Chapter 157: He Loved You
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
After receiving Metz’s message, Chen Jinshan got everything in order by the next day and went to the Capital Star Police Department to see Lin Xu. Merk brought Lin Xu out of the detention cell, cuffed him, and escorted him to the meeting room.
Chen Jinshan was already waiting there. Merk secured the electronic handcuffs to the metal table in the center of the room to prevent the prisoner from harming the visitor. Merk glanced at Chen Jinshan and said, “Colonel Chen, I hope you’ll seriously consider my proposal. It would be best for everyone.”
With that, he left. Chen Jinshan met Lin Xu’s gaze and explained, “The police came to me several days ago, hoping I’d testify as a witness. They believe I know about the existence of the ‘second version’ of the will. I refused them. Xiao Xu, I know who you really are—you couldn’t have murdered Marianna. This is clearly a setup.”
“Mm.” Lin Xu nodded. He looked calm, but Chen Jinshan noticed the strange electronic collar around his neck, and the reddened injury hidden beneath it. “What are they making you wear? Is that even legal?”
“It’s not legal. But I can’t take it off just yet.”
Chen Jinshan stared at him, opening his mouth as if to speak, but realized any words of comfort would be meaningless to Lin Xu. He changed the subject. “Did you call me here because you’ve thought of a plan?”
“More or less. Mr. Chen, could you stand up and check if this room has any listening devices?” Lin Xu asked. “I want to ask you something first.”
Chen Jinshan did as asked and inspected the room. He found no bugs—at least the police here still respected a suspect’s right to privacy. But what was Lin Xu about to ask that needed such secrecy?
After Chen Jinshan sat back down, Lin Xu adjusted his posture, looked him in the eye, and asked, “Mr. Chen, did you defect to the Alliance?”
“You—” Chen Jinshan was stunned into silence by the bombshell question. His throat tightened for a long moment before he managed to croak out, “Why would you think that?”
Because of Chen Jinshan’s unusual reassignment, the sudden influx of resources and connections… and most importantly, his motive for revenge. Lin Xu had always wondered: Chen Jinshan knew Marianna’s death wasn’t as simple as the official report claimed. That thirst for vengeance burned fiercely inside him—so why had he always remained so calm, so composed?
Money from the Perseus Group and Chen Jinshan’s limited influence as an Imperial colonel weren’t enough to shake the enormous forces behind the murder.
And yet Chen Jinshan had always acted with complete confidence. Lin Xu suspected he had aligned himself with another group—one that shared his interests. Chen Jinshan had personally requested reassignment to the Michael Front. Only two powers had influence there: Haven and the Alliance.
Haven didn’t interfere with Imperial politics, so that left only the Alliance. But back at the Perser estate, Lin Xu had seen Moran, a Star Pirates member previously spotted in the Dionysus region. Lin Xu hesitated.
The Dionysus Border District was on the opposite end of the Marion Empire from the Alliance. Was it Chen Jinshan who’d made contact with Moran? Or was the Alliance already working with Guy’s Star Pirates?
“There are many reasons,” Lin Xu said, gambling. “But I want to hear it from you.”
“…” Chen Jinshan was silent for a while before looking Lin Xu in the eye. “Yes.”
Lin Xu let out a breath—he hadn’t been wrong. “I want to ask you for a favor.”
“Name it. If it’s within my power, I’ll do it at any cost.”
“Accept the police’s offer. Testify against me.”
“What did you say?” Chen Jinshan thought he’d misheard.
“Testify against me. Speed up the trial. Get me convicted as soon as possible.”
“Lin Xu, what the hell are you thinking?” Chen Jinshan stood up abruptly. “Why would you admit to a crime you didn’t commit?”
“I won’t admit to something I didn’t do,” Lin Xu replied. “But it doesn’t matter. As long as their fake evidence is strong enough, even if I stay silent, the judge will convict me.”
“And then? You’ll go to prison!” Chen Jinshan had never lost his composure like this in front of Lin Xu.
“That’s right. There’s no prison on Capital Star. Once the trial is over, I’ll be extradited to another planet.”
“You…” Chen Jinshan suddenly began to understand. “You plan to escape en route?”
“Yes. I want to go to the Alliance.” Lin Xu alone was no longer enough to stand against the power Alfred now wielded.
The Alliance having just one spy—Chen Jinshan—within the Imperial system meant there were likely thousands more hiding in the shadows. The Alliance leadership clearly hadn’t given up on resisting the Empire.
“…No,” Chen Jinshan slowly sat down, speaking earnestly to Lin Xu. “This would ruin your reputation. The Alliance has no immediate plans to overthrow the Empire completely. If you’re sentenced under Imperial law, the public will forever see you as a criminal who killed for money.”
“It doesn’t matter. That’s not important.”
“You really think it’s not important?” Chen Jinshan asked. “You haven’t been around electronics. You don’t realize how chaotic public opinion has become. Heinrich has stood by your side this entire time, and the fallout has reached him too.
“And what about Yuanxiao? You should be thinking of him as well. Xiao Xu, you’re not alone anymore. You can’t just throw everything away, chase your goals regardless of consequence. You might be able to go to the Alliance, but Heinrich Chu can’t. He’s the Marshal of the Imperial Abyss Fleet. Are you really ready to give up your marriage and your family?”
Lin Xu didn’t respond. Chen Jinshan knew he was deep in thought.
Softening his tone, he added, “Xiao Xu… Before I came here, Arnold got in touch with me. He said Yuanxiao might have shut themself inside the egg because it’s been too long since they last saw you and Heinrich. Arnold has no idea what to do.”
“I…” It had only been a few days, yet Lin Xu felt like he hadn’t seen Heinrich and Yuanxiao in three years.
He slowly lowered his hands beneath the table. Out of Chen Jinshan’s sight, a few jet-black scales emerged from the underside of Lin Xu’s wrist. With determination, he tore off three of them. Within seconds, the wounds began to scab over. Lin Xu discreetly wiped the blood away and placed the scales on the table, pushing them toward Chen Jinshan.
“Give these to Yuanxiao for me. They might help calm them down.” Lin Xu knew the little dragon had a keen nose—they could distinguish between papa and dada just by scent. Letting Yuanxiao nuzzle and lick the scales might do some good.
Chen Jinshan reached out and accepted them, confused about where Lin Xu had managed to get the scales. “I’ll make sure they get them. Xiao Xu, I’ll keep working on the case. As long as you’re not convicted, there’s still a path to freedom. Breaking out isn’t the only way.”
No—Lin Xu knew Alfred would never let him go. He had to find a place far beyond the emperor’s reach, at least until he could destroy Alfred once and for all.
When visitation ended, Lin Xu was escorted back to his cell by Merk. With a heavy heart, Chen Jinshan left and made a detour to Endymion, where he handed the three black scales over to Arnold. Arnold waved the scales around the large, sealed white egg. There was no reaction whatsoever.
He had to give up again. Over the past few days, he had even tried bribing the little dragon with every type of energy crystal he could find, to no avail. They were now all piled next to the egg in a pathetic heap.
With no other choice, he went back to his work, the sound of his footsteps fading from the sunroom where the egg sat. A few minutes later, a quiet crack echoed in the room. A thin line split across the center of the egg. One blue eye peeked out and blinked, sniffing the air.
Then, a tiny paw—black on top, white on the bottom—reached through the crack and dragged the three scales inside. A moment later, it grabbed a few ocean crystals too. The gap in the eggshell slowly sealed shut again.
Inside the darkness, Yuanxiao lay down and hugged the scales tightly with all four paws, licking them over and over again, trying to coat themselves in papa’s scent.
Papa…
—
In his room, Leo paced back and forth in agitation. He couldn’t sit still, but the sound of his own footsteps only made him more anxious. Ever since leaving the underground chamber of the emperor’s study, panic had clung to him, impossible to shake.
The emperor had recently handed over even more authority to him, but Leo didn’t trust it. He suspected the emperor was preparing for yet another consciousness transfer. He knew he had to act—do something to ensure he’d survive, or more accurately, ensure he remained himself.
Just then, the door to the room opened from the outside. Leo stopped pacing and turned around. Merk greeted him politely. “Your Highness, this is the person you asked to see.”
“Thank you.” Leo forced a smile as he thanked Merk, then turned his gaze toward Lin Xu, whom Merk had brought in.
Merk couldn’t help but feel like he’d become Lin Xu’s personal attendant. Over the past few days, he’d tried to communicate with Lin Xu, hoping to persuade them to confess, but Lin Xu refused to cooperate, offering nothing of value.
And yet, visitors came to see Lin Xu in droves, so all Merk could do was shuttle them back and forth between the cell and the visitation room. He sighed inwardly, gave Leo a respectful bow, and took his leave. Once Merk had gone, Leo extended a hand to Lin Xu. “Dr. Lin, please—have a seat.”
Lin Xu eyed Leo warily, sensing how the prince was still trying to maintain a polite and friendly demeanor. They pulled out the chair themselves and sat down.Why was the Crown Prince coming to see them now? “Your Highness.”
Leo didn’t waste time on pleasantries. As soon as he sat down, he asked directly, “Dr. Lin, do you know Alfred Nobleson?”
Lin Xu’s lashes trembled slightly. “Your Highness, what exactly are you trying to ask?”
“You do know him, don’t you? You’re not from this era. You came from three thousand years ago, Dr. Lin,” Leo said quickly. “The Emperor visited you alone a few days ago. My father never had any connection to you before this, but…”
“But what?”
Lin Xu noticed the way Leo distinguished between “the Emperor” and “my father” in his wording. Had he already figured something out?
“But Alfred loved you. Of course he couldn’t wait to see you.”
“Your Highness, what are you talking about?” Lin Xu frowned deeply, eyes cold with suspicion.
“You already know the current Emperor is no longer my father,” Leo said. “The body may be the same, but the soul inside belongs to Alfred. What you don’t know is—he loves you.”
Leo caught the flicker of expression on Lin Xu’s face and leaned forward, urgency coloring his voice. He no longer bothered to conceal anything. “Dr. Lin, I don’t care where you came from or what your goals are—I’m not here to interrogate you…”
“Your Highness, are you afraid?” Lin Xu interrupted, not denying a single word of Leo’s accusations. “What is it you want from me in exchange?”
Leo fell silent. Pain and fear of the unknown surfaced on the face of the prince who was usually so gentle. “I’m afraid Alfred wants to kill me,” he finally confessed.
“And you think I can save you?” Lin Xu gave a bitter, mocking laugh. “You say he loves me—then look at me. Look at the state I’m in. All of this is his doing. What use is a love that twisted?”
Lin Xu didn’t understand why Leo thought Alfred loved them. There had never been anything like love between them—only a brutal, grinding collision, like two mountains leaning in on each other, each waiting for the other to collapse first.
Leo opened his mouth, but no words came out. He didn’t understand Alfred at all. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo with the poem on the back, holding it out to Lin Xu. “Dr. Lin, you’re an expert in ancient Earth literature,” Leo said. “Take a look. I read it, and I see that he loved you.”
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