Chapter 63

He gave an interview at the scene, but when the crowd grew larger, he decided to leave.

Xia Ye pulled up his light-brain.

Before he could do anything, news related to the orc alchemist had already popped up on the screen.

As expected, the news had exploded.

Seeing this, Chu Ning also pulled up her own light-brain.

Sure enough, StarNet was flooded with reports.

Eye-catching headlines dominated the trending topics:

“Shocking! An orc is taking the alchemist exam?!”

“The first orc alchemist appears on Imperial Star—his status is extraordinary!”

“Alchemy is no longer exclusive to females—an orc has become an alchemist!”

Chu Ning clicked on one of the trending articles and found a mix of positive and negative comments, though the supportive ones outweighed the criticism.

Fortunately, it seemed like people were quite accepting of the news.

Just as she was about to discuss it with Xia Ye, his light-brain suddenly received a video call.

“It’s from Mother-Empress,” Xia Ye said before answering the call.

As the video connected, the image of Empress Xia Yan appeared on the screen. Beside her stood an exceptionally striking orc.

That orc bore a strong resemblance to Xia Ye, and with just one glance, Chu Ning immediately guessed his identity.

“Mother-Empress, Father-Consort.” Xia Ye greeted them and bowed.

Chu Ning, Qin Zheng, and Wen Lan followed suit.

“No need for formalities,” Xia Yan said warmly.

“Ye’er, is this your wife?” She turned her gaze to Chu Ning.

Xia Ye quickly pulled Chu Ning forward.

“Yes, Mother-Empress, Father-Consort. This is my wife and master of the household, Chu Ning.”

“Wife, these are my Mother-Empress and Father-Consort.”

Chu Ning bowed again. “It is an honor to meet Your Majesties.”

“Haha, no need for such formalities!”

“Ah, Cui Ning, we’ve heard so much about you from Ye’er but never had the chance to meet. Today, we finally do.”

“Indeed, just as Ye’er described—talented, beautiful, and elegant.”

“Your Majesty overpraises me,” Chu Ning said, feeling her face grow warm.

“I should have brought Xia Ye to the palace to visit you sooner, but I’ve been too busy to make the time. I must apologize to both Your Majesties.”

“Enough with the formal titles,” the Empress Consort, Bai Rui, suddenly interjected.

“Yes, yes, just listen to your Father-Consort,” Xia Yan agreed immediately, her gaze toward Bai Rui filled with affection.

Chu Ning thought to herself: The Empress and the Consort seem to have a very good relationship.

“Mother-Empress, Father-Consort,” Chu Ning changed her address accordingly.

Hearing this, Xia Yan and Bai Rui both looked pleased.

“You’re welcome at the palace anytime. We’ve heard from Ye’er that you’ve been busy lately, so we understand that you haven’t had time to visit. A female focusing on her career is a good thing.”

“If you can’t come see us, then we’ll come see you. As it happens, we’re free today, so we’ll be visiting you shortly.”

Xia Ye’s expression changed slightly.

“Mother-Empress, Father-Consort—”

“The guards have already made arrangements. We’re setting off now. We’ll join you for dinner,” Xia Yan said firmly.

Chu Ning’s expression stiffened, and she quickly glanced at Qin Zheng.

“I’ll have Uncle Zhong prepare extra dishes,” Qin Zheng said.

“Then… Mother-Empress, Father-Consort, we’ll see you soon,” Chu Ning said.

“Mm.” Xia Yan nodded in satisfaction and ended the call.

As soon as the video call ended, Xia Ye furrowed his brows.

“They must be coming because of me passing the alchemist exam. Wife, let me handle Mother-Empress when she arrives.”

Before he had left the palace, his Mother-Empress had ordered the guards to report his daily activities to her.

Later, he had put a stop to it and made sure the guards didn’t follow him too closely.

His Mother-Empress and Father-Consort had been wanting to visit him for a while now, but after hearing that he had passed the alchemist exam, they could no longer sit still.

“Mm.” Chu Ning acknowledged.

“Sect Master, Marshal, Your Highness, I shall take my leave,” Wen Lan said, stepping forward.

She was only interested in alchemy. Even though the Empress and the Consort were coming, she had no particular desire to meet them.

Besides, the Sect Master probably didn’t want the secrets of the Alchemy Sect to be exposed to the Empress, so it was better for her to step aside.

Chu Ning looked at Xia Ye.

“You may go,” Xia Ye said. “Oh, right—tomorrow, you can report directly to the Alchemy Sect headquarters. I’ll send you your position and appointment details later.”

“Understood.” Wen Lan nodded and left.

“I’ll arrange for dinner and the reception,” Qin Zheng added before leaving as well.

Now, only Chu Ning and Xia Ye remained in the alchemy room.

“Wife, don’t be nervous. Just let me do most of the talking. If needed, follow my lead,” Xia Ye said, pushing his wheelchair forward and taking Chu Ning’s hand.

Chu Ning looked at Xia Ye. Seeing the concern in his beastly eyes, she smiled.

“Alright.”

—

Five minutes later, Chu Ning, Qin Zheng, and Xia Ye stood at the entrance of the Marshal’s residence, waiting to welcome Xia Yan and Bai Rui.

Xia Yan was even more amiable than Chu Ning had expected. As soon as she got out of the vehicle, she took Chu Ning’s hand and walked with her toward the villa.

During their walk inside, Chu Ning mostly listened while Xia Yan did most of the talking.

She felt that this mother-in-law of hers was quite similar to Madam Gu—both were kind to her.

At the dinner table, Xia Yan and Bai Rui finally began asking about Xia Ye and Qin Zheng’s well-being.

Upon learning that both of them were doing well, the two elders visibly relaxed.

“Cui Ning, your company has been making quite a name for itself lately. Even in the palace, I’ve been hearing about the Alchemy Sect,” Xia Yan suddenly remarked.

Just as Chu Ning was about to respond, Xia Ye cut in.

“They just hired a popular streamer to help with some marketing. Mother-Empress, you’re busy with state affairs—why pay attention to such things?”

Xia Yan shot Xia Ye a glance before looking back at Chu Ning.

“It wasn’t me who took notice—it was my finance minister who brought it up.”

“He said your Alchemy Sect’s flagship store makes billions in daily sales, and the shop’s online traffic has ranked among the top on StarNet.”

“For a new store and a new company to achieve such results, Minister Wang called it nothing short of a miracle.” Xia Yan’s eyes gleamed with admiration.

Then, she turned her attention to Qin Zheng.

“And you, Zheng’er—I hear the military has also been making quite a profit lately.”

“I heard that Zheng Yuan has been selling large quantities of Jade Dew Pills every day, making a considerable profit.”

Qin Zheng’s expression remained neutral.

“I’m currently on leave and not involved in military affairs. I’m not aware of the specifics.”

Xia Ye almost choked.

This brat!

Suppressing a laugh, he quickly continued.

“Mother-Empress, wasn’t Minister Wang busy with tax investigations? Shouldn’t he be focusing on tracking down tax evaders and recovering losses for the national treasury? Why is he so concerned about the Alchemy Sect?”

Xia Yan’s expression darkened slightly.

These two brats—both deliberately cutting me off!

“Tax evasion is still being investigated, but the federal finances have been tight in recent years. Minister Wang is considering reforming some royal alchemy shops, which is why he’s paying close attention to the alchemy industry.”

“By the way, Cui Ning, I heard that your Jade Dew Pills—”

“Mother-Empress, I was just about to bring that up,” Xia Ye interrupted again.

“The Alchemy Sect is currently struggling to keep up with demand. Mother-Empress, could you assign some of the royal high-grade alchemists to help us?”