At Dongchen Academy, many children were classified as A-grade, with most of them erupting into A+ talent, and a few reaching S rank. Under the same initial conditions, the outcomes of abilities were influenced not only by the quality of the nutrients used but also heavily depended on the rigorous training performed between two eruptions. Tang Ke had erupted into S+, which showed how much blood and sweat he had shed in unseen places.
He had fainted, and it was Han Yanyan who brought him to the treatment room. When he woke up, it was already past school hours, and Han's family’s boat had already left with other children.
“Don’t worry,” Han Yanyan said, “I have my private boat.”
Han Yanyan’s private boat took him straight back to his home. “Such a big event, let’s go celebrate with Auntie. I’ve already called her.”
As soon as Tang Ke entered the house, he was embraced by his mother, Xin Ya. She kissed his forehead, held him tightly, and tears started to fall from her eyes.
Tang Ke felt a bit embarrassed, “Mom? Mom?”
Xin Ya wiped her eyes dry and pulled him inside. “I’ve made your favorite dishes to celebrate.”
Xin Ya had prepared a feast and even a cake. She kept serving Tang Ke, afraid he would miss a bite.
Yet, she herself didn’t eat, wearing a satisfied smile, gazing lovingly at her child.
“Do you know what makes me happiest?” she asked him.
Tang Ke nodded and replied, “Mom, don’t worry. Once I graduate, I’ll have a bright future. I’ll take good care of you, and I’ll repay our indebtedness to Uncle in due time. You don’t need to be concerned.”
According to society's norms, with Tang Ke becoming an S+ mentalist, it was certain he would have a promising future; money and status would not be issues.
“You’re wrong,” Xin Ya said with a soft smile, reaching out to stroke his hair. She sighed, “What I’m happiest about is that you will become a strong person.”
“I'm sorry, Tang Ke. Your mother is a weak person. She has raised you alone, passing on my weakness to you.”
“Please, you must overcome it.”
“If you can’t eliminate it, no matter how much you hide it, those truly strong people will smell the scent of your weakness. They can strike right at your most vulnerable point, and then you will never be able to stand up again or be strong.”
Xin Ya seemed to be speaking about a specific matter while also implying something else. Tang Ke listened, half understanding, and tried to show a mature demeanor, puffing out his chest and nodding seriously.
But Xin Ya asked him, “Do you like Han Yanyan?”
What had happened today made him dare not glance at Han Yanyan on the way back. He hadn’t expected his mother to bring it up so suddenly. His act of being mature crumbled in an instant, and his face turned bright red.
As a mother, what was there not to understand? Xin Ya had known for quite a while that her son liked Han Yanyan.
When he was younger, that kind of affection had been hazy. Xin Ya kept silent. In the past two years, they had grown up; Tang Ke had entered his teenage years, and the innocent infatuation started to shift towards a more mature affection. Xin Ya had still said nothing.
After all, feelings of love were uncontrollable.
Just like how Han Jun attracted women, Han Yanyan was equally captivating to men. This world revered strength greatly; furthermore, they had wealth and beauty, as well as the charm to toy with others as they pleased.
Unlike girls who experience their first eruption at the onset of maturity, boys usually face it at their first loss, and such events often occurred at night, or at the latest, at dawn. Yet for Tang Ke, it had happened at noon during a break, and he had been brought back by Han Yanyan. Xin Ya guessed there must have been something unusual.
However, the matter from noon was too embarrassing, and Tang Ke couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Xin Ya didn’t press him, understanding that feelings of affection could not be forced. She stroked his head and sighed, “You’re still young; eventually, you will meet a gentle girl to spend your life with.”
As she said this, Tang Ke unexpectedly thought of the little fairy. She… was just such a gentle girl.
But then Xin Ya continued, “So, I want to ask you…”
“Don’t like Han Yanyan.”
“In the future, you will understand that for someone like her… it’s not worth it, and you won’t be able to afford it.”
“And… from now on," she added, holding his hand tightly and staring into his eyes, “don’t let anyone call you ‘little rabbit.’”
Despite remembering his mother’s words, Tang Ke was filled with dread about how to face Han’s family friends tomorrow. Everyone would surely guess what had happened during his eruption; he imagined they would all laugh at him. Just thinking that both Han Yanyan and the little fairy would hear those mocking laughs made him feel hopelessly despondent.
Yet, as he lay in bed with his eyes closed, all he could see was Han Yanyan’s striking visage dancing before him. She was both alluring and distant, towering above him like a flower atop a mountain.
Han Yanyan looked at her own stunning reflection in the mirror, marveling at how useful her beautiful face was. After five long years, little Tang Ke had grown into a young man, finally possessing the material foundation to become a strong person.
But that was still not enough. A true strong person must also have inner strength. No matter how much power one possessed, if their heart was weak, they could never harness that strength.
That evening, Han Yanyan admired her captivating face in the mirror while pondering how to entice and what trials to put Tang Ke through to stimulate his growth. To motivate this elderly fellow to mature quickly, she had even forced herself to act flirtatiously in front of him.
However, the world had been functioning on its own; many things no longer needed Han Yanyan to push them. Each person was following a complex life trajectory, moving forward by themselves.
The next morning, Tang Ke woke up early since he had to race to the manor to catch the spaceship. He hailed a taxi, and Xin Ya, as always, prepared a hearty breakfast for him.
But before parting, she pulled him into an embrace and quietly held him for a moment. Tang Ke thought it was fortunate the taxi was driverless; otherwise, it would be a bit embarrassing for him—after all, he was no longer a child.
After kissing his forehead, his mother whispered, “Remember, you are an S+ mentalist; no one can hurt you anymore.”
“Can you take care of yourself and reassure your mother?” she asked.
Tang Ke instinctively replied, “Of course I can!”
Xin Ya let him leave. When Tang Ke glanced back from the taxi, he saw her still standing there, watching him go. Perhaps it was because of his eruption; he had heard that parents, especially mothers, often felt exceptionally sentimental during such times.
When he arrived at the manor, young boys and girls were gradually boarding the spaceship. Several younger kids who had joined in recent years followed behind.
Tang Ke steeled himself and walked over, trying to lay low and avoid drawing attention. Yet, those in front greeted him first.
“Xiao Ke, good morning.”
“Tang Ke’s here! I heard you’re already S+; congratulations!”
“Xiao Ke, congratulations!”
Suddenly, everyone became friendly towards him, leaving Tang Ke momentarily flustered.
At this moment, Han Jin walked over. Tang Ke froze. Knowing Han Jin’s nature, he was likely to ridicule him for his childish behavior while facing his first loss, embarrassing him in the process. To Tang Ke’s surprise, Han Jin only glanced at him once and then turned away. Tang Ke was taken aback.
Once aboard the ship, Han Yanyan was already sitting there. Seeing him, she patted the seat beside her. “Xiao Ke, over here.”
After hesitating for a moment, Tang Ke instinctively glanced at Han Jin, only to find him still turned away, not looking their way. The expressions of the others remained quite natural.
It seemed that sitting next to Han Yanyan was entirely appropriate.
Among the youth on this ship, the strongest mentalist, Han Yanyan, was followed by S-grade Han Jingshan. Now, Tang Ke had turned into an S+. Although he had just erupted and was still a bit weaker mentally, with an S+ rating, his mental strength would grow explosively over time, quickly surpassing Han Jingshan.
As he settled beside Han Yanyan, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unreality. It had been years since he had experienced such treatment.
He recalled that night when Xin Ya had repeatedly told him he was already strong. So this… was the treatment of a strong person?
He turned instinctively, and Han Yanyan was resting her chin on her hand, smiling at him. The embarrassing episode from yesterday surged back to his mind, and Tang Ke’s face turned fiery.
Han Yanyan didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. Tang Ke was originally an elderly man, but within this world, he was a boy just stepping into adolescence; in either case, Han Yanyan took little interest. She had only aimed to provoke him a bit to hasten his maturity, speeding up his development process.
“Starting today, you won’t be going to the intermediate pavilion anymore. You’ll train alongside me and Jingshan,” she said casually, adding, “The bespoke HENGYUN 2302 type mecha I ordered for you is already on the way; it should arrive at school this afternoon.”
Tang Ke was so shocked that his mouth went agape.
“Don’t be surprised. For any child in the family who erupts at A-grade or above, this is the kind of treatment,” Han Yanyan said.
Yet, he was not a child of the Han family. Tang Ke closed his mouth, took a moment, and assured, “I will definitely work hard in the future!”
When a family sponsors gifted children from common families, it is customary that the child, once grown, would owe allegiance to that family. Han Yanyan nodded, “Work hard; the better you are, the better the treatment you receive.”
He understood this principle well. He had always thought that treatment only referred to monetary rewards. Little did he know, it also included how others treated him, especially Han Yanyan's attitude towards him.
He finally managed to receive her attention, enjoying a treatment that even her little brother couldn’t possess.
Throughout the journey, his heart felt tumultuous.
After an hour of travel, the spaceship landed at the school. The young men and women began to disembark one after another.
Han Yanyan remained seated, and Tang Ke undid his seatbelt, preparing to get up, but stayed put instead upon seeing her. When everyone else had stepped off, he turned to Han Yanyan.
Han Yanyan switched off her smartwatch screen, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stood up. Tang Ke followed suit.
“Xiao Ke,” Han Yanyan suddenly called.
Tang Ke looked up.
He was four years younger than Han Yanyan and still not quite at the age of maturity. Given her taller stature, he found himself noticeably shorter, offering an impression of siblings.
“I’m seventeen,” Han Yanyan said as they walked together, “My father has begun choosing potential marriage candidates for me.”
“The baseline for candidates is A+; naturally, the higher the better. But the higher they are, the harder they are to find.”
“Pan Chenghao, Xu Luo, Zhao Song, and that illegitimate child from the Gao family brought back this year. All of them are candidates my father is considering.”
“They're all still young, so I anticipate we’ll continue observing for several years. I should get married before I’m twenty-five, and have an heir before thirty.”
The phrase “looking for marriage candidates” from Han Yanyan made Tang Ke’s heart leap. He increasingly found the conversation unsettling. While he was still focused on studying and training, Han Yanyan was already considering her life path ten or twenty years ahead?
But… he gathered his courage to ask, “Yanyan Jie, why are you telling me this?”
Han Yanyan stopped, turning to examine him, her gaze appraising. He felt his heart race anxiously.
“Because I’m not satisfied with these candidates,” Han Yanyan said. “And I still have plenty of time. So… even though you’re a bit younger, I wouldn’t mind waiting for you.”
“Tang Ke,” she asked, “Would you be willing to marry into the Han family and be my husband?”
Tang Ke felt a rush of happiness hit him out of nowhere, leaving him dizzy.
“Can I, can I do that?” he stammered.
Han Yanyan chuckled, “Not right now, of course; I don’t want to be accused of being a predator to a child.”
Tang Ke’s face turned even redder.
Han Yanyan grew serious. “This matter doesn’t only depend on me. That illegitimate son from the Gao family, like you, is also S+. But his older brother is SS rank just like me; everyone expects that he might not be able to compete with his brother. His father wants to avoid a sibling rivalry and has reached out to my father for help, intending to send him to our family. So, do you understand what you need to do?”
“I understand!” Tang Ke answered loudly, his eyes sparkling with excitement, just as they had when Han Yanyan had first met him.
Go on, lad! There’s a delicious cake drawn out for you; work hard to obtain a slice!
Han Yanyan watched the excited boy dashed off, eager to participate in training, exhaling a sigh as she rubbed her forehead.
She took a step and felt her wrist communicator buzz. A call came in, and she casually answered it.
Suddenly, she froze in place.
After a moment, she asked, “Did my father find out?”
“The head of the family is already there.”
“Understood.” Han Yanyan hung up the phone. When she looked up again, Tang Ke’s figure had already vanished into the distance.
The timeline was moving faster than she had anticipated. This exuberant boy had just encountered a fleeting happiness in the midst of awry circumstances, and would soon face life’s harsh trials.
Han Yanyan didn’t call him back. The one who had warned her was her private informant. Her father was already there but had not sent any message this way. For now, she would wait in peace.
She couldn’t help but glance up. The little moon spun around a planet, and the huge planet loomed above, so large that she could see mountains and rivers clearly.
On that planet, a segment of data had vanished.
Just a segment of data.
Han Jun stood there, gazing at Xin Ya.
Her porcelain-white face was pale and ashen, her lips devoid of color, her body warm no more. Her eyes were tightly shut, and they would never open again.
Fingers adorned with the engagement ring prepared by the accountant rested limply; she had passed away.
Author’s Note: The next chapter’s content is yet to be determined. For now, I’ve dug a preview pit for “The Advance from the Sleeve Side.” Please support with your collections.