Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Crown Prince’s Cover Blew—Everyone Knew, and People Were Kissing Up Everywhere

Sui Xuan Chu’s denial came on pure reflex. “I’m not. I didn’t. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Jiang Tea Tea stared at him for three seconds, and everything clicked into place.

“No wonder,” she said slowly. “When I pulled you up from the sea, I noticed your scales looked faded—yellowing, turning gold.”

“I asked Old Loach Chong Ming. He said it was a self-protection mechanism Dragon Clan scales trigger when you’re in danger, and that fading was normal. Then he immediately wrapped you up so I couldn’t look.”

She leaned back, amused. “Roommate. I really didn’t expect it. You’ve got that identity. No wonder you’re terrified of him one moment and acting like ‘you can’t kill me anyway’ the next.”

So that was it.

Her roommate was the crown prince. Old Loach Chong Ming’s beloved big nephew. Every confusion she’d had suddenly made sense.

Sui Xuan Chu felt like someone had stripped him naked under bright lights. He didn’t know what to cover first, so he clung to the last thread of resistance. “Roommate, the crown prince is Gold Dragon Clan. I’m red-black Dragon Clan. The colors don’t match. I really am not him. Don’t misunderstand.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s eyes darkened slightly, though her tone stayed light. “You’re not? Fine.”

She popped another nutrient fruit and started chewing like it wasn’t even a conversation. “Old Loach Chong Ming seems to value me. He wants to train me as his successor. So I’ll go to him and say I might consider it, and while I’m there, I’ll casually ask if you have any other cover identities…”

“I am,” Sui Xuan Chu blurted, cutting her off. He looked like he’d swallowed glass. “I’m the crown prince.”

He glared at her as if she’d forced him to sin. “You’re horrible.”

Jiang Tea Tea nodded, mouth full, utterly unconcerned. “Oh.”

Sui Xuan Chu stared. “Roommate… you don’t have anything you want to ask?”

Jiang Tea Tea blinked. “Ask what? Your cover is already blown. What’s left to be curious about?”

“Curious that you’re a crown prince who can’t even beat me? Curious that you’re a little weakling?”

“Or should I be curious whether your blood tastes as good as your uncle’s? Not like you’d let me drink it.”

Sui Xuan Chu’s soul ascended.

His heart was still a heart. Being stabbed like that hurt.

He took a breath, forced himself to recover, and scooted closer, lowering his voice. “Roommate… I kind of understand why my uncle wants you as his successor.”

Jiang Tea Tea slapped a hand on his face and shoved him away. “Your uncle might like me, but I don’t like your uncle. My dream is to become the greatest soothing therapist in all of M31 Star System.”

“I want every race of beastfolk to take pride in being soothed by me. When people mention me, they’ll raise their thumbs and praise me.”

Her contract with the fake heiress required her to become the top soothing therapist in the entire galaxy. Commander-in-Chief’s successor? She didn’t care.

Sui Xuan Chu leaned in again, undeterred. “That doesn’t conflict. You can do both.”

Jiang Tea Tea eyed him. “You think highly of me.”

“I’m not flattering you,” Sui Xuan Chu said seriously. “My uncle has been looking for a successor for a hundred years.”

“He’s found candidates for more than a century, and none passed his standards. Even if you agree, it doesn’t mean you’ll pass.”

“But even if you fail, being trained by him personally means you’ll still end up with a future—at least a legion commander, at worst a senior colonel. That’s huge.”

“And the key part is this: while you’re being trained, you tell him you also want to be a soothing therapist. He’s tolerant toward people he picks. He’ll find the best soothing therapists in the empire to teach you.”

“That way you might not become his successor, but you can still become a top soothing therapist. It’s called climbing up a step and rising straight to the clouds. Catch a fat sheep and shear it hard.”

Jiang Tea Tea pulled out another nutrient fruit and stuffed it into his mouth, silencing him mid-speech.

Then she stood and sat across from him. “He promised you something, didn’t he? You’re here lobbying for him.”

Sui Xuan Chu bit down.

Sourness detonated on his tongue. He shivered so hard it looked like his bones rattled. “Promised me? He doesn’t beat me, that’s the promise.”

“I’m just telling the truth. If he picked you, you must have potential. And we’re roommates. Close in age. If you become Commander-in-Chief and I become emperor, we’ll have common ground.”

Jiang Tea Tea made a disgusted sound. “I used to think you were reliable. Now I realize you’re not.”

“Stop painting me a big, pretty picture. I’m not buying it.”

Sui Xuan Chu sighed. “Fine. If you won’t buy it, don’t. But you have to keep my identity secret. Don’t let my uncle know my cover got exposed.”

Jiang Tea Tea nodded. “Relax. My mouth is tighter than your uncle’s warship.”

Sui Xuan Chu finally relaxed. He and Jiang Tea Tea scrolled through Starnet together, watching the galaxy scream at each other about the Insect Clan.

Two hours later, the cafeteria had been cooking nonstop—fried, roasted, stewed, braised. Jiang Tea Tea didn’t hold back. She packed everything into her storage button like she was moving out.

Chong Ming’s super battleship returned to Tropical Primeval Planet and dropped them off above the far north.

The moment Jiang Tea Tea and Sui Xuan Chu hit the ground, Huang Da Zhuang, Cheng Lin Yue, and the other six came sprinting out of their lodging. The people weren’t even fully in view before the voices hit.

“Sister Tea! Are you okay?! You scared me to death. I thought you died in the sea!”

“Sui Xuan Chu, you’re okay! Those sea spiders were terrifying. I was afraid something happened to you.”

“If our male idol hadn’t told us you were rescued, I would’ve cried my eyes out!”

Jiang Tea Tea and Sui Xuan Chu exchanged a look and answered in sync, evasive and casual. “We’re fine, we’re fine. Don’t worry. The sea spider Insect Clan already got handled by your male idol.”

“Come on,” Jiang Tea Tea said, brightening. “We packed a ton of meat from your male idol. Let’s go eat.”

The six instantly lit up. They’d been worried sick and had lost all appetite, surviving on nutrient solutions just to get through meals.

Now food was here. Real food.

They cheered and crowded around Jiang Tea Tea and Sui Xuan Chu, heading back—

Only to be ambushed before they even reached their door.

Eliminated cadets from other schools surged in with food and drinks, shoving Jiang Tea Tea’s group aside and swarming Sui Xuan Chu like bees.

“Classmate, I was wrong before. I tried to trick you into diving and catching seafood for me. As your senior, that was shameful. Here—shrimp I caught. Super fresh raw.”

“Classmate, this is pomfret I caught. Roast it, braise it, stew it—sprinkle scallions and pour hot oil, it’s tender. Take it.”

“And mine—bluefin tuna sashimi. Already prepared. Take it back and eat.”

“Come on, classmate, don’t be shy. We’re not from the same academy, but meeting in this elimination camp is fate.”

“Exactly. We’ll be together here for half a month before Round Two. We should look out for each other.”

Huang Da Zhuang and Cheng Xiao Ting got shoved aside, and their faces twisted.

“Sister Tea,” Huang Da Zhuang muttered, “are they sick? When you were gone, they treated us like garbage. They’d come peek into our dorm like we were criminals who got in through connections.”

“Now you’re back and they shove us aside to fawn on Sui Xuan Chu. What is this? They think he’s Dragon Clan so he’s good at diving? They want him to catch fish and shrimp for them?”

It wasn’t just that. It looked exactly like they’d learned something about his identity and were trying to use him like a backdoor.

Jiang Tea Tea waved a hand. “Teammates. Let’s go. They’re handing out food. Don’t waste it. Take it.”

Huang Da Zhuang blinked, then grinned. “Yes, Sister Tea!”

Jiang Tea Tea dove into the crowd and started accepting gifts meant for Sui Xuan Chu. Free was free. Why refuse? They weren’t begging anyone.

Huang Da Zhuang and the others followed. None of them had a concept of being polite. They grabbed food and left so fast the crowd barely had time to react.

Sui Xuan Chu shrugged, scooped up the fish in front of him, and smiled beautifully. “Thank you for your kindness, seniors. Next time you have anything good, remember to share. See you.”

Outside, people stared at their now-empty hands and sneered. “You don’t even have much food left, and you still give it away to butter him up. Aren’t you afraid you’ll starve?”

The ones being mocked snapped back. “We’re all the same. Don’t pretend we don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“The crown prince accepted my food. He’ll remember me. Next I become his friend, and when he takes the throne, my future is limitless.”

“Your abacus beads are practically hitting my face. If the crown prince heard you, he’d throw your stinky shrimp into your face.”

Those words drifted right through the door crack before it was fully closed.

Inside, Cheng Xiao Ting, Ju Que, and Huang Big Dog stared at Sui Xuan Chu like he’d transformed into a legend.

“Sui Xuan Chu,” Huang Big Dog breathed, half ecstatic, half terrified. “Are you the crown prince?”

“Beast God,” another whispered. “I thought getting the top score in Round One with Sister Tea was already our ancestors blessing us. I didn’t expect you’re the crown prince—and we’re on the same team.”

Someone grabbed his sleeve, eyes shining like they’d won the universe. “My ancestors’ grave must have exploded.”