The next morning, Ji Yuzhou took Jiang Xunyu to the military institution.

It was the first day of school, and the usually strict school was unusually lively. Students in groups of two or three, carrying new backpacks and bags, arrived at the military institution to report.

Jiang Xunyu was also dressed in new clothes and had new school supplies. Ji Yuzhou didn’t know what kind of style a boy of his age would like, so he left the shopping entirely to Xiao C, who made the purchases online.

Xiao C’s taste, well… was probably as outdated as its database, which hadn’t been updated in centuries. It still adhered to old-fashioned, flashy styles, with lots of reds and greens.

When Jiang Xunyu appeared in the clothes Xiao C had bought for him, Ji Yuzhou couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “You… like this style?”

Jiang Xunyu, who had always worn a tattered single garment, didn’t care much about clothes. Besides, since Ji Yuzhou paid for them, how could he dislike them?

He fell silent for a moment and nodded. “I like it.”

Ji Yuzhou was silent. That evening, he unexpectedly called his subordinate who was reporting to him. “Do kids these days, around seventeen or eighteen, really like such flashy things?”

The subordinate was startled, thinking it might be some kind of special test. After some careful thought, he cautiously replied, “Well, at that age, it’s quite normal for them to rebel and like these things. They’ll probably grow out of it in a few years.”

Ji Yuzhou thought about it and nodded. The boy was fine in most aspects, obedient, and his taste could be cultivated slowly, so there was no need to rush.

Ji Yuzhou dismissed his subordinate, then opened the holographic screen and picked out a few more flashy outfits for Jiang Xunyu as a back-to-school gift.

Fortunately, Jiang Xunyu had fair skin and an outstanding figure, and the clothes didn’t seem too out of place on him. When Ji Yuzhou took Jiang Xunyu to report, though some people glanced their way, most of the looks were not malicious.

Ji Yuzhou was used to ignoring the gazes of others, and led Jiang Xunyu directly into the main admissions office.

Most students were registering outside in the office, but the admissions office was quiet. When the head of the school saw Ji Yuzhou, he quickly removed his military cap and saluted. “General Ji!”

“Hello,” Ji Yuzhou nodded in return, handing the document Jiang Xunyu had signed to the officer. “I have a child who wishes to enroll.”

The head of the school took the document that Ji Yuzhou handed over. On the last page of the document, in the guardian section, the powerful characters “Ji Yuzhou” stood out particularly.

He tentatively asked, “This child is…?”

Ji Yuzhou slightly furrowed his brows, momentarily caught off guard. He didn’t quite know how to describe their relationship. Legally, he was indeed Jiang Xunyu’s guardian, but calling him a father seemed somewhat odd… Ji Yuzhou thought for a moment, then recalled Jiang Xunyu’s experiences at the welfare center. He lowered his gaze and spoke calmly, “He is the child I adopted.”

With the title of the corp’s commander backing him, no one should dare to bully Jiang Xunyu easily. As for any potential rumors… Ji Yuzhou wasn’t worried about them.

Although Jiang Xunyu was reserved and awkward, his life at the orphanage had taught him how to read people’s expressions. He could understand the deeper meaning behind Ji Yuzhou’s words. His hand, hanging at his side, subtly clenched, and his lips pressed into a tight line.

As Ji Yuzhou finished speaking, the head of the school indeed looked at Jiang Xunyu with more scrutiny. He discreetly sized him up from head to toe. Ji Yuzhou timely added, “I am his guardian. If anything happens at the school, you can contact me anytime.”

Such a clear statement solidified Jiang Xunyu’s unusual status. At the very least, Ji Yuzhou valued him greatly.

“Understood,” the head of the school returned his gaze and respectfully stood up, walking to the two of them. “Please follow me for a photo.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xunyu suddenly felt a little nervous.

Because of his eyes, he had never taken a photo since he could remember, and Ji Yuzhou hadn’t told him about the photo beforehand. Nervous, Jiang Xunyu reached out to tug at Ji Yuzhou’s clothes, but Ji Yuzhou had already stepped forward. With the distance between them increasing, Jiang Xunyu could only lower his head and follow.

The three of them entered the nearby photo room. Unlike the quietness outside, the photo room was crowded with a long line of students, all new arrivals for registration.

Ji Yuzhou slightly furrowed his brows but didn’t speak. He just observed Jiang Xunyu’s reaction closely. Though there were many people in line, the photo-taking process was quite fast. The line moved swiftly, and at first, Jiang Xunyu managed to stay calm. But by the time the line had moved halfway, his face had gradually turned pale.

Ji Yuzhou lowered his head and, in a soft voice, asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No,” Jiang Xunyu shook his head, turning his head to deliberately avoid Ji Yuzhou’s gaze. After a while, his body began to tremble involuntarily.

Ji Yuzhou, standing beside him, lowered his gaze.

He had indeed been pressuring Jiang Xunyu. After years of struggling, the pirate leader no longer cared about others’ stares. Instead, he took pride in his yellow eyes as a unique trait. For the boy to gain the pirate leader’s recognition, he first needed to overcome this psychological barrier.

But now, Ji Yuzhou suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.

After a little while, Jiang Xunyu trembled even more. Ji Yuzhou turned to the head of the school and said, “Please wait here,” then took Jiang Xunyu out of the photo room, walking straight ahead until they reached an empty grassy area. Ji Yuzhou finally stopped.

Jiang Xunyu’s breathing was noticeably steadier than before. His hands were behind his back, unconsciously clenched, the joints moving slightly, producing faint “cracking” sounds.

But at this moment, he didn’t feel any pain. His mind was entirely consumed with self-loathing.

It was the first time he had despised his body’s uncontrollable reactions, hated the recurring memories of the orphanage… He had promised Ji Yuzhou that he would try to overcome his inner obstacles, but that barrier always followed him, leaving him feeling deeply powerless.

Jiang Xunyu’s voice was hoarse: “Mr. Ji, I’m sorry, I…”

“Do you feel better now?”

Before Jiang Xunyu could finish, Ji Yuzhou interrupted him.

His tone was gentle, with no hint of reproach: “I told you, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Just this one sentence, and all the emotions that Jiang Xunyu had been holding in for so long suddenly found an outlet. Tears rushed to his eyes. Large teardrops fell, and he wiped them away fiercely, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying too uncontrollably.

Jiang Xunyu cried silently, and Ji Yuzhou stood beside him, allowing him to vent, until the boy’s thin shoulders finally began to relax. Ji Yuzhou slowly spoke, “You can wear a hat for now, until you feel ready to take it off.”

Although Ji Yuzhou was unwilling to admit it to himself, he had once again changed his principles for Jiang Xunyu.

He chuckled lightly and added, “I hope this day doesn’t make me wait too long.”

….

When the two of them returned to the photo room, the line had just reached Jiang Xunyu’s turn. Ji Yuzhou walked over to the head of the school, his face showing a hint of apology: “Sorry, the child is a bit shy. I’ll take the photo at home and send it in a few days. Is that okay?”

The photo was only for the student ID, nothing major, and the head of the school quickly nodded: “No problem, no problem. Thank you for your trouble.”

His gaze briefly shifted to Jiang Xunyu behind Ji Yuzhou, and he asked cautiously, “So, now… should I take you to the class?”

Jiang Xunyu instinctively glanced at Ji Yuzhou, who nodded: “Go ahead, contact me if anything comes up.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Xunyu silently followed the head of the school, but halfway there, he suddenly turned back.

He returned to Ji Yuzhou’s side and softly said, “Goodbye, Mr. Ji.”

Only then did he catch up with the head of the school.

Watching their figures fade away, Ji Yuzhou wore a smile on his face that even he didn’t notice.

….

Jiang Xunyu followed the head of the school walking this way and that, until they finally arrived at a classroom.

Inside, several students were sitting in groups. The head of the school called a young woman standing at the podium and whispered something to her before turning to Jiang Xunyu, introducing, “This is your homeroom teacher. You can call her Teacher Ran.”

“Hello, Teacher Ran.” Jiang Xunyu tried to be as respectful and polite as he could, not wanting to embarrass Ji Yuzhou.

Teacher Ran smiled and patted Jiang Xunyu’s shoulder. “Alright, go on in.”

The unexpected physical contact made Jiang Xunyu uncomfortable. His body stiffened for a moment, and he suppressed the urge to pull away, lowering his head as he walked into the classroom.

The students in the classroom were sitting in pairs or small groups, chatting with each other. Jiang Xunyu immediately found a corner and sat down. A classmate sitting in front of him noticed the noise and turned around to greet him, but when he saw Jiang Xunyu’s unusual outfit, especially the large black hat covering most of his face, he carefully turned back without saying anything.

Jiang Xunyu was used to being alone, so he didn’t feel any discomfort. He took out the new books he had just received from his backpack, carefully held one out, and opened a page.

The words in the book were densely packed, and Jiang Xunyu didn’t recognize many of them. With the help of the holographic device Ji Yuzhou had given him, he painstakingly read word by word, like a dry sponge finally absorbing a little water after many years.

He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn’t notice how the classroom was slowly filling up. It wasn’t until someone accidentally brushed against his arm that he realized the room had become crowded.

He quietly pulled his arm in, making sure not to touch his classmate again. However, the classmate took the initiative to pat his arm and asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”

The continuous physical contact made Jiang Xunyu slightly uncomfortable. He was about to speak when Teacher Ran cleared her throat twice. “Ahem, students, please quiet down.”

Teacher Ran then gave a brief introduction about the differences between the internal education system of the corp and the external schools, before preparing to have each student introduce themselves.

She suddenly remembered that the head of the school had asked her to pay special attention to the student named Jiang Xunyu. She looked around and walked to the back corner where Jiang Xunyu was sitting, pointing to his desk. “This student, let’s start with you.”

In an instant, all eyes were on Jiang Xunyu, and his face turned pale.