Chapter 13: The Kitten’s Grievance

After Li You said that, he turned his face away. His nose tingled instantly, and his eyes burned uncontrollably.

His hands hanging at his sides clenched tight, fingers digging almost into his palms. The sensations from the Illusion Realm felt so real, and the pain couldn’t stop his current sadness.

He pressed his lips straight, turned his head down and away from Li Ye. After a moment, he lifted his head, blinked his reddened eyes, and his voice turned hoarse: “Anyway, I think you don’t need to keep remembering him.”

Li You rubbed his eyes, glanced back but didn’t dare look at Li Ye, and said softly: “You already know it’s an Illusion Realm. We have nothing more to say. Let’s go our separate ways. Goodbye.”

He turned his head after saying that, stared down at the floor cracks with his head lowered, and trudged straight ahead without looking up.

Li You’s eyes misted over. Just as he was about to crash into the massive twelve-layer cake taller than himself, he halted his steps and stared blankly at his own shoe tips. He looked up at the extravagant cake, then turned his head in bewilderment toward Li Ye, who had followed and now stood beside him.

“…” Li You stared into his brother’s eyes, sniffed, and his eyes ached and swelled. “Why did you follow me…”

Li You’s eyes could barely hold back the swirling tears. He lowered his head and furtively wiped at his eyes with his hand, feeling both stifled and aggrieved, with a hint of anger too.

He wasn’t that magnanimous, nor was he the type to let go easily. He could say the words telling Li Ye to forget him only because he hoped his brother wouldn’t stay trapped in the past.

In truth, he couldn’t truly wish for everyone to forget him, especially Li Ye.

“Get away. I don’t want to see your face right now.” Li You kept his head down, refusing to lift it. His voice sounded like it had soaked in water too long; a few more words and everyone would realize he was already crying.

From start to finish, Li Ye quietly watched this person with the same face as Li You. The furrow between his brows hadn’t eased since earlier.

This feeling was too strange.

This person’s personality, tone of speech, even the little expressions that slipped out now and then—all matched the Li You in his memories almost perfectly.

The “Li You” in the Sunlight Palace last time had a very clumsy disguise, obvious at a glance as fake. This one felt real, so real that Li Ye almost believed for a few seconds in his daze that this was Li You.

Li Ye just stood there without leaving or speaking. Li You already hated having anyone around when he cried. He held back and held back, covered his eyes with his arm, rubbed hard, then dropped his arm, lifted his head, and glared furiously at Li Ye, his eyes bright red.

“I’m fake! A monster impersonating Li You! Why are you following me?” Li You’s voice trembled as he spoke. “What? You want to deal with me? This is the Illusion Realm—dealing with me here is useless. If you’ve got the guts, go find him in reality!”

Li Ye’s gaze shifted slightly: “Him?”

Li You froze abruptly, pressed his lips tight, and turned his head away: “…I mean, find my real body.”

Li Ye fell silent. He watched as “Li You” slowly backed away, then suddenly caught a flash of pain on the other’s face. He frowned involuntarily and looked down at the leg ring that “Li You” was clutching as he bent over.

The black leather leg ring bound tightly around the thigh, chafing red marks into the fair skin—marks so deep they couldn’t be fully hidden by the ring.

Suddenly, Li You felt the leg ring tighten even more. He hooked his fingers under it but couldn’t find the clasp to undo it, so he gently rotated the ring to ease the tension.

He glanced at Li Ye but said nothing, continuing to fiddle with the leg ring head down.

Li You didn’t want to talk to Li Ye. He looked around and dragged his increasingly uncomfortable leg toward a nearby chair.

Li Ye turned his head and quietly watched “Li You” hobble away, a wave of discomfort surging in his heart.

Finally reaching the chair, Li You sat down and examined the intricately made leg ring on his thigh. He rubbed his fingers over it for a while but still couldn’t find the clasp.

The sensations in this Illusion Realm were too realistic; the leg ring had chafed his thigh red, and the pain spread from there.

After tinkering for a bit and failing to undo it, Li You simply gave up. He let his hands drop and leaned back in the chair, sitting quietly as his reddened eyes stared resentfully at the leg ring.

Moments later, a pair of familiar military boots appeared in his view. Li You blinked in surprise and looked up to see Li Ye approaching. He slowly knelt on one knee in front of him.

Li Ye said nothing and quietly undid the leg ring for him, his movements very gentle—so light they caused almost no extra pain.

Li You’s tense breathing gradually relaxed. He pressed his hands on the chair arms at his sides, stared down at Li Ye’s fingers, and slowly moved his gaze upward to his brother’s lowered eyes, lingering there without shifting away.

Li You loved looking at his brother’s eyes because they were beautiful. Li You also loved his brother; though he didn’t talk much, he was gentle to the bone.

He hoped his brother would be well, so even if given another chance, he would make the same choice. Even now, he still hoped his brother would be well and move forward instead of lingering in the past.

But he couldn’t help his selfish side; he didn’t actually want his brother to forget him.

Li You pressed his lips straighter. His gaze dropped, staring unblinking at Li Ye’s hands gently undoing the leg ring. The taut string in his heart felt like it would snap any second. On the edge of mental collapse, he finally couldn’t hold back.

“Bro…”

Li You’s throat tightened, his voice strained.

“Brother.”

“Stupid Li Ye.”

The hands undoing the leg ring paused, fingers gripping the leather ends frozen in place. Li Ye looked up and saw tears already welling in “Li You’s” eyes.

“Don’t forget me…”

Li You cried. He covered his eyes with both hands, lips and teeth trembling nonstop: “You can’t forget Li You…”

Li Ye watched this “Li You” with heartache, and in a daze, it felt like returning to that afternoon years ago. He saw again the Li You who had fallen in the garden, sitting on the ground crying heartbreakingly. Li Ye raised his hand slowly toward Li You’s face to wipe away the tears. But just as his fingertips touched, the Illusion Realm collapsed abruptly.

The Li You in front of him vanished, and darkness enveloped everything. He stood up. The little snake emerging from his sleeve quickly dispelled the eerie black, and calm returned.

Li Ye woke up. He opened his eyes and sat up, leaning against the headboard. He turned his head to gaze at the sky outside the glass window and only withdrew his gaze after a long while, lowering his head to stare at the hand that had touched the tears in the Illusion Realm.

At the same time, Li You jolted awake in the cat nest, tears still clinging to the corner of his eye. His heart raced when he woke; it took a good while to calm down.

Li You curled up dejectedly, then suddenly noticed a pair of round eyes staring at him in the darkness, along with warm breath brushing his ear.

Little Black was awake, quiet and not fussing. It gently licked Li You’s face, lapping away the tears at his eye corner.

“…” Li You’s heart felt empty. He let Little Black groom him. After a while, he nuzzled up proactively, rubbing his head against Little Black’s, then rested his head on Little Black’s body. His emotions slowly settled.

Li You fell asleep again and slept deeply through the latter half of the night without more dreams. The Little Monster stayed by his side, not sleeping all night.

–

Romantisa Prime—Royal City.

“Your Highness Li Ming! His Highness Li Ye really isn’t in the Imperial Palace! You—”

“Out of my way!” Li Ming, dressed in his military uniform, stood outside the tightly shut bedroom doors. He glared furiously at the officer blocking him. “Of course I know he’s not in the Imperial Palace! I’m just here to get Li You’s things!”

“Don’t think that just because he’s the empire’s sovereign now, I won’t dare cause him trouble! I’ve told him many times: he and Li You aren’t blood-related. I’m Li You’s big brother—those relics should be in my custody!”

With the southern interstellar pirates dealt with, General Li Ming had rushed back. It was a rare chance that Li Ye wasn’t in the Imperial Palace. Such a good opportunity—if he didn’t act now, who knew when he’d get another shot at Li Youyou’s relics.

“I’ll say it one more time: move if you don’t want to die!” Li Ming barked.

“Y-You…” The officer looked troubled but stood firm. Until a lazy voice from nearby broke the standoff.

“Ah, big brother, you’re back alive?”

The voice sounded flippant, laced with amusement.

“…” Li Ming turned his head and saw his younger brother and sister standing side by side, two people apart. Both wore white coats—one smiling, the other cold-faced. One was a doctor from the Central Laboratory, the other the dean of the Central Medical Academy.

“Li Ze, you still talk so unpleasantly.” Li Ming irritably tsked, arms crossed in front of him. He lifted his chin toward Li Ze and Li Weier, who had come together. “What? You two here to get stuff too?”

“What do you mean ‘too’?” Li Ze’s eyes narrowed into slits behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his smile smug. “My little brother and I used to be the closest. His things rightfully go to me—not ‘us’.”

“Closest to you?” Li Weier spoke coldly, glancing at him. “If we’re talking who was closest to Youyou, who could compare to Li Ye?”

“…” Li Ze’s smile froze instantly. He turned to her. “Are you here to get things or to defend that guy Li Ye?”

“He’s the sovereign. Mind your manners?” Li Weier tucked her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m here for Youyou’s things. It doesn’t conflict with Li Ye being close to Youyou.”

“You two.” Li Ming on the other side furrowed his brows tightly, his tone mocking. “When Youyou had his accident before, I didn’t see you so eager. Now you pretend to be good people?”

He sneered: “Hypocrites.”

Li Ze raised a brow: “Pot calling the kettle black.”

Li Weier stayed silent.

The three golden-haired highnesses, with somewhat similar faces, nearly started arguing in the corridor. Just their verbal sparring alone terrified the nearby attendants and officers into trembling. In the end, the three barged into the bedroom together only to find it completely empty—not even a sofa to sit on. Everything had been cleared out.

The Old Butler, who had hurried over, stepped forward with a bow and explained calmly: “Oh, sorry, my highnesses. I forgot to tell you. His Highness Li Ye’s personal items, as well as Your Highness Youyou’s things, have all been moved to the Sunlight Palace on Kara Planet. His Highness will probably live there long-term from now on.”

“Damn it, when did this happen?!” Li Ming exploded in rage. “Then how does he handle work?”

“Teleportation pods go anywhere in seconds. Are you stupid?” Li Ze tsked and turned to the Old Butler. “So he’s at the Sunlight Palace now?”

“Yes.” The Old Butler smiled. “His Highness Li Ye asked me to pass on the message: if you have business, go find him directly. No need to avoid him.”

Li Ming: “…”

Li Ze: “…”

Li Weier paused in silence, then looked at the other two: “So? Go or not?”

“Why not?” Li Ze irritably ruffled his hair. “I only have two days off. Yulian can’t handle everything alone by himself. I have to go back after that. If I don’t find that guy Li Ye now, no chance later.”

Li Weier turned to Li Ming: “You?”

“Go.” Li Ming had lost his earlier aggressive momentum. “The three of us afraid of just him?”

“Fine.” Li Weier pulled out her light brain. “I’ll book today’s teleport pod.”

The three rarely united, but they clashed over departure time.

“Why not buy directly on Kara Planet? Why waste time on the Prime Star?” Li Weier irritably eyed the two.

“No way. The Prime Star has the purest tulips.” Li Ze insisted on buying tulips first before leaving.

“Yuhu Bakery hasn’t closed yet this hour. That little brat Youyou loved their cakes the most. I’ll check it out.” Li Ming turned and walked off after speaking.

“…” Li Weier fell silent and pulled out her light brain to adjust the departure time.

Meanwhile, on Kara Planet, the first rays of morning sun arrived. Li You, nestled warmly in the cat nest, opened his eyes, then lazily closed them a second later. He yawned, ready to sleep more, but Little Black licked his face a few times.

“…” Li You opened his eyes and looked at Little Black.

“Meow~”

The first meow of morning, still with that clipped tone.

He crawled out of the cat nest, stretched, and jumped onto the cat tree to gaze out the window at the distance.

Mm, another beautiful day.