Interstellar Power Couple
Translator: Lala
Quality Check: Leslie
Editor: Chesh
First Published on Chaleuria
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Chapter 50 Part 1: Heavenly Tribulation
“I don’t agree,” Xiao Lingyu said without a second thought.
“Do you think I’m asking for your opinion?” Xiao Zhicheng’s tone was very calm, but one could still hear stifled anger in it.
“Nor am I answering your question. What I am doing is expressing my stance,” Xiao Lingyu said with finality. “Not just about getting these biological samples, I’m against even reassessing Little Jue’s elemental abilities.” Lei Jue’s origins were already very extraordinary. If someone knew that he wasn’t even human, it would be problematic, to say the least. On top of that, he would need to face his subconsciousness’ greatest fear. Xiao Lingyu knew what that was like, so he didn’t want Lei Jue to experience it even more so. Besides, why should Lei Jue go and have his powers reassessed just because someone else wanted him to?
“Your father doesn’t want this either,” Zuo Zhihuan said. “But Parliament has already voted on it, so it’s probably inevitable. We’ve already done our best; after Lei Jue provides the biological samples, all of the analysis of those samples must be done under the supervision of the Elemental User Council, Parliament, the Audit Panel, and your eldest brother, Xiao Lingqi.”
“Uncle Zuo, I understand what you mean to say,” Xiao Lingyu said. “But if giving someone something they don’t even need as compensation after forcefully taking their things could solve all problems, then why do we still need the law? The police? Also, since we’ve already confirmed that, regardless of the results of the reassessment, it will still be Little Jue’s right to decide whether or not he wants to heal people, what need could there possibly be to test the limits of his abilities? I’m afraid I can’t quite understand the logic.”
“Let it rest, Lingyu. It’s not like this is your Uncle Zuo’s idea. What use is there in saying this stuff to him?” Lei Jue patted Xiao Lingyu’s hand. “Let’s do the treatment first.” After he spoke, he didn’t wait for Xiao Lingyu to reply, but instead got up and sat next to Zuo Zhihuan. He rested the back of his hand on Zuo Zuo Zhihuan’s hand, but didn’t close his eyes like he had the previous times. Instead, he watched Xiao Lei chase the snow-capped jadewings from the window as he was healed.
Zuo Zhihuan clearly sensed Lei Jue’s straying mind, and the healing energy was not as dense as before. He followed Lei Jue’s gaze and saw Xiao Lei chasing the flock of birds in the garden.
Zuo Zhihuan was suddenly reminded of the first time Lei Jue had treated him. That time, Lei Jue had been unable to concentrate because he had been so ‘scared’ of Zuo Feng. What about this time, then? Why was Lei Jue unable to concentrate now? Was it the pressure from the reassessment he was about to face, or was it that he purely wanted freedom, like Xiao Lei right now?
Xiao Zhicheng detected this change too, but refrained from saying anything.
Lei Jue took a bit longer healing Zuo Zhihuan this time, although the effects were not as good as before. It looked like he had already done his best, however. He took back his hands and said, “Uncle Zuo, I really am apologetic. I’m not in a terribly good mood right now. I originally thought that I could gain true freedom after leaving the Lei family. Now, though, I see that it was all just wishful thinking.”
“It’s actually just a reassessment, the consequences shouldn’t… affect you too much.” Zuo Zhihuan’s voice grew smaller at the end of a sentence, because he suddenly realized that if Lei Jue’s healing abilities were being affected by the reassessment, hadn’t the biggest consequence already happened?
If I keep protesting the reassessment of my elemental abilities, what would happen?” Lei Jue asked. “Imprisonment? Or… would I lose my life?”
“It’s too much of an exaggeration to say that you’d lose your life.” Zuo Zhihuan glanced at Xiao Zhicheng. “But if you keep opposing them at the next meeting, it’s not impossible for them to imprison you.” Although an A-rank wood ability user was precious, publicly opposing Parliament’s decision wasn’t a small matter.
“So in the end, they’re still going to forcibly impose restrictions on me.” Lei Jue smiled, picking up Loquat from the couch and walking upstairs without saying whether he agreed or not.
“Little Jue, where are you going?” Xiao Lingyu asked.
“To my room. I need to prepare for a trip to the Elemental User Council.” They want him to take their punches and do nothing? Dream on.
“It seems like Little Jue is really against the matter of his reassessment?” Zuo Zhihuan asked Xiao Zhicheng after Lei Jue had disappeared into his room. He was unable to understand it. It was just an assessment and providing some biological samples, right? If he was worried that the samples would be taken to the lab and researched, he didn’t need to be—they’d already told him that the examination would be done under the supervision of many parties. So what was there to worry about?
“What he doesn’t like is probably other people making decisions for him,” Xiao Zhicheng said worriedly. “Zhihuan, you don’t know this but Little Jue lived a very repressed life before. He basically couldn’t make any decisions about his life at all, and because of that he was even depressed for a while. When he first came to our house, he didn’t even speak much, and it was only recently that things took a turn for the better. I’m really worried that if he experiences anything unpleasant, he might….’
“Uncle Zuo—” Xiao Lingyu looked at Zuo Zhihuan, sincerity in his gaze. “No matter how strong he is, Little Jue is only eighteen. He’s still in his rebellious stage. Moreover, the trauma that Lei Jianying left in him is too great. What he fears and hates the most is people forcing him to do something that he doesn’t want to do. So whenever something like this happens, he’ll inevitably rebel. Therefore, I will not agree to this thing. I’ll take Lei Jue to the Elemental User Council myself to express our views.”
After he spoke, Xiao Lingyu went upstairs to look for Lei Jue without another word.
Zuo Zhihuan remained seated where he was, deep in thought. Right at this moment, Xiao Zhicheng showed Zuo Zhihuan a documentation of Lei Jue’s life when he had first come to the Xiao family.
These records came from the Xiao family’s smart guards. Because they were outside, it wasn’t an invasion of his privacy.
Zuo Zhihuan saw in the video how Lei Jue would go for half a day without saying a word, and would always be by himself, his gaze appearing more lifeless than it did now. One could even say that the Lei Jue now and the Lei Jue back then were basically two different people.
Xiao Zhicheng switched off the screen. “All I want is to not see Lei Jue like this again.”
Zuo Zhihuan was a little more understanding now. But his understanding was just that and not more. Parliament had already made their decision, so how could it possibly be an easy feat to change it?
On the other side, Xiao Lingyu had lifted up Lei Jue’s hand and was once again reading through the information his father had sent Lei Jue. “What do you think these people want? They could have asked for anything, but they just had to ask for your sperm.”
“In my opinion, the sperm isn’t what’s important. The blood is.” Lei Jue said. “Didn’t I tell you on the way? I had a lot of blood taken from me when I was younger. Afterward, the blood was fed to various animals. At the time, the animals didn’t have any reaction. I suspect this may have something to do with Uncle pulling my sprout out. Didn’t Uncle mention that it was done in order to hide my special abilities from other people?”
“That’s right. But now you have the abilities, so these people are once again eager to test it, right?” Xiao Lingyu frowned. “That Vice Party Leader. We need to ask dad what’s up with him in a moment.”
“Don’t be so hasty—I think the situation is still salvageable. Also, does dad have a purpose in bringing Uncle Zuo here?”
“He most likely wants to use Uncle Zuo as a messenger to convey how you feel about the reassessment to Chairman Chen.” Chairman Chen was a relative of the Zuo family, and had a high position in the Elemental User Council. On top of that, Zuo Zhihuan was still suffering from the poison right now and needed a powerful wood ability to heal him. If Chairman Chen knew how Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue felt, he would definitely be more sure in his protection of them.
“I thought the same.” Lei Jue then turned his head and saw how unhappiness was still written across Xiao Lingyu’s face in capital letters, and couldn’t help laughing. “Say, are you… jealous?” Xiao Lingyu would very rarely reveal his true emotions in front of outsiders, but today he had vehemently opposed Parliament’s decision in front of Zuo Zhihuan.
He was clearly very unhappy.
“Jealous of what?” Xiao Lingyu asked.
“Could it be that you’re worried they’ll take my sperm and make a child before we do?” Lei Jue asked. “And then the child won’t be related to you by blood?”
“Let’s see if they dare!” Xiao Lingyu was furious, hugging Lei Jue in a death grip. “You’re not allowed to talk about it and make me angry, otherwise when the Primary Fruit grows, I’ll make you eat your words.”
“Is that so?” Lei Jue licked the tip of Xiao Lingyu’s nose. “Then I must anger you more.”
“You….”
“Okay, that’s enough. You’re a grown up now, you shouldn’t get riled up so easily. My sperm can’t produce a person outside of the fruit. But that blood… Uncle pulled out my sprout, so I don’t know whether it has the power those people want it to have. But since those people want it, then no matter what, we must use this opportunity to figure out exactly who they are.”
Roughly twenty minutes later, Zuo Zhihuan left. Seeing this, Lei Jue and Xiao Lingyu headed straight for Xiao Zhicheng’s study. Xiao Lingyu closed the door and asked, “Dad, just what’s going on with this?”
Xiao Zhicheng massaged his temples. “The Vice Party Leader and a few party members suddenly brought it up in the meeting today, and I haven’t been able to figure out why either.”
Xiao Lingyu’s expression darkened. “So you’re saying that no one opposed it?”
Xiao Zhicheng glanced at his son, who was agitated for the first time in a while. “It’s not that no one opposed it, it’s that our protests didn’t have any effect. But you’re welcome to continue your opposition.” Xiao Zhicheng looked at Lei Jue, then suddenly asked, “Little Jue, do you know why Planet Casweir especially respects elemental abilities, and why they’re especially reverent towards people who possess them?”
Lei Jue looked at Xiao Zhicheng curiously. “Isn’t it because hurting an elemental ability user would bring the wrath of the heavens upon them?” He paused, then continued, “Are you saying…”
Xiao Zhicheng had ‘don’t look at me, I didn’t say anything’ written all over his face.
Xiao Lingyu almost rolled his eyes at him, then led Lei Jue outside.