TL: hua

Chapter 58

Ji Jingche’s gaze lingered on Pei Yingye’s hand resting on Ji Xuan. Although he didn’t let any obvious emotion show on his face, his brow furrowed uncontrollably.

However, he quickly returned to the main point and said to Ji Xuan, “I want to talk to you alone.”

Pei Yingye arched an eyebrow, about to say something, when he felt Ji Xuan nudge his arm.

He looked down to see Ji Xuan said softly, “You go back first.”

“Don’t need me to wait for you?”

Ji Xuan shook his head.

Pei Yingye had no choice but to let go, sliding his hands into his pockets. He jerked his chin at Chen Shuo: “Let’s go, friend. Let’s give them some private space.”

But the administration building was clearly not a good place for a conversation. Ji Xuan followed Ji Jingche to the only café outside the plaza. A robotic arm at the counter prepared two cups of coffee according to the order. Since it was training hours, there was almost no one inside.

Ji Jingche chose a corner seat by the window. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting fragmented spots of light on his shoulder tabs.

They sat opposite each other, and for a long moment, neither spoke first.

Ji Xuan picked up his coffee and took a sip; his gaze fixed on the greenery outside swaying in the wind.

Ji Jingche rubbed the rim of his porcelain cup, seemingly organizing his words. He looked up, his gaze sliding over Ji Xuan’s meticulously buttoned collar, catching a glimpse of a faint mark hidden beneath his hair.

“Have you set your itinerary for the return?” He finally chose a seemingly ordinary opening.

Ji Xuan’s answer was concise: “Pei Yingye is booking it.”

Hearing that name, Ji Jingche’s hand paused momentarily before he spoke slowly: “If you… have decided to be with him, then dissolve the engagement with Shen Que.”

Ji Xuan let out a short laugh, likely not expecting him to say such a thing. Given his understanding of Ji Jingche, he thought the conversation would have started with a cross-examination.

Why the change? Was it because the “useless” younger brother had won a second-class merit, gained Ying Xun’s appreciation, and was finally worthy of being a member of the Ji family, so the old attitude was no longer necessary?

Ji Xuan was never stingy about interpreting other people’s motives with the worst possible assumptions.

But he felt no need to say much to Ji Jingche, so he simply replied, “Mhm. I’ll dissolve it when I get back.”

Looking at his cold and dismissive manner, Ji Jingche suddenly felt a hollow sense of weightlessness in his heart.

“What are your plans after you go back?”

Ji Xuan put down his coffee cup. The porcelain clinked against the saucer with a crisp sound. He continued to look out the window, his voice flat and emotionless: “Classes, training. What other plans could there be?”

“The General appreciates you, and so does Aslan. You should consider your options after graduation. With your current credentials, entering the Azure Bird Guards wouldn’t be difficult. And then…” And then he didn’t know.

In truth, they didn’t have much to talk about. In Ji Jingche’s memory, every meeting with Ji Xuan seemed to end on a bad note. His understanding of his brother was pitifully meager; aside from cold topics like “future prospects” and “planning,” he couldn’t even find a topic to discuss. Ask about his hobbies? Ask about his life at the military academy? Ask about him and Pei Yingye… all of it seemed too intrusive and too late.

Belated concern is worth less than grass. This sudden realization made Ji Jingche’s throat tighten.

“Father is returning to the capital planet soon. If you want to dissolve the engagement, go back and discuss it with him properly,” Ji Jingche said dryly. “As for Ji Yan, he said you’ve been ignoring him lately. I know you harbor resentment, but in the future, I will…”

“You know I harbor resentment?” Ji Xuan interrupted him.

Ji Jingche froze, not expecting him to admit it so bluntly.

“Everything he has now should have been mine, shouldn’t it?” Ji Xuan smiled, but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes. “If you choose to keep him, that’s your business. I truly have no right to interfere, but being so biased isn’t very good, is it?”

“Yes, we didn’t handle things properly before…”

“Go somewhere with me, Colonel.”

“What?”

Ji Xuan said, “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take up too much of your time.”

Ji Jingche was completely caught off guard by Ji Xuan’s request. He stared blankly as Ji Xuan stood up. That sentence clearly wasn’t a request for his opinion but a notification.

“…Where to?” Ji Jingche stood up as well.

Ji Xuan stepped away from his seat and said, “You’ll find out when we get there. See you at the spaceport tomorrow, Colonel.”

–

“So why take such a long detour? Isn’t it just to go see the ocean with me?” Pei Yingye sat astride his packed suitcase with a look of extreme displeasure, the terminal screen casting a shadow across his face.

Seeing that Ji Xuan wasn’t paying attention, he pushed off the floor with both feet, sending his suitcase sliding forward. With a clack, it bumped into Ji Xuan’s suitcase.

“This planet is so remote it’s godforsaken. The transfer is going to waste nearly a day—” Pei Yingye tilted his head and leaned in. “Well? Talk to me. Why are you dumping me at the transfer station?”

Ji Xuan finally looked up and said nonchalantly, “I’m taking Ji Jingche somewhere. Why don’t you find a place to kill time yourself?”

Pei Yingye wasn’t surprised that he addressed Ji Jingche by his full name, but he asked, “Does it have to be him? Is there anywhere I can’t go with you?”

Ji Xuan shook his head: “It’s not exactly a pleasant place.”

Pei Yingye met his gaze for a moment but eventually conceded.

“Fine.” Pei Yingye kicked his suitcase away again, his fingers flying across his terminal. “So, I’m not expected to book his ticket too, am I? Can I just get him a one-way ticket? Leave him in that godforsaken place to reflect on his life?”

He spoke with a mix of sincerity and typical roguishness.

Hearing this, Ji Xuan shot him a teasing glance. “Don’t cause trouble.”

He paused, then added, “But you can personally ask him for the money tomorrow.”

Pei Yingye stared at the confirmation message on his screen and huffed, “Am I really that petty?”

As it turned out, the next morning, as soon as Ji Jingche arrived at the spaceport, Pei Yingye wasted no time stepping forward and demanding the Colonel transfer the ticket fare immediately.

Ji Jingche was initially startled to see him approaching so directly, even briefly considering the low-probability scenario of a “brother-in-law trying to flatter the elder brother.” Instead, Pei Yingye calculated the fare down to the last cent. Ji Jingche’s face was dark as he pulled out his terminal to make the transfer.

He’d never seen anything like it.

Never.

If he hadn’t already known Pei Yingye’s family background, he would have thought that Ji Xuan had grown tired of the Ji family’s environment and deliberately found a poor boy from a completely different background to try and live a different life.

Ji Xuan watched them from a short distance away.

The System’s voice echoed in his mind: [Host, this route… the place you want to take him, it wouldn’t happen to be…]

The garbage planet.

Ji Xuan answered frankly.

[…But why?]

Because I want Ji Jingche to see “Ji Xuan’s” former life.

I am grateful for the identity he provided, for this new body, and for the fact that he allowed me to… so I plan to do something for him.

He left the second half of the sentence unsaid, but the system already understood his meaning.

[The environment on the garbage planet is terrible. You have to be careful!]

Ji Xuan touched the butterfly knife in his pocket, signaling his understanding.

Because he had received Ji Xuan’s vague travel notice the night before, Ji Jingche wasn’t wearing his military uniform today; instead, he had changed into civilian clothes. After paying, he walked toward Ji Xuan. His posture was upright, but there were faint dark circles under his eyes, suggesting a sleepless night.

“Ji Xuan,” he greeted as he approached.

Ji Xuan nodded, skipping any further pleasantries. “Let’s board.”

After passing through security, the three headed toward a private boarding gate. Since their destination was remote, the gate was much quieter than the main routes. Ji Jingche followed silently behind Ji Xuan, watching his lean but straight back and specifically the arm draped flamboyantly across Ji Xuan’s waist. His mood was far from pleasant.

He didn’t know where Ji Xuan was taking him, but his intuition told him it wouldn’t be a happy place.

The starship sailed smoothly through the dim universe. Outside the window were monotonous nebulae and the occasional asteroid belt flashing by.

Ji Jingche’s seat was across the aisle from the pair. A mere turn of the head allowed him to see Pei Yingye’s legs stretched out shamelessly. The young man’s terminal screen was lit up. He seemed to be playing a game, though the sound was muted, and his peripheral vision flickered toward Ji Xuan every few seconds.

Ji Xuan was dozing off with his eyes closed. Initially, he was just leaning lightly against the back of the seat, but Ji Jingche watched with his own eyes as Pei Yingye moved his arm over, gave a fake-accidental nudge, and caught Ji Xuan’s head—

Of course, it was also possible Ji Xuan moved voluntarily.

Regardless, Ji Jingche found it painful to watch.

“Are you coming with us too?” Ji Jingche sat up straight, trying to find a topic of conversation.

“No, he’s making me wait at the transfer planet,” Pei Yingye said.

“You two…”

“Our relationship is very stable, Colonel.” Pei Yingye was currently fuming over his game; thanks to Ji Jingche’s interference, his character had just fallen into a trap and died. His mood turned thoroughly sour, and his tone toward Ji Jingche became heavily laden with personal emotion.

He spoke without any filter: “I really just love your brother way too much. I couldn’t even walk straight the first time I saw him. But I should thank certain people for being blind; compared to them, my path has been incredibly smooth.”

Seeing Ji Jingche’s face freeze instantly, Pei Yingye finally felt a bit of satisfaction. He hummed a few light notes and happily started the next round.

The following hours of the flight passed in silence. The starship began broadcasting the notice that they were entering the target sector and preparing for a short-range jump.

Ji Xuan finally woke up and re-braided the hair that had become messy from rubbing against Pei Yingye’s shoulder.

Once the dizziness of the jump passed, the scenery outside changed. A hazy, grey planet appeared in view. It looked lifeless, its surface covered in a few scattered, dim spots of light like a dying eye.

But this wasn’t the final destination for Ji Xuan and Ji Jingche.

The starship descended through heavy turbulence, prompting Pei Yingye to mock the pilot’s rotten skills. After landing, Ji Xuan led Ji Jingche directly toward an express channel and boarded a different aircraft.

Compared to the previous starship, this aircraft was exceptionally dilapidated and crude. The cabin was thick with the smell of engine oil and rusted metal. Ji Jingche sat down in silence, watching the increasingly desolate scenery outside. The sense of unease in his heart grew heavier.

They eventually landed at a run-down spaceport surrounded by a vast expanse of shantytowns. When the hatch opened, an indescribable stench rushed in. Ji Jingche instinctively held his breath, his face turning extremely pale.

Ji Xuan, however, stepped down as if nothing were wrong. He turned his head, his face looking utterly out of place in these surroundings, devoid of any superfluous emotion. He asked, word for word:

“Colonel, I’ve actually been curious about something.”

“What?”

“Do you think it’s possible for two people in this world to have the exact same face?”

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