SCOM - Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Federal Capital was prosperous in every corner. Compared to Xijiang Exile Star, even the people walking on the streets here seemed much more impressive.
Yan Yan walked down the street in clothes that weren't old but were far from fashionable, constantly drawing sideways glances. Aside from feeling a bit uncomfortable at the starship port when he first arrived in the capital, he had since stopped caring completely. The people here dressed well and ate well, but there was also a lot of flashy pretense.
Arriving at the address Zuo Luohuan had given him yesterday, Yan Yan took out the card, and a waiter immediately led him to a private room. It was his first time in such a high-end restaurant, and he couldn't help but look around. Seeing a platter of snacks on a nearby table, he asked the waiter if they were free.
“...Yes.”
This was the scene Jiang Hong walked in on: Yan Yan standing by a decorative table, stuffing snacks into his mouth while shoving more into his pockets with his other hand. The waiter beside him looked like he wanted to say something but held back.
“Are you a reincarnated hungry ghost?” Jiang Hong said with disgust.
Yan Yan, in the midst of his busy eating, spared him a glance. Seeing it wasn't Zuo Luohuan, he ignored him and continued to eat.
“...” Jiang Hong said to the waiter, “Pack two bags for him. Use the biggest bags you have.”
The waiter recognized Jiang Hong. Seeing that he knew this person, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and went to get the bags.
Jiang Hong leaned against the table, picking through the snacks with his hand but not taking any. “The real good stuff is the food upstairs. If you get full now, how are you going to eat later? Zuo Luohuan is rich, so it's more worthwhile to order a few extra dishes then.”
“What's it to you?” Yan Yan's reply was aggressive.
Jiang Hong shrugged, then took the two large bags from the waiter. “You can go on ahead. We're together. I'll bring him up in a bit.”
The waiter bowed gratefully to Jiang Hong. This big guy seemed strange, and any mistake in service could lead to a deduction in pay.
“Stop eating. These two big bags are yours.” Jiang Hong handed them to Yan Yan. “Is Xijiang Exile Star so poor that you can't even get enough to eat, or is there something special about your constitution?”
He couldn't imagine such a situation existing in the Federation today. The local relief agencies had so many donated food items every day that they couldn't even give them all away. How could anyone on a proper star not have enough to eat?
Yan Yan wiped his mouth, snatched the two large bags from his hands, and didn't answer, only asking, “Where are we eating?”
Jiang Hong: “...” Damn it, this stubborn freshman!
“Upstairs. Zuo Luohuan always likes to arrive early, so she should already be waiting in the private room.” Jiang Hong walked ahead. At a corner, he glanced back at Yan Yan. “How did it feel to fight Ji Yuezhi? The moves he used on you were absolutely textbook-level.”
Setting aside the fact that he hadn't differentiated, Ji Yuezhi's skills were absolutely top-tier. It was no wonder he was as famous as Zuo Luohuan, and not just because of the Ji family behind him.
“He's very strong,” Yan Yan said in a low voice. “But I will definitely be able to beat Ji Yuezhi in the future.”
As he said the second half of the sentence, Jiang Hong, who was in front, happened to stop and open the door to the private room. Inside, Zuo Luohuan turned to look at them and said coolly, “You, beat Ji Yuezhi? Maybe in your next life.”
“Why can't I win?” Yan Yan looked down on Ji Yuezhi. He felt the Disciplinary Committee was just a group of people obsessed with their glamorous appearances. “I will become stronger in the future.”
Zuo Luohuan released the whiskey glass in her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing its side. She looked up with a half-smile. “Someone who only knows how to fight can't beat Ji Yuezhi.”
“How come we can't stop talking about Ji Yuezhi even here?” Jiang Hong plopped down in the seat opposite, seemingly forgetting he was the one who started the topic. “I'm hungry. Let's have them bring the food.”
“Sit. Order whatever you want to eat.” Zuo Luohuan pointed to the seat next to Jiang Hong and said to Yan Yan, “Today is just a friendly exchange between a senior and a freshman.”
Yan Yan stared at Zuo Luohuan for a long moment before finally sitting down. “What do you want to know?”
“About Xijiang Exile Star.”
It was Saturday, a day off. Early in the morning, the Ji family sent three cars to pick up Ji Yuezhi. When he came out, someone was already waiting at the school gate.
“Young Master.” The leader of the group stepped forward to inform him, “The Master is in the car.”
Ji Yuezhi walked towards the middle car. Someone immediately came up, opened the rear door, and shielded him as he got in.
“Father.”
Inside sat a handsome man with sharp, hidden intensity in his eyes. Judging by his appearance alone, one would believe he was in his twenties. He was dressed in the same meticulously refined manner, as if even every strand of his hair was perfectly styled, not at all like someone who had worked all night.
Only after Ji Yuezhi got in did he stop his work, his imposing aura softening slightly. “How was your week at school?”
“Nothing major happened.” After closing the car door, Ji Yuezhi leaned against the window and replied casually.
Ji Xixiu glanced at his son. “I heard Zuo Luohuan isn't leaving this semester.”
Ji Yuezhi's lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, but his tone remained unchanged. “Is that so? She probably doesn't have enough credits.”
“True. Even with the high credits of a top-ten student, it can't withstand a year of skipping classes.” Ji Xixiu didn't expose his son's pretense and changed the subject. “Your coming-of-age ceremony is soon. What gift do you want?”
Ji Yuezhi watched the distorted scenery fly by outside the window. After a long moment, he said, “...To differentiate sooner.”
“No need to rush. There's nothing wrong with your body.” Ji Xixiu reached out and patted his son's head. “You'll differentiate sooner or later.”
Few people knew that the Ji family's only son had once begun to differentiate. However, the process had just started when it was forcibly suppressed. After a serious illness, there had been no further signs of differentiation.
Once home, Ji Yuezhi was noticeably more relaxed than at school. After his meal, he returned to his room to rest.
Having shed his stiff military uniform, Ji Yuezhi lay on his side on the bed, wrapped in a thin blanket, quietly browsing the school's anonymous forum. Nine out of ten titles he clicked on contained one person's name.
If Zuo Luohuan were here, she would discover that the ankles of a certain future Alpha, widely acknowledged by the First Military Academy, peeking out from under the thin blanket, were slender and beautiful. The skin there was too delicate and fair, having absolutely no connection to traditional Alpha characteristics.
【Breaking!!! Zuo Luohuan was seen eating with a freshman at Wei Bao Ge today!!! Image.jpg attached】
Ji Yuezhi's finger paused when he scrolled to this title. His lips pressed into a thin line. It was a long while before he finally clicked on it.
【Damn, isn't that the freshman who got beaten up by Ji Yuezhi at the school gate? Is Zuo Luohuan trying to win over Ji Yuezhi's enemy?】
【To the person above, Zuo Luohuan also beat up that freshman. I think maybe Zuo Luohuan has taken a liking to him. The freshman might seem a bit reckless, but he's quite good-looking.】
【AA relationships are a no-go.】
【What era is this? What's wrong with AA or OO relationships?】
The topic strayed further and further, with everyone speculating about Zuo Luohuan and the freshman being in a relationship. Someone even said Zuo Luohuan came back just for the freshman. Ji Yuezhi's lips pressed tighter and tighter, and finally, he couldn't resist posting from his alternate account.
【She doesn't like this type.】
【How do you know she doesn't like this type? I think this freshman is great!】
【She doesn't.】
【Forget it, forget it, let's drop it. Probably just another crazed Zuo fan.】
Ji Yuezhi closed his optical computer, turned over, and sat up. The bangs on his forehead were slightly messy, and his lips were pressed into a straight line—a clear sign of his extreme displeasure.
Zuo Luohuan didn't like that type of person. He just knew. He had always known.
“Yuezhi.” Ji Xixiu knocked on the door from outside. “Zuo Luohuan just asked me for your contact information.”
The sound of quick footsteps immediately came from the room, and the next second, the door was opened. Ji Yuezhi looked at his father. “She... wanted my contact info?”
“She said she wanted to thank you personally for the coming-of-age gift you sent her.” Ji Xixiu frowned. “You've been schoolmates all this time and you've never exchanged contact information?”
“...No,” Ji Yuezhi said in a low voice. Although they had always been at the same school, their social circles barely overlapped. Apart from being close to Jiang Hong, Zuo Luohuan usually went off to have fun by herself. Before entering the First Military Academy, she was already famous throughout the capital as the queen of skipping classes.
Ji Xixiu didn't understand what young people were thinking these days, but he never interfered. He just said, “Zuo Luohuan has your contact info now. I also subtly asked about your coming-of-age ceremony on the twenty-eighth. She said she'll come.”
After Ji Xixiu left, Ji Yuezhi closed the door, looked at his reflection in the mirror, and turned to change his clothes.
The group of three went their separate ways after leaving Wei Bao Ge. Zuo Luohuan didn't return to school or go home; instead, she headed straight for a shopping mall.
Walking down the street, she had intended to call Ji Yuezhi, but upon opening her optical computer, she realized she didn't have his contact information. After getting the Ji family head's contact from her father, Zuo Luohuan made a special call to ask for Ji Yuezhi's.
After getting the contact number, Zuo Luohuan didn't rush to call. She walked into a high-end custom jewelry store in the mall. Glancing over the dazzling array of exquisite accessories on the counter, she directly asked the manager, “Do you have any Neck Locks?”
The manager said calmly, “Ma'am, are you referring to... that kind of Neck Lock? If you are interested, you can follow us to the top floor for a viewing.”
“Let's go.”
Compared to the bright and transparent jewelry store below, the lighting on the top floor was more ambiguous. Every part of the viewing room exuded meticulous design and refinement. It was more like a large exhibition hall for Neck Locks, with every material and style imaginable.
The most dazzling one was on the main display stand: a Neck Lock adorned with pale yellow, jade-colored, gold-threaded lace. If worn, it wouldn't lock what it was supposed to, but would completely and tightly cover what it wasn't.
“Ma'am, the Neck Lock designs in the display cases are all created by our master designers. They are elegant and exquisite, very suitable as a gift for...”
Zuo Luohuan interrupted the manager, “What if I want to design and make one myself?”
The manager understood immediately. Alphas all had the same flaw: an extremely strong, domineering possessiveness. But he maintained his smile. “Of course. We have a dedicated design and creation studio here. You are completely free to design your own. However, due to the high scrap rate for novice designs, the price is slightly higher.”
“Take me there.” Zuo Luohuan followed the manager further inside and only then called Ji Yuezhi.
She didn't make a video call, just a voice call. When it connected, she said, “Ji Yuezhi?”
It took a long time for the person on the other end to speak. “...Is there something?”
“I saw the coming-of-age gift you sent,” Zuo Luohuan said, her gaze sweeping over the Neck Locks on either side with a hint of nonchalance. “I like it very much.”
In his room, having already changed his clothes but not receiving a video call, Ji Yuezhi remembered the gift he had sent. His eyelashes trembled, but his tone was as cold as ever. “So?”
“So for your coming-of-age ceremony, I should also give you a carefully prepared gift.” Zuo Luohuan walked into the design studio. As if suddenly remembering something, she lowered her voice, her tone seemingly laced with ambiguity. “Ji Yuezhi, did you know that was a kinky Face Lock? The kind of thing only lovers give each other.”
The other end of the line fell silent, leaving only the sound of faint breathing.
Zuo Luohuan deliberately teased him with a hint of intimacy, as if they were very close. “Our Yuezhi must have been tricked... But, it's the thought that counts. I'll treasure it.”
Someone who had always been exceptionally talented and intelligent would probably find it hard to accept the fact that they had been deceived.
Sure enough, the person on the other end of the line seemed extremely displeased and abruptly hung up.
Hearing the call disconnect, as if she had won a round, Zuo Luohuan's mood inexplicably improved.
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