The day after Ji Mian agreed to the marriage, Ji Tingyan arranged a mental test for him in the hospital.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, the test quickly yielded the result – Ji Mian’s mental power was still at level B, with no change.
Ji Tingyan: “As expected.”
There was no joy or anger on his face. He said, “The engagement ceremony will be in three days. Be prepared.”
With that, Ji Tingyan and his entourage exited the room.
As the door closed and the testing equipment was removed, a faint silver glow faded from Ji Mian’s fingertips.
Hidden beneath the blanket, the Goddess Butterfly perched delicately on his hand, its ethereal silver antennae slightly curved downward.
Ji Mian’s voice was soft, as if speaking to himself.
“It’s fine. Just a little longer.”
He didn’t seem in a hurry. But someone else was.
—
Later that afternoon, Ji Cheng burst into the room, ignoring the protests of the hospital staff.
“Brother!” he blurted, his voice filled with urgency. “Do you know what Dad’s planning? He wants you to marry into the Suoya family—”
“You’re late,” Ji Mian interrupted, his tone calm and detached. He raised a glass of semi-transparent treatment fluid to his lips. “It’s already decided.”
Ji Cheng froze, his face twisting in frustration.
“Was he forcing you? How could Dad do this?! We don’t even know the Suoya family that well! You’ve never even met Audrey—how can you possibly be together?”
Ji Mian placed the glass back on the bedside table, his movements slow and deliberate.
“What does it matter? Marriages in families like ours are always like this.”
Ji Cheng faltered, momentarily at a loss for words. Something about his brother’s demeanor felt… off. Unfamiliar.
He paced nervously beside the bed, his fists clenched tightly.
“Brother, I’ll help you escape! Let’s run away together!”
The declaration seemed to take all of Ji Cheng’s courage, but Ji Mian remained unfazed.
“Don’t bother.”
“Brother!” Ji Cheng’s voice rose, panicked. “Are you really going to stay here and let them drag you to that engagement ceremony in a few days?”
Ji Mian’s gaze remained steady as he replied evenly:
“I’m just a B-level ability user, and you’re only an auxiliary-type. Where can we possibly run to?”
Ji Cheng’s face flushed with frustration. “But… but there has to be a way!”
“There isn’t.” Ji Mian’s voice was calm but resolute.
“In fact, the Suoya family isn’t a bad choice. They have influence and wealth. Marrying into their family won’t be a disadvantage.”
Ji Cheng stared at him in disbelief. “Brother… do you really think that?”
Ji Mian’s tone grew colder. “People have to accept their fate.”
Ji Cheng: “…”
—
Ji Cheng left the room in a daze, his steps unsteady as he stumbled into the hallway.
He crouched by the door, clutching his head.
His brother… How could his brother say such things?
Those words felt so foreign, so unlike the Ji Mian he knew.
Why would his brother give up? Why would he sound so resigned, so defeated?
It must be Dad’s doing!
The realization hit Ji Cheng like a thunderbolt.
It was all their father’s fault.
No wonder Ji Mian had refused to come back. Dad, Mom…
Ji Cheng’s thoughts spiraled as he realized that the two people he once trusted most now felt like strangers.
—
Inside the room, Ji Mian remained still, his expression unreadable.
The faint silver light of the Goddess Butterfly flickered again, its delicate wings casting faint shadows on the blanket.
For a moment, Ji Mian’s hand tightened into a fist beneath the covers.
Then he relaxed, letting out a slow, steady breath.
His gaze drifted to the window, his thoughts slipping far away.
Somewhere, beyond the walls of this room, beyond this city, this star, there was someone he needed to find.
—
A hidden camera in one corner of the room quietly recorded everything.
—Ever since Ji Tingyan informed Ji Mian of the engagement, this camera had been installed directly facing his hospital bed.
They assumed Ji Mian was unaware, but in truth, Ji Mian was deliberately feigning ignorance.
The engagement ceremony was scheduled for three days later. It was a rushed timeframe, leaving one to wonder if the Suoya family was either impatient or simply indifferent to this union.
In the meantime, preparations for the engagement were busy underway. Perhaps due to the earlier conversation with Ji Cheng, Ji Mian’s supervision in the hospital became slightly more relaxed.
Ji Mian patiently waited. Before long, the appointed day arrived.
A luxurious spacecraft descended onto the snowy surface of a planet, its landing site near a heart-shaped azure lake. Sunlight reflected off the water, scattering golden sparks like broken stars.
Several members of the Suoya family had been sent ahead to “escort” Ji Mian before departure. Under their close watch, Ji Mian disembarked from the spacecraft, his gaze falling on the distant expanse of the planet.
This was Frann Star, a celestial body synonymous with romance and love. Decades ago, his mother and Ji Tingyan had exchanged rings here, entering into a marriage bound by vows.
Today, the engagement had few attendees—no guests, just members of the Suoya and Ji families.
The other protagonist of the engagement banquet, Audrey, the eldest daughter of the Suoya family, stood silently at the base of the spacecraft’s stairs.
Ji Mian descended the stairs, wearing a white formal suit. His pale complexion did nothing to diminish his striking features, eliciting admiration from those nearby. Audrey, however, merely cast him a brief glance before looking away.
Standing two meters away, Ji Tingyan observed with satisfaction as Ji Mian approached Audrey—according to protocol, the Alpha was to personally escort their Omega partner-to-be.
But Ji Mian stopped two steps shy of Audrey and spoke. “I believe I understand why your family chose me.”
Audrey: “What?”
Ji Mian’s voice softened. “She’s heartbroken.”
Audrey froze, instinctively turning her head.
In the crowd, her lifelong friend, Haier, stood with red-rimmed eyes, her pale hands clenching so tightly they bore red marks.
Audrey’s figure stiffened.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, she heard Ji Mian murmur, “Apologies.”
Suddenly, the dark pupils of his lake-like eyes were engulfed in a surge of icy blue!
Mental Power Shock!
The guards flanking Ji Mian let out muffled cries before collapsing. He bolted through the crowd!
Ji Tingyan shouted in alarm, “Audrey! Stop him!”
For reasons unknown, despite her proximity to Ji Mian and clearly hearing her father’s command, Audrey did not move.
She simply stood still, her gaze fixed in the direction of Ji Mian’s retreating figure.
Ji Tingyan cursed under his breath, realizing the disaster, and turned to find the Suoya family members seething with anger. He barked another order, “Stop him! Injure him if you must, just keep him alive!”
This command was directed at the soldiers stationed at the engagement venue. As soon as it was issued, gunfire erupted.
Bang!
An electronic beam sliced through the air, striking the ground and leaving a deep crater.
But the shot had missed—not by accident.
The Light Goddess Butterfly fluttered gracefully, its wingtips trailing shimmering starlight, weaving together into a dazzling sea of light.
Entrapped within this luminescent ocean, the soldiers froze, their consciousness slipping as if caught in a dream.
Outside this luminous expanse, Audrey’s father, the head of the Suoya family, narrowed his eyes. “Wasn’t it said that he couldn’t summon his spirit form, and that his mental power was still at the B-level?”
Ji Tingyan said nothing, beads of sweat forming on his brow. His gaze reflected both fear of the Suoya family patriarch and simmering fury, tinged with disbelief.
Audrey’s father continued, “In that case, he must not be allowed to escape.”
He pressed a button on his communicator.
Ji Mian didn’t stop running, heading straight for the planet’s port.
Behind him, chaos and pursuit faded into irrelevance. He could hear Ji Tingyan’s furious shout: “Are you trying to ruin the Ji family?! Do you want to destroy us?!”
Ji Mian glanced back. “Then what do you want to do with me?”
Ji Tingyan froze for a split second before continuing his command: “Take him down!”
Another squad of soldiers arrived, but before they could engage, the Light Goddess Butterfly dissolved into countless butterfly-like points of light, spreading outward like a cascade of falling stars.
The radiant sea extended in all directions, resembling an overturned galaxy that engulfed most of the engagement venue, weaving an immense illusionary realm.
In mere moments, the majority of the ceremony’s attendees were trapped in the illusion, unable to break free.
The port came into view. Ji Mian’s forehead glistened with cold sweat. His vision blurred slightly, yet his steps did not falter.
The barely recovered mental strength was torn apart again, as if an already almost dried-up well was forcibly dug deeper. It seemed as if Ji Mian could hear a voice screaming a warning in his ear.
But he couldn’t stop.
The port was just within reach—
Boom!
It was like a heavy object falling to the ground, immediately followed by the deep, resonant roar of a lion.
The sound pierced through his eardrums. Already at his limit, Ji Mian was struck by a devastating blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
A man stepped out from a spacecraft docked at the port, accompanied by his spirit form—a massive adult male lion, strolling lazily.
It was Audrey’s uncle, Jose, an S-class combat ability user, and a key figure of the Suoya family.
With just one move, the lion roared again, lifting its head high.
The soundwaves shattered mountains, and Ji Mian’s mind felt as though it was crushed under the weight of a thousand-pound boulder. The excruciating pain ripped through his body, making him stagger. His already fragile consciousness began to collapse, as darkness slowly consumed his vision.
No… I can’t fall here…
Ji Mian fell to one knee, his trembling eyelashes reflecting his struggle. His unfocused eyes forced themselves open, refusing to close.
Jose studied the young man before him, his expression showing faint surprise.
So this is what it means to have once been an S-class. Even with his mental strength utterly drained, Ji Mian still managed to withstand his full-force attack.
In that case…
Jose raised his hand slowly. The lion bared its sharp fangs.
Suddenly, Jose turned his head. “Hmm?”
“……”
The overwhelming pressure Jose exerted seemed to dissipate.
Amidst the haze, a pair of arms encircled Ji Mian’s waist. The hands trembled slightly, yet they carefully, tenderly gathered Ji Mian into an embrace, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.
The familiar scent wrapped around Ji Mian’s frail body, leaving him no strength or desire to resist.
…It’s him?
In that instant, the fragile consciousness Ji Mian had been clinging to finally shattered. Before losing consciousness, he heard a low, hoarse voice trembling softly beside his ear.
“I’ve finally found you.”
“…A-Mian.”
R : Sniff sniff
R : Oh btw, I was soo sick I’m so sorry for delaying your reading T_T , now I’m feeling better.
Thank you so much for support ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡ :Ko-fi – Patreon
