Chapter 31: Heart-Wrenching
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The three roommates all looked sharply at Yun Yingzhi’s stomach. Ji Xiaobo suddenly said, “My mom said she had a huge appetite when she was pregnant with me.”
Yu Feiwen said, “Yingzhi, you can’t be pregnant.”
Yun Yingzhi was about to nod when Jing Haomiao added, “Right… normally, males can’t get pregnant.” He paused, then added, “Of course, that’s not absolute. I’ve heard that some special secondary forms might make it possible.”
Yun Yingzhi was utterly shocked. He had no idea about any of this and stared at his stomach, completely bewildered. He thought about that time he had forced Elvis into mischief while drunk. But… could a male rabbit get pregnant?
Yu Feiwen patted Yun Yingzhi on the shoulder. “Yingzhi, don’t think too much. You definitely can’t be pregnant.”
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelid twitched. He nodded, though a subtle unease lingered.
Ji Xiaobo said, “Still, Yingzhi… your appetite has definitely been higher lately. Should we go with you to the medical room?”
Yun Yingzhi thought for a moment and slowly shook his head. “You know, I’ve always… had a… uh…” He lowered his voice. “A tiny bit of a big appetite. Maybe it’s just because I’m growing? Let’s wait and see. If it keeps increasing, then I’ll go to the medical room.”
Yu Feiwen and the others nodded. After finishing their meal, the four of them headed toward the academic building. Along the way, they still heard chatter about the Unadorned source weapon. Many students speculated that its maker must be an extremely old master. Everyone wanted an Unadorned of their own.
Some even said various factions were contacting the Source Weapon Association, trying to discover who the creator of Unadorned was. Yun Yingzhi quietly listened to all the praise and speculation, the unease from before completely gone. He covered his mouth to hide his quiet laughter.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Yu Feiwen grabbed Yun Yingzhi and transferred money to him. Yun Yingzhi saw the notification from his personal terminal and looked at Yu Feiwen, puzzled.
Yu Feiwen scratched his head. “You said it was discounted before, but after yesterday’s evaluation, even the original price seems like a steal. I can’t take advantage like that.”
Yun Yingzhi thought about all the money he had been wasting recently. As a good friend, he really wanted to say it was fine, but his current financial situation wasn’t great. Though embarrassed, he truly wanted to accept the money.
Yu Feiwen continued, “You don’t need to offer a discount. But Yingzhi, could you keep placing orders for us in the future?”
Yun Yingzhi’s eyes lit up. “Of course I can.”
Ji Xiaobo and Jing Haomiao quickly added, asking him to tell the source weapon maker that they didn’t want to worry about money while he worked. They said he could just tell them the price, and they would transfer the funds immediately.
As they spoke, they transferred large sums to Yun Yingzhi. Seeing the sudden influx in his account, he almost wanted to jump up and spin around with joy—if circumstances allowed.
The four continued toward the academic building. But Yun Yingzhi’s good mood didn’t last long. Huai Boshe appeared again, blocking his path. Yu Feiwen and the others began their usual teasing, drawing sideways glances from nearby students.
Huai Boshe said, “Yingzhi, can we talk?”
Yu Feiwen replied, “Huai Boshe, Yingzhi already said he has nothing to say to you.”
Huai Boshe frowned.
Yun Yingzhi said, “Do you find it fun, always coming after me? Should I tell A’Yao?” He intended to secretly record and inform Yun Yingyao—Huai Boshe was clearly up to no good.
Huai Boshe said, “A’Yao knows I came to see you.”
Yun Yingzhi froze, completely shocked, staring at Huai Boshe. For a moment, he wondered if his own mind was off—or if Huai Boshe’s was. How could he openly declare to the white moonlight that he came to see his ex?
Huai Boshe said, “Yingzhi, we grew up together. Before I leave, I want us to talk properly.”
Yun Yingzhi frowned. With their sharp hearing, they caught students whispering nearby:
“Look, it’s Huai Boshe.”
“I thought he liked first-year Yun Yingyao… but now it seems he still likes our school beauty.”
“Same here! Our school beauty is gorgeous! Our academy doesn’t care about gender—more than half like her!”
Another voice added, “The prince is here!”
“I think the prince likes the school beauty too!”
Hearing the words “prince,” Yun Yingzhi tensed. Impulsively, he pushed Huai Boshe hard and ran toward the academic building. Huai Boshe stumbled back.
Knowing that Yun Yingzhi was likely the Cute Little Battle Rabbit from the Yaoming Battle Arena, he realized Yun Yingzhi wasn’t as weak as he had assumed. He approached Yun Yingzhi cautiously, ready for the possibility that he might suddenly use a source weapon skill to blast him with the Twelve Cannons. But unexpectedly, Yun Yingzhi didn’t use a source weapon. He simply pushed him—and with surprising strength—sent him off balance.
Yu Feiwen and the others glared at Huai Boshe, then ran after Yun Yingzhi. Huai Boshe scowled, staring at Yun Yingzhi’s retreating back.
Soon after, Elvis appeared in view, his gaze locked directly on Huai Boshe. Huai Boshe met his stare. Sparks seemed to fly between them, and students hidden in the shadows sensed the tension. Everyone thought: their relationship used to be okay… and now… The answer was almost obvious. It was because of Yun Yingzhi.
Some students thought, No way… could it be? Both Elvis and Huai Boshe like Yun Yingzhi?
Elvis strode toward Huai Boshe, face cold, aura icy.Huai Boshe bowed respectfully first, then asked, “Your Highness, why are you here?”
Elvis answered bluntly, “I came for Yingzhi.”
Huai Boshe’s lips curved, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I heard you’ve been visiting Yingzhi a lot lately.”
Elvis narrowed his eyes. “And in what capacity are you saying that?”
Huai Boshe fell silent. A strange silence hung between the two of them. After an uncertain amount of time, Elvis said, “He’s mine.” He declared ownership plainly.
Huai Boshe’s face twitched. “Your Highness, he’s not an object. He has his own thoughts!”
Elvis said, “Indeed. Lord Boshe of the Yun Mansion, you must understand—he has always refused to interact with you.”
If this had been any other matter, Huai Boshe would have backed down. But when it came to Yun Yingzhi, he refused to yield in the slightest. “Your Highness, in this regard, I believe his attitude toward you is the same.” The two of them stabbed at each other’s hearts with their words.
Elvis stared straight at Huai Boshe, lips curling into a cold smile. “Remember how you are to address me.”
Huai Boshe, “….” Elvis, as Crown Prince, held supreme authority. After a brief pause, Huai Boshe finally said goodbye and left.
Students hidden in the shadows, who had overheard every word, immediately erupted in whispers. By the next moment, the news that Elvis liked Yun Yingzhi and had publicly declared it spread like wildfire. By the time the first class of the morning began, the rumor had reached Yun Yingzhi himself.
At this point, the story had already morphed: Elvis and Huai Boshe had supposedly fought a decisive duel over him, which ended with the prince’s victory.
Yun Yingzhi was utterly shocked. His entire body flushed bright red, and he felt extremely embarrassed. He spent the first two periods of class under the watchful eyes of his classmates.
At noon, he heard someone say that Elvis had come to their academic building again. Yun Yingzhi bolted in panic. He skipped the afternoon classes and headed to the rented studio of the Source Weapon Department, planning to work on source weapons.
Normally, he wouldn’t overthink things while crafting. Since he had successfully skipped class, he wanted to make good use of the afternoon: refining his space-restriction ability and starting designs for a finished source weapon, including complex imprints like energy storage pools, passive skills, and so on.
Yun Yingzhi opened his personal terminal. Before opening the design interface, he hesitated but couldn’t resist opening the search page. Taking a deep breath, he typed in the keywords. The results were overwhelming—overwhelming in every sense.
Everywhere on StarNet, people were spreading the news: the Crown Prince had someone he liked. The person the prince liked, it seemed, was the second son of General Yun—Yun Yingzhi.
Many people were confused. They didn’t know General Yun had a second son besides Yun Yinghui and Yun Yingyao.
They were curious what General Yun’s second son was like. Some said there was no solid proof, but he might be the Cute Little Battle Rabbit of the Yaoming Battle Arena. Others said that outside Fansa Academy, very few people knew about General Yun’s second son, mostly because he wasn’t like General Yun, nor like Madam Yun. His talents were mediocre; aside from a decent appearance, he had nothing remarkable.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched violently. He felt as if that statement meant… He didn’t deserve to be General Yun and Madam Yun’s child. Even though he had tried not to care, seeing words like that still made his heart ache. He took a deep breath and closed the network, forcing himself not to think, not to look.
Suddenly, a message notification sounded. It was a private message from Yun Yinghui. Yun Yingzhi blinked and opened the chat. It was Yun Yinghui, showing concern for him.
In his mind, he thought, Hmph. It doesn’t matter if Mom and Dad don’t like me, it doesn’t matter if Yun Yingyao doesn’t call me brother—I have a brother! My brother can be my father, my mother, my everything. He can do everything except be my younger sibling.
Yun Yingzhi leaned on Yun Yinghui, acting spoiled.
Yun Yingzhi: Brother, when the holiday comes, can I come see you?
Yun Yinghui: No, it’s very dangerous here.
Yun Yingzhi frowned, slightly upset.
Yun Yinghui: Zhizhi, I’m contacting you because I heard about your situation with Prince Elvis.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched, a wave of unease washing over him. For a fleeting moment, he wanted to tell Yun Yinghui about that night’s accident—but he didn’t dare. He sincerely hoped that night would remain forever buried in the past.
Yun Yinghui: Yingzhi, what is your relationship with Prince Elvis?
Yun Yingzhi replied decisively: No relationship whatsoever.
Yun Yinghui: That’s good. Don’t maintain any relationship with Prince Elvis beyond your official duties, understand?
Yun Yingzhi obediently responded: Yes! In his mind, he thought: The prince is the prince—he must not get too close.
Suddenly, another message notification sounded. When he switched out of the chat with Yun Yinghui, his eyes widened and he felt utterly blank. He had only pinned four people to the top of his contacts: Yun Yinghui, General Yun, Madam Yun, and Yun Yingyao.
Those four were his closest family; he had placed them at the top without exception. As usual, General Yun and Madam Yun never messaged him, while Yun Yingyao only contacted him on rare occasions. Yun Yingzhi couldn’t understand why Madam Yun would suddenly contact him. His hands trembled as he opened the chat with Madam Yun.
Madam Yun: Yingzhi.
Yun Yingzhi: “…” She had only written his name—no preamble, no explanation—and he felt anxious. He scanned past messages. It wasn’t empty.
Over the years he had sent Madam Yun many private messages—birthday greetings, holiday wishes—but he had never once received a reply. At one point he had even suspected that Madam Yun had blocked him.
He hesitated, heart pounding, and replied: Mom, good afternoon.
Madam Yun: Mm.
Yun Yingzhi didn’t know how to continue, and felt awkward if he didn’t respond. To his relief, another message from Madam Yun came quickly. When he read the next line, his whole mood sank further.
Madam Yun: What is your relationship with Prince Elvis?
Yun Yingzhi frowned and answered uneasily after thinking for a moment: The prince is a respected senior.
He tried to be tactful, indicating that he had no romantic involvement with Elvis. He worried that Madam Yun might scold him for early romance—something that could affect his grades and reputation. Though same-sex relationships were lawful and carried certain rights in the Empire, mainstream opinion still favored heterosexual relationships.
From what he knew of Madam Yun, if her child were gay, she would be deeply ashamed. To his surprise, Madam Yun sent another message.
Madam Yun: Yingzhi, could you do your mother a favor?
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelid twitched. He replied: Mom, if I can, I will.
Madam Yun: I heard Prince Elvis admires you.
Yun Yingzhi: “…”—a bad premonition settled over him. He stared at her message, not knowing how to respond.
Madam Yun: Could you maintain a good relationship with the prince?
What exactly did she mean by a “good relationship”?
Madam Yun: The prince has very close ties with the Yaoming Group. I want you to leverage your relationship with Prince Elvis to try to secure priority allocation for the latest level-seven and above source weapons. Can you do that?
Yun Yingzhi realized the matter was complicated. He didn’t fully understand the manipulable levers behind such influence, but when he had worked at Alvin’s studio he had overheard conversations among source weapon makers.
The Empire’s twelve legions—the Yun family’s entanglement with the Yaoming Group was strained. The Yaoming Group, however, had cultivated a large number of excellent source weapon makers and cooperated with the military, supplying weapons each year according to demand.
Even if General Yun’s relationship with the Yaoming Group was cold, his legions still received some of Yaoming’s weapons annually—typically the worst quality, poorest grade models. Reading Madam Yun’s message, Yun Yingzhi thought perhaps General Yun and Madam Yun were ready to change their bias toward source weapons.
Personal strength mattered, but having the right equipment could elevate one to a higher level. His eyes brightened. If that were the case, could he tell his parents that he had never given up on source weapon manufacturing? If they knew of his accomplishments, might they change their view of him?
Madam Yun: Yingzhi, you can help your mother, right?
He felt he couldn’t alter the Yaoming Group’s stance; he wanted to refuse Madam Yun, but he didn’t know the most appropriate way to do so.
Suddenly, a call notification rang—Madam Yun was calling. Before he fully reacted, the connection was already open. Madam Yun appeared on the video: a striking woman with delicately curled hair pinned up, bright red lipstick, and an imposing presence.
Their eyes met. Madam Yun’s gaze was razor-sharp. “Yingzhi,” she said.
Yun Yingzhi: “Mom.” He forced himself not to look away.
As a child he had craved her affection. Later he had learned to fear her severity and would instinctively avoid her gaze—only to be scolded for seeming timid and unfit to represent the family. After that, he had been afraid of Madam Yun but no longer dared to look away.
She paused and then commanded, “I told you before—always speak loudly.”
Yun Yingzhi thought that with anyone but her, he could be bold and loud. “Yes.”
Madam Yun inclined her head and said in a commanding tone, “Yingzhi, I heard your relationship with Yaoming Battle Arena’s Wei Yuanqing is also rather good.”
Yun Yingzhi’s lashes fluttered. “No, Mom, I don’t have any relationship with him.”
Madam Yun: “That’s not important. What matters is Prince Elvis and Wei Yuanqing—they both have favorable impressions of you.”
Yun Yingzhi: “…”
Madam Yun: “I am not forcing you. Remember, as a child of the Yun family, this is the one thing I have always asked of you.”
Sweat trickled down through Yun Yingzhi’s dark hair. His lips trembled. He inhaled and said, “Mom, I understand.”
Madam Yun nodded with satisfaction, then observed, “You’re sweating a lot.”
Yun Yingzhi: “…”
Madam Yun asked, “Are you currently in the source weapon workshop?”
He trembled and answered, “Yes.” He thought: if she had changed her stance on source weapons, he could tell her many things—he could reveal he was Stellar from Alvin’s studio, that he had made Unadorned… He could say so much.
Madam Yun said his name again, cold as ice. Another drop of sweat fell down his cheek; he forced himself not to lower his head and tried not to appear overly timid.
Madam Yun took a breath. “I told you before—not to touch source weapons.”
Yun Yingzhi replied, “But Mom, source weapons can strengthen an esper soldier.”
Madam Yun: “Source weapons are never truly your own power.”
His expression dimmed. Madam Yun still bore prejudice against source weapons; even if they were useful, she rejected them. He wanted to argue, but he knew her stubbornness well. Any retort would only invite more anger, so he remained silent. “Yes.”
Madam Yun: “Remember what I asked you to do.” She ended the call.
Staring at the disconnected video, Yun Yingzhi felt exhausted and bewildered. What should he do now? He had originally planned to avoid Prince Elvis, but now… could he still avoid him? Everything frustrated him; only when he made source weapons did he feel able to stop thinking.
Soon he noticed that even while designing, Madam Yun’s words echoed in his head. He kept telling himself that only his brother mattered. His parents didn’t have to like him; he didn’t need to love them back—but he couldn’t fully let go of that longing.
By evening, Yun Yingzhi finally realized how late it had become when Yu Feiwen messaged him. Perhaps because he was upset, his appetite—normally unaffected even by heartbreak—had noticeably decreased that night.
Yu Feiwen and the others breathed a sigh of relief; at last his eating had returned somewhat toward normal. That night Yun Yingzhi couldn’t sleep. He kept turning the question over: Should he deliberately approach Elvis and Wei Yuanqing at his mother’s behest—intentionally and with purpose? Or would it be better to refuse her?
An anxious week passed in a blur. On November 24th, six days remained before Prince Elvis and his entourage would depart, and the preliminary rounds of the Starshine Competition were approaching.
Madam Yun called Yun Yingzhi again. He didn’t want to pick up, but he had no choice. He told Yu Feiwen and the others he was stepping into the inner grove alone, then accepted the call.
On screen, Madam Yun asked bluntly, “Did you mention to Prince Elvis what I asked you before?” She spoke right to the point.
Yun Yingzhi shook his head, eyes pleading. “Mom, I’m sorry. I can’t deliberately get close to the prince. I don’t think I’m qualified, nor can I ask the prince or Senior Wei to owe me anything.” He paused and then offered, “If you want source weapons, I—could ask the source weapon maker I know to craft them. Would that be acceptable?”
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