DS Extra 13

The Youth Lit Up the Lamp in the Sky (1)

At 5:30 PM, it was precisely the end of the fifth period at Kaios Military Academy. The somewhat gloomy sky began drizzling needle-like cold rain.

The entrance to the Second College was bustling with activity. This bit of rain couldn’t dampen youthful vitality—young men and women in groups of three to five carried their bags, chatting and laughing as they left the bronze-colored building, hurrying toward the dormitories or the school gate.

Dawdling at the very back was a pale, refined black-haired youth, so thin his frame seemed somewhat fragile. His expression was indifferent, with no companions by his side.

Suddenly, a chubby boy with reddish-brown hair charged up from behind and slapped him hard on the shoulder, sneering without any genuine mirth. “Well, well, if it isn’t the disabled human. Still insisting on attending our Second College classes?”

Jiang Jianming looked up, but the other party had already run off into the rain with several companions, laughing raucously together.

“Hahaha, at least his spirit is commendable…”

“Just wait until the practical combat assessment—let’s see how he cries then.”

The black-haired youth’s expression remained unruffled, but he stood quietly alone in front of the academic building for quite a while. Many students passed by him, casting fleeting glances that seemed to watch for a joke.

Only when there were almost no people left around did he come back to himself and pull up his collar, buttoning it all the way to the top button. He picked up the umbrella propped beside him and stepped into the cold, clear curtain of rain.

Winter had come late this year. Once the temperature dropped a bit more, it would start snowing.

Jiang Jianming raised his face and silently exhaled a cloud of white mist. Suddenly his gaze focused, and he tilted the edge of his umbrella to the side.

Under the shade of trees outside the school gate sat a familiar aircraft. The windows had privacy treatment applied, making it impossible to see the driver inside.

Jiang Jianming walked over quickly, nervously confirming all around that no one else was passing by before bending down to tap on the window, lowering his voice, “Little Highness?”

No one answered him, but almost immediately came a “click”—the door lock on the aircraft’s passenger side had opened.

Jiang Jianming habitually closed his umbrella first. Almost at the same instant the rain began to pour down on his head, the aircraft door was pushed open from inside, and a coat suddenly enveloped him, pulling him in.

Inside the cramped aircraft, a youth’s body leaned over, almost embracing him as he drew him into the seat inside.

“Jiang, don’t get rained on.”

The little crown prince with platinum curly hair looked solemn. “I told you last time—you need to remember to open the door first before closing the umbrella.”

The warm air inside rushed at his face, and Jiang Jianming instantly felt himself come back to life.

He breathed a sigh of relief, folded away his small black umbrella that was dripping wet, and said with curved brows in a gentle voice to the person beside him. “It’s fine, I didn’t get very wet, and besides, I was afraid of being seen by others.”

Ryann: “So what if they see? Am I that unseemly?”

Jiang Jianming: “…As the Crown Prince, constantly skipping your official duties to run out and play with me, do you think you’re very seemly?”

The light rain pattered against the moving aircraft.

The scenery on both sides slowly shifted past. The glass windows were misty, trailing droplets of water as if they had been crying.

Ryann first let out a soft huff, held it for a few seconds, then awkwardly explained that at least today he had properly cleared his schedule—he had even reserved a restaurant for their dinner in advance.

Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out to smooth down the long hair His Highness had tossed aside, thinking: How cute.

The naturally curly platinum hair was very fluffy, and because its owner held an incomparably noble status, it was nourished to be smooth and soft. Running his hand through it once, even his fingertips seemed to pick up the fragrance of the palace’s golden roses.

“?” The Crown Prince widened his eyes slightly in astonishment. No one his age had ever dared to touch him so freely—nor had anyone older.

Jiang Jianming was completely oblivious and couldn’t resist petting it two more times, immersed in a small sense of satisfaction.

Actually, I’ve wanted to touch it for a while now. Now that we’ve become close, I can finally… Mm, the feel is just as wonderful as I secretly imagined.

Ryann pressed his lips together, watching Jiang Jianming’s rarely pleased expression, and chose indulgence over anger.

Fine. An occasional novel experience doesn’t seem too terrible.

His Highness the Crown Prince acted as if nothing had happened and continued driving the aircraft. “How does it feel attending mecha classes at the Second College?”

“Not bad. I had some foundation before, so the coursework isn’t difficult.”

“Of course I know the coursework itself isn’t difficult for you. I’m asking about the other things.”

Jiang Jianming’s fingers rubbing through the other’s hair tips paused, and he said thoughtfully. “Mm… the other things, they’re also not bad, I suppose.”

“‘Not bad’?” Ryann’s gaze immediately darkened. He grabbed his own hair back, refusing to let it be played with anymore. “Has someone been bullying you?”

“Not to that extent. But for a disabled human to actually be selected for Professor PengXX’s class—it’s normal for those proud and arrogant geniuses to find it disagreeable. It’ll be fine once I pass the public assessment.”

Ryann’s expression worsened further.

Jiang Jianming instead curved his lips in a smile. “Ah, don’t glare at me like that. You also know that Kaios has strict discipline—no one dares to actually do anything. At most they say a few idle words. I don’t care about that.”

“Besides, Your Highness might not know, but I’m actually…”

The military academy student raised his neck, those eyes glinting with deep black luster. He showed a smile. “Sometimes quite scheming.”

It was interesting, really. Many people’s first impression upon seeing his appearance and temperament seemed to be that he was a cold and forbearing white lotus type, stubbornly aloof and pitiable.

But the truth was the opposite. As a disabled human without power or influence, Jiang Jianming very calmly understood the importance of scheming, tactics, and borrowing external forces.

Last time there really had been people wanting to block him outside the school gate. He pretended not to know and called Tang Zhen on his communicator. Those guys immediately turned into cowards, their faces stiff as they pretended it was a chance encounter, greeted him, and scurried away dejectedly.

Young Master Tang from the military family of the Tang clan—naturally they didn’t dare provoke him.

Jiang Jianming also tactfully didn’t call them out on it. If he had, Tang Zhen would probably have charged over on the spot to fight them, and then the situation would have gotten out of control. Unnecessary.

At dusk, the rain was still falling. Following their usual routine, they first spent two hours at the library before going out to eat. While waiting for dinner to be served in the restaurant’s private room, Jiang Jianming told Ryann about this incident as a joke.

After finishing, he changed to a serious expression. “So even if someone really does want to cause trouble, I can handle it myself. Your Highness doesn’t need to worry too much about me.”

Ryann made no comment on this. He also had an impression of that young master from the Tang family. In the first half of the year, he had frequently heard gossip about this person’s rebellious conflicts with his family, but recently he seemed to have behaved considerably.

Some gossip said that Young Master Tang had entered military academy and been tamed by his new roommate. It seemed the rumors were true.

But Ryann felt even more uncomfortable. He held it in but couldn’t keep holding it in, asking in a muffled voice, “Then why are you willing to rely on Tang Zhen but won’t let me help you?”

As if a breath he’d been holding in his heart for a long time had finally been released, Ryann stubbornly stared at the military academy student across from him.

He appreciated Jiang Jianming, and at the same time felt an indescribable heartache, wanting to give this person more and better things—with his status and capabilities, he could afford to give them.

But Jiang Jianming didn’t accept his gifts.

Despite appearing very frugal and money-conscious in daily life, he refused all expensive presents; that private communication number had never been actively dialed even once; his talk about wanting to go to the Royal Mecha Training Grounds was only lip service.

When he actually went to make arrangements, the other party would immediately use a seemingly tactful but very firm attitude to deflect it.

He was completely helpless against this person’s balance of softness and firmness, and his caution. Jiang Jianming seemed to use an almost cold calculating power to control the relationship between them within a range where no one could find fault.

Aside from accepting access to the third floor of the library, being invited to a not-overly-extravagant afternoon tea or dinner like this was already the maximum limit of what Jiang Jianming would accept.

“Why?”

Sure enough, once the floodgates opened, they were hard to close. Ryann asked in a hoarse voice with complex emotions. “Don’t you trust me, or are you afraid of me?”

“…”

Jiang Jianming blinked. After a few seconds, he precisely picked out a small bottle from among the various condiments at the corner of the table and pushed it toward the other person.

“Do you want to be jealous? There’s plenty here.”

Ryann said angrily, “Jiang!”

Jiang Jianming couldn’t stop laughing.

After laughing enough, he said gently, “You’re different from Tang Zhen.”

“How am I different?”

Jiang Jianming lowered his eyelids. He toyed with that small vinegar bottle between his fingers, and only after a long while did he say softly, “Let me put it this way—although the status gap between Young Master Tang Zhen and me is very large, I feel there are still ways I can help him.”

“When he was throwing tantrums with his family back then, being willful and refusing to attend school, I could play twelve rounds of simulated combat with him to make him sober up. Some miscellaneous courses he didn’t have the patience to listen to, some knowledge he hadn’t been exposed to, and even in certain aspects of conducting oneself… I could more or less help him with all of it.”

“Tang Zhen is a person with a sense of justice and a warm heart. Not only does he not discriminate against disabled humans, he’s always protected and taken care of me. Of course I’m very grateful to him, but in my heart I don’t actually feel I owe him.”

Jiang Jianming put the condiment back, looked up, and met Ryann’s eyes directly across from him. He stopped joking and said calmly, “I feel we’re equal friends.”

“But Little Highness is too excellent. What can I do about that… I’m quite troubled too. There’s almost nothing I can give you.”

“We can’t maintain an equal relationship, and an unequal relationship is too fragile. Constantly owing someone else also makes me feel insecure.”

Ryann’s expression changed abruptly, and he said sternly, “You don’t owe—”

“Shh, listen to me. Let me finish.”

Jiang Jianming raised his index finger to his lips. “But I also very much enjoy spending time with you. I hope this relationship can last a bit longer… which is why I have these concerns.”

“Understand me a little, Ryann.” His eyes were very soft. “I am trying hard to be friends with you.”

Ryann was stunned for a long while. “…Unreasonable.”

Just at this frozen moment, Jiang Jianming’s wrist device rang.

Ryann had just stood up in anger but now had to sit back down, pouring himself a cup of the freshly served fruit tea to cool his temper.

He looked at Jiang Jianming, who had put on his earpiece to answer the call. He saw the black-haired youth’s expression change several times, and finally his gaze turned over, looking at him with great difficulty.

But he still said to the other end of the communication, “…Alright, thank you. I’ll come right away.”

Hanging up the call, Jiang Jianming let out a soft sigh. He picked up his umbrella, stood up, and said apologetically, “Your Highness, I’m sorry, but I may need to leave first. I’m truly sorry.”

Ryann handed him a cup of fruit tea as well. “Trouble?”

“A classmate contacted me, saying a friend got into a fight with someone because of me. I’m going to take a look.”

Ryann: “Friend?”

Jiang Jianming was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly. “It’s Tang Zhen. I heard him shouting at someone in the distance.”

Speak of the devil and he appears—this was indeed such a coincidence one could only smile bitterly. Ryann’s emerald-colored eyes blinked twice, and he said in a rather cold tone, “Tang Zhen isn’t the type to bully disabled humans. If he’s fighting someone, the other party should also be a new human.”

“You’re a disabled crystal person. When new humans fight each other, only someone with ill intentions would call a disabled human over—do you know that classmate who called you? And the location—is it outside school?”

Jiang Jianming paused, didn’t say whether he knew them or not, and didn’t mention the location either. He took a sip of the fruit tea before setting down the glass cup, saying half-helplessly, “But I can’t not go, Little Highness.”

His gaze became somewhat unfocused as he murmured softly to himself, “Even as a disabled human, trying to break up a fight… should still be okay, right?”