Limited Ambiguity Chapter 40

Chapter 40

As the hovercar sped onto the express lane, the scenery on both sides turned into blurs. Lu Fenghan rested his elbow on the car window, the fingers gripping the control lever still tingling.

He mocked himself inwardly. It wasn’t the first time he had pinched Qi Yan’s cheek.

But this was the first time Qi Yan had taken the initiative to let him pinch his cheek.

Could they be the same?

Lu Fenghan leaned back into his seat, trying to restrain himself from looking at Qi Yan.

But as he restrained himself, he couldn’t help but glance sideways.

Qi Yan projected a small screen, his brow furrowed in concentration as he studied the characters displayed on it. The light cast a soft glow on his face, highlighting his flawless, fair skin that resembled polished jade. It made one wonder what kind of food he ate to grow up like this.

Lu Fenghan’s fingertips began to itch again.

To quell the urge, he opened his personal terminal’s camera and snapped a candid shot of Qi Yan’s profile.

Whether too focused or completely unguarded, Qi Yan didn’t notice even after Lu Fenghan had finished taking the picture.

Pleased, Lu Fenghan asked, “What are you doing?”

“Working on Pojun,” Qi Yan answered while inputting characters. “Did you just take a picture of me?”

Unexpectedly, Qi Yan had noticed. Lu Fenghan inquired, “How did you catch me?”

“Your movements were too pronounced, no attempt at concealment, quite easy to spot.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips—

It seemed Qi Yan wasn’t as focused as he appeared.

Instead of heading straight home, the two made a detour to Umber Night Studio to order clothes.

December had arrived in the blink of an eye, prompting the need for winter attire.

Although the Alliance’s thin fabrics kept the wearers warm year-round, ingrained human consciousness still pursued visual comfort—

Like how Lu Fenghan always felt Qi Yan needed a sweater whenever he saw him in a shirt.

At Umber Night, the familiar tailor who’d measured Qi Yan at home greeted them.

Four months had passed, and Qi Yan had visibly grown. The tailor brought out a measuring tape, but this time, he took the initiative to hand the measuring tape to Lu Fenghan. “Could I trouble you to take the measurements?”

Lu Fenghan took it in his hands, also recalling Qi Yan’s experience of crying out in pain last time.

Holding the tape, he approached Qi Yan with a soft chuckle. “Come on, let’s see if our Little Delicate has grown taller and broader.”

Qi Yan was dismantling the usable grading function, only sparing a fraction of attention on Lu Fenghan, allowing the latter to fiddle with him.

Lu Fenghan wrapped a soft tape measure around Qi Yan’s waist, then looked down at the numbers on the tape measure. “Tsk, waist seems narrower again.”

Narrow enough for him to encircle it with just one hand.

Lu Fenghan discussed with Qi Yan, “Could it be an issue with the Set A meal package?”

Qi Yan distractedly replied, “But your cooking is too awful.”

Indeed, it was.

It was the same as having a low hit rate on the front lines—no room for speaking.

Lu Fenghan promptly fell silent, then fretted, “Should eat more from the Set A meal package, cut back on the supplements a bit, or you’ll vanish into thin air.”

Qi Yan chose the fabric, but Lu Fenghan was the one who decided on the style.

Facing the tailor’s projection of the latest seasonal styles, he frowned. “How many styles are there in total?”

“Mr. Lu, there are a total of one hundred and seventeen styles. If we include different fabrics, there are even more.”

Lu Fenghan had never considered clothing matters.

The First Military Academy had regulations for attire, with different uniforms for classes and training. Once in the Expeditionary Force, he cycled through several uniforms, wearing one until it tore and then replacing it. As for vacations, which could be counted on both hands, borrowing Erich and Vincent’s hooded sportswear became the norm.

Hence, Commander Lu, who could navigate complex multidimensional starmaps in minutes, found himself in a quandary for the first time. There were too many styles, and he couldn’t decide which to choose.

Meanwhile, the instigator had already pulled up a virtual sketchpad, engrossed in scribbling or drafting.

Lu Fenghan resorted to recalling Qi Yan’s usual dressing habits, selecting styles that were unlikely to go wrong.

As he deliberated, he pondered whether a bodyguard’s duties extended to selecting seasonal clothing for their employer.

Yet, the thought of Qi Yan wearing clothes chosen by someone else left Lu Fenghan feeling somewhat displeased.

Forget it, better to handle this myself. Practice makes perfect.

For the next half hour, while Qi Yan focused on writing intricate formulas, Lu Fenghan diligently assisted him in choosing clothes.

The tailor, meanwhile, noted down the styles designated by Lu Fenghan, stealing a fleeting glance at the two sitting very close together. The young master was indeed as aloof and dignified as a young master should be, but the bodyguard didn’t look like a bodyguard at all.

Especially in the way he looked at his employer… hard to put into words.

With fabrics and styles selected, credits would be deducted directly from Qi Yan’s account. As they prepared to leave, they faintly overheard a woman’s voice, calling a certain “Wenshao” in a delicate tone.

Seeing Lu Fenghan furrowing his brows towards the source of the voice, the tailor offered insight, “The speaker is a new customer of our shop, Ms. Luo Feina, accompanying Mr. Qi Wenshao for the first time.”

The tailor only said half of what he wanted to say, but his meaning was fully conveyed.

It was obvious that he knew Qi Yan’s identity.

Noticing Qi Yanshuo’s preoccupation with Pojun, Lu Fenghan casually inquired, “Does Ms. Jiang Yunyue know?”

The tailor, evidently well-versed in gossip, replied, “Ms. Luo Feina is quite high-profile. Although Ms. Jiang Yunyue has just been released on bail, she should already be aware.”

Lu Fenghan wasn’t interested in the emotional entanglements of these people in Leto, but when it concerned Qi Yan, he quickly grasped the situation. Jiang Yunyue’s academic fraud scandal had not only resulted in imprisonment and reputational damage but also threatened her position as Madam Qi.

Given Jiang Yunyue’s nature, having painstakingly climbed from the depths and tasted the privileges of the elites, her lust for power would only accumulate layer by layer, making it unlikely for her to relinquish control easily.

Qi Wenshao didn’t hide anything, but with a single misstep, he might provoke Jiang Yunyue’s retaliation.

As long as Qi Yan wasn’t involved, Lu Fenghan was happy to see it unfold. After all, none of them were upstanding individuals.

Mirroring Lu Fenghan’s thoughts, at this moment, Jiang Yunyue was sitting on the sofa, struggling to maintain her composure, waiting for Qi Wenshao to finish the call.

Before being taken away by the authorities, she had a hunch that during her absence, something might happen. Upon her release on bail, her suspicions were confirmed—the entire social circle was laughing at her.

The person who used to personally deliver every invitation to her had dared to say to her face, “I heard you can’t manage the Qi family foundation and charity projects anymore? What a shame. All you do is drink tea and tend to flowers at home. But you better get used to it, life is long. What about your son? He couldn’t get into Turan, so where is he planning to study?”

Every word struck a nerve.

And her husband, instead of protecting her, was stepping on her face, shamelessly cavorting with other women.

Jiang Qi was already useless. After being released from prison, his temper worsened, acting recklessly and irrationally. There was no hope for him.

As for Qi Wenshao—she recalled someone in prison hinting that even relying on him, she might not even be able to keep her position as Madam Qi.

Some things, one must hold in their own hands to be completely assured.

She had been hesitant before, but now she felt that she had underestimated the situation.

Carefully pouring the tea into the cup, Jiang Yunyue took a sip, her smile morphing into an enigmatic one.

By mid-December, as the temperature continued to drop, Leto remained quiet, while Turan, relying on its climate control system, timed a heavy snowfall perfectly.

Snowflakes fluttered down throughout the night, blanketing the academy’s marble-white buildings in a thick layer of pristine white. Footprints left behind on the ground formed a trail.

Having diligently cleared the snow from the main walkways, the snow-clearing robots stood at attention beneath the trees, awaiting further instructions.

Clad in a black turtleneck sweater, Qi Yan was also forced to wear earmuffs by Lu Fenghan. The earmuffs were fluffy and furry, making Qi Yan’s already small face appear even smaller.

As Qi Yan walked in the snow, Lu Fenghan deliberately lagged behind, calling out Qi Yan’s name. When Qi Yan turned his head, Lu Fenghan seized the opportunity to snap a photo.

Despite the frosty snow forming a picturesque backdrop, it all paled in comparison to Qi Yan.

After Lu Fenghan finished taking the photo, Qi Yan said, “You’ve been doing this a lot lately.”

The tip of his nose was red from the cold, tinged with a faint pink hue.

“Taking your picture?” Lu Fenghan shoved his hands into his coat pockets, offering no explanation.

However, Qi Yan didn’t mind and changed the subject, “Xia Zhiyang just sent me a message reminder, warning me that it’s dangerous lately. What’s going on?”

A few days ago, Qi Yan figured out a key point, and the basic framework of Pojun took shape accordingly. Two days ago, he took Lu Fenghan and made a special trip to ISOC, where they spent the entire night conducting data simulations in a dedicated equipment room.

The next day, despite his pale face, Qi Yan looked excited beyond measure.

Lu Fenghan didn’t need to guess. It was clear that Pojun had made further progress.

Although he didn’t quite understand what Pojun was for, it didn’t stop him from feeling cheerful and following along with Qi Yan’s mood.

Engrossed in his work on Pojun, Qi Yan had barely had the time to glance at the Leto Daily.

“The Leto elite circles have been in a state of turmoil lately. Xia Zhiyang must have heard something from his parents,” Lu Fenghan summarized succinctly.

“In the past week alone, there have been one musician, three tycoons, and two heirs who died in various accidents. From what I know, Xia Zhiyang’s uncle was also in a hovercar accident and is currently lying in a treatment pod. There are six or seven others in similar situations.”

Qi Yan: “Are these deaths deliberate?”

“Yes.” Lu Fenghan’s eyes reflected the snow. “Leto’s social network has been interwoven for over two hundred years. Just like you and Xia Zhiyang, you might even share the same genetic lineage, making you distant relatives. The deaths of these six individuals have caused a huge stir in Leto’s circles, a world built upon wealth and power.”

Qi Yan understood immediately.

Putting aside familial ties, if someone died today and another tomorrow, who was to say it wouldn’t be their turn the day after?

Fear and the anger it bred must have a target to vent upon.

Qi Yan: “Are they asking the Expeditionary Force to return to defend Leto?”

Lu Fenghan smiled.

Qi Yan was very astute.

He seemed to lack understanding of social niceties, yet had an incredibly deep insight into human nature.

“That’s right. If the hijacking of the starship from Leto to Woz Star by space pirates in the wormhole aroused fear among ordinary citizens, then the recent string of accidental deaths has put the nobles on edge.”

Lu Fenghan’s tone was far from serious as he discussed politics. “General Nie won’t be able to hold on much longer. With pressure mounting from all sides, if he still insists on keeping the Expeditionary Force on the front lines of the Southern Cross Region to confront the rebels, then Leto will be the first to fall into chaos.”

Qi Yan, however, remained astutely aware. “But if the Expeditionary Force is recalled from the front line, the entire Alliance will descend into turmoil.”

Lu Fenghan stopped in his tracks, looking down at the earnest expression on Qi Yan’s face. “But for many, the danger ten steps away is not as frightening as the butcher’s knife half a step away. Human survival instinct dictates that saving one’s life is the most important thing. As long as one’s life is preserved, what does it matter if the Alliance is gone and ten million people are dead?”

Qi Yan shook his head. “That’s not right.”

“But that’s human nature,” Lu Fenghan looked beyond Turan, towards the layered buildings of Leto, his tone carrying a hint of different emotions, “The rebels and Klimo have played their cards well, no, every move they’ve made has been strategic.”

Qi Yan felt that Lu Fenghan, at this moment, was sorrowful.

His usual carefree gaze had dimmed, and his unwavering strength seemed to falter, revealing a hint of vulnerability that he rarely allowed others to see.

However, Lu Fenghan quickly regained his composure, as if the moment of vulnerability had been a mere illusion conjured by Qi Yan’s imagination.

He reached up to adjust Qi Yan’s collar, shielding him from the cold wind. “Later, we can advise Xia Zhiyang not to leave Turan during this time. These accidents are orchestrated, and someone in their circle is undoubtedly passing information to the rebels and space pirates, or perhaps long-planted moles are starting to operate. Turan has protective systems, it’s safer here.”

Qi Yan tilted his chin up, exposing his vulnerable Adam’s apple to allow Lu Fenghan to adjust his collar, while softly murmuring, “Mm.”

Seeing him so obedient, Lu Fenghan pinched his cheek. “As long as I’m here, I’ll protect you.”

Qi Yan sensed that Lu Fenghan’s concept of “protection” held a deeper meaning than the one stipulated in their contract.

But Lu Fenghan didn’t say more.

Though clad in the uniform of the Alliance military, sporting a silver star on his shoulder, besides “Commander Lu,” he was occasionally addressed as “General Lu” or “Brigadier General Lu.”

Unlike Lu Jun, he never harbored lofty ambitions or grand ideals, nor did he aspire to leave an indelible mark on history. His long-term deployment to the front lines was simply a reflection of what he was capable of and what he chose to do.

In moments of exhaustion and weariness, when the blade of his sword grew dull from battles fought, he would recite the words etched on the First Military Academy’s monument several times, finding renewed courage to rise and face the enemy.

“With our bones as blades and our blood as shields, only for the Alliance, we fight relentlessly and never surrender.”

Every Alliance soldier had recited it a hundred times, memorizing it by heart.

Yet, in this moment, Lu Fenghan allowed himself to abandon reason and succumb to emotion—

I shall be the shield and blade, not to protect the stars, but to protect you.

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