Chapter 54: Yang Zhou
When Yang Zhou said this, he didn't bother lowering his voice at all, so everyone nearby heard him. Although they had already heard rumors before, now they couldn't help but think again about how Bai Zhouyun truly didn't know how lucky he was.
He had such an outstanding Mental Power User and not only failed to cherish him or treat him properly, but instead favored someone like this...
Everyone nearby was either patrol team members or people secretly monitoring the Nan family from outside the patrol perimeter.
Countless eyes, both open and hidden, fell upon Yun Feiyu.
No matter how dull his senses were, he could still feel it.
"Classmate Yang Zhou, please don't misunderstand. Zhouyun asked me to come find Classmate Nan Yu. There's a misunderstanding between them that hasn't been cleared up. Classmate Nan Yu has been busy these days and hasn't answered any communications, so Zhouyun asked me to come instead."
The ridicule on Yang Zhou's face only grew stronger.
"Impressive. Bai Zhouyun wants to clear up a misunderstanding, but instead of asking his family elders to come, he sends a classmate."
"And you really are funny."
Yun Feiyu still hadn't understood what Yang Zhou meant and frowned slightly.
Yang Zhou's mouth twitched.
"You're just classmates, but your way of addressing him sure is intimate. It's 'Zhouyun' this and 'Zhouyun' that, but when you address Nan Yu, it's always 'Classmate Nan Yu.' Somehow, I feel like you and Bai Zhouyun are the actual couple."
Only then did Yun Feiyu realize there was a problem with his wording.
But he'd already said it.
Trying to explain now would only make things more confusing.
So he simply didn't explain.
"The innocent remain innocent, and the guilty remain guilty. Please don't spread baseless accusations. Everyone knows how good the relationship between Bai Zhouyun and Nan Yu is."
Recalling the previous situation, Yang Zhou couldn't help twitching his mouth.
"Yeah, it really was good. One-sidedly good. Nan Yu treated that guy well while the Bai brat completely ignored that little fool."
"But now it seems the situation's reversed? It looks like Nan Yu doesn't even want to acknowledge Bai Zhouyun anymore. Things have deteriorated to the point that you're acting as peacemaker. Though honestly, I don't know whether you're here to reconcile them or make things even worse. After all, I heard the reason they started fighting this time had something to do with you."
Yun Feiyu didn't deny it.
"It was only a misunderstanding. Classmate Nan Yu just hasn't been able to let it go. Since it started because of me, naturally I should be the one to explain it."
Yang Zhou sneered and said nothing else. He simply walked past him toward the Nan residence.
It had been a long time since he'd seen Nan Yu, and now that he'd returned, he wanted to catch up properly.
After all, he'd only heard about what happened from others. He would rather hear the details directly from Nan Yu himself.
Not to mention that Nan Yu's reputation had now truly become established.
In the past, there had only been rumors.
But now, Nan Yu's actions had proven that those rumors were facts.
Everyone had finally realized what the name Nan Yu represented.
Even the Imperial Family had probably heard about him by now.
After all...
There were quite a few people in the Imperial Family who had reached marriageable age and still hadn't found suitable Mental Power Users.
Yang Zhou vaguely suspected that Bai Zhouyun only had a little time left to relax.
Once others started setting their sights on Nan Yu, Bai Zhouyun's life would be in danger.
After all, if the Bai family refused to dissolve the engagement, then there was only one other way.
If Bai Zhouyun died, Nan Yu would become free again.
As for who could win him over afterward, that would depend on their abilities and strength.
Entering through the gates, Yang Zhou immediately saw Nan Yu, his two brothers, and Nan Ming sitting in the seat of honor.
He smiled and greeted him first.
"Uncle Nan, long time no see."
Nan Ming glanced at him.
Yang Zhou was a good child and had always been close to his youngest son, so Nan Ming naturally greeted him with kindness.
"Mm, come and sit."
Yang Zhou walked over and casually sat beside Nan Yu. He greeted Nan Yun and Nan Zhen with ease, and the brothers welcomed him warmly because they knew his character.
As for the other person...
Honestly, if Nan Yu hadn't agreed to let him in, they would've simply ignored him or asked the patrol team to throw him out.
Nan Yu had already noticed Yun Feiyu awkwardly standing not far away, but he had no intention of acknowledging him yet and instead chatted with Yang Zhou first.
When adversity reveals true feelings, that saying really wasn't wrong.
In his previous life, when everyone condemned and hunted him, Yang Zhou wasn't the only person who helped him.
But among all those who helped him, Yang Zhou had met the worst end.
Because Yang Zhou had died even earlier than him.
And the fundamental reason was Nan Yu himself.
Bai Zhouyun and Yun Feiyu had long disliked Yang Zhou because of his close relationship with Nan Yu.
Later, after discovering that Yang Zhou had helped him, they targeted him.
Nan Yu had been a High-Tier Mental Power User and had somehow managed to endure.
But Yang Zhou wasn't.
He was merely an ordinary Low-Tier Mental Power User and couldn't withstand Bai Zhouyun's schemes.
And Nan Yu himself had been too overwhelmed to protect him.
In the end, he could only helplessly watch Yang Zhou die because of him.
Perhaps Yang Zhou had regretted helping him in the end.
But because of that, Nan Yu would never abandon this friend.
At the very least...
Yang Zhou was infinitely more trustworthy than Yun Feiyu.
Nan Yu asked, "Everything at home has been settled, right? Are you leaving again?"
Yang Zhou shook his head.
"There's no one left there. Any relatives I have are just eyeing the inheritance Grandpa left me. I've decided to settle permanently on the Capital Star. No matter how much they want to squeeze money out of me, they wouldn't dare act recklessly here. It's safer."
Only then did Nan Yu remember.
In his previous life, Bai Zhouyun had contacted those leech relatives of Yang Zhou.
But that definitely wouldn't happen again this time.
Nan Yu smiled.
"In that case, I'll recommend a few good places for you. Buying a house there will definitely be safe."
There were many safe and comfortable villa districts on the Capital Star, each belonging to different factions.
When he was at the military base, Yuan Qiyang had mentioned that one of the villa districts was protected by his uncle, Yu Lanfeng.
Apparently, Yu Lanfeng had invested a huge amount and developed it with some friends, so nobody had ever dared cause trouble there.
For Yang Zhou, it was the perfect place.
Yang Zhou agreed without hesitation.
"Sure! If you're recommending it, then it must be a good place. I'll listen to you!"
The two chatted happily for quite some time, completely forgetting about Yun Feiyu standing nearby.
Only after Yun Feiyu himself stepped forward did they remember there was still another person present.
Nan Yu restrained his smile and looked at him.
"So it's Classmate Yun Feiyu. Really... look at me. I haven't seen Yang Zhou for so long that I got carried away chatting. You don't mind, do you?"
Yun Feiyu still wore his gentle, good-natured smile.
"Not at all. You two are close friends, that's only natural. Besides, Yang Zhou has experienced some unfortunate things recently, and this is precisely when he needs comfort."
As soon as those words came out, even Yang Zhou himself nearly cursed.
Did Yun Feiyu have a brain or not?
He constantly reopened old wounds.
Yang Zhou had almost forgotten about those matters after seeing Nan Yu, yet Yun Feiyu had brought them up again.
Was he truly incapable of understanding that constantly talking about others' misfortunes was inappropriate?
Or was he just that kind of person?
Nan Yu nodded.
"Yeah, he does need comfort, so I probably don't have much time to chat with you today."
"Oh right, what exactly did you come here for? I heard Bai Zhouyun actually lent you that precious hovercraft of his. You know, when I touched it once, he yelled for ages, saying I'd dirty it, and told me never to go near it again."
"He was really furious. I thought he treasured it so much. Turns out he can casually lend it to classmates. Looks like, in Bai Zhouyun's eyes, I don't even rank above an ordinary classmate."
Yun Feiyu had miscalculated.
He originally thought Nan Yu was merely waiting for Bai Zhouyun to explain things.
Or that by acting pitiful and selling a tragic story, he could restore Nan Yu to his old self.
But now it seemed that borrowing Bai Zhouyun's hovercraft had been a complete disaster.
Not only had he failed to explain anything, he hadn't even gotten the opportunity.
Instead, he'd only worsened the relationship between them.
Yun Feiyu wasn't stupid.
He could clearly see that Nan Yu's dissatisfaction with Bai Zhouyun had already reached a dangerous level.
If things continued like this, they might really be finished.
Yun Feiyu wasn't with Bai Zhouyun simply because he coveted the man himself.
What he coveted was Bai Zhouyun's status after marrying Nan Yu.
Without that marriage, Bai Zhouyun's value would greatly decrease.
Without Nan Yu, Bai Zhouyun's position in the Bai family wouldn't remain as high.
And Yun Feiyu would no longer be able to obtain resources from him.
In short—
If Bai Zhouyun lost Nan Yu, Yun Feiyu wouldn't stay with Bai Zhouyun either.
He'd simply find another target.
But things weren't that simple.
Bai Zhouyun had already fallen in love with him.
If he suddenly broke up and jumped into someone else's arms, even a fool would realize he'd been deceived.
At that point, if he didn't die, he'd lose half his life.
Therefore, the only thing he could do was stop Nan Yu from completely giving up on Bai Zhouyun.
Otherwise, neither he nor Bai Zhouyun would benefit.
"It's not like that," Yun Feiyu hurriedly explained. "Bai Zhouyun has always wanted to see you. But because of those rumors, his grandfather locked him at home and he can't come out. He kept trying to contact you, but you never answered. He was so anxious that he could only ask me for help."
"He lent me the hovercraft because he desperately wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. It doesn't mean he doesn't value you."
Listening to the awkward explanation, Nan Yu recalled that in his previous life, Yun Feiyu had said almost the same things.
But why had he believed every word back then?
Why did every sentence now sound like a lie?
Heh.
No, it wasn't that they sounded like lies.
Yun Feiyu was simply a liar by nature.
And this time, his instincts weren't wrong.
"Anything else?"
Yun Feiyu froze.
He had thought those words would at least shake Nan Yu.
But seeing Nan Yu remain unmoved, he knew he'd wasted his breath.
"Bai Zhouyun couldn't contact you and couldn't come himself, so he asked me to deliver some messages. I really care about your relationship. After all, you've been together for so many years and your feelings are so deep. If you're still angry over such a small matter, then it's my fault..."
Only then did Nan Yu remember what started all this.
The reason he and Bai Zhouyun fought was because Bai Zhouyun had held Yun Feiyu in his arms to protect him while leaving Nan Yu aside.
To be fair, Nan Yu had been farther away at the time, so Bai Zhouyun's actions were understandable.
But unfortunately—
Nan Yu intended to make an issue out of it.
"So since you know it's your fault, why are you still appearing before me?"
"Don't you know I hate seeing you?"
"I thought you didn't realize it, but it seems you have some self-awareness. Since you know your existence ruined my relationship with Bai Zhouyun, shouldn't you have enough sense to stay away from me?"
"Seeing you only makes me angrier!"
Yun Feiyu clearly hadn't expected Nan Yu to become so difficult.
Had he known, he'd have prepared better.
But now it was too late.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Classmate Nan Yu. It's all my fault. I stood too close to Bai Zhouyun that day, which caused this misunderstanding."
"I won't appear before you anymore. I just hope... I hope... you two can stay together..."
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
His pale skin, watery eyes, and crystal-clear tears made him look like the perfect innocent white lotus.
Perhaps this act would work elsewhere.
Maybe even with Bai Zhouyun.
But here?
Please.
Had Yun Feiyu forgotten where he was?
This was the Nan family.
After crying for a while, Yun Feiyu finally seemed to realize it.
"Nan Yu, I truly hope you two can be happy. We used to be good friends. It hurts me that our relationship became like this because of this matter. In the future, I'll do my best not to appear before you..."
After saying that, he ran away.
Nan Yu narrowed his eyes as he watched his retreating figure before withdrawing his gaze.
Only then did he realize everyone in the room was staring at him.
Including his father and Yang Zhou.
"What? Why are you all looking at me?"
Yang Zhou laughed.
"We were afraid you'd chase after him. Whenever Yun Feiyu acted wronged in the past, he'd always put on this expression, and every time you fell for it and comforted him. This time you're not running after him?"
Nan Yu suddenly remembered those distant memories from his previous life and immediately felt terrible.
What kind of development was this?
It looked exactly like one of those melodramatic romance novels with two protagonists.
No, no.
He couldn't think about it anymore.
Still, one thing really was strange.
Yang Zhou merely mentioned it casually, but seeing the disgust on Nan Yu's face, he relaxed.
"By the way, the Bai family really knows how to stay calm. Your reputation is so huge now, but they're still sitting still. Old Master Bai even locked Bai Zhouyun at home and won't let him come see you?"
This was something Nan Yu had found strange as well.
He had always thought Old Master Bai was a profit-driven person.
Yet this time...
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Maybe something else is tying him down. It has nothing to do with me."
Seeing Nan Yu completely unconcerned about the Bai family, Yang Zhou felt much more reassured.
Better this way.
"Then forget them. Tell me about your glorious achievements lately. I heard your name all the way back on my home planet. Look, there are discussions about you all over the StarNet!"
Nan Yu leaned over and looked.
His eyes widened.
"No way. It spread this quickly?"
Yang Zhou laughed.
"What did you expect? Of course it spread fast. There are people praising you, people wanting to marry you, people wanting to form groups and come to the Capital Star to steal you..."
"And of course, there are people organizing groups to come here and kill Bai Zhouyun."
Nan Yu immediately opened StarNet.
He'd been too busy and too focused on cultivation lately to pay attention to recent developments.
He originally thought the discussions would gradually die down.
Instead, his actions had caused the topic to become even hotter.
And unexpectedly, he'd gained a great deal of sympathy.
Yang Zhou pointed at the screen.
"See? Everyone's pitying you. They think it's tragic that such an incredible Mental Power User got stuck with a useless waste."
And that was true.
To Ability Users, a Mid-Tier Ability User was completely unworthy of a Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
Especially after Nan Yu proved his abilities and established himself among the elite of Mid-Tier Mental Power Users.
Among the dozen or so peak High-Tier Ability Users in the Empire, about half remained unmarried because they couldn't find suitable Mental Power Users.
One of them was Yu Lanfeng, the strongest Ability User in the Empire.
Even Crown Prince Yuan Qiyang of the Imperial Family remained single.
Not to mention the countless other geniuses throughout the Empire.
Any one of them could crush Bai Zhouyun completely.
These powerful Ability Users had spent years suppressing their frustrations because they couldn't find suitable partners.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhouyun—a useless Mid-Tier Ability User who had only obtained his engagement to Nan Yu thanks to his ancestors' blessings—
Not only possessed the kind of Mental Power User they dreamed of but couldn't obtain no matter how hard they tried—
He didn't even know how to cherish him.