Chapter 80.1: Secret
On the surface, the matter seemed to have come to an end.
But in reality, it was far from over.
The reason was simple.
Yang Zhou's background was simply too ordinary. He was exactly the sort of person anyone could step on without consequence. Although he had inherited his grandfather's estate, that was all he had inherited.
He had nothing else.
On the Capital Star, where influential families gathered, if Nan Yu hadn't been looking out for him, Yang Zhou's situation would certainly have remained extremely difficult.
It simply hadn't become obvious yet.
After school that day, Nan Yu was picked up by people from the military.
The ones who came to fetch him were, in fact, the same people who had been secretly protecting him during this period.
Sitting inside the hovercraft, he quietly observed the two Ability Users inside.
Both were elite members of Yu Lanfeng's legion.
To be honest...
They were quite impressive.
Nan Yu quickly withdrew his gaze.
What he didn't know was that after he looked away, the two people he had been staring at both quietly let out sighs of relief.
Nan Yu might not have known...
But they knew perfectly well.
Their Marshal had never before invited a Mental Power User to dinner alone.
Not to mention taking them to a place that person personally liked.
That was why they had become so nervous under Nan Yu's gaze.
Because they both knew perfectly well what direction the relationship between those two people might develop in.
Was there really any Ability User in the entire Empire more outstanding than their Marshal?
As long as Nan Yu wasn't an idiot, he would naturally choose the better option instead of trash like Bai Zhouyun.
Even if the investigation suggested that Bai Zhouyun seemed to be making an effort to improve himself lately...
Behind everyone's backs, he was still flirting with Yun Feiyu.
Meanwhile, on the surface, he remained determined to restore his previous relationship with Nan Yu.
Anyone who knew the situation understood just how well Nan Yu had treated Bai Zhouyun in the past.
If it had been any one of them, they would never have allowed an excellent fiancé like Nan Yu to suffer even the slightest grievance.
Yet the person who had hurt Nan Yu the most...
Had always been Bai Zhouyun.
That was something they simply could not accept.
As a result, everyone within the legion who knew about the matter wholeheartedly supported Nan Yu breaking off his engagement with Bai Zhouyun.
And now...
They had also noticed that their Marshal seemed to have taken an interest in this exceptionally promising young man.
Naturally...
Their own thoughts began to wander.
Their Marshal had remained single all these years.
Did this mean...
He was finally preparing to pursue someone?
If that was the case...
Perhaps they should secretly lend him a hand.
Nan Yu sat blankly in his seat, quietly waiting for the hovercraft to arrive at Zhenxiu Pavilion.
Before long, one of the people inside walked over and sat in the seat beside him.
Nan Yu looked at him.
"Hm?"
"Mr. Nan Yu."
Nan Yu blinked.
"What is it?"
"Our Marshal is extremely outstanding."
Nan Yu blinked again.
"I know he's outstanding."
"Our Marshal is the strongest Ability User in the Empire."
Nan Yu looked utterly confused.
"I... I know that too. His strength is definitely at the very top among all Ability Users."
"Our Marshal has never been in a relationship."
If Nan Yu still couldn't figure out what he was trying to say at this point, then he really would have been hopelessly dense.
"Ah... I know. I've never heard that the Marshal has ever dated anyone. His private life must be exceptionally clean."
"That's right."
"So our Marshal is the best possible choice."
Nan Yu fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"For a Mental Power User, having a partner like the Marshal really would be wonderful."
It was just...
He didn't know whether he had any chance.
Although he wasn't deeply in love yet, he was planning to change partners eventually anyway.
If he had the opportunity...
Then naturally, choosing the strongest person would be the best option.
But...
Could something like that really happen?
Only then did Nan Yu suddenly realize...
Wasn't he currently on his way to have dinner because Yu Lanfeng had personally invited him?
Wow...
Did that mean...
He actually had a chance?
If that was true...
Then he'd better perform well.
Still...
He couldn't let anyone find anything to criticize.
His engagement hadn't been broken off yet.
Otherwise...
Wouldn't he become the same kind of cheating scumbag as Bai Zhouyun, getting involved with someone else while still engaged?
And that someone...
Was Marshal Yu Lanfeng.
So, in Nan Yu's opinion, he still needed to suppress those little thoughts of his for now.
Just wait.
Wait a little longer.
Once he became a High-Tier Mental Power User...
He would be free.
Then he could pursue whoever he wanted.
He would never become entangled with Bai Zhouyun again.
And if Bai Zhouyun still insisted on making a move against him...
Nan Yu certainly wouldn't show any mercy.
The hovercraft eventually landed inside a secluded courtyard behind Zhenxiu Pavilion.
After stepping out, Nan Yu looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings with some confusion.
If the people piloting the hovercraft hadn't belonged to the legion...
He would have thought he'd been kidnapped for a second time.
Only after they explained it did Nan Yu learn that this was actually the rear entrance to Zhenxiu Pavilion.
He had never come here before.
No wonder it looked completely unfamiliar.
The delicious aroma, however, was just as rich as ever.
He had simply been too nervous earlier to notice it.
Before long, Nan Yu met Yu Lanfeng inside a private dining room.
"Marshal, have you been waiting long?"
Yu Lanfeng sat perfectly upright.
"Only about ten minutes."
Nan Yu: "..."
Smiling awkwardly, he sat down nearby.
"Ah... is that so? Then I arrived late."
He secretly glanced at the time.
Sure enough...
About ten minutes had passed since the agreed time.
He really was late.
Although he thought the movement was discreet...
Before Yu Lanfeng, it might as well have been completely obvious.
"It's alright."
"It was only ten minutes."
"I spent the time reading work reports."
Nan Yu had no idea how to respond.
"As expected of the Marshal."
"But it's dinner time now."
"Shall we order first?"
Yu Lanfeng also seemed to realize that what he had just said wasn't exactly appropriate.
"Alright."
There was an electronic menu beside the table.
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng sat opposite each other.
At the same moment...
Both reached toward different dishes on the screen.
Nan Yu immediately withdrew his hand.
"Marshal, you should order first."
After their earlier conversation...
He was no longer entirely sure whether Yu Lanfeng actually had those kinds of feelings for him.
What if all of this was simply his own imagination?
Wouldn't that be unbearably embarrassing?
Yu Lanfeng reached out...
And selected the very dish Nan Yu had wanted to order.
Nan Yu blinked.
His eyes remained fixed on Yu Lanfeng.
Feeling his gaze, Yu Lanfeng unconsciously tensed up.
"What else would you like?"
Nan Yu blinked.
"You're letting me order first?"
"Yes."
"You first."
Only then did Nan Yu stop being polite.
He ordered quite a few dishes.
Many of them were marked for takeaway later.
Only three dishes were actually meant to be served for them to eat now.
"I'm finished."
"Marshal, your turn."
"This is also a good opportunity for me to learn what kinds of food you like."
After saying that, he continued watching Yu Lanfeng.
Yet Yu Lanfeng remained exactly the same as before.
Expressionless.
Even his eyes didn't change in the slightest.
Nan Yu couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Had he simply been overthinking everything?
Forget it.
He'd wait a little longer.
Now wasn't the time to reveal too much.
Completely immersed in his own thoughts, Nan Yu never noticed how many dishes Yu Lanfeng ordered.
Only after every dish had been served did he stare at the table in astonishment.
The table itself...
Was the enormous kind used at banquets, large enough to seat over a dozen people.
Yet now it was completely covered with food.
The three dishes Nan Yu had ordered looked pitifully squeezed into one tiny corner.
"Ah..."
"Well..."
"The Marshal is an incredibly powerful Ability User, so of course he eats a lot."
"I just wonder whether they're all tasty."
"I'll try some too."
"There are lots of dishes here I've never had before."
Yu Lanfeng picked up his chopsticks and nodded.
"Mm."
"Eat."
Nan Yu also picked up his chopsticks.
He assumed Yu Lanfeng genuinely intended to eat all of this.
Only Yu Lanfeng himself knew that...
Because he had been distracted while ordering...
He had simply selected dishes at random.
Fortunately, everything he picked happened to be edible.
Most of it tasted good.
Although there were a few dishes he wasn't particularly fond of...
He could still finish them.
Nan Yu sampled several dishes he had never tried before.
"Mm!"
"They're actually really good!"
He immediately became tempted to order several more for takeaway.
However...
His gaze landed on Yu Lanfeng.
The Marshal was eating with complete concentration.
He looked absolutely determined to finish every last bite.
Since that was the case...
Nan Yu decided to forget about ordering more for now.
Just as he was about to continue eating...
Yu Lanfeng suddenly clutched his head...
And collapsed.
Nan Yu was startled.
He shot to his feet, trying to catch him.
Unfortunately...
He had greatly overestimated his own strength.
And seriously underestimated Yu Lanfeng's size and weight.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
This was simply...
Absolutely fatal.
He lay on the floor with a look of complete despair, unable to move.
The Yu Lanfeng he had tried to support was now lying directly on top of him.
His face happened to rest against Nan Yu's abdomen.
Every warm breath brushing against him made his entire body tremble slightly.
Nan Yu tried several times to push him away.
But Yu Lanfeng seemed practically glued to him.
He wouldn't budge at all.
Nan Yu took another deep breath.
Wonderful.
His final attempt had also failed.
He wanted to contact someone and have them come inside immediately.
However, after opening his communicator, he discovered that everyone he could contact either couldn't know Yu Lanfeng was here...
Or had no way of entering Zhenxiu Pavilion.
The people he actually needed to contact...
He didn't have their contact information.
For example, the soldiers who had brought him here earlier.
He couldn't reach a single one of them.
He could, of course, press the service button and have the staff of Zhenxiu Pavilion deal with the situation.
But...
Nan Yu felt that wasn't very reliable.
Yu Lanfeng had been perfectly fine just moments ago.
Now he had suddenly collapsed.
No matter how he looked at it...
It had to be related to these dishes.
Nan Yu carefully observed Yu Lanfeng's condition.
Finally, he decided to try examining his Mental Sea with his mental power.
Hopefully...
He wouldn't encounter any resistance.
After all...
Someone as powerful as Yu Lanfeng surely possessed an unimaginably formidable Mental Sea.
If its defenses were completely sealed...
Nan Yu wasn't certain he would even be able to enter.
Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to lying on the floor.
To be safe, he placed both hands on either side of Yu Lanfeng's head.
Although he was capable of projecting his mental power externally...
This time...
There absolutely couldn't be even the slightest mistake.
Nan Yu carefully sensed the images transmitted back through his mental power.
Every moment, he cautiously observed the state of Yu Lanfeng's Mental Sea.
When his mental power reached the defensive barrier surrounding Yu Lanfeng's Mental Sea...
Only then did he realize...
The barrier truly was astonishingly powerful.
He searched all around it...
Yet couldn't find a single opening through which he could enter.
Withdrawing his mental power, he sighed in disappointment.
Then...
An idea suddenly came to him.
He had heard before that someone had once successfully used this method.
Perhaps...
He could try it too.
The only question was...
How much did the Marshal trust him?
If Yu Lanfeng didn't trust him...
Then this method would be completely useless.
Taking a deep breath, Nan Yu gently placed both hands on Yu Lanfeng's face.
Then he whispered softly,
"Marshal..."
"It's me, Nan Yu..."
"I'm Nan Yu, do you know that?"
"I'm going to examine your Mental Sea now."
"Don't keep your defenses so tightly sealed."
"Leave everything to me."
"I'll definitely be able to help you."
He repeated those words three or four times.
Then he once again sent out his mental power.
He hadn't expected much.
Yet very quickly...
Nan Yu discovered that it actually worked.
At the very least...
The strength of Yu Lanfeng's defensive barrier had been reduced by half.
For anyone else...
That still wouldn't have been enough to get through.
But for Nan Yu...
It was sufficient.
Only then did Nan Yu suddenly realize something.
Had Yu Lanfeng really fainted...
Or was he pretending?
After hearing those words...
He had actually relaxed the defenses around his Mental Sea.
And the opening he left behind was just large enough for Nan Yu's mental power to enter.
Could he really...
Not be faking it?