ISMW Chapter 82

But Jian Chexiao wouldn’t reason with Dike. He said: “That’s slander. What bad things could Xiaoxi do? My lawyer…”

 

But Jian Wenxi confessed without being pressed: “Third Uncle, I really did it.”

 

Jian Chexiao: “…”

 

Jian Wenxi said this mainly because he wanted Jian Chexiao to leave quickly. He and Yun Xunlan still had things to discuss. Besides, he couldn’t possibly go to prison anyway. But if Jian Chexiao stayed here any longer, he would definitely get beaten up by Emperor Yun Qihe.

 

The Jian family were all cold-blooded monsters who valued profit above everything else. Only Jian Wenxi and Jian Chexiao barely counted as exceptions.

 

The difference between them was: Jian Chexiao changed after losing He Chubai, while Jian Wenxi was taught by Jian Chexiao.

 

So no matter what, Jian Wenxi still hoped his third uncle wouldn’t debase himself by rushing to show off in front of Yun Qihe and then get beaten up.

 

But what you fear most tends to happen. Whether Yun Qihe had received news of Jian Chexiao being at Yaoguang Fifth Space Station and wanted to rush over to beat him up, the journey that originally had two hours remaining was completed by Yun Qihe right now.

 

Dike’s adjutant quickly tipped off Dike, saying His Majesty looked to be in very poor condition, and it would be best not to let him meet Jian Chexiao, or there might be bloodshed.

 

After reading this, Dike thought: When have those two ever met without bloodshed?

 

This thought had just surfaced in his mind when the next second, the conference hall door was kicked open.

 

A dark figure stood at the doorway like ominous clouds before a storm. Everyone immediately looked up at him—Yun Qihe, the “incompetent ruler” who had guarded the border battlefield of the Galactic Empire for thirty years.

 

Yes, incompetent ruler.

 

This was the people’s evaluation of him. Before he married He Chubai, he was a tyrant.

 

Logically speaking, having fought bloody battles with insectoids at the front lines for decades to defend the border, he should have merit even without achievements, and shouldn’t be rated as an incompetent ruler. Unfortunately, Yun Qihe really didn’t match the words “enlightened ruler”—he couldn’t even be considered a “good person.”

 

He had done too many crazy things. Beating up Jian Chexiao was just the most insignificant pale stroke among his “glorious achievements.”

 

When He Chubai was alive, he could still manage him. After He Chubai’s death, to prevent him from frequently going mad and damaging the royal family’s reputation, Yun Xunguang even banned his StarNet account from speaking—truly unprecedented.

 

However, in the military, Yun Qihe’s reputation was still decent, for one reason—His Majesty might be incompetent, but his combat power was truly too strong, with no defeats in thirty years.

 

Now, seeing the Emperor in person for the first time, Yu Chen didn’t feel the domineering and fierce aura of a strong person at first glance, but rather a damp and venomous quality like poisonous swamp fog. The same golden eyes that were brilliant like stars on Yun Xunlan, and radiated the bright majesty of an empress on Yun Xunguang, appeared in Yun Qihe’s deep eye sockets like withered leaves of late autumn, constantly emanating a deathly aura of decay and gloom.

 

He had long hair similar to Yun Xunlan’s, but his appearance resembled Yun Xunguang more. His face was handsome and cold, with features so sharp they gave a feeling of heartless fickleness. No wonder that among He Chubai’s children, Jian Chexiao only held favorable feelings toward Yun Xunlan, who had inherited He Chubai’s gentleness.

 

“Jian Chexiao, I said if you appear in front of me again—”

 

Yun Qihe kicked the conference room door shut again, blocking all accompanying attendants outside, then pulled out a cigarette, lit it in his mouth, his voice hoarse as venomous hatred almost materialized and flowed from his words: “I’ll kill you.”

 

As he spoke, Yun Qihe’s golden eyes swept around, searching the waists of Yun Xunlan, Dike, and Yu Chen, finally choosing Yu Chen, who was closest to him and had a gun at his waist: “Give me your gun.”

 

“Don’t listen to him.” Yun Xunlan shook his head at Yu Chen.

 

Yun Xunguang hadn’t exaggerated at all—Yun Qihe had even been stripped of his gun privileges, showing he was truly mad. The psychologist probably feared he might impulsively put a bullet to his own temple.

 

“Father.” Yun Xunlan sighed helplessly. “Wenxi is still here.”

 

Yun Qihe said: “That’s why I haven’t acted yet.”

 

If there were only alphas here, even without a gun, Yun Qihe’s fists would have already reached Jian Chexiao’s face. Because He Chubai was an omega, and loving the house extends to loving the crow, Yun Qihe generally wouldn’t use violence in front of omegas.

 

As long as He Chubai was present, Yun Qihe would be an extremely well-behaved good child.

 

Now that He Chubai was gone, Yun Qihe raised his chin toward Jian Wenxi and commanded matter-of-factly: “Jian Wenxi, get out. I’m going to kill Jian Chexiao.”

 

Jian Wenxi quietly tugged at Jian Chexiao’s sleeve, whispering: “Third Uncle, please leave.”

 

“Fine, come kill me then.” Jian Chexiao shook off Jian Wenxi’s hand and walked straight toward Yun Qihe. “If I die early, I can reunite with Chubai early. You come later—maybe you can still catch our wedding banquet.”

 

Yun Qihe pointed at the conference room door and continued urging Jian Wenxi: “Get out quickly, don’t delay my killing.”

 

Jian Chexiao coldly curved his lips. Just as he was about to speak again to provoke Yun Qihe, Dike drew his sidearm and shot a tranquilizer dart at his back, then raised the gun toward Yun Qihe—missing.

 

Yun Qihe tilted his head to avoid it, his brow furrowing, his gaze sinister: “You want to die too?”

 

Dike bowed: “Sorry, Your Majesty, this is the Crown Princess’s order.”

 

Yun Qihe looked even more displeased: “Is she the emperor or am I the emperor?”

 

Dike couldn’t answer this question well. He dragged away the tranquilized Jian Chexiao. As he passed Yun Qihe, Yun Qihe threw his cigarette into Jian Chexiao’s hair. Jian Wenxi, who had been following Jian Chexiao closely for fear that Yun Qihe would really kill him, quickly picked it out, but Jian Chexiao’s hair was still singed bald in one spot.

 

Though it was inappropriate, Yun Xunlan couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Hearing the laughter, Yun Qihe glanced at him. His eyes held no joy at reuniting with his child, nor concern at seeing his child having to travel by wheelchair. Yun Qihe’s eyes contained only numbness and indifference. His gaze was numb, and his tone equally numb: “Your body looks worse than when I saw you last year. I feel like you’re about to die.”

 

Yun Xunlan answered calmly: “Yes, Father.”

 

Yun Qihe lit another cigarette for himself: “I really want to die too.”

 

Yun Xunlan ignored Yun Qihe’s nonsensical words and introduced Yu Chen: “Father, this is my lover, Yu Chen.”

 

Yun Qihe lifted his eyelids and glanced indifferently at Yu Chen: “As long as you like him.”

 

At this point, Yun Xunlan and Yun Qihe had nothing else to talk about.

 

Yun Qihe sat alone in a conference room chair smoking, his back dejected and world-weary. Anyone looking would never think he resembled a nation’s ruler.

 

Jian Wenxi messaged Yun Xunlan: 【I’ll first get my third uncle onto a starship and send him away. Let’s meet in the rest area outside your hospital room later.】

 

【Yun Xunlan: Okay.】

 

So Yun Xunlan and Yu Chen left together.

 

On the way, Yun Xunlan asked Yu Chen: “Is my father somewhat strange?”

 

Yu Chen said: “…He’s indeed quite different from what I imagined.”

 

“He wasn’t always like this. When my Papa was alive, he was very normal.” Yun Xunlan explained. “Before marrying my Papa and after my Papa’s death, he would be this… dejected.”

 

But Yu Chen wasn’t concerned about Yun Qihe’s personality. His focus was: “He’s too cold toward you.”

 

In outside rumors, Yun Xunlan was the most favored prince in the royal family. When he had this accident, Yun Xunguang had kept vigil outside the hospital room for two days and nights, her care and love for her brother beyond words. When Mu Xingyu visited Yun Xunlan before and Yun Xunlan had a nosebleed, he was also extremely anxious.

 

In comparison, when Yun Qihe saw Yun Xunlan, his attitude was as indifferent as toward a stranger.

 

Yu Chen had been immersed in his parents’ love since childhood. Even though they died when he was nine, the love they gave Yu Chen while alive was enough to nurture him into a brave, determined person with a strong core.

 

Therefore, Yu Chen felt that fathers like Fu Yanxi’s father Fu Yingxuan and Yun Qihe were neither qualified nor competent.

 

But Yun Xunlan was very open about this: “Because I’m preventing him from dying.”

 

Yu Chen was slightly stunned.

 

“Papa’s will hoped he could cure me. Father listens to everything Papa says.” Yun Xunlan took a sip of the hot tea Yu Chen had just poured for him and said softly, “As long as I’m alive, he can’t die.”

 

Yun Qihe had always been a negative and world-weary person. He didn’t want to be emperor, didn’t like bearing any responsibility, was selfish and cold-blooded, didn’t cherish his own life, and wouldn’t cherish others’ either. So the people’s early evaluation of him as a tyrant when he ascended the throne was actually not wrong at all.

 

“My Papa was seven years older than my Father. When they first met, my Father was still an elementary school student.” Yun Xunlan told Yu Chen about the past between Yun Qihe and He Chubai. “They met on an orbital train. My Papa was already married to Jian Chexiao then. The Jian family wanted my Papa to be a stay-at-home omega, but Papa wanted to become a warship captain.”

 

At that time, He Chubai had already been accepted to Anlos Military Academy, but to prevent him from joining the military, the Jian family bribed a school worker to void his grades.

 

He Chubai angrily went to Jian Corporation to settle accounts with Jian Chexiao, and happened to catch Jian Chexiao making out with a client. He Chubai left and cried his heart out on the orbital train.

 

Sitting across from him was elementary school student Yun Qihe.

 

Elementary student Yun Qihe was planning to commit suicide by lying on the tracks when the train reached the station. He couldn’t understand how someone could look sadder than himself, who was about to die.

 

—Could he be planning to lie on the tracks with me?

 

With the thought that “he’s a companion,” Yun Qihe sat beside He Chubai, handed him tissues, and asked: “Big brother, why are you crying?”

 

“I’m crying because killing is illegal. If killing weren’t illegal, I could kill my husband.” He Chubai said. “I could clearly join the military and become the greatest warship captain in history, but his whole family wants me to be a househusband. I really want to wring his neck.”

 

He Chubai’s furious declaration immediately attracted the dark elementary student Yun Qihe, who decided to hear He Chubai’s story before dying.

 

However, later he had more stories with He Chubai.

 

He Chubai became the light that illuminated him, so when their first child was born, he named her “Xunguang” (Seeking Light).

 

After Yun Xunlan finished telling Yu Chen about the first meeting between Yun Qihe and He Chubai, he asked curiously: “Baby, what were your parents like?”

 

“My parents…”

 

Yu Chen paused for a few seconds, still hesitating whether to take this opportunity to reveal everything or wait a bit longer, when Jian Wenxi came running over with quick steps.

 

He consciously sat across from Yun Xunlan and Yu Chen, drank some water to catch his breath and said: “Yun Xunlan, my third uncle has left. Let me summarize the major events that happened these past few days.”

 

**

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