OVPBM 30

Chapter 30 – “The Only Thing You Cannot Do Is Leave Me.”

Chu Xuanzhou did not like that place.

…The pitch-dark depths of the ocean, the dilapidated buildings long since abandoned, and the merfolk hiding in the corners.

Whether because of the migratory period or from excessive drug use, they had long since become slaves to their desires.

The air and the water there were filled with a nauseating stench.

It was a memory that disgusted Chu Xuanzhou, yet he could not stop revisiting it.

The scenes he had once witnessed surfaced in his mind one after another. From those memories, Chu Xuanzhou tried to learn what a real kiss was supposed to be.

At this moment, the young man who had grown up on a lower-class planet, who had once cared only about survival, still did not understand, nor had he ever thought about, what kind of feelings he truly harbored toward Lu Yunwan.

Chu Xuanzhou only knew this: he enjoyed the feeling of being loved, cared for, and watched by Lu Yunwan.

And he hoped that the other’s gaze would rest on him alone.

So he disguised himself as the kind of person Lu Yunwan liked and learned Lu Yunwan’s preferences.

Chu Xuanzhou concealed the complicated emotions in his eyes and followed behind Lu Yunwan as they walked out of the starship.

The planet where the Imperial Military Academy was located was called Planet Chenmu. In its original form, like the Capital Planet, it had been entirely covered by ocean.

However, for the sake of training, when the Imperial Military Academy was built, artificial islands and platforms were constructed on Planet Chenmu as well. The combined land area finally reached one-tenth of the planet’s total surface.

The starship was now docked at one of those large platforms.

Sea winds blew in from all directions, lifting the loose strands of hair at Lu Yunwan’s forehead and fully revealing his striking and sharp features.

Although there was no one following at his side, his presence was incomparably imposing.

“Your Excellency the Regent, welcome back to Planet Chenmu.” A man dressed in a dark navy formal suit stepped forward and bowed nervously to Lu Yunwan, his voice even trembling slightly.

He was Fang Yixue, the current principal of the Imperial Military Academy.

When the original host studied here, Fang Yixue had already been the vice principal.

Yet now, standing before Lu Yunwan, Fang Yixue showed not the slightest trace of a senior’s authority. If anything, he appeared overly humble and cautious.

Lu Yunwan smiled and nodded to him before shaking his hand. After serving as the Regent for several months, he had long since grown accustomed to such scenes.

Following closely behind Fang Yixue was a woman dressed in a gray military uniform. She was tall, her expression stern, yet her gaze toward Lu Yunwan carried a trace of complexity.

“Welcome, Your Excellency the Regent.” After meeting his eyes for a few seconds, she stepped back half a pace and gave him a military salute.

Unlike Fang Yixue, with whom he was not particularly familiar, the woman before him, named “Yin Manxin,” had once been Lu Yunwan’s teacher. She taught mecha maintenance.

This subject was extremely important, second only to courses related to mecha piloting.

Which meant that during his years at the academy, the original host had seen Yin Manxin almost every day. The two had once been very familiar with each other.

Worried that his persona might collapse, Lu Yunwan was especially cautious when facing her.

“Good morning, Professor Yin.” Lu Yunwan slowly extended his right hand toward her.

The woman paused for a moment before extending her hand as well. Whether intentionally or not, her gaze fell upon Lu Yunwan’s wrist.

The instant their hands met, Lu Yunwan heard Yin Manxin hesitate before asking, “May I ask whether Your Excellency has official duties to carry out during this visit to Planet Chenmu? If you require it, we will provide full assistance.”

Lu Yunwan paused. He was not surprised that the original host’s relationship with his former teacher had grown distant, but the key point was that he had come to Planet Chenmu to attend the academy’s anniversary celebration by invitation, had he not?

Why would Yin Manxin ask such a question?

“Why would Professor Yin say that?” Lu Yunwan asked casually.

He was testing her.

Yin Manxin did not think much of it. She slowly lifted her eyes, looking somewhat conflicted as she said, “Today is your first time returning to the military academy in all these years.”

Lu Yunwan: ……

Damn it! The original host never came back before? No wonder others suspected he had ulterior motives!

If I had known, I would have declined this official engagement.

The significance of the Imperial Military Academy was extraordinary. Every event it held could stir up most of the interstellar realm.

Even the Emperor Chu Zhang, who usually remained hidden away on the Capital Planet, would occasionally make an appearance here.

When Lu Yunwan accepted the invitation, he had completely forgotten to check whether the original host had returned here before.

Who would have thought he had truly never come back?

…Is the original host really so devoid of sentiment?

Lu Yunwan lowered his head and gave a faint smile, then let his gaze fall upon the boundless sea.

Most humans actually had dark brown eyes.

But Lu Yunwan was different. His irises were an exceedingly rare shade of pitch black.

That color could almost completely conceal one’s emotions.

Yet at this moment, Yin Manxin read a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.

He said, “Professor Yin, I only wanted to come and take a look. I simply felt a little nostalgic about Planet Chenmu.”

Yin Manxin froze for a moment. Clearly, Lu Yunwan’s answer had exceeded her expectations.

A few seconds later, she remembered to nod. “Yes, Your Excellency.”

The anniversary celebration was not being held today. Because of the Regent’s arrival, all the important figures on Planet Chenmu had cleared their schedules to accompany him on a tour.

After learning that the original host had never attended such events before, Lu Yunwan immediately became far more cautious.

He smiled and nodded throughout the entire visit, hardly speaking a single word, appearing especially profound and inscrutable.

Aboard a small aircraft, the person in charge of the Imperial Military Academy, standing beside Lu Yunwan, pointed at the island below and said, “Your Excellency, this is a newly constructed artificial island on Planet Chenmu. All those living here are human students.”

“Mm.”

As before, Lu Yunwan did not say much. He only smiled and nodded.

At that moment, Yin Manxin, standing on the other side, spoke up. She invited Lu Yunwan to land on the island. “Your Excellency, would you like to go down and take a look? We owe much of this construction to your proposal back then.”

So this island is connected to the original host?

Yin Manxin’s words surprised Lu Yunwan somewhat, but the next second, when he recalled the thousand-page “Uniform Sentencing Act”, the existence of this island did not seem so difficult to understand.

At least up until the day he became a Major General of the Empire and joined the Round Table Council, the original host had never betrayed humanity.

“Alright.” Lu Yunwan accepted Yin Manxin’s invitation.

The small aircraft began to descend. Watching the island loom nearer, Lu Yunwan felt his emotions inexplicably twist in ways he couldn’t fully name.

Everything on Planet Chenmu was minimalist in style, and this island was no exception.

Aside from several dormitories where human students lived, there was nothing particularly special on the island.

The students had not expected Lu Yunwan to appear here. When they saw the figure stepping down from the aircraft, they all froze in place.

Since no one took the initiative to speak to him, and he could hardly continue smiling in silence and let the awkwardness linger, Lu Yunwan had no choice but to brace himself and greet them in an “approachable” manner.  

However, he was genuinely curious about their lives. After the initial perfunctory exchanges, he began to inquire in detail about how these human students were living.

When the brief tour ended, and he stepped back onto the small aircraft, Lu Yunwan saw Yin Manxin smile at him for the first time.

The faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes made the usually stern Yin Manxin seem much more affable. She said to him, “Your Excellency, it has been a long time since I’ve seen you like this.”

Lu Yunwan paused, then smiled at her. “This place reminds me of the past, Professor.”

At that moment, the shimmering light of the water reflected in Lu Yunwan’s eyes, his gaze as pure as a young boy’s.

Even Yin Manxin could not help but feel momentarily dazed.

* * *

While Lu Yunwan toured Planet Chenmu, Chu Xuanzhou remained at his side the entire time.

He did not know that while Lu Yunwan exchanged pleasantries with those human students, just how restless and uneasy he himself felt.

Chu Xuanzhou was desperate for Lu Yunwan’s gaze to fall upon him.

—He grew increasingly unable to bear being ignored. He only wanted Lu Yunwan to look at him alone.

A plan took shape in Chu Xuanzhou’s heart.

After the tour ended and they returned to the starship to rest in preparation for the next day’s events, Chu Xuanzhou knocked on the door of Lu Yunwan’s lounge.

“Your Highness, what is it?” Lu Yunwan’s gaze shifted away from the light screen and settled on Chu Xuanzhou.

He was wearing a simple white shirt, looking exceptionally clean and composed.

Chu Xuanzhou seemed somewhat nervous. He pressed his lips together lightly, and after a moment, finally gathered the courage to speak. “Your Excellency, the Imperial Military Academy is your alma mater and the highest institution of learning in the interstellar realm. After today’s visit, I have come to like this place very much as well…”

At those words, the smile on Lu Yunwan’s face gradually faded.

He fell silent and looked at Chu Xuanzhou.

The Regent’s starship hovered over the night hemisphere of Planet Chenmu. Outside the window, it was pitch-black. Dressed in black, Lu Yunwan seemed as though he might merge into the darkness at any moment.

The cabin was quiet for a long while. At last, Chu Xuanzhou tried to speak again. He looked cautious and tense. “I would like to… remain here and study at the Imperial Military Academy. I hope you will grant your permission.”

Chu Xuanzhou said it deliberately.

He wanted to draw Lu Yunwan’s attention in this way.

In truth, Lu Yunwan had once considered sending Chu Xuanzhou to the Imperial Military Academy, but it had been no more than a passing thought.

Later, he discovered that the power dynamics within the academy were intricate, with members of the royal family and the aristocracy spread throughout. 

If Chu Xuanzhou came here, he would certainly be targeted, even maliciously retaliated against… perhaps even “accidentally” injured or killed.

From a certain perspective, this place was more dangerous than the frontier planets.

Lu Yunwan would never leave the protagonist here. But patiently explaining himself was even less in line with the original host’s style.

With that in mind, Lu Yunwan rose from the sofa.

Expressionless, he walked toward Chu Xuanzhou until less than half an arm’s length separated them.

A quiet, fleeting smile touched Lu Yunwan’s face. “Have I given you too much freedom, Your Highness?”

His voice was terrifyingly grim, and it felt as though the temperature inside the starship had dropped.

Gently, Lu Yunwan lifted a strand of silver hair and wound it around his fingertip, then pressed his hand against Chu Xuanzhou’s chest.

The lounge lights were off, and the merman’s expression was entirely concealed in the darkness.

Lu Yunwan only saw Chu Xuanzhou’s body tremble faintly, as if from fear.

He clenched the white fabric of the shirt over Chu Xuanzhou’s heart in his fist.

“Your Excellency…”

Before he could finish, Lu Yunwan suddenly covered Chu Xuanzhou’s eyes with his other hand.

The ultrafiber glove blocked out all light.

Darkness swallowed the merman’s vision.

With his sight temporarily taken away, his hearing, touch, and even his sense of smell became heightened.

A subtle fragrance drifted into Chu Xuanzhou’s nose. He heard Lu Yunwan lean closer and, almost through clenched teeth, whisper beside his ear, “Your Highness, do you remember my promise? I can give you everything… The Empire, the throne, wealth, power, even my life…”

His voice rolled through the room in lingering waves.

Chu Xuanzhou’s heartbeat raced frighteningly fast.

“You may deceive me, you may betray me, you may even kill me…” Lu Yunwan finally loosened his grip. Though only the faintest glimmer of light seeped in from outside the window, everything before the merman was still perfectly clear.

Chu Xuanzhou saw those eyes, dark as the night itself, right before him.

Lu Yunwan looked at him with a gaze so complex it was impossible to decipher, his eyes brimming with love so intense it seemed almost tangible.

They locked eyes in silence. At last, Lu Yunwan lowered his voice once more and said to Chu Xuanzhou, “But the only thing you cannot do is leave me.”

“Never.”

Human strength was not great, yet in his anger, Lu Yunwan exerted unexpected force. The silver-white button at the young man’s chest suddenly popped loose.

Without warning, Lu Yunwan’s breath fell against Chu Xuanzhou’s collarbone.