Chapter 17: Meeting Lan Ying

The food district was the busiest place on Capital Star, receiving countless tourists every day. The shops inside were constantly coming and going, with fierce competition.

The place Shi Chan and Lan Ying had agreed to meet was a newly opened restaurant. It was said that the ingredients used here could only be found in a remote star system under special conditions and were only consumed during major local festivals. Of course, after being discovered by merchants from other star systems, the ingredients were now available in the food district of Capital Star. The restaurant had already hosted many curious customers, including some omegas, like Shi Chan and Lan Ying, who were recommended by friends.

Shi Chan arrived at the food district on a flying ship from the Xi family. He stopped at the nearest spaceport, gave the command for the ship to return, and then headed to the place where he and Lan Ying had agreed to meet.

When Shi Chan arrived, Lan Ying was just getting there too. Upon seeing Shi Chan, Lan Ying immediately trotted over, his face looking bright and cute. He circled Shi Chan once, and upon seeing that there were no visible (Xi Ming’s) injuries on Shi Chan, he sighed in relief. Then, he flashed a brilliant smile, gave Shi Chan a big hug, and pretended to complain, “Shi Chan! Why do you look even better? I can’t even stand next to you anymore.”

“Where?” Shi Chan smiled back, “Let’s go, let’s take a look around first.”

“There!” Lan Ying exaggerated his expression, looked around, and whispered to Shi Chan, “Look at them over there, they’re all sneaking peeks at you. I bet an alpha will come over soon to ask for your contact information.”

Shi Chan glanced around, and as Lan Ying had said, many people around had slowed down and were glancing toward him.

Shi Chan didn’t appear in public often because of his looks, and every time he did, it caused some disturbance. Getting secretly photographed or approached was common. Luckily, the star network strictly protected personal privacy, especially that of omegas—without the person’s consent, any photos taken secretly would be automatically destroyed when connected to the network, which was why Shi Chan’s pictures never spread online.

Over time, Shi Chan became even less inclined to appear in public places. After all, the empire had specific entertainment venues exclusively for omegas, with strict restrictions that ensured their privacy. He and his omega friends often met at such places instead.

“Let’s hurry.” Being a rare omega, Lan Ying had experienced this situation more than once. He skillfully pulled Shi Chan to walk faster to avoid the onlookers.

In crowded places, the level of attention tended to decrease because everyone was focused on the road or the shops on the side, so people paid much less attention to the pedestrians. Even if someone occasionally noticed someone good-looking, they would soon be swept away by the crowd.

“Shi Chan, is he good to you?” The two of them squeezed into a corner, holding their snacks, chatting while eating.

“I think he’s really good.” Shi Chan answered seriously and then told Lan Ying about the time when Xi Ming suppressed his spiritual power to protect him when they first met. “I think what’s being said about him on the star network is slander. He’s not the kind of person who would put soldiers and border residents in danger for selfish reasons.”

“Sigh… I don’t know either. The star network keeps saying that, and whenever someone tries to refute or question it, they get attacked. There were people who initially believed in Xi Ming and didn’t believe this claim, but they were all too scared to speak out because they were attacked,” Lan Ying said, sounding a bit dejected. “When I found out about your situation a few days ago, I went online to check information about him, and the insults against him haven’t stopped.”

Although no one was paying attention outside, the two of them still made sure to avoid mentioning Xi Ming’s name.

Shi Chan furrowed his brows. “I saw it too.” However, he couldn’t change the situation for now. Even though he suspected there was more to Xi Ming’s situation, he needed solid evidence before he could take any action.

“If what you’re saying is true, and there’s some hidden truth behind it, then everything he’s suffered these past years, the injustice…” Lan Ying said, unconsciously clenching his fingers.

Xi Ming was the youngest major general who had been guarding the borders, driving out insectoids, deterring space pirates, and fighting against the Federation. He had led the empire to countless victories and even expanded the empire’s territory. He was just one step away from becoming the youngest general in the empire.

Shi Chan lowered his gaze, feeling angry at the thought. Xi Ming was a hero of the empire, a guardian of the empire, but the empire…

“Shi Chan…” Lan Ying tugged at Shi Chan, his eyes filled with concern, whispering, “Are you okay?”

Shi Chan shook his head, bit his lip, controlled himself, and forced a smile. “I’m fine. Let’s go to the restaurant you mentioned. It’s almost noon.”

“Okay, I’ve made a reservation. We can go straight there,” Lan Ying said, purposely flashing a smile at Shi Chan. “Don’t worry, you said you’re thinking of ways to treat his body, right? Just focus on that for now. Don’t pay too much attention to the star network.”

Lan Ying knew how difficult it was to cure cosmic radiation, but his tone made it sound like Shi Chan would quickly find a way to treat it. “I’m fine at home, and I’ll help you think of a solution and look for information. Maybe we can find a way.”

Shi Chan smiled. “Thank you, Lan Ying.”

“No need to thank me, we’re the best of friends,” Lan Ying sighed dramatically. “I still want to grow old with you. We’ll retire on a beautiful leisure planet and be neighbors.”

“You want to grow old with me? Shouldn’t it be with your alpha?” Shi Chan teased with a smile.

Lan Ying hummed a little, his eyes curving in a smile. “No one can be left behind! You’ll have to stay with me in the future!”

Shi Chan, with his good-natured temperament, smiled and agreed to the promise of growing old together, under Lan Ying’s playful questioning.

…

Lan Ying had reserved a private room in the new restaurant. Once the door was closed, it was completely isolated from outside scrutiny. After they entered, the dishes they had ordered quickly arrived.

The food looked a little strange, but it tasted quite good. Since they were having a meal with friends, there was no need to worry about dining etiquette. By the end of the meal, both Shi Chan and Lan Ying were full, lounging lazily on the couch, sipping their drinks half-heartedly.

“Shi Chan, I haven’t seen you in the virtual star domain these past few days,” Lan Ying looked at Shi Chan with puppy eyes. “No one’s been playing with me.”

Unlike personal terminals, the virtual star domain allowed for “alts,” and Shi Chan had two accounts there—one for his real-life friends, and the other for party theme designs, where no one knew his true identity.

Shi Chan had used his second account to search for information about cosmic radiation, so even though he had been online all day yesterday, Lan Ying hadn’t seen him in the virtual domain.

“I’ve been a little busy these days, but I’ll be online more soon,” Shi Chan smiled in response.

“Okay,” Lan Ying dragged out his words, then suddenly moved from across from Shi Chan to beside him, hugging Shi Chan’s arm and pouting, “Shi Chan, you’re so good. Luckily, he’s good to you too, or I’d really want you to change your alpha. I think my Shi Chan deserves the best alpha.”

The Lan family, while not a top family on Capital Star, was quite powerful among the second-tier families. Lan Ying was the youngest son, with two older brothers. As the only omega in the family, he had always been spoiled. He had been educated in the best schools and had omega classmates from high-ranking families on Capital Star.

However, those from high-ranking families, regardless of their outward temperament, were all authoritarian and expected others to revolve around them. Lan Ying naturally wasn’t used to this. But Shi Chan was completely different from other omegas—gentle in nature and good-looking, even omegas liked to gather around him.

Though Lan Ying had initially befriended Shi Chan with the idea of having an omega companion, over time he forgot about this and became very considerate of Shi Chan, treating him with more warmth and closeness than his other friends of equal status. He liked to stick close to Shi Chan whenever he could.

Shi Chan, on the other hand, had never treated Lan Ying any differently because of their family backgrounds. He always treated him with respect, neither too humble nor too arrogant, even after graduating. He remained Lan Ying’s friend, and their bond never broke. Even after Shi Chan married into the higher-status Xi family, his attitude toward Lan Ying hadn’t changed.

Lan Ying felt that Shi Chan’s acceptance of him was much more sincere than the intentions of many alphas, who were only kind to omegas because they wanted something. But Shi Chan, by nature, was gentle and accepting from the heart. If his two older brothers hadn’t already had their own omegas, Lan Ying would have wanted to take Shi Chan home with him.

Thinking about it, Lan Ying hugged Shi Chan even tighter. “Such a gentle Shi Chan will belong to someone else in the future, I’m so sad.”

Shi Chan was knocked back into the couch by Lan Ying’s hug. He raised his wrist terminal and joked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take a picture of you like this and send it to your alpha?”

“He’s too petty. What’s wrong with me hugging you? It’s because we’re good friends!” Lan Ying muttered defiantly, though he sat up, half-playfully complaining, “Alphas are so annoying, they want to control everything.”

Lan Ying once had his fiancé find out about a hug he shared with Shi Chan, and his fiancé had made him promise never to be too close to others, not even omegas. Though Lan Ying complained about his alpha’s “domineering ways,” he secretly enjoyed the attention.

After complaining about his alpha, Lan Ying asked Shi Chan about his relationship with Xi Ming, worried that his good friend might be in a relationship that would hinder his future.

Shi Chan naturally only mentioned the good things about Xi Ming, though technically, they hadn’t been together long. Their interactions mostly consisted of meals and spiritual power comfort. He didn’t reveal much about Xi Ming’s health, so he only mentioned how Xi Ming had initially suppressed his spiritual power to protect him.

“True, you only went to his house a few days ago. Time reveals a person’s heart, but it’s too soon to observe anything now,” Lan Ying understood. “Shi Chan, after you go back, observe him carefully and see if he’s sincere. Don’t forget what I said: don’t let him permanently mark you too soon.”

In Lan Ying’s eyes, if Xi Ming truly had feelings for Shi Chan, he should be the one to take the initiative and express that he wouldn’t permanently mark Shi Chan. If he did, and then left, it would ruin Shi Chan’s life.

Shi Chan could feel Lan Ying’s concern for him and smiled, giving him a hug. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay attention. I still want to retire with you on another planet.”

After assuring Lan Ying, they continued their shopping. Shi Chan bought a few more clothes and had them delivered to his home. Shortly afterward, they returned home.

Shi Chan, after being temporarily marked, did not reject the physiological feelings brought about by the mark. However, in private moments, he took the time to study the nature of marking. He discovered that it was somewhat like a low-grade contract. After marking, both parties would develop feelings of cherishing and affection for each other. These feelings, however, were not intense and could be controlled by willpower or even forcibly dissipated. For people with strong self-discipline, the influence of such feelings was minimal.

Moreover, Shi Chan was capable of removing the temporary mark on his body. Currently, it would take him about a week to completely erase the temporary mark. He speculated that a permanent mark would be similar, though perhaps more stubborn. Even so, Shi Chan believed he would find a way to remove it as well. This realization made him far less concerned about the implications of being marked.

As for allowing Xi Ming to mark him… it no longer weighed on his mind.