Chapter 157: Unlocked

“…Me?” Chen asked, pointing a finger at his own nose.

Jing Yuan simply smiled, his golden gaze sweeping meaningfully over toward Dan Heng, who was completely focused on solving the complex puzzle of a nearby mechanism.

His eyes then drifted to the pink-haired boy huddled with Caelus, the two of them whispering back and forth about whether “this pillar is edible.”

Finally, his gaze rested on Ms. Welt, who stood quietly to the side, her presence a bastion of calm and steady temperament.

“I must say, your Astral Express is brimming with talent,” Jing Yuan began, his voice smooth and leisurely. “Each of you possesses your own unique strengths.”

“Ms. Welt is composed and reliable, and young Master March 7th is lively and quite endearing.”

“Though young lady Caelus is a woman of few words, her heart is pure… and that’s not even touching upon someone like Dan Heng.”

Jing Yuan leaned in slightly, his tone dropping into a conspiratorial murmur. “A beauty whose face could topple kingdoms, an aura as cold and ethereal as a extraordinary being, and strength that remains unfathomable… and she accompanies you day and night.”

He straightened up, his eyes twinkling. “Brother Chen, you’re in the prime of your youth, traveling the Sea of Stars with such outstanding companions.”

“Can it be that you’ve never felt even a tiny flicker of… attraction?”

“…???”

Chen was stunned into silence for a full three seconds before his brain could even begin to parse the sheer volume of information packed into Jing Yuan’s words.

‘Wait… General? What in the world?’he thought, his mind reeling.’Weren’t we just having a serious discussion about Teacher Dan Heng’s daily adaptation to the crew and the overall spiritual and civilized construction of the Astral Express? How did the topic suddenly warp to youthful romance and being surrounded by beautiful girls?!’The leap in logic was more jarring than an emergency Astral Express jump.’And… what does he mean by attraction? Attracted to whom? Teacher Dan Heng? March 7th? Caelus? Ms. Welt?!’Chen stared into Jing Yuan’s golden eyes, which were practically shining with a blatant, unsubtle curiosity that screamed,’Come on, tell me, I need to know.’

A deep sense of absurdity washed over him, rushing to his head like a potent wine.

This was the supreme commander of the Luofu, the deep-scheming, famously inscrutable “Closed-Eyed General.”

And here he was, on the very eve of a climactic battle, standing in the ancient and sacred heart of the Vidyadhara holy land… gossiping about someone’s love life with the enthusiasm of a seasoned matchmaker.

“I… that is… General…” Chen, a man rarely at a loss for words, found himself stammering. His facial expression was a frantic kaleidoscope, shifting from bewilderment to shock and finally settling on a deeply wry smile.

“No, my Great General Jing Yuan, how did you… suddenly arrive at this topic?” he managed, his voice strained. “Aren’t we here to deal with the crisis of the Ambrosial Arbor? Isn’t this line of questioning a bit… outside the mission parameters?”

“Crises must be handled, of course, but life must also be lived,” Jing Yuan replied, a smile playing on his lips like a cat that had just cornered a particularly plump canary. His tone was light, almost breezy.

“Besides, observing the emotional development of young people is a responsibility one must take on as an elder… ahem, as a General who cares deeply for his allies.”

He gestured vaguely toward Dan Heng. “That child has such a cold personality; she surely won’t say anything of her own accord.”

“But you, Brother Chen, are clearly a man of deep sentiment. So, come now, tell me.”

“…”

Chen could practically feel his brain overheating, the metaphorical smoke of a burnt-out CPU pouring from his ears. Was this General genuinely just being nosy, or was this some kind of bizarre, roundabout test? Or, perhaps, was it purely a bout of high-level mischief, born from a desire to see him squirm?

Seeing Jing Yuan’s unyielding posture, which clearly communicated, ‘I’m not moving from this spot until you spill the beans,’ Chen had no choice but to brace himself.

He forced a dry, hollow laugh. “General, you must be joking! Our Astral Express Crew shares a purely revolutionary, comradely relationship!”

He puffed out his chest, trying to sound as righteous as possible. “We trailblaze together, we fight together, we take care of one another, and we progress together! Attraction and all that… it’s all just passing clouds! Our goal is the Sea of Stars! Solving crises and protecting the peace! Right, Teacher Dan Heng?!”

He practically shouted the last part, desperately winking at Dan Heng with all his might. He prayed, with every fiber of his being, that his reliable companion would receive his SOS signal. At the very least, he hoped Dan Heng’s famously icy glare could extinguish Jing Yuan’s sudden bonfire of gossip.

For a brief moment, Dan Heng seemed to be drawn by the commotion.

She tilted her head, her cool, indifferent gaze sweeping over the mischievously smiling Jing Yuan and the frantic, “help-me” expression plastered across Chen’s face.

Then… she said nothing. She simply turned her head back, her expressionless face once again focused on the puzzle before her. Her posture seemed to say: You two can talk, just don’t disturb my work.

“…”

‘Teacher Dan Heng! What happened to our camaraderie?! Our revolutionary friendship?!’ Chen screamed internally.

Seeing this unfold, Jing Yuan finally let out a soft chuckle. The sound was remarkably clear and pleasant, echoing softly in the vast, empty underground space. He seemed, at last, to be satisfied with his little prank and ceased his questioning.

He simply patted Chen’s shoulder, his touch light but meaningful.

“It’s a good thing to have goals, young man.”

Jing Yuan withdrew his hand. The smile on his face had returned to its usual, lazy default, but the glint of mischief in his eyes hadn’t completely faded.

“Whether your goal is the Sea of Stars or… something else,” he said, his voice dropping slightly, “it’s never wrong to cherish the scenery and the companions you find along the journey.”

Just before turning to leave, he added one last thing, his airy tone carrying the weight of an elder’s sincere encouragement.

“Seize the opportunity! Young man!”

After delivering his parting shot, he finally turned and walked back toward Dan Heng’s side, leaving Chen frozen in place.

It was as if someone had slammed a universal pause button.

Because in the exact moment Jing Yuan had patted his shoulder and uttered that final sentence… a brand-new, brilliant golden light had bloomed in the corner of his vision.

The icon, a perfect silhouette of that lazy, white-haired General, lit up with a silent, triumphant flash.

[Five-Star Character: Jing Yuan — Unlocked!]

‘Just… unlocked? Just like that?’

Chen subconsciously reached up, his fingers brushing the spot on his shoulder that had just been patted.

With nothing more than a seemingly casual, encouraging pat on the shoulder, he had obtained the icon?

[Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story? Every single bit helps immensely: