DS Extra 11

When Twilight Kisses the Star City (2)

“Oh, it’s you again, little student. Why would a disabled person read books about mechas? You can’t pilot them anyway…”

A moment later, the young lady at the library front desk rested her chin on her hand, smiling as she operated the blue screen in front of her, clicking confirm on the book borrowing request Jiang Jianming had sent over.

Ryann stood to one side, his expression unclear behind his concealment device. Jiang Jianming smiled and nodded his thanks to the young lady, picked up the books and put them in his bag, then said to the Crown Prince, “Let’s go.”

They walked out through the library’s main entrance and looked at the distant streets where the lights had just begun to glow.

Ryann stopped walking. His expression was gloomy, and he seemed on the verge of speaking several times, as if struggling with something.

Jiang Jianming said with a touch of melancholy, “Do you understand now, Your Highness? I’ve heard such words too many times.”

“Sometimes it’s not that I’m not angry or hurt. I just can’t afford to take issue with every single instance.”

The military academy student pressed his lips together and said quietly, “This is a problem with the mindset of the entire Empire… no, of all humanity. It’s not something that can be resolved through petty disputes.”

“……”

Ryann fell silent.

As the holder of the strongest crystal bone, he had long categorized disabled people as “the weak who need protection.” Before meeting Jiang Jianming, he had never seriously considered this issue.

Or perhaps over these years, what he had been looking at was the starry sky above, the flames of war, and the Empire’s royal flag, while forgetting to look down at the ordinary citizens beneath his feet.

“I can only do my best to show everyone through my actions. That day I went to watch the competition to find material for an article. If the article I submit can catch the eye of the editorial department, I might have the chance to take an additional mecha course at the Third College.”

The evening breeze blew over. Jiang Jianming turned to glance back at the entrance of Aslan Library. “Similarly, if I continue coming to the library to borrow books and persist for five years, by the time I graduate, that young lady will definitely no longer say such things. Who knows—by then we might have become good friends, and she might even recommend new books the library has acquired.”

“You want to take courses at the Military Academy’s Third College?”

Ryann frowned, once again recognizing that the disabled person before him was truly audacious. “You like studying mechas that much?”

Jiang Jianming smiled without speaking, thinking to himself: Actually, I like piloting mechas…

But he didn’t say this. He only smiled gently. “When more and more people work hard, things will get better and better. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course, this may just be the foolish method of the weak. As Your Highness said, you are the Empire’s Crown Prince, more powerful than us. If Your Highness could spare us a glance now and then in your leisure time, our lives would be much easier.”

Ryann contemplated for a long while before saying very solemnly, “I’ll remember. You’ll see it in the future. If I forget, you can come remind me.”

So Jiang Jianming also composed his expression and formally placed his hand over his chest in salute.

“Then I shall look forward to witnessing the day you become a great emperor.”

Ryann lowered his head and the corners of his eyes curved slightly. He had heard such words too many times—some were polite flattery, others sincere. But when spoken by the person before him, it unexpectedly lifted his mood considerably.

So the young Crown Prince quickly walked to his aircraft, pulled open the door, and turned to ask, “Do you have plans after this? Let me give you a ride.”

Jiang Jianming was taken aback. “I wouldn’t dare trouble Your Highness. I’m going back to the military academy dormitory. It’s not far.”

Ryann gazed at him persistently, his palm braced against the aircraft door without speaking.

At first, Jiang Jianming tried to maintain a distant, indifferent expression and hold out for a bit, but he quickly surrendered under the other’s eager gaze.

He actually belonged to the type who responded to kindness rather than force, and couldn’t bear to reject others’ goodwill. That the dignified Imperial Crown Prince would condescend to treat him this way—though he didn’t show it outwardly, he was genuinely moved inside.

Besides, this Little Highness’s face was truly beautiful, and his personality was truly adorable…

A few seconds later, Jiang Jianming resignedly hugged his bag and slowly shuffled into the aircraft.

Ryann had opened the passenger door for him. After he got in, the prince considerately closed the door for him and got into the driver’s seat from the other side.

In the confined space, the distance between the two was less than half an arm’s length. Jiang Jianming could even smell the faint scent of roses on the other… Perhaps this Little Highness had specially taken a shower before coming to find him.

“I originally wanted to come earlier, but I was too busy with affairs and just came from the Royal Mecha Training Ground.”

Ryann pulled down the control screen and reached over to fasten the seatbelt for the military academy student beside him. “Next time I can take you inside to see the mechas. Sit tight, I’m starting.”

Jiang Jianming’s heart jumped. This statement was absurdly outrageous—he couldn’t determine at all whether “the Crown Prince saying he would take him into the Royal Mecha Training Ground” was a joke or serious.

While his mind wandered, the aircraft had already started moving, but in the opposite direction from the military academy.

Jiang Jianming: “?”

Only then did he realize he seemed to have been abducted by His Highness.

……

Ryann didn’t send Jiang Jianming straight back. Having finally resolved their previous minor friction, His Highness was clearly unwilling to just release the disabled person who interested him.

As it happened to be dinner time, he took Jiang Jianming directly to eat something.

“Any dietary restrictions?”

“…No.”

As night gradually fell, they sat in a private room of some discreet noble restaurant. Jiang Jianming was still brooding over the Crown Prince’s street abduction, and his tone had cooled by a degree.

A waiter bowed and brought over a pair of wine glasses. Ryann asked, “Can you drink alcohol?”

Jiang Jianming froze, then said instinctively, “Minors cannot drink alcohol, Your Highness.”

The platinum-blonde-haired youth smiled almost imperceptibly, his curved eyelashes glinting like crushed gold and diamonds under the light. He waved his hand at the waiter. “Change his to juice.”

Jiang Jianming frowned. “Your Highness, you’re a year younger than me.”

The waiter’s hand trembled and he hurriedly lowered his head, secretly wondering what background this black-haired youth had to dare use an admonishing tone to lecture His Highness.

“He’s right.” Ryann glanced at Jiang Jianming with amusement and tapped the table corner for the waiter. “Change mine too.”

He added an explanation, “Don’t make that face. I don’t drink much normally anyway.”

The waiter finished his duties and tactfully withdrew. While waiting for their food, they drank juice from wine glasses and chatted casually.

Soon, exquisite dishes were brought out one by one, and by that time Jiang Jianming was talking about his background.

“…At the time we lived on Purple Silk Star City, which was a major commercial metropolis. My father used to be a military mecha master. He made a living doing mecha assembly, repairs, and resale—sometimes earning hundreds of thousands of currency points from a single job.”

“But Father would send out more than half of that money, saying it was to support his old comrades-in-arms. The rest he spent on books for me. Our food, clothing, and daily necessities were relatively simple, with not much money left over.”

“What I mean is…”

Jiang Jianming leaned forward slightly, chopsticks in his right hand, and asked carefully, “Your Highness, you will be paying for tonight, right?”

Ryann’s expression turned strange. “——Are you looking down on me?”

After confirming that His Highness the Crown Prince could afford a dinner, both conversation and dining could finally proceed.

They chatted about improvements in mecha piloting techniques and interstellar war history, from ethnic issues within Aslan Star City to the civilization of the Old Blue Mother Star era. Later they even got a bit carried away and started discussing founding gossip.

It must be stated that this was truly normal—no citizen of the Empire could resist the allure of founding gossip.

By the time the crescent moon had risen high in the sky, even the after-dinner desserts had been finished and cleared away.

As they chatted, Jiang Jianming became a bit distracted. The disabled person was refined and quiet, so his vacant gaze made him appear inexplicably melancholic.

“What’s wrong?”

Ryann asked, then glanced down at the time. It was already past nine. He had indeed kept the person rather late.

But from what he remembered, Kaios Military Academy had no curfew, and he would personally send him back in the aircraft—the disabled person wouldn’t face any danger of walking alone at night.

Jiang Jianming came back to his senses and smiled somewhat sheepishly. “Oh, nothing. I just suddenly thought… I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to talk with you side by side like this.”

Ryann suddenly withdrew his expression and stared at him for several seconds.

Jiang Jianming felt his whole body go numb under that gaze. Those unique emerald eyes—the wildness and oppressive force within them seemed ready to pounce and seize him at any moment, reminding him of a white lion in the wilderness under a moonlit night.

An absurd sense of tension surged through him. He felt he was about to be seized.

But the next moment, the Crown Prince burst out laughing, those jade-green eyes incomparably bright, the oppressive aura dissipating like smoke.

The young Crown Prince narrowed his eyes in pleasure, his voice mellow as he asked, “You want to see me often?”