Chapter Thirty-Five: Speak Plainly, Please

When the interior of the insect nest was fully ablaze, Xuan Xuan and Zhan Yu finally emerged from the burrow. After a long silence, Zhan Yu said to Xuan Xuan, “Let’s return to the Imperial Star.” Xuan Xuan nodded, cast a levitation spell on herself, and then leapt down from the mech. Zhan Yu also exited his mech and stowed it away.

Since they were returning, they used a fixed-point teleportation to reach a teleportation hub and then left the planet, returning to the verdant world on the Imperial Star where they had first met.

It was only then that Zhan Yu said, “Choose your own satchel and upgrade it.” She found her own satchel and discovered, to her delight, that it could indeed be upgraded. She quickly enhanced it to a 200-slot bag, her eyes narrowing in joy as she gazed at the lush plants of the green world, her spirits restored.

She wandered into the green world, buying anything she could use, and even curiosities she’d never seen before. Watching from the side, Zhan Yu felt his teeth ache—how could she buy such expensive plants without a hint of pain?

“These are all very pricey, you know. I could take you to find them in the wild; there are plenty,” Zhan Yu said.

“Hm?” Xuan Xuan put down what she was holding and asked, “These are expensive?”

“Yes, they’re all ornamental and meticulously cultivated, which makes them costly,” Zhan Yu nodded. “Elsewhere, the same plants are much cheaper. Only buy here if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the wild.”

Xuan Xuan tilted her head up at him—he was rather tall. So there was another way? But searching on her own sounded troublesome; she was a bit lazy.

Zhan Yu looked into those clear blue eyes, so pure they seemed untouched by any impurity. “You could open a shop to purchase these plants. Many people spot them in the wild but don’t bother collecting them, since few have a use for them and so they never bring them back.”

Her bright eyes shone up at him. This way she could have all the plants she wanted without spending any time herself—what a wonderful idea.

“It’s too late today,” Xuan Xuan said. “Next time I’ll contact you, and we’ll get started.”

Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Zhan Yu found himself unable to refuse. He simply nodded, “Alright.”

Xuan Xuan’s beautiful eyes curved into a smile, and though her mouth was hidden behind her veil, it lifted in a charming arc as she reached out her hand, “Give me a notebook.”

He stared for a moment at her slender, fair fingers, delicate as scallions, before handing over a notebook and a pen—even brushing her hand by accident as she took them.

Her hand was so soft—Zhan Yu was momentarily stunned.

Xuan Xuan immediately began writing in the notebook, crafting a meditation guide for magic, so that her little apprentice could begin learning on his own until she had time to teach him further.

Zhan Yu watched her write so intently. Wasn’t she supposed to be illiterate? He edged closer for a look, only to see a mixture of intricate lines and profound script—ah, she really must be from another star system.

“What are you writing?” he asked, his deep voice sounding very close.

Xuan Xuan paused, recognizing Zhan Yu’s voice, but didn’t look up as she continued writing. She still needed to add some notes and a few simple spells for the metal element. “Your textbook,” she replied.

Textbook? Zhan Yu paused, then looked again. “I can’t understand any of this.”

Xuan Xuan suddenly looked up, her forehead bumping into Zhan Yu’s chin. Rubbing her head, she realized—right, she was still technically illiterate here!

Zhan Yu gently touched his chin—her forehead was a little red.

Frustrated, Xuan Xuan tossed the notebook to Zhan Yu. What now? She didn’t have time to explain everything bit by bit.

Zhan Yu examined the notebook closely. He couldn’t make sense of it, but he recognized it as some kind of script. Xuan Xuan’s origins truly were mysterious—she was a constant source of surprises.

Xuan Xuan slapped her forehead, gathering all her knowledge on mental power, and stood on tiptoe to press her forehead against Zhan Yu’s.

The sudden closeness made Zhan Yu freeze like a stone. She smelled faintly of flowers and grass—he couldn’t say exactly which, but it was intoxicating.

Their eyes met, her bright gaze filled with focus. Xuan Xuan felt nothing amiss; her spiritual power was hard to use here, so she had to press her consciousness close to his to convey her knowledge.

“Don’t resist me,” she warned him.

It took Zhan Yu a moment to recover, his whole body still rigid. He had never been this close to a girl before. For a moment, he was seized by the urge to lift her veil, to see the face beneath.

Suddenly, an immense surge of mental power flooded into him, making his forehead throb. By the time he registered the pain, she had already stepped back, and a faint sense of loss replaced the ache in his brow.

“I’ve transmitted all my knowledge on metal-element magic—well, metal-element abilities—to you. Make sure you study it. Don’t embarrass me,” Xuan Xuan said sternly. She would not have her apprentice bring shame to her name.

Only then did Zhan Yu realize a spiritual link had deposited a trove of information into his mind.

“Review it carefully during meditation,” Xuan Xuan said.

Zhan Yu nodded. Her spiritual power was so formidable—even that brief contact revealed the vastness of her mind.

She stifled a delicate yawn. Though the star network could simulate sleep, it could never quite match the real thing, and her body was still so small. “It’s late. I’m going to bed.”

With that, she logged off on the spot.

As her white dress vanished, Zhan Yu reached out instinctively. She was like an enigma—forever just beyond his grasp. Suddenly, he felt an impulse to possess her, to be able to see her whenever he wished.

His communicator chimed. Zhan Yu glanced at the caller: Kuang Shao. He answered.

“Who were you out with today?” Kuang Shao demanded.

Zhan Yu raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Why? The whole star network is in an uproar! You actually kept it from me and snuck off to get a girlfriend? How could you do this to me? I’ve been with you for thirty years and you just cast me aside!” Kuang Shao’s expression was the picture of wounded grievance. Zhan Yu only got goosebumps—there was nothing improper between them. He shot him a look. “Cut the nonsense.”

“What were you doing with that masked girl?” Kuang Shao’s face turned serious—he was afraid Zhan Yu would hang up, as he’d done before.

Zhan Yu just stared at him in silence.

Kuang Shao looked even more aggrieved and sent over a photo. “I’ve got proof! Still won’t admit it? You look guilty as hell.”

Zhan Yu promptly hung up, though he accepted the photo. He studied the image as it floated in his AI’s display: the masked girl in a white dress, her long chestnut hair flying, perched on the left shoulder of the black mech “Solaris.”

He reached out, as if to feel her hair brush across his palm, but the projection was insubstantial—his hand passed right through.

His communicator chimed again. Zhan Yu saw it was Kuang Shao and hung up immediately. He saved the photo, then logged off himself.

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