ISWTDB Ch99

Chapter 99: Interstellar ABO (15,16)

Feeling somewhat touched, Ying Zhao directly took one of the Luoluo fruits from the small bundle and took a big bite.

The crisp fruit made a crunching sound as he chewed, its juice plentiful. The wonderful taste filled his taste buds, making Ying Zhao squint his eyes in contentment.

After quickly finishing off one Luoluo fruit, Ying Zhao flashed a big smile at Ernest. Then, while the other was momentarily dazzled by his smile, he suddenly charged towards Ernest’s position.

Ernest instinctively backed away, but Ying Zhao was fast, making it difficult for him to dodge. He could only quickly lift his coat to cover his face.

Ying Zhao rushed in front of the man, feeling a bit disappointed as he looked at his lover, who was clearly using the coat to cover his face, not wanting to show his appearance.

Ernest, with his face covered, looked at Ying Zhao’s persistent expression and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes as he said, “Little one, what are you trying to do?”

Ying Zhao pursed his lips and said somewhat aggrievedly, “I just want to see what the uncle who is so good to me looks like.”

Ernest shook his head, chuckling, “It’s not the right time yet. When you finish making the potion for me, I’ll let you see what I look like, how about that?” After speaking, he withdrew back into the shadows, continuing to talk to Ying Zhao.

Seeing that it was impossible to sway his man’s mischievousness for the time being, Ying Zhao obediently stood to the side, chatting with Ernest. In fact, he also missed his lover a lot, so since Ernest wanted to get to know him better, Ying Zhao didn’t mind chatting with him for a while.

Ernest, on the other hand, felt that Ying Zhao didn’t have many friends or anyone to confide in regularly, so he teased him into talking, hoping to grow closer to the boy.

The strategy worked well; the boy seemed to have found someone better than the eagle to talk to, and he chattered on endlessly.

However, he didn’t mention anything about being bullied in the physical training class. Instead, he only talked about how well he did in the class, as if he only wanted to share things that would make people happy.

Ernest understood that, to the boy, he was still a stranger, and even getting him to talk about these things was a good start.

When it came to Ying Zhao, Ernest was exceptionally patient, just like a hunter who knew how to proceed gradually. He understood that the boy was pure-hearted, and once they became familiar, Ying Zhao would soon open up to him.

Although Ernest had thought about approaching the boy with his true identity, knowing that he held a very special significance for Ying Zhao, he even considered that if he asked the boy to belong to him, the boy might accept.

But he still selfishly didn’t want to reveal himself so soon, always hoping that by maintaining this stranger’s identity, the boy might open up more to him.

He wanted to truly connect with the boy, to genuinely understand him, to learn more about him. He hoped to strengthen their bond in a short time and was eager for the boy to develop feelings for him.

This way, those feelings wouldn’t just be because he was the Empire’s Marshal, or the boy’s idol or savior, but because he was Ernest as a person.

Only by capturing the boy’s heart in this way would the Marshal be completely sure that the boy willingly belonged to him, thoroughly attracted by his true self, and would never leave him.

The two chatted happily, with the boy being even more talkative than Ernest had imagined. Although Ernest wasn’t someone who was usually good at conversation, he made an effort to find topics to talk about and accommodate Ying Zhao.

Having spent many years in the military, the Marshal was also knowledgeable about some things related to pharmacology. As for physical training, that was something he was exceedingly familiar with.

Whatever the boy wanted to know, he could explain in detail, which drew repeated exclamations of admiration from Ying Zhao, leaving Ernest feeling very satisfied.

The two continued their pleasant conversation across the shadowed divide. It wasn’t until it was very late that Ying Zhao reluctantly said he had to leave.

Ernest couldn’t resist taking a step forward, reaching out to gently ruffle Ying Zhao’s soft forehead hair. Ying Zhao squinted in comfort, instinctively nuzzling into Ernest’s palm.

But then, as if suddenly realizing something, Ying Zhao quickly took two steps back. His face flushed red, and he looked to the side, a bit at a loss.

Seeing the boy’s shy expression, Ernest felt as if his heart had been hit hard. He was almost overwhelmed with the urge to grab Ying Zhao into his arms and kiss him fiercely.

The two stood there in silence for a moment, until the boy finally couldn’t take the ambiguous atmosphere anymore. He chuckled awkwardly, tossing the Luoluo fruit in his hand a couple of times before grinning at Ernest and saying, “Come to think of it, Uncle, you really are a good person. This is the best fruit I’ve ever tasted!”

“If you like it, there will be more every day. I’ll make sure it’s always ready for you,” Ernest replied with a smile. Whatever the boy liked, he would provide with both hands.

Ying Zhao curved his lips into a smile, but a hint of slyness flickered in his eyes. “Uncle, you really are amazing. This Luoluo fruit isn’t something you can just get your hands on so easily! Anyway, I’ll accept this favor from you, Uncle, and I promise I’ll make that potion really well to repay you!”

With that, Ying Zhao laughed lightly, gathered up his small bundle and the herbs he had collected, then leaped over the fence, leaving the Marshal’s residence.

“I’ve been found out,” Ernest said with a chuckle, stepping out from the shadows and gazing in the direction where Ying Zhao had disappeared. He shook his head with a smile, feeling that it was only natural.

After all, he couldn’t fool his clever little one. Someone as sharp, excellent, and knowledgeable as him knowing about the Luoluo fruit was within his expectations.

It seems like the little one really likes Luoluo fruit. I was worried he might not accept my gifts, but it turns out I was overthinking it.

Next time, I can have my people pick out more things that Omega like and send them all to the little one. I wonder if that would make him happy.

Ernest’s thoughts turned to the news he had received earlier. The people he had dispatched to watch over Ying Zhao reported that Bella had instructed a Beta male to take a potion, planning to harm his precious one during physical training. The mere thought made Ernest seethe with anger.

At the time, his spirit beast, the eagle, had been invisible, closely following his precious one. If that Beta male had actually hurt him, Ernest would have instantly disabled the boy.

But he hadn’t expected his little one to have such agile reflexes, surprising him once again. It seems that the boy not only hid his spiritual power but was also unexpectedly excellent in physical abilities.

This realization made the Marshal more excited, feeling as though he had discovered a gem hidden under layers of dust. Each time he brushed away some of that surface dust, more beautiful and dazzling brilliance was revealed.

Meanwhile, Ying Zhao, having successfully acquired the Yuteng grass, returned to his dormitory. He was well aware that his lover wasn’t revealing himself because he wanted to use this ambiguous identity to lower his guard.

This way, Ernest could sneakily glimpse more of his true feelings. After having gone through so many worlds, Ying Zhao naturally understood his man’s strong possessiveness and those cute little schemes. But he didn’t mind playing along.

In the days that followed, although Ying Zhao was still busy with his classes and potion-making, he made it a point to visit Ernest every night. He didn’t want the hard-earned Yuteng grassto disappear again.

The two seemed to have an unspoken agreement, one staying in the shadows, the other in the light. Even though they couldn’t see each other’s faces, they still enjoyed their conversations.

Every night, Ernest would prepare delicious food and interesting little trinkets for Ying Zhao, telling him that they were early payments for the potion, and Ying Zhao naturally accepted them. He had to admit, life had indeed become much more comfortable with his lover around.

The next day, when Ying Zhao went to class, he noticed that many of his classmates’ attitudes toward him had softened considerably. If his talent for potion-making was something independent, his excellence in physical training and his more confident demeanor had begun to draw attention.

People tend to admire the strong, even to the point of overlooking some of their flaws. A change in one’s aura can also affect those around them, though Ying Zhao didn’t feel anything special about it.

As for the Beta boy he had taught a lesson earlier, Ying Zhao heard that he had already dropped out of school, the official reason being that he had deliberately used a potion during a physical training match.

In reality, such a punishment wouldn’t have happened so quickly. Ying Zhao knew that this was Ernest’s doing. He was aware that the Marshal had arranged for many people to watch over him, so it was no surprise that Ernest had known about Bella’s plan to have that Beta boy secretly take a potion to harm him.

Ying Zhao overheard his classmates discussing how the Beta boy had suddenly fallen ill at night, with his spiritual power becoming extremely unstable and rapidly declining, causing his family to take him home for treatment.

Most of the students believed that the boy must have taken a faulty potion, leading to such an unfortunate outcome. Everyone expressed their sympathy, shaking their heads over the incident.

But Ying Zhao knew the truth: that a certain petty man had sent his spirit beast to the Beta boy’s hospital room that night and had mentally attacked him.

Ernest’s attack on the Beta male’s mind had caused irreversible damage, leading to a severe and continuous decline in his mental strength. Even if he eventually recovered, he would likely become a worthless pawn in his family.

However, Ying Zhao felt no sympathy for the Beta boy. The previous day, when the boy had attacked him, every move was ruthless, and even the original Ying Yan’s physique would have struggled to withstand it. If an ordinary person had been subjected to such an assault, they would have been crippled for life, if not killed. The boy had reaped what he had sown.

Besides the Beta boy, Bella had also been having a rough time lately. One night, for some reason, her father contacted her out of the blue, furiously scolding her and warning her to behave herself at school, not to stir up trouble.

Bella was baffled, unable to figure out what had happened. Hearing her father, in his fit of anger, threaten to marry her off to an unknown Alpha if she caused any more trouble, she realized he was truly upset.

Although she didn’t know who she had offended, this made Bella extremely cautious.

Ernest, while pressuring the Auston family, was careful not to go too far. After all, he wasn’t yet certain he could fully protect Ying Zhao under his wing, so he didn’t want to expose his cherished boy.

Since then, Bella lived in constant fear, worrying that her family would actually marry her off to some unknown Alpha. 

After all, Bella’s heart was already set on Abner. Compared to the marriage partners her family had arranged, she still harbored romantic hopes of finding an Alpha she truly liked.

Unfortunately, the person she liked was a fickle man. While he was getting closer to Bella, his mind was still on the gentle and sweet Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao noticed that ever since he had shown his prowess in Abner’s physical training class, Abner had been paying more attention to him. Abner frequently approached him, showing genuine concern, different from the superficial friendliness of before. Ying Zhao could tell that Abner had started to develop real feelings for him.

One day, after class, with Bella absent due to other commitments, Abner approached Ying Zhao and offered to walk him back to his dormitory.

Ying Zhao naturally didn’t refuse, but as fate would have it, Bella, who had rushed back after finishing her tasks, caught sight of them. Bella had hurried back specifically to catch Abner’s class, hoping to spend more time with him.

But instead, she was met with the sight of Abner escorting Ying Zhao back to the dormitory. The scene before her eyes filled Bella with rage.

She was convinced that Ying Zhao must have played the weakling again, using underhanded means to attract Abner’s attention, causing him to soften and personally escort him back.

Bella refused to believe that Abner had any real feelings for Ying Zhao. How could such an excellent man choose someone like Ying Yan, who was nothing but a defective with glandular issues?

There was no way Abner would choose someone like Ying Yan. It had to be this wretched boy using his weakness to elicit sympathy and deceive Abner.

With this thought, Bella ground her teeth, nearly forgetting her father’s warnings.

Last time, her bodyguard had tried to teach Ying Zhao a lesson, but he got lucky because of Abner. But this time, Bella vowed not to let Ying Zhao escape so easily.

Watching from a distance as Ying Zhao and Abner walked and talked so intimately, Bella felt as if she could bite through her silver teeth.

So, the next day after class, as Ying Zhao was walking back alone, he was intercepted by Bella and her group of bodyguards.

This time, Bella was clearly prepared. Upon seeing Ying Zhao, she wasted no time, immediately ordering her men to attack him.

However, despite the bodyguards being A-grade and S-grade in strength, their attacks were still too weak for Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao’s movements were agile, easily dodging their blows without counterattacking. When he sensed Abner approaching, Ying Zhao suddenly paused, allowing one of the bodyguards’ punches to land on his face.

The punch sent Ying Zhao tumbling to the ground, his glasses flying off and shattering a lens as they hit the ground.

A vial of emerald green potion also slipped from his pocket, shattering on the ground. Despite the distance, the pure power within the potion was palpable.

Ying Zhao’s lip was bruised, making his appearance rather ghastly. However, he had controlled the impact, suffering only superficial injuries, though they appeared severe.

With Xiao Bai monitoring, Ying Zhao knew Bella was planning something against him, so he had arranged to meet Abner here today.

Previously, Abner, wanting to keep his options open, had told Ying Zhao that his role as a soldier and instructor meant he couldn’t be seen getting too close to students, for fear of gossip. Ying Zhao had always been understanding, keeping their interactions discreet.

During physical training yesterday, Ying Zhao had seized an opportunity to tell Abner that his potion was nearly finished. They had arranged to meet after school today, where Ying Zhao would hand over the potion.

That’s why Ying Zhao had come to this secluded spot, even going to the trouble of shaking off the people his man had placed around him.

He knew this place seemed like a deserted dead end, perfect for an ambush. Bella wouldn’t be able to resist, and indeed, she hadn’t.

Abner, eager to obtain the potion, had rushed over as soon as his school duties were finished. But as he neared the meeting spot, he heard the sounds of a fight.

He ran over immediately, and the first thing he saw was Ying Zhao lying on the ground in a pitiful state. Despite the injury to his lip, the absence of his glasses revealed his beautiful phoenix eyes.

Ying Zhao’s delicate features, usually hidden behind the glasses, were now exposed, and they were even more striking than Bella’s. This was the first time Abner had truly looked at Ying Zhao’s face, and he was stunned by its beauty.

Especially the way Ying Zhao looked so fragile lying there; it felt like a sharp blow to Abner’s heart. But then he noticed the pure power emanating from the shattered potion.

A closer look revealed that the precious potion Ying Zhao had promised him had fallen to the ground and shattered. Abner’s eyes widened in shock. He knew just how valuable that potion was.

His mental power had been unstable, and this potion could have potentially boosted it to 2S-grade. But now, because of Bella’s attack, the potion was ruined, and he had lost his chance to advance.

Abner didn’t know that crafting such a potion was effortless for Ying Zhao. He turned his furious gaze to Bella, his eyes filled with venom as he realized how close he had come to gaining immense power, only to have it slip away.

But when Bella looked his way, Abner forced himself to suppress his anger. He tried to calm his seething emotions and addressed Bella, “Bella, what the hell is going on here?”

Abner’s foul mood left him little patience for Bella’s feelings, and his tone became harsh.

This was the first time Bella had heard Abner speak to her so sternly, and she immediately put on a tearful expression.

It was the first time Abner had spoken so harshly to her, and it was all because of Ying Zhao. Bella channeled all her hatred toward Ying Zhao.

She didn’t want Abner to hate her, so she stubbornly argued, “Instructor Abner! Believe me, when I got here, Ying Yan was already like this. It really wasn’t me who ordered my people to attack! Isn’t that right, Ying Yan?”

Bella lowered her head and glared at Ying Zhao, who was lying on the ground, her eyes full of blatant threat. Ying Zhao only lowered his eyes, his clenched fists a sign of his stubbornness.

He kept a cold expression, avoiding Bella’s gaze, but it seemed he was also worried about making things difficult for Abner. So he neither confirmed nor denied it, but his demeanor only made him seem more pitiful.

Seeing Ying Zhao like this, Abner felt even more disgusted with Bella. Unable to hold back, he snapped, “Enough! Bella, just leave.”

“Instructor Abner!” Bella called out tearfully, but Abner had no patience left to humor her.

Taking a deep breath, Abner tried to soften his tone. He spoke to Bella again, “Bella, take your people and go. Ying Yan is seriously injured, and I need to take him to the infirmary.”

Hearing this, Bella stomped her foot in frustration. It wasn’t until Abner leaned in and whispered in her ear, promising to see her that night, that Bella finally relented. She shot Ying Zhao a vicious glare before turning around and leaving with her entourage.

After Bella and the others left, Abner carefully helped Ying Zhao up, his heart filled with guilt as he asked, “Xiao Yan, are you alright? I’ll take you to the infirmary right now.”

Ying Zhao, feeling disgusted with Abner for comforting him right after dealing with the female lead, managed to maintain a docile expression as he shook his head and softly said, “I’m fine, it’s just a minor injury. Instructor Abner, you arrived just in time. It’s just a shame about the potion…”

Hearing this, Abner naturally felt regretful about the potion as well. But seeing Ying Zhao looking so downcast, knowing it wasn’t his fault, he tried to comfort him, “Although the potion was broken, Xiao Yan, don’t be too upset. You’re so talented, I’m sure you’ll create an even better potion!”

Ying Zhao nodded at this and forced a smile for Abner. Seeing Ying Zhao’s vulnerable expression, Abner felt a pang of guilt but also an unexpected surge of emotion. He reached out, intending to hug Ying Zhao, but Ying Zhao dodged him.

Ying Zhao pressed his lips together and hesitantly said to Abner, “Instructor Abner, I’m really fine. I just want to go back to the dormitory and be alone for a while, is that okay?”