Chapter 9: Star Pirates
1667 Words
“Oh ho, who do we have here? Our very own top marshal of the First Military Academy—a double S-level genius, isn’t he?”
From behind the crowd, a coquettish voice rang out. Instantly, the onlookers parted, making a path for her.
“Isn’t that Lan Weiying? How come she’s here?”
“She's just here to watch the spectacle.”
“Or maybe she's here to kick him when he's down. As one of the three campus beauties, she chased after Yuan Vincent for a whole year. Alas, unrequited love—Yuan Vincent never even spared her a kind glance. Now that he’s disabled, she’s not simply venting her anger, is she?”
“Tsk, what a show!”
“.........”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Chen Lillian raised an eyebrow; Lan Weiying’s posts appear frequently on the First Military Academy’s forums—she is one of Yuan Vincent’s most ardent admirers. Yet now, not only has she switched her affections, but she also mocks him. Her character leaves much to be desired.
But, admittedly, she is stunningly beautiful.
“Is this your wife?” Lan Weiying sneered, scrutinizing Chen Lillian with a critical gaze. “Ugly, disabled, and just an ordinary person. Yuan Vincent, look at you—this is the best you could get?”
Chen Lillian’s lips twitched. “Me? Ugly? It seems your eyes aren’t working too well.”
Yuan Vincent coolly interjected, “She’s kinder than you.”
“What do you mean? So if she’s kind, am I supposed to be wicked?” Lan Weiying’s features twisted in anger.
Yuan Vincent merely shot her a cold sideways glance, his expression saying everything without words.
Fuming, Lan Weiying reached out to push Yuan Vincent’s wheelchair. Quick as lightning, Chen Lillian intercepted—she swiftly turned the wheelchair aside and said, “Come on, let’s go. We need to complete our procedures.”
And with that, she pushed Yuan Vincent away.
The onlooking students, eager for class, dispersed while whispering among themselves.
“Such a pity—a top marshal as fine as he is, to suffer such misfortune.”
“Who can deny it? I cried all night for him; he’s my idol.”
“Mine too. Who would have thought he’d marry an ordinary, disabled person? I feel he deserves better.”
“Better? A Guide wouldn’t marry someone like him—a family outcast with a disability. What about you, would you?”
“Umm… no.”
“So, they really do seem quite well matched.”
“.........”
Chen Lillian glanced at Yuan Vincent, thinking to herself, indeed—a one-armed person and a one-legged person, they truly match.
During the process of applying for suspension, Yuan Vincent remained silent, his face as cold as if covered in frost. Even after leaving the imposing gates of the First Military Academy, that icy demeanor did not melt away.
He turned back, gazing at the grand school gates, his eyes slightly red as if he were suppressing something deep within.
“Miss you?” Chen Lillian asked softly.
Yuan Vincent merely turned his head and replied evasively, “Go back.”
Chen Lillian trailed behind his wheelchair, watching his slender shoulders twitch ever so slightly, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—after all, at just nineteen, after enduring such a massive change, his heart must be aching.
She accompanied him for a long while until his mood returned to normal, and then they took a hovercar back to the Yuan family estate.
Early the next morning, Chen Lillian, Yuan Vincent, and Uncle Zhao set off together for the Starport to board a starship. The Yuan family owned a private starship—usually used by Yuan Zachary and Ye Zi—but this time, as Yuan Vincent was heading for the mining planet, Yuan Zachary refused to let the starship transport them.
Upon boarding, Chen Lillian felt like a country bumpkin—she gazed around in wide-eyed wonder, touching everything as if it were all brand new. Even Yuan Vincent, usually so stoic, blushed slightly at her antics—how embarrassing!
Uncle Zhao, however, smiled kindly and patiently introduced various aspects of the starship to Chen Lillian.
Chen Lillian’s supernatural ability had already extended into the ship’s hull, absorbing the residual energy within the metal. She could feel her once-dry power being revived, and she beamed with joy, exclaiming, “Uncle Zhao, you really know your stuff!”
Uncle Zhao modestly waved his hand, “Not at all—I’m but a novice. The young master truly understands starships.”
Chen Lillian glanced over at Yuan Vincent, but he closed his eyes, not wishing to boast.
As the starship left the Starport and sailed into the vast starry sea, Chen Lillian looked out the window, mesmerized by the countless stars, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is unbelievably beautiful!”
Yuan Vincent opened his eyes, but his gaze was fixed on her—he noticed that her bright, clear eyes were every bit as dazzling as any star outside, perhaps even more beautiful.
The journey would take five days. Uncle Zhao had booked only one room: Yuan Vincent and Chen Lillian would share it, while Uncle Zhao slept on a large communal berth. The room was modest—a bed, a small dining table, and a private bathroom.
“It looks like we’ll have to share the same bed; there’s no space on the floor,” Chen Lillian remarked.
Yuan Vincent frowned, “You should book another room.”
“I checked; there are no vacant rooms. Even the communal berth is full,” Chen Lillian replied truthfully, then reassured him, “The bed is 1.8 meters wide and 2 meters long. If we sleep head-to-toe, there’ll be over a meter of space between us so we won’t touch. If you’re worried, I can even place two boxes between us.”
Yuan Vincent said nothing.
“Then I’ll take that as agreement. I’ll sleep on this side, and you on the other,” she said, yawning as she had woken before five, planning to catch a bit more sleep.
She pulled out the quilt she’d brought from the Yuan estate, spread it on the bed, lay down, and then turned to ask, “Can you get up by yourself, or do you need help?”
“No,” Yuan Vincent replied coldly, refusing to join her on the bed.
Chen Lillian left him be, closed her eyes, and fell asleep within minutes.
Her breathing gradually steadied, yet Yuan Vincent frowned as he watched her sleep—unhappy that she slept so soundly, so completely at ease, as if she assumed he would never do anything untoward. For some reason, a heavy resentment welled up in his chest.
Once he was sure Chen Lillian wouldn’t wake, Yuan Vincent pulled back the blanket from his wheelchair, used his arms to support himself, and clumsily climbed onto the bed. The process wasn’t strenuous or difficult, but it looked terribly ungainly.
He recalled having seen himself in a mirror—he looked like a gorilla, no, even less than a gorilla, for at least a gorilla has feet. And he, much like the insectoids he despised, was utterly hideous.
Each time he looked, his self-loathing deepened. Even if he didn’t care for Chen Lillian, he certainly didn’t want her to see him in such a state.
Chen Lillian slept for two hours, and when she awoke just in time for lunch, she noticed Yuan Vincent was still asleep. Gently, she got up, opened the door, and stepped out.
The moment she left, Yuan Vincent immediately opened his eyes.
By the time Chen Lillian returned with lunch, Yuan Vincent was already back in his wheelchair.
They ate their meal in silence; after finishing, Chen Lillian took her plate and said, “I’m going for a walk later—are you coming?”
The starship boasted a gym, a bar, a cinema, and other recreational facilities, all free for passengers.
“No,” Yuan Vincent replied, picking up a paper book.
In the blink of an eye, four days passed, and Chen Lillian and Yuan Vincent—sharing the room—lived together in relative harmony.
That day, while Chen Lillian was playing in the arcade, she suddenly heard a piercing scream followed by gunshots. In an instant, she abandoned the game and dashed toward their room.
The starship descended into chaos. Being one-armed made it even harder for Chen Lillian to keep her balance; she stumbled repeatedly, nearly reaching her destination, when suddenly a burly man seized her by the collar and hoisted her up.
He carried her as if she were a little chick, and after a few steps, he hurled her into the crowd, shouting, “Stay still—if anyone disobeys—”
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and someone collapsed, blood staining the floor red.
“This is your fate. Understand?” the man threatened.
Chen Lillian bowed her head and shrank into the throng.
“Are they Star Pirates?” someone whispered, voice trembling with tears.
“What other people would h****k a starship? I only hope they steal money, not lives,” another answered, his voice shaking as he tried to remain calm.
People in the room were also dragged out by the Star Pirates. When Chen Lillian saw Yuan Vincent being carried by them, her heart pounded in her throat.
“Just a cripple—does he really deserve to be hauled over like that?” one pirate sneered.
“At least he’s a Sentinel,” another pirate, who had grabbed Yuan Vincent, remarked before casually tossing him aside.
Yuan Vincent closed his eyes, expecting to be battered and bruised; instead, he found himself cradled in a soft embrace. When he opened his eyes, he met the pale face of a girl.
“Phew, glad you caught me,” the girl murmured softly.
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