Chapter Sixty-Five: Is It Worth It?

After waiting inside the mech for a while, still unable to return to his male form, Kuang Shao felt too embarrassed to disembark like this. The crimson mech soon vanished from Xuan Xuan and Zhan Yu’s sight.

Covering her mouth, Xuan Xuan felt a rush of satisfaction. Kuang Shao was always pestering her for one reason or another, and he constantly doubted her abilities as an alchemist.

Challenging the authority of the esteemed alchemist was simply unforgivable.

Xuan Xuan thought today's lesson had been quite effective. She curled her lips in a smile and headed toward the laboratory in excellent spirits.

Zhan Yu followed behind, sifting through the images he had just captured with his AI assistant. He raised an eyebrow—the photos were not what he expected. Instead of Kuang Shao's female form, they showed his original appearance.

What could this mean?

Had everything just been an illusion? He searched through his files and checked the video from another angle, but could only shake his head in mild regret. The most notable moment was when Kuang Shao had inadvertently exposed himself afterward.

He handed his device to Xuan Xuan and asked, “What’s the principle behind ‘Illusiongrass’?”

Looking through the photos and videos, Xuan Xuan explained, “Illusiongrass mainly affects a person’s mental energy. Through this influence, it makes both the user and those nearby experience hallucinations. In essence, nothing actually changes, so you can’t capture it on film or in photos.”

As she watched the video, she saw flames suddenly burst from Kuang Shao’s body. Xuan Xuan raised her eyebrows—Kuang Shao’s abilities were actually quite impressive, and his talent was undeniable.

Over the past two months, though he was a bit talkative and always flitting about, he was fundamentally a good person.

While a social butterfly could be troublesome, as long as he wasn’t her own, it shouldn’t be a big issue.

Plus, since he had managed to be friends with Zhan Yu for so long, Xuan Xuan trusted Zhan Yu’s judgment.

With his potential, nurturing him wouldn’t be a waste of time.

Just as these thoughts passed through her mind, she felt a large hand cover her eyes. Xuan Xuan was momentarily startled.

The palm was warm and broad, the fingers long and slightly calloused, with a faint scent of soil—probably from the Illusiongrass earlier.

For some reason, though she couldn’t see anything, Xuan Xuan felt a sense of peace with that hand over her eyes.

“What is it?” Xuan Xuan asked.

Zhan Yu, having just switched off his AI assistant, suddenly remembered the footage with Kuang Shao’s inadvertent exposure.

Though he covered Xuan Xuan’s eyes, Zhan Yu still felt uneasy. How could she possibly see Kuang Shao like that?

Once Xuan Xuan questioned him, Zhan Yu felt a bit more at ease—she probably hadn’t seen anything. “Nothing,” he replied.

Xuan Xuan removed his hand from her eyes, puzzled by his sudden gesture. She pondered for a moment but couldn’t figure out his reason, so she let it go.

She asked, “Kuang Shao has fire abilities?”

Zhan Yu frowned slightly—why was she asking about Kuang Shao again? Still, he nodded. “Yes, his fire affinity is quite strong.”

“Give this to him,” Xuan Xuan said, and pressed her forehead to his, transmitting her knowledge of fire magic directly to Zhan Yu. Since they were already standing close from when he covered her eyes just now, it was convenient enough.

As information flooded into his mind, Zhan Yu kept his gaze fixed on the person before him. His eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, without even the slightest impurity.

He didn’t even know her real name or address, nor had he ever seen her face on the starnet. Why, then, did she leave such a deep impression on his heart?

Zhan Yu touched his chest. When Xuan Xuan was near, his heart raced uncontrollably.

If he lowered his head just a bit, he could touch her. With a single move, he could lift her veil. Yet, in this moment, he found himself utterly without courage.

“Ah, my father’s calling me!” Xuan Xuan suddenly exited the starnet without so much as a goodbye.

Zhan Yu’s hand fell from his chest, a wave of disappointment washing over him. He inhaled the faint fragrance lingering in the air—just like her: mysterious, impossible to hold onto.

With a bitter smile, Zhan Yu also logged off.

No sooner had he disconnected than a call from Kuang Shao came through. “Can that stuff be undone or not?”

“I don’t know,” Zhan Yu answered honestly.

Kuang Shao’s expression was still thunderous. “Damn it, you’re always siding with that girl.”

Zhan Yu raised an eyebrow. “So it seems I don’t need to give you what I was about to?”

“What?” Kuang Shao slapped the table, then raked a hand through his hair. He’d been suffering for so long—his dignity and reputation both shredded. Of all the things to lose, it had to be his dignity.

Zhan Yu remained calm, only feeling a slight regret. He also hadn’t expected Kuang Shao to have such a good figure. “You asked me why my abilities have improved so quickly lately, remember?”

“Hm?” Kuang Shao’s hand froze. Zhan Yu’s progress with his abilities lately had been not just fast, but meteoric. His understanding of his powers was also deepening by the day.

Sometimes, a casual remark from Zhan Yu would spark great insights for Kuang Shao.

“I was going to give you something, but now that you’re not on her side, I suppose you’d feel awkward accepting it from her,” Zhan Yu said, pretending to end the call.

Kuang Shao quickly stopped him; he had begged Zhan Yu for days for news, and now that he finally had hope, he couldn’t let the chance slip away. “Don’t! If I can’t side with a cute girl, who can I side with?”

Zhan Yu simply gazed at him, silent.

“At most, I’ll pay for half the land and cultivation fund you wanted on Hundred Herbs Star?” Kuang Shao ventured.

Zhan Yu shook his head. “No need, I’ll handle that myself.”

“Is it really necessary?” Kuang Shao was baffled. “You don’t even know what she looks like, her name, where she lives, or who she really is, and yet you’re doing all this for her? Is it worth it?”

Zhan Yu only smiled faintly. “It’s not much. If she likes it when she sees it, that will be enough.”

Kuang Shao shook his head. Over the past two months, he sometimes wondered if Zhan Yu was bewitched. Xuan Xuan loved all kinds of plants and had established a base on Hundred Herbs Star in the starnet. Zhan Yu had actually recreated everything from the starnet’s version on the real Hundred Herbs Star.

Just the land alone was a considerable amount, and Zhan Yu was already recruiting staff for construction on planets across the galaxy.

Even the plants being cultivated were the same.

“Tensions are high lately—be careful,” Zhan Yu shifted the subject smoothly.

Kuang Shao understood his reluctance to discuss Xuan Xuan and didn’t press further. “I know. Are you going to the Wanqi family’s event?”

“I am.” Zhan Yu frowned. “You’d best not go. The Wanqi estate will probably be chaos.”

Kuang Shao gave a wry smile. “As if I have a choice? They’ve already sent the invitation. If I don’t go, tomorrow’s papers will claim the Federation’s richest man is at odds with the Wanqi family.”

He sighed. Everyone had their own troubles. Lately, Kuang Shao hadn’t even dared visit his own mercenary corps. The imperial capital was too quiet.

It’s always calm before the storm.

“Come see me tomorrow. I’ll give you the information,” Zhan Yu said.

P.S. Recommending a book by the author: “The Consort’s Code.”