Chapter 40: Marriage Alliance Part 1

Three days later, a classified message arrived from Capital Star. The Emperor urgently summoned him, and Wei Tingxia set off on his return journey immediately.

On the landing pad, the shuttle ship’s engines emitted a low hum, and the swirling airflow tugged at Wei Tingxia’s clothes. At the edge of the distant tarmac, Lin Wensi stood with his arms crossed, his gaze calmly fixed on them, like a dutiful shadow.

Wei Tingxia stood at the cabin door’s gangway and gave Yan Xinfeng one last look.

The wind swept across the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing those deep, bright black eyes. He reached out—not a formal farewell, but directly grasping Yan Xinfeng’s wrist, his fingertips applying slight pressure as he pulled him closer.

‘Let me ask one more time,’ Wei Tingxia’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly cut through the engine noise, carrying a barely perceptible tension. ‘Are you really not coming with me?’

Yan Xinfeng let him hold on, a habitual roguish smile playing at the corners of his mouth, though it didn’t fully reach his eyes. He gently patted the back of Wei Tingxia’s hand in return, the gesture soothing.

‘Not right now.’ Yan Xinfeng shook his head, his tone light but firm. ‘I still have some things to handle.’

His gaze drifted vaguely toward Lin Wensi in the distance. ‘There’s new intel on the Blue Nail Ship. I need to head back to base and take people out to verify it.’

Wei Tingxia’s brows furrowed slightly. ‘Then be careful. Don’t blow yourself up too.’

‘A fine-looking guy, but that mouth of his couldn’t utter a single nice word.’

Yan Xinfeng nodded calmly, taking it all as a blessing. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t die.’

Wei Tingxia clearly wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer and wanted to say more, but Yan Xinfeng’s eyes shifted as he leaned in closer, almost whispering directly into Wei Tingxia’s ear. ‘Don’t be scared out there on your own. I’ll come find you.’

Wei Tingxia’s first instinct was to retort that he wasn’t scared at all. His second was to kick Yan Xinfeng, because the gesture was too exaggerated. His third was finally to kiss him.

But Lin Wensi was watching from nearby, and any of those reactions would drag them into AA pairing trouble, so Wei Tingxia merely shot him a glance and withdrew his hand.

‘I’m off.’

The cabin door slowly closed, sealing off the inside from the outside. Through the narrow porthole, Wei Tingxia saw Yan Xinfeng still standing in place, though the smile on his lips had faded somewhat, his gaze darkly following the ship until the porthole completely blocked the view.

This was the second time Yan Xinfeng had watched him leave—far better than the last time, when he had been covered in blood.

In the distance, Lin Wensi seemed to sense the stagnant atmosphere between them and shifted slightly, but in the end, he merely remained silently in place, like a sculpture blending into the background.

The shuttle ship lifted off, turning into a streak of light piercing toward Capital Star.

On the launch pad, the clamor gradually died down, leaving only the dust stirred by the fierce wind. Yan Xinfeng tilted his head back, watching the ship’s trajectory vanish, the smile finally fading completely from his face as deep, inscrutable thoughts churned in his eyes.

Lin Wensi had approached him at some point, also gazing at the horizon, his voice calm and even. ‘He’s gone.’

Yan Xinfeng didn’t shift his gaze, merely giving a faint ‘Mm.’ After a long pause, he said softly, ‘I’ll set off in three hours.’

In comparing the data files, they had successfully confirmed the accuracy of the coordinates Yan Xinfeng provided and made corresponding fine adjustments and revisions.

The Emperor had suddenly summoned Wei Tingxia back to Capital Star, which certainly meant some change had occurred. They needed to prepare early too—and starting from those coordinates would be a good beginning.

……

……

Inside the ship, Wei Tingxia skillfully injected the disguise agent, then leaned back in the pilot’s seat as he watched System 0188 pull up the data report.

System 0188 lacked tact, but that didn’t stop it from being the best assistant. After half a month alone with Yan Xinfeng, it had compiled every drop in the Collapse Index into visual data and performed a unified summary analysis.

[I believe solving this world’s issues comes partly from your emotional matters with Yan Xinfeng—about 60%.]

At those words, Wei Tingxia let out an exaggerated sigh.

[What?] System 0188 found it baffling. [I’m not blaming you.]

‘Even if you were blaming me, I wouldn’t feel guilty.’ Wei Tingxia said, ‘I don’t think I did anything wrong. He deserved it.’

Liking Yan Xinfeng was one thing; dealing with him was another. Wei Tingxia kept them separate.

[Fine, say whatever you want.]

System 0188 continued its report: [The remaining 40%, I’ve attributed to the Empire’s trajectory.]

Yan Xinfeng was the rebel leader, an identity that meant a great deal. His life didn’t belong solely to himself but also to the many who followed him. Just as Wei Tingxia had heard countless times—he had to be responsible for them.

Reminded once more that he couldn’t become Emperor, Wei Tingxia sighed loudly again.

[If the Empire can be smoothly replaced by the Alliance, or by any collective in his heart that aligns with the era’s development, then the world’s Collapse Index should stabilize successfully.]

System 0188 concluded.

This wasn’t actually difficult. The Empire was already teetering on the brink, like rotten wood hanging off a cliff—needing only a gentle push to crumble into dust.

The only current obstacle to that gentle push was those few great nobles of the Empire.

Wei Tingxia’s trip back to Capital Star was precisely to deal with them.

……

The shuttle ship landed, and after the cabin door opened, Wei Tingxia spotted a very familiar figure amid the crowd.

‘I didn’t expect you two to come pick me up.’

He jumped out of the shuttle ship and watched Wei Heng and the Emperor’s assistant minister approach.

A brotherly, mild smile hung on Wei Heng’s face, though it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘You’re finally back. This time you were gone for quite a while.’

He reached out, seemingly to pat Wei Tingxia’s shoulder affectionately, but the gesture stiffened midway.

‘It hasn’t even been three years yet—not that long.’ Wei Tingxia replied casually, cleverly sidestepping to avoid the hand that never landed.

The remark was somewhat like a joke, but Wei Heng harbored secrets in his heart and heard barbs even in casual words. His expression darkened imperceptibly for an instant before he forced it back to normal.

The assistant minister, on the other hand, beamed. ‘Second Highness, you must be exhausted from the journey. The research institute has received the Zerg samples and is hurrying their study. His Majesty is very pleased.’

Though it hadn’t sparked the expected conflict between Wei Tingxia and Lin Wensi to seize border military power, in the over a month Wei Tingxia spent in the military district, plenty of news had come in—Lin Wensi often raged at his adjutant, hearts were unsettled, and the Border Military District was no longer an ironclad fortress.

The Old Emperor was reasonably satisfied with this outcome. He now had other plans for Wei Tingxia.

‘His Majesty hopes to see you after tomorrow’s court assembly,’ the assistant minister said with a genial smile and deferential posture. ‘Your Highness, you’ve had a long trip—please return to your residence first to rest. Your estate has been fully refurbished, and suitable attendants have been arranged for you.’

Wei Tingxia asked, ‘Why does Father Emperor want to see me?’

Before the assistant minister could respond smoothly, Wei Heng seemed to finally find an outlet, letting out a short, contemptuous snort.

‘Can you casually speculate on Father Emperor’s decree?’ He deliberately raised his voice, adopting the posture of an elder brother admonishing a younger one, though his eyes betrayed irrepressible jealousy. ‘Just wait patiently until tomorrow—everything will become clear. What’s the rush?’

A faint arc tugged at Wei Tingxia’s lips as he clearly saw the jealousy and anger flickering in Wei Heng’s eyes.

His voice cut clearly through the somewhat stagnant air on the landing pad. ‘Oh? From what Big Brother says, it sounds like you already know?’

Wei Heng choked on the direct retort, a flash of panic crossing his face. ‘What nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly know Father Emperor’s intentions!’

His frantic denial only made him seem more exasperated, further confirming Wei Tingxia’s guess.

Sensing the tension, the assistant minister stepped forward at once, deftly positioning himself between the two princes again. He bowed deeply to Wei Tingxia, his tone even more humble and respectful. ‘Eldest Highness is just flustered from concern. His Majesty hasn’t said why he’s summoning you— we’ll all know tomorrow.’

With that, he slightly turned and gestured toward the black hovercar bearing the imperial emblem by the landing pad. ‘The car is ready, Your Highness. Please.’

Wei Tingxia’s gaze lingered for a moment on Wei Heng’s face—feigning composure yet unable to hide his discomfiture—then swept over the assistant minister’s ever-perfect professional smile.

He said nothing more, merely giving an almost imperceptible light snort, as if brushing away a speck of dust. He ignored them both and strode directly toward the vehicle symbolizing status and power.

The royal guards silently stood at attention and saluted. The car door slid open soundlessly.

Wei Heng stood in place, watching Wei Tingxia’s upright back vanish behind the tinted window. His face appeared somewhat gloomy and uncertain under the starlight.

The assistant minister maintained his bow until the hovercar smoothly departed the landing pad and merged into Capital Star’s bustling aerial lanes, then slowly straightened.

‘Eldest Highness, you were too hasty.’ He said. ‘His Majesty won’t be pleased with your performance today.’

Wei Heng’s gaze darkened. ‘You don’t have to say that.’

‘Your Highness jests.’

Wei Heng didn’t think he was joking, but the assistant minister walked off without waiting for more, leaving Wei Heng alone on the spot, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

……

The house was the same one, but the interior had changed dramatically.

Wei Tingxia wouldn’t admit that when he entered and saw an Omega kneeling at the door to greet him, he nearly jumped right back out.

He demanded of System 0188, ‘Why didn’t you warn me!’

System 0188 had its own explanation: [This person poses no threat to you.]

‘……’

Wei Tingxia steadied his heartbeat and walked in as usual. The Omega’s soft gaze followed his steps.

‘Your Highness, you’re back.’

He lifted his young, delicate face, his eyes unable to hide his fear. He had probably just undergone Differentiation not long ago—a mere child. Because his rank was high enough and he was pretty enough, he had been selected to live in Wei Tingxia’s house.

By normal custom, this Omega would accompany Wei Tingxia for a long time, until he got pregnant and received a title or was discarded. His fate hung entirely on Wei Tingxia’s whim.

Thus, even if the Omega found the Highness before him quite amiable, he couldn’t suppress his inner tension.

‘Let me help you……’