter 130: Skipping Grades
Yu Lanfeng asked, "Did they make things difficult for you?"
Nan Yu shook his head. "No. I know every place has its own little circles. I'm the newcomer, and even if plenty of people already know about my relationship with you, it won't make a difference."
"They'll still do whatever they were going to do. If I used our relationship to suppress them, that definitely wouldn't work. The backlash would be severe. Besides..."
Besides, the senior staff would most likely draw a clear line between themselves and Nan Yu while continuing to work in the medical department. Because of this incident, those senior doctors would probably never look kindly upon him again, much less pass on their experience.
But from the very beginning, Nan Yu had never intended to use his identity to gain any advantages. After all, relationships between people were built through everyday interactions or through fighting side by side in life-and-death situations.
Nan Yu smiled. "It's fine. I'm doing pretty well right now. They only played a small prank on me. I can tolerate something like this. It's just..."
His temper wasn't exactly good either. If those people pushed their luck too far, then they couldn't blame him for striking back. He had plenty of methods at his disposal.
Yu Lanfeng said, "If anything happens and you need my help, make sure you tell me."
"I know. I'll definitely tell you when the time comes. Oh, right—you promised to help me skip grades before. When are we going to discuss my situation with the school?"
Yu Lanfeng replied, "They're already discussing it. The Royal Military Academy of the Capital Star has had students skip grades before, but it's extremely rare because the graduation assessment is incredibly difficult."
Nan Yu smiled.
"But as far as I know... you're one of those people, aren't you?"
Yu Lanfeng stared at him for a while.
"That information was never made public. How did you find out?"
Nan Yu shrugged.
"If I want to know something, I'll know it. You just need to answer my question."
"...Yes."
Although he had no idea where Nan Yu had gotten the information, there was nothing he could do now that Nan Yu already knew.
Nan Yu continued, "You said the graduation assessment is extremely demanding, but for me it should actually be pretty easy. Everyone already knows what I'm capable of. If I stay at the academy, I'll only be learning things I've mastered long ago. Instead of wasting time there, I'd rather stay here, join the legion, and stay by your side."
He paused and looked directly at Yu Lanfeng.
"What do you think?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That makes perfect sense. You'll grow much faster this way, and you'll also be much safer than remaining on the Capital Star."
Throughout the entire Empire, there was no safer place than by Yu Lanfeng's side.
Moreover, the active season for Ability Beasts along the Empire's borders was drawing near again. Before long, he would be traveling endlessly between the various border regions day and night.
When that happened...
Who would protect Nan Yu if he remained on the Capital Star?
Last time, even while Yu Lanfeng himself had been present, Ye Xing had silently abducted Nan Yu. If Yu Lanfeng hadn't returned early and discovered what had happened, Nan Yu's disappearance might not have been noticed until noon—or even the afternoon—the following day. By then, searching for him would probably have been completely hopeless.
That kidnapping had truly frightened Yu Lanfeng.
Even though Nan Yu had already been rescued and was now sitting right in front of him, the lingering fear still hadn't faded.
He absolutely had to make sure Nan Yu graduated before he became too busy.
Which also meant...
Even if Nan Yu skipped grades, Yu Lanfeng couldn't afford to wait that long.
Pulling Nan Yu into his embrace, Yu Lanfeng whispered,
"Leave it to me."
Nan Yu accepted without the slightest hesitation.
"If there's anything that requires me to appear in person, make sure you tell me. There are some things I'd like to explain to them myself."
"My graduating early isn't about running away. It's about actively joining your battles and contributing to the Empire, instead of staying safely and comfortably on the Capital Star, hiding away at school."
Yu Lanfeng didn't answer.
He simply held him quietly in his arms.
...
Early the next morning, Nan Yu headed to the medical department after getting up.
Instead of interacting with the others today, he spent most of the day in the medical archives with one of the senior doctors, listening to explanations of numerous medical cases. At noon, he also ate lunch with that senior doctor in the cafeteria.
Although the food was ordinary, the meal was much more enjoyable than the previous day's.
At least nobody was trying to mess with him.
Over the following several days, Nan Yu continued studying under that senior doctor, completely unaware of the quiet changes taking place around him.
The younger group, which made up the largest faction in the medical department, had gradually begun to dislike him.
At first, Nan Yu hadn't noticed at all.
He had always believed that with his identity, and as long as he neither caused trouble nor provoked anyone, people might not become close to him, but at least everyone would mind their own business.
That belief lasted until this morning.
The moment he arrived at his office and saw what was inside...
He realized just how naive he had been.
Everything had been removed.
The documents, the potted plants, the desk, the chairs—even the decorations on the walls.
The office was completely empty, as though nobody had ever used it before.
Nan Yu stood silently at the doorway for nearly two minutes, reflecting on everything he had done since arriving.
In the end, he reached only one conclusion.
He had never offended anyone.
Never provoked anyone.
Never even argued with anyone.
So...
Someone was deliberately targeting him.
Who should he contact about something like this?
Nan Yu considered it.
Calling Yu Lanfeng was impossible.
As irritating as this was, it was ultimately just a minor matter. If something this trivial interrupted the Marshal's work, that would truly be inappropriate.
Should he ask one of the senior professors in the medical department?
They were all busy every day—treating patients, writing reports, preparing medical records, authoring books, and teaching students.
To them, this would probably be an insignificant matter as well.
So bothering them wasn't appropriate either.
Then Nan Yu suddenly came up with a wonderful idea.
If they didn't want him staying here...
Then he simply wouldn't stay here.
That gave him the perfect excuse to spend his days with the senior professor who had always treated him well.
He could eat there, sit there, and study there.
The office upstairs was spacious, and the professor had complained more than once that it felt lonely working there alone.
He could just keep him company.
He might even learn much more in the process.
Why not?
The corners of Nan Yu's mouth curled upward into a smile.
He closed the door to the empty office, turned around, and left.
At that moment, his keen mental power sensed countless people secretly watching him.
He could even feel the schadenfreude radiating from them.
They were waiting to watch him become angry.
They assumed Nan Yu would storm out of the medical building and complain to his lover—the Marshal, Yu Lanfeng.
But they were quickly proven wrong.
Because Nan Yu didn't leave the medical department.
Instead...
He went upstairs.
...
The moment Nan Yu disappeared into the elevator, the people downstairs immediately gathered together and began whispering.
"Seriously? Instead of complaining to the Marshal, he's going upstairs to complain to the professors?"
"Don't be ridiculous. The Marshal is busy, but that doesn't mean the professors have free time. They're incredibly busy too—just in different ways."
"Exactly. Even if he complains, it'll accomplish nothing. The professors will probably think it's such a tiny matter that it isn't worth making a fuss over."
"And he'll leave a bad impression on Professor Liu because of it, don't you think?"
"Right! Professor Liu originally wanted Doctor Du as his student. Then Nan Yu suddenly appeared halfway through and stole the opportunity. It's infuriating."
"And Doctor Du isn't even trying to get back at him. If it were me, I definitely couldn't hold back."
"Mental Power Users are incredibly valuable, especially someone like him. I've heard about what happened before. But couldn't he just stay where everyone admires him as a Mental Power User? Why did he have to come here and take Doctor Du's place?"
"Alright, stop talking. Doctor Du's here."
"Huh? Doctor Du's been arriving really late these past few days. This is already the third time this month. Before this, he might not have been late even once in an entire year."
"That's not good. If the professors notice how careless he is about work now, their impression of him will gradually get worse."
"And besides, that guy won't be staying here forever. Once he leaves, Doctor Du will still have another chance. But if he keeps wasting away like this..."
"No, no. We should go talk to Doctor Du. He's such a good person... so outstanding..."
"Alright. Let's go find him in a bit."
...
Nan Yu, who had already reached the upper floor, had no idea what was happening downstairs.
Nor did he know why they had done all of this.
He understood even less what they were thinking.
He stopped outside Professor Liu's office and knocked.
"Come in."
Nan Yu opened the door and entered.
Professor Liu was bent over his work.
He was nearly four hundred years old, making him one of the older people in this interstellar era.
Professor Liu glanced up, a faint smile appearing for only a brief instant.
"Come sit."
"Thank you, Professor."
"What brings you here? Weren't you supposed to be downstairs writing your summary?"
Nan Yu smiled.
"I just think your office is too large and too quiet. So how about I come keep you company every day from now on? I'll stay here from morning until night. I hope I won't disturb you."
Professor Liu waved dismissively.
"Of course not. If you want to stay here, then stay. There are plenty of desks over there."
Nan Yu looked toward the unused desks in the corner.
Normally, they were only occupied when someone came to debate theories with Professor Liu.
As Professor Liu's reputation continued to grow and his knowledge became increasingly profound, fewer and fewer people dared debate him.
Now, one or even two years might pass without anyone using those desks.
Yet he had always hoped someone would.
Nan Yu's presence unintentionally fulfilled one of the professor's small wishes.
As a result, Professor Liu found himself liking Nan Yu more and more.
He truly was someone worth cultivating.
And in truth...
Nan Yu's learning ability really was astonishing.
Most things only needed to be explained once before he understood them, could immediately put them into practice, and even perform them well—though still somewhat awkwardly.
Even more difficult techniques only required two or three explanations before he could master them.
Really.
Professor Liu had never encountered such a gifted student.
Du Enyun was certainly excellent.
His fundamentals were extremely solid.
But standing before a true genius...
Du Enyun inevitably fell a little short.
Moreover, Professor Liu had never actually decided to accept him as a disciple.
He had merely been hesitating.
Now...
There was no need to hesitate anymore.
He quickly pushed those thoughts aside and immersed himself in his current work.
Work came first.
Everything else could wait.
...
Meanwhile, after arriving at his office in the medical building, Du Enyun noticed that everyone he met was saying comforting things and telling him not to take it to heart.
The more he listened...
The stranger it sounded.
Finally, he grabbed the colleague he was closest to.
"Come here. I need to ask you something."
The other person obediently followed him into a secluded corner.
After confirming nobody else was around, he spoke.
"Are you still angry? Everyone's on your side. Don't think too much about it. He'll be leaving sooner or later. Professor Liu's disciple position will still be yours."
The moment Du Enyun heard that, he immediately realized something was terribly wrong.
"What did you all do?"
His friend blinked in confusion.
"What? Don't worry. Nobody did anything excessive. We just emptied his office."
"But guess what? He actually went upstairs to complain to Professor Liu. He still hasn't come back down. Who knows whether it worked?"
Everyone knew that even if Professor Liu learned about it, there was a high probability he wouldn't interfere.
He was simply too busy.
Without another word, Du Enyun hurried away.
He rushed to Nan Yu's office, threw open the door, and found it completely empty.
Nothing remained.
Even the dust had been cleaned away by the maintenance robots.
He felt both frustrated and helpless.
Their actions had been foolish...
But they had done everything for his sake.
He could get angry with himself.
But he absolutely couldn't lose his temper at them.
Caught between those conflicting emotions, he could only rub his forehead helplessly.
"Forget it."
"Hurry up and restore this office. I'll go talk to Nan Yu."
His friend looked bewildered.
"Why talk to him? Wouldn't it be better if he backed off?"
Du Enyun stared at him.
"You're usually pretty smart. Why have you suddenly become an idiot? Did your boyfriend eat your brain?"
"...What's wrong? Isn't this just a small matter?"
Du Enyun sighed.
"First of all, although I didn't like him either, I admit he's far more talented than I am. He learns unbelievably fast. Professor Liu chose him because of his ability, his strength, and his potential—not because of favoritism."
"I spent an entire day studying alongside him under Professor Liu. Everything Professor Liu taught, Nan Yu could remember almost immediately. More importantly, he could completely absorb it with a learning ability that's practically monstrous."
"I simply can't do that."
"Ever since that day, I've sincerely accepted that he's better than me."
"As for what happened in the cafeteria... I was just upset, so I tricked him into spending a few extra credits. I only did it after finding out he was extremely wealthy."
"But I never intended to target him."
"So, my friends..."
"I'm truly grateful that you wanted to help me."
"But Nan Yu isn't someone you should provoke."
"He looks easy to get along with, but don't forget who he is."
"He's the Marshal's partner."
"And have you forgotten Major General Nan?"
"That's Nan Yu's father."
"If they find out what you've done..."
"...don't be surprised if the Marshal and Major General Nan give you a combined beating."
His friend swallowed nervously.
"Seriously?"
"Whether it's true or not doesn't matter."
"Right now, restore the office—"
He suddenly paused.
"...No. Since you've already emptied it, restoring everything exactly as it was would make it too obvious."
"Use my credits."
"Go to the supply store and buy the deluxe office package."
In the end, Du Enyun spent his own credits completely renovating Nan Yu's office into a luxurious, brand-new workspace.
After calculating the cost...
He realized the amount was roughly equal to the meal he'd tricked Nan Yu into paying for earlier.
Sure enough...
Taking advantage of people casually would only come back to bite you sooner or later.
...
A few minutes before Nan Yu came downstairs, Du Enyun was already waiting near the exit.
As soon as he saw him, he walked over.
Nan Yu looked somewhat surprised.
"Doctor Du? Why are you here?"
"Hello, Nan Yu. I need to talk to you."
Nan Yu instinctively stepped back two paces, making Du Enyun's expression flicker ever so slightly.
"I heard what happened this morning... about your office being emptied."
Nan Yu nodded.
"Yes. I thought it was strange too. I don't think I've offended anyone. I couldn't understand why it happened."
Du Enyun relaxed slightly.
"Of course nobody was targeting you."
"I simply had people redecorate your office to repay you for treating me to that meal before."
"Would you like to come see it?"
"I personally designed much of it. It's elegant, beautiful, and refined."
Nan Yu blinked.
He studied Du Enyun carefully for quite a while.
Finding nothing suspicious, he finally nodded and followed him.
After all...
Nan Yu would be staying here for quite some time.
Falling out with Du Enyun now wasn't a wise decision.
Besides, Du Enyun had an excellent reputation and tremendous influence throughout the medical building.
He could gather dozens of people to move an office in almost no time.
...
When Nan Yu entered the newly renovated office, he froze briefly.
"...It really is nice."
Du Enyun smiled.
"So? Do you like it?"
"If you do..."
"Then let's forget everything that happened."
"Let's all get along peacefully."
"What do you think?"
Although his tone remained perfectly calm, it almost carried the feeling of someone who had already given up and was simply waiting for the verdict.
Nan Yu answered almost immediately.
"It's very nice."
"It must have cost quite a lot."
"I'm really sorry for making you spend so much."
Du Enyun waved it off.
"It's nothing."
"I know what happened. We kept it from you because we originally thought you'd arrive later."
"Recently you've been accompanying Professor Liu during the ward inspections and only came back close to noon."
"We planned to finish everything before then."
"But today you arrived unusually early."
Nan Yu had only come early because he wanted to spend more time learning from Professor Liu.
Besides...
Whether he arrived early or late made a huge difference.
If he arrived early, he'd witness everything.
If he arrived late, he might never know anything had happened.
That was precisely why he always remained cautious whenever he stayed away from home.
He even packed spare underwear, fresh clothes, and daily necessities whenever he went out.
Du Enyun looked at him.
"So?"
Nan Yu smiled.
"It's really nice."
"Thank you."
"You spent a lot."
"I like it."
"I'll use this office from now on."
Du Enyun let out a long breath.
"That's good."
"Thank you."
Nan Yu naturally understood.
Du Enyun wasn't thanking him for accepting the office.
He was thanking him for not pursuing the matter against those immature people.
After thinking for a moment, Nan Yu smiled.
"It must be difficult."
"When so many people like you, sometimes it becomes a sweet burden."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Alright."
"Let's leave it at that."
"It wasn't a major issue anyway."
"I'm not someone who nitpicks over every little thing."
Du Enyun nodded.
"Then I'll be going."
Having received the answer he wanted, he had no intention of staying.
He acknowledged Nan Yu's excellence.
But acknowledging it didn't mean he had no resentment.
He had merely buried that resentment and unwillingness deep inside.
Nan Yu wasn't stupid.
How could he fail to understand that this whole situation had been painful for Du Enyun?
Watching him leave so quickly, Nan Yu simply remained where he was.
Right now...
Du Enyun really was rather pitiful.
He had lost the chance to become Professor Liu's disciple.
Then he lost the title of champion in both academic and practical competition.
Finally...
Even his friends' attempt to stand up for him had ended like this.
He really had been cursed, hadn't he?
After Du Enyun left, Nan Yu slowly walked around the new office.
"It's quite nice..."
A pity, though.
He had already promised Professor Liu that he would spend every day studying in his office.
He wouldn't be bringing anyone else along.
At that moment, Du Enyun suddenly nodded and asked,
"Right now, I only want to know one thing."
"Can I join?"
Nan Yu looked at him with obvious surprise.
"You want to attend Professor Liu's lessons with me?"