Chapter 2 – The Owner of the Phone. Are you there?

Stan Star

As the strongest star in the universe, Stan Star possesses the most advanced technology in the entire cosmos and enjoys the richest and abundant resources. Despite such a planet, a constitutional monarchy is still in place, where the more capable and pure-blooded individuals hold higher positions. People from different social classes perform their respective duties, forming this orderly, powerful, and mysterious kingdom.

The Imperial Palace

The magnificent castle stands tall in the golden position of the central city, with white doves flying around, the sound of bells echoing, and faint clouds swirling. It exudes extraordinary majesty. At this moment, the castle, known as the highest authority and the residence of the imperial nobility, seems calm on the surface but hides turbulent undercurrents.

The doors were pushed open from the outside, and even before the person arrived, their voice rang out, “Third brother, I heard you woke up.”

The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

The man standing at the door didn’t receive a response, but he didn’t seem embarrassed. A wicked smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, although his words sounded concerned, “Big brother heard that you haven’t been in good condition since you woke up. I understand that you are grieving for our deceased mother. The matter of Lady Lan’s passing is indeed regrettable, but the departed are already gone. If you let yourself be overwhelmed like this, won’t it make the late Lady unable to rest in peace?”

In the spacious and bright room, Lu Xingwang, who should have been resting by the bedside, sat quietly on the soft couch near the window. His figure was somewhat weak, but his back was straight. Just a silhouette exuded a sense of loneliness and indifference. The man’s hand rested on the armrest of the couch, fair and slender. Just looking at it would evoke endless imagination.

Lu Wei stood by the window, holding a medicine bottle. “Why have you lost so much weight in just a few days? How can big brother not worry about you in your current state?”

Perhaps because of his incessant talking, Lu Xingwang, who had been facing away, finally turned his head. Half of his face was covered in dark red markings, terrifying scars resembling gnarled branches. The handsome face that had once captivated the hearts of countless girls on Stan Star now appeared so eerie.

Lu Xingwang raised his eyelids to look at him, a cold smile playing on his lips. “What is big brother worried about? Worried that I might die?”

Lu Wei’s expression changed, and the most unbearable side of his heart was exposed, making him somewhat embarrassed. However, he still hypocritically armored himself, saying, “Little brother, you’re just joking, isn’t it wrong for me, as your older brother and the Emperor’s son, to be concerned about you after the Empress’s passing?”

While speaking words of concern, he couldn’t help but want to tear apart Lu Xingwang’s scars at every opportunity.

Sure enough, when Lu Xingwang heard about the death of Lady Lan, his dark eyes dimmed slightly. This discovery delighted Lu Wei. From childhood to adulthood, as the older brother, he had been inferior to his younger brother in every aspect, becoming the laughingstock of the entire Stan Star. Now, given the chance, how could he not trample Lu Xingwang ruthlessly.

Lu Wei deliberately placed the medicine bottle in front of Lu Xingwang and said, “Big brother knows that you’re not in a good mood lately, but you still need to take your medicine on time. Take care of yourself.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t respond and his voice was cold, “No need to bother, big brother.”

Lu Wei held his hand in midair for a while, feeling increasingly ignored and angry. A trace of maliciousness flickered in his eyes, but quickly, a smile appeared on his lips. He calmly placed the medicine on the nearby table and looked down at Lu Xingwang, who was sitting in a chair, saying, “Little brother, it’s fine if you want to be stubborn with me, but how can you go against your own body? The doctors have said that if you don’t rely on medication to counteract the poison in your body, you might not survive…”

A maid behind them quickly spoke up, “Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

Lu Wei’s words were interrupted. He glanced at Lu Xingwang and met the chilling gaze of the young man with a face like a ghost. The words that came out of the person in front of him were deep and hoarse, questioning him, “Not survive what?”

“Oh, so you still don’t know, little brother.”

Lu Wei seemed to have just realized it and made a pained expression. “Not long ago, when you and Concubine Lan were rescued, the rescue efforts were in vain, and Concubine Lan died. You were also affected by the poison bomb from those interstellar thieves. Emperor Father invited the highest-ranking divine official in the palace who specializes in healing, but even they couldn’t remove the toxins. The poison from that bomb is extremely potent, as the divine official explained…”

Lu Xingwang involuntarily clenched his slender, pale hand on the chair.

There was a poisonous malice in Lu Wei’s eyes, and he said word by word, “If you cooperate with the treatment, it can only guarantee your life for another 4-5 years.”

It felt like a needle piercing the heart, causing unbearable pain.

“And…” as if he still felt it was not enough, Lu Wei deliberately lowered his body, his gaze filled with pity. “Because your injuries were too severe, in order to save your life, the divine official had to use Yin-Yang Reversal Water. Although it saved your life, the medicinal effect of the divine water reshaped your meridians. From now on, little brother, I’m afraid you won’t be able to use your divine power anymore.”

After saying this, he stared at Lu Xingwang intently, staring at the one who was once the pride of the entire Stan Star Imperial Family, the prodigy blessed with the strongest natural divine power from birth. Stan Star was a planet favored by the gods, and a portion of its people were born with powers bestowed by the gods. Divine powers were also classified into different levels, and while Lu Wei possessed a relatively ordinary power, someone like Lu Xingwang, who could manipulate the five elements of nature, only appeared once in thousands of years.

But that was all in the past.

An immense sense of pleasure welled up in Lu Wei’s heart. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time!

Next, he wanted to see what Lú Xīngwàng’s reaction would be when he heard that his death was approaching. Without divine power and his mother’s protection, could he still be as proud as before after falling from the divine altar? Would he beg for mercy?

Lú Xīngwàng seemed to be confirming something, saying, “Still resorting to Yin and Yang water?”

To Lù Wēi’s surprise, he didn’t receive the reaction he had expected.

The young man on the chair raised his eyelids and looked at him. His hawk-like eyes were profound, his back straight. It seemed that he would never reveal any weakness or vulnerability at any time. This superior posture, as if looking down on Lù Wēi, even made him feel, for a moment, that he, a standing person, was being looked down upon by a sitting person.

In Lù Wēi’s gaze, Lú Xīngwàng, burdened by his own weight, stood up. The young man’s figure was like a dilapidated branch, but when he stood up, he seemed to be slightly taller than Lù Wēi. Standing by the window, the sunlight outside spilled onto him. The person by the window, backlit, carried a solemn sense of oppression and said, “Still resorting to Yin and Yang water, didn’t you use it for the Empress Mother?”

Lù Wēi hadn’t spoken yet, but the maid behind him hurried forward.

The maid bowed and said anxiously, “Your Highness, this is the request of the Empress Mother. She knows she won’t live much longer, and the divine water is precious. She only hopes that Your Highness can live well!”

Lú Xīngwàng’s face was pale to an unbelievable extent, his hand clenched beneath his splendid robe, and faint blue veins even emerged due to his grip.

At such a moment, Lù Wēi didn’t forget to add fuel to the fire: “The deep mother-son affection between the Empress and the Third Prince is truly moving. In such a life-or-death situation, the Empress is willing to protect you without hesitation, Third Prince. You must not disappoint this love. As the saying goes, once a person dies, they cannot be revived. You must make the most of the remaining years and rest assured, as the Crown Prince, your eldest brother will take care of you and ensure that you spend the rest of your days as happily as possible.”

He wanted to remind Lú Xīngwàng that his mother died to save him, but even if she risked her life, it only bought him a few more years of good living!

“Is that so?”

A deep, hoarse voice rang out.

Lù Wēi was feeling triumphant, but when he turned his head, he met Lú Xīngwàng’s eyes, which were as chilling as if they had been poisoned. It was not the pitiful, defeated look Lù Wēi had imagined, but rather, it was full of a deadly power. A faint smile crept upon the young man’s lips, “In that case, Elder Brother had better pray that the remaining years will be spent happily.”

Lù Wēi’s face changed drastically. “You!”

Before Lú Xīngwàng could reply, the maid hurriedly interjected, “Crown Prince, it’s time for the Third Prince’s medicine. The priest said he shouldn’t be overexerted, so it’s best to reduce visitations. Although we appreciate your kindness, please return for now.”

Lu Wei stood still, took a deep breath, and then snorted before deciding to settle the score another day. He brushed his sleeves and left.

As soon as he left, a maid rushed over to support Lu Xingwang, but her intentions were stopped by his gaze. The young man standing by the window looked like a trapped beast. His body couldn’t withstand standing for so long, but even though he was trembling all over, he didn’t show any sign of weakness. He just stared fixedly at the maid and asked, “Is what he said true?”

The maid felt a pang of pain, tears welling up in her eyes, but she could only nod gently.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m sorry…”

The maid looked at the proud young man in front of her, as if his bones had been broken overnight. She choked up and said, “Your Highness, I’m sorry…”

Lu Xingwang didn’t react much. His voice was chillingly calm. “Leave.”

The maid hesitated. “Your Highness, it’s time for your medication. The high priest said that if you don’t take it on time, there’s a risk to your life. Only the medication can…”

“Leave,” Lu Xingwang interrupted her, his gaze gradually turning cold. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

The maid cowered. “Yes.”

She quickly left and closed the door.

At the moment the door closed, the person who had been standing by the window suddenly knelt down in pain. A metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat as he coughed up a mouthful of black blood. The poison was acting up, and the medicine bottle was not far away, but he didn’t want to move an inch.

Three to four years of good life?

No divine power?

Relying on medicine to stay alive…

The boundless pain felt as if countless ants were gnawing at his body. A crimson hue appeared in Lu Xingwang’s eyes, and amidst this excruciating pain, he revealed a smile of extreme relief. The impending death from the poison didn’t seem to frighten the young man at all. Perhaps for him, it was better to live like this than to live in the other way.

However, at that moment…

“Ding!”

The sound of a message notification from the information terminal rang out.

Lu Xingwang initially didn’t want to pay attention. Who knew that not long after, the notification sound rang again? He was usually reclusive, and no one would send him messages like this except… his mother, who would bother him without hesitation. He didn’t want to look, but for some reason, Lu Xingwang opened the message and saw a long string of text.

“Hi.”

“Are you there?”

“12345678.”

For a moment, the air fell silent.

The excruciating pain from the poison outbreak even prevented the usually brilliant young man from pondering how this person became a friend on his information terminal. Cold sweat formed on his forehead as he curled up on the ground, hoping to silently endure it.

However,

Before he could catch a break, after just a few seconds, the sound of “Ding!” rang out again, incessantly, like an urgent alarm.

Lu Xingwang opened it and saw another long string of messages:

“Excuse me, are you the owner of this phone?”

“Are you there?”

“Can you reply if you received this?”

After reading all this, just when Lu Xingwang thought this person could finally stop, he didn’t expect that after a while, another message popped up on the other side:

“Hello, are you a living person?”

…

Veins bulged on Lu Xingwang’s forehead. At that moment, driven by an impulse he couldn’t explain, the young man sat up, stood up, grabbed the medicine bottle, and swallowed the pills. As the poison’s pain subsided with its suppression, he opened the reply box and typed a message:

“Not me.”

“Shut up.”