Chapter 94 - Cool Enough to Put You in a Good Mood~
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina, Kitty
11. Cool Enough to Put You in a Good Mood~
“I’ve told you before. I will kill you.” Xie He looked at Lance, stressing each word.
Lance didn’t seem to react in the beginning. He looked distracted. Soon after, his gaze slowly s.h.i.+fted downwards to the hilt protruding from his chest. This was a very ordinary dagger. However, for it to pierce his body so easily was not normal.
Although Xie He had been protected by him, he had also suffered an intense hit and a high alt.i.tude drop. Even if Lance had taken the brunt of it, Xie He should also be heavily injured. He shouldn’t have the strength to kill him.
However, Xie He was fine right now. He even made a display of great strength!
None of this was normal….
There was a strict gleam that slowly emerged within Lance’s eyes. He coughed out blood again and fixed his eyes on Xie He, unwavering. “What… did you use?”
Even Xie He knew what it was. As the Crown Prince of the Empire, how could he not know? Even if he didn’t think of it before, he knew now…. However, he wasn’t willing to believe it. Lance stared fixedly at Xie He and asked again with a chilly voice, “What did you use?”
Xie He smiled faintly. “Does it matter what I’ve used? In any case, you’re going to die.”
“Do you know what the after effects of using the Potential Stimulating drug are…?” Lance’s voice was no longer calm. There was even a slight tremor to it…. He had already used a Gene Destruction drug on Xie He before. If he forcefully stimulated his potential again… it would make his already unstable DNA grow even weaker, to the point where it may collapse at any time.
He… would die.
Xie He looked down at him. There was a clear smile within his ocean-blue eyes. The corner of his lips rose. “I’ll die with you. It’s worth it.”
As he said this, he abruptly pulled the dagger out. Blood splattered onto his face. He then stabbed it back down without any hesitation.
Lance’s entire body was stained with blood. He looked like he was made of blood. Xie He’s face was reflected in his eyes…. He didn’t struggle, he didn’t resist. Who knew if it was because he gave up or because he didn’t have the strength?
He only stared at the person before him non-stop.
At that moment, everything became clear.
In the beginning, Xie He could have dodged. However, he didn’t. This was not a plan that was suddenly thought up. It was a premeditated scheme that had been prepared for a long time. All for the sake of striking a fatal hit on him when he was weak.
He finally understood everything but… he didn’t feel surprised. Was it because it was only logical?
From the beginning, they had been enemies. The only thing that changed was that Lance fell for the other person. While he was unaware of it, this person had already entered his heart.
The sharp pain in his heart spread to his other organs. Every part of his body hurt intensely…. But it was nothing. When Lance thought of how the person he cared about was willing to sacrifice his life in order to kill him, the pain was enough to make his body go numb.
He wanted the other to live and not die here with him.
There was a rain of bullets all around. The sound of a battle came increasingly closer. The Federation and the Empire’s forces crowded around them.
Xie He raised his hand again but was suddenly pulled up by someone behind him. Sawyer shouted, “Leave quickly! The Empire’s troops have already arrived!”
He pulled Xie He behind himself. Sawyer’s arm was immediately pierced by a laser! He protected and dragged Xie He while retreating.
Lance laid on the floor. His vision gradually grew fuzzy.
He could only see a dim image of Xie He leaving… going further and further away…. In the end, he became a tiny dot. He reached out, wanting to grab him, but he didn’t have any strength left. He couldn’t even move a finger.
This was the first time he knew what it meant to be powerless.
He thought that he had the ability to get anything and everything that he wanted. It was only now that he discovered that even with all his might, he would not be able to grab hold of the person he wanted.
Even if he broke his wings, imprisoned him with chains, and broke off all of his escape routes… he still could not make him stay.
【Ding, the target Lance’s Favourability Value +5. The current Favourability Value is 90.】
Sawyer brought Xie He with him as they dodged and retreated.
“Why did you come over? I have to see him take his last breath!” Xie He tried to throw Sawyer’s hands off. He didn’t care about his own life and death. Even if he died with Lance, he didn’t care!
Sawyer looked at him helplessly. He pressed down onto his shoulder. “He’s already dead. You staying behind would be a meaningless sacrifice. I promised Cecil that I would save you.”
“I…” Xie He thought of Cecil. He hesitated for a moment and then asked in the end, “Is he… OK?”
“Relax. After you and Lance fell down, the Federation’s backup forces arrived. He has already been rescued.”
Sawyer looked at Xie He. “So you can’t die here. He’s waiting to see you.”
These words made Xie He give up on resisting. He let Sawyer take him back.
【444：Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah, Host dada, what are you doing, ah. You can’t kill the target, ah. /(ㄒoㄒ)/ ~~ If he dies, you’ll be deducted ninety thousand experience points!】
【Xie He：Baby, did you receive a notice that said that the mission failed?】
【444：No….】
k3010;Xie HekUU1J;Then that means he hasn’t died yet, ah. Smile.JPGk3011;
k3010;444kUU1J;(k2299;ok2299;) Oh!k3011;
k3010;Xie HekUU1J;An Evolved Human like this would not die so easily. Half my body was destroyed by an explosion but I was still saved. Moreover, Lance is stronger than Loren. He won’t die so easily. Smile.JPGk3011;
【444：…Is that so?_(:зゝ∠)_】But to me it looks like you really didn’t show him any mercy….
【Xie He：Then let’s talk about another topic, ba. From the moment Lance was shot until now, your miserable howls have been going on nonstop. I think that we should take appropriate steps in stopping this kind of action that completely disturbs my acting. For example, the next time this happens, I won’t give you any allowances for three months. How about that?】
【444：……】
【444：I was wrong, Host dada. Please forgive me. /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~ I promise that I won’t make a fuss from now on! Really!!!】
【Xie He：Baby, even without your promise, it’s fine. I don’t have particularly high expectations for you. ? 】
【444：……】So that means Host dada just wants to save money? Yingyingying, I feel like I’ve lost his favor, yingyingying. QAQ
The two sides were already in a deadlock. However, the Empire suddenly received orders to retreat. The situation became chaotic. Although the Federation didn’t know what was happening, they immediately pursued the retreating enemy and gained the advantage.
Sawyer brought Xie He over to the Federation’s side. Out of the two of them, one was one of the Empire’s marshals and the other was a traitor to the Federation. Only Cecil knew the truth, so in order not to attract any disturbances or inconveniences, Sawyer and Xie He put on the uniform of the Federation and secretly snuck into the Federation’s stars.h.i.+p. They then went to the room Cecil had prepared for them.
Xie He looked out through the gla.s.s, expression grave.
Sawyer stood behind him and said, “Lance has died. The Empire is a dragon without its head. The remaining officers face a terrifying punishment from the royal family. They are not in the right mindset to continue fighting, so they have chosen to retreat. This battle is our victory.”
“We’ve won, ah…” Xie He murmured. He then slowly revealed a smile. “Then that’s good.”
Was victory not the reason he had paid such a price and countless soldiers from the Federation had shed blood? Therefore, it was truly great that they had won. Even if it was only one military campaign, it was still great. They would win more and more…. One day, dreams will become reality.
He should have been really happy and pleased but… he didn’t know why, Lance’s last expression appeared in his mind. It made him feel a bit complicated….
It was really, really laughable. If it wasn’t for that person, Xie He would not have fallen to such a place. He did not need to be rescued by him. Lance had destroyed his everything… yet in a flash had given him a deep love that he didn’t need.
Xie He’s eyelashes fluttered. He threw away the last vestiges of the complicated expression in his eyes and replaced it with a brand new determination.
He was not a slave! And he would never be.
Therefore, he didn’t need Lance to give him anything. The love a master had for his slave… he didn’t need it at all.
He finally escaped the Empire’s fiendish hold and succeeded in killing Lance. Xie He could finally relax. He smiled at Sawyer, “I’ve always been really curious. Why do you want to betray the Empire? To tell the truth, I was really shocked when you came looking for me.”
When Sawyer heard this, a darkness and pain emerged in his eyes. For a long time, he didn’t say anything.
When Xie He saw this, he promptly said, “Sorry. If it’s inconvenient to tell me, you don’t have to say anything. My question was too rude.”
Everyone who fought against the Empire had a deep cut inside. He and Sawyer were not close. It was indeed presumptuous of him.
Sawyer looked at Xie He, his eyes dark. He was not the kind of person that liked to confide in others. There were some things that he’d never told anyone, and things he could not say to others. However, at this moment, faced with Xie He… he suddenly wanted to tell him.
It was probably because they both carried a very heavy burden. If it was Xie He, he was willing to talk about himself.
“No, it’s not inconvenient. I just didn’t know how to put it in words for a moment.” Sawyer smiled. “It’s been too long.”
“That’s true. You have been giving us information for many years.” Xie He smiled teasingly.
Sawyer laughed in spite of himself. “Before it happened, I had already been struggling and hesitating for many years. This event was why I made that decision in the end.”
“I had a younger sister. My younger sister and I were both illegitimate children. At that time, Father’s successor had died unexpectedly, which is why he thought of bringing my sister and me back.” Sawyer looked nostalgic. “My younger sister was a very gentle and very adorable girl. We relied on each other to survive. I was much older than her. She was like a daughter to me…. However, en route, we encountered a s.p.a.ce pirate attack and were forced to separate.”
My father desperately needed a successor. At the time, his subordinates could only save one of us. Without any hesitation, he chose to save me.”
When I went back, I asked him to dispatch people to save my younger sister. However, he only did so half-heartedly. Very soon, people lost interest. I could only give up for the time being and do my best to increase my power within the family. When he died and I finally controlled the entire family, I sent people to search for my younger sister without any restraint. A few years later, I finally found her.”
When Sawyer said this, there was thick sorrow in his black eyes. However, his tone was calm throughout his story. “When I found her, I killed her with my own two hands.”
She had been sold to a small aristocratic family on a colonial planet after being separated from me by the s.p.a.ce pirates. At that time, she no longer recognized me. She had become a slave through and through…. I thought that death would be freeing for her.”
So, I killed her.”
Sawyer stopped here. He discovered that his hands had begun to tremble slightly at some unknown point in time. Soon after, a warm hand held his own. He looked up and fell into a pair of deep blue eyes. Within them was a warm light, thawing the cold loneliness in his heart.
“I understand,” Xie He said, “If she still remembered you, she would certainly be grateful.”
“Is that so…?” Sawyer’s smile was tinged with bitterness.
“Yes. If I were to meet the same fate one day, I would also hope that someone would kill me. I would be grateful to them,” Xie He said earnestly.
Sawyer stared at him fixedly, lips parting, “Thank you.”
【Ding, Sawyer’s Favourability Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 90.】
Sawyer had never told these things to anyone before. He could not talk to his family—they were all n.o.bles of the Empire who treated lives like gra.s.s. He couldn’t talk to people of the Federation because he had always been fighting a lonely battle. He couldn’t talk to his subordinates either because he had to maintain his might and prestige.
He had personally witnessed the filth of the Empire, this rotten, immense Empire’s twisted and deeply-rooted ugliness….
Those people thought that enslaving others was natural from the moment they were born.
He could not obliterate his own conscience and wallow in the mire with them.
Therefore, he chose to rebel.
【444：Yi… his Favourability Value is easy to raise, ah.】
【Xie He：I can explain it. Dating is just chatting about one’s worldviews, one’s view on life, and one’s view on love. I gave him an excuse to say everything, gave him the answer he wanted and a suitable confidante, ah. When life gets too rough, one needs to vent, ne. It’s not good to keep it bottled up for too long. The only thing that made it difficult for him was that he wasn’t willing to confide in an ordinary person. However, luckily I just happen to be someone he is willing to confide in. Smile.JPG】
【444：……】
【Xie He：Communication will increase feelings between two people. That is a unchanging truth. ? 】
This kind of man that seemed strong, proud and aloof… when he was willing to open up his heart to someone, his goodwill would be very easy to increase. And he would not have a change of heart easily.
It was at this time that the sounds of gunfire and explosions gradually decreased. The Empire’s forces had fully retreated. The Federation successfully beat them back and occupied a vast stretch of the Planetary System.
A short while later, Cecil returned.
He stood at the door and looked at Xie He. There was intense emotion brewing in his eyes. He suddenly took large strides and hugged Xie He with great force. His voice quivered, “You’re back….”
Xie He was also a bit moved. This was his trusted comrade-in-arms. When no one believed in him, Cecil had always believed in and supported him.
He had never disappointed him.
“Yes, I’m back. I’m sorry for worrying you.” Xie He chuckled.
“I shouldn’t have let you go from the start.” Cecil gazed deeply into his eyes. There was deep love in his eyes. Fortunately, I can see you again…. This time, I will never let you sink into that kind of danger again!
【Ding, Cecil’s Favourability Value +5. The current Favourability Value is 95.】
Sawyer stood on the side. He suddenly felt like this scene was irritating to the eye. However, he didn’t immediately say anything. He only turned his head to the side and did not continue looking. It was probably only Xie He who couldn’t see Cecil’s feelings for him. Then, what about Sawyer’s feelings for him? He probably didn’t know either.
Yes… he could not deny it. He had subconsciously fallen in love with this man.
His unyielding side, his gentle side, his resolute side, his smile… he yearned and longed for all of it.
There had never been a person who could attract his gaze and was as dazzling as him.
Xie He did not seem to notice Sawyer’s abnormality. He was still immersed in the glee of seeing an old friend. He was about to say something when suddenly, a heart-palpitating chill spread through all his limbs. His arms and legs lost all strength, and his stomach churned. He spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Blood splattered onto Cecil’s chest, dirtying his clothes…. Xie He gave him an apologetic look. His lips parted but no sound came out. He closed his eyes and crumpled to the ground.
Cecil was stupefied. Why… wasn’t he fine just now? Why did he suddenly become like this?!
Sawyer was the first to react. There was a change in his expression. The drug had worn off! He reached out to pick Xie He up and said in a low voice, “Where’s the infirmary?!”
……………………………………
【Xie He：What’s the status of my body, Baby?】
【444：You’ve been unconscious for three days. Your body’s condition has been steadily worsening. The current level of medicine that the Federation has cannot stop the degradation of your body. By the look of things, you have about twenty days left.】
【Xie He：All right, I understand. Smile.JPG】
【444：Why aren’t you worried in the least, ah? There’s only twenty days! QAQ】
【Xie He：Twenty days is enough time to recover. He’ll think of a way to rescue me. The Empire’s technology is much more advanced. I think that I can hold on until the Favourability Values are maxed out without any issue. ? 】
【444：……】
They had already left the Stein Planetary System. They were at an important base of the Federation. It had the best medical facilities within the entire Federation. However, it still had no way of slowing down failure at the genetic level.
Cecil looked at the person on the bed through the gla.s.s. Both of his hands were clenched tight. Without any warning, he suddenly turned around and punched Sawyer!
Sawyer did not dodge. He stroked his chin, a layer of deathly stillness over his eyes.
“Why would you give him such a drug?! Did you not know that it would kill him?!” Cecil glared at Sawyer with hate in his eyes, both hands trembling.
Sawyer did not refute him. He only spoke in a slow and serene manner, “Then why did you release that video? It couldn’t be that you didn’t know that it would forever condemn him to being known as the Empire’s spy?
Sawyer’s calm words made Cecil suddenly lose all strength.
Yes… why did he do that? It was because he didn’t want Xie He’s intentions to go to waste. He didn’t want him to be disappointed or suffer. Sawyer had also felt the same. That’s why he did what he had done. They both longed to help Xie He do what his heart wished to do….
However, all of this sent Xie He down a dead end, where he would die helplessly as a traitor….
It was them who had killed him….
Cecil smashed his fist against the wall. His knuckles began to bleed. He shouldn’t blame Sawyer. Sawyer didn’t do anything wrong. It was just that he couldn’t face such an ending… he couldn’t face Xie He’s death.
Sawyer’s gaze fell on the person lying on the bed. Although his expression and words had been serene the whole time, no one knew just how much his heart ached.
Many years ago, he had lost his sister with whom he had been interdependent.
Now, he was about to lose the person he had just fallen in love with.
One after another, he continuously lost the most important people and things in his life. And the main perpetrator behind all of this was that d.a.m.ned Empire! The Empire had to be destroyed!
………………………………
Although Xie He regained consciousness, his body was really too weak. It was only two days later that his body woke up.
When he woke up, he saw Cecil by his bed, seemingly asleep. Xie He raised his hand and lightly touched Cecil’s shoulder. Cecil immediately woke up and looked at him with pleasant surprise. “You’ve woken up….”
Xie He gave him a wan smile. “Yes.”
Cecil gazed at him, eyes full of sorrow. His lips trembled, as if he didn’t know what to say.
However, Xie He looked very calm. He even looked a bit relaxed and pleased. “I already know. It’s fine. Don’t be sad.”
Cecil’s eyes grew red. Don’t be sad? How could he not be sad…?
“Do you still remember what you told me when you came to save me…? You said, ‘You absolutely must not die so easily. We must live to see the day that the Empire is destroyed… watch as everyone regains their freedom…’” Cecil emphasized each word, tightly clutching onto Xie He’s hand. His voice held a tremor, “You said that we would live on together….”
Xie He’s expression seemed to grow rigid. Soon after, he smiled and grabbed hold of Cecil’s hand in turn. He smiled. “Then I must ask you to see it on my behalf. You will promise me, right?”
I am willing to agree to all your requests. I just hope that you will live. But that’s not possible, is it…?
Cecil looked into Xie He’s eyes. His heart seized with pain.
Xie He’s body was terrible. He couldn’t walk at all. He had to sit in a wheelchair.
He also couldn’t go too far. At most, he could take a stroll around the gardens near the infirmary. Cecil knew that Xie He’s days were numbered. So he accompanied him most of the time and chatted idly about the past.
One day, Xie He suddenly asked him, “Do you still remember my room in the Federation’s base? My personal belongings are there.”
Cecil said, “I remember. I helped you collect them.”
Xie He looked at him with grat.i.tude. “Thank you.”
Cecil’s voice was pained. “No need to thank me. Because I…” He paused and then continued, “You’re my best friend, right?”
Xie He earnestly said, “Yes! You’re my best friend.”
Cecil also smiled. He would hide his feelings in the depths of his heart. He didn’t want to give Xie He any troubles in his final days.
Xie He said, “Inside the third drawer of my cabinet, there’s a bottle in there. Inside are the Lanling gra.s.s seeds, native to my home. They are a specialty plant of our Sea Blue Planetary System. They’re extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find an appropriate place to plant them, nor have I had the time to go….”
If we win someday, will you help me plant them?” Xie He looked at him, unwavering.
Cecil nodded. “I will certainly do so.”
When Xie He said that, it was like he had let go of his last worry. His expression was gentle and reminiscent. “That’s truly great… it’s just a pity that I won’t get to see it….”
Cecil’s throat closed up. He lightly grabbed hold of Xie He’s hand.
He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he didn’t say a thing.
It was at this time that Cecil’s adjutant came rus.h.i.+ng over, expression panicked. “Cecil daren, it’s not good!”
Cecil turned around, expression cold and tone icy, “What’s the matter?”
He’d already issued an order that unauthorized personnel were not to be let in. He didn’t want Xie He to be exposed to others’ questioning gazes during his final days!
The adjutant’s face was pale. He explained, “The Empire’s army has arrived. They’ve got us surrounded and have sent us a message!”
Cecil stood up. “I’ll go listen to it.”
The adjutant did not move though. He hesitated and then lowered his head and said, “The message is for Loren daren. It was signed… by Lance.”
When he said that name, his face paled with fear.
Cecil’s expression froze. He looked at him in disbelief. With a frosty voice, he said, “What did you say?”
Eve: My heart goes out to Sawyer. That’s a sad backstory. And Cecil is such a good friend.