AEKMEM chapter 5

The An Family’s Old Residence.

The coming-of-age banquet for the second young master of the An family was about to begin, and Father An greeted the guests with a smile.

The An family was once considered first-class in the Imperial Capital Star. Unfortunately, the first two generations were incapable, causing the family to decline and fall to second-class status among the other families. Father An was ambitious and wanted to restore the family’s status. However, he lacked the ability to do so himself, so he placed his hopes in his children.

He was overjoyed by An Qiao’s talent and felt that heaven would not disappoint those who worked hard. Finally, he had the chance to allow the An family to rise again. With such outstanding talent—an elf with the purest blood in the history of the empire and of extraordinary beauty—securing the perfect son-in-law would be easy! Becoming crown princess would be no problem!

Father An deliberately cultivated a father-son relationship with An Qiao, treating him very well. To make An Qiao feel at ease, he didn’t even take back the illegitimate elf child. Keep in mind that even the lowest-ranked elves were highly sought after; it would not have been a loss to reclaim him.

However, to put An Qiao’s heart at ease, he gave up. He wanted to pursue the greatest benefits.

However, just when he was confidently preparing for his eldest son’s coming-of-age banquet and fantasizing that An Qiao would secure a wealthy husband and help the An family regain its glory, An Qiao’s awakening failed.

He actually failed!

Father An had once thought An Qiao excelled at everything, but now he only felt physiological disgust. Believing that all his years of hard work had been for naught, he wanted to strangle An Qiao.

In the end, though, he still cared about his reputation. After all, even if An Qiao was useless, he still had a handsome face. Selling him would still bring considerable profit.

Moreover, he had another son who was an elf with decent talent and appearance, and whose mind was not as dull as the eldest’s. If he trained him well, he might achieve great things.

“Master! His Highness the Crown Prince’s personal guards are here! They…” They had captured the guards and An’s butler, who were supposed to escort the eldest young master. They were about to issue a punishment!

Before the messenger could finish his second sentence, Father An happily rushed out to greet them.

“Call the second young master and tell him the Crown Prince’s guards are here!” he ordered, striding forward energetically.

“Go! Why are you still standing here?!”

“Congratulations…”

People kept congratulating him. Guests who had previously only kept superficial contact and acted indifferent suddenly became enthusiastic, as if they were close friends.

Father An smiled humbly but secretly despised these flatterers. Still, there was no denying that their words made him feel very comfortable, both physically and mentally. He felt as if he were floating.

His Highness the Crown Prince’s personal guards had arrived. What other reason could they have for attending the second son’s coming-of-age banquet, also known as a “son-in-law selection banquet,” if not because the Crown Prince had a favorable impression of the second son?

The Crown Prince had always been reckless and rebellious. When had he ever shown his face to anyone? Now that he had sent his personal guards, it was clear that it wasn’t just a formal congratulation. They must have come for something significant. If it went as hoped, it must be a significant life event, like marriage.

He never imagined his second son had such ability!

Father An was both shocked and delighted.

If he had known earlier, he would have bet on his second son!

He hurried to the gates with a crowd of people, who showered him with praise along the way.

Soon, Father An saw a dozen personal guards in military uniforms surrounding His Highness the Crown Prince.

But how could the people detained by the guards and sporting bruised faces be his butler and the guards he had sent to escort An Qiao?

Father An’s heart pounded, and he was struck by a sudden sense of dread.

The guests who had been congratulating him also realized something was wrong and fell silent.

“What… is this…?” Father An was confused.

“Your An family has offended our Crown Princess. His Highness ordered us to punish them and send them back,” said the captain of the guards.

“The Crown Princess you speak of…?”

“Yes, Young Master An Qiao.”

Father An: “…”

He was stunned, but not happy.

An Qiao had truly become the crown princess. However, when he thought about how he had ignored and despised An Qiao these past few days after his failed awakening, regret surged within him.

When he thought about how he had chosen people to “marry off” An Qiao to the highest bidder at tonight’s coming-of-age banquet, regret overwhelmed him.

Father An couldn’t help but shiver.

If His Highness knew of his plans, he would never let him off the hook, would he?

But An Qiao was so gentle and obedient, and he and his son had always gotten along well. It had only been a few days of cold treatment. If he apologized and pleaded, An Qiao would forgive him, wouldn’t he?

The captain of the Imperial Guards looked at Father An and smiled. “His Highness is very angry. Let the head of the An family handle it himself.”

With that, the Imperial Guards dropped the An family’s butler and guards, then departed.

Father An’s legs went weak. It was like being struck by lightning.

It was over.

The Crown Prince knew that Father An had intended to sell An Qiao for profit, and this was a warning!

At that moment, the guests beside him checked their brain terminals and saw the news that had just been announced by the main brain system. Crown Prince Chu Heng had been matched with An Qiao of the An family.

Everyone was stunned.

Once they recovered, they wondered what this news meant and how to consider the interests involved.

Never mind Chu Heng’s attitude toward An Qiao. Just look at how the crown prince sent his guards to the An family to “question their crime.” Clearly, the crown prince was dissatisfied with the An family.

Shouldn’t An Qiao also separate from the An family? Recently, they had heard a lot about how the An family treated the unconscious An Qiao. Guests in groups of two or three quickly excused themselves and left in a hurry.

Before long, the grand coming-of-age banquet that had been prepared for so long—originally for An Qiao, but then shifted to the second young master of the An family as the main event—had not even begun, and the guests had all left.

None of the previous joy or excitement remained.

As soon as the main brain system announced the match between Chu Heng and An Qiao, the entire empire erupted.

The entire star network exploded.

[Damn! That useless, failed-to-awaken An Qiao was matched with Crown Prince Chu Heng!]

[It’s no surprise the crown prince would be matched, but— Why was he matched with the useless An Qiao? Is the main brain system insane or broken?!]

[I strongly suspect that the main brain system is malfunctioning. I heard that the Crown Prince was severely injured in the war with the Zerg and that his mental state has deteriorated. At this point, shouldn’t the main brain system pair him with an elf crown princess who has advanced healing abilities? Why was the crown prince matched with An Qiao, who is worthless and good for nothing?]

[Is what they said above true? Was the crown prince really injured?]

[He was indeed injured, but I don’t know how badly.]

[I even suspect that someone tampered with the main brain system to bind and drag down the Crown Prince.]

[Sigh, the Crown Prince is truly pitiful. He publicly stated that he didn’t want to marry a princess, yet the main brain system forced him into a match. It wouldn’t matter if it were a decent match, but they gave him a loser who isn’t even as good as the lowest-ranked elf.]

[Honestly, maybe the main brain system really failed this time. In the past, it actively matched Heaven’s chosen ones, and each pair was destined to be together, usually based on talent, ability, temperament, and hobbies. But this time, they aren’t compatible at all—it’s absurd.]

[In fact, their appearances still match.]

[If An Qiao had awakened, they would at least be somewhat compatible. An Qiao was considered the most dazzling elf in the empire before. I suspect the main brain system matched him based on his previous talent.]

[So, since they’re so incompatible, what did the Crown Prince see in An Qiao that made him accept him instead of canceling the match?]

[…]

[Maybe it’s his face? After all, An Qiao is truly beautiful.]

[The Crown Prince wouldn’t be so shallow as to only care about his face. It must be that An Qiao refused to cancel the match. To cancel a match, both parties must agree. How could An Qiao, who was lucky enough to be paired with the Crown Prince, give it up so easily?!]

[Right! It must be because An Qiao refused to let go. He has no self-awareness and is too shameless! He’s a loser, yet he shamelessly clings to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince deserves someone better, not trash like him who has no martial skill or healing ability!”]

[No need to be so cruel, okay?]

[I think maybe the Crown Prince found it difficult to cancel. In fact, imperial law doesn’t allow matches to be broken off. In the past, couples spent huge sums to cancel engagements. Maybe they think it’s not worth it now. Canceling later, after a year’s adjustment, wouldn’t cause any problems.]

[Am I the only one who thinks it’s a pity for someone as beautiful as An Qiao to be matched with someone like the Crown Prince, who doesn’t know how to cherish him? The Crown Prince is rough and cold-blooded. When he’s angry, he beats elves.]

[Anyway, I don’t believe this pair will be a heaven-matched couple like before.]

[I don’t believe it either! The Crown Prince has the least patience for weak, pretty men. In a few months, I’m sure he’ll be sick of An Qiao and spend a lot to cancel the marriage!]

[The one above is too conservative. I bet the Crown Prince won’t be able to endure it for more than a month and will divorce!]

The aircraft landed directly in the Marshal’s Residence parking bay.

Towering white-silver buildings, full of a cold metallic texture, reflected dazzling light under the setting sun, appearing magnificent and beautiful.

An Qiao blinked uncomfortably from the glare.

As expected of a dragon who loves glittering gold and silver jewels.

He silently complained to himself.

Then, upon seeing the place, his beautiful brows slowly furrowed.

This was it?

After all, he was the crown prince of the empire—yet he lived in such a small place?

What’s more, there wasn’t a single flower, plant, or tree in the entire residence.

There was no trace of greenery at all. All that could be seen were buildings, squares, and training grounds. It was cold and devoid of nature.

An Qiao truly regretted it!

Elves were close to nature and considered flowers, plants, and trees to be their companions. They weren’t accustomed to going a day without them.

He never expected Chu Heng to live so poorly!

“What is it?” Chu Heng saw An Qiao standing still and frowning in apparent displeasure and couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t you think this grand residence, without flowers, plants, or trees, is monotonous?” An Qiao hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

As a guest, it would be impolite to express dislike too bluntly.

Chu Heng: “… ”

He had always been very satisfied with the Marshal’s Residence.

Flowers, plants, and trees are fragile and hard to maintain. They’re only useful for decoration and showing off.

Because of the high cost of money and manpower to grow them, and because many plants required supernatural plant-related powers to maintain, having vast gardens had become an unspoken standard among the elite of the Imperial Capital. The better and larger the garden, the more power, wealth, and status it displayed.

Chu Heng sneered at these “unspoken rules” and arranged the Marshal’s Residence exactly as he pleased.

Why waste money on a useless garden?

Wouldn’t it be better to store treasure or buy more Level-3S sparring robots that were strong and hard to beat?

However, after hearing what An Qiao said, Chu Heng doubted his taste for a moment.

Then he frowned.

He realized that bringing this match back was not as ideal as he had thought. It would be like placing a beautiful ornament in his home temporarily; it would only bring trouble.

This was an elf who had been pampered since childhood.

Such a person meant trouble. They would always ask for this or that and complain that something wasn’t good enough. For example, An Qiao was clearly implying that he wanted a garden now.

Chu Heng felt slightly annoyed!

The elf was gentle yet picky. He had always been flamboyant, difficult, strong, and domineering—not the type to compromise or be patient. With his strong sense of territory, he didn’t want his space altered.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have decided to not unmatch without considering the consequences in a moment’s rush.

“Monotonous? I don’t think so.” His dark pink eyes narrowed slightly. “The Marshal’s Residence doesn’t need such useless things.”

“Oh.” An Qiao responded softly. His jade-white face was expressionless, carrying a faint sense of detachment and indifference.

Chu Heng suddenly felt irritated.

He hadn’t realized that, when he was with An Qiao, his emotions were easily stirred.

“Let’s go.” He abruptly changed the subject. “Let’s have dinner first.”

An Qiao’s eyes lit up, momentarily setting aside his previous distaste.

After drinking nutrient supplements in the hospital for a month, he could finally eat real food again!

Thinking of this, his hunger grew.

But at that moment, the demonic curse in his body suddenly flared up for no reason. His face turned pale with pain, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed forward.

At the critical moment, however, Chu Heng caught him around the waist.

The next instant, he was shocked to find himself lifted into the air in a classic princess carry.

You can read the full completed story here with instant full access. ✨