The Yun family specially sent a small spacecraft to pick up Yun Xingze and bring him back.
As he was leaving the hotel, Yun Xingze ran into Luo Wenchuan at the entrance, who also seemed to be heading out.
Upon learning that Yun Xingze was returning to the Imperial Capital Star, Luo Wenchuan proactively asked, “Do you want me to accompany you back?”
“No need,” Yun Xingze waved his hand. “Just handling some minor matters. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, Yun Xingze glanced at Luo Wenchuan, who was carrying a backpack, and asked in return, “What about you?”
“I’m also dealing with some small matters,” Luo Wenchuan replied calmly. “After I finish, I’ll come pick you up.”
Yun Xingze curved his lips slightly. “Sure, it’s on the way anyway.”
A faint smile appeared on Luo Wenchuan’s face, but a trace of worry flickered in his eyes.
For some reason, Luo Wenchuan felt inexplicably uneasy. Looking at Yun Xingze’s smiling face, he couldn’t shake off his concern.
So he added, “Actually, maybe I should go back with you first. After you finish your business, I can handle mine.”
“Thanks, Senior Da Chuan,” Yun Xingze politely declined. “It’s nothing major, so I won’t waste your time.”
Luo Wenchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he slowly said, “Then, be careful. ”
He had already asked Mekar to arrange for people to secretly protect Yun Xingze, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
Thinking this, Luo Wenchuan suppressed the faint unease in his heart.
Just then, Chi Yu suddenly appeared nearby, walking straight up to Yun Xingze. He looked at Luo Wenchuan and sneered, “No need for your concern, Luo. You’d better mind your own business.”
He then mocked Luo Wenchuan, “What are you going back to the Imperial Capital Star for? Isn’t your family on a barren planet?”
However, Yun Xingze immediately snapped at Chi Yu, “Can you shut up?”
He knew that the negotiations between the Yun and Chi families would likely involve Chi Yu, which meant he’d have to travel with this annoying guy for the next couple of days.
The mere thought of it made Yun Xingze feel irritated.
Seeing Chi Yu’s arrogance, Luo Wenchuan could roughly guess that Yun Xingze’s trip was related to the messy affairs between the Yun and Chi families.
So Luo Wenchuan stepped forward, took Yun Xingze’s hand, and gave him something, saying, “Take this with you, just in case someone has ill intentions.”
Right in front of Chi Yu, Yun Xingze opened it to find a box containing self-defense weapons—small photon blades, compact particle guns.
“Very practical,” Yun Xingze said with a slight smirk, his gaze sweeping over Chi Yu’s displeased expression. “I’ll keep them with me.”
With that, Yun Xingze placed the box in his backpack.
Only then did Luo Wenchuan feel slightly more at ease.
Still, the thought of not seeing Yun Xingze for the next few days left him with a sense of melancholy.
“After you come back…” Luo Wenchuan looked down into Yun Xingze’s eyes, pursed his lips, and said softly, “Let’s play ‘Mecha Star’ together.”
Luo Wenchuan’s narrow eyes held restrained yet profound emotion.
Every time Yun Xingze saw those eyes, his heartbeat would skip a beat. This time was no exception.
“Mm,” Yun Xingze curved his lips and nodded. “After we return, let’s prepare for the finals together and win the championship.”
The two completely ignored Chi Yu, which left him seething with discontent.
After bidding farewell to Yun Xingze, Luo Wenchuan headed to the spacecraft station, while Chi Yu turned to Luo Wenchuan with a cold sneer, “Luo Wenchuan, how dare you compete with me for Yun Xingze?”
Luo Wenchuan had always disdained arguing with Chi Yu.
But Chi Yu believed this poor guy was just insecure and continued, “There are countless Omegas across the Imperial Capital Star who want to marry me, but I only have eyes for Xingze. He will surely be moved by me and become my future wife. As for you…”
“You should just go back to that wasteland planet.”
With a smug glance at Luo Wenchuan, Chi Yu turned and left.
At that moment, an inconspicuous man approached Luo Wenchuan and whispered, “Your Highness, the Second Prince, the royal spacecraft is ready. Please depart immediately.”
Luo Wenchuan watched Chi Yu’s retreating figure expressionlessly and gave a faint “Hmm” in response.
Two spacecrafts took off almost simultaneously from Noah Star, returning to the Imperial Capital Star.
Neither Luo Wenchuan nor Yun Xingze realized how profoundly this journey would affect them in the future.
But both had quietly made a decision in their hearts.
That was, the next time they met, they would confess their feelings to each other.
By the time Yun Xingze returned to the Yun family residence, it was already late at night.
The Yun family home was located in the upscale Prith Street, known as the “wealthy circle,” surrounded by villa-style residences.
On the Imperial Capital Star, only the rich and powerful could live in this district. The Yun family had moved here just a decade ago. Without ancestral wealth, they carried an air of nouveaux riches that clashed with the neighborhood.
This was evident from the Yun family’s decor.
Everywhere were grandiose, extravagantly luxurious furnishings, as if flaunting their wealth.
However, Yun Changsheng loved this style, believing those who called him “nouveau riche” were simply jealous. The best way to silence them, he thought, was through an alliance with the Chi family.
Not only would the Chi family help the Yuns establish a firm foothold on the Imperial Capital Star, but they would also provide valuable intelligence. Killing two birds with one stone.
Yun Xingze and Chi Yu arrived at the Yun family villa.
Throughout the journey, Chi Yu had tried various ways to ingratiate himself, but Yun Xingze ignored him.
Though annoyed, Chi Yu restrained himself, confident that tomorrow’s engagement banquet promised by Chi Yin would settle everything.
Upon entering, they found the Yun family living room filled with people.
Besides Yun Changsheng, Qin Shuang, and Chi Yin, there were Chi Yu’s mother Yu Wan, Yun Xingze’s younger brother Yun Wu, as well as President Liu of Qilin Group and his daughter Liu Xiao.
A flicker of surprise crossed Yun Xingze’s eyes.
He hadn’t expected so many people to be involved in this discussion.
Seeing their return, Yun Changsheng and Qin Shuang warmly ushered them to the sofa.
President Liu glanced at Yun Xingze with a trace of disdain.
Qilin Mecha Group had outperformed Changsheng Group, and the Liu family had always been wealthy. President Liu had always looked down on the Yuns, yet General Chi Yin was willing to ally with them.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get straight to the point,” President Liu said to Chi Yin. “Our Liu family greatly admires Chi Yu and hopes for an engagement between Liu Xiao and him. That’s why I’m here today.”
Beside him, Liu Xiao sat quietly and demurely, quite satisfied with the handsome Chi Yu.
Qin Shuang had initially wanted to refuse the Liu’s entry. It was clear Chi Yin had brought them to pressure the Yun family.
After all, making the Yun family feel a sense of crisis would make them agree to the marriage more readily.
Chi Yin’s gaze, however, turned to Yun Xingze as he slowly said:
“The Liu family has good taste. You should know that my mecha unit is collaborating more and more with the research institute, and the information I have access to is far more detailed than anyone else’s. Many people are scrambling to forge connections with the Chi family.”
Yun Xingze sat on the sofa but kept a considerable distance from Chi Yu and the others.
Hearing this, Yun Xingze responded indifferently, “If that’s the case, General Chi, why bother coming to the Yun family? There’s no way Chi Yu and I will get engaged.”
Chi Yin’s expression froze instantly, and Chi Yu also looked somewhat awkward.
Chi Yu pretended to be familiar with Yun Xingze and said, “Xingxing, we’re just having a little disagreement. You’ve been holding a grudge for so long, it’s time to rein in that temper of yours.”
Yun Changsheng coughed and frowned at Yun Xingze. “Xingze, don’t be so rude. Your Uncle Chi has helped our family a lot. You should know how to repay kindness.”
“He helped you, not me,” Yun Xingze shot Yun Changsheng a sidelong glance. “If you want to repay him, why don’t you marry him yourself?”
Qin Shuang quickly interrupted, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Yun Changsheng hadn’t expected that after not seeing him for a while, Yun Xingze had become so sharp-tongued. No longer the son who would bend to his will.
Yun Wu, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but laugh, earning a sharp glare from Qin Shuang.
“It seems the Yun family’s upbringing of their son leaves much to be desired,” Chi Yin leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs as he spoke slowly. “Then again, an Omega who’s never applied himself to anything since childhood naturally wouldn’t understand how valuable the intelligence, I’ve brought the Yun family is.”
Yun Xingze replied coolly, “As for the intelligence you’ve brought, I personally think it’s as useful as you are; utterly worthless.”
Chi Yin’s face darkened instantly.
Chi Yu’s mother, Yu Wan, couldn’t hide her displeasure. “Yun Xingze, if it weren’t for Chi Yu’s feelings for you, do you really think our Chi family would insist on you? If you’re unwilling, we can just give the opportunity to the Liu family!”
Mr. Liu, standing nearby, beamed with delight. “Chi Yu, don’t worry, our Liu Xiao is very obedient.”
He couldn’t wait for Yun Xingze to refuse the marriage alliance. This way, the Qilin Group would undoubtedly surpass the Changsheng Group.
Yun Changsheng couldn’t stay silent any longer and snapped at Yun Xingze, “Have you lost your mind? Even if you don’t understand the importance of the psionic amplifier, at least recognize that the Chi family has always supported us, and Chi Yu has always looked out for you.”
Hearing this, Yun Xingze cast a cold glance at everyone and said slowly, “I’m not a tool for political marriages. I don’t like Chi Yu, and if I don’t like him, I won’t marry him. Is such a simple concept really beyond your understanding?”
Qin Shuang stiffened slightly.
“I came back this time to make my stance clear,” Yun Xingze said coldly. “I’ve said what I needed to say. Excuse me.”
With that, Yun Xingze turned and left.
The Chi family had thought that bringing the Liu family into the competition might give Yun Xingze a sense of urgency, but they hadn’t expected him to leave no room for negotiation.
“Chi Yu, are you sure you want to marry him?” Yu Wan said irritably. “Can’t you see? He doesn’t like you at all. There are plenty of Omegas who’d love to marry you—why cling to him?”
Yun Changsheng hurriedly apologized to Yu Wan, “The child doesn’t understand things. I’ll go talk some sense into him.”
“It seems the Yun family isn’t very satisfied with the Chi family,” President Liu stood up with a smug smile. “In that case, General Chi should seriously consider forming an alliance with our Liu family through marriage.”
President Liu thought Yun Xingze must have lost his mind to reject such a high-quality Alpha.
With the Yun family’s current status, where could Yun Xingze possibly find a better fiancé after leaving the Chi family?
After stepping out, President Liu sneered contemptuously, “What an ungrateful fool.”
Chi Yu sat on the sofa, his fingers clenching tightly.
He had long known that Yun Xingze didn’t like him.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to accept it.
