Chapter 45: Yun Yingzhi
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The little kit was simply too wild. He jumped straight from the Imperial Consort’s hands onto his lap, rolled swiftly to the edge of his knees, and then made a flying leap— His tiny body sliced through the air, only to crash ungracefully with no warning at all. In that instant, everyone in the room felt their hearts seize for the restless little thing. The entire group moved at once.
Yun Yinghui activated his esper ability, forming a layer of ice. Emperor Jarren used his spatial ability to suspend the little kit in midair. Petals of soft pink gathered into a flower-shaped bed that caught the kit gently.
Suspended in midair, the little bunny tilted his head slightly. Seeing Yun Yinghui’s face still pale with fright, he stood on the petal bed and stretched out both tiny paws toward him, asking for a hug. Begging for cuddles seemed to be an instinct all young ones were born with. Yet this bunny seemed to have another instinct as well—to complain.
The little kit appeared to remember something. He drew back his outstretched paws, blinked his big eyes expectantly at Yun Yinghui, then turned his small body on the petal bed. Pointing a paw at Emperor Jarren, he squeaked, “Aow!” Then he pointed at the Imperial Consort and squeaked again, “Aow!”
The consort couldn’t hold back his laughter and let out a soft “pfft.” The petals shifted, carrying the little kit closer toward him.
Realizing that he was moving farther and farther away from Yun Yinghui and closer to Emperor Jarren and the consort, the bunny grew anxious. He looked back at Yun Yinghui, pleading, “Da? Da!? Dada!”
This time, Emperor Jarren and Yun Yinghui both failed to suppress their smiles. While everyone’s attention was on the little kit, the little egg quietly rolled onto Emperor Jarren’s leg, then began rolling swiftly down his thigh…
A faint light flickered in the emperor’s eyes. He pretended not to notice the egg’s prison-break attempt, secretly watching him out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing that Yun Yinghui clearly showed no brotherly love, the egg decisively abandoned the bunny. He struggled to roll down from the emperor’s lap, and the instant he succeeded—
Just that instant—he rolled faster than anyone thought possible, launching himself straight toward Yun Yinghui. This time, not only Yun Yinghui but also the consort, Emperor Jarren, and even the tattletale bunny kit all saw what he was doing.
At first glance, the eggshell looked terribly fragile. Watching him roll like that made everyone’s heart lurch, just as they’d worried earlier that the bunny might fall from midair.
Yun Yinghui’s brows furrowed. He reached out a hand, trying to catch the little egg— But the egg reacted with astonishing speed. A shimmer of space energy rippled through the air as he used his spatial ability and blinked away. Petals fluttered through the palace hall—this time, from the consort’s ability. Emperor Jarren’s gaze shifted to Yun Yinghui’s chest.
After a moment of confusion, the little kit pointed at Yun Yinghui’s chest and shouted angrily, “Aow! Aow! Aow!”
He looked furious, his tiny paw jabbing at Yun Yinghui’s chest. Tears no longer fell, but he stomped his little feet on the carpet of petals spread beneath him.
Yun Yinghui’s eyelid twitched. Silently, he reached a hand into his uniform to retrieve the egg who had teleported into his clothes. Feeling Yun Yinghui’s hand approaching, the egg deliberately dodged, rolling around on his chest. Still, he couldn’t escape fate and was soon caught. Yet once he was in that familiar embrace, the little egg relaxed. He felt safe.
Seeing the egg back in Yun Yinghui’s arms, the little kit stopped shouting. He tilted his head, gave a soft “Da,” and stretched out both paws again for a hug. Yun Yinghui took a step toward him. As Yun Yinghui drew closer, the bunny gave another soft “Da.” But when only three steps separated them, the consort moved his hand. The petals carried the little kit straight into his arms. Yun Yinghui narrowed his eyes slightly at him. “Your Grace, I came here for them.”
The consort curved his lips into a faint smile and met his gaze. “And if I refuse?”
The tension in the hall thickened. Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the little kit grew uneasy. He glanced from the consort to Yun Yinghui, and tears began to roll down his cheeks again. The consort lifted a hand, gently wiping the tears away. “There, there, sweetheart. Why are you crying?”
Yun Yinghui clenched one hand into a fist, his aura sharp and cold. “Your Grace, I hope you understand—they are our family’s children.”
The egg trembled in Yun Yinghui’s palm. Feeling the little one’s fear, Yun Yinghui gently stroked him, then slipped him into his pocket. Apparently, the egg didn’t like it there. He rolled around restlessly, slipped beneath Yun Yinghui’s collar again, and poked out the tip of his shell. This time, Yun Yinghui didn’t take him out.
The consort locked eyes with him. “Colonel Yinghui, they belong to the royal family.”
The moment he said that, both he and Emperor Jarren felt it—a blade of solidified ice energy was taking shape behind Yun Yinghui. Frost spread through the air, sharp enough to cut.
“I entered the battlefield for the first time when I was eighteen,” Yun Yinghui said quietly. Emperor Jarren’s eyes narrowed, but he remained silent.
“After graduation, I kept fighting on the front lines,” Yun Yinghui continued. “I’ve survived countless battles since then.” He brushed past the details of war as if they were nothing.
The consort said softly, “Colonel Yinghui, past and present, I’ve always admired you. I believe that before long, your achievements will surpass General Yun’s.”
Yun Yinghui shook his head. “Your Majesty, Your Grace—I’m not looking for compliments. I only hope you understand under what circumstances Prince Elvis… became involved with my younger brother.”
Both the emperor and the consort fell silent, guilt flickering across their faces. They had heard the story—Elvis had confessed to Yun Yingzhi back then, and Yun Yingzhi had rejected him outright. So then… How the two little ones came into existence was, to say the least, rather intriguing.
Both rulers thought the same thing—if Elvis had been present just now, the massive ice blade forming behind Yun Yinghui would probably have been aimed straight at him.
Though they felt a pang of guilt, Emperor Jarren would never give up his claim to the two children. “Colonel Yinghui,” he said, “you must understand what it means that these two carry the royal bloodline.”
Yun Yinghui looked at Emperor Jarren, his gaze steady and unflinching. “Your Majesty,” he said evenly, “the empire I serve abides by its laws.” Before Jarren could speak again, Yun Yinghui continued, “According to the laws of the Loos Empire, during infancy, guardianship belongs unconditionally to the one who gave birth to them.”
The Imperial Consort said, “Colonel Yinghui, no matter what you say, I must make this clear—these two children …”
Yun Yinghui interrupted him. “Your Grace, the crown prince is in love with my younger brother.”
Silence filled the hall. The little egg stirred uneasily beneath Yun Yinghui’s collar. The little kit, held in the consort’s hands, grew restless as well. He twitched his nose, saw the egg snuggling safely against Yun Yinghui’s warm chest, and became furious, squeaking sharply at him. The egg froze at once and pretended to be a dead egg. The silence dragged on.
After what felt like a long while, Yun Yinghui spoke again. “I don’t know what will become of the crown prince and my brother, but one thing is certain—my brother is the children’s father, and the crown prince cares deeply for him.”
Emperor Jarren and the consort both understood the implication.
Do you truly wish to fight Yun Yingzhi—the man Prince Elvis loves—for custody of the two little ones? If nothing unexpected happened, Elvis would likely be able to persuade Yun Yingzhi himself. The two rulers exchanged a look. They had to consider Elvis’s feelings.
Emperor Jarren exhaled slowly. The consort furrowed his brow, lowering his gaze to the soft, warm little kit in his hands. Sensing his stare, the kit grew unhappy, gave a sharp toss of his furry head, and squeaked again.
Such a little creature, full of theatrical charm—he couldn’t help but adore him. The consort had no intention of letting the bunny go. Compared to Elvis’s second form, he much preferred this fluffy Little Bun. He hadn’t been able to pet the soft fur before, and now the desire to do so was overwhelming.
The little kit wriggled and struggled in his grasp but couldn’t break free. He looked toward the cold-eyed Yun Yinghui, then squeaked angrily once more at the consort.
Emperor Jarren said, “Colonel Yinghui, are you saying everything depends on the future between Elvis and your brother?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jarren glanced toward the consort. Holding the little kit, the consort was silent for a moment before he spoke. “But I have a condition.”
“Your Grace, please speak.”
The little kit locked eyes with the consort and squeaked again in protest.
The consort said, “From now on, you’ll bring both little ones to the palace every day.”
Yun Yinghui blinked, momentarily stunned into disbelief. After a pause, he asked, “Are you joking?”
“No,” the consort said seriously. “I mean it.”
“That’s impossible,” Yun Yinghui replied flatly. “I have no intention of letting my brother know that Your Majesty and Your Grace have seen the children.” The consort frowned.
“As you both know,” Yun Yinghui continued sternly, “my brother’s second form is a white rabbit. He’s been frail since childhood and cannot withstand any emotional shock.”
At that, Emperor Jarren and the consort both turned to look at the little kit. Immediately, the seemingly fragile kit became the focus of every gaze in the room. Yes—he did look delicate. At least, on the surface.
Yun Yingzhi was the one Elvis loved; the two rulers knew a little about him. They hadn’t investigated deeply, preferring to let things unfold naturally. Their impression was of a beautiful man, one carrying an air of quiet fragility. They had seen his photograph—standing under sunlight in a Fansa Academy uniform, dark curls framing his face, deep onyx eyes gazing straight ahead. He was so strikingly handsome that the play of light and shadow around him seemed to make him appear breakable.
It had honestly surprised them that Elvis would fall for someone like that. Thinking of Yun Yingzhi’s fragile temperament, the consort compromised. “Then at least three times a week. I must see the little ones at least that often.”
Yun Yinghui countered calmly, “I can only promise to do my best, no guarantees—but I’ll try not to make it less than twice.” The consort frowned. Yun Yinghui added, “In exchange, Your Majesty, Your Grace, I ask one condition of you.”
“Speak,” said Emperor Jarren. Clenching his fist, Yun Yinghui’s eyes sharpened. He forced down the killing intent in his tone. “I don’t want the crown prince to know about the children.”
Emperor Jarren fell silent. “The children,” Yun Yinghui continued, “should never be used as leverage to shake someone’s feelings. That would be unfair to my brother.”
The consort looked at the little kit in his hands and said softly, “That condition, I agree to.”
“And furthermore,” Yun Yinghui said, “if Elvis is ever present in the palace, I will not bring them here.”
The consort’s eyelid twitched. Having grown rather fond of the two newborns, he was already wondering how to discreetly keep his son from coming home during holidays. Emperor Jarren turned toward him. The consort gave a slow nod, agreeing to Yun Yinghui’s terms.
Suddenly, the Imperial Consort’s mouth twitched as he looked down at the little kit in his hands. Perhaps the kit had grown too angry, for he directly hissed at the consort right there in his palm. Yet the consort didn’t lose his temper. He simply took a handkerchief from a maid and gently cleaned the little kit, his movements soft and unhurried.
Yun Yinghui, in the most tactful manner possible, explained that he wished to take the two little ones and leave. The consort rejected the request immediately. He asked Yun Yinghui what was so urgent. Yun Yinghui listed several reasons, all of which the consort dismissed without hesitation.
With no other choice, Yun Yinghui remained in the palace with the two little ones. Emperor Jarren ordered that an incubator be brought in. Yun Yinghui personally placed the little egg inside it.
Seeing this, the little kit struggled furiously in the consort’s hands, squeaking “aww, aww” in protest. The consort had no choice but to release him. The little kit immediately bounded toward Yun Yinghui, wrapping himself around the man’s boot before burrowing up his pant leg in a flurry of fur and determination.
Yun Yinghui could only laugh helplessly as he fished the wriggling bundle from his clothes. Still not satisfied, the kit climbed onto Yun Yinghui’s hand, scurried along his arm, and dove straight into his collar—exactly where the egg had nestled before. The egg seemed displeased and bounced twice inside the incubator in protest.
Emperor Jarren pulled the incubator onto his lap, opened his personal terminal, and began playing a cartoon for the egg. It quickly became clear where everyone’s preferences lay: the consort and Yun Yinghui favored the little kit, while Emperor Jarren was completely enamored with the egg, his gaze never leaving the incubator.
The little kit glanced curiously toward the egg, then at the emperor. After a moment of thought, he turned his big eyes toward Yun Yinghui expectantly. With permission from both rulers, Yun Yinghui also played a cartoon for the little kit. Neither of the little ones could actually understand what they were watching, but once the cartoons began, both quieted down immediately.
Yun Yinghui continued conversing with the two most powerful men in the empire. Then, the consort said suddenly, “Come to think of it, the Starshine Competition preliminaries should be ending soon.”
Yun Yinghui’s thoughts immediately turned to Yun Yingzhi. He wondered how his younger brother was doing—had he already finished building his source weapon?
The consort said, “A13167.”
Yun Yinghui froze for a moment, assuming the consort already knew that Contestant A13167 was actually Yun Yingzhi. He turned his gaze toward the man. The consort went on casually, “I wonder if he showed up for the preliminaries today.”
Apparently, neither Emperor Jarren nor the consort had realized yet that A13167 was Yun Yingzhi himself. Thinking about it, that was reasonable. Among the countless source weapon engineers in the Loos Empire, Yun Yingzhi’s preliminary creation—though impressive—had only been a level-four source weapon. It wasn’t enough to draw the emperor’s notice.
At the consort’s command, a massive holographic projection appeared at the front of the hall, displaying the live feed of the Starshine Competition’s first preliminary arena. The screen split into nine panels, each showing a different section of the arena.
The consort, clearly well-practiced, tapped one section to zoom in. As the frame enlarged, Yun Yinghui saw Yun Yingzhi. He was wearing the same red peony three-piece suit as before. Through the projection, Yun Yinghui could tell that Yun Yingzhi wasn’t currently crafting a source weapon—he was sitting quietly, control panel hidden, designing one instead.
From the live chat scrolling beside the feed, Yun Yinghui learned that his brother had arrived punctually that morning and had been designing ever since, not yet entering the construction phase.
The consort watched the screen and turned to Yun Yinghui. “Colonel Yinghui, what do you think of this engineer’s skills?”
Yun Yinghui realized the consort genuinely had no idea the contestant was his brother. As Yun Yingzhi’s older brother, he found himself caught in an awkward spot. No matter how he answered, he would sound like a merchant bragging about his own goods once his brother’s identity came to light. And it would come to light. Yun Yinghui was certain of it.
If Yun Yingzhi were ordinary, it wouldn’t matter—but his talent for source weapon design was extraordinary. Even without revealing his name, his unique spatial ability capabilities and technical brilliance would make him stand out. Sooner or later, Yun Yingzhi’s name would echo throughout the entire Loos Empire. After a moment’s hesitation, Yun Yinghui gave a deliberately vague response.
The consort’s gaze lingered longingly on the little kit tucked in Yun Yinghui’s collar. “I wonder which Fansa Academy student he is,” the consort mused. “He’s fascinating—so skilled at design, yet always finding ways to milk the organizers for perks. I even heard several master engineers are interested in taking him as a disciple.”
Yun Yinghui felt a touch of discomfort, debating whether to change the topic.
“He must have an S-class physique at least,” the consort continued, “to handle that many source weapons at once with such speed and focus. Ordinary people could never reach his level.”
Yun Yinghui’s eyelid twitched. He suddenly recalled telling the consort earlier that his brother was frail and couldn’t handle any shock. The little kit rubbed his head gently against Yun Yinghui’s chin. Yun Yinghui got the message—the little one was hungry.
He quickly interrupted the consort, politely steering the conversation away from A13167 and mentioning that the little kit needed to eat. The consort immediately ordered that food be prepared. Before long, the consort took the little kit from Yun Yinghui and personally fed him milk.
The tiny creature lay sprawled in the man’s hands, half-lidded eyes dreamy with contentment. He drank noisily, glancing between Yun Yinghui and the consort, glug, glug, glug.
Inside the incubator, the egg rolled over. The little kit’s drinking paused. His big, dark eyes turned toward the holographic projection.
At that moment, the live feed cut to a close-up of Yun Yingzhi. The little kit’s pupils brightened in recognition. “Da?” he squeaked, a line of milk dribbling down his cheek.
The consort wiped his mouth with the handkerchief. Yun Yinghui’s eyelid twitched again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the two little ones were communicating somehow. He was honestly terrified of what they might do next. If they’d managed to get themselves into the palace, they could just as easily find their way to Elvis next. If the egg weren’t still so small, Yun Yinghui would’ve been tempted to give him a firm swat on the backside.
Then Emperor Jarren spoke, as though recalling something. “Colonel Yinghui, the test data for your submitted spatial-limited source weapon came back today. Its results were unexpectedly strong.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Yun Yinghui replied. Emperor Jarren asked, “That source-weapon engineer was willing to collaborate with the military’s engineers on optimizing the engraving, correct?”
“One of his conditions,” Yun Yinghui replied, “was that I be granted a one-year leave.”
The reason was obvious—so he could take care of two mischievous little ones.
“Who is that engineer?” the Imperial Consort asked. From the start, Yun Yinghui had known this couldn’t stay hidden forever. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered truthfully. “He’s my younger brother.”
The consort tilted his head. “Brother?”
“Yingzhi,” Yun Yinghui said. Then he added, “He’s Qianxi and Qiancheng’s father—my only brother.” He glanced at the little kit and the tiny egg. “Their names are Yun Qianxi and Yun Qiancheng.”
Both Emperor Jarren and the consort were taken aback by the answer. In their understanding, the second son of General Yun’s household was supposed to be a pretty face with no real abilities. Because of that, when the public heard that Yun Yingzhi had rejected Elvis, he’d gained a large crowd of haters online.
They had never imagined that this same “helpless beauty” was the one who had provided the military with the limited-space source weapon. And thinking about it again, it all made sense—why Yun Yingzhi had insisted Yun Yinghui stay behind.
The little kit, having eaten and drunk his fill, was once again restless. He wriggled out of the consort’s grasp, tumbling across the floor until he reached the holographic screen. There, he squeaked repeatedly at the image of Yun Yingzhi in his red-peony suit, each “da” ending on a rising note that made it clear—he adored Contestant A13167.
“He really likes that contestant,” the consort observed with a smile.
The little kit tried to jump up to kiss Yun Yingzhi’s image, but the hologram wasn’t solid, and he couldn’t reach it. On the screen, Yun Yingzhi had already moved elsewhere. Frustrated, the little kit stomped his tiny hind feet and followed his father’s movements with wide, intent eyes.
Yun Yingzhi walked toward a vending unit and began selecting materials—armfuls of grade-six source components. An ordinary engineer could never have lifted that many at once, but Yun Yingzhi carried them easily to his workstation.
Yun Yinghui’s eyelid twitched hard. If the timing weren’t so inappropriate, he would have messaged his brother right then—reminding him to maintain his delicate persona instead of acting so unrestrained just because he thought his identity was hidden.
The consort said, “Among all the engineers, his physical strength stands out. His speed too—comparable to students in the military academy’s combat division.”
He is one of those combat students, Yun Yinghui thought silently.
“Invite him as well,” the consort said suddenly.
“What?” Yun Yinghui blinked. A sense of dread prickled along his spine.
The consort looked at him, smiling. “The little kit—no, Qianxi—seems to like him very much. Why not invite him to join the optimization project for the spatial engraving? Besides,” his smile deepened, “I’ve been curious for some time which student from Fansa Academy he might be.”
“Good idea,” Emperor Jarren agreed. “I’ll have someone pull his real identity immediately.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Yun Yinghui said at once. Both Emperor Jarren and the consort turned to look at him. He never would have imagined that on the very first day the two little ones met their grandfathers, their father’s disguise would start being peeled away—layer by layer—with such terrifying speed. Yun Yinghui paused, then said carefully, “There’s really no need to trouble yourselves.”
The consort raised a brow. “Hm?”
“He’s my brother,” Yun Yinghui repeated.
“Hm?” the consort echoed blankly.
Emperor Jarren: “…” The little kit sensed the strange tension between the adults. He looked at Yun Yinghui, then at the emperor and consort. “Da?” he squeaked. The egg bounced once inside his incubator.
After a beat of silence, the consort smiled faintly at Yun Yinghui. “So this is that fragile younger brother of yours—the one who can’t handle a single emotional shock?”
On the projection, Yun Yingzhi hefted another load of materials with astonishing speed.
The comment feed was exploding:
“Contestant A13167 is amazing!”
“His stamina’s insane!”
“I heard he eats a ton too—guess that’s where all that energy comes from!”
Yun Yinghui felt his entire existence teeter on the edge of embarrassment. The consort remarked casually, “Speaking of which, the end of term at Fansa Academy should be soon.”
Yun Yinghui said nothing. Emperor Jarren nodded. “Yes, within the next few days.”
“There should be a live-combat assessment, correct?” the consort asked.
“Of course,” said Jarren. Yun Yinghui still couldn’t find the words. The consort turned toward the emperor, his smile deepening. “I’d like to attend the match.”
“Approved,” Emperor Jarren said at once. Yun Yinghui pressed a hand to his forehead.
This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.
