4 chapter 4
◎A Sober Madman◎
Lan Ye lifted Lan Yang's chin and said softly, "Do you know why Lan Hong is stationed at the Swordfish Galaxy while you are attending a banquet?"
"Because the young master thinks I'm good at talking," Lan Yang replied.
Lan Ye patted his face, "If you can talk, then talk more. We'll be counting on you to help us with all the celebrations in the future."
"No, I still think I'm better suited for the front lines." Lan Yang gave up his banter; if he kept talking, his return to the front lines would be delayed even further.
Lan Ye released Lan Yang, stood up from the hover chair, his smile vanished, and he said coldly, "Still no news?"
"No," Lan Yang said solemnly, without uttering another word.
In fact, Lan Ye received all the news immediately, so asking him was pointless. He could express his own opinions on other matters, but when it came to the disappearance of Crown Prince Regas, even his return to Lan Ye had to be extremely cautious.
This matter is Lan Ye's Achilles' heel. If he dares to spread false information for the sake of merit or fame, death would be a relief.
The room fell silent. At that moment, Lan Yang and his group even shuffled their breaths carefully.
Lan Ye is a calm madman. He went insane when Crown Prince Regas disappeared. During that time, all the pirate alliances in the Southern Region star systems were wiped out, and the Southern Region star system fleet continued to explore unknown star systems to the south, merging with several large star systems. As the commander of the army and fleet, Lan Hua was always at the forefront.
Lan Yang still remembers Lan Hua, who was fighting on the front line, burning her life like fire, scorching everything around her, crazy, dangerous and dazzling.
If it weren't for Duke Lanxi's inability to stand by and watch, and his decision to kidnap him and bring him back to Chaohua Manor, confiscate all his weapons, and send a battalion of elite soldiers to surround the manor so that not even a fly could get out, trapping him for a month, he probably would have killed himself long ago while risking his life on the front lines.
"That was wishful thinking on my part," Lan Ye chuckled. If there were any news about that person, he would definitely know immediately.
He walked to the window and looked out. Rickens Estate was very close to the palace; from the window, he could see the roof of the main palace, Viñolens Palace.
“If my father hadn’t stopped me, I probably would have reached the capital planet two years ago.” Lan Ye looked at the Vinoren Palace in the distance and chuckled. “Back then, I thought that no matter whether I won or lost, I would burn that palace down.”
If anyone else had said that, Lan Yang would have thought they were just dreaming. But Lan Yang knew that the person by the window had actually considered doing it, and had almost acted on it. If this person hadn't completely lost their mind and retained a sliver of rationality, the entire Southern Region and the entire Silver Radiance Empire would have truly been dragged into war.
“I never imagined that two years later, I would actually be holding a wedding there.” The coldness and solemnity around Lan Ye disappeared when he turned around again. He seemed to have become that carefree and unrestrained person again. He said to Lan Yang, “Just thinking about how it will be a heartbreaking wedding makes me feel that the Vinoren Palace is a sad place. I even want to burn it down.”
"Tsk, why aren't you saying anything?" Lan Ye clicked his tongue, asking knowingly.
"I can't answer that," Lan Yang said "honestly."
Only a madman like Lan Ye would dare to say such rebellious and crazy things. Moreover, he not only dares to say them, but he would also dare to do them if no one stopped him. Having met someone like him, Lan Yang felt that the reason he hadn't gone bald was because of his optimistic and easygoing attitude.
Lan Ye sighed, "Everyone says I'm just a pretty face in the entertainment industry with mediocre acting skills. But they don't know how hard I've worked. I've used all my acting skills to give them a great show, the kind that will go down in history."
"Young Master, you are truly amazing." Lan Yang clapped in agreement.
“If your tone were less sarcastic and more sincere, I would truly believe you.” Lan Ye glanced at the time and said, “It’s about time; you should go.”
It seems that Lan Yang really only came to deliver a few words to Duke Lanxi, and left not long afterward. He neither gave Lan Ye anything nor attended the banquet specially prepared for them.
The events at Riggins Estate naturally reached the ears of the Third Prince, Osset, without any concealment.
As Ou Sai watched the projection, he saw Lan Yang and his group's impatient expressions upon entering the manor, and their expressionless exit from Lan Ye's room shortly after entering, seemingly only carrying a few words. Lan Yang, as a servant of the Lan family, showed no respect whatsoever to Lan Ye, who possessed Lan family blood.
Lan Ye's room was originally equipped with surveillance cameras, but as a popular celebrity in the entertainment industry, Lan Ye was constantly being followed and secretly filmed, making him extremely sensitive to and averse to surveillance equipment. Therefore, when he first moved in, he had his bodyguards conduct a thorough search and disable the surveillance cameras. This was done in front of Ou Sai, who at that time still harbored illusions and expectations about the Lan family, and thus indulged Lan Ye to some extent, letting him do as he pleased.
"Although we don't know what they said to Young Master Lan Ye, it wasn't long, and their expressions when they came in and left showed that they were just doing what Duke Lan Xi had assigned them," the steward of Riggins Manor reported to Osei.
"Understood." After saying that, Osei turned off the call and the projector.
It seems that inviting Quinn Subeck tonight was a wise move. Lan Ye's plan has failed, but the Subeck family's support is now within easy reach.
Although the Lan family did not support him, they were a neutral family and did not support the other two princes either. If he gained the support of the Subec family, he could still compete with his remaining two brothers.
The only pity is that he hasn't even had a chance to taste Lan Ye's flesh yet. If he had known the Lan family didn't take him seriously, he shouldn't have indulged his whims and agreed to wait until after the wedding. Now, he even hopes Lan Ye isn't of the Lan family bloodline. If Lan Ye isn't, then even if he doesn't marry Lan Ye, he has plenty of ways to hide him away.
There are limits to the beauty that can be achieved through genetic optimization. Jia Ni's stunning appearance is the result of extreme genetic optimization. Lan Ye's preciousness lies in the fact that his appearance is a masterpiece of nature.
"Lan Ye—" Ou Sai whispered, "I really hate to let you go, it's such a pity—"
"Your Highness, Marquis Quinn has arrived." His palace steward's projection appeared in the room, reporting to Osei.
“Please invite him to the reception room,” Osser said, checking the security cameras outside. After seeing Quinn enter the reception room led by the butler, he changed his clothes with the help of servants and then walked towards the reception room.
"Excellent tea," Quinn remarked as he sipped his tea. Then, he put down his cup and smiled, "I've heard that tea originated in ancient China, and it seems that Your Highness's soon-to-be husband is also of Chinese descent."
“My lord, please speak frankly.” Osser ran the lid across the rim of the cup and looked at Quinn.
Quinn Subek also looked up at Osei.
It must be said that this prince was indeed handsome and dashing, possessing the qualities to make people swoon. However, his greatest advantage was not his good looks, but rather that he bore a striking resemblance to the missing Crown Prince Regas.
Ironically, the fourth prince, Riel, was Regas's biological brother, but the one who looked most like Regas among the four princes was the third prince, Ose, who was his half-brother.
“I wasn’t the one who was supposed to represent the Northern Region at His Highness’s wedding,” he said. “I came with Gani to help him relax; he hasn’t been in a good mood lately.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Gani is a treasure of our Subec family, and the entire Subec family is Gani's support. We just want him to be happy."
“Gani is as beautiful as the bright moon; no one could bear to see him sad.” Osei’s smile held a hint of tenderness.
"Is Your Highness the same?" Quinn looked directly at Ose.
Osei lowered his eyes and sighed softly, "Of course I feel the same way. How could I bear to make him sad?"
Quinn laughed heartily, "Gani was right about Your Highness. Your Highness has treated Gani so well, so our Subec family will naturally repay Your Highness in return."
“I will not let him down,” Ose said with a smile. He made a promise, and he received a promise in return.
Their eyes met, and everything was understood without a word.
******
The Third Prince's wedding was held at the Viñolens Palace.
Normally, only the weddings of the Crown Prince and the Emperor could be held at Vinoren Palace; the weddings of other members of the royal family were arranged in their respective palaces or residences. However, this was the first large-scale celebration held by the royal family in two years, so an exception was made and it was allowed to be held at Vinoren Palace. This wedding was not only attracting the attention of the entire Silver Glow Empire, but also across the star systems covered by the Star Network.
The entire StarNet was filled with news about Lan Ye and her wedding, creating a lively atmosphere. Any headline containing Lan Ye's name would see a surge in attention.
Public opinion is divided on Lan Ye's marriage to the Third Prince. There are differing opinions on whether he is happy, whether his relationship with the Third Prince is true love, whether he is merely a figurehead, and whether Jia Ni poses a threat to his future marriage. However, the fact that Lan Ye is about to marry into a wealthy family is already widely accepted.
In reality, however, Lan Ye and his temporary residence, Riggins Manor, seemed to have been forgotten by the royal family and the guests invited to the wedding. Apart from Lan Yang, who briefly visited Riggins Manor on the orders of Duke Lan Xi, no one else had come to visit, not even the Third Prince, who hadn't set foot there for several days.
In contrast to the desolation of Riggins Manor, the Sobek family's residence on the capital planet, Hoffman Palace, was bustling with activity.
Gani Subek, the most beloved young master of the Subek family, lives here. To keep him from getting bored, Hoffman Palace holds various balls and salons every day, inviting royal nobles from the capital planet to participate.
The entire Hoffman Palace had become the most prestigious social center on the capital planet during this period. The Third Prince, who had been nowhere to be seen at Riggins Estate, was now being spotted in person on the dance floor here.
Gani also uploaded a photo of herself dancing with the Third Prince to her Weibo account the night before the wedding.
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