Chapter 374: The Eleventh Young Master
Chapter 374: Chapter 374: The Eleventh Young Master
Hearing Yue Qingtian’s question, Lin Yuzhi felt a little flustered. She hadn’t expected that Yue Qingtian, who wasn’t on Central Star and was stationed far away long-term, would have found out about this so quickly. In fact, not only did Yue Qingtian know that Yu Mingche was one of Ning Xuan’s Contractors, but he had also vaguely heard a rumor that among Ning Xuan’s Contractors, there was someone with an even higher status than Yu Mingche.
"Yes. Yu Mingche has no elders in his family. If he did, they would surely be concerned for him. As a mother, I worry about my child’s future marriage. Commander Yue can understand that, can’t he?" Lin Yuzhi said quickly.
"Yes, yes, I understand. However, I already asked for you at the celebratory banquet. Miss Ning didn’t give a clear answer, and it wouldn’t be right for me to inquire any further," Yue Qingtian said with a smile.
"Of course. You don’t need to trouble yourself with the rest, Commander Yue. I have another, rather impudent request... about Lin Mo’s vacation time. Could you give him a bit more?" Lin Yuzhi asked.
"Dean Lin, don’t worry. With Lin Mo’s current Level, he only needs to show up when the base has an emergency. He doesn’t need to stay at the base the rest of the time. For one, our base is in a good location, so the surrounding environment is relatively safe. For another, someone of Lin Mo’s Level gets to use the small-scale Space Transmission Array twice a year. If an emergency occurs, he can use the Transmission Array to arrive at the base quickly," Yue Qingtian said immediately.
"Oh, is that so? That’s wonderful! In that case, Lin Mo can spend more time with Ning Xuan," Lin Yuzhi said, looking very happy.
After Lin Yuzhi left, someone emerged from behind a screen. "Uncle Yue, when can you introduce me to Ning Xuan?" a young man in a light purple, standing-collar trench coat asked Yue Qingtian.
The young man who emerged from behind the screen was tall and slender, around eighteen or nineteen years old. His back was straight, his legs long, and his waist lean and defined. His figure alone conveyed a sense of resilience, like a stalk of bamboo.
He raised his hands and cupped one fist in the other in a salute. As his wrists extended from his sleeves, a scar was visible on his slender, pale left wrist.
The young man’s phoenix eyes, upturned at the corners, held pupils as black as if quenched in Cold Pond Water. Yet, as his gaze shifted, they would flash with an amber light, layering his cool, detached features with a mysterious and intriguing aloofness.
At first glance, this young man wasn’t stunningly handsome, but he had a unique aura. He was the type who grew more attractive the longer one looked, easily capturing one’s attention. His features were delicate and his expression refined, with a sharp, clean jawline. He exuded an air of introverted, restrained scholarliness.
He stood at the boundary between light and shadow, his long fingers seeming to toy with something. His knuckles were distinct, their structure exceptionally beautiful.
"Eleventh Young Master Mo, don’t be anxious. Since I promised Chairman Mo, I will certainly see it through."
"Ning Xuan just successfully treated Lin Mo, which must have taken a great toll on her. She will definitely need to rest well for the next few days. Now is not a good time to introduce you," Yue Qingtian said with a smile.
Hearing Yue Qingtian’s words, the Eleventh Young Master pressed his lips together slightly. His lashes lowered, casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes, making him appear calm and restrained. But within those slightly upturned phoenix eyes, a faint, almost unnoticeable trace of anxiety could be seen.
"Uncle Yue," his voice was cool, yet it carried the distinct clarity of youth, "I can afford to wait. I’m just afraid that if this drags on for too long, it will be difficult to explain things to my grandfather. Grandfather has already pressed me about it several times." He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as if he were swallowing the rest of his words.
’Yue Qingtian looked at him and sighed inwardly. When he was younger, he had incurred a debt of gratitude to the Mo Family, and now it was time to repay it. After Chairman Mo learned that Ning Xuan had chosen to take a post with the Second Legion, he sent someone to speak with him, asking him to assist the Mo Family’s young master and introduce him to Ning Xuan. Ideally, he was to place the young man directly by Ning Xuan’s side, whether as an Attendant or in some other capacity.’
"At the last celebratory banquet, I already arranged for you to perform a dance, but unfortunately, Ning Xuan didn’t notice you at all. When Ning Xuan came to the base, she brought her own staff to attend to her. It’s difficult for us to interfere in that respect," Yue Qingtian said, looking troubled.
’In truth, Ning Xuan hadn’t appeared on the base at all for the past six months. The "Ning Xuan" at the base during that time was just a decoy puppet. He hadn’t realized it at first. It was only when he tried to place someone by her side that he discovered the truth. When he was about to hold Ning Xuan accountable, the Military Department sent a classified file directly. The file stated that Ning Xuan was currently carrying out a secret mission directly assigned by the Military Council, and instructed Yue Qingtian not to expose the fact that she was not on the base.’
’Come to think of it, Eleventh Young Master Mo had been at the base for over half a year, yet the real Ning Xuan had only been here for a few days.’
’Over the past few days, Yue Qingtian had exhausted every method to get the Eleventh Young Master near Ning Xuan. In a public setting, under the pretext of the celebratory banquet, he arranged for the Eleventh Young Master to perform a classical sword dance.’
’That day, the Eleventh Young Master wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved long robe and wielded a flexible sword that shimmered with silver light, dancing gracefully in the center of the banquet hall. His figure was tall and straight, and every spin and turn was executed with the grace of flowing water. The sound of the blade cutting through the air and the arc of his fluttering sleeves complemented each other perfectly, prompting continuous applause from the audience.’
’Even he had been watching, captivated. But despite such a spectacular performance, Ning Xuan hadn’t even noticed the Eleventh Young Master.’
’In the past few days, Yue Qingtian had also made meticulous arrangements in private. Ning Xuan often visited the Hall of a Hundred Herbs, where the base’s medicinal supplies were stored, so Yue Qingtian arranged for the Eleventh Young Master to work there. He had gone to see for himself one day; the young man sat quietly in the spacious, bright hall, diligently inspecting each and every herb. The sight alone was pleasing to the eye.’
’But, even though Ning Xuan went to the Hall of a Hundred Herbs every day, she still failed to notice the Eleventh Young Master.’
’Yesterday, Yue Qingtian arranged for the Eleventh Young Master to play the guqin in the garden. The young man sat in a pavilion, holding a guqin, his fingertips plucking the strings, releasing clear, melodious notes that flowed like water. Ning Xuan clearly passed by and even stopped to listen. Judging by her expression at the time, she seemed quite pleased with the music. But she just listened for a moment and left, showing no intention of finding out who the musician was. Or perhaps, she simply didn’t want to know.’
’Yue Qingtian felt he had already tried every trick in the book, but he still hadn’t accomplished the task Chairman Mo had entrusted to him.’
’Did that mean he had no choice but to force the issue face-to-face? But he had no personal connection with Ning Xuan. What excuse could he possibly use to assign someone to her?’
’If all else failed, he would just have to bite the bullet and send the Eleventh Young Master to Ning Xuan’s side as a standard-issue Attendant assigned by the base.’
’As for whether Ning Xuan would accept him or not, he would worry about that later.’