Chapter 157 - Alert
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
WARNING – there is slightly s.e.xual content (it’s not NSFW) that may make you feel uncomfortable or creeped out. we were all collectively creeped out by Shao Yu… be warned!
The sea of stars was vast.
The 90,000 ton long-distance starship moved like a whale wandering amongst the stars, its broad back providing shelter from the nuclear magnetic resonance waves.
It was six hours before they reached the Imperial capital.
Outside the window, asteroids rolled by, and black clouds spread and dispersed. The interior was calm, and luxurious, thick, woven carpets covered the aristocratic first-cla.s.s cabin. A maid in red high heels stepped inside gracefully, respectfully delivering the red wine into the cabin.
Candlelight and dim lighting reflected off the intricately carved, luxurious doors. After a quick look around, the maid lowered her head, saluted the n.o.ble in front of her, and quietly withdrew from the cabin.
All the way until she returned to the back room.
A group of little sisters all gathered around, their faces full of excitement, “They really opened the wine? That’s a 600,000 credit red wine! What kind of n.o.bility is it, it must be at least a Marquis––”
The maid took a deep breath. Of course she recognized the man inside!
Young master Shao Yu, who was once a survival show rookie. He’d been exiled to the Federation, all the way until four years ago when the d.u.c.h.ess had acknowledged him. The Imperial media reported that the d.u.c.h.ess, a strong woman with an iron hand, had hugged her long lost son and cried bitterly. It was very touching.
The d.u.c.h.ess’ approval ratings had gone up by 12%that day! Young master Shao Yu had also become the number one bachelor in the Empire––
The little sisters scrambled over each other to ask, “Who is it in the first-cla.s.s cabin? A tyrannical Marquis?! In TV, isn’t it always like, you accidentally spill the wine, but the other party doesn’t blame you and instead falls in love with you at first sight––”
“……” The maid, “How could that be! This is a 600,000 credit bottle of wine! And the-the lord already has a lover, an especially good looking one, even more beautiful than an entertainment star!”
Everyone started to gossip, “Are the feelings between them good?”
“It should be… no, it must be good.” The maid spoke in a low tone as she recalled the atmosphere in the cabin just now. However, she suddenly shivered.
There seemed to be something wrong somewhere, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
In the Imperial star ship ‘Frost’, first cla.s.s cabin.
Strains from a symphony echoed softly. Shao Yu attentively removed the wine knife, his delicate and beautiful fingers gently stroking along the neck of the wine bottle. The 600,000 credit wine came into contact with the sweet air.
It held the rich fragrance of black roses and had a charming, sour sweetness.
Wu Jin’s expression was indifferent, and he was somewhat expressionless. His eyes reflected the splendor of the cabin, but his eyes didn’t seem to be focused on anything.
Shao Yu handed him a gla.s.s.
“Your favorite wine.” Shao Yu’s voice was elegant, like the sound of a cello.
His voice held no burrs. It seemed that even his vocal system had been optimized with the best genes, and it was only his breathing that came quick and sharp, like a spitting snake.
Wu Jin looked at the gla.s.s. The red wine was dazzling in the candlelight, enchanting and seductive.
Wu Jin was silent for a few seconds before slowly opening his mouth, “I don’t remember.”
Shao Yu smiled at Wu Jin and helped him tie a napkin with impeccable etiquette. The youth beneath the lights had just wiped away his cold sweat, and his lips were stained with this special red wine that looked as bright and vivid as blood. The youth seemed to have just woken up. His responses were slow, and his lovely, thick eyelashes moved unconsciously, like a b.u.t.terfly that could be imprisoned at any time.
Wu Jin was clean, like a piece of white paper.
Pure, like something new, beautiful, and flawless.
“Fortunately, I’m here to remember for you.” Shao Yu spoke gently. The admiration in his eyes gained traces of treachery and charm. He slowly, slowly pressed against Wu Jin’s knee, and his Adam’s apple slid up and down from excitement, “Look.”
“Your favorite rose, and your favorite wine.”
The vibrant roses gave out wave after wave of intense fragrance.
Shao Yu drew out a black rose and used the still wet stem to draw a circle on the back of Wu Jin’s bloodless hand, “Do you like it?”
Wu Jin said nothing.
Shao Yu approached and repeated each word clearly, “Do. You. Like. It?”
Wu Jin looked down and gazed at the rose in silence.
Shao Yu asked in a different way, “Do you dislike it?”
Wu Jin continued to remain silent, the back of his spine icy cold.
Shao Yu, on the other hand, was happy. He spoke to himself, “So you really don’t dislike it.” He smiled slightly as he twisted the rose. Two petals fell into the palm of his slender right hand. Shao Yu rubbed the dark petals slowly, then opened his mouth and stuffed them into his mouth. His gaze was fixed on Wu Jin as he gently chewed on the petals and swallowed them down.
On the table, there was a handwritten ‘wishlist’. Shao Yu happily drew a tick after the entry, ‘black rose’.
Then, there was the ‘Xuedolan 2767 red wine’. Wu Jin’s gla.s.s was at the edge of the table. Shao Yu gladly picked it up and drank it like it was his own, then checked off the ‘red wine’ entry from the wish list.
The next item was ‘watch androids perform the recreated horse race’.
The virtual screen unfolded. Shao Yu was very attentive and helped Wu Jin adjust his seat, “This is a wish from when I was nine years old. I wanted to watch horse racing with my first love. Now that you’ve forgotten, we can start all over again. After all, we’ve always been childhood sweethearts.”
On the screen, the dark skinned and vigorous Imperial natives performed a horse race with spears in their hands.
It was unknown what had triggered Shao Yu, but he laughed at the screen and almost sent himself into tears. Wu Jin continued to sit there quietly like a potted plant, his left hand hanging by his side.
When the race was over, Shao Yu switched freely among the many star channels.
The culture and landscape of the Empire was quite different from that of the Federation. The occasional aristocrat, politician, or someone who was both could be seen on the news…
Shao Yu switched to a Federal station.
It was a local star station. The head of a certain consortium was leading his little son to cut the ribbon for a newly constructed industrial base. The young man from the consortium looked very bored and uninterested, and would secretly scroll through his terminal as long as there was no camera in front of him––
Shao Yu suddenly turned back and looked closely at Wu Jin, like an eagle with keen insight.
He carefully examined the most subtle of Wu Jin’s expression changes, from his pupil dilation, the curve of his eyelids, and even his body temperature, “Do you know him?”
Wu Jin looked at the screen again. There was no change in the slightly sunken cheeks, and he slowly responded, “I don’t remember.”
Shao Yu was satisfied and turned back.
On the screen, the reporter finally caught up with the young master of the consortium who was always playing with his terminal, “Young Master Ming Yao! Will you give up your status as a survival trainee and come back to inherit––”
The virtual star station was switched again.
From behind Shao Yu, Wu Jin’s chest rose and fell slowly. His pupils contracted for a brief moment, then returned to its original state. Sweat oozed out along his back.
There was a ding, and the cabin announcement rang out. There was five hours until they reached the Imperial capital.
Shao Yu lost interest in the star stations and was once again keen to show his ‘wishlist’ to Wu Jin. On the long list, the handwriting changed from childish to mature, and the items were more and more obscure towards the end. Shao Yu often picked up the photo frames and shared ‘lost memories’ with Wu Jin.
“We agreed to be together at the R-Code Base, and we both came to the Empire after graduation. The first time you picked up a gun was when I taught you how to hold one. We also raised a rabbit together––”
Shao Yu eagerly showed him his terminal. In the photo, Wu Jin held a black rabbit with drooping ears, and he was giggling foolishly. Shao Yu comforted him, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember.”
“For me, today is like the start of a new relationship.”
Wu Jin looked at the rabbit quietly.
Shao Yu smiled slightly, “Like it?”
On the wishlist, the ‘pet’ line was also checked off. Shao Yu continued talking. Wu Jin either remained silent, or was forced to respond, but his replies were always one or two beats late.
Shao Yu didn’t seem to mind. He was even very greedy for more. From his inception and design, Wu Jin should always have been remote and n.o.ble. It was just that when he’d gotten mixed up with the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, he’d become an equally foolish mixed breed. The more apathetic the youth was, the more precious and attractive he seemed to him. Although Shao Yu was aware that this was a side effect of the memory drugs, it was still enough to make his heart tremble with excitement.
The background sound from the virtual screen was messy and noisy.
The symphony seemed to be beating out a rhythm that drew out the depths of his desire. Shao Yu looked at Wu Jin’s indifferent amber pupils and constantly kept shifting his seating position. His mind was full of messy images. Wu Jin stepped barefoot on his cheek, his eyes damp and shining as he tied wax-stained leather around his neck––
Shao Yu opened up the wishlist again.
The first few hours after the memory drug took effect was the best time to write on this ‘white sheet of paper’.
He stood up and leaned over the back of Wu Jin’s hand, dropping a kiss on it, “I think you’ve forgotten something else.”
“However, I can make an exception and teach you one more time.”
Shao Yu backed up, and opened up the terminal connection to the manager of the star ship, “Two… males. Mm. One of them should be more obedient, and the other can be anything… the same as last time… fast and quick. Come over within 10 minutes.”
Wu Jin looked directly at Shao Yu.
Shao Yu: “You’ll like it.”
In the star ship’s bar, two men who’d originally been in Room A rushed over. The first-cla.s.s maid pursed her lips as she guided them, and the young maids who were watching nearby were shocked.
“They’re really going to the first cla.s.s…”
“Didn’t you say that the great n.o.bleman came with his lover? How come it’s still like this?!”
“Shh… you can’t imagine how the n.o.bles find their happiness…”
The cabin entrance slammed open.
When the two male prost.i.tutes saw Shao Yu, they immediately bowed down in greeting. One of them glanced at Wu Jin and was at first stunned, then quickly looked away. He’d seen many types of couples, but he hadn’t expected that this lord would still want to play with someone else with this kind of beauty by his side…
Shao Yu looked disdainfully at the two of them, “Introduce yourselves.”
The two of them took turns to say, “Three years in the industry, M (m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t), can be obedient, well-behaved, my physical examination certificate is with me.” and “Five years, depends on what you need…”
Shao Yu: “Kneel.”
Shao Yu’s aura was too strong. They both knelt down in front of Shao Yu. Shao Yu spoke coldly and pointed to Wu Jin, “Kneel to him. He’s the lord you should acknowledge.”
The two people: “……”
Wu Jin: “……”
While Wu Jin attempted to clench his left hand, the two of them switched positions and knelt quickly. Shao Yu skillfully took out a series of tools from somewhere in the room and coaxed the whip into Wu Jin’s hand, “Give it a try, this one won’t cause problems.”
At Wu Jin’s feet, the two little M’s were short on breath. It seemed that this was their first time taking this kind of request. Thinking about the youth’s indifferent and gorgeous face, they felt more invested than usual.
Shao Yu reprimanded, “Who told you to look up?”
The two of them hurriedly bowed their heads, “……”
Wu Jin’s stomach churned wildly, just like he’d eaten a whole Caesar. The youth looked unhappy and was determined not to lift up the whip, but Shao Yu was stronger than he was. He held Wu Jin’s right hand and moved his wrist a few times, making the two little M’s faces happy and red.
Shao Yu: “Change whips.”
A slender, shining black whip came out. Everyone at the scene, except for Wu Jin, all started to breathe in short gasps. Shao Yu handed the whip to Wu Jin and was staring obsessively at the youth. Beneath the chandelier, the youth’s eyes were as cool as transparent gla.s.s. The pale cheeks contrasted with the leather, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of desire or arousal on his face. It was like a basin of ice water poured over a burning fire.
Restrained, abstinent, and enough to shock awake the soul.
Shao Yu stretched out his hand, moving infatuatedly towards Wu Jin’s left wrist where the tracking chip was hidden.
Wu Jin abruptly gave up resistance. He dropped his left hand and raised the whip in his right hand.
The two prost.i.tutes at their feet flushed. They were looking forward to the tip of the whip––
Shao Yu’s throat moved, and his voice was suddenly hoa.r.s.e as he spoke, “Leave.”
The two prost.i.tutes were stunned silly. It was clear they didn’t want to leave, “Sir, our service hours aren’t over…”
Shao Yu was gloomy, and his aura burst out like a black cloud, “Get lost.”
The two of them were stunned, but their survival instincts quickly kicked in. They grabbed their jackets and hurried out. The door to the first cla.s.s cabin slammed shut. Shao Yu stood up straight and looked at the whip in Wu Jin’s hand. His face was red from eagerness.
Beneath their feet were handcuffs, floggers, and red rope scattered all over the ground.
Shao Yu came to a stop in front of Wu Jin. His pupils were red and intimidating, and his gaze was focused on Wu Jin, carrying cold and forceful coercion.
Wu Jin pressed his lips together, and his small round face was harshly pale.
Shao Yu’s voice sounded like a snake spitting out syllables, “Be good.”
Then, he slowly knelt down at Wu Jin’s feet, sinking down and crawling.
One hour later.
Wu Jin pushed open the door to the bathroom. His stomach churned, and he vomited into the washbasin.
Shao Yu had been whipped for an hour, and his expression was full of pain. He skillfully sprayed himself with the remaining half a bottle of healing medicine, and by the time Wu Jin emerged again, his expression was warm and peaceful.
“You’ve just forgotten.” Shao Yu coaxed him, “One day, you will also come to like it.”
“You are Tantalus, Hermes, and the Muse. The most perfect creation is torture, sacrifice, and art.”
The long distance star ship sailed through the gravel belt outside the Imperial capital.
The planet, that was similarly blue, finally appeared outside the window.
The pa.s.sengers stepped out from the star ship and entered the Imperial port customs. After entering the atmosphere, it seemed that all the wireless terminals came back online in a flash.
Wu Jin’s wrist was empty.
Shao Yu: “You’ve lost your terminal, but we can buy you another one.”
The first cla.s.s access port opened up.
Shao Yu was disgusted, “Can these untouchables enter the country at the same time as n.o.bles?”
Wu Jin looked out the window.
At the customs entrance, a robot used a probe to scan the incoming pa.s.sengers’ entire bodies, including their hair. Pa.s.sengers had to remove their terminals and any metal ornaments before they pa.s.sed customs.
Wu Jin bowed his head slightly.
He pressed his right hand over the left wrist where the tracking chip was hidden.
Shao Yu spoke happily “Let’s go home.”
From behind him, Wu Jin leaned over slightly in the seat. It seemed that he was attempting to pick up the velvet blanket that had fallen to the ground. The youth looked quiet and beautiful beneath the light and shadow.
Shao Yu stepped forward and helped Wu Jin up like a gentleman with perfect etiquette.
The two of them walked out of the first cla.s.s port connection.
The immigration robot waved the probe in its hand respectfully.
Shao Yu ridiculed, “Was this used by the lower cla.s.ses?”
The robot replied quickly, “Your Excellency, it’s a new one.”
Shao Yu frowned and stepped forward.
The probe beeped twice as it approached the metal b.u.t.tons, and Shao Yu was finally allowed to pa.s.s through.
After that, it was Wu Jin’s turn.
The robot carefully scanned the n.o.ble’s companion, and the detector remained silent.
The probe moved close to Wu Jin’s left wrist.
The red light suddenly lit up, and the alarm started to ring!
Juurensha: ….I think Little Witch still has at least some of his memory? Also I was highly uncomfortable reading this entire chapter, I really hope Shao Yu is killed soon.
xiin: translating this chapter made me feel dirty. ugh.