Chapter 65: They Make a Lovely Couple

Before the words had even faded, the latest trending news on the StarNet popped up, displaying clearly on the optical brain screen.

In the spacious hospital ward, everyone’s expression instantly froze.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... what is he doing?!"

As if challenging Marshal Felix head-on, the Crown Prince had unexpectedly appeared on the StarNet. Although he did not post any updates, he personally liked a comment.

That iconic white tiger totem, a symbol restricted exclusively to members of the royal family, flashed onto the StarNet and instantly captured everyone's attention.

[!]
[?]
[His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?!]
[?!]
[Did his hand slip?]

Knowing full well that an SS-grade male's agility left no room for a mere slip of the hand, the scene unfolding before them was simply unbelievable.

The comment liked by the Crown Prince was none other than:

[Actually, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Nian Tu are quite a good match.]

Originally just a casual sigh of admiration that no one cared about, the fact that the person of authority had personally stepped down to like it made the implication suddenly extraordinary.

The Crown Prince did not possess the frivolous and reckless personality of the Second Prince; he would never casually entangle himself with a female. Such an active endorsement of the "good match" evaluation could only mean one thing...

The Crown Prince had feelings for Nian Tu.

Yet, had there ever been any intersection between the two of them?

The onlookers grew even more puzzled.

It was not until half a minute later that the royal family confirmed Nian Tu's safe awakening and lifted the news blockade.

Freed from royal constraints, the palace ball attendees, who had been bursting with unspoken words, flooded onto the StarNet and completely vented everything that had happened at the ball.

The public, who had been kept completely in the dark, suffered a succession of shocking blows:

What? Nian Tu was invited to the palace ball?
The Crown Prince actually produced Nian Tu's pearl earrings from his person and invited her to dance?
And another female inexplicably provoked Nian Tu verbally, attacking her with mental power?

Who was so utterly lacking in self-awareness?
And how vicious could someone be!

Everyone knew that before her awakening, Nian Tu was merely a female without mental power. Suffering an attack from A-grade mental power could easily lead to mental collapse, rendering her unable to ever recover.

Fortunately, villains suffered the consequences of their own actions.

Waves of mockery swept across the StarNet.

Amidst the cries of condemnation, other females and their families who had previously been harmed by Duan Qianqian's mental power also stepped forward to speak out.

This only added fuel to the fire.

In merely a fleeting moment, Duan Qianqian and her family plummeted into empire-wide parasites reviled by everyone.

[That Qiuxu was arrogant before, but this Duan Qianqian is even more arrogant. These nobles are simply going too far...]
[Is using power to oppress others that satisfying? Disgusting!]
[Mental power is a gift from the Beast God, not a weapon to be pointed at the innocent!]
[Wait... the royal family has issued another announcement...]
[Hooray! The royal family says they will thoroughly investigate!]
[Awesome!!]

In the hospital ward, absolute silence reigned.

Everyone's complexion turned as unsightly as Duan Qianqian's on the hospital bed.

Their arrogant momentum was extinguished by a basin of cold water. Duan Qianqian's mother collapsed powerlessly into a seat, her fiery temper snuffed out, leaving her unable to utter another sound.

Never had they imagined the royal family would show them such utter ruthlessness.

Then again, after all, the Crown Prince seemed to genuinely like Nian Tu...
Compared to the Crown Prince, what were they?

Plans for retaliation against Nian Tu came to a grinding halt; the most urgent matter now was how to protect Duan Qianqian and save their family.

***

While things had quieted down on Duan Qianqian's end, on the other side, the household of the noble male who had once been matched with Nian Tu by the monitoring system was turned upside down.

The noble male had happily attended the palace ball, only to lock himself in his bedroom in complete silence upon returning.

At first, his family paid no attention, assuming he was merely frustrated by failing to win a female's favor at the ball.

It was not until the SSS-grade female awakened and her identity was exposed that his father rushed to the bedroom door in a single stride, shouting loudly, "Valen, come out, we need to talk!"

"Is this female named Nian Tu your previous match?"

His father still remembered the day of the matching when Valen had frowned and said he had been matched with a commoner female lacking mental power, whose name was Nian Tu.

Such an ordinary female clearly fell outside their family's selection criteria. Dismissing it casually with a wave of his hand, he had suggested throwing some money at her to send her on her way.

Valen had obediently followed instructions, and he had been quite satisfied with that.

Until now, when Nian Tu's name was echoing everywhere across the StarNet.

An SSS-grade female!

Valen's father felt his pupils constrict sharply. Staring fixedly at that name and checking repeatedly, it turned out to genuinely be the female who had once been matched with Valen!!

The commoner female who originally possessed no mental power had leaped in a single bound to become the most supreme existence in the entire empire.

Just what kind of opportunity had they missed?!

"Valen! Come out!"

His father pounded on the door. "Did you keep her contact information that day? Contact her immediately!"

"Didn't you say when you came back that day that she had a very favorable impression of you? You didn't reject her too thoroughly, did you? Now, right now, go and say yes to her!!!"

There was still no movement inside the room.

His father stood stubbornly at the door without leaving. After waiting a moment, he began alternating between soft and hard tactics relentlessly.

"The time has come when the family needs you, Valen. You should be sensible."
"You have always been an obedient child."
"Your father is speaking to you, can you not hear?"
"Come out, Valen!"

The bedroom door snapped open, and the noble male Valen appeared before his father, radiating an aura of total despondency.

A flurry of questions battered down upon him head-on from his father.

"Did you see her at the ball today?"
"Did you dance?"
"What did you talk about?"

"No!" Valen loudly interrupted his father's interrogation.

"What do you mean, no?" His father failed to understand, frowning heavily.

Valen drooped his head. "We didn't do anything..."

Not only did they not chat or dance, but he had also failed to keep Nian Tu's contact information.

His father's expression turned icy. Breathing heavily in prolonged silence, he gradually softened his expression, putting on an attitude of acting in his best interest as he persuaded: "It doesn't matter. The two of you are fated, and she holds a favorable impression of you."
"Listen to me, go find her, try to please her..."

The chance to become partners with an SSS-grade female was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must be firmly grasped.

If he could succeed, Valen would be able to sit on equal footing with heavyweights like the Marshal and the Crown Prince!

And if he could further win Nian Tu's favor, causing Nian Tu to bear offspring for their family...

Valen's father breathed heavily with excitement.

"But, but that day I refused to be her guardian; she must be angry with me," Valen hesitated.

To this day, he still believed that Nian Tu must harbor feelings for him.
Otherwise, why would she have stated clearly before the municipal hall staff that she had no dissatisfaction with him, even though she was clearly angry?

Having no dissatisfaction meant she was definitely satisfied.

Recalling Nian Tu's pretty face, Valen could not help the corners of his lips curling upward.

Actually, he was quite satisfied with Nian Tu as well; the only flaw was her lack of mental power, but now that shortcoming had completely vanished and turned into an advantage.

It seemed he and Nian Tu were indeed fated.
Nian Tu had even smiled at him at the ball.

At the time, Nian Tu was dancing with Marshal Felix, yet she had directed a smile at him. Clearly, he must hold a slightly more important place in Nian Tu's heart than Marshal Felix.

The aura of dejection gradually faded, replaced by surging self-confidence as the noble male rallied once more.

His father also comforted him, "Being angry doesn't matter; females all need to be coaxed. You just need to humor her."
"Nian Tu should be staying at the Marshal's estate. I will send people to monitor the movements over there. Once she appears, you must seize the opportunity to see her."

The risks of doing so were indeed great. But no matter how great the risks, it was worth a desperate gamble!

"I will, Father," Valen said, brimming with confidence.