Chapter 28: Her Lover, the Deceiver Part 1

The night continued. A phone call’s ringing roused the two from their sleep.

Blearily, Zhen Yan emerged from Jia Hua’s embrace. Squinting, she saw the caller ID was [Mission Hall] and answered the call.

Zhen Yan: “Hello…”

The staff member from the Mission Hall immediately asked: “Hello, I’m a staff member from the Imperial Fourth Military Academy’s Mission Hall. May I ask if you have returned to the academy?”

Zhen Yan: “Mm…”

Mission Hall: “Then, have you completed your mission? If so, would you mind opening the door for me? I am currently right outside your dorm.”

Zhen Yan instantly sat up in bed. Only then did she remember they hadn’t submitted the mission yet.

She threw off the covers and said into the phone, “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

“Mmph…” As Zhen Yan was about to get out of bed, an arm wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back. A groggy voice said, “Where are you going?”

Zhen Yan removed Jia Hua’s hand, got out of bed, and took the glass jar from the Military Backpack. She shook the two snakes inside. “The Mission Hall is here. I’m going to hand the snakes over.”

“Do you need me to come out with you?” Jia Hua lifted her head from the covers and asked.

“Don’t,” Zhen Yan immediately rejected. “You and I are both currently using Alpha identities to outsiders. If you were seen leaving my dorm late at night, regardless of the Alpha-Alpha relationship aspect, according to school rules, we’d both be penalized with a 100,000-meter run.”

They already owed 100,000 meters. Adding another 100,000… a total of 200,000 meters. They’d likely run themselves to death on that drill ground.

Jia Hua retracted her head back into the warm cocoon of the blankets. “Fine. Put on a jacket before going out. The temperature’s been dropping on Planet Dinkley lately. Don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay.” Her lover’s attentive reminder warmed Zhen Yan’s heart. She grabbed the thick jacket hanging on the clothes hook, picked up the glass jar, and walked out of the bedroom.

Jia Hua reached her long arm out to grab her phone from the nightstand. She checked it. It wasn’t even 11 PM yet. They’d only just fallen asleep a short while ago.

Before Jia Hua could even put her phone back, Zhen Yan returned. She hung her jacket on the hook, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, then slipped back under the covers.

As soon as she lay down, Jia Hua captured her hand and rubbed it between her own.

“Why didn’t you wash with warm water? Isn’t it cold?”

Watching Jia Hua rubbing her hand, Zhen Yan smiled and shook her head.

If I hadn’t washed with cold water, how would you hold my hand?

Opportunities… can be created.

Lying on her side, Zhen Yan said, “The Mission Hall took a ten percent intermediary fee. The remaining 27 million yuan reward was transferred into your magnetic card.”

“Mine?” Jia Hua raised an eyebrow. “All the money to me, you’re not keeping any?”

Zhen Yan shook her head. “My card has the one million Ji Shuoqing gave me. Your card shouldn’t be empty either.”

But she would need to find other ways to earn money now. Mission Hall tasks could only be taken once a month, not daily.

Although she now knew the ring on Jia Hua’s finger wasn’t a “low-quality” ring but a “magical” ring, that ring still looked plain ugly to her. She still wanted to buy Jia Hua a beautiful one, even if it could only be worn in the dorm.

“Okay,” Jia Hua smiled upon hearing this, the corners of her mouth curving upward. “Thanks for the huge living allowance, Wife.”

“Who… who’s your wife…” Hearing Jia Hua call her “wife” so directly made Zhen Yan shudder. She licked her lips and whispered, “We haven’t gotten married or registered yet.”

“Hehehe,” Jia Hua scooped Zhen Yan into her arms, grinning foolishly. “Then when we have our monthly break this month, we’ll go back to An City and register our marriage.”

Zhen Yan looked at her helplessly. “You and I are both Alpha identities now. We can’t register.”

Jia Hua blinked. “Wife, have you forgotten? Qin Hua is the Alpha. Jia Hua is an Omega! Her student file is still at the Imperial Capital Omega Academy.”

Zhen Yan paused, then her eyes widened. “That’s right, I forgot. Qin Hua is a fake identity. Your academic records are still registered at the Imperial Omega Academy.”

“But… isn’t registering now too soon? Didn’t you say we should wait until after graduation?”

Jia Hua: “…”

At the time, thinking they were both Alphas, she’d suggested graduating to avoid their cover being blown. Now she was reaping what she’d sown.

Jia Hua grabbed Zhen Yan’s arm and shook it persistently. “I was young and naive back then. Now, emotions run deep, I can’t control it.”

Zhen Yan: “…”

They chatted when awake, slept when tired, following their whims, free from constraints.

The next morning, the wake-up bell echoed throughout the first-year dormitory area. Countless first-year cadets crawled out of their warm beds, changed into uniforms, and rushed to the drill ground for the daily morning run.

However, when many cadets arrived, they found two figures in military uniforms already running on the outer lane of the track.

Upon closer inspection… good heavens! Weren’t these the two cadets who had parachuted into Class A at the end of last month? One had parachuted to first place, the other to last place in Class A.

But anyone who could enter Class A was seen by cadets from Classes B, C, and D as incredibly formidable!

After all, Class A only accepted A-Rank Alphas! Minimum Mental Power was A-Rank! This made the masses of B-Rank cadets die of envy.

Mindful of her “true” identity as a D-Rank Omega in the eyes of He Tong, General Qin, Lieutenant Colonel Wu, and others, Jia Hua jogged slowly. Zhen Yan, of course, followed her wife’s lead, jogging slowly alongside her. This infuriated He Tong, who was standing nearby.

She ran over to them and scolded, “Look at your speed! Does this look proper? Even primary school students run faster than you two!”

Then she turned to Zhen Yan. “I know your speed is much more than this. Run faster, don’t delay your class time.”

Jogging, Zhen Yan replied seriously, “Teacher, I had diarrhea all last night. My stomach is still upset. I really can’t run fast.”

He Tong stared at Zhen Yan silently. “…”

How much of that do you think I believe?

The cadets were also chattering amongst themselves.

“Why is Zhen Yan being punished with running? Did she sneak out at night?”

“No, I heard she took a B-Rank mission in the Mission Hall—going to Bakero Planet to retrieve Bakero Snake gallbladders. She was late coming back by a day, so she’s penalized with a 100,000-meter run according to the rules.”

“Heavens! Bakero Snake gallbladders! That mission is super hard! Did they complete it?”

“I heard they did. Last night someone saw that mission turn red. It was a 30 million yuan reward…”

“My god, 30 million? Even if it meant being ten days late, I’d finish it before coming back!”

“Hahaha, you’d probably run yourself to death on the drill ground.”

“…”

“Silence—count off!” The Grade Director shouted from the high platform, her Mental Power-infused voice clearly reaching the ears of every teacher and cadet.

Classes D through B had no issues. Finally, it was Class A’s turn. Both Jia Hua and Zhen Yan turned their heads to look at He Tong, who was at the very front of the Class A formation.

He Tong stepped out and called sternly, “Class A should have 32. Actual count: 32. Report complete!”

Jia Hua sneered inwardly. Special treatment indeed. Was the Imperial Third Princess supposed to be more dignified?

All cadets ran laps on the track. The two jogged unhurriedly on the outermost lane. The cadets on the track ran two laps before they finished one.

When the half-hour morning run ended and the cadets were dismissed to the Canteen for breakfast, He Tong ran over to them and said, “How many meters have you run? Go faster, don’t delay class.”

Jia Hua: “Just over ten thousand meters. Still a long way to go. What’s the morning class?”

He Tong: “Military Pedagogy.”

The name alone sounded unpleasant.

“Can’t finish. We’ll go to class after finishing the run,” Jia Hua refused.

He Tong rolled her eyes at Jia Hua, then turned to Zhen Yan, who was jogging alongside. “And you?”

Jogging, Zhen Yan answered without turning her head, “I’m with her.”

Her voice was steady, not a hint of panting—clear evidence Zhen Yan wasn’t exerting herself at all.

He Tong: “I permit you to run in the evening. Now go eat breakfast, then go to class.”

Jia Hua: “Need to sleep in the evening, no time. We go to bed very early.”

He Tong: “…Then run at noon.”

Jia Hua: “Need afternoon nap, also no time.”

He Tong: “Then split it over ten mornings.”

Jia Hua: “We want to integrate into the group run early, not split it over ten days.”

He Tong stopped in her tracks, watching the two figures jog slowly away. Fuming, she shouted, “Do whatever you want! Run yourselves to death!”

Infuriating! These two little brats!

Watching the solitary figure storm away, Zhen Yan finally spoke. “Why are you teasing her?”

Jia Hua blinked. “Teasing her? I really can’t run fast.”

Zhen Yan cast her a sidelong glare, then lengthened her stride and ran ahead. “Then don’t chase me.”

Watching her girlfriend running ahead and turning back to taunt her, Jia Hua immediately opened her pace and gave chase.

Her saying “don’t chase” was one thing. If you actually didn’t chase… that was another thing entirely.

Seeing Jia Hua chasing her, Zhen Yan’s smile indeed grew brighter. She looked back repeatedly, shouting, “Didn’t you say you were faster than me? Let’s race! Normal physical ability only! No cheating!”

Seeing Jia Hua about to overtake her, Zhen Yan sprinted.

Jia Hua, following behind, was puzzled: What exactly counted as cheating?

But it didn’t take long for Jia Hua to understand.

“You were cheating, weren’t you! How could you run that fast!”

This was what Zhen Yan shouted when Jia Hua passed her.

“I knew you couldn’t possibly outrun me.”

This was what Zhen Yan shouted when Jia Hua fell behind her.

Well, well. The definition of cheating was entirely up to her, wasn’t it?

Jia Hua wouldn’t indulge her entirely. She’d run ahead of Zhen Yan, then behind her, watching Zhen Yan huff and puff in adorable frustration, unable to keep herself from laughing out loud.

They chased each other around the drill ground, laughing and playing to their hearts’ content. When hungry, they brazenly went to the Canteen for breakfast. Then, shouldering their backpacks, they followed the schedule to the classroom for class. This was still their first class held in an actual classroom.

As for the 100,000 meters… no rush. It could wait.

They took a hovercraft to the teaching building’s drop-off point. Getting off, they saw groups of people standing at the windows of the teaching building, staring wide-eyed at the display pillar erected in front.

Walking towards the building, they tilted their heads up to look at the ranking pillar. Zhen Yan was still in first place. But the second position had changed—it was now Mo Siyi. Ji Shuoqing had dropped to third. Jia Hua didn’t need to look; she was still dead last in Class A, at position thirty-three.

Oh ho. This Imperial Third Princess was truly impressive, directly parachuting to second place, pushing even a 4A-Rank Mental Power user like Ji Shuoqing below her.

Seen this way, either the imperial status afforded her a high-ranking slot, or this Mo Siyi possessed formidable strength surpassing Ji Shuoqing.

Jia Hua shrugged, turning her head to Zhen Yan. “Let’s hurry. Later, we’ll see if this Imperial Third Princess gets a challenge letter from Ji Shuoqing.”

“Mm,” Zhen Yan responded, pulling out her phone to search for this Third Princess’s information on StarNet.

Reading as she walked, Zhen Yan said, “There’s very little data on Mo Siyi. Only that she came of age recently, hasn’t yet taken a Princess Consort, and has a very high Mental Power Level. She’s a popular candidate for the throne.”

Zhen Yan rapidly scrolled her phone screen. “StarNet doesn’t even have a single picture of her. Probably any pictures of Mo Siyi get deleted.”

Jia Hua raised an eyebrow slightly, hands in her pockets. “We’ll see what she looks like at class.”

Zhen Yan put her phone away and nodded. “Mm.”

They had just walked through the back door into the classroom when cadets sitting near it warmly greeted them.

“Classmate Zhen, Classmate Qin! Good morning! My name is Zeng Su.”

As they say, never hit a smiling face. The two nodded. “Mm, good morning to you too.”

“Class is starting soon. You two should find a seat. There’s no fixed seating, so sit anywhere you like,” Zeng Su said.

“Alright, thank you.”