Chapter 99: Jealousy
Hearing those two words, Nan Yu didn't react for a moment. Then he glanced upward and felt there was only one possibility...
After heading upstairs, he indeed found a familiar figure in the top-floor lounge.
"When did you get here? Aren't you supposed to be at the border? Aren't there still huge numbers of Ability Beasts there? You came all the way back now... aren't you worried they won't be able to hold the line?"
Yu Lanfeng replied, "It's fine. The hardest period has already passed. Things have settled down now. If they still can't handle the Ability Beasts at this stage, then they're simply incompetent."
Nan Yu walked over and sat beside him.
"Really? So does that mean you'll have a fairly relaxed schedule for about the next six months?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That's right. I'll probably be focusing on the game's development. It's a very important project."
"Do you need my help? Don't be polite."
Yu Lanfeng suddenly reached out and gently touched his cheek.
"I won't."
Nan Yu froze slightly, his body stiffening for a moment, but he didn't avoid the touch.
He realized that he wasn't uncomfortable with Yu Lanfeng touching him at all.
On the contrary...
It felt completely natural.
"Brother?"
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"Brother?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded before quickly withdrawing his hand.
It still wasn't the time for them to become too intimate.
Although...
They had already slept in the same room before.
Even if one had slept on the bed while the other had slept on the sofa, that didn't change the fact that they had spent the night in the same room.
Thinking about it suddenly made Nan Yu feel a little embarrassed.
"By the way, if there's nothing urgent, you should get some rest first. You can go sleep in the room for a while. You definitely didn't waste even a minute before rushing back here, did you?"
"I'll head downstairs to the hospital and see if there's anywhere I can help. By the time you wake up, I should probably be back."
Yu Lanfeng really was exhausted.
He had dealt with a mountain of work ahead of schedule for one reason only—
To come back and see Nan Yu as soon as possible.
At that moment, he couldn't help regretting it.
If he'd known things would turn out like this, he should have cooperated with his older sister earlier and worked harder to dissolve Nan Yu's engagement to Bai Zhouyun.
Nan Yu soon went downstairs, while Yu Lanfeng took a shower before going into the bedroom.
Since no one else was using the lounge, he naturally chose to sleep on the bed.
Nan Yu had no idea someone had occupied his bed. He was already downstairs, diligently throwing himself into work again.
Even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have reacted much.
After all...
Wasn't this perfectly normal?
Sooner or later, they would end up together.
It was only a matter of time.
When Nan Yu found the hospital director, he noticed the man looked much more relaxed than before.
"Director?"
"Oh, it's you. Come take a look at these patients."
The director had access to the basic condition of every patient in the hospital. Nan Yu walked over and discovered that the people the director wanted him to examine were all among the most seriously ill.
"How are they recovering? If they're doing well enough, I'll give it a try."
The director pointed at several records.
"These two still aren't ready. Give them another two days. The rest are fine. Go examine them one by one later."
"Oh, and bring a few people with you. Teach them a little while you're at it."
"No problem."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Come to think of it, this was originally why I came here in the first place, wasn't it? Instead, you all drafted me into doing everything under the sun. Finally getting back to my actual job means I can relax a little."
The director suddenly said,
"They've caught him."
Nan Yu paused briefly before realizing who he meant.
It could only be the person who had tried to kill Qin Wenxing.
There was no need to guess—the culprit was definitely connected to that hastily formed little group.
"I understand."
"I'll ask someone else for the details later. Director, you don't have to bring up such heavy topics here."
The director quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Normally, since the incident had happened in the hospital, he should have been the one explaining everything.
But Nan Yu's identity was simply too special.
His relationship with Marshal Yu Lanfeng was unbelievably close.
So close that everyone who had witnessed them together found it strange.
Or rather...
They all felt there was something unusually subtle between the two of them.
Yet no one dared to say anything.
No one dared spread rumors.
Only a handful of people knew there seemed to be something ambiguous between Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng.
If word ever leaked out, it would be incredibly easy to determine exactly who had been responsible.
And none of them even dared imagine what would happen to that person afterward.
Nan Yu conscientiously led several Mental Power Users from the hospital to examine the patients.
At the same time, he explained some of his own methods of using mental power.
Although it was only the bare basics—nothing involving externalizing mental power or using it directly for attacks—
Even that tiny fraction was enough to open an entirely new door before them.
Whether they would eventually shut that door again...
Or push it open and continue forward...
Or simply remain standing where they were...
That depended entirely on their own understanding.
Nan Yu could only guide them this far.
He had no intention of becoming everyone's nanny.
Once he graduated from the academy, he would stay with Yu Lanfeng's legion permanently, following him wherever he went.
By then, the legion would be protecting him completely.
Even if the Imperial Family wanted to interfere with him, they would first have to obtain Yu Lanfeng's approval.
That would be perfect.
At that point, he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.
Although...
Once he became a High-Tier Mental Power User, he probably wouldn't have nearly as much freedom.
But Nan Yu didn't care.
Soon...
Very soon...
He would escape the fate that had awaited him in his previous life.
He would begin a completely new life.
And he would finally say goodbye—
Once and for all—
To Bai Zhouyun and Yun Feiyu.
By the time Nan Yu returned to the lounge, four hours had already passed.
As soon as he entered the living room, he saw Yu Lanfeng busy in the kitchen.
"Cooking?"
"I'm making congee."
Yu Lanfeng looked over.
"Do you like congee?"
"Of course I do."
Nan Yu smiled.
"And your cooking is pretty good. Looks like I'm in for a treat."
Yu Lanfeng had done much more than prepare congee.
He had also found time to make several side dishes, all of which looked extremely appetizing.
After dinner, Yu Lanfeng told Nan Yu about the Mental Power User competition against the allied nation that would take place in a few days.
Nan Yu wasn't concerned in the slightest.
"I already know about it."
He looked at Yu Lanfeng.
"You're emphasizing this particular person... Does that mean something unexpected is going to happen?"
"There won't be any surprises."
"As long as you remain steady."
"...He doesn't look particularly capable."
Nan Yu blinked.
"But everyone says this Mental Power User is extremely powerful. Isn't he considered the strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power User in his country?"
Yu Lanfeng answered calmly,
"He's very favored."
Nan Yu pondered those words for a moment before quickly understanding.
"I see."
Being "very favored" meant no one had ever dared confront him directly.
As a result, he had naturally become known as the strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power User in the country.
That reputation had inflated his confidence to the point where he now believed he could defeat someone with genuine ability like Nan Yu.
Nan Yu shrugged.
"So..."
"Should I win beautifully that day?"
"Or should I be a little more restrained?"
Yu Lanfeng answered without hesitation.
"Beautifully."
"No problem."
"Absolutely no problem."
"They deliberately chose the academy as the venue in the first place. Their intentions weren't good from the beginning."
"In that case..."
"I don't need to save any face for him."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Mm."
Nan Yu put down his chopsticks and looked leisurely at him.
"I heard this Mental Power User didn't even know who I was before."
"But apparently someone told him that Marshal Yu, the man he's obsessed with, and I make a perfect match."
"So now he hates me."
Under Nan Yu's gaze, Yu Lanfeng slowly set down his own chopsticks.
"I don't know him."
"But you were just talking to me about him."
"I only investigated him because I knew he intended to challenge you."
Yu Lanfeng forwarded a file.
"This contains all his information."
"Take a look."
"So he doesn't catch you off guard."
Nan Yu burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright."
"I was just teasing you."
He casually opened the file and skimmed through it.
"Nothing worth reading."
"Someone at this level..."
"Even if ten of them came together, I wouldn't be afraid."
Yu Lanfeng activated the cleaning robot to tidy both the dining area and the kitchen.
"It's time to rest."
Then he abruptly changed the subject entirely.
"The restraints on you..."
"Leave them to me."
At first Nan Yu didn't understand what he meant.
Then it suddenly clicked.
"It's alright."
"Once I become a High-Tier Mental Power User, the engagement will naturally become invalid."
"When that happens, the Empire will definitely assign me the finest Ability User as my partner."
He smiled teasingly.
"Who do you think they'll assign to me?"
Yu Lanfeng turned to look at him.
"Naturally..."
"The very best one."
Nan Yu tilted his head.
"And who would that be?"
For once, Yu Lanfeng answered with complete confidence.
Even with his expressionless face, he declared without hesitation,
"Naturally..."
"Me."
Nan Yu immediately burst into laughter.
"Oh no... I can't..."
"That's too funny..."
"Hahaha..."
Yu Lanfeng couldn't understand why he was laughing so hard.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Nan Yu finally caught his breath.
"I just thought it was amusing."
"Alright, let's get some rest."
"Oh, right."
"Has the competition date been finalized?"
"It has."
"It'll begin five days from now in the morning."
"You should receive the official notice tomorrow."
"Got it."
"They're in that much of a hurry to go home?"
"Regardless of whether they win or lose, they'll leave immediately after the competition."
There was one thing Yu Lanfeng didn't mention.
The delegation should actually have departed several days ago.
However, that Mental Power User had stubbornly insisted on staying because he wanted to meet Yu Lanfeng.
That alone had delayed their departure until now.
Then they had somehow arranged this competition.
For them, it was a match with no real benefit.
If they lost, it would be humiliating.
If they won...
That didn't necessarily mean anything good either.
Although they were allied with the Empire, the difference in strength between the two nations was enormous.
If they actually defeated the Empire and the Empire became displeased enough to replace them with another ally...
Then a small nation like theirs would lose the protection of a major power.
Once that happened, they would disappear almost immediately—
Either swallowed up by Ability Beasts...
Or divided among neighboring countries.
Nan Yu smiled faintly.
"It's better if they leave."
"That'll save them from embarrassing themselves any further."
He was absolutely certain he would win.
So he wasn't worried about the competition five days later in the slightest.
Watching Nan Yu close the file without even reading it before preparing to wash up and go to bed, Yu Lanfeng was certain of one thing.
Nan Yu probably hadn't even looked at the challenger's name.
He simply hadn't taken him seriously at all.
In Nan Yu's eyes, unless a High-Tier Mental Power User personally appeared...
No Mid-Tier Mental Power User had any chance of defeating him.
Yu Lanfeng wasn't worried about the competition either.
The real issue occupying his mind now...
Was Nan Yu's engagement to Bai Zhouyun.
Taking a deep breath, he directly placed a call to his older sister.
Although it was already rather late, he was certain she would answer.
Sure enough, about half a minute later, the call connected.
The person who appeared on the screen...
Was the Empress.
She was also Yu Lanfeng's older sister.
"Oh? Well, well, this is a miracle. I actually get to see you call me while I'm still alive? Hm? Wait, I think there was one time before? Never mind, that's not important. Why are you calling me? Have you finally come to your senses?"
Yu Lanfeng felt that calling her now was practically slapping himself in the face, but there was no helping it. If he wasn't a little thick-skinned now, pursuing Nan Yu later would be much harder.
The Empress smiled.
"Why'd you stop talking? Back to being a mute again? That won't do. You're the one asking me for help now. Just say it. If I think it's reasonable, I'll definitely help you."
Yu Lanfeng said without hesitation,
"I want Bai Zhouyun and Nan Yu's engagement to be dissolved."
The Empress nearly slid right off her chair.
She stared fixedly at Yu Lanfeng through the communicator, scrutinizing him from head to toe several times before muttering to herself,
"So it's true... Why does it feel like you've become a completely different person? Are you really my little brother? You're not an impostor pretending to be him, are you?"
Yu Lanfeng frowned slightly.
"Are you helping or not?"
"Helping!"
The Empress slapped the table.
"I've been waiting for you to say exactly that! I've already gathered a mountain of evidence. All I was waiting for was your approval. I thought you'd never figure it out in this lifetime. Who would've thought you'd understand your big sister's painstaking efforts so quickly?"
She grinned mischievously.
"So... does Nan Yu happen to be exactly your type?"
Yu Lanfeng felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He didn't want to keep looking at his smug older sister.
"You handle the rest."
"I'll assist from the shadows."
The Empress waved a hand confidently.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me. I won't mess it up."
Yu Lanfeng ended the call as though he hadn't even noticed she still had more to say.
Looking at the disconnected screen, the Empress let out a sinister little "Heh heh heh."
The Emperor, who had been sitting on the bed waiting for her to come to sleep, felt a chill run down his spine and decided he'd better just go to bed first.
The Empress paid him no attention.
Whenever things reached the most critical moment, the Emperor always dropped the ball.
She had long since stopped expecting his help.
Fortunately, she didn't need it.
Once the Empress decided to do something...
No one could stop her.
She began flipping through the evidence she'd collected.
The most explosive piece was footage of Bai Zhouyun and Yun Feiyu kissing passionately outside a doorway before tugging at each other's clothes as they stumbled inside.
Perhaps because they hadn't been on guard at the time, they had actually forgotten to close the door.
Although one of them quickly came back to shut it, the person she'd stationed there had already taken advantage of those few precious seconds to release a tiny mechanical insect into the room to secretly record everything.
The result...
It had captured an incredibly explicit scene.
There was no ambiguity whatsoever.
If this footage were released, there would be no way those two could clear their names.
At that point, Bai Zhouyun and Nan Yu's engagement would undoubtedly be over.
Thinking of that, the Empress let out another sinister chuckle.
The Emperor, who had just started drifting off to sleep, was instantly wide awake again.
He felt he should persuade her to go to bed immediately.
Otherwise, there was no telling when he'd finally get to sleep.
"My dear."
He smiled helplessly.
"Come to bed. It's already late. You need your beauty sleep."
The Empress glanced at the time.
"Right, right! Beauty sleep. Staying up late is terrible for your skin."
The Emperor watched as she lay down beside him.
He gently wrapped an arm around her.
Before long, the two of them fell asleep together.
Meanwhile...
Things on Yu Lanfeng's side had become rather awkward.
The reason was simple.
Nan Yu had once again forgotten to bring clean clothes into the bathroom before taking a shower.
So he asked Yu Lanfeng to fetch them.
Yu Lanfeng searched for quite a while...
Yet somehow never found them.
Feeling thoroughly aggrieved, Nan Yu called from inside the bathroom,
"They're in the wardrobe just inside the door on the left. Open it, then the top drawer on the right. You really couldn't find them?"
Yu Lanfeng looked at the drawer.
Inside were neatly folded pajamas and pajama pants.
The drawer below contained Nan Yu's underwear.
Maintaining a perfectly righteous expression, he replied,
"I couldn't find them."
If Nan Yu still hadn't realized Yu Lanfeng was teasing him by now, then he'd really have wasted a perfectly good brain.
"...Brother."
His voice softened.
"Could you bring them to me?"
Over the time they'd spent together, Nan Yu had discovered something.
Yu Lanfeng was the classic type who responded to softness rather than force.
Most of the time, the only way to get him to cooperate was to give in first.
Once Nan Yu softened his tone...
Yu Lanfeng immediately became unbelievably obedient.
Especially whenever Nan Yu called him "Brother."
Suddenly, a thought crossed Nan Yu's mind.
If he and Yu Lanfeng became truly intimate in the future...
Would he have to call him "Brother" in bed too?
No.
That was way too embarrassing!
He became so absorbed in that thought that he didn't even notice Yu Lanfeng had already arrived outside the bathroom.
"I brought them."
Nan Yu jumped.
He had been standing right beside the door, and Yu Lanfeng's voice came from just outside, making it sound as though he were speaking directly into his ear.
Nan Yu hurriedly calmed himself before opening the door just a crack, intending to grab the clothes through the gap.
Yu Lanfeng didn't make things difficult for him.
He simply placed the clothes into Nan Yu's hand.
Only then did Nan Yu get dressed and walk out of the bathroom.
The cleaning robot immediately rolled inside and began tidying up.
Yu Lanfeng looked at him.
"Embarrassed?"
Nan Yu's breathing caught for an instant.
Was it really okay to ask something like that so directly?
Fortunately, Yu Lanfeng didn't press the issue.
When Nan Yu didn't answer, he simply let it go.
"Get some rest."
With that, he lay down on the custom-made sofa beside the bed, pulled up his blanket, and prepared to sleep.
Although Nan Yu was inwardly speechless, he still climbed into bed with a flushed face.
He pulled the blanket up a little higher, covering his reddened cheeks so Yu Lanfeng wouldn't see them.
Even though...
He had obviously already seen.
Still, fooling himself a little didn't hurt.
Nan Yu took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He had assumed he'd have trouble falling asleep tonight.
Instead...
He was asleep within less than two minutes.
Perhaps he had simply been too tired today.
But the real reason was that there was someone beside him who gave him an overwhelming sense of security.
Over the next few days, while Nan Yu continued living his peaceful routine, a piece of news quickly spread throughout the Empire.
Just as expected.
The so-called strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power User from that allied nation had officially challenged Nan Yu of the Empire's Capital Star.
The reason?
He had heard that Nan Yu was acknowledged as the Empire's strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
"I heard the competition's going to be held at the Royal Military Academy! And the allied nation specifically chose the venue. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"
"Heh, I heard they'll leave immediately after the match. Sounds like they already know they're going to lose miserably, so they're planning to run before they embarrass themselves any further."
"I was thinking the same thing. I looked into that so-called allied nation. It's just a small country. I'm sure they have talented Mid-Tier Mental Power Users, but beating Nan Yu? That's probably impossible."
"They don't seem to think so. They're incredibly confident."
"I don't think that's the important part."
"What do you mean?"
"Winning is basically guaranteed. I never even considered the possibility that Nan Yu might lose. The real focus of this competition is something else."
"Go on."
"Think about it. After this match, even more people are going to learn who Nan Yu is. The media will definitely report on him everywhere. Most people will end up admiring him just like we do."
"And then..."
"Compared to that..."
The speaker nudged his chin in a certain direction.
"Get it now?"
Everyone looked over.
A lone figure was slowly approaching.
It was Bai Zhouyun.
"Right! How did we miss that?"
"The real issue was never the competition."
"It's Nan Yu's engagement."
"If Nan Yu wins, even more people will pay attention to him. He'll probably become every Ability User's dream man."
"And then someone like Bai Zhouyun..."
"...standing beside everyone's dream man..."
"...is only going to get cursed even more."
They could practically picture Bai Zhouyun being condemned by the entire Empire.
Just imagining it felt satisfying.
"Who told him to cheat despite already having such an incredible fiancé?"
"He even went to Fusè."
"And I heard that back then it was Nan Yu who liked him first, always chasing after him."
"But Bai Zhouyun never liked Nan Yu."
"He just kept hurting him, treating him like a punching bag—someone who'd always stay by his side no matter what."
"I don't even want to talk about him anymore."
"He's absolutely disgusting."
"I seriously want to beat him to death."
Secretly, they began discussing how they could throw a sack over Bai Zhouyun's head one day...
And beat him half to death.
Virtually every Ability User on the Capital Star who was around Nan Yu's age harbored an instinctive hostility toward Bai Zhouyun.
To them, Nan Yu was someone they could only dream of.
Yet Bai Zhouyun...
Had obtained him...
Only to never cherish him.
He had cheated repeatedly.
Now he seemed to be trying to change.
But from time to time, intimate photos or rumors involving Bai Zhouyun and Yun Feiyu still surfaced.
That alone was enough to reveal what kind of person he really was.
Rotten to the core.
Nan Yu had no idea that this incident had thrust him into the public eye ahead of schedule.
Nor did he know he had already gained countless admirers.
Naturally...
Bai Zhouyun had also received countless "gifts" from his rapidly growing army of haters.
Nan Yu knew nothing about Bai Zhouyun's current situation.
During the day, he attended classes and helped manage various matters concerning the new class.
At night, after returning home, he either played games with Yang Zhou...
Or stayed with Yu Lanfeng, watching movies and other programs they both enjoyed on the StarNet.
At first...
The two of them had sat separately, leaving enough space between them for another person.
Later...
They sat side by side, their skin occasionally brushing together.
Eventually...
Nan Yu found himself watching movies while leaning comfortably against Yu Lanfeng's chest, completely relaxed in his embrace.
Perhaps...
Not even Nan Yu himself had realized it.
He was slowly being boiled like a frog in warm water by Yu Lanfeng.