Chapter 126: Release
In fact, Nan Yu had been holding tightly onto Nan Ming's arm the whole time. When Nan Ming suddenly flung him aside without warning, he nearly lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, Nan Ming stopped the moment he reached the door.
Nan Yu glanced back at Yu Lanfeng, who had taken the opportunity to hug him just now. At a time like this, he was still thinking about things like that?!
Grabbing the hand wrapped tightly around his waist, Nan Yu said, "Hurry up and let go! My dad's about to leave the starship. We have to stop him, or else..."
Yu Lanfeng acted as though he hadn't heard a word. Not only did he continue holding Nan Yu tightly around the waist, he shamelessly pulled him completely into his arms, even preparing to sweep him up in a bridal carry. It looked like he was about to take him away.
Nan Yu immediately punched him.
"What are you doing?! Let me go! My dad..."
When Nan Yu looked toward Nan Ming, he suddenly froze.
Nan Ming hadn't left.
He was standing exactly where he was, his head twisted around, eyes wide open as he stared straight at them.
To be more precise, he wasn't looking at Nan Yu.
He was staring at Yu Lanfeng.
Nan Yu blinked. He seemed to realize something.
Could this actually work?
He stopped struggling and obediently leaned into Yu Lanfeng's embrace.
Nan Ming's mouth twitched. Not only did he turn his head completely around, but his entire body followed.
Those eyes remained locked firmly on the two of them.
No... they were fixed on Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng took a deep breath.
Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, he scooped Nan Yu into a bridal carry and turned toward his room—doing so right in front of Nan Ming.
As he walked, he calmly said, "I think the timing is perfect. How about we do something fun? Your dad is about to leave the starship. This is really a great opportunity."
Nan Yu looked at Yu Lanfeng speechlessly.
He was carrying him expressionlessly while speaking those words in an utterly flat tone.
It was unbelievably awkward.
There wasn't the slightest romantic atmosphere.
Neither of them felt anything.
The people secretly watching nearby didn't feel anything either—they simply found the whole scene absurd.
Unexpectedly, however...
Nan Ming completely took the bait.
He strode toward Yu Lanfeng.
"Stop right there! What do you think you're doing in broad daylight?! Are you trying to start a rebellion?!"
Yu Lanfeng kept walking as though he hadn't heard a single word.
That only made Nan Ming even angrier.
His voice rose several levels.
"Marshal! Don't think that just because you're the Marshal you can do whatever you want! My youngest son is still so young! He hasn't even come of age yet, and you actually dare lay a hand on him?!"
Nan Yu felt that it had probably gone far enough.
He winked at Yu Lanfeng, signaling him not to overdo it.
Otherwise, Nan Ming might genuinely forbid Yu Lanfeng from seeing him afterward.
Yu Lanfeng stopped walking and gently set Nan Yu back on his feet.
Nan Yu turned to look at Nan Ming.
He seemed...
Completely back to normal?
Nan Ming looked at Nan Yu, about to speak, but Nan Yu beat him to it.
"Dad, do you still want to leave the starship?"
Nan Ming's question immediately stuck in his throat.
After a moment, he finally answered,
"N-No... I don't."
Only then did he realize how irrational his behavior had been just moments ago.
Honestly, if he hadn't been jolted awake by that scene, he might really have walked out...
No.
There was still one person aboard who could have physically stopped him.
After all, he was no match for Yu Lanfeng.
Thinking about it now, Yu Lanfeng probably hadn't wanted to fight him directly, which was why he'd chosen such a method instead.
Regardless of the reason, though...
Nan Ming was terrified.
He absolutely refused to let those two continue sleeping in the same room.
From tonight onward, Nan Yu would stay in his room.
They were father and son.
Sleeping together was perfectly normal.
What other people thought was their own business.
To guarantee Nan Yu's safety—
And to guarantee Nan Yu's safety in another sense as well—
As his father, he had to step forward.
Nan Ming first gave Yu Lanfeng a very formal bow of thanks.
"Thank you, Marshal. Otherwise, I might truly have caused a disaster this time."
And in the end, the one who would have suffered the consequences most would have been his youngest son.
After all...
Nan Yu was their target.
Yu Lanfeng raised a hand.
"It's nothing. It was only right."
Nan Ming nodded before turning toward Nan Yu.
"Xiaoyu, stay with me for the next few days. It'll be much safer that way."
The moment those words were spoken, both Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng froze.
Neither of them had expected Nan Ming to come up with such an effective form of retaliation so quickly.
It was only for a few days...
But both of them were left speechless.
Nan Yu personally didn't mind.
After all, Nan Ming was his father.
Sleeping in the same room wasn't a problem.
But Yu Lanfeng definitely had an issue with it.
Yu Lanfeng said, "Dad, I think Xiaoyu is safest staying with me. Although I don't really want to bring it up... weren't you the one who got caught just now?"
That single word—
"Dad."
It nearly struck Nan Ming like lightning.
What did that mean?
They weren't married yet.
They hadn't even officially become a couple.
And he was already calling him Dad?
And what was that he had just said?
Listen to him!
Was that something a human being should say?
Although...
He had to admit Yu Lanfeng was telling the truth.
That only made him feel even more upset.
"The starship is perfectly safe. Xiaoyu staying with me won't be a problem. It'll put my mind at ease. After all, he's my son."
Yu Lanfeng calmly replied,
"That's not necessarily true. Didn't you get caught just now, Dad?"
Could this ever end?
Why did he keep bringing that up over and over again?!
If Nan Ming hadn't been concerned about maintaining his dignity—and about the superior-subordinate relationship between himself and Yu Lanfeng—
He would have exploded and started throwing punches.
He probably couldn't beat Yu Lanfeng...
But that still felt better than being angered like this.
Nan Yu walked over and took one of each man's hands.
"Stop arguing. I'll just go back to my own room. Then neither of you has to fight over it."
Only after saying it did Nan Yu realize something felt wrong.
It sounded as though he were two-timing them.
The entire conversation had become bizarre.
Not wanting to make things even more awkward, he hurriedly turned and fled toward his own quarters.
Although...
He hadn't actually stayed in his own room for very long.
Still, at least it was somewhere to rest.
However, when he arrived outside the room...
He discovered that after he'd moved into Yu Lanfeng's quarters, someone else had already been assigned to his old room.
Which meant...
He no longer had a room.
At that moment, Yu Lanfeng and Nan Ming both caught up.
Before either of them could speak, the door opened.
The person inside stepped out, saw the three of them standing there, and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"M-Marshall! Major General Nan! And..."
Yu Lanfeng raised a hand.
"It has nothing to do with you. Go about your business."
The man nodded repeatedly.
"Y-Yes, Marshal! I'll be on my way immediately!"
Nan Yu suddenly felt as though the entire world had abandoned him.
Walking back toward the two of them, he gave up completely.
"How about this? You two play rock-paper-scissors. One round decides everything. Whoever wins gets me."
Nan Ming and Yu Lanfeng looked at each other.
At exactly the same moment...
They both made their choice.
Yu Lanfeng threw rock.
Nan Ming threw...
Scissors.
Wonderful.
He still had to stay with Yu Lanfeng.
Nan Ming grabbed Nan Yu's wrist.
"Xiaoyu... how about best two out of three?"
Nan Yu blinked.
"I don't mind, but..."
Yu Lanfeng said calmly,
"Dad, can you guarantee you'll beat me in the next two rounds?"
He couldn't.
At their level, even something as simple as rock-paper-scissors wasn't determined by luck.
It depended on eyesight.
Reaction speed.
Instant analysis.
Prediction.
In all those aspects...
Nan Ming truly couldn't beat Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng simply took Nan Yu's hand.
"Come on. Let's go rest. Dad, you were hypnotized earlier. Your mental state definitely isn't very good. You should get some proper sleep too."
Nan Yu suddenly remembered something.
"Right, Dad. Let me examine your Mental Sea. You've been getting proper rest lately... haven't you?"
He had expected a confident answer.
Instead...
Nan Ming showed a brief look of guilt.
Very good.
So he'd been secretly neglecting his rest again.
Nan Yu immediately walked over.
"Dad! Come with me to the medical bay right now. I'm giving your Mental Sea a thorough examination!"
Yu Lanfeng also stepped over to stand beside Nan Yu.
He didn't intend to say anything.
Unfortunately for him, since Nan Yu had thought of it...
He wasn't getting away either.
"Oh, right. You too. You definitely haven't been resting properly for all this time. I'm examining you as well."
Just like that...
Yu Lanfeng was dragged into it.
Nan Ming sighed deeply and followed Nan Yu toward the medical bay.
Yu Lanfeng naturally followed behind them.
The three disappeared around the corner leading to the infirmary.
Only after they were gone did the person who had witnessed everything quietly sneak away.
He didn't dare tell anyone what he'd overheard.
After all, if anyone investigated, it would be obvious he'd been eavesdropping.
As long as he kept his mouth shut, no one would bother reviewing the internal surveillance footage.
So those scenes...
Were best buried forever in his heart.
After examining both of their Mental Seas, Nan Yu discovered exactly what he had expected.
Yu Lanfeng's condition was one thing.
His Mental Sea was fundamentally different from anyone else's, so Nan Yu didn't say much.
His expression merely darkened a little.
Nan Ming, however, was another matter entirely.
His Mental Contamination had already approached A-rank.
Which meant that, even now, Nan Ming had been enduring the constant stabbing pain and continuous effects caused by Mental Contamination.
No wonder he'd been hypnotized so easily.
His Mental Contamination had already become far too severe.
Without hesitation, Nan Yu immediately purified him, completely removing all of the Mental Contamination from his Mental Sea.
Afterward, he ordered Nan Ming to lie down and get proper rest.
Then he simply took Yu Lanfeng with him and left.
Nan Ming sighed quietly as he lay on the hospital bed.
Perhaps...
He really should listen to his son.
Although he was still unhappy about what Yu Lanfeng had done earlier...
He also knew that the two of them genuinely loved each other.
Causing a little trouble for them was one thing.
Actually trying to separate them...
Even Nan Ming himself couldn't agree to that.
As unwilling as he was to admit it...
Yu Lanfeng truly was an outstanding choice.
The two of them were probably the most suitable match possible.
Within the Empire, finding an Ability User of the right age with Yu Lanfeng's strength was nearly impossible.
Likewise, for Yu Lanfeng...
Finding a Mental Power User of the right age with Nan Yu's extraordinary talent was equally impossible.
No matter how one looked at it...
They were perfectly matched.
Nan Yu let out a deep breath and sat sullenly in a chair.
He was angry.
As for what he was angry about...
Yu Lanfeng knew perfectly well.
"My condition has always been like this," Yu Lanfeng said. "Don't think too much about it."
Nan Yu pointed at the bed.
"Lie down. I'm going to disperse some of it."
Yu Lanfeng knew he had no room to refuse.
He obediently lay on the bed and watched as Nan Yu approached.
Seeing the somewhat pitiful look in Yu Lanfeng's eyes, Nan Yu's lips twitched.
In the end, he still carried out another proper purification of Yu Lanfeng's Mental Contamination.
Unfortunately...
Yu Lanfeng's condition truly was difficult.
Even after working for a long time, all Nan Yu managed to do was make him feel slightly more comfortable.
Nan Yu wasn't satisfied.
But he himself was already exhausted.
His mental power had grown considerably after the previous depletion.
If he continued pushing himself now...
Who knew what might happen?
So...
Despite the unmistakable disapproval in Yu Lanfeng's eyes, Nan Yu withdrew his mental power.
"I know."
Yu Lanfeng said, "My condition is still manageable. I can recover on my own, so there isn't any problem."
"I know," Nan Yu replied. "But your recovery is far too slow. That kind of self-repair is only something you rely on when there's absolutely no other choice. You're not supposed to depend on it all the time. Otherwise, what do you need a Mental Power User like me for?"
Yu Lanfeng answered without hesitation,
"My fault."
Nan Yu fell silent.
Yu Lanfeng frowned slightly.
Was admitting his mistake still not enough?
Then what was he supposed to do?
Suddenly, he remembered something he'd seen online before.
Walking behind Nan Yu, he wrapped both arms around him and pulled him gently into his embrace.
"I've always been fine. But from now on... I'll have to depend on you much more."
Showing a little vulnerability...
Turned out to be a remarkably effective strategy.
He had simply tried using a sentence he'd once seen online.
The result...
Was surprisingly good.
Nan Yu really wasn't angry anymore.
Not only that...
He even looked a little embarrassed.
Things on their side had been resolved.
Meanwhile...
Du Ying and his group were still waiting outside the starship for Nan Ming to come out.
But for some reason...
No matter how long they waited...
No one appeared.
After thinking for a while, Du Ying contacted Nan Ming again.
The communication request went unanswered every time.
That told him everything.
"As expected... it won't work. There are other people inside the starship. They were never going to let him come out."
"In that case, let's head back."
"I suppose this is also part of the rules. They shouldn't be broken casually."
"I was too impatient."
"There'll be plenty of opportunities to catch up in the future."
"Sorry for making you come all this way."
The two people following behind him quickly waved their hands.
"It's fine, it's fine."
The three slowly walked away from the starship until they completely disappeared from sight.
On the surface...
It really did look as though they had merely come to reunite with an old friend.
Even so, no one aboard the starship relaxed their guard.
What had happened to Nan Ming earlier had been a complete accident.
After all...
No one could ever have imagined that Nan Ming would actually be hypnotized.
It was simply unbelievable.
Nan Yu carefully analyzed all the contributing factors.
The first—and most important—reason was that Nan Ming's Mental Sea already contained far too much Mental Contamination.
It had begun affecting both his judgment and his mental state.
On top of that, ever since searching for Nan Yu, neither he nor Yu Lanfeng had gotten proper rest.
His mind had already become somewhat sluggish.
Then there was Du Ying's unusually warm attitude and deliberate attempts to rekindle old camaraderie, which significantly lowered Nan Ming's guard.
All of those factors combined...
Ultimately led to Nan Ming being hypnotized.
Fortunately...
Even after being hypnotized, the effect had only been temporary and superficial.
A sufficient external stimulus could restore his consciousness.
Although...
He would still feel somewhat uncomfortable afterward.
Fortunately, proper rest was enough to recover.
Lying on the bed, Nan Yu kept turning the matter over in his mind.
No matter how much he thought about it...
He couldn't understand one thing.
"Ge, do you think Du Ying was bribed into betraying us... or do you think he belonged to that organization from the very beginning?"
Yu Lanfeng looked at him.
"The way you're asking... it sounds like you've already decided he's one of them."
"I have," Nan Yu admitted. "What about you?"
Yu Lanfeng thought for a moment.
"We can't be certain yet. But I'm convinced Du Ying knows something."
"The fact that he personally came here at a time like this already makes him suspicious."
"If someone else instructed him to do it, then he should have realized something was wrong."
"If he truly isn't involved, then after returning he'll definitely look for the person who suggested this plan."
Nan Yu sighed.
"But if that person really exists... wouldn't they already have disappeared by now?"
After all...
Once Du Ying realized something had gone wrong, he would certainly report the incident.
Of course...
If Du Ying himself was the problem, then none of that mattered.
"Ge, are you planning to inform the military here about this?"
"We will."
"But not yet."
Right now, they still needed this fleet to escort them close enough to the Capital Star to rendezvous with their own forces.
If internal conflict broke out now...
It would only create unnecessary complications.
"So we'll tell him after we arrive."
"I'm sure he'll take it seriously."
Of course he would.
These words were coming directly from Yu Lanfeng himself.
Anyone with even a shred of sense would launch a thorough investigation.
And no matter how cunning the person hiding in the shadows might be...
There was no way they could stand against an entire legion.
After all, earning the right to garrison a sector near the Capital Star was enough to prove the strength of their legion. A unit entrusted with such an important area could never be considered weak.
Time passed little by little.
After purifying the Mental Contamination of two people in succession, Nan Yu was understandably exhausted. Before long, he fell asleep on the bed, while Yu Lanfeng quietly watched his sleeping face.
Yu Lanfeng gently moved him to the center of the bed before lying down beside him. Slowly lifting the blanket, he slipped underneath it and, from behind, wrapped both arms around Nan Yu, pulling him completely into his embrace.
Throughout the entire process, he paid close attention to Nan Yu's subconscious reactions.
Apart from a slight furrow of his brows, Nan Yu showed no sign of resistance.
Only then did Yu Lanfeng finally relax.
Soon...
Just a little longer.
As long as they continued getting along like this for a while longer, Nan Yu would completely and wholeheartedly accept him.
His mental power would gradually grow accustomed to Yu Lanfeng's presence as well.
By then, even his subconscious would no longer reject Yu Lanfeng's closeness in the slightest.
What Yu Lanfeng wanted...
Was Nan Yu's complete acceptance.
Even at the subconscious level.
Looking at the person sleeping peacefully in his arms, Yu Lanfeng gently brushed his fingers across Nan Yu's cheek.
"A few more years... just a few more years..."
Ever since Du Ying had come to bother them that one time, no one else had approached the starship except the personnel delivering supplies.
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
According to their own calculations, they would rendezvous with Yu Lanfeng's legion in approximately five more hours.
That meant that if the people hiding in the shadows intended to make a move...
It had to happen within those five hours.
If they missed this opportunity...
There would never be another.
Lying on the bed, Nan Yu idly browsed the news on the StarNet.
By chance, he came across footage from Bai Zhouyun's court hearing.
At first, Bai Zhouyun had remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Later, however, he deliberately put on a pitiful expression.
When questioned, he claimed that everything he had done was because he loved Nan Yu too much.
He said he felt his current strength wasn't worthy of Nan Yu, which was why he had taken such desperate risks.
But what truly infuriated Nan Yu was what Bai Zhouyun said toward the end.
"Actually... Xiaoyu was always telling me that my Ability User rank was too low and that I wasn't worthy of him. He kept subtly hinting that I should find other methods, so... that's why I ended up taking this path..."
Nan Yu was so furious he almost laughed in disbelief.
Forget subtly encouraging him—
He had never said anything remotely like that.
Besides...
Even if, for the sake of argument, he really had said Bai Zhouyun wasn't strong enough...
Did "find another way" automatically mean committing crimes?
Of course not.
That was precisely why absolutely no one believed Bai Zhouyun's statement.
Not the people watching the livestream.
Not those present in the courtroom.
Not the lawyers.
Not the judges.
No one believed a single word.
Because every word he had spoken...
Was a lie.
Nan Yu checked the time.
"Four and a half hours left before we meet up with your legion."
"There won't be any problems during that time, right?"
"Of course not," Yu Lanfeng replied. "I've already informed them. They'll be waiting for us at the designated rendezvous point."
From this moment onward...
These remaining four-plus hours were the most critical.
Yu Lanfeng had a feeling that whoever was hiding in the shadows was running out of patience.
He took Nan Yu's hand and pulled him onto his lap.
Holding him in his arms, Yu Lanfeng buried his face against Nan Yu's clothes.
Nan Yu found it a little troublesome.
But...
It was also a rather sweet kind of trouble.
Time continued to tick by.
Everyone was waiting.
Even the commanding officer who had volunteered to escort them back kept his eyes fixed on the countdown timer.
"What the hell?"
"The more I stare at this thing, the slower time seems to pass."
"Did you people secretly reduce the speed?"
That was an unfair accusation.
How could anyone tamper with the speed of a countdown?
Naturally, it was operating at the correct rate.
Even if someone wanted to manipulate something, they certainly wouldn't choose this.
After all...
Whether the countdown appeared faster or slower wouldn't change the actual passage of time.
So what exactly was going on?
The officer glanced at the clock before stopping a passing soldier.
"Go bring Du Ying here."
"Tell him I have something important to discuss with him."
"Yes, sir!"
Before long, Du Ying appeared.
He stood perfectly straight, looking every bit the model soldier.
"You're Du Ying?"
"Yes, sir!"
"No need to be so tense."
"I only called you over to ask a few simple questions."