HOLM : Chapter 19

Early morning, Chu Shiye and Ji Mian sat across from each other having breakfast.

Chu Shiye took a bite of bread and stole a glance at Ji Mian.

“Are you upset?” he asked.

Ji Mian replied, “Not at all. Why would I be upset?” He even smiled at Chu Shiye.

Chu Shiye: “…”

For some reason, he felt a shiver down his spine.

He shut his mouth and focused on eating his bread.

A soft beep interrupted the silence. The communicator on the table lit up. Chu Shiye tapped it open and, after a few seconds, his brows furrowed slightly. “There was an assault in the city.”

Ji Mian raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Last night, a resident was attacked with a knife. They’re still in critical condition,” Chu Shiye explained. “Starting today, after school, you must wait for me to pick you up.”

Ji Mian nodded. “Alright. You be careful too.”

Truthfully, he didn’t need anyone to accompany him. After all, there weren’t many on this planet who could hurt him.

Back on the capital planet, many had sought his help, believing him to be strong and omnipotent, capable of doing anything for them.

Chu Shiye was different from those people.

Well… except for the fact that he could be stubborn sometimes, like refusing mental guidance.

Chu Shiye silently pushed a jar of honey toward Ji Mian, placing it near his plate before quickly pulling his hand back.

Ji Mian poured a little honey out and smiled at him.

Chu Shiye thought: This smile feels different from the earlier one.

He relaxed his shoulders slightly and resolved that he wouldn’t upset Su Lan again if he could help it.

—

Due to the assault, Ji Mian noticed a palpable change in the school’s atmosphere.

In the office, Selina was leisurely spreading butter on her bread as she brought up the incident. “I heard the poor victim has already been treated by a healing-type ability user, but they don’t remember what the attacker looked like.”

“Mark hasn’t shown up. Maybe he’s too scared to leave his house after this,” she added.

Mark was one of the school’s three officially employed teachers. Ji Mian hadn’t seen him since he started working here.

Ji Mian asked, “Has he been unwell this whole time?”

“Who knows?” Selina replied. “He messaged me yesterday saying he’d come in today, but of course, he’s a no-show again.”

“Paid leave, how sneaky.”

The city’s outdated infrastructure, combined with the recent storm, had left half of the surveillance cameras damaged on the night of the attack—making it harder to catch the perpetrator.

Amid the rising tension, Ji Mian continued his normal routine of going to and from work with Chu Shiye’s company. Days passed, and by the time the weekend approached, the case was still without leads.

Over the course of the week, Ji Mian had gotten much more familiar with his students, and under his guidance, the class had undergone an astonishing transformation. As Xiao Zhang put it, it was like “seeing ghosts at a prodigal’s redemption.”

During the last class of the day, Ji Mian gave the students some free time. One of them spoke up, “Teacher, your lessons are really good. You’ve taught us things we’ve never heard before, stuff that’s not even in the textbooks.”

“I don’t want you to be limited by the thin pages of a book,” Ji Mian said. “The universe is vast, and you should aim to see the distant stars.”

“But it’s so far out there,” a student murmured.

The class started chattering.

“My family’s poor. Starship tickets are too expensive. I can’t even afford to visit a neighboring planet.”

“We’re stuck here. We can’t go anywhere.”

Ji Mian met their young, eager eyes and said gently, “That may be the case now, but it doesn’t have to be forever. You’re young, and the future is wide open. You have unlimited potential.”

“But this is the smallest, most rundown planet,” someone muttered from the corner. “Even if we leave, won’t people still look down on us?”

“Not necessarily,” Ji Mian said. “Take the Federation’s Prime Minister Charles, for example. He came from the most remote planet in the Sixth System when he was a teenager. The founder of the Atlantean Empire was abandoned on an unknown barren planet at birth.”

“Today, one holds the highest authority in the Federation, and the other lies in eternal rest within the empire he created. But many years ago, their stories also started on small, forgotten planets.”

In some students’ eyes, small sparks of light began to flicker, like stars.

“The empire is so far away. Does the current Federation Prime Minister live on the capital planet?”

“I heard the capital planet is the most prosperous one, covered in diamonds and flowers. They say you can bend down and pick up gold— is that true?”

“Of course it is! That’s the capital planet! The golden and diamond city I dream of visiting!”

“Dream on. Not just anyone can get into a place like that.”

In the morning, the classroom buzzed with laughter as Ji Mian answered questions from curious students.

“Teacher, have you ever been to the capital planet?” one student asked.

“No,” Ji Mian replied with a light chuckle. “But I don’t think there’s much to be fascinated about there.”

“Compared to the capital planet, I think I prefer this place.”

“Really, Teacher? You’re just saying that because you can’t go, right?”

“Have you even been there? Shut up! None of us has the ability to go there anyway.”

“Well, if I make a lot of money in the future, I’ll take everyone on a trip to the capital planet!”

“Wow! Really?”

Amid the students’ laughter, the school bell rang, marking the end of the day.

Because of the recent assault, many parents came to pick up their children. Ji Mian stood in front of the school building, waving to each student and their guardians as they left.

As he watched the crowd thin, Ji Mian suddenly turned around. Behind him was the corridor leading to the teachers’ offices.

That strange feeling—the sensation of being watched—was there again. The gaze clung to him, faint but persistent, from somewhere within the dim corridor that should have been empty.

He remembered experiencing the same sensation on his first day here.

The voices of the students faded as the sunset spilled its last rays over the mountains. The hallway, now cloaked in shadow, seemed like a ship sinking into the sea.

Ji Mian stared into the growing darkness, taking a step forward.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

A series of exaggerated coughs interrupted him.

Ye Tiancai strutted into the building, hands behind his back, two Ye family servants waiting outside for him. He raised his chin arrogantly.

“Do you know? My family is hosting an amazing banquet tonight. Everyone in class is invited. Can you guess who didn’t get an invitation?” Ye Tiancai sneered.

“If you beg me and say something nice, I might consider giving you the privilege to attend.”

Ji Mian raised an eyebrow. “Little boy, you’d better go home and cuddle your toys to sleep.”

Ye Tiancai’s face turned red. “What?! You—”

Before he could finish, a tall figure walked past him, cutting off his view of Ji Mian.

“Who are you?” Ye Tiancai asked, craning his neck to see.

The newcomer was a handsome young man with no detectable spiritual power, which immediately made Ye Tiancai dismiss him as a nobody.

Chu Shiye ignored Ye Tiancai completely, stepping in front of Ji Mian. “Is he bothering you?”

Ye Tiancai: “?”

Ji Mian shook his head with a small smile. “Not really.”

Chu Shiye gave Ye Tiancai a calm, unimpressed glance. “Go home.”

Ji Mian nodded. “Alright.”

Ye Tiancai stared at the two of them in confusion. “Go home? Go where?”

As Ji Mian walked past him, he casually tossed out, “Don’t cry tonight if you don’t have your toys to hug.”

Ye Tiancai stood frozen, stunned, as Ji Mian and Chu Shiye left together.

On the way back, it started drizzling. They shared an umbrella, walking side by side.

Ji Mian thought about the earlier conversation with his students and poked Chu Shiye. “Have you ever thought about exploring the universe?”

Chu Shiye tilted his head. “What?”

“Doesn’t it feel boring to stay here all the time?” Ji Mian said. “The universe is so vast. There are so many galaxies out there. Don’t you want to see them?”

After some thought, Chu Shiye replied, “I don’t have such plans for now.”

“But maybe I’ll change my mind in the future.”

Ji Mian’s tone lifted with a trace of anticipation. “I’m looking forward to that day.”

Chu Shiye glanced at him.

Why would you look forward to it?

Does that mean… you’ll come with me?

Just as that fleeting thought crossed his mind, Ji Mian broke his reverie. “Tomorrow’s our day off. Can you come with me to check out some houses?”

“…”

Chu Shiye lowered his gaze. “Mm.”

Tomorrow… Su Lan is leaving.

His umbrella tilted slightly toward Ji Mian, and he remained silent.

That day was bound to come eventually.

When they returned to the small house, everything was as normal as ever. Dinner was uneventful, and their conversation followed its usual rhythm.

Yet, before bedtime, Ji Mian was one step ahead. He sat on the edge of Chu Shiye’s sleeping mat and extended a hand toward him.

Chu Shiye: “…”

Ji Mian smiled. “It’s been three days since the last session.”

Seeing Chu Shiye trying to move away, Ji Mian grabbed the blanket, wrapping himself in it like he was ready to ensure no one would sleep peacefully if he didn’t get his way.

“I’ll be careful this time,” Ji Mian reassured him, tugging lightly on Chu Shiye’s sleeve.

After a moment’s hesitation, Chu Shiye sat down next to Ji Mian, lowered his head, and obediently stayed still.

Ji Mian’s consciousness delved into Chu Shiye’s mental world, arriving at the edge of the desert, where a deep chasm severed the vast expanse. 

This time, he did not recklessly leap into the abyss but instead traced its edge, searching. The abyss stretched endlessly, its other side eternally unreachable.

Ji Mian withdrew his mental strength and opened his eyes.

Chu Shiye’s mental world was even more expansive than Ji Mian had imagined. 

Among the ability users Ji Mian had encountered before, none had a mental world as vast as Chu Shiye’s. 

Yet Chu Shiye was only classified as having E-level spiritual power. His mental world was even damaged, with an abyss devouring large portions of the desert.

What exactly had happened?

Ji Mian’s expression remained calm, though he lightly coughed.

Chu Shiye immediately became anxious, gently patting Ji Mian’s thin back. 

Ji Mian shook his head to indicate he was fine, though his thoughts wandered.

Through these sessions of mental guidance, Ji Mian had realized a crucial point: 

Even though he had identified Chu Shiye’s issue, it couldn’t be resolved in the short term. 

Or rather, the issue didn’t lie with Chu Shiye—it lay with Ji Mian himself.

…Because Ji Mian still couldn’t summon his own spiritual projection, he couldn’t provide Chu Shiye with proper mental guidance.

If things continued like this, no matter how hard Ji Mian tried, it would all be futile.

Just like… back then.

Coughing softly, Ji Mian found himself lost in thought, while Chu Shiye carefully patted his back. His brows furrowed tightly, and he couldn’t help but think: He seems even thinner. How can I help him gain weight, even a little?

Chu Shiye stood up, intending to prepare some medicine, but Ji Mian caught his wrist, stopping him from leaving.

Chu Shiye sat back down, his gaze fixed on Ji Mian.

Meeting his eyes, Ji Mian hesitated before saying softly, “…As you can see, I’m not as capable as you think.”

“I’m always trapped by the past, unable to move forward.”

Chu Shiye was slightly stunned.

Ji Mian looked away, falling silent.

Chu Shiye quietly observed him.

So, this is what’s weighing on your heart?

He gently clasped Ji Mian’s hand.

“It’s okay. You’re not alone.”

His clear, lake-like eyes shone with sincerity and unwavering determination.

“From now on, you’ll meet many people. They won’t care about your past. They’ll stay by your side for a long, long time into the future.”

“When that time comes, the past will no longer bind you. Your path will stretch endlessly forward.”

Ji Mian: “…”

“No one’s ever said that to me before,” he murmured.

So, this is what it feels like to be comforted.

Ji Mian lowered his gaze slightly, and when he looked up again, the dim haze in his dark eyes had dissipated like yesterday’s dust, leaving them clear and bright.

“I’ll remember your words,” Ji Mian said, his tone returning to its usual gentle and lighthearted rhythm. 

“You really are a good—”

Chu Shiye interrupted, “Pick another word.”

Ji Mian smoothly amended, “You really are a good younger brother.”

Chu Shiye fell silent.

Ji Mian chuckled softly, the light in his dark eyes flowing like water, reflecting in Chu Shiye’s gaze.

“Thank you,” Ji Mian said, his fingers gently curling around Chu Shiye’s hand. Their fingertips touched. “My savior.”

His clear, melodious voice carried a faint smile, like a feather brushing softly against the ear, melting straight into the heart.

Chu Shiye: “…”

Chu Shiye: “…”

Chu Shiye lowered his head.

Chu Shiye turned around.

Chu Shiye ran away.

Ji Mian: “?”

This is your house.

Where are you running off to??

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