Can’t Pretend Chapter 81: The Night Before Chaos

Thank you, Kimberly, Ann, and LuoYan for the Ko-fis!!

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kiramekineko

 

The Starnet forums blew up. Originally, they were only looking for the true identity of the dark blue mecha but instead, it seems that a shocking secret had been discovered.

Why would someone who looked so much like the former third prince appear in such a way in Prince Lu Wu’s mansion?

This was what everyone found bizarre. And he was in a healing capsule. Since the healing capsule was used, the person inside must have been injured.

[Do you remember the first post that said the whereabouts of the royal grandson was unknown, not that he had died?]

[Someone noticed it in that post! The whereabouts are unknown! That means he’s probably still alive!]

[The grandson was five or six years old, and seventeen years later, he’s in his twenties, which matches the age in this picture.]

[I think you guys are guessing too much. You don’t have to look alike to be related.]

[This person appeared in the LW Prince’s compound, related to the royal family, and looks so much alike, how can there be so many coincidences?]

[So why was the royal grandson in that place? And he seems to be injured?]

[Maybe he’s unaccounted for because someone gave him away, you know.]

[We don’t know if it’s the royal grandson yet.]

The internet was in an uproar and the palace was not peaceful either.

In the main hall, wearing dark fancy clothes, Emperor Hea sat on his royal seat, his face propped up with one hand, his eyes closed, his well-kept face unreadable.

“Have you found out who that person is?”

However, unlike Emperor Hea’s seemingly carefree state, the three ministers of the military and the four noble ministers standing under the imperial throne had their heads bowed and their expressions were grave. Even their breathing was very soft, fearing that one big gasp would bring about their deaths.

No one spoke up, only the head of the Second Legion in charge of the security of the Imperial Capital, Lieutenant General Shi Ge, answered under pressure, “Your Majesty, not yet.”

Emperor Hea did not get angry, even his tone did not change in the slightest, he still asked slowly, “Isn’t there already a photo? How did this person get into the Imperial Capital, and you can’t even find them?”

His finger was holding his face gently, without any sound, yet the person standing at the bottom felt as if the finger was like a sharp sword, stabbing into his chest gesture.

“That mecha, it just disappeared out of thin air?”

Due to the tension, the dryness in their throats made them swallow hard.

Among them, Duke Zena replied stiffly, “We will definitely find the whereabouts of that mecha quickly.”

“Hm.” Emperor Hea slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the men. “That is for sure,” he said lightly, “otherwise, you wouldn’t be standing here.”

“Yes.”

Emperor Hea changed his posture slightly, but his body was still stretched and leisurely, with a lazy air. “I have heard that many places are protesting. What is the situation?”

The head of the third regiment replied, “In the southern city led by Dewu, in the west with the city of Chelo as a concentration point, and in the northern city of Ken, the protest was launched. The main demands are the protest against the two highnesses and the questioning of the arrest of Lieutenant General Harris.”

Emperor Hea raised his eyebrows slightly. “Harris?”

The public relations minister next to him said, “This matter, in fact, the main root cause is the two highnesses of the matter has provoked public anger, now the people’s trust in the royal family is extremely reduced, and therefore in the matter of Lieutenant General Harris, the royal ruling is not convinced.”

“The rabble.” Emperor Hea commented coldly. Then he asked, “Is there any action from Ji Shanhong?”

“Not yet, Marshal Ji doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the Harris matter, not even asking about it.”

Emperor Hea laughed lightly. “Not concerned?” He stretched slightly and stood up from his own chair. “Do you think the people are really that concerned about a lieutenant general being removed from the investigation all of a sudden?” The loose-fitting fancy clothes made Emperor Hea’s figure appear a bit thin, but no one dared to belittle him.

“Ji Shanhong, this fox, carefully checked the protest and the identity of the organizer behind the protest.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Minister of Public Relations hesitated and asked, “Your Majesty, then on the side of the people, do we need to take any measures?”

The identity of the organizers behind the march had to be found but the public anger that had been aroused would only intensify if it was not addressed and simply ignored. However, Emperor Hea said, “The matter of Harris is enough, but the matter of the royal family, if I remember correctly, presumptuous discussion of the royal family, can be punished.”

The Minister of Public Relations immediately understood the meaning of Hea’s words, and he tried to stop it anxiously. “But, Your Majesty…” How can public opinion be suppressed by force?

Emperor Hea did not let him finish his sentence, his contemptuous expression was full of arrogance. “Order the dissolution of all protests. The line was put in the hands of the chief of security of each region, but a group of powerless civilians, how far do you want to let them nestle?”

The Minister of Public Relations originally wanted to continue to dissuade, however, after seeing that expression of Emperor Hea, he could only hold the words back, like a lump in the throat.

At this moment, the Duke of Zena said, “Your Majesty is wise, treating such a rabble, as long as you let them taste the pain, they will not dare to stand out again.” Seeing the look on Emperor Hea’s face ease a little, she turned her words, “I have a suggestion for this.”

Emperor Hea raised his eyebrows, and then slowly sat back in his seat. “Speak.”

Duke Zena said, “We naturally do not have to pay attention to all the matters of public opinion, otherwise where is the majesty of the royal family? But… If the royal family can make some positive statement on this matter, the people will certainly praise the wisdom of your Majesty.”

She advised politely, “All the royal family needs to do is to announce that they are suspending the crown prince race and will investigate the matter of the two highnesses in detail. In this way, if the people still insist on protesting, then they must be unlawful people who want to deliberately disturb the public order and endanger the safety of the people, so it is only reasonable to arrest and convict them.”

 

At this moment, Ji Cheying just learned everything that happened last night. He was sitting on the soft sofa in the living room, his back habitually straight, but did not look stiff, only upright and spiritual. Ji Cheying’s eyes were half closed, and his raven-like eyelashes were like a curtain that covered the thoughts in his eyes. The heroic side of his face was like a sculpture in an art gallery, a work of art. His fingers clasped over his legs, tapping gently, through such an unhurried rhythm, the thoughts in his head gradually sorted out clearly.

Unlike others, for last night’s events, his focus was not on the two princes, or even the injured prince. Instead, it was on another person.

That chaos last night could never have been a coincidence created by everyone on a whim. There must be someone behind all this and that person, too, was definitely not in the middle of the stage. He stood in the shadows of the stage lights and silently designed everything.

But what was his purpose?

There was a sound. Ji Cheying’s eyelashes trembled lightly, then slowly pulled back the curtain, and his eyes that were dark like ink pools, reflecting the starlight of the night sky with a sharp light.

It was Xie Quan, Yan Siyu had long left.

He stood up from the sofa and walked downstairs with big steps.

Xie Quan did not close the door, so Ji Chenying could see him sitting in that wheelchair in the corridor, eyes looking into the void, looking a little lonely. Ji Cheying’s heart suddenly zapped dully. Without hesitation, he lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

Xie Quan then looked over in Ji Cheying’s direction, and that face, indeed, was extremely similar to the one in the photo. The two of them must have had a deep relationship with each other just by looking at them.

Ji Cheying suddenly remembered Xie Quan’s familiarity with noble dining etiquette that he had shown in the restaurant before. That must have been cultivated from childhood and strictly trained to engrave the nobility into the marrow.

The first time Xie Quan’s pheromone came out yesterday, he realized that Xie Quan was not just an omega, his pheromone was extremely pure and he must be a high-level omega. How come it never occurred to him that Xie Quan might have a connection with the royal family?

“Your friend is gone?”

Seeing Ji Cheying knocking on the door but not speaking for a long time, Xie Quan simply took the initiative to speak up and break the strange silence between them.

“Mn, gone.” Ji Cheying answered and stared at Xie Quan, he sighed, not knowing what determination he made, he slowly and solemnly took a step towards Xie Quan. “In your case, he told me, when the time comes, we will find a way to get you instruments to treat your eyes and legs.”

Xie Quan nodded. “I’ll trouble you guys.”

Because of the smell of pheromone on Ji Cheying, Xie Quan’s pheromone was not all cold, the ice lime was like it was put into incense and smoked away warmly with a slow fire, less cold and more tender. Wrapped in such a scent, Ji Cheying unconsciously felt warm and happy.

Seeing his omega made him happy but this person was the cold-hearted Xie Quan. Even this mark was only Xie Quan’s “once and for all” solution to the companion disease. Thinking about this, Ji Cheying felt ridiculous about his joy again but none of this mattered at the moment.

Ji Cheying finally approached Xie Quan. His knees, which never bend easily to kneel, touched the ground. He was half-kneeling and looking at the young man in the wheelchair, his hand on the handle, and Xie Quan’s hand a slight distance apart. They could feel each other’s warmth, but not touch each other.

He composed his voice, some light, visible trying not to scare Xie Quan, afraid to frighten the birds and butterflies. He did not have much hesitation and asked bluntly, “Xie Quan, what is your relationship with the royal family?”

Xie Quan’s brow furrowed.

Ji Cheying, however, did not stop there, he asked again, “What is your relationship with Ji Shanhong?”