Chapter 20: No Talking While Eating, No Talking While Sleeping
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: PlumSauce
Yun Yingzhi paused for a moment, shifting the topic. Yu Feiwen and the others sensed Yun Yingzhi’s mood and didn’t bring up Huai Boshe again.
The group entered the training hall. When they reached the training ground, they realized that Wei Yuanqing had arranged for three fourth-year students to give one-on-one guidance to Yu Feiwen and the others, while he himself was responsible for training Yun Yingzhi individually. What was a bit awkward was that training hadn’t even started when Wei Yuanqing received a private message—His Highness Elvis was looking for him.
Wei Yuanqing frowned, told Yun Yingzhi to wait a moment, and left. Yun Yingzhi thought about yesterday’s three consecutive victories. Though it was embarrassing, the battles had been thrilling, and the feeling of winning had been amazing. The thought of maintaining that streak instantly filled him with motivation to train.
After about an hour of continuous training, Yun Yingzhi sat on the ground to rest. Wei Yuanqing sent him a private message, saying that he was quite busy and couldn’t come over. He reminded Yun Yingzhi not to train too long and to remember to rest. Without needing to be reminded and as someone who proactively rested, Yun Yingzhi replied eagerly and then looked at his three roommaza21tes, who were still pushing themselves in training.
Yun Yingzhi parted his lips slightly, intending to tell them, Senior Wei said to take a break before continuing training… But before he could start, one of the fourth-year students overseeing Yu Feiwen said, “Break? What break? Can you compare to Yingzhi? You have to train for another hour before resting!”
Yu Feiwen and the others wore grim expressions and continued training. Yun Yingzhi thought for a moment about his frail second form. What could he do? Compared to the fierce second forms of the military academy students, he was just a delicate little white rabbit. Others might not need a break, but he certainly did. He settled comfortably on the ground, opened his personal terminal, and began designing source weapons.
Of the four source weapon orders he had received, Wei Yuanqing’s was undoubtedly the most difficult to make. If Yun Yingzhi could craft his three roommates’ source weapons in a single day, making Wei Yuanqing’s Level 8 wood-type source weapon would require at least a week of intense work—and that was assuming extremely good luck.
After some thought, Yun Yingzhi decided to start with the simplest source weapons first. He would design his three roommates’ weapons before moving on to Wei Yuanqing’s. He began with the appearance, which was simple—he used the most commonly sold template from the Source Weapon Association.
Any source weapon resembling the standard designs of the Source Weapon Association naturally inspired more trust among the general public. These were also the most popular designs on the market, requiring minimal effort. Normally, most skilled source weapon makers went to great lengths to design unique appearances, emphasizing style to showcase the weapon’s value.
According to some in the source weapon industry, even if the weapon itself was average, a striking exterior would highlight its worth. With the appearances of the three source weapons set, Yun Yingzhi moved on to creating the internal imprints.
Yu Feiwen’s ability was wind and lightning, so the weapon needed materials skewed toward those elements for higher compatibility and maximum attack potential. Since this weapon would be used in 5v5 group battles, Yun Yingzhi planned to include a few imprints that would reduce damage to allies.
Suddenly, a miserable howl sounded from nearby. Yun Yingzhi looked up to see Yu Feiwen sprawled on the ground. He shivered slightly, feeling a bit sorry. He thought to himself his three roommates were training hard, and he was just sitting here resting.
Almost as if sensing his gaze, the fourth-year student overseeing Yu Feiwen glanced at Yun Yingzhi. The fierce expression softened immediately. “Yingzhi, what’s wrong?”
Yun Yingzhi twitched his eyelid, considered carefully, and asked cautiously, “Can I… train with them too?”
The senior paused and said, “You’ve already trained a long time earlier. Rest some more.”
Yu Feiwen and the others exchanged complicated looks as they glanced at Yun Yingzhi. After a moment, they instantly understood. Of course—Yun Yingzhi was the delicate little white rabbit and needed special treatment. With their thoughts perfectly in sync, Yun Yingzhi comfortably resumed resting while designing the source weapons.
Every now and then, he could hear the three of them groaning in pain from training. Yun Yingzhi shivered, feeling a little scared. But after a few times, he got used to it.
By the time Yun Yingzhi realized it, the entire afternoon had passed, and it was finally time to rest. The four of them hadn’t slept well the day before; exhausted and sleepy, they said goodbye to the three seniors and went to eat. Yun Yingzhi looked at his roommates with pity, thinking how hard they had worked.
Jing Haomiao sighed. “Luckily, they went easy on you, Yingzhi.”
Yun Yingzhi quietly sighed in agreement, looking at his roommates with a sympathetic gaze. “You’ve worked hard.”
Yu Feiwen and the others echoed the sentiment.
After dinner, they received a message from the “devil” senior—they would have extra training tonight. As for Yun Yingzhi, the three seniors had said that, considering the intensity of his afternoon training and worrying about his frail body, it would be better for him to rest in the evening. Yu Feiwen and the others exchanged complex looks, envying Yun Yingzhi’s fragility in that moment.
Yun Yingzhi felt a little guilty under their gaze.
From yesterday until now, they had barely rested. Now, all they wanted was to collapse and fall asleep instantly. Ji Xiaobo said, “I’ll ask the senior if tonight’s training can be canceled.”
Yu Feiwen and Jing Haomiao’s eyes lit up, looking at Ji Xiaobo expectantly. Ji Xiaobo immediately opened his personal terminal and tentatively sent a private message to inquire. Soon, he received a reply.
Yu Feiwen and Jing Haomiao looked at Ji Xiaobo nervously. One of them asked, “What did the senior say?”
Ji Xiaobo’s mouth twitched. “The senior asked if we were worthy.” His tall, sturdy frame suddenly looked pitiful. He mumbled, “Are we worthy of resting?”
Yu Feiwen hesitated. “Five consecutive losses… I don’t think we are…”
Jing Haomiao nodded. “I agree… we probably aren’t.”
The three of them slumped, staring glumly at Yun Yingzhi. Ji Xiaobo said, “Yingzhi, then we’ll go.” He sighed heavily.
Yun Yingzhi thought for a moment. “I don’t think I deserve to rest either. I’ll go with you.”
The three rejected Yun Yingzhi, insisting that he should rest.
At first, Yun Yingzhi didn’t understand their meaning. He earnestly wanted to join the high-intensity training. Only when Jing Haomiao, out of patience, gently but firmly conveyed the harsh truth—even if the little white rabbit advances, it’s still just a cute little white rabbit—did Yun Yingzhi fall into a dazed, forlorn state, his face full of sorrow.
“Makes sense.” Yun Yingzhi felt a pang of heartache. Why was he just a little rabbit? And such a tiny little rabbit at that?
This time, it was Yu Feiwen and the others who looked at Yun Yingzhi with eyes full of concern. The three of them sincerely comforted him for a while. For some reason, the image of the Cute Little Battle Rabbit from the Yaoming Battle Arena suddenly popped into their minds.
They exchanged skeptical looks toward Yun Yingzhi.
Yun Yingzhi noticed their strange gazes but didn’t dwell on it. “Go on,” he said. “Don’t keep the senior waiting.”
The three of them left. Watching their departing backs, Yun Yingzhi thought to himself, Their words had stung, but they were true. As a little white rabbit with almost no combat power, spending time on training himself wasn’t as effective as figuring out how to craft stronger source weapons.
It was just like his battle with the Level 8 esper soldier. With his little rabbit second form, defeating a Level 8 esper soldier was impossible. But with a more powerful source weapon… maybe it would be different.
Yun Yingzhi had a clear understanding of himself: when your strength isn’t enough, let your equipment make up for it. That was the path best suited for him. Originally, he had thought about returning to the dorm for a nap. But now he didn’t feel like sleeping at all. Seeing his roommates work so hard, he felt he didn’t deserve rest.
He headed toward the source weapon manufacturing department. Along the way, he ran into Huai Boshe and Yun Yingyao walking side by side. Yun Yingzhi noticed that the more he tried to avoid Huai Boshe recently, the more often he seemed to run into him.
On the other side, Huai Boshe hadn’t noticed him.
Yun Yingzhi scanned the area—no one else was around. He moved to a hidden spot, transformed into his second form, found a small stone, and kicked it in Huai Boshe’s direction.
Suddenly, a low, hoarse laugh reached his ears. Yun Yingzhi’s fur stood on end; his entire little rabbit body shivered. But that didn’t stop him from making a quick leap and hiding. The stone kicked by the little white rabbit was perfectly avoided by Huai Boshe.
Huai Boshe looked around, frowned slightly, and shouted, “Who’s there?”
The little white rabbit shivered in the shadows, not daring to make a sound.
After a while, Huai Boshe and Yun Yingyao left. The little white rabbit blinked, scanning the area for the one who had laughed, but found no one. Thinking quickly, he sprinted toward the source weapon manufacturing department.
On the way, he heard students say, “What just sped past?”
“So fast!”
Before reaching the department, Yun Yingzhi switched back to human form and rented a workshop. Looking at the vending machine full of gleaming materials, he decided to start crafting a source weapon for Yu Feiwen.
He thought about his own source weapon. Energy could be transmitted through imprints, compressed, gathered, and layered to form energy projectiles. Yu Feiwen resonated with wind and lightning. Could he trigger lightning in a similar way? Perhaps a bolt as thick as a water bucket?
The thought barely formed before Yun Yingzhi’s hands itched uncontrollably. He scanned the materials with his personal terminal, paid, and immediately began experimentation. This was both Yun Yingzhi’s strength and his weakness. Compared to theoretical reasoning, he preferred to learn through practice. While crafting source weapons, he could focus intensely—but that focus often led to irreversible mistakes.
For example…
During his experimentation, a sudden idea struck him: the space ability designed to block Zerg Emperor psychic waves. Could he… fake a wave and make the Zerg swarm turn on themselves?
It was only a fleeting thought. By the time he snapped back to reality, he realized he had, brilliantly or foolishly, ruined all the materials he had just purchased.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched. He stared silently at the scattered, costly materials. His body wobbled, his small face drooped, and he slumped to the ground, dazed and numb. He didn’t even have the courage to check his account to see how much money he had wasted in this meaningless state.
The only consolation was that he had stumbled upon a new idea. He sniffled, patted his cheeks, comforted himself, and cleaned up all the ruined materials, tossing them into the trash. Most source weapon materials were delicate; one misstep could ruin them, and they couldn’t be reused. This made training source weapon makers particularly difficult.
In short, it all came down to one reason: being poor.
After throwing away the materials, Yun Yingzhi mustered the courage to see how much he had spent. He took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he opened his personal terminal to check the expense records. The moment he saw the total, his body shook, and he collapsed to the ground again, dazed and disoriented. He tried to hold back, but he couldn’t. His mouth drooped, and his black eyes filled with tears. He dialed Yun Yinghui.
The call connected quickly.
It was already late at night. On the other end, Yun Yinghui wore pajamas, the neckline plunging to reveal perfect collarbones. Yun Yinghui inherited black hair and eyes from his parents, with sharp, striking features and a chilling aura, just like General Yun.
General Yun and Mrs. Yun had icy temperaments. Yun Yinghui and Yun Yingyao had inherited the same genes—they rarely smiled, always seeming cold. Compared to them, aside from his patched-together inherited good looks, Yun Yingzhi was nothing like the Yun household children.
Seeing Yun Yingzhi, Yun Yinghui’s usually cold eyes softened. “Zhi Zhi, what’s wrong?” He scanned the projection background, silently observing Yun Yingzhi’s current location.
“I miss you, Brother,” Yun Yingzhi said, his voice full of grievance.
Yun Yinghui paused. “I miss you too.” Then he asked, “Why are you crying? If anyone at Fansa Academy is bullying you, tell me. I’ll sort them out.”
This was the gentle way of saying “Don’t worry, I’ll make them pay.” Yun Yingzhi thought this was exactly Yun Yinghui. When Yun Yingzhi was very young, some kids liked to bully him. Usually, he didn’t even need to call his brother—there were always some boys or girls nearby to stand up for the frail little white rabbit. Later, Yun Yinghui might find out and would even visit personally to make those kids apologize.
Word spread about Yun Yinghui’s protective nature, and those who wanted to bully Yun Yingzhi dared not. Even now, at Fansa Academy, if someone bullied him, Yun Yinghui would definitely intervene.
“No one’s bullying me,” Yun Yingzhi said.
“Then why are you crying, Zhi Zhi?” Yun Yinghui’s voice remained cold, but worry seeped through.
“I miss you, Brother,” Yun Yingzhi repeated.
“Miss your brother so much you’re crying?” Yun Yinghui’s voice held a hint of a smile.
Yun Yingzhi nodded, looking sticky and clingy. He thought of Yun Yinghui’s fondness for his second form, and transformed into an adorably cute little rabbit for him.
Yun Yingzhi suddenly remembered something from years ago, when he was very small. Back then, spaceship tickets were outrageously expensive. He had overheard the household servants talking about someone whose second form was a tiny hamster. To avoid paying for a ticket, the little esper had hidden in a friend’s pocket and ridden the spaceship for free, posing as a household pet. And it had been a round-trip ticket.
Even after all these years, similar things still happened. It was absurd. Espers with large, beast-like second forms couldn’t take that route, but those with small second forms under 30 cm could easily evade ticket checks.
There had been a time when Yun Yingzhi thought Yun Yinghui was extremely poor, almost to the point of not being able to make ends meet. Yet he still fantasized about his brother taking him all across the world, visiting every major life planet. Back then, Yun Yingzhi’s second form had been under 20 cm, and he had eagerly told Yun Yinghui that, being so small, he could be tucked into a pocket and carried anywhere—easy to raise and cheap.
Besides eating a little more, he had required almost no money.
Yun Yinghui said, “Zhi Zhi, be good. Wait a bit. I’ll come see you, okay?”
Yun Yingzhi snapped back from his memories and nodded heavily. Yun Yinghui paused and began the scolding only a brother could give. He asked why Yun Yingzhi was still awake when it was already one in the morning.
Yun Yingzhi looked pitiful, meek, but still voiced his complaint softly, “Aren’t you staying up late too, Brother?”
“I’m an adult,” Yun Yinghui replied.
Immediately, Yun Yingzhi understood. Because Yun Yinghui was an adult, he could freely manage his own time.
“I’m an adult too!” Yun Yingzhi switched from his little rabbit form back to human form and shouted.
Yun Yinghui paused. “You’re different. You’re still little.”
Yun Yingzhi felt a twinge of anger. Indeed, he was different—always small, frail, yet an insatiable little eater, a tiny little white rabbit.
“Go to sleep,” Yun Yinghui said. “No staying up late from now on.”
He didn’t hang up immediately. Almost as if watching over him, Yun Yinghui confirmed that Yun Yingzhi returned to the dorm before finally ending the call.
Back in the dorm, Yun Yingzhi glanced around. His three roommates were clearly exhausted; after telling him to go to bed early, they immediately fell asleep, snoring loudly. Yun Yingzhi took a combat shower and collapsed into bed.
Suddenly, a ringing bell sounded. The sharp alarm jolted all four of them awake. The bell kept ringing. They exchanged glances.
Ji Xiaobo groaned in despair, “I’m so tired.”
Half-asleep, Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched wildly. He checked his personal terminal: only ten minutes to 2 a.m. He had been asleep for less than half an hour. He was completely numb and desperately sleepy.
A bell at this hour meant an emergency assembly for special training. Students had to reach the training hall promptly, or risk losing credits—a severe punishment if they were more than fifteen minutes late. In under ten seconds, the four of them had steadied their panicked minds. Within three minutes, they dressed, wiped their faces, and sprinted out.
Outside, the entire floor’s students were running simultaneously. They didn’t wait for elevators; some jumped from high floors, others bolted down staircases. The building shook under the chaos. Yun Yingzhi was squeezed into the crowd, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, exhausted and struggling.
At 2 a.m. sharp, all students arrived at the training hall and lined up obediently.
At 2:05 a.m., the instructor appeared and took attendance.
Good—every student was present.
Yun Yingzhi thought, The scariest part of skipping class was surprise night training by the instructors. After roll call, students warmed up, then began the grueling exercises. Sleep-deprived, Yun Yingzhi felt foggy. His body was limp, his movements clumsy. Instead of special training, it felt like he was dancing, struggling to keep up. He appeared extremely frail.
The instructor glanced at him and sighed.
Yun Yingzhi felt aggrieved; he had been trying his hardest. He noticed his classmates looking at him with pained expressions.
One whispered, “Poor Yingzhi… this is too hard on him.”
“He’s just a frail little rabbit!”
At first, Yun Yingzhi had not felt it; but after hearing his classmates’ comments, he suddenly felt that he was indeed pitiful. He sniffled, braced himself, and followed the instructor’s demands, pushing through every exercise.
Another student whispered, “Even though our rabbit’s movements aren’t perfect, he’s really giving it his all!”
“The instructor’s terrible! He’s so weak, why put him through this?”
Yun Yingzhi thought to himself, That makes perfect sense.
Another added, “I always knew Yingzhi was weak. Seeing him today… I really understand his frailty now.”
Yun Yingzhi felt even more aggrieved. He mentally encouraged himself, It’s okay. He might be weak, but he could craft the strongest source weapons for himself! The special midnight training lasted until 4:30 a.m.
At 5 a.m., morning training would start. Yun Yingzhi didn’t want to move at all, collapsing on the floor to sleep for half an hour before the morning session. He wasn’t alone. Most students, regardless of gender, were sprawled similarly, falling asleep instantly amid the collective snores.
Minutes later, the personal terminal alarms roused them for morning training. Students groaned, lined up, and began exercises. It was exhausting.
After high-intensity training, students were hungry and tired, rushing to the cafeteria to eat as quickly as possible before sleeping. Yun Yingzhi noticed some students even transformed into their second forms to save time, using their esper abilities to increase their speed. He had seen this before, yet it still shocked him. The sight was overwhelming—an entire sea of fierce beasts.
As Yun Yingzhi pondered, Yu Feiwen transformed into a giant eagle. He looked at Yun Yingzhi. “Yingzhi, I’ll carry you.”
Hearing this, exhausted and starving, Yun Yingzhi switched into his little white rabbit form, hopping onto the eagle’s back and clutching its feathers tightly. Many students kept glancing at the tiny white rabbit perched on the eagle’s gray-brown back.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, “Cute Little Battle Rabbit!”
Yun Yingzhi froze. His little paws slackened their grip, and a gust of wind made his small body wobble—he truly looked fragile.
Everyone worried, realizing once more how delicate he was. Someone shouted, “Yingzhi, be careful!”
The little rabbit drooped his face, hugged the eagle, and then curled up completely, looking irresistibly soft. The eagle flapped its wings, clearing obstacles and flying straight to the cafeteria. Soon, the four were together in line for food.
Compared to others, Yun Yingzhi’s group looked far worse. Each of them bore giant dark circles under their eyes. During breakfast, Yun Yingzhi’s head drooped toward the table. He nearly face-planted until someone steadied him.
He blinked, noticing the usually noisy cafeteria had gone quiet. Turning toward the person holding him, he saw a pair of violet eyes—Prince Elvis, heir of the Loos Empire, Fansa Academy’s most prestigious student.
Why was he here? Yun Yingzhi’s cheeks burned as he recalled earlier encounters with Elvis in his second form.
Elvis said, “Be careful. Don’t fall asleep while eating.”
Yun Yingzhi nodded, his mind a jumble, barely understanding.
Elvis continued, “I can take you back.”
This time Yun Yingzhi heard clearly. Take him back? Where? He immediately thought of the doors and windows Elvis had shut earlier. His eyelids twitched wildly. “No, Prince Elvis. I’m fine. I can manage.” He stood up, gestured to his three roommates, returned the tray, and ran outside.
He didn’t want to be confined at all.
Yu Feiwen and the others politely bade Elvis farewell and hurried after him. The four of them gathered together and opened the class schedule, feeling an overwhelming sense of despair. There was a full lineup of classes in the morning, a full lineup of classes in the afternoon, and extra training at night.
They exchanged glances, a wave of melancholy washing over them. The only comfort was that if they could survive just one more day, it would be Fansa Academy’s monthly open day.
Once the open day arrived, they could leave Fansa Academy, go home, and rest for a whole day without worrying about being suddenly woken up at midnight. The four of them mustered their strength and headed to class. Amid their fatigue, the grueling day finally came to an end.
On the way back to the dorm, they overheard some students talking about a social event. It suddenly hit them—they would be attending it the night after tomorrow. At that event, they would meet many people, and perhaps even encounter someone they could fall for at first sight.
Though still tired, Yu Feiwen perked up immediately at the mention of the event. He said, “Sleep well tonight, hold on through tomorrow, rest up in the morning, and then we’ll go to the social event at night—just perfect.”
“I’ve already custom-made a new outfit!” Jing Haomiao said.
By the time they returned to the dorm, it was already 10 p.m. After a day of high-intensity training, the four of them were ravenous. They dug through the cabinets for food to fill their stomachs, washed up, and got into bed—it was already 11 p.m.
At that moment, they truly felt the happiness of being able to sleep. But the instructors at Fansa Academy were truly merciless. They had barely slept three hours when a sharp alarm rang again, startling all four of them awake. Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched as he instinctively checked the time.
Ten minutes to 2 a.m.
He thought the instructors were downright cruel, pulling the same trick two days in a row. The four of them hurried outside and began yet another surprise training session.
According to the instructors, as military academy students, they would inevitably face real battlefields. They could never know the kind of grueling fights awaiting them. Sudden drills like these could happen often, even for two weeks straight in the future. They had to maintain constant vigilance.
After the high-intensity training, morning exercises proceeded as usual. Looking at the class schedule, today’s classes seemed relatively friendly. The morning was filled with classes, but the afternoon had only one, so after tidying up, they could go home.
In theory, not just them, but the other students, after two consecutive nights of early-morning drills, should have been exhausted. Yet everyone seemed full of energy. The entire academy buzzed with an atmosphere of excitement.
One student said, “I heard His Highness Elvis will be attending the social event!”
“Senior Wei Yuanqing will be there too!”
“And our school beauty! He’s never attended a social event before, but this time he’s coming!”
The students were ecstatic.
Perhaps influenced by their peers, Yu Feiwen and the others felt their spirits rise noticeably.
Finally, afternoon classes ended.
Students rushed back to the dorms, grabbed their things, and sprinted toward Fansa Academy’s exit. Yun Yingzhi didn’t have much to carry, so he walked out with his three roommates. Near the academy’s exit, the hovercar parking area was filled with expensive vehicles.
Yun Yingzhi bid farewell to his roommates, agreeing to meet them at the social event tomorrow night, then boarded the Yun family’s hovercar. The ride from Fansa Academy to the Yun family residence took about half an hour. Yun Yingzhi sat in the back seat and fell asleep almost instantly.
Half an hour later, he woke to the driver’s call, rubbed his tired eyes, and entered the Yun residence.
The steward and household staff greeted him respectfully, “Young Master.”
Yun Yingzhi nodded and headed straight to his room on the third floor. It had been a month since he last returned; the room was exceptionally tidy, the windows open, letting in a gentle breeze. He intended to close the window and sleep.
As he reached for the handle, his hand froze. Looking outside, he saw two people. It was Huai Boshe and Yun Yingyao.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched, and his brow furrowed subtly. There’s a saying: when you care about someone but they don’t care about you at all… it’s a strangely subtle feeling. He saw Huai Boshe gently cup Yun Yingyao’s face with both hands. They were so close, seemingly moments away from a kiss, yet perhaps just talking intimately.
Yun Yingzhi took a deep breath, closed the window, drew the curtains, and lay down. His mind was exhausted, yet he couldn’t sleep. His thoughts were full of Huai Boshe and Yun Yingyao. To avoid wasting time over Huai Boshe, Yun Yingzhi forced himself to think about creating a source weapon. For example, how to make a Zerg army fight among themselves?
Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was dinner time.
A knock came at the door, and through it, the maid said, “Young Master, dinner is ready.”
Yun Yingzhi groggily opened his eyes. Since childhood, he had been able to eat a lot; no matter how tired, he always finished his meals. As a child, while other kids could only manage half a bowl, he could finish three large bowls. Yun Yinghui would call him a little piggy then. But thankfully, he wasn’t a pig—he was a little bunny, who could eat well without gaining weight and digest perfectly.
He got out of bed and walked out of the room. General Yun and Madam Yun were always busy; Yun Yingzhi rarely saw them. Especially now, General Yun was stationed at the border star, and Madam Yun was often away, only returning briefly each year.
The maid informed Yun Yingzhi that Madam Yun was away, so the only people at the Yun residence were him and Yun Yingyao. His steps halted. That meant if he went to the dining room now, he would see Yun Yingyao. Their relationship wasn’t bad, but never particularly close.
He envied Madam Yun’s favoritism of Yun Yingyao, while Yun Yingyao envied Yun Yinghui’s care for him. In this regard, they were fairly even.
Yun Yingzhi continued to the dining room. As expected, Yun Yingyao was already seated. She nodded at Yun Yingzhi, acknowledging him. Yun Yingzhi nodded back. The siblings ate in silence, not a word exchanged—a normal routine for them.
After a moment, Yun Yingzhi spoke, “A-Yao.”
Yun Yingyao looked at him, their eyes meeting with a cold clarity.
Yun Yingzhi said, “Huai Boshe isn’t a good person.”
Yun Yingyao’s brow furrowed faintly. She paused, “Hmm, we’ve grown up together.”
Her “hmm” carried unexpected weight.
Yun Yingzhi said, “Huai Boshe is despicable.”
Yun Yingyao asked, “Are you badmouthing him to me?”
Yun Yingzhi, “He…”
He wanted to express how bad Huai Boshe was but didn’t want Yun Yingyao to know about their past, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.
Yun Yingyao sighed softly, then said, “Yingzhi, eat without speaking, sleep without talking.”
Yun Yingzhi felt a pang of frustration, nearly exploding. Yun Yingyao set down her chopsticks, stood, and left the dining room.
Yun Yingzhi quickly finished two more large servings, then asked the butler, “Where’s Yingyao?”
The butler smiled, “She should have gone to the training room.”
Yun Yingzhi blinked and glanced toward the training room. Yun Yingyao had been disciplined since childhood—after eating, she would walk to digest and then continue training. Rubbing his full stomach, Yun Yingzhi felt extremely sleepy. He decided to sleep first.
Back in his room, utterly exhausted, he almost drifted off. But once he lay down, his mind was full of Huai Boshe and Yun Yingyao, and that phrase: eat without speaking, sleep without talking.
Yun Yingzhi thought, Gah… so angry!
He tossed and turned, channeling his frustration into designing source weapon schematics. He opened his personal terminal, focusing on creating a source weapon for Yun Yinghui. At this point, he could reliably produce a Level 6 source weapon, usually with low failure risk. The question was how to allow fighters favoring various esper attributes to effectively activate restricted-space esper abilities, even if not perfectly matched.
Engraving patterns formed in his mind. Piece by piece, Yun Yingzhi recorded his ideas.
Suddenly, another knock sounded and a familiar voice outside said, “Young Master, breakfast is ready.”
Yun Yingzhi froze, glanced at the time—it was…
8 a.m. So he hadn’t slept all night? He had endured another whole day? No wonder he was exhausted.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched. His stomach growled. Luckily it was a holiday, or else it would have been miserable. After breakfast, he could sleep until he naturally woke and then prepare for the evening social event. He got up, washed in the bathroom, and looked at his reflection. Sleep deprivation showed clearly in his tired eyes.
Yun Yingzhi felt he might fall asleep just eating.
Going downstairs, he entered the dining room. Yun Yingyao was already there. They nodded to each other again and began eating.
Eat without speaking, sleep without talking, Yun Yingzhi thought. He tried to suppress it, but couldn’t. He spoke, “A-Yao.”
Yun Yingyao murmured, “Hmm?”
Yun Yingzhi asked, “Are you going to the social event tonight?”
Yun Yingyao’s hand went rigid, suspended in place. Her eyes locked on Yun Yingzhi, and her usually cool gaze suddenly sharpened to a piercing intensity. She said, “You’ve never gone before.”
Yun Yingzhi was momentarily speechless. Wait, he had just asked if she was going, right?
Yun Yingyao continued, “Are you going?” Her eyes were full of aggression.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. For some reason, he didn’t dare say he would go. After thinking a bit, he muttered, “Eat without speaking, sleep without talking.”
Yun Yingyao looked Yun Yingzhi over deeply, then set her chopsticks and bowl down and walked out of the dining room. Yun Yingzhi pressed his lips together, subtly sensing that she was unhappy. He thought for a moment and continued eating. Then he noticed the bowl Yun Yingyao had used had developed a crack. Immediately afterward… it shattered into pieces.
Impressive grip strength.
Yun Yingzhi blinked his dark eyes a few times, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and thought, My little sister’s a bit scary—but that won’t stop me from eating.
After finishing his meal, he stared at the bowl in his hands, pondering. He gripped it tightly. The bowl… shattered into pieces. Yun Yingzhi felt a little proud of himself.
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