Chapter 17: Looking at It the Other Way Around
Only after Old Master Bai said all that did Bai Zhouyun realize that things no longer seemed the same as before. It was no longer Nan Yu clinging to him at all costs—it should be him guarding Nan Yu instead.
At the very least, before they got married, he had to make Nan Yu the center of everything. Otherwise, in his entire life, he would never find another Mental Power User as outstanding as Nan Yu to become his partner.
But his pride and unwillingness were causing trouble. Or rather, Nan Yu's good temper had spoiled him over the years. So now, asking him to lower himself and actively reconcile with Nan Yu still felt extremely awkward and humiliating to him. It was as though admitting his mistakes to Nan Yu was something utterly unacceptable.
Seeing his conflicted expression, Old Master Bai knew exactly what was going through his mind.
“How can a grown man and an Ability User make such a fuss over lowering his head a little to a Mental Power User?”
“Is it embarrassing? Or is lowering your head really that unacceptable to you?”
Bai Zhouyun frowned slightly. Not even caring that Old Master Bai was sitting in front of him, his expression became conflicted and ugly.
“And this is the bearing of an Ability User?”
Bai Zhouyun said, “Grandpa, you don't know the full story behind this—”
“I do!”
Old Master Bai interrupted him.
“You took Xiao Yu to Black Night Forest to look for medicinal herbs, but you ran into two classmates on the way, and you also encountered an Ability Beast. Yet instead of protecting your fiancé immediately, you stood with those two classmates.”
“And in the end, there was hugging and cuddling. Even if it was a misunderstanding or an accident, so what? Didn't the two of you embrace each other? Didn't you hug right in front of your fiancé, whom you had abandoned when danger appeared?”
“And after all that, you still think you weren't wrong?”
“Let me tell you, if someone like you went to the battlefield, even if you managed to come back alive, you'd be the first one kicked out of the army!”
“You...”
He had wanted to call Bai Zhouyun trash, but after thinking about it, Bai Zhouyun was already a genuine piece of trash without needing him to say it, so he swallowed the words.
“There's one more thing I need to tell you.”
“I got some information from Nan Ming. That's right, your Uncle Nan.”
“He told me that Xiao Yu would be leaving the Capital Star for several months. His return date is uncertain, and his current whereabouts are military secrets that can't be disclosed to me.”
“Do you know what these words mean?”
Bai Zhouyun paused slightly.
He had always wanted to join the military, especially Marshal Yu Lanfeng's army. Unfortunately, his talent wasn't good enough. Even now, he was still only a Mid-Tier Ability User.
Therefore...
Old Master Bai repeated himself.
“Do you know what this means?”
Of course Bai Zhouyun knew.
He had paid special attention to these things before because he was interested in them. This meant Nan Yu was definitely accompanying some military unit on missions. When he returned, he would have military merits to his name, and with his outstanding Mental Power User talent, he might even be able to enter Marshal Yu's army in the future!
Which meant...
Could a useless Ability User like himself, who had accomplished nothing, really still be worthy of an outstanding Mental Power User like Nan Yu, someone with military status and tremendous talent and potential?
Obviously not.
Many other families would probably be willing to risk offending the Emperor just to deal with him. In that case, Nan Yu would no longer need to remain tied to him and would have many other choices.
And the worst part was that those families would likely first unite to force the Bai family to give up Nan Yu, and after Nan Yu became single again, they would compete fairly among themselves.
“Grandpa... then that means...”
Old Master Bai snorted.
“You've finally figured it out?”
“Anyway, I've said what I needed to say. Whether you listen or not is up to you. In the end, this is a matter between the two of you.”
“Whether you two can be together in the future depends entirely on Xiao Yu's wishes. As long as he doesn't want it anymore, there are plenty of people willing to help him. Do you understand?”
Bai Zhouyun asked in disbelief, “Grandpa, are there really that many people willing to...”
Take action against the Bai family?
After all, standing behind the Bai family was the Emperor himself!
“You fool! Do you think the Emperor will casually interfere?”
“Yes, I did save him once back then. But only once. At the time, he was just a prince and I was merely a low-ranking officer. Saving the prince was only natural. It was because the Emperor appreciated me that he was willing to support the Bai family.”
“But that doesn't mean the Emperor will meddle in the marriage affairs °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° of the younger generation! As long as the Bai family isn't exterminated, the Emperor definitely won't intervene. So you expect him to manage your marriage? Dream on!”
Bai Zhouyun instantly wilted.
This was completely different from what he had believed all these years. Yet after hearing his grandfather's words, he felt they made perfect sense. In fact, this felt like the truth, while everything he had previously believed now seemed false.
“So Grandpa, after Nan Yu comes back, I should apologize and reconcile with him?”
Having to take the initiative and admit his mistakes was simply unbearable to Bai Zhouyun.
He had always treated Nan Yu from a position of superiority. He had never humbled himself before.
That was the most fundamental reason.
Old Master Bai waved his hand.
“Enough. Go rest for today. In the future, if you're not home by eleven at night, then don't bother coming back. Stay outside. Coming home this late only disturbs other people's rest, understand?”
Bai Zhouyun looked pitiful.
“I understand, Grandpa. I'll definitely come home before eleven every day from now on.”
Very soon, he was driven out of the study.
Old Master Bai also rose and returned to his room.
Although everyone called him Old Master Bai, he didn't look old at all.
In this interstellar era, where the average lifespan reached five hundred years, people only truly entered old age after four hundred. Old Master Bai was only a little over two hundred years old, which was actually considered the prime of life.
His wife, however, had passed away early because of poor health.
By rights, he could have married again, but back when he had served in the army, he had desperately maintained the image of a devoted and faithful husband in front of the prince in order to gain his favor.
As a result, after his wife's death, he no longer dared remarry, nor did he dare keep any lovers outside.
He was afraid that if his image as a devoted man collapsed, the Emperor's favorable impression of him would gradually diminish.
Otherwise, how could he possibly place his hopes on a piece of trash like Bai Zhouyun?
The birth of this child had been a disgrace to both him and the Bai family.
It was just that, due to various reasons, he could not remarry for the time being. Every year, his body underwent examinations, and he was in excellent health.
In other words, if he took another wife, he would definitely have new children.
Therefore...
If Bai Zhouyun could not secure Nan Yu, then the only value he possessed would disappear as well.
Returning to his room, Old Master Bai sat on the bed.
In the darkness, a somewhat eerie smile silently appeared on his face.