The sunlight, as always, cast its light and heat evenly over every scene in Yuandu. Who among the people living here seemed to be worried about the coming of war?
Although other schools in the empire were working to bring students from other planetary territories to the capital to escape the disaster, those in Yuandu continued to live in a beautiful dream of paradise.
After taking only a few steps, Chaoge realized that her precarious state was not quite right. People around her were still rushing to do experiments, while those who had just finished designing were taking a stroll. The pace of life remained unchanged.
"Do you think I'm overthinking things, or are they really not worried that the war will reach this place?" Chaoge was very troubled by this strange situation. After taking a few steps, she frowned and asked Sikong Yufu next to her.
Sikong Yufu was dressed formally, and when she looked down at the road, her hat completely blocked the light from her face. Hearing this, her eyes, hidden beneath the hat brim, seemed much darker. Just as Chaoge thought she hadn't heard her and was about to repeat herself, she saw her friend turn her head, her face half-bathed in light, still bearing her unique smile, gentle and comforting: "You're overthinking it, but it's not your fault, after all, that fallen planet is very close to the one you came from before. But don't worry, the Empire has the omnipotent General Qin, we don't need to worry about when war breaks out~"
Whether Chaoge was overthinking it or not, she felt that Sikong Yufu's pronunciation of the three words "General Qin" sounded a little strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong with it.
That sounds like it makes a lot of sense. Chaoge is reflecting on why she's worrying so much about something so far away…
Perhaps it's because she actually interacted with that person. Because she did, she knew that perhaps because her authority was so successfully established, she was seen as almost a god-like figure by everyone. But Chaoge knew that that person also got tired, also felt disappointed, and also had all the emotions of a human being.
Perhaps before Qin Muge even realized it, Chaoge was already worried about her. Chaoge was even more afraid of the war than she was, because Chaoge had personally witnessed how Qin Muge worked day and night for the country.
No matter which part of this empire is harmed, she will be very sad.
Chaoge got lost in thought and almost tripped on the steps, but luckily Sikong Yufu caught her.
"I just looked up some information about Sikong Yufu." Little Red Riding Hood suddenly said to Chaoge, successfully diverting her attention after she was initially startled.
Chaoge clicked her tongue inwardly, feeling that Little Red Riding Hood's habit of snooping on other people's information was a bit excessive. Before, when everyone was at the same access level and could know each other's surface information, she hadn't felt it so clearly. But ever since she shared the Empire's access with Qin Muge, she felt that this kind of thing was really hateful.
[What are you thinking? I'm not scrutinizing every detail. Do you think I'm free to look at people's profiles all day? I just felt a little strange about her pulling you out earlier; the power level I detected didn't match her profile. See for yourself, I'm angry, hmph.] Little Red Riding Hood was furious. Her good intentions had been taken for granted by Chaoge. She was unhappy; the little princess was having a little tantrum.
【Oh, I'm sorry, it's my fault.】Chaoge apologized insincerely. After receiving the basic information in her mind, she glanced through it and didn't think anything was wrong.
Name, identity, gender, appearance, strength—everything is perfect. Chaoge even went through it three times, but still couldn't find anything wrong.
Sikong Yufu's voice rang in her ears: "Miss, can you look down at where you're going?" Just as Chaoge was about to bump into a 3D projection and a lamppost, Sikong Yufu quickly reached out and placed her hand in front of her forehead. Chaoge must have been in a lot of pain from bumping straight into the back of her hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry, believe me, darling, it was an accident. I used to watch where I was going, um!" Chaoge raised her hands in surrender, stuck out her tongue, looked at the back of her hand, her tone full of apology, and even added a guilty affirmation at the end of her words.
Because she was slow to realize it, she didn't know that her casual remark had been translated into a very intimate term in the universal language. After all, having spent so much time with Qin Muge, who was so shameless, she had no sense of the importance of using the right words.
A suspicious blush appeared on Sikong Yufu's fair face. Chaoge blinked and stared at her for a long time, still without any sense of being the culprit. She wondered if she really had a fever. But the fever had risen too quickly.
Little Red Riding Hood couldn't stand it anymore. "You'll die of stupidity someday. Let's skip the teasing part for now. Look at her strength test! Strength!"
"I didn't flirt with my classmates, Little Red Riding Hood, you're wrong to slander me." Chaoge righteously refuted her own AI.
If we had to use human emotions to describe the feelings of the AI named Little Red Riding Hood, it would definitely be: worse than death.
What's the difference between Chaoge's inability to grasp the key points at crucial moments and those who falter at critical times?
【You're just a salted fish! A salted fish! Do you dare to check her power index? I swear if I talk to you again, I'll automatically cut off my energy and enter permanent hibernation mode!】 Little Red Riding Hood seems to be quite angry this time. She even proactively shut down a dozen or so thinking modules connected to external information to cool down her overheated core.
Having a cheat is something everyone welcomes, but having a user-friendly cheat is a tragedy that everyone welcomes.
Unfortunately, Chaoge is the latter.
Chaoge felt her head was about to concusse from Little Red Riding Hood's loudspeaker, so she quickly snapped back to reality and looked at Sikong Yufu in front of her to clear her head. Sikong Yufu had fallen into a deathly silence ever since she heard her address, so Chaoge could only look at the surroundings and try to find a topic: "Hey, there aren't many people at this time. What do you want to eat? Anyway, apart from that damned nutrient solution, I think the food in Yuandu's canteen is still of good quality."
"That one will do." It was a taste that surprised Chaoge.
Chaoge glanced at the cafeteria window, then at Sikong Yufu's expression. Confirming she wasn't joking, she could only walk towards the window with a disillusioned look. Although the military academy had many high-tech features, Yuandu was determined to create opportunities for students to slack off anywhere, such as the self-service cafeteria.
Chaoge walked to the window and felt that the aristocratic families of this day and age really had some bizarre hobbies. Could it be that this Sikong classmate likes to drink nutrient solution like a beverage?
However, the nutrient solution tastes just like juice made from inferior fruit powder. It not only tastes like too much water has been added, but it also seems to want others to know that it's fake juice.
Yes, it's that hard to swallow.
Seeing that Chaoge had been standing at the window for a long time without ordering anything, and fortunately there were no other students behind her, the uncle inside watched her intently and casually reminded her, "Which flavor of nutrient solution does this student like?"
"...Why do I find this question so strange?" Chaoge shook her head, trying to banish some of the negative thoughts from her mind.
"Not ordering? What are you standing here for if you're not ordering?" The uncle twitched his lips, thinking that university students were indeed different from those in small towns; they even liked to choose a special place to think about problems.
The people studying here are all young masters or ladies, and he can't afford to offend any of them. He doesn't dare to complain, otherwise he might end up like the previous one, who, despite his advanced age, had to pack his things and leave.
Chaoge seemed to realize that standing there for too long wasn't a good idea, and quickly said apologetically, "Excuse me, I'll go ask my classmate."
They slipped away as fast as they could, their feet greased.
Aside from those who want to save money or train themselves, no one would go to that window to get nutrient solution, especially not a young lady like Chaoge from a seemingly refined and elegant family. Wouldn't that be self-torture?
"Ahem, I forgot to ask earlier, what flavor do you like?" Chaoge asked Sikong Yufu, who had found a seat nearby.
Sikong Yufu looked up at her, her smile as gentle as ever, a smile that would make anyone who didn't know better think she was enjoying a seafood feast. "Whatever you like is fine."
"Okay," Chaoge nodded and went back. Standing in front of the window, looking at the various glass jars, she couldn't recognize what each one tasted like, so she said to the uncle, "Two watermelon flavors, please."
The man reached out and took two glass jars containing green liquid from inside, clearly knowing the taste and color of these liquids inside very well.
The cafeteria door opened and closed silently, with people occasionally going in and out. It had taken Chaoge and Sikong Yufu quite a while to get here, and with this little bit of time added, it was almost time for dinner.
Chaoge had just turned around with her things when she almost bumped into someone. Before she could even apologize, she quickly shut up when she saw who it was. The person, however, had no intention of letting it go. She crossed her arms leisurely, put on a smile, and asked unhurriedly, "Oh, so you're preparing for your future military life? Looks like you're quite conscientious."
Who else but Yan Xi could say such sarcastic things to her?
Chao Ge, holding something in her hand, glanced at her quietly and took a step to walk to the side. She had only taken two steps when a leg stretched out from the side, blocking her way. Before Chao Ge's body could react naturally, someone quickly flashed past her and kicked the leg blocking her way. The sound of bones breaking could be heard immediately.
Everything happened in less than half a second. Chaoge stepped firmly, stopping her momentum. Turning around, she saw Sikong Yufu standing expressionlessly beside her, and the person who had turned pale and was clutching her leg was none other than Yan Ziyu.
"Yan Ziyu has been quite careless with her walking lately." Chao Ge put on a wide, emotionless smile, but her gaze towards Yan Ziyu was icy.
This confrontation seemed familiar, except that back then it was Chaoge standing up for a girl, but now the roles were completely reversed.
The girls who had been her followers for years could only stare at her. Chao Ge glanced back at them, wondering what else these people could possibly have in their heads besides the scheming of the various families in the military.
She even felt a strange sense of anger. While Qin Muge was worrying herself sick over the situation at the front, what were the people she was trying to protect doing?
She will never forget that afternoon, that figure in a white military uniform, never turning his head back.
The canteen at Yuandu Military Academy always seemed to be a stage for drama, a place where one could witness almost every aspect of human nature. Even the cardinal directions of the seats indicated different social statuses and classes, except for those outside the system like Chaoge.
Chaoge and Sikong Yufu returned to their seats and handed her her portion. "Thanks for earlier, but are you drinking this like a beverage? Don't you think it tastes weird?"
Sikong Yufu took it and replied with a light laugh, "No need to thank me." Looking down at the nutrient solution in her hand, her straight eyelashes resembled a thick brush, and a slight smile appeared on her lips as she gazed at the pale green liquid in the bottle.
I did this not just because of you.
Did you know? What you think tastes awful is actually one of the most technologically advanced things I've ever encountered in my life.
Long ago, she thought the gap between herself and Chaoge was perhaps a gap in power and social class. But after she made up for these gaps with other things, she realized that what she thought were small cracks were actually abysses.
She had witnessed the lives of the so-called upper class of the empire, yet Chaoge was accustomed to many rare and precious things, especially species that could only exist in ancient Earth. Even if the Yan family possessed the empire's most advanced technology, they could never raise such a discerning person in terms of lifestyle.
It's as if she was born to enjoy the best.
Chaoge, can I interpret this as her giving you the best of everything?
If I give you the best I can think of, will you be willing to come with me?
"Qinghe." A long-unheard name suddenly appeared in Sikong Yufu's ears, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Sikong Yufu suddenly looked up at her. Chaoge didn't understand why she was surprised by what she had said, so she smiled and explained, "I was saying that I used to have a friend named Luo Qinghe. What happened today reminded me of my friend, but back then she wasn't as capable as you, and she would get bullied."
Speaking of the past, Chaoge still felt a pang of sadness. After all, not long had passed, yet the empire had already transformed from a time of peace and prosperity into a state of war. The more advanced technology becomes, the faster time seems to fly.
"Speaking of which, I don't know where she went back to, and she didn't even tell me. But then again, in that situation, no one would be in the mood to greet the people here, after all... in some ways, I'm probably the same type of person she dislikes, bullying others and such." As Chaoge spoke, she became dejected, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window next to the restaurant, resting her chin on her hand, her expression showing a hint of loneliness and self-mockery.
If it weren't for Little Red Riding Hood's occasional witty remarks, Chaoge would actually be quite lonely in this world.
"I've heard of the person you mentioned. She's one of the lower-ranking members of the Yuandu Military Academy. How could she possibly dislike you? It's an honor for her to be considered a friend by the second young lady of the Yan family. Being kicked out is probably unavoidable; after all, she offended someone with more power in her family than you." Sikong Yufu spoke casually about Luo Qinghe, completely adopting the demeanor of an outsider, with even a hint of sarcasm on her lips.
Just as she described, using the tone of saying "The weather is so nice today" to talk about someone who has nothing to do with her, even if she doesn't like Yan Ziyu, it doesn't increase her liking for such a person in the slightest.
Chaoge didn't know where their innate sense of superiority came from. In an instant, boundless anger surged in her heart. She opened her mouth to refute something, but in the end, she realized that she didn't really understand Qinghe either, so what angle could she take to stand in her position and defend her? Therefore, she could only remain silent.
Originally, Chaoge talked a little more between the two of them, but under her deliberate guidance, the atmosphere between them suddenly plummeted to freezing point.
Chaoge couldn't impose her values on others; she was just a little angry, but the target was herself. If she had paid more attention to Qinghe back then, she wouldn't be in this situation now where she can't even speak up for her.
What could she say? She had never lived a life where she had to be mindful of others' opinions to survive, never tried her best to do everything right, never tried to avoid being disliked by others but ultimately failed, never worked hard to get into the best school in her mind and wanted to become as excellent as everyone else, but was disliked by others.
She had never experienced the feeling of being unable to hold her head high at school because of her family background and social standing.
What right does Yan Chaoge have to call herself Luo Qinghe's friend? How could Qinghe have a friend like her?
"Are you angry? Because of what I just said?" Sikong Yufu followed her back to the dormitory. When Chaoge turned around and opened the door without saying a word, she asked calmly, as if she had no idea why she was angry.
Chaoge reached out to close the door, but Sikong Yufu blocked it by bracing her hand against the door. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, staring only at Chaoge's brown eyes.
Chaoge thought for a moment and answered her in a calm tone, "Yes, but not because of you. I really want to refute your speculation about Qinghe, but after thinking about it for a long time, I realized that I don't really have the right to speak up for her, so I'm angry with myself."
“I hate this world, I hate the people here, so apart from the people I care about, no one else matters to me. But thinking about it carefully, Qinghe was actually my first friend, and I think I was really awful. Actually, I just couldn't stand Yanxi and Yan Ziyu back then, but now that I think about it, it's not a big deal. Helping her back then, in a way, harmed her, but there's no chance for me to correct it.” Chaoge had imagined many possibilities to prevent Qinghe from being expelled, but just thinking about how Qinghe was expelled because of her made her feel uneasy.
Chaoge was quite emotional, so her words gradually became more emotional. Her gaze fell on the gleaming floor, and as she spoke, she realized that what she was saying was pointless, so she simply shut her mouth and stopped expressing her feelings.
Unexpectedly, Sikong Yufu took a step forward, getting very close to her. The smile on her face was gentler than ever before, and even her eyes were tender. She slowly said, "It's alright."
Chaoge was clearly caught off guard, and his expression instantly turned blank.
Huh? What do you mean it has nothing to do with you?
She felt that Sikong Yufu looked somewhat creepy, and involuntarily took two steps back. Sikong Yufu simply stepped in and closed the door behind her.
Holy crap, what's going on?! What did I just say that offended Sikong? Little Red Riding Hood, stop playing dead and come out here to explain! Give me a replay!
Sikong Yufu's smile didn't fade at all. Because of the identity verification she'd just used when Chaoge opened the door, the room's sensors automatically adjusted the lighting to the optimal level. Chaoge clearly saw Sikong Yufu reach out her hand, and then, in the next second, she was completely embraced by her—
Is something wrong? Sikong, are you mentally sound? Did you pick up the wrong script? What's going on with this sudden, chaotic situation?
Sikong Yufu seemed completely oblivious to Chaoge's shock, only tightening her arms around her, feeling the belated warmth—something she had wanted to do for a long time. "Giving you to me was the worst decision she ever made, wasn't it, Chaoge?"
☆ Chapter 46: The Forty-Sixth Evaluation of General Qin
"Wh-what?" Chaoge blinked, unable to react to Sikong Yufu's words. She instinctively thought of something impossible, like a string of tiny air bubbles rising from the deep sea, which no one could stop from emerging from the surface.
"Ah, I see." Little Red Riding Hood sighed, feeling a sense of satisfaction in Chaoge's mind for having found the answer.
A flood of guesses rushed through Chaoge's mind, but she dared not believe any of them. Instead, she fell into a strange sense of bewilderment, feeling that everything was happening in a very unreal way.
A slow smile spread across Sikong Yufu's lips, like a flower blooming silently in the darkness, carrying an unknown and exquisite beauty. Feeling the stiffness of the body in her arms, a trace of sadness flickered in her eyes, which she suppressed completely in a corner where Chaoge could not see.
She tightened her arms around Chaoge, holding her even closer with a force that seemed to want to meld her into her body. Chaoge instinctively wanted to push her away, but ignoring Chaoge's reaction, she tilted her head and whispered in Chaoge's ear, "You know, don't you? She never let me be alone with you before, but this time she let me get close to you. Do you know what she's thinking?"
Chaoge paused in her pushing motion, slowed her breathing, and looked down at the school uniform she was wearing. Her long eyelashes obscured her eyes, and after a long while, she said, "I thought you hated it here and wouldn't come back."
Upon hearing this, the person holding her finally showed some sincerity in their smile and replied slowly, "I really hate this place, but you're here."