Chapter 23

She was timid by nature.

The bright flame, like a fiery red moon in the night, drew everyone's attention. If such a thing were placed on her, the timid girl would definitely be terrified.

However, when Hughes squeezed her small hand, his palm was icy cold, as if it were about to freeze.

Her body is truly delicate.

The warmth of an open flame is perfect for her.

At the same time, Elder Gao frowned in disapproval, "Your Highness."

Hughes didn't take it seriously. He glanced at Elder Gao with his usual cold eyes, which didn't seem to have any particular meaning. But for some reason, Elder Gao subconsciously swallowed back the words he was about to say.

At the same time, Hughes's large hand also brushed across Xia Qian's head.

Hughes was usually rather aloof, but what he did to this little slave was completely out of character for his usual cold demeanor.

This is so unlike their usual aloof and arrogant Crown Prince.

They even gave the little slaves an open flame as something to keep them warm.

this--

The elders were filled with complex emotions, and their gazes toward Xia Qian became even more complicated.

Hughes's hand brushed through her hair. He should have withdrawn his hand by now, but it remained on Xia Qian's head. He whispered to her, "Take it."

Everyone was watching her.

Xia Qian responded to him in a similarly low voice, "What would I do with it?"

The voices were very soft, like two people whispering.

As soon as Xia Qian finished speaking, she heard the words that Hughes had said earlier.

Keep warm.

She shrank her neck; she really felt cold. But it seemed like she was the only one around who felt that way. Everyone else seemed normal. Even Hughes had taken off his cloak and given it to her, leaving her in only a robe, yet he didn't feel cold at all.

Is it because her constitution is too weak?

He awakened his superpowers, but didn't train them, so his physique was just like that of an ordinary person before he awakened them—extremely weak.

Just then, Yu Si slowly stepped forward with a gentle smile, "Let's go."

“The starship is already heading this way. By the time we reach our destination, the starship should have landed safely,” Yu Si said.

He had barely finished speaking when his gaze suddenly shifted to Xia Qian. "Miss Xia must be cold too. We should get into the starship as soon as possible."

The bright moonlight shone on him, making Yu Si's handsome face, which bore a resemblance to Xiu Si, even clearer. He was wearing a gentle smile, yet he didn't look like Xiu Si at all.

His smile made the two of them look even more dissimilar.

They're not like brothers; they're more like two extremes.

Like twins born to be opposites, they can never be together.

They were destined to become enemies.

She secretly glanced at Hughes, who was holding her hand as they walked. The starship was not far from them, and everyone walked behind Hughes, including Yu Si.

For some reason, she recalled the ending of Yu Si in the book.

If the Empress hadn't been attacked by enemy spies while she was pregnant, causing her to be severely weakened, her pregnancy unstable, and almost miscarry, Yu Si wouldn't have been born so ordinary.

His parents were both highly respected figures, both from his father's and mother's clans. Every member of their family was a prominent figure in the empire, yet he was born into such an ordinary family.

When he was born, everyone in the empire had high expectations, but no one could have imagined that the eldest son of the empire's young and powerful king would be an ordinary person, an ordinary person without any superpowers.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the position of Crown Prince should belong to Yu Si.

However, Yu Si did not inherit the divine bloodline. He didn't even have any special abilities and was just an ordinary person.

His body was still very weak and sickly, not even as good as some of the lowest-ranking slaves.

Everyone said he wouldn't live past eight, but he's now twenty and still alive.

But this tenacious yet fragile vitality is of no use to the heirs of the empire.

What they want is a powerful and young crown prince.

Therefore, the right of succession once fell to Hans, the son of the king's brother and a member of the collateral branch of the royal family. Although he did not inherit much of the divine blood, or even just a little bit, he was still the Crown Prince in the hearts of the elders and the people, compared to Yu Si, who had nothing.

Therefore, Yu Si is not eligible for inheritance.

Hans became the first member of a collateral branch in the history of the empire to have the right to inherit.

The king even changed his name, giving him the name that was originally intended for his son, and named him Hans.

From then on, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hans was the heir apparent to the empire.

Everyone sees him as the future crown prince, only lacking a public ceremony.

However, no one expected that the empress would become pregnant again.

This time it's another boy.

Everyone is saying that the Empress's child will probably be an ordinary person this time.

Judging from the sickly appearance of His Highness Yu Si, it's likely that the second prince won't be much stronger either.

However, no one expected that the child in the Empress's arms, whom everyone had defined as sickly, would be born in a way that would surprise everyone.

Like the beginning of all heroic myths, the boy was destined to be extraordinary from birth, destined to have a name, and to leave his own mark on the powerful continent of the empire.

All prejudice and arrogance vanished in that moment, and everything afterward fell into place.

Like a chosen one favored by heaven, he was surrounded by a layer of holy light when he was born. The baby did not cry, but slept quietly. His small forehead bore the mark of divine blood, unlike the little bit of divine blood that Hans had luckily inherited.

Hughes inherited every last drop of divine blood.

Unlike his brother, whose career started strong but faded and gradually lost its presence, the boy seemed to have captured everyone's attention from the moment he was born, and everything that followed was taken for granted.

Therefore, the young man naturally received the adoration of the elders and inherited the title of Crown Prince, becoming the first in line to the throne of the empire after the King.

I really don't know what kind of feelings Yu Si has after witnessing everything about Hughes, from his birth to the present.

Are you jealous? Are you insecure?

Xia Qian secretly looked up and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Yu Si wore a gentle smile, even when no one was around. Unlike Hughes's coldness, Yu Si was a completely harmless person from beginning to end.

Xia Qian thought that if he had been born in ancient times, he would have been a truly elegant gentleman.

The dashing gentleman in the hearts of all ladies.

His smile reached his eyes, those gentle eyes that seemed to hold no emotion other than laughter.

They didn't even care.

Yu Si is like a meticulously crafted doll, wearing a smiling mask from beginning to end.

There was nothing else.

Xia Qian looked at him, and unconsciously wanted to see through him, trying to find something beneath his flawless exterior.

Just then, a very imposing gaze fell upon her, and a deep voice, with a cold tone, said, "Xiaxia,"

Before she could recover, the flame in her hand suddenly went out. Xia Qian looked down and saw that her other hand was empty; there was no flame left.

Hughes took back the open flame.

She shivered from the cold. "It's so cold."

Her voice was low and sounded somewhat aggrieved.

However, Hughes' expression was indifferent. He held Xia Qian's hand, and at the same time, his other hand suddenly came from behind and grabbed her waist.

Hughes said in a low, cold voice, "We're about to go up the stairs. Keep your eyes on the road."

You are not allowed to look at other things.

"...It's so cold."

The starship's temperature is already quite high for people with superpowers.

But for Xia Qian, who was physically weak, everything around her was cold, and the air seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.

Hughes's eyes darkened.

His excessively pale hand suddenly lit up, and a ball of fire appeared from his palm.

Unlike the temperature around Hughes, that ball of fire carried a hint of warmth, making Xia Qian unable to resist moving closer to him.

However, the boy's hand gripped her wrist, his eyes were cold, and his fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to look up and stare at him.

This was supposed to be a very rough action.

But the boy's strength was gentle, very light.

It's like the intimacy between lovers.

For some reason, Xia Qian felt inexplicably afraid.

When Hughes is fierce, it's alright; she knows he'll be a little fierce towards her when he's in a bad mood. But when he's gentle, Xia Qian can never figure out what he's up to.

She instinctively turned her head away.

Like a frightened kitten, it tries to run away.

However, Hughes's aura enveloped her.

The boy even thoughtfully bent down to make up for the height difference between them.

His aggressive gaze lingered on her face, and his hand, which had been holding her chin, inexplicably loosened, then gently brushed his fingertips across her lips.

Before Xia Qian could react, Hughes had already approached her.

His handsome face was right in front of her.

She became even more frightened, and the premonition in her heart grew stronger, "Hughes..."

The girl is a very timid cat.

Every time I looked at him, it was like a small animal looking at a dangerous, huge beast.

His eyes darkened.

For the first time, the usually powerful young man began to suppress the powerful aura of the divine blood within him.

He looked at Xia Qian, his pupils reflecting her wet eyes, and Hughes spoke honestly, word by word, "I want to kiss you."

He gently stroked her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear, his tone as tender as that of a loving couple. Hughes whispered, "We're boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we?"