ISMW Chapter 23

Yun Xunlan explained the origin of the three billion to Jian Wenxi.

 

“Oh, just this small amount of money, no need to return it,” Jian Wenxi casually waved his hand after listening, declining the transfer and sending the three billion star credits back to Yun Xunlan’s account. “If you’re concerned that this money originally came from my third uncle, you can donate it.”

 

Knowing the young Master Jian’s financial strength, Yun Xunlan didn’t stand on ceremony: “Alright.”

 

The young Master Jian also sincerely invited him to have lunch together: “The food I ordered today is delicious. Would you like to eat with me?”

 

Yun Xunlan politely declined: “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.”

 

“Another nutrient solution?” Jian Wenxi immediately guessed what Yun Xunlan had for lunch. “Don’t you get tired of it?”

 

“As long as it’s filling.”

 

Yun Xunlan indeed didn’t tire of it.

 

He didn’t have many worldly desires. In his previous life, after establishing his foundation and abstaining from grains, he never ate food again. If he wouldn’t starve to death without eating in this life, he wouldn’t even drink nutrient solutions.

 

“How’s your progress with Professor Ran’s manuscript?” Yun Xunlan got down to business with Jian Wenxi.

 

“I’ve gone through most of it,” Jian Wenxi said. “At my level, I currently have two feasible improvement plans.”

 

Jian Wenxi placed Professor Ran’s manuscript and his own handwritten proposal in front of Yun Xunlan: “The first one is simpler, just replacing the superconducting material used in the core power source. The second is to completely overturn the existing 3S mech structure and design a new generation of 3S mecha.”

 

Yun Xunlan picked up both manuscripts, looked at them, and raised an eyebrow: “The first one is simple?”

 

The Flame42 superconducting material used in the 3S mecha’s core power source was already the best and most stable superconducting material in the world. Almost all starships and warships used this material in their nuclear fusion energy reactors. Jian Wenxi now saying to replace it meant they needed to research and synthesize another superconducting material with better overall performance than Flame42. How could that be easy?

 

But Jian Wenxi said: “It’s quite simple compared to the second option.”

 

Yun Xunlan: “…”

 

That was indeed true.

 

“Anyway, based on Professor Ran’s manuscript, these are the only two improvement methods I could think of,” Jian Wenxi hinted to Yun Xunlan. “After all, the manuscript only contains theoretical concepts and basic frameworks. Who knows if there are any discrepancies with the actual 3S mecha?”

 

Understanding Jian Wenxi’s implication, Yun Xunlan smiled and told him: “The 3S mech Duke Hurst gifted me will arrive next month.”

 

Jian Wenxi said expectantly: “Great, then everything is ready. We’re just waiting for your mecha.”

 

Yun Xunlan nodded: “Good.”

 

“Take both these manuscripts and have a look,” Before leaving, Jian Wenxi stopped Yun Xunlan and handed him both manuscripts. “Who knows, you might come up with a third improvement plan?”

 

Yun Xunlan agreed: “I’ll look at them, but mech design isn’t my area of expertise. The probability of me coming up with a third feasible improvement plan is very low.”

 

However, no matter how low the possibility, Yun Xunlan still studied them diligently for several days. It wasn’t until the weekend arrived and Yu Chen’s susceptibility period had ended that Yun Xunlan decided to focus on another thing he was good at—developing his friendship with Yu Chen.

 

His development method was, of course, to have Yu Chen sleep with him, feet touching.

 

But he needed a legitimate reason to make it seem natural. He couldn’t just say outright, “Yu Chen, come sleep with me tonight.” That would sound inappropriate no matter how you heard it.

 

Fortunately, Yu Chen was on duty that weekend. Yun Xunlan planned to use the excuse of tutoring him in “War Psychology” after work on Friday to lure Yu Chen into his room. Then, he would continue the tutoring into the evening and, to save Yu Chen some effort, suggest that instead of patrolling outside his bedroom, he could guard inside—on the bed, feet touching, which would be safer. This way, they could reasonably and naturally end up sleeping together.

 

So on Friday, as soon as Yun Xunlan got out of the car after returning to Crescent Moon Peninsula from the Seventh Military Experimental Base, he immediately called out to Yu Chen: “Major Yu Chen, I have a request, and I hope you can oblige.”

 

Yu Chen was now somewhat afraid when Yun Xunlan called him or spoke to him, because if Yun Xunlan wanted to date him, he would likely say flirtatious things. How could Yu Chen, who only had experience arguing with trolls and no dating experience, respond properly?

 

If he replied incorrectly, he might end up with dating experience, which was unacceptable to him.

 

Fortunately, they weren’t alone at the moment. Ni Chun, Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, and others were around, so Yu Chen felt that Yun Xunlan’s request must be acceptable to him and replied: “Your Highness, you’re too formal. Please, go ahead.”

 

Indeed, Yun Xunlan said: “I’d like to request that you, Major Yu Chen, be my teacher and guide me in studying ‘War Psychology’.”

 

In theory, this request was indeed acceptable to Yu Chen.

 

However, previously, Yu Chen was afraid Yun Xunlan wouldn’t ask him for tutoring and would only flirt with him.

 

Now that Yun Xunlan had asked for tutoring, Yu Chen was afraid Yun Xunlan was using tutoring as an excuse to flirt with him more conveniently.

 

But regardless of Yun Xunlan’s intent, Yu Chen couldn’t refuse. After all, if he wanted to access Yun Xunlan’s 3S mecha, he had to gain Yun Xunlan’s trust. Tutoring was currently the most suitable way to bring them closer and build a good relationship. Therefore, he agreed: “It would be my honor, Your Highness.”

 

However, three minutes later, Yu Chen regretted it.

 

He silently stared at Yun Xunlan’s open bedroom door, again wishing he were mute. Why did he have to agree to Yun Xunlan’s request—why did the tutoring have to take place in the bedroom?

 

Could it be that Yun Xunlan’s purpose in asking for tutoring wasn’t to flirt with him, but to sleep with him?

 

Yu Chen thought his speculation was reasonable.

 

A bedroom is a very private, personal space. Crescent Moon Peninsula has so many rooms that could be used for their tutoring sessions, yet Yun Xunlan specifically chose his own bedroom. Isn’t his intention quite obvious?

 

He’s not even trying to hide it, not in the slightest.

 

While Yu Chen wanted to improve his relationship with Yun Xunlan and get closer, he didn’t want to overdo it and end up with a negative distance between them.

 

So Yu Chen hesitated to take that step into the bedroom, as if he were facing a forbidden place where entering would lead to irreversible consequences.

 

However, Yun Xunlan also stopped at the same moment, not entering his own bedroom, because another person had stepped into the room before them.

 

Yun Xunlan’s bedroom had two doors for entry and exit. One front door connected to the main hall and corridor, while the other back door led directly to the sandy beach of the Yu Sea coast. This person had entered through the back door.

 

He wore the dark cyan uniform of the Northern Dipper Tianquan Legion. His exposed copper-colored skin was slightly dark, almost blending with the shadow cast by the window curtains as he entered. His aura was gloomy and cold, with only his green eyes, gazing at Yun Xunlan, showing a faint light, like olivine born from the fire of the Earth’s mantle magma pool.

 

Yu Chen heard him speak, calling Yun Xunlan in a low voice: “Lanlan.”

 

Yun Xunlan paused, his golden eyes quietly fixed on the man, then opened his lips to respond: “Royal Brother.”

 

After speaking, Yun Xunlan walked into the room and sat down on the sofa by the tea table. He then looked up at Yu Chen with a smile, gesturing for him to sit as well—his attitude seemed even more intimate than towards the man he had called “Royal Brother.”

 

This distinction made Yu Chen take a second look at the man.

 

The man was also staring at Yu Chen, his emerald eyes particularly striking. He asked: “And this is?”

 

“My guard,” Yun Xunlan introduced. “Major Yu Chen.”

 

Yu Chen lowered his gaze, bowing in greeting: “Second Prince.”

 

All members of the Galactic Empire’s royal bloodline have golden eyes. However, Mu Xingyu, as the Second Prince, did not have golden eyes and didn’t even share the surname “Yun.” This was because he was an adopted alpha in the royal family, without blood relations to anyone in the royal household, and thus didn’t possess the unique golden eyes of the royal bloodline.

 

Yet Mu Xingyu was indeed the second in line to inherit the throne of the Galactic Empire. Not only was his succession order ahead of Yun Xunlan’s, but he also held real power in the military. As the leader of the Northern Dipper Tianquan Legion, he was stationed year-round at the border battlefield, working with Emperor Yun Qihe to resist the Severir Insectoids and reclaim the lost planets of the First Border Line. So even though he occasionally made headlines with news of romantic affairs with omegas, his reputation within the empire was quite good.

 

His civilian fans praised him as brave, gentle, determined, and fearless, viewing him as a heroic warrior defending the empire.

 

Yu Chen hadn’t particularly idolized Mu Xingyu before, but he certainly respected him—every soldier fighting against the Severir Insectoids on the border battlefield to protect the galaxy was undoubtedly a hero deserving of everyone’s respect.

 

However, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. After encountering Mu Xingyu at such close proximity, Yu Chen realized that Mu Xingyu’s personality seemed to differ somewhat from the rumors.

 

At least the “gentle” aspect was debatable.

 

Because just as Yu Chen finished saying “Second Prince,” a strong and even aggressive scent of water lilies suddenly spread throughout Yun Xunlan’s bedroom. Although it didn’t carry much pressure, it still gave a heavy and intense feeling of oppression—it was Mu Xingyu’s pheromones.

 

There are few reasons for an alpha to release pheromones towards another alpha other than suppression or provocation, especially when Mu Xingyu’s gaze towards Yu Chen contained almost undisguised hostility.

 

However, they weren’t the only alphas present.

 

Yun Xunlan also smelled the water lily scent.

 

“Royal Brother, is your susceptibility period approaching?” He leaned back slightly, his tone flat as he reminded Mu Xingyu, “You’re not controlling your pheromones well.”

 

“No, I’ve already entered my susceptibility period,”

 

Mu Xingyu said as he withdrew his gaze from Yu Chen and sat down on Yun Xunlan’s bed. “Where are your suppressants?”

 

Yun Xunlan said: “Second drawer.”

 

Yun Xunlan didn’t specify which cabinet or which side, but Mu Xingyu directly opened the second drawer of the bedside table to his left, as if he already knew the answer. He precisely took out the third-generation alpha suppressant and gave himself an injection.

 

The lingering water lily scent in the room gradually subsided.

 

But even after taking the suppressant, Mu Xingyu didn’t get up. He remained sitting on Yun Xunlan’s bed.

 

Yu Chen felt there was a strange, indescribable atmosphere between these two brothers.

 

Yun Xunlan was also curious about why Mu Xingyu had suddenly returned to the capital star.

 

 

---