TL: Hua

Chapter 42

Ji Jingche returned to his dormitory.

The conversation with Ying Xun in the training center continued to echo in his ears. He sat down by his bed, restlessly rubbing his personal terminal.

The dim, cold light reflected on his face. Ji Jingche clicked into the video he had copied from the training center—the complete record of the mecha duel between Ji Xuan and Harvey.

The video began to play: from Harvey’s fierce assault to Ji Xuan’s agile dodging, and finally, that violent operation where he attempted to forcibly tear open the cockpit… To facilitate soldier review, every frame was captured with absolute clarity. Ji Jingche’s gaze was locked on the screen; when he saw the outer shell of Harvey’s mecha twist and buckle under Ji Xuan’s mental power, his pupils contracted sharply.

A powerful, illogical way of using mental power; a style of action that seemed calm but was possessed by madness at its core…

The image finally froze on the moment Ji Xuan leaped down from the cockpit, his profile slightly pale yet still indifferent.

In truth, if it weren’t for what he had seen these few times with his own eyes, Ji Xuan taking first place in the Mars Military Academy assessment would still feel unreal to Ji Jingche.

He closed the video and leaned his body back against the cold wall, closing his eyes. Unbidden, a scene from shortly after Ji Xuan first arrived at the capital planet surfaced in his mind.

Entering Mars Military Academy was Ji Xuan’s own decision. Because Ji Jingche was a Mars alumnus and Ji Yan was also studying there, this younger brother, who had been lost for years and only recently recognized, held a desire to blend into the family and gain approval. He made this bold statement that seemed somewhat delusional to outsiders.

To enter Mars through non-standard admission channels, one had to pass several extra, extremely difficult exams in cultural subjects and basic theory. For Ji Xuan, who grew up on a chaotic garbage planet and had received almost no systematic education, this was nothing short of a fantasy.

So in the beginning, he was always “pestering” Ji Yan.

Ji Jingche was preparing for his transfer to North Star Fortress at the time. Though he was in the capital planet, he always returned home very late. For several days in a row, returning late at night, he would see the study brightly lit. But the person who claimed he wanted to get into Mars was slumped over, sleeping soundly, while Ji Yan sat upright behind the desk, with Ji Jingche’s old notes filled with detailed annotations spread out beside him.

Ji Yan was very sleepy, rubbing his aching eyes from time to time, but his posture remained focused.

After witnessing this a few times, Ji Jingche became quite dissatisfied with Ji Xuan’s inconsistent behavior. Until one night, when he came home, he saw only Ji Yan sitting in the study, rubbing his throbbing temples with evident exhaustion on his face.

“Why are you so tired?” Ji Jingche asked.

Ji Yan seemed to just snap out of it, forcing a weak smile: “Big brother, you’re back.”

He then let out a nearly imperceptible sigh, his gaze instinctively sweeping over another pile of basic textbooks at the corner of the table. “It’s nothing. I was just explaining problems to Second Brother; it’s a bit mentally taxing.”

“Where is he?” Ji Jingche looked at the empty seat.

“Second Brother said he was too tired from studying and went to the garden to relax before coming back.” As Ji Yan spoke, he couldn’t help but rub his wrist. He then pulled Ji Jingche’s notes out from under a pile of books and continued copying them down.

Seemingly sensing Ji Jingche’s confused gaze, Ji Yan smiled and said, “Second Brother hasn’t learned these things before, so there are many basic concepts he doesn’t quite understand. I can’t explain it to him using the methods you used to teach me; I have to find ways to break it down into tiny pieces… But maybe I’m not as good a teacher as you, big brother. Second Brother always seems to get distracted.”

Ji Jingche’s gaze moved from the notebook in front of him to another registration form that had been dragged out because the notebook was moved.

“You want to sign up for the Challenge Tournament?” Ji Jingche asked in surprise.

Ji Yan froze upon hearing this, only then realizing the registration form was visible. He hurriedly stuffed it back in a panic. “It’s not… I was just considering it.”

He spoke hesitantly, as if he had something difficult to say. But since childhood, he had almost no secrets from Ji Jingche. After a moment of stalemate, he still said: “I really want to go, but I’m worried there won’t be enough time. After all, Second Brother’s exam is coming up soon. If I put my focus on the challenge, what will happen to Second Brother? It was because of me that he… No matter how tired I am, I have to teach him quickly. I can’t let him feel like the family doesn’t care about him, right?”

Just as Ji Yan finished speaking, his terminal on the side rang. He looked at the display, glanced hesitantly at Ji Jingche, but still picked it up.

The caller seemed to be a classmate. One could faintly hear the words “group project.” Ji Yan whispered, avoiding Ji Jingche: “Can you wait a little longer? I’ll do it immediately after I finish tutoring my second brother tonight. Don’t worry, I will definitely finish it on time and won’t slow down everyone’s progress.”

Ji Jingche’s brow furrowed. He looked at Ji Yan, who was forcing himself to stay alert but unable to hide his exhaustion, glanced at the registration form that had been hastily stuffed back, and then thought of the several times he had seen Ji Xuan sleeping. A surge of disappointment mixed with irritation rushed over him.

He thought Ji Xuan was quite inconsiderate. Despite his weak foundation, he refused to work harder to make up for it. Instead, he took up Ji Yan’s precious time and energy without appreciating it, thus hindering Ji Yan’s important competitions and studies.

Just then, the study door was pushed open gently, and Ji Xuan walked in.

The strands of hair on his forehead seemed to carry a hint of dampness from the night dew. Upon seeing Ji Jingche, a flash of startled bewilderment crossed his face. He then gave a small, timid cry of “Big Brother” before slowly walking toward his seat, which was piled high with textbooks.

“Where did you go?” Ji Jingche asked in a heavy voice.

Ji Xuan looked up at him. “…I went out to get some fresh air.”

“How is your studying for the Mars entrance exam going?” Ji Jingche continued.

His voice betrayed neither joy nor anger, but it was naturally intimidating. Ji Xuan shrank his neck, his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his shirt as he muttered vaguely, “It’s… it’s alright.”

His voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz, carrying obvious guilt and a lack of confidence.

This shrinking, evasive, and non-committal manner, falling into the eyes of a dissatisfied Ji Jingche, practically confirmed the “lack of focus” and “lack of effort” implied by Ji Yan’s subtext. He looked at Ji Xuan, then contrasted him with Ji Yan beside him; the small flicker of guilt and expectation born of blood relation gradually cooled within him.

Thus, Ji Jingche averted his eyes and turned his gaze toward Ji Yan, his tone softening: “The opportunity for the Challenge Tournament is rare and shouldn’t be missed. It will be helpful for your future.”

“As for Ji Xuan… tomorrow you move to the room at the end of the corridor. I’ll have it cleared out and will hire a private tutor for you separately.”

“Your foundation is poor to begin with. Since you want to enter Mars, you should put in the effort instead of acting like this. The capital planet is not the garbage planet; you are not permitted to bring those lazy attitudes and habits back here, and certainly do not delay others because of yourself.”

Ji Xuan opened his mouth as if he wanted to defend himself, but he didn’t know where to start. He looked at Ji Jingche’s calm, emotionless face; although those words weren’t spoken with any harshness, they were more humiliating than a direct reprimand.

“Big Brother, I’m fine, Second Brother didn’t…”

All the surging emotions were forcibly suppressed by Ji Xuan, reducing to a barely audible “…Alright.”

Then, he stopped looking at anyone and silently began to pack his things.

—

Ji Jingche snapped out of his memory. Ying Xun’s evaluation of Ji Xuan echoed in his ears once more. He opened his terminal and entered his chat with Ji Yan, intending to ask him to send over all the videos of Ji Xuan’s annual assessment. But just as he typed a greeting, he saw that Ji Yan had sent him a communication invite.

Ji Jingche thought about it and picked up.

Ji Yan’s bare face appeared on the terminal; he seemed to have just finished work, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, yet he remained high-spirited.

“Big Brother! You haven’t contacted me in so long. Have you been that busy lately?” Ji Yan was still his usual lively self, his tone upwardly inflected.

Ji Jingche said, “A little. How about you? How is your training going?”

“It’s very good! Everyone is nice to me, and the lieutenant even praised me today,” Ji Yan said. “It’s just a pity I couldn’t go to North Star Fortress with Second Brother, otherwise the three of us brothers could have had a reunion!”

Ji Jingche was amused by him.

“But I heard there are many smugglers or something in the Fourth Galaxy lately. Is the fortress a bit unstable? You have to be careful when you’re out on missions, Big Brother.”

Ji Jingche replied, “I will be.”

“Then can you send me a message before and after you go on a mission? That way I’ll know you’re on official business; otherwise, I get terrified every time you don’t reply to me,” Ji Yan said.

Ji Jingche frowned, hesitated for a moment, and refused him: “Xiao Yan, most of my itinerary is classified and cannot be disclosed.”

Seeing the momentary flash of disappointment on Ji Yan’s face, he softened his voice and added, “However, as long as conditions allow, I will try my best to report that I’m safe. Focus on completing your training; don’t worry about anything else.”

Ji Yan was very good at reading people. He immediately understood Ji Jingche’s bottom line and put on a compliant smile again: “Alright, alright, I know you’re the most law-abiding, Big Brother. Then you must stay safe. I went on an inspection with the lieutenant today and heard they detected Zerg movement at the border again. Some Zerg are very powerful; they can parasitize or mimic our appearance. It’s so scary.”

Ji Jingche reassured him: “S-grade Zerg can look identical to humans, but parasitism is usually for those below A-grade; you don’t need to worry. Besides, the chasm is still there. Even if they appear in the five major galaxies, most are likely remnants from decades ago with no combat power. You are a 3S-grade; you don’t need to worry about not being a match for them.”

“Yeah,” Ji Yan nodded. “You’re right, Big Brother.”

The two chatted for a few more minutes about recent events. Someone on Ji Yan’s end seemed to call for him, so he hurried to end the call.

The communication interface vanished, and silence returned to the room. Ji Jingche did not forget his original intention for contacting Ji Yan. He reopened the dialogue box, deleted the previous greeting, and typed directly:

[Xiao Yan, when it’s convenient, send me a copy of all the videos from Ji Xuan’s annual assessment.]

–

At the same time, in the Logistics Department dormitory on the other side of Sector C.

Ji Xuan took a hot shower and just came out of the bathroom. His black hair was wet, and a cloud of steam radiated from his body.

Outside the door, Pei Yingye leaned against the wall, one long leg casually bent, spinning his terminal in his hand intermittently. Although he appeared relaxed, every muscle in his body was tense, as if he were worried Ji Xuan would faint in the bathroom and he was ready to break down the door at any moment.

In a way, he was like a cat that worries its owner will be killed by a predator while using the toilet and stands guard outside the door on purpose.

Seeing Ji Xuan come out in one piece, Pei Yingye let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

“You took that long?”

Ji Xuan gave him a flat glance and asked with a half-smile, “What, tired of standing?”

“It’s not like I forbade you from going to rest.”

Pei Yingye licked his canine tooth, thinking: Yeah, it’s my own fault for wanting to wait here. But his eyes still stuck to Ji Xuan uncontrollably.

Water was still dripping from the tips of Ji Xuan’s hair, droplets sliding down the smooth lines of his neck and disappearing into the collar of his pajamas. He raised his hand to dry his hair. Under the oversized pajamas, where there was a person, the person trembled; where there was no one, the clothes swayed—a play of shadow and substance. Pei Yingye peered through the loose collar; fair skin was visible in glimpses.

The air suddenly felt very dry. He turned down the temperature of the thermostatic system.

Ji Xuan plugged in the hairdryer and was about to blow-dry his hair. Pei Yingye followed at his heels. Before he could even settle in, both terminals placed on the table emitted a short notification sound simultaneously.

Ji Xuan’s movements froze. He put down the hairdryer and picked up the terminal. Pei Yingye also focused his mind and looked at his own screen.

The message, a brief instruction from the fortress’s internal system, reads:

[Trainee Ji Xuan / Pei Yingye: At 8:00 tomorrow morning, your original post assignment is canceled. Arrive on time at Office Hall No. 1 on the top floor of Sector S1. See attachment for identity verification and access path. Do not be late.]

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