Chapter 26: The Matchmaking Banquet

Nian Tu’s complexion was fair, and her neck was slender and graceful—a spot that Xie Jili had once gently coiled around and nuzzled when he lost control and shifted into his beast form. Even though those memories had now faded into a hazy, dreamlike blur, he could still close his eyes and imagine how this necklace would look resting against her throat.

Twelve thousand star coins—the price of the necklace was equivalent to four months of Xie Jili's living expenses. He paid for it immediately and then, feeling nervous, sent a message to Nian Tu.

Xie Jili: [I bought you a gift; it will be delivered to you by tomorrow at the latest.]

The gift lacked a box, so to show his sincerity, he decided to craft one himself. When he returned to the dormitory, his roommates were away. In the interstellar era, students at other schools mostly commuted, but military academy students retained the tradition of living on campus, four to a room. Xie Jili had always lived in the Imperial Military Academy’s dorms, almost never returning home.

In the past, when he didn't go home, his mother would occasionally come to cause trouble, demanding money or beating and cursing him for no reason. But now, that trouble would no longer come knocking.

Just a few days ago, shortly after he regained his human form, he had unsurprisingly heard that his mother had gone to the Female Protection Association to lodge a complaint against him. Thanks to the many eyewitnesses who spoke up for him, the Regulatory Bureau insisted that he was not the party at fault, and the Association ultimately decided not to prosecute him.

He had gone mad and lost control, almost taking the lives of his mother and her favorite youngest son, yet he hadn't ended up in prison, nor had he even been charged. His mother was furious at the outcome, yet she dared not kick or hit him as she once had. After this lesson, the mother and son would never dare provoke him again. The terror brought on by the fangs of a venomous snake would accompany them for the rest of their lives—a shadow they were incapable of overcoming.

Xie Jili washed the transparent container that had held her buns, placed it on the highest shelf of his locker, and set it beside the pale yellow fleece jacket. He couldn't help but stroke the jacket, longing to take it down and hold it in his arms. But he quickly pulled his hand back, suppressing the intense craving in his heart, and simply looked up at it resting safely in its high place. A wretch like him, covered in filth, could not bear—and was not worthy—to profane such a beautiful existence. Even having the thought was a sin.

The young male lay awake all night. The little female who occupied his heart, however, slept quite soundly. With a weight lifted off her mind after the livestream, Nian Tu’s insomnia vanished that night, and she slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she woke up, she received her gifts, feeling a bit dazed.

The two gifts had arrived at the same time, and for a moment, she couldn't distinguish which was from Uncle Feli and which was from Xie Jili. Both small boxes were exquisite, appearing to have been polished by hand.

Opening them carefully, the first box contained a necklace. The chain was supple yet sturdy—she did not know what material it was made of, but despite its delicacy, it would not be easily broken. Nian Tu held it up to her neck to gauge the fit; a tiny blue iris flower fell perfectly against her collarbone, shining brilliantly.

The second box contained a pair of fluffy hair clips. They felt as soft as clouds, and when Nian Tu took them out, she discovered they were shaped like tiny rabbit ears.

Nian Tu: "..."

Although the rabbit ears looked better on her than she had imagined—not childish at all, but rather cute—Nian Tu still felt a bit embarrassed. The rabbit ear clips clearly didn't fit the image of a mature elder like Feli. She figured they were likely from Xie Jili; after all, he was a young male, and it was understandable for him to like such things. The iris necklace must have been from Feli.

Nian Tu did not realize that her perfect deduction had led to a false conclusion. She sent messages to thank them both and then tucked the gifts back into their boxes for safekeeping.

Besides these gifts, she also received an invitation that gave off a faint fragrance. It felt heavy and substantial to the touch, with a very vintage quality. There was a prominent white tiger emblem on the invitation—an imperial totem that Nian Tu recognized.

Is this... an invitation to a palace ball?

Nian Tu checked the StarNet and found that it was indeed real. The ball would be held a month later at the Royal Estate on the Central Star; nominally, it was to select a Crown Princess, but in reality, it was a large-scale matchmaking banquet. The males qualified to attend were, without exception, the top young talents, mostly from powerful and influential families, while the invited females all possessed A-grade spiritual power. Every invitee was unmarried.

Nian Tu showed the invitation to Lu Zhan to confirm its authenticity. Lu Zhan and Sion, as outstanding unmarried males, had also received invitations.

Nian Tu was astonished: "But I haven't even awakened my spiritual power yet?"

Since the invited females were all A-grade, why had she received an invitation?

"The royal family has always had a keen sense of smell," Lu Zhan’s voice was low.

Nian Tu’s video on soothing the black mamba snake had spread across the StarNet. Just because ordinary people didn't realize its significance didn't mean the royal family couldn't guess at the truth. The Crown Prince was an SS-grade male and, according to rumors, was in poor condition, on the verge of losing control. Since the royal family had already taken note of Nian Tu, who potentially possessed S-grade spiritual power, she would have to attend this ball whether she wanted to or not.

Nian Tu felt uneasy: "What kind of person is the Crown Prince? Is he a good person?"

Lu Zhan nodded slightly: "He is a very qualified heir; he should... be considered a good person."

Back when he was at the Imperial Military Academy, he had met the Crown Prince a few times. The Prince had been a student there as well, two years his senior. His impression was that the Prince was a near-perfect heir in every respect—proficient in both literature and martial arts, possessing an excellent temperament, and treating others with a gentle courtesy that did not diminish his majesty. Compared to the Crown Prince, the other princes all had their own flaws: some were dark-natured, some were too rigid, and others were mired in endless scandals...

This was why the royal family had set their sights on Nian Tu. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, the royal family could not stand by and watch their most excellent heir descend into the state of a runaway beast.

Compared to Lu Zhan’s solemn vigilance, Nian Tu, while still somewhat uneasy, felt much more relaxed. If the Crown Prince was a good person, she didn't mind providing him with spiritual soothing.

In any case, her method of spiritual soothing was different from other females; she could perfectly well play the role of a "doctor"—saving lives without getting emotionally involved. She imagined the Crown Prince must have seen every kind of beautiful woman, so he certainly wouldn't take a fancy to her.

She wasn't born with the talent to be a heartbreaker, nor did she have the time-management skills to be a master of juggling multiple relationships. She was already struggling to handle Sion and Lu Zhan; she couldn't imagine the explosive scene that would unfold if she added another romantic debt to the pile.

Nian Tu felt a headache coming on.

Meanwhile, inside the imperial palace, the atmosphere was heavy. The Emperor was furious, and the Empress was weeping behind her hands. The invitations for the Prince’s matchmaking ball had just been sent out when a disaster struck—the Crown Prince had suddenly gone missing!

The negligent guards were immediately dealt with, and all remaining personnel were dispatched to search for the Prince’s whereabouts, but after turning the vast palace upside down, there was no sign of him.

Crucially, this matter could not be made public, because the Crown Prince’s instability had already reached a critical point. It was highly likely that he had already lost control and shifted into his beast form. If the public found out, it would certainly cause an uproar throughout the Empire.

However, the Crown Prince’s beast form was a white tiger. Once he lost control, he would have no reason and extreme aggression. If he had run outside the palace...