ISWTDB Ch95

Chapter 95: Intersteller ABO (7, 8)

Ernest, hearing Ying Zhao’s words through the eagle, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Ying Zhao, unaware of Ernest’s thoughts, turned his head to see that the sky had brightened, indicating it was time to go to class.

He stood up and, noticing the eagle still staring at him, flashed a sharp look. Without hiding from it, he unbuttoned his pajamas, stripping down to just his underwear.

He then opened the wardrobe, pulled out the familiar white shirt and gray sweater, and put them on.

Ernest, watching through the eagle as Ying Zhao nearly undressed, couldn’t control his wildly beating heart.

He breathed heavily, cursing to himself: “Little rascal! How can you have no sense of caution? Even if it’s just an eagle, you shouldn’t be changing right in front of it! Does this brat even realize how attractive he is?”

Yet, no matter how much he grumbled in his heart, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the young man. Fortunately, Ying Zhao dressed rather quickly; otherwise, the Marshal feared he might actually start bleeding from the nose, ruining his image.

Ying Zhao then picked up the black-framed glasses from the bedside and put them on, hiding his beautiful eyes. Ernest, seeing those enchanting eyes hidden behind the glasses, couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret.

Next, he watched the young man pull a cheap nutritional drink from a drawer and quickly down it.

Though nutritional drinks were common in military supplies because they could quickly provide energy, they were rarely chosen as a regular meal.

Most people still preferred the taste of cooked food, occasionally buying nutritional drinks as a supplement. Only the poorest, unable to afford regular meals, would rely on nutritional drinks to fill their stomachs.

Ernest recognized the packaging of that nutritional drink—it was the cheapest and worst-tasting kind. Yet, the young man drank it as if he was used to it, which made Ernest feel a deep sense of pity.

Only then did he notice the pitifully sparse furnishings in the room and the few pieces of clothing in the wardrobe. Ernest realized that the boy’s situation must be difficult—possibly very poor.

He watched as the boy cherished every last drop of the nutrient solution, then walked over to pat the eagle’s head, smiling brightly as he said, “Mr. Eagle, I’m going to school now. I’m sorry I don’t have any food to offer you, but you look so powerful—I’m sure you can hunt for yourself! The window is open, so you can leave anytime. Come see me again when you have time. Oh, by the way, my name is Ying Yan. See you next time!”

After speaking, Ying Zhao picked up his school bag, opened the door, and left the room. The Eagle blinked at Ying Zhao’s words and flew out of the window.

It flew quietly a short distance away, following Ying Zhao on his way to class. Only when it saw him enter the classroom did it flap its wings and turn to fly back to Ernest’s estate.

As soon as the eagle returned, Ernest eagerly removed the miniature camera hanging around its neck and uploaded the footage of the boy onto his optical computer.

He watched the footage of the boy talking to the eagle and the scene of him leaning in for a kiss, replaying it repeatedly. He even found himself somewhat obsessed, reminiscing about the earlier sensations. This made Ernest feel a rush of heat throughout his body, and he began to feel a twinge of jealousy towards his own spiritual manifestation.

However, when he saw the boy drinking the nutrient solution, Ernest’s heart ached again. He quickly opened a communication channel and contacted his adjutant, issuing a direct order: “Find me all the information on a student named Ying Yan at the Imperial Academy. I want everything, and I want it delivered to me immediately.”

It was the first time the adjutant had seen his commander express such urgent emotion, and he wondered what abilities this Ying Yan possessed.

So, the adjutant promptly saluted and began searching for information on Ying Yan. Within an hour, the adjutant had gathered all the data on Ying Yan and sent it to Ernest’s optical computer.

When Ernest saw the photo in the file of a boy wearing thick black-framed glasses, his hair long enough to cover his eyebrows, and with a somewhat gloomy appearance, it was hard for him to associate this image with the boy who had smiled so brightly earlier.

The boy was clearly so gentle, his smile so warm—why did the file describe Ying Yan as a reclusive and introverted person, someone who was ostracized at the academy?

As he read further, Ernest learned that Ying Yan was an Omega born without glands. Because of this, his father had abandoned him, and he had grown up with his mother on a very remote small planet.

Later, his mother passed away as well, leaving him to struggle alone for many years until the Ying family discovered his talent in pharmaceuticals. Only then was he brought back to the main star to study at the First National Academy.

However, even so, he still had to produce large quantities of potions for the Ying family every month in exchange for the opportunity to study.

As Ernest read about how Ying Yan had been bullied from a young age, how his father had used him as a pawn, and how people around him shunned him for his imperfections, treating him like a monster, each detail deeply pierced Ernest’s heart.

He never imagined that such a young boy had endured so much suffering, yet he could still show such a warm, guileless smile. Ernest couldn’t help but feel his eyes redden.

The boy was so wonderful—he should be enjoying delicious food, wearing beautiful clothes, and being held in Ernest’s arms, protected and cherished!

For some reason, Ernest suddenly had the thought that this boy was meant to belong to him. For the first time in his over thirty years of life, since his mother’s passing, nothing—neither his father’s coldness nor the brutality of the battlefield—had ever stirred his heart.

The man known as the Empire’s living weapon had lived a life devoid of desires or fears; he cared for nothing, not even the dangers of the battlefield or the prospect of death.

But today, after meeting that boy, for the first time, he experienced a longing, a yearning.

Ernest had never been one to be indecisive. Now that he had set his sights on the boy, even if these feelings seemed strange and sudden, he had no intention of suppressing them. In fact, deep down, he had already decided that the boy belonged under his protection.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, Ernest felt that now wasn’t the right time to reveal himself. After all, the boy had endured so much; he needed to approach him gradually.

Glancing at the eagle, which was also staring intently at the boy’s picture, Ernest frowned but had to admit that using his spiritual manifestation to protect the boy was the best choice.

So, while he let the eagle follow the boy to monitor his every move, Ernest also contacted his adjutant, instructing him to assign a few trustworthy men to protect the boy, just in case.

Although Ernest had sent the eagle to follow Ying Zhao, he wasn’t worried about being exposed. After all, the ability to manifest a living spiritual form was something most people considered to be the stuff of legend.

He rarely allowed his spiritual manifestation to be seen, so only a few close associates knew about the eagle’s true nature. The average person wouldn’t recognize where this eagle came from.

The eagle quietly perched on a tree branch outside the classroom, watching Ying Zhao. Meanwhile, Ernest leaned back on a bench in his estate’s garden, his eyes closed as if he were resting.

But in reality, all his attention was focused on observing the boy in front of him. At that moment, the boy was in class, and the Marshal found himself captivated by the bright eyes hidden behind those glasses.

Of course, Ying Zhao knew full well that his man was secretly watching him. The intensity of that gaze was so palpable that even through the spiritual manifestation, it felt almost tangible.

He lowered his eyes, hiding the smile at the corner of his lips. The presence of his lover nearby made Ying Zhao feel very at ease.

As the potion class was about to end, everyone had to hand in their assignments. Ying Zhao handed in the A-grade potion that the original host had prepared to the teacher and, as expected, received the teacher’s praise, achieving the best result in the class.

Seeing this, Ernest also curled his lips in a smile, feeling that the boy he had fallen for was truly outstanding, with a sense of pride on his face.

However, despite this, no one in the class applauded or praised him. In their eyes, an A-grade potion was nothing special, not enough to offset their belief that Ying Yan was nothing more than a gland-deficient freak.

The female lead looked at the potion Ying Zhao had submitted, unable to conceal the jealousy in her eyes. Since she hadn’t obediently forced Ying Zhao to hand over the potion before, this time, she had to rely on her own abilities to refine the assignment left by the potion teacher. As a result, she only managed to produce a C+ potion.

Among this group of students, this was considered an average result. But Bella felt that such a grade didn’t match her noble background at all, which only deepened her resentment towards Ying Zhao.

She thought that Ying Zhao must have gone mad from being cornered last time, and after thinking it over, she regretted letting him off so easily. She secretly vowed to teach Ying Zhao a harsh lesson.

Sensing the malice from the female lead, Ying Zhao subtly curled his lips. Sure enough, after class, as he walked to a more secluded area, a few people suddenly rushed up from behind and blocked his way.

Ying Zhao raised his head and saw the female lead, accompanied by several tall and strong men, blocking him in this remote place.

It seemed that the female lead had learned from the last lesson and didn’t bring her usual student followers this time. Instead, she had called in a few bodyguards assigned by her family, planning to give Ying Zhao a severe beating.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao took a few steps back, his sharp senses remaining alert to the surroundings. When he felt the timing was right, he pretended to be scared, trembling as he said, “What… what are you going to do?”

Bella, seeing Ying Zhao’s frightened appearance, showed a vicious smile and said, “Weren’t you so arrogant last time? Why are you scared now? The ones beside me this time are all A-grade and S-grade powerhouses—let’s see how cocky you can be now! You should have handed over the potion obediently earlier. People like you don’t deserve to make such high-purity potions; those potions should all belong to me!”

As Bella spoke, she signaled the people beside her to seize Ying Zhao. Ying Zhao hurriedly turned around and, sure enough, saw the male lead, Abner, who was trying to quickly walk away as if he hadn’t seen anything.

Ying Zhao then called out for help, shouting, “Abner! Instructor Abner, help! Please, help me!”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s plea, Abner cursed inwardly but knew he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen it. He could only reluctantly step forward.

Deliberately putting on a stern and upright demeanor, he looked at the bodyguards and scolded, “What do you think you’re doing? This is the Imperial Academy; unauthorized persons are not allowed inside.”

Looking at Ying Zhao, Abner felt a headache and frowned slightly, but he couldn’t offend Ying Zhao.

After taking some of the potions the original host had made, his S-grade mental power had started to show signs of loosening, with the potential to break through to 2S-grade. This was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for him.

On the other hand, Abner was also well aware of Bella’s identity, and she was a woman he had been trying to get close to. So, he didn’t want to offend either of them.

Seeing Bella trying to make things difficult for Ying Zhao earlier, Abner had thought about pretending not to know and quickly leaving the area. However, he didn’t expect Ying Zhao to spot him.

Bella, on the other hand, became flustered upon seeing the handsome Abner. Throughout their lessons, Abner had always been strict and upright.

But occasionally, when dealing with her, he would show a hint of tenderness, making Bella feel special. This noble lady, who had never experienced romantic feelings, quickly fell in love with Abner.

Now, being caught by Abner while attempting to bully a fellow student, Bella, despite her disdain for Ying Zhao, didn’t want to ruin her gentle and considerate image in Abner’s eyes.

So, Bella bit her lip and put on a pitiful expression, saying to Abner, “I’m sorry, Instructor Abner. These are just bodyguards my father arranged for me. As you know, our family isn’t ordinary, and I need constant protection. As for Ying Yan, he’s my classmate. I only came over because I saw him alone and wanted to say hello. My bodyguards must have misunderstood and thought Ying Yan might pose a threat to me, which led to this unfortunate incident.”

As she spoke, Bella looked affectionately at Abner. Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow, listening to the female lead’s poor excuse, with a trace of sarcasm in his eyes.

It was clear that Abner didn’t want to delve into the matter either. Hearing Bella’s explanation, he immediately seized the opportunity and nodded at her.

Seeing this, Bella secretly shot a fierce glare at Ying Zhao. She hadn’t expected her attempt to teach him a lesson would almost embarrass her in front of the man she liked.

Now, with the bodyguards present, she couldn’t be too forward with Abner, as she still remembered her family’s expectations of her. So, Bella had no choice but to turn away and hurriedly leave with her bodyguards.

After Bella left, only Ying Zhao and Abner remained in the area. Ying Zhao looked at Abner with a grateful expression and said, “Instructor Abner, thank you! I don’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for you!”

Hearing this, Abner gave a gentle smile and reached out to pat Ying Zhao’s head, but Ying Zhao, lowering his head as if unintentionally, dodged the gesture.

The male lead didn’t mind, lowering his hand as he looked down at Ying Zhao, who was facing him with a flushed face and a shy, affectionate expression. A gleam flashed in his eyes.

With an air of certainty, he said, “Xiao Yan, you’re being too polite. With our relationship, helping you is the least I could do. By the way, the potion you gave me before—I’ve been feeling much better since taking it. It seems even the old injuries from previous battles have started to heal. I should be the one thanking you!”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhao immediately put on an expression of joy and said to Abner, “Instructor Abner! Really? My potion worked for you? That’s wonderful!”

Then, Ying Zhao, looking a bit shy, extended an invitation, “Instructor Abner, I’ve been working on some new potions recently, and I’ve already finished one. It’s in my apartment. I also have some ingredients at home. Since you helped me today, why not come back with me? You can pick up the potion, and I’d like to cook something for you as a token of my gratitude.”

Abner nodded without hesitation. He wasn’t particularly interested in dining with Ying Zhao, but the freshly made potion was something he couldn’t resist.

Through his eagle, Ernest observed the interaction between Ying Zhao and Abner, clenching his fists in anger, his eyes tinged with red.

He couldn’t bear to see the boy who had captured his heart showing such a bashful expression to another man. It made him want to tear Abner apart on the spot.

Unable to control the rage building inside him, Ernest suddenly stood up, grabbed the bench, and smashed it violently against the ground. Even as the stone bench shattered into pieces, his anger remained unabated.

Despite having placed numerous people around the boy for his protection, knowing that if those bodyguards had really made a move, his spirit beast or the people he had sent would undoubtedly have kept the boy safe, he still seethed with anger. To him, Abner was nothing, just a lowly lieutenant, yet he dared to covet his precious one!

“Damn it! Damn it!” Ernest kept cursing. The thought of his beloved cooking for another man filled him with a bitter resentment, mixed with a hint of inexplicable grievance.

But he couldn’t show up in person, so he tormented himself by sending his spirit beast to continue following the boy and that damned Abner back to the apartment.

After Ying Zhao brought Abner back to his student dormitory, it turned out that Ying Fei’ang hadn’t returned. Usually, Ying Fei’ang rarely came back to the dormitory. He preferred to fool around outside and only returned to the dormitory to ask Ying Yan for money.

Having suffered a significant setback from Ying Zhao the previous day and now wary of him, Ying Fei’ang was currently out carousing with a group of friends, venting his frustration.

Ying Zhao was happy to have the peace and quiet. After entering the apartment, he politely asked Abner to wait on the sofa in the living room. Then he went into his room and quickly found the potion he had promised to give Abner.

This potion wasn’t made by Ying Zhao but had been prepared by the original host for Abner. Ying Zhao knew that after drinking this potion, Abner would be able to break through the S-grade bottleneck and elevate his mental strength to 2S.

However, it wasn’t entirely stable yet, requiring ongoing reinforcement from subsequent potions to become a true 2S-grade.

As Ying Zhao looked at the pure, emerald-green potion in his hand, he subtly twitched his pinky finger, infusing the potion with a wisp of white energy.

This energy contained a trace of frenzy-inducing factors. Although the current dose wouldn’t have an immediate effect on Abner, after a few more doses and some external stimuli, it could easily trigger a mental power outburst.

Smiling, Ying Zhao handed the potion to Abner and watched as he eagerly drank it in one gulp. Curling his lips, Ying Zhao then took out the stored ingredients and headed to the kitchen.

As Ying Zhao skillfully prepared the ingredients, Xiao Bai in his mental sea, confused, asked, “Host, this Abner is a bad person. Why are you cooking for him?”

While stirring the pot and humming a tune, Ying Zhao smiled at Xiao Bai and said, “Abner loves to toy with people’s emotions, so I’ll let him taste the bitterness of losing someone he loves. I want to see if, after losing his beloved, his mental power, his physique, and his reputation, he’ll understand the despair Ying Yan once felt.”

As Ying Zhao spoke, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He despised those who played with others’ feelings, so he usually chose other ways to retaliate.

But this Abner filled him with loathing, and the deep despair left behind by Ying Yan touched Ying Zhao deeply. He didn’t mind the extra trouble if it meant Ying Yan could rest in peace.

Sneaking a glance at his man’s spirit beast, which was still watching outside the window, Ying Zhao sighed inwardly, feeling a bit guilty.

Tonight, he would find a chance to visit his man. Based on what he knew, that guy was probably drowning in jealousy by now. In any case, he would make sure to compensate him well.

The food was soon served. Although the ingredients were simple, Ying Zhao’s excellent cooking skills, honed over several lifetimes, made the dishes delicious.

Abner was surprised when he tasted the food, as it was the most delicious meal he had ever had.

Abner sincerely praised, “Xiao Yan, I didn’t know you were such a good cook! I’m really lucky to have this meal!”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao blushed and lowered his head, smiling as he ate the food on his plate. His black-framed glasses slipped down slightly, revealing his long, moist phoenix eyes.

With his hair now cut short, when he turned his head, Abner noticed his slender neck and was momentarily stunned. It seemed he had never really paid attention to Ying Yan’s appearance before—were those eyes under the glasses really so beautiful?