MORIC - Chapter 101
Chapter 101: The Young Miss Booking Out the Venue Is No Problem
Chi Yueshan had never seen a movie in a theater before. The cinemas in the Lower World were dilapidated, and the tickets were very expensive.
Xuan Ping, with her family's circumstances, had seen them, but from her description, the experience was also terrible.
There were no new releases, and the facilities were awful.
It was after she got together with Mu Lai that Xuan Ping mentioned it to Chi Yueshan once.
"Let's go together next time. The theater Senior Mu took me to was amazing."
Seeing Xuan Ping's blissful expression, Chi Yueshan waggled her eyebrows and asked, "The kind where you book out the whole place?"
It seemed all the idol dramas Xuan Ping watched had plots like that.
Xuan Ping let out an exaggerated "Ooh!" and said, "Yueshan, how did you know?"
Chi Yueshan hummed. "I thought Senior Mu was just playing around with this relationship, but it seems you two are really getting along well."
Xuan Ping laughed. "I originally thought so too."
After all, they were both from the Lower World. No matter how easygoing Xuan Ping was, she hadn't managed to make any new friends with whom she could talk about anything.
"I heard before that she had a terrible reputation, that she'd date someone for a short while and then break up, but…"
That day, Xuan Ping had come to visit Chi Yueshan's dorm again. Chi Yueshan was still dismantling a new mechanical toy; this particular one had taken her a long time, and her hands smelled of machine oil.
"There's no 'but.' Who cares about her past? As long as you're happy now, it's all worth it."
After saying that, Chi Yueshan paused and asked Xuan Ping, "So, have you told your parents?"
She was referring to the relationship.
Xuan Ping shook her head. "I don't know how to tell them."
Chi Yueshan feigned disappointment with an "Aiya." "And who was it that told me there's no news about commoners marrying into wealthy families these days?"
Her teasing was practically overflowing. Xuan Ping huffed, "Then you should come with me next time, Yueshan!"
Chi Yueshan shook her head. "No way. You're always going on about 'Senior Mu, Senior Mu.' Where would I fit in?"
As she spoke, the movements of her hands didn't stop. "If I really went with you, the next time I run into Senior Mu, she'll glare at me again."
Chi Yueshan's poor impression of Mu Lai was mostly due to her impression of the natives of the Upper World.
Mu Lai had looked down on her at first, too, but Chi Yueshan didn't take it to heart. Instead, she was worried that Xuan Ping would get dumped later on.
Who would have thought the two of them would have such a smooth-sailing relationship?
"She dares!"
Xuan Ping huffed again.
Chi Yueshan: "I wouldn't dare."
She laughed heartily, and Xuan Ping leaned closer. "So, do you want to see a movie?"
Chi Yueshan: "I'm so busy. Where would I find the time?"
In truth, she wasn't that busy.
It was just that something like watching a movie would be a first in Chi Yueshan's life.
She had never planned for it carefully, never expecting that fate had already arranged it for her.
So many of her firsts were with Xi Zhoumeng.
Xi Yang and Xi Chun had both left. Xi Mingguang had taken Chu Jing for a walk, and Chi Yueshan stood by the hovercar, waiting for Xi Zhoumeng to come over.
The young miss had been talking about something with Shen Yu, and the renowned Marshal of the Empire even let out a somewhat helpless "Hey."
Xi Zhoumeng walked over with a smile and naturally took Chi Yueshan's hand.
"Let's go."
The comm-watch was back on Chi Yueshan's wrist. Xi Zhoumeng said, "Seriously, let's get you a new one. I want to spend money on you, you have to give me a chance, right?"
Chi Yueshan stared at her hand, then at the silky long hair that cascaded down.
She reached out, tucked a strand behind her ear, and said, "Okay."
It was Xi Zhoumeng who was a little surprised. "You actually agreed?"
Chi Yueshan closed the car door. "I'm not one to pass up a good deal, big or small."
She touched the watch and asked Xi Zhoumeng, "So, you asked?"
Xi Zhoumeng nodded. "Auntie Shen said she'd help me ask around. Don't be too anxious."
Chi Yueshan: "I'm not anxious. It's been so many years."
She lowered her eyes, her previously messy hair now smoothly tucked away.
Xi Zhoumeng recalled Shen Yu's stunned expression and Lan Lan's surprised gaze when they saw the button just now.
Shen Yu: "The first time I saw Chi Yueshan, I thought she looked a bit familiar."
Xi Zhoumeng: "Then why didn't my mother recognize her?"
Shen Yu: "You know she's always been face-blind. Besides… it's been so many years, I can't immediately recall Jiang Zhi's face either."
Xi Zhoumeng: "Jiang Zhi?"
Lan Lan looked at the button. The uniforms from the joint military campaign back then looked the same at first glance, but there were subtle differences.
Not to mention, Jiang Zhi was originally an officer from the M-Galaxy.
Their buttons all had special serial numbers, plus Jiang Zhi was one of the M-Galaxy's dukes.
Xi Zhoumeng: "Why are you so sure?"
She had no impression of the name, but that didn't change the fact that the M-Galaxy's system was similar to their own galaxy's. Here, they had the Eight Great Nobles; there, they had the Five Great Dukes.
The surname was not common.
Shen Yu: "Actually, Chi Yueshan doesn't look that much like her. Her appearance probably takes more after the Omega who gave birth to her."
The first time she saw Chi Yueshan, she'd felt a sense of familiarity, but the feeling was fleeting and she couldn't grasp it.
Seeing her again today, it was Lan Lan who had quietly asked her.
Do you ever feel like this little girl's expression sometimes resembles Jiang Zhi's?
For Lan Lan, whose life had a nearly twenty-year gap in memory, her former comrades-in-arms were still exceptionally vivid.
Shen Yu's memory wasn't as clear. She was silent for a long time before she managed to fish that Alpha out of her memories.
She had none of the airs of a duke. As soon as she was on leave, she loved to explore all sorts of nooks and crannies. Even after coming here to the R-Galaxy, she was dedicated to exploring untamed planets.
On her first day on the capital planet, she had dragged Shen Yu straight to the Lower World, saying she wanted to see what a "gray and hazy world" was like.
Shen Yu was about the same age as her. The two of them were so young back then, and loved to have fun.
Lan Lan, on the other hand, was much more serious, shouldering the responsibility of fetching these two drunkards.
Back then, Xi Mingguang was their superior, and it was always Lan Lan who had to ask for leave.
She was the one asking for leave, and in the end, she had to be punished along with those two. You couldn't imagine worse luck.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Xi Zhoumeng had a bad feeling.
The next second, Lan Lan said, "Jiang Zhi died in battle during the aftershocks of the last Zerg Tide."
For Shen Yu, the last Zerg Tide was many years ago, but for Lan Lan, it was as if it were yesterday.
Jiang Zhi was attacked on her way back. Her ship was turned into interstellar debris, let alone finding her body.
Chi Yueshan was still standing in the distance. Xi Zhoumeng let out an "Oh." She pressed her lips together, feeling the watch burn against her skin.
She clenched the watch and smiled at Shen Yu. "How can we prove it?"
It was rare for Shen Yu to see such an expression on her face, and she sighed with the wisdom of experience.
"There are very few flights to the M-Galaxy recently. If you want to go to the main city, you'll need high-level identity verification."
She paused. "As it happens, I'm heading there after the new year. That button…"
Xi Zhoumeng: "I can send a scan."
Her nervousness was too obvious. Shen Yu looked at Chi Yueshan in the distance and asked that question with a smile.
As the new year festival approached, the outer ring centered around the royal palace grew more and more lively.
Xi Zhoumeng took Chi Yueshan straight to a high-end comm-watch experience store, looking as if she was about to book out the entire place.
Chi Yueshan was very unaccustomed to this kind of atmosphere, but she couldn't resist the instinctive attraction these things held for her. Once she got into the zone, she was pickier than anyone, nearly questioning the sales guide until they went bald.
Xi Zhoumeng stood to the side, admiring Chi Yueshan's chattering demeanor.
She has M-Galaxy bloodline, huh?
Eyes like hers were indeed uncommon here, but they were quite common in the M-Galaxy.
The constitutions of Omegas from the M-Galaxy were also generally much better than those of Omegas from the R-Galaxy.
Chi Yueshan: "So what kind of chip does this model use? Can I see it?"
Chi Yueshan: "Oh, and this one, the comm-watch's commands…"
"Can the appearance be changed?"
"If there's an emergency… ah, you have a storage function. How many pheromone patches can it hold?"
Chi Yueshan had actually been coveting Xi Zhoumeng's comm-watch for a long time, since it could even store things.
She didn't think it was very difficult to make, it was just that the raw materials were lacking. Now that Xi Zhoumeng had brought her here to buy one, she could even take it back, disassemble it, and reassemble it. That was pretty good too.
When she got excited, she couldn't quite contain herself. She glanced at Xi Zhoumeng out of the corner of her eye and found her looking right back.
Outside the second-floor French windows was an open-air terrace where an interstellar singer was performing.
When the young miss said she'd book the place out, she really booked it out. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was going to buy every single comm-watch.
Chi Yueshan thought to herself: I'm such a country bumpkin. I'm a total sucker for this, boo hoo hoo.
Xi Zhoumeng: "Don't hold back. You don't need to save money for me."
She lowered her eyes to look at a new message on her comm-watch. It was from Xi Shuang.
【Zhoumeng, I heard a rumor that this year's practical training is being moved up.】
【Xi Zhoumeng: Moved up to when?】
【Xi Shuang: Rumor is the practical training opening ceremony will be in the second month after school starts.】
【Xi Zhoumeng: Don't you guys have to bring your mechas? Are they all ready?】
【Xi Shuang: Ling Xun and I are fine. It would be great if you were willing to let your Yueshan take another look at my mecha.】
【Xi Shuang: I saw Ling Xun's mecha, its performance has improved a lot. Yueshan is really something.】
【Xi Shuang: She's so skilled, why doesn't she go to the academy to study mecha theory?】
Xi Zhoumeng thought about what Chi Yueshan had said before about looking for her mother.
Chi Yueshan didn't seem to have much affection for her Alpha mother; it was more like she was just fixated on finding her.
Could it be for a letter of recommendation?
Xi Zhoumeng subconsciously glanced at Chi Yueshan, who was still picking out a comm-watch.
【Xi Zhoumeng: Her theoretical knowledge is already strong enough.】
【Xi Zhoumeng had seen Chi Yueshan's notes before. Besides the pictures and text, there were also things she couldn't understand, writing from some unknown planet.】
【She also didn't know what kind of person Chi Yueshan's master was.】
【Xi Zhoumeng: I heard from Yueshan that your aunt knows her master?】
【Xi Shuang: I think so…】
【Xi Zhoumeng: Then send me your aunt's contact number.】
Xi Shuang: For Chi Yueshan, right?
Xi Zhoumeng: Do you still want her to look at your mecha or not?
【Xi Shuang: Thank you, Bodhisattva!】
【Xi Shuang: By the way, Xinghuo's mecha still isn't decided. That girl is seriously broke, she's even thinking of going to Mechanical City to buy one herself.】
【Xi Zhoumeng: Didn't someone sponsor her?】
【Xi Shuang: She said it wasn't good to use.】
For an Alpha, a mecha was very much about personal feel. It wasn't that top-of-the-line was always best, but Xi Shuang couldn't quite explain it.
【Xi Zhoumeng: No need to rush. Don't they open the academy's deep storage room with the collection of classic mechas every twenty years?】
Xi Shuang took a long while to reply. She felt like she knew what Xi Zhoumeng was implying, but she didn't dare to be sure.
【Xi Shuang: You're not trying to say Wen Xinghuo should go try out the War God Mecha, are you? 】
Guyun Academy had a long history. It was a renowned institution of higher learning even before the secondary genders appeared, and after the secondary genders and the Zerg emerged, it had cultivated countless elites for the Empire.
Not to mention the legendary War God Mecha.
To this day, the mecha's appearance was still an object of obsession for all mecha enthusiasts. Its timeless design was one thing, but even as an antique, it could unleash its ultimate power if it encountered a genetically compatible Alpha.
But not just any Alpha was qualified to possess it.
Throughout history, access had only been granted once every twenty years, a rule that not even the academy's high command could change.
Once opened, any student could view it, and Alphas could also make appointments to pilot it.
If a genetic match was found and the mecha bonded with someone, that person could be directly promoted into the military headquarters.
Xi Shuang felt that Xi Zhoumeng sometimes had even more confidence in Wen Xinghuo than Chi Yueshan did.
This was too much.
Although the mecha was called the War God, everyone knew the pressure of taking it would be immense. They said it was opened every twenty years, but the last user of the War God Mecha had been dead for nearly five hundred years.
Xi Shuang thought to herself: These two Omegas are both a little delusional.
If I were Wen Xinghuo, I'd be going crazy. The expectations are on par with what a doting mother would have.
Xi Zhoumeng: What else?
Xi Shuang's screen immediately displayed a new message from Xi Zhoumeng—
【If she can't get the War God Mecha, then Wen Xinghuo is truly useless.】
The words were merciless, making Xi Shuang's whole body tremble. She hurriedly looked at Wen Xinghuo, who was sitting across the plastic table from her, drinking soju to get drunk.
The dark-skinned Alpha with S+ spiritual power propped her face in her hands, completely listless, looking for all the world like she'd just had her heart broken.
Xi Shuang: "Sis, it's not like the little princess broke up with you. It's almost the festival, and it's vacation time. It's hard for her to get out."
Yesterday was different, of course, since she came straight from school.
Xi Shuang didn't know what had happened to Wen Xinghuo, but she looked like her wife had just died.
Wen Xinghuo squinted. As soon as she looked up, she saw Xi Shuang's screen, which wasn't set to private.
Xi Zhoumeng's last sentence on it was glaringly conspicuous.
Xi Shuang: "Hey, hey, hey, don't chug it all at once! My god, sis, is it that serious? You know what a sharp tongue Xi Zhoumeng has, don't you?"
She reached out and patted Wen Xinghuo's shoulder. "It's fine. As long as the little princess doesn't become the queen, you two can have a beautiful wedding."
She was really rubbing salt in the wound.
Wen Xinghuo thought of the question she had asked Sheng Yangkui: Is it true?
The other's reply was like a drop of water on the lake of her heart—
Mm-hm.
Wen Xinghuo felt even more miserable. She sat on a low plastic stool as hover-motorcycles sped past.
The night wind lifted Wen Xinghuo's hairband, and she suddenly remembered Xi Zhoumeng's words.
You killed her.
A beautiful wedding? So difficult.
Xi Shuang felt like she might be dreaming.
How could Wen Xinghuo possibly be crying?
Fuck! Wen Xinghuo is crying!
Xi Shuang: "N-no… what's wrong with you? …The uncle at the next table whose Omega wife died is still smiling."
Wen Xinghuo: "Shut up."
What am I supposed to say to that? Not only did my wife die, but I was the one who cut off her head?
And if that wasn't enough, in my past life, my wife was the main culprit who killed my friends.
How can things be so convoluted? One after another, they're either reborn or know the future. Can't the superpowers be distributed a little more evenly?
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