Chapter 29 – Like a Dream

The air suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Zuo Qingshan stood at the door, watching the scene before him. His heart was filled with complexity and shock. There was even a moment when he didn’t know how to control and manage his expression.

Lu Xingwang slowly put down the toy bear in his hand and remained calm. “Why didn’t you inform me when the General came?”

“Well, um…” Zuo Qingshan, a resolute and vigorous young man, suddenly felt a bit flustered. He was the one who should be nervous since he was doing something guilty, but inexplicably, he became timid. “I saw A Ruo wasn’t outside, so I came in first. I didn’t expect to disturb Your Highness.”

Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that, General?”

Zuo Qingshan’s gaze fell on that damn bear, which had a strong presence. The cute orange toy bear had a smiling face, appearing simple, honest, and awkward at the same time. He cleared his throat and forced himself to look away. “I just didn’t expect Your Highness to have such… unique hobbies in private.”

Lu Xingwang remained expressionless. “That’s not mine.”

Zuo Qingshan’s nosy spirit was ignited. “Then whose is it?”

Actually, he wasn’t the type of person who liked to inquire about others’ preferences, but if the subject of gossip was Lu Xingwang, then the significance would be completely different! Who wouldn’t be curious about the privacy of a Stan Star girl’s dream lover? Who would refuse to discuss a silly and foolish toy bear?

Lu Xingwang glanced at Zuo Qingshan with profound eyes. “I didn’t know that General Qingshan also had a fondness for gossip.”

Zuo Qingshan cleared his throat. “It was just a casual question.”

For some reason, he felt a bit resistant when he came, and there was still a certain distance between him and Lu Xingwang. But inexplicably, with this annoying bear as an interruption, that sense of unfamiliarity seemed to lessen all at once. It was as if in his heart, Lu Xingwang was originally a figure beyond reach, standing on a pedestal. But now, this unattainable person had suddenly come down from the pedestal, holding a toy bear.

Lu Xingwang’s voice came down. “Please have a seat, General.”

Zuo Qingshan complied and walked over to sit down. “Do you have any leads regarding my father’s matter, Your Highness?”

“Well, I have a few speculations that need confirmation.” Lu Xingwang enlarged the information screen, and several pop-up windows appeared, showing the personnel information of the interstellar thieves. “Although it took some time, I still managed to find out that these individuals had some suspicious transactions with the Stan Star Bank in the past six months…”

All the signs indicate that this incident was not an accident.

Zuo Qingshan’s expression became more serious. His clenched fist tightened unconsciously. The young man, who was already hot-tempered, spoke up, “It must be the Queen’s people who did this!”

Lu Xingwang casually closed the information screen and spoke, “The former Prime Minister had numerous assets under his command, including the largest Bilichi Bank on this planet. If he wished, he could have handled this transaction using safer and more covert methods.”

Zuo Qingshan asked, “Are you suggesting that the Queen acted on her own without consulting the former Prime Minister?”

“…,” Lu Xingwang fell silent for a moment before responding, “What I mean is that the mastermind behind the scenes may not be the Queen.”

“Not her?!” Zuo Qingshan became unhappy as soon as he heard that, getting quite worked up. “If it’s not her, then who else could it be? Your Highness, what’s going on? Are you trying to defend the Queen?”

Lu Xingwang frowned, “What benefits would I gain from defending her?”

Zuo Qingshan choked for a moment.

Because they were face to face, he could clearly see the horrifying scars on Lu Xingwang’s usually handsome face. It was a sight that was shocking to behold, and it made one hesitate to imagine the pain the person must have endured.

“Then…” Zuo Qingshan finally calmed down, and he unknowingly started to trust Lu Xingwang. “What does Your Highness mean?”

Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow and looked at him with profound eyes that seemed bottomless. “General Qingshan, if you think about it, if you and I join forces to deal with the Crown Prince, who would be the biggest winner?”

Zuo Qingshan fell into deep thought. Finally, his pupils dilated slightly as he uttered a serious name, “The Second Prince, Lu Xinci.”

Lu Xingwang nodded. “It’s highly possible.”

The Second Prince had always maintained an innocent and unambitious demeanor, sometimes even intentionally reducing his presence to avoid drawing attention. But looking at it from a different perspective, how many people who grew up healthily and endearingly in the imperial family would be simple characters?

Zuo Qingshan’s face gradually became stern, and he began discussing the actual matter at hand. “Your Highness, I had the medicine you usually drink sent for testing, and indeed, there are some issues.”

Lu Xingwang was not surprised. “Even if I don’t have much time left, they wouldn’t want me to live for too long.”

Zuo Qingshan no longer knew whom to trust. “We don’t know if it was the Crown Prince or the Second Prince’s doing, but you definitely can’t consume the medicine.”

Lu Xingwang nodded.

The more calm and composed he appeared, the more Zuo Qingshan felt that this person was truly unfathomable. It was completely opposite to his own character, where he would burst if he had something to say. “Don’t you think about what to do next? The high priests have probably been bribed, and you can’t take the medicine anymore. What about your illness?”

Lu Xingwang said, “Just find another doctor from outside the palace for my treatment. I’ll rely on you for this, General Qingshan.”

Zuo Qingshan choked up.

“Do you really trust me that much?” The more Zuo Qingshan thought about it, the more he found it hard to believe. “What if we can’t find one? The high priests serving in the palace are among the best physicians. Not to mention the difficulty of finding someone outside, but if we can’t find one, then you…”

“General Qingshan, there’s no need to worry,” Lu Xingwang sat by the table, his youthful posture upright but without giving off a sense of tension. He poured a cup of tea from a teapot on the table and spoke calmly, “If I don’t consume the medicine from the palace, perhaps I can live a few more years.”

Zuo Qingshan:…

Your Highness, you’re truly humorous.

He was deeply worried, but seeing Lu Xingwang’s composed appearance, he felt that he was needlessly concerned. As he prepared to leave with a wave of his sleeves, he heard a call from behind, “General Qingshan.”

“Whether it’s your father’s matter or the Crown Prince, we can’t make a move now while the enemy is hidden and we’re exposed, but…”

Lu Xingwang sat by the table, his black eyes fixed on him without wavering. Compared to his earlier nonchalant demeanor, he now seemed to reveal a hint of sharpness. He smirked and his words carried a touch of arrogance, “These accounts will be settled one by one.”

Although it was just a simple statement, it felt like a calming pill.

Even though Lu Xingwang’s current behavior was different from before, Zuo Qingshan couldn’t find anything wrong with it. It was as if… this person was inherently strong-willed and assertive.

But…

The time for action had not yet come, and he could trust Lu Xingwang.

…

On the other side,

Jian Mei finished tidying up his clothes and returned, searching all over the room for his teddy bear!

Shen Meina called him to have a meal, but he didn’t stop and asked, “Meimei, what are you looking for?”

Jian Mei searched for a while, sweating profusely, and stood up to answer, “I’m looking for my teddy bear. I remember I left it on the bed, but it’s gone after I came back with my clothes.”

“How could this happen?” Shen Meina didn’t believe it. “Did you forget it somewhere?”

Jian Mei scratched her head and muttered to herself, “I did put it properly.”

In the end, the whole family searched around in order to feed the child. They turned the house upside down but couldn’t find it, making it the most mysterious event of the day.

Shen Meina wondered, “It’s really strange.”

Jian’s father always believed in science. He comforted his wife and children, saying, “There are no ghosts in this world. We must believe in science. It’s also possible that with so many people coming and going in the house these days, someone unknowingly took it.”

The grandfather at the dining table said, “It seems we should install surveillance in the yard.”

Jian Mei felt very sad and couldn’t eat much at the table. His low mood was apparent to everyone, and it made others feel sorry for him.

Jian Changjia was the first to speak, “Isn’t it just a bear? Why are you so distraught? Just buy another one.”

Jian Mei pursed his lips, feeling a bit wronged. “It’s not just a bear. You can’t buy it…”

Jian Changjia didn’t believe it. “What’s so special about it?”

“That bear was a gift from my brother,” Jian Mei said with his head lowered and his voice subdued. “It was the first gift.”

Suddenly, everyone’s gaze fell on Jian Changjia.

Surrounded by their stares, Jian Changjia became somewhat flustered and spoke in a harsh tone, “When did I give you a bear?”

Jian Mei answered, “It was when I was nine years old.”

Jian Changjia wanted to argue, but he suddenly recalled something and the words got stuck in his throat. If they were talking about the bear, he seemed to have some recollection. It should have been when he was in his teens. He had a good-looking appearance and many girls liked him. At that time, someone even confronted him in front of his house and forcefully gave him the bear.

When he returned home, ready to throw it away, he happened to encounter his annoying younger brother, who kept saying how cute the bear was and made a fuss about it. To shut him up, Jian Changjia casually said, “If you like it, you can have it.”

Jian Mei seemed quite happy back then.

For Jian Changjia, it was just a casual thing. He had even forgotten about the bear a long time ago. But unexpectedly, Jian Mei considered it to be so important. Now that it was lost, he couldn’t think of anything else and lost his appetite.

Jian Changjia cleared his throat, feeling a mix of emotions. “That was so long ago. Can’t you have some self-control? You should have thrown away old things a long time ago.”

Jian Mei lifted his head, his eyes slightly red. One glance at him made people feel guilty. The unhappy child clearly didn’t want to talk to him. He casually took a few bites of food and stood up, saying, “I’m full.”

Jian Changjia said, “Hey… you…”

Jian Mei was annoyed, but his voice remained soft. “Continue eating, big brother.”

…

The person who said those words turned around and left the dining room, running upstairs.

Back in his room, Jian Mei couldn’t let it go and searched around again. Still, he couldn’t find the little bear. He felt extremely upset and messaged Lu Xing in frustration, “Are you there?”

After sending it, he regretted it a little.

He felt like a bucket of negative energy. Would he be bothering people with his messages?

Sighing, Jian Mei put his phone down and started exploring the newly downloaded “All Medicine” app. It had a wide variety of herbs, and each one had an “Add to Cart” button below it. The currency used for purchasing was all in points, with no option for real currency (RMB). The rarer the herb, the more expensive it was, with some costing hundreds of points.

Jian Mei noticed a search bar and decided to search for some herbs. He was surprised, “They really exist!”

He was delighted and remembered that his grandfather and the others were still worried about not finding the herbs. He quickly bounced off the bed and sneaked into the study. He found the pharmacy his grandfather had mentioned on the table. The rest of the family was downstairs eating, so no one knew about his actions. After taking a picture, he returned to his room and started searching for the herbs according to the prescription.

The most precious herb was Xiangzhucao, requiring 200 points.

There were also various other herbs, and when added together, they used up all of Jian Mei’s points.

After placing the order, the app prompted him: “Order placed successfully. Processing and delivery in progress. Estimated delivery within 48 hours. Please keep your communication open.”

It was Jian Mei’s first time shopping online, and he didn’t know if the app was scamming him, but since he didn’t have much to lose, he decided to give it a try. He held his phone and said, “I hope it’s real.”

At this moment, he had no idea of the terrifying wealth he possessed. Those rare and even extinct plants and herbs were already priceless, let alone finding them in an app and exchanging them for free points.

“Ding Dong”

A message arrived on WeChat.

Jian Mei clicked on it, and it was a message from Lu Xingwang: “What’s wrong?”

After going through the process of placing the order, Jian Mei was not as upset anymore, and he didn’t want Lu Xingwang to be unhappy with him either, so he shrugged and said, “It’s nothing.”

Lu Xingwang sensitively sensed it: “Not happy?”

“Well… I’m okay.” When asked like this, all the grievances that Jian Mei had suppressed finally surged up. “My bear is missing.”

Lu Xingwang remained silent for a moment and glanced at the teddy bear on his desk.

Jian Mei felt very sad. “It’s all my fault for being careless and losing the bear.”

Lu Xingwang looked at the innocent-looking toy bear and asked him, “Do you really like these things?”

Jian Mei took the Armor Warrior that Xiaopeng had given him from the bedside table, hugged it for a while, and replied to Lu Xingwang, “Actually, it’s not that I refuse to grow up and still like toys. It’s just like what my brother said. It’s already old, the eyes aren’t that bright anymore, it used to have a button that could sing, but now it’s just an ordinary, faded bear with damaged stuffing. But it has been with me for a long time, and I can’t bear to part with it.”

The more he talked, the sadder Jian Mei became. Unfortunately, as soon as he finished speaking, Lu Xingwang suddenly disappeared as if he had evaporated from the world, not responding to his messages. This sudden silence made him even more upset. The person who asked him was also Lu Xingwang, but now it seemed like he said his piece and vanished. How infuriating.

Fine, I won’t respond to him later.

Even if the teddy bear was lost, Jian Mei still placed an order for the herbal medicine on the app, just so he could help Lu Xingwang with his illness. But now, Lu Xingwang wouldn’t even reply to a message. It was truly disappointing.

Feeling wronged, Jian Mei put his phone aside and curled up in bed, ready to sleep for a while. However, just as he was about to fall asleep, his phone suddenly vibrated with a “ding” and woke him up.

Jian Mei, who had vowed to ignore him, suddenly became wide awake and quickly picked up his phone. He saw Lu Xingwang’s reply: “Is it this bear?”

Then, in front of Jian Mei, the charger not far away lit up.

A white light surrounded the charger’s body, gradually outlining the shape of a bear. It became clearer and clearer, until finally, a bright orange bear fell onto the bed out of thin air. Moreover… it was brand new and shiny, with none of the fading or mechanical faults that Jian Mei had mentioned before.

“Oh my god.”

This was simply… like a dream.