After everyone else had left, only Xiang Sui remained.
Watching Jiang Yue quietly shed tears, Xiang Sui opened a pack of tissues and handed one to her.
Jiang Yue sniffled and took the tissue to wipe her nose.
Xiang Sui sat down beside her. This cool guy wasn’t good at comforting people; he racked his brain for a long time, unsure what to say. After holding it in for five minutes, and by then Jiang Yue’s tears had stopped, he finally spoke, haltingly: “I understand how you feel. For certain reasons, I’ve become like you too, I can no longer summon my spiritual body.”
Jiang Yue hadn’t actually lost her spiritual body; she just couldn’t explain to everyone why, overnight, her once agile spirit had suddenly turned into a ball.
So she turned to comfort Xiang Sui instead: “It’s okay. I believe that after relaxing and taking proper rest, your spiritual body will come back.”
Xiang Sui shrugged. “Indeed. Staying relaxed is really important. You shouldn’t carry mental pressure, stress, such an invisible thing, can really crush a person.”
It was unclear whether he was trying to comfort Jiang Yue or himself.
Jiang Yue wiped her tears and looked into Xiang Sui’s dark bluish-black eyes. “Why are your eyes that color?”
After a long silence, Xiang Sui replied, “My brother hit me.”
Jiang Yue: “…”
After another long pause, Jiang Yue said softly, “Then it was right for your brother to hit you.”
Xiang Sui felt a little embarrassed and scratched his head. “I know it wasn’t right… I was just too worried about my brother.”
Jiang Yue couldn’t understand. “What’s the use of worrying? You couldn’t do anything to help! I honestly thought you were as good as dead!”
Xiang Sui grinned. “You don’t know, our family’s spiritual bodies are special. When relatives are together, the power of our spiritual bodies doubles.”
Jiang Yue looked at him hesitantly. “But that still doesn’t make sense. I mean, what if, hypothetically, your brother hadn’t made it? You would’ve just gone there to die.”
“Our family members have telepathy,” Xiang Sui explained. “I knew my brother wasn’t dead, but I could also feel his condition getting worse and worse, so I sneaked down there.”
Jiang Yue was intrigued. “Then how did you find him? Was it through telepathy too?”
Xiang Sui shook his head. “I didn’t even get the chance to use telepathy before I was caught up by the Thousand Threads. They kept dragging me toward that mass of spiritual energy, and then I saw my spirit. After that, I blacked out.”
Jiang Yue frowned in puzzlement. “You were carried off by the Thousand Threads?”
Xiang Sui nodded emphatically. “Yeah. That thing is disgustingly nasty, just whoosh, it wrapped me up completely, like a cocoon, and tossed me in there.”
This was quite different from what Jiang Yue had experienced, she had been carried off personally by the mutant.
She didn’t dare ask more, so she reached into the fruit basket, grabbed an orange, and popped it into her mouth.
Jiang Yue stayed in the hospital for another two days for observation of her physical and mental condition. Once it was confirmed that everything was fine, she was discharged.
The base held a small memorial service for the five heroes who had sacrificed themselves. Jiang Yue sat in the last row, her heart a whirlwind of emotions.
A female Beta sat in the seat next to her, her expression solemn as she looked forward.
This was the first female Beta Jiang Yue had ever seen. Judging by the rank insignia on her uniform, she was a major. The military was a world dominated by Alphas, so standing out among so many Alphas suggested that this Beta must be exceptionally capable.
Compared to the striking looks of Alphas and Omegas, Betas were usually quite ordinary in appearance. This female Beta, however, had well-proportioned features and a gentle, pleasant face. Though her looks were fairly average, the structure of her bones was remarkable, and she carried an uncommon, refined air that left a deep impression, there was something quietly graceful about her that made people feel at ease.
After the memorial ended, the compensation payment from the base was deposited into Jiang Yue’s account.
A total of five hundred thousand credits. Since her transmigration, it was the first time Jiang Yue had ever seen that much money in her own account.
A faint sense of guilt crept over her, because her spiritual body wasn’t injured at all. It was alive and well, plump and healthy, resting snugly within her spiritual domain.
Unable to sleep, Jiang Yue paced back and forth in her bedroom, her mind tangled with worries.
At 11:47 p.m., hunger finally got the better of her, and she left her room to buy an energy bar from the base’s supermarket.
Just as she was hesitating between the vanilla and chocolate flavors, a cool, detached female voice said, “The vanilla flavor from this brand is the most popular.”
Jiang Yue turned her head and saw the same female Beta pushing a shopping cart toward her.
She had undone her high ponytail, and a cascade of jet-black hair now fell loosely down her back. Her brows and eyes were soft and calm as she glanced over, carrying a kind of classical beauty that stirred the heart.
There was a reason some people were called goddesses. Though this female Beta wasn’t exactly stunning, the aura around her was, cool, serene, almost ethereal, like the legendary Dragon Maiden herself.
Jiang Yue stared at her blankly for a moment. The Beta, holding an energy bar in her hand, seemed to sense Jiang Yue’s gaze and lifted her head slightly, looking at her with a hint of confusion.
She was about one meter seventy-eight, quite noticeable among the Alphas, whose average height nearly reached one eighty-five.
Suddenly, Jiang Yue remembered that when she had fallen into the pit, among the special forces team members she’d seen, there had been one whose height was about the same as this female Beta’s, and whose spirit form was the smallest of them all: a single leaf.
Jiang Yue scratched her hair awkwardly and said, “Sorry, it’s just… this is the first time I’ve seen a Beta here at the base.”
The female Beta smiled faintly. “I know. The military is an Alpha’s world, Omegas and Betas are rare sights. People are always surprised when they see me.”
Jiang Yue quickly waved her hands. “No, no, that’s not what I meant! It’s just that I’m a freshman at the Federal Military Academy, and everyone around me is an Alpha, they’re all so rough. Seeing you just… really caught me off guard. You’re stunning.”
The Beta’s gaze flickered slightly as she said softly, “You study at the Federal Military Academy?”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Yeah, Xiang Sui and I share a dorm room, I’m his roommate.”
The female Beta lowered her head slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
These cool, goddess-like women often weren’t very talkative.
Jiang Yue grabbed a handful of vanilla-flavored energy bars and dropped them into her cart. Then she said goodbye to the Beta with a smile, “I’m going to check out now, bye!”
Just as she was about to leave with her cart, the female Beta suddenly said, “Wait a moment.”
Jiang Yue turned around in confusion.
The Beta lowered her gaze to her toes, then looked up again, her eyes filled with hesitation and inner conflict.
Jiang Yue’s heart thudded wildly.
Could it be? Could it be that the goddess-senpai was about to confess to her?!
After all, she was an Alpha now, and a pretty good-looking one at that.
She had just complimented the goddess-senpai, and although she’d meant it as an honest bit of praise between women, when she thought about it again… they weren’t the same gender anymore!
From the goddess-senpai’s perspective, she must have looked like she was flirting with her!
Oh no!
Jiang Yue’s mind was in complete chaos: The goddess-senpai doesn’t actually think I’m into her… does she?
If the goddess asked for her contact info, of course she’d give it to her.
But what if the goddess confessed to her?
What was she supposed to do then, how could she turn her down without breaking her heart?!
Would the goddess-senpai even believe her if she said she was gay?
At last, after a long moment of hesitation, the female Beta finally spoke. The first thing she said was—
“Excuse me, is Jiang Sen your dormmate?”
……
Jiang Yue was completely numb.
A hundred thousand grass mud horses were galloping through her mind.1The term “grass mud horse” originated from the Chinese phrase “草泥马” (cǎo ní mǎ), which can be phonetically similar to a vulgar expression in Mandarin that translates to “f*** your mother.” The creature was created as a form of protest and humor among Chinese internet users, particularly on platforms where censorship of politically sensitive material is common.
Ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting in the base’s café, drinking coffee.
Jiang Yue stirred the sugar in her cup with a small silver spoon, while the female Beta sat across from her, watching her hand intently.
Following the Beta’s gaze, Jiang Yue looked down, and realized that the large hand holding her spoon was delicately poised with a perfectly arched orchid finger.
Her stirring motion froze instantly. In the mirror decorating the café wall, she could see her own reflection, sitting there with the flawless poise of a high-society lady.
It was excruciatingly painful.
Jiang Yue straightened her posture, sat upright, and took a quick sip of coffee to cover her embarrassment.
The female Beta added five more packets of sugar to her coffee, it seemed she really couldn’t stand anything bitter.
Jiang Yue was reminded of the sickly sweet cough syrup she used to drink as a child whenever she caught a cold.
This Beta truly wasn’t good with words; she was the quiet, socially awkward type through and through. Jiang Yue completely understood how hard that could be, so she decided to take the initiative and start a conversation.
“Hi, I’m Jiang Yue. Jiang Sen sleeps on the bed across from mine. I didn’t expect to meet someone here who knows him!”
It was obvious that the female Beta was extremely socially anxious, not only had she sat in the very last row during the memorial, but even now, as she spoke, her body kept unconsciously leaning back, every pore radiating nervousness.
“Hello, my name is Ye Qian, ‘Ye’ as in leaf, and ‘Qian’ as in deep or shallow.”
Jiang Yue quickly said, “Major Ye Qian.”
When dealing with someone with social anxiety, you couldn’t expect them to take the lead in conversation.
Jiang Yue, being naturally chatty, started talking about Jiang Sen. “When we first moved into the dorm, we weren’t that familiar with each other. We’re both Alphas, you know, being suddenly shut in such a small space made everyone irritable. But Jiang Sen was really gentle. He was the first to greet me when we got to the room.”
The female Beta listened attentively, unconsciously echoing Jiang Yue’s words. “Yes, he’s always been someone who’s thoughtful about everything.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jiang Yue ventured, “what’s your relationship with Jiang Sen? Are you family or maybe an elder?”
The Beta looked a little uneasy and took a sip of coffee. “No real family ties. We’ve known each other since we were young… you could say I’m like his older sister.”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Ohhh, you’re worried about how Jiang Sen’s doing at the academy, right?”
Ye Qian nodded.
Jiang Yue waved her hand dismissively. “Ah, he’s doing great! That guy’s a total flirt. We just moved to the Rose District recently, you know, the one full of Omegas, and Jiang Sen’s been charming them left and right. He’s got all those Omegas’ hearts fluttering.”
The corners of Ye Qian’s lips lifted slightly, revealing a gentle, tender smile.
Jiang Yue went on describing Jiang Sen’s life at the academy. “He gets love letters nonstop. Sometimes he opens one or two to read for fun, but later, he just started using them to prop up the corners of his desk.”
Ye Qian nodded. “He’s always been popular with Omegas. Ever since he was young, they’ve loved being around him.”
After chatting for almost an hour, Ye Qian finally asked, “What does Jiang Sen like these days? His birthday’s coming up, and I’d like to get him a gift. Is there something he’s been wanting?”
Jiang Yue rubbed her nose, looking a little embarrassed. “He bought a pair of sneakers once, barely wore them for two hours before I stepped on them and got them dirty. They’ve been discontinued, so I couldn’t even replace them.”
Ye Qian’s eyes lit up. “Could you send me a picture of those sneakers? I’ll see if I can find them somewhere.”
Jiang Sen occasionally mentioned that pair of shoes, and after learning the brand, Jiang Yue had even followed the store’s official page, but the sneakers had long since sold out on the website. So she had to find an image of them elsewhere and sent it to Ye Qian.
Anyone who personally knew Jiang Sen had to be someone of considerable standing, otherwise, he wouldn’t be calling her “sister.”
Jiang Yue felt completely at ease and genuinely happy. She’d been thinking about those shoes for a long time, and now that worry, which had been weighing on her heart for ages, was finally resolved perfectly!
Tomorrow morning, she and Xiang Sui would be leaving the base and returning to the academy.
At five o’clock the next morning, Ye Qian knocked on Jiang Yue’s door. She was holding a brand-new shoebox in her arms, with faint dark circles under her eyes.
“Please help me give this to Jiang Sen. Thank you.”
Jiang Yue nodded rapidly, like a pecking chick. “Of course! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets it.”
The ones assigned to escort Jiang Yue and Xiang Sui out of the base were Ye Xi and Lu Xiu.
The two first-year cadets had their eyes covered and ears plugged before being casually tossed into the back seat by the two majors.
The lingering scent of the blue-eyed millipede gradually faded away, marking the end of this unforgettable journey.
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152