Chapter 326: Potential Love Rival: A Life-Saving Favor Is Most Easily Taken to Heart
Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Potential Love Rival: A Life-Saving Favor Is Most Easily Taken to Heart
Yun Sheng looked up at the sound. Seeing that the newcomer was Zhou Lin, she paused for a brief moment before offering a polite smile in response.
"Major General Zhou, what a coincidence."
Zhou Lin’s gaze lightly swept over the group, lingering briefly on Si Jin. He gave a polite nod of acknowledgement and, without further intruding, turned and walked over to take a seat at an empty table diagonally across from them.
Not paying much mind to this chance encounter, Yun Sheng withdrew her gaze and went back to studying the menu.
Beside her, however, Si Jin raised his eyes and cast quite a few glances in Zhou Lin’s direction.
This subtle little reaction did not escape Yun Sheng’s notice.
She tilted her head toward him and teased in a lowered voice, "Why do you keep staring at Major General Zhou?"
Si Jin leaned in close to her ear. "Checking out a potential rival in love," he joked, his voice dropping to a faint whisper.
Yun Sheng’s lips twitched violently, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She wondered how Zhou Lin had suddenly become a potential rival in love.
She secretly reached out and gave his arm a light pinch with her fingertips. "Don’t spout nonsense," she chided in a hushed tone. "I’ve only met him a few times. We’re not close."
Si Jin looked at her, a shallow smile rippling in his eyes. Even though the pinch stung slightly, he didn’t dodge or pull away from her hand. Instead, he indulged her little antic and spoke with an unhurried drawl.
"Didn’t you step in and save his life the moment you returned to the Capital Star?"
"That was a complete coincidence. At the time, I didn’t even know I had the ability to save him."
Yun Sheng wasn’t just saying this. Back then, she truly hadn’t known that her spiritual power was so unique, or that her Guiding Ability was even stronger than that of an S-class Guide like Lin Yueyao.
"A life-saving favor is what people take to heart most easily." Si Jin’s tone was breezy, yet a sliver of underlying possessiveness hid within his words. "I can’t help but be on my guard."
Helpless, Yun Sheng pinched his arm again. "What life-saving favor? He doesn’t even know I was the one who saved him. He still thinks it was all Lin Yueyao’s doing."
While the two were quietly bickering, another person arrived at the table diagonally across from them.
A gentle, delicate-looking young woman with a tranquil aura sat down opposite Zhou Lin. Both sat with perfect posture. There were no friendly greetings exchanged; their demeanor remained stiff and overly polite throughout. Their conversation was sparse, making them appear extremely distant. They didn’t look like friends at all—if anything, it seemed like they were meeting for the very first time.
Yun Sheng subconsciously took a few extra glances, wondering if they were on a blind date judging by the setup. Li Wen also caught a clear look at the young woman’s face, and a look of obvious surprise instantly washed over her features.
"Why is she sitting with Major General Zhou Lin?" Li Wen asked.
Hearing this, Cheng Nian’s interest was immediately piqued. She discreetly craned her neck to peek at the woman suspected of being on a blind date with Zhou Lin, lowering her voice to ask curiously, "You know her?"
"Yeah, her name is Lu Qingyan. She’s my senior from university. Back in the day, she and Lin Yueyao were equally famous as the two campus belles. Everyone loved to compare the two of them, whether openly or in secret.
"Later, Lin Yueyao awakened as an S-Class and became famous overnight. Even though Lu Qingyan was clearly an A-level herself, she was completely overshadowed by Lin Yueyao’s brilliance. They entered the Tower for training together, but it wasn’t long before Senior Sister Lu voluntarily applied to be transferred to a remote star system and rarely returned to the Capital Star.
"I never expected she would actually come back, let alone be here with Major General Zhou Lin."
Listening to Li Wen’s words, Yun Sheng slightly reined in her expression, a thoughtful look crossing her face. The name Lu Qingyan sounded familiar to her. In the plot of the original novel she had read, this character didn’t appear many times, but she left a very deep impression. One of those times was in Qi Yao’s memories.
Lu Qingyan and Qi Yao were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. Before Qi Yao met Lin Yueyao, they had a great relationship, having agreed long ago to become exclusive partners once they awakened. Everything was supposed to be perfect. Qi Yao awakened with the talent of an S-Class Sentinel, and Lu Qingyan was an A-level guide; their compatibility was high, making them a very suitable match. But then Lin Yueyao emerged out of nowhere. Her rare talent as an S-class Guide was far too dazzling, instantly drawing everyone’s attention—including Qi Yao’s. He found himself unknowingly drawn to Lin Yueyao, gradually distancing himself from Lu Qingyan. Because of this, Lu Qingyan grew disheartened not long after entering the Tower, voluntarily applying for a transfer to a remote star system and remaining stationed there year-round.
Lu Qingyan made another appearance at Qi Yao and Lin Yueyao’s wedding. At that time, she was covered in injuries, her guide hormone was severely destabilized, and her spiritual landscape had suffered irreversible, catastrophic damage. She was in an utterly terrible state. Her friends urged her to stay and receive proper treatment, but she was at peace with her fate. She told them there was no need; it was enough that she could return before her death to see Qi Yao achieve his heart’s desires and live happily.
Thinking of this, Yun Sheng pondered inwardly, "According to the original plot, Lu Qingyan is supposed to remain stationed in the remote star system, only returning right before she dies from severe injuries. How could she have suddenly returned to the Capital Star so early? Could her return this time be related to Qi Yao being severely injured later on?"
Yun Sheng was so lost in her thoughts that she unknowingly spaced out, her gaze turning slightly vacant.
Si Jin, sitting beside her, was the first to notice her unusual demeanor. He didn’t speak up to interrupt the others’ conversation. Instead, he quietly raised his hand and gave her fingertips a gentle squeeze, his tone low and tender.
"What’s wrong? You spaced out."
The gentle touch pulled Yun Sheng’s drifting thoughts back to reality. She shook her head slightly, suppressing the various speculations in her heart as tranquility returned to her eyes. "It’s nothing," she said softly. "I just felt a bit emotional hearing that name, that’s all."
Lu Qingyan was truly an admirable person. In the original novel, during her years stationed in the remote star system, she rushed to the battlefield time and time again to slaughter pollutants, silently protecting countless ordinary civilians. She ultimately ended up with fatal injuries because she was trying to save others. She was so kind and brave, blessed with outstanding talent. She should have had a bright future and a fulfilling life, yet she was trapped by romantic love for half her life, only to meet such a tragic end.
Now that she had returned early, everything seemed to have quietly begun deviating from its original trajectory. Yun Sheng sighed softly in her heart, sincerely hoping that this time, Lu Qingyan could break free from her tragic fate in the original story and truly live for herself.
Just then, a restaurant server pushed a dining cart over, bringing out their ordered dishes and desserts and setting them on the table one by one.
A beautiful starry-sky lava cake and a translucent, shimmering panna cotta were paired with various interstellar specialty dishes. The plating was exquisite and enticing, enough to work up anyone’s appetite just by looking at it.
Yun Sheng looked at the exceptionally stunning lava cake in front of her, her eyes lighting up. She picked up a small spoon, scooped up a generous bite, and subconsciously brought it to Si Jin’s lips.
Si Jin lowered his gaze to the dessert offered to him. "I don’t like sweets," he said in a low, helpless voice. He had never been fond of cloying things like this; he almost never touched desserts in his daily life.
Yun Sheng’s hand paused in mid-air. She just raised her eyes and stared at him, remaining silent.
Meeting her gaze, Si Jin’s heart instantly softened into a puddle, and all his principles were immediately rendered null and void. Without another word, he simply lowered his head, opened his mouth, and ate the dessert off the spoon.
Cheng Nian and Li Wen, sitting across from them, took in the entire scene. Exchanging a glance, they immediately started jeering with muffled laughs.
"Wow, you two are so lovey-dovey!"
The tips of Yun Sheng’s ears grew hot. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she pulled her hand back, lowered her head, and pursed her lips in a smile. Ceasing her antics, she obediently picked up her utensils and began to eat.
The group chatted and laughed, the atmosphere relaxed and lively.
Halfway through the meal, Yun Sheng stood up to head to the restroom. Si Jin wanted to accompany her, but seeing the amused, theatrical expressions on Li Wen’s and Cheng Nian’s faces, she flatly refused him.
However, when she came out of the restroom, Yun Sheng unexpectedly bumped into Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin once again took the initiative to call out and stop her.
"Miss Yun."
Yun Sheng paused in her tracks, giving a polite nod in response. "Major General Zhou."
Zhou Lin’s expression was serene, devoid of any superfluous pleasantries. He asked in an earnest tone, "Could I trouble you for a few minutes? There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you."