AEKMEM chapter 31

After realizing what he had just done, An Qiao’s eyes widened and his hand, which was in mid-air, stopped abruptly.

In his haste, he had used healing magic on Chu Heng. How could he explain that this “failed-to-awaken elf” had healing abilities?

Wouldn’t this be an obvious admission that he wasn’t the original young master of the An family?

“So, Qiaoqiao didn’t fully awaken his powers after the failed attempt but awakened some of his healing abilities?”

Chu Heng suddenly spoke up, seemingly “understanding.”

“Don’t be nervous,” he said in a low, gentle voice with a hint of reassurance. “The mastermind behind your assassination attempt hasn’t been found yet. It’s perfectly normal for you, Qiaoqiao, to hide your true strength and not let others know that you failed to fully awaken.”

An Qiao: “???”

An Qiao: “!!!”

So that’s how it can be explained! Chu Heng is such a good person, always able to fill in the blanks!

“I also want to thank Qiaoqiao for treating my injuries in time. I couldn’t tell anyone about my injuries, and if it weren’t for your help, they might have been much worse.”

“Qiaoqiao, don’t worry. You risked revealing your abilities to treat me because you were worried about me and trusted me. I will definitely keep this a secret and protect you from being discovered by others.”

An Qiao: “…”

How to put it? If he weren’t the “An Qiao” Chu Heng was talking about, he would have believed Chu Heng.

Hiding his guilt about hiding his true identity, he raised his chin slightly, showing bravado. Glancing sideways at Chu Heng, he said, “At least you know how to be grateful!”

Regardless, he had treated Chu Heng.

Saying that wasn’t entirely wrong.

Although he tried to convince himself, he felt increasingly guilty.

“Yes, yes, yes. I have no way to repay Qiaoqiao’s great kindness, only…” Chu Heng’s teasing words trailed off.

Only by offering himself in return?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, his heart suddenly began to race, pounding as if it would burst from his chest.

“Forget it,” An Qiao said nonchalantly, interrupting him. “It’s nothing, just a wave.”

“Then consider it a debt I owe you, Qiao Qiao.”

Hearing this, An Qiao raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. “You haven’t fulfilled the ‘request’ you promised last time!”

Last time, he offered to show An Qiao the black dragon in its beast form in exchange for this “request,” but he declined due to his injuries, saying he would show it to him later.

Now, thinking back, An Qiao still couldn’t help but feel resentful.

The elf king, an extreme dragon enthusiast, had his eyes light up the first time he saw the black dragon in Chu Heng’s beast form in a video. He thought it was the most aesthetically pleasing dragon he had ever seen and was disappointed that he couldn’t bring it back.

He had finally gotten a chance to see the black dragon beast form he had longed to see for so long. He thought he would see it in the next second, but at the last minute, Chu Heng suddenly wouldn’t let him see it.

Seeing An Qiao’s displeasure about to explode, Chu Heng hurriedly said, “I remember everything! It’s inconvenient in the Imperial Capital Star right now, but once we reach Water Blue Star in a couple days, I’ll let you see it as much as you want!”

“You said it!”

An Qiao’s beautiful eyebrows shot up. “If you try to back out again, I’ll fight you. I’ll make you use your black dragon beast form to deal with me!”

Chu Heng: “… ”

Chu Heng was speechless.

Fight? Qiao Qiao, don’t you remember that you’re a weakling elf?

Can’t you even try to hide it a little?

An Qiao himself wasn’t too worried about being exposed, so he rarely disguised himself. Sometimes he inadvertently revealed details that raised suspicion.

But An Qiao wasn’t worried—Chu Heng was!

If An Qiao’s identity was exposed and he ran away, where would he find him?

Chu Heng was extremely anxious about An Qiao’s precarious identity.

**
Two days later, on a snowy plain somewhere on the Water Blue Star.

An Qiao stared dumbfounded at the single hut standing alone in the vast snowfield. “Is this the place you said was spring-like all year round and guaranteed to be a place I’d love?”

Having recovered half of his magical power, An Qiao wasn’t as afraid of the cold, but he still disliked the freezing weather.

Elves love the vibrant spring with its blooming flowers and lush summer, but dislike the bleak, harsh winter.

Besides, this place had nothing but a dilapidated hut left behind by a hunter long ago, with only a single bed and a few broken pieces of furniture.

Chu Heng was also quite troubled.

“Sorry,” he said, draping his long black coat over An Qiao’s shoulders. “I don’t know how I got so unlucky as to end up here. This should be the Spirit Burial Snowfield of Water Blue Star.”

As they approached Water Blue Star, their spaceship suddenly crashed into a black hole that appeared out of nowhere. Before adjutant Jiang Qi and the guards could react, the ship was swept into the black hole.

A second later, they were thrown into this wretched place. However, their spaceship was nowhere to be found.

Their personal terminals and other high-tech gadgets became unresponsive.

Chu Heng had studied a map of Water Blue Star beforehand and guessed that they were in the Spirit Burial Snowfield.

The Spirit Burial Snowfield was mysterious and isolated. It occupied about a quarter of Water Blue Star’s area, but the outside world knew very little about it. The only known fact was that the indigenous people lived extremely primitive lifestyles because high technology failed to function there.

Furthermore, the Spirit Burial Snowfield was famous not only for its “primitive” nature but also for its fanatical and devout faith in elves. Unlike most of the Empire’s population, who worshiped and revered elves, the natives here worshiped elves as deities.

To the natives of the Spirit Burial Snowfield, elves were their protectors, guardians, and tribal totems.

Apart from the Spirit Burial Snowfield, the rest of Water Blue Star was spring-like all year round and suitable for living and traveling. Chu Heng had planned to go to the capital of Water Blue Star to visit the 2S-level elf healer who was temporarily staying there. After all, they had come to Water Blue Star for treatment and needed to make a show of visiting him.

However, they hadn’t expected to end up in the mysterious and dangerous Burial Snowfield.

“The Spirit Burial Snowfield?” An Qiao frowned, recalling the information he had read.

The Spirit Burial Snowfield was extremely harsh, perpetually frigid, and vast. Who knew how many days it would take to get out?

Moreover, the natives here worshiped elves like gods, an attitude that the Elf King found difficult to understand and somewhat… chilling.

It was too terrifying! He absolutely couldn’t let them discover that he was an elf!

As darkness approached, An Qiao frowned more deeply at the dilapidated, cramped hut that hadn’t been inhabited in ages. His face was full of disdain and criticism. “Are we really going to have to stay in this shabby little hut tonight?”

There was only a broken bed board inside—

Would he and Chu Heng have to share a bed?

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