IRCDM Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Lies are Sometimes Acceptable

He ate a few mouthfuls of rice in silence before saying, “The Mecha Competition doesn’t restrict mental power, but to pilot a mecha smoothly, the minimum mental power level required is B-grade. What’s the point of a C-grade like me joining in?”

He always devoured his food, but now he was eating the rice slowly, as if he had suddenly lost all appetite. His eyes were lowered, and Liang Huan couldn’t see his expression, only the old scar on the bridge of his nose.

“Are you afraid they’ll laugh at you?” Liang Huan asked.

Li Yao took a deep breath and pointed at him with his chopsticks: “It’s only because I have a good temper. Do you believe I’d have beaten someone else up already?”

Liang Huan smiled: “When I was young, I loved to cry. Once, I fell asleep during court and tumbled off the Dragon Throne, chipping a baby tooth. I cried so hard in front of all the officials that I almost fainted. I felt ashamed and refused to attend court for several days. Later, my teacher found me and said, ‘If you care so much about what others think, you will accomplish nothing, and you might as well not be the emperor.’ That was the first time she lost her temper. At that time, I didn’t understand; I was just scared. In the end, I went to court with a gappy smile.”

Li Yao found it amusing: “Your mental disorder even comes with filling in the past.”

“Mm.” Liang Huan didn’t deny it, but sighed in a lifelike manner, “At that time, I felt like the sky was falling.”

Li Yao curled his lips: “Kind of cute.”

“I think you’re cute too.” Liang Huan gazed at him with gentle eyes, “Li Yao, what others think is never important. If you want to start over, you must first think highly of yourself.”

Li Yao shifted his gaze uncomfortably and focused on shoveling rice into his mouth: “Stop lecturing me.”

Liang Huan sighed: “I just want you to be with me.”

Li Yao almost shoved the rice into his nose. He raised his head and glared at Liang Huan: “Speak properly, don’t be so cheesy all the time. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you.”

Liang Huan smiled and said: “I know, but relationships aren’t just about love. I admire you and can’t help but want to be close to you. What’s wrong with that?”

“…” Li Yao had a bellyful of swear words with nowhere to vent, and he laughed out of anger, “Do you emperors talk to everyone like this?”

Liang Huan personally picked food for him: “I treat you differently from others.”

He had high hopes for Li Yao. Someone who had experienced great ups and downs would surely achieve something in the future if they could make a comeback.

Li Yao was so angry that he finished all the food.

A troublesome ancient person.

“If you really don’t want to, I won’t force you.” Liang Huan said considerately, “I can ask Pei Zhong or Deng Meng.”

If he had used coercion or offered conditions, Li Yao might have firmly refused or even fought with him, but with his sincere and gentle attitude, Li Yao felt a sense of confusion and a slight, absurd guilt about refusing…

Liang Huan leaned against the bed studying the chip, engrossed in it. Suddenly, the mattress next to him sank. He turned his head, and Li Yao pushed his shoulder: “Move over a bit, make some room for me.”

Liang Huan reminded him politely: “Your bed is next to mine.”

Although he was known for his graciousness and had many stories of harmonious relationships between ruler and ministers, even inviting ministers to share his bed, no one dared to take his polite words seriously. He didn’t really like others touching his bed; only memorials were allowed on it.

Li Yao raised his hand and put his arm around his shoulder: “I’ve been thinking about it, and you’re right.”

Liang Huan removed his arm: “Stay away from me.”

“You just said you treated me differently, and now you’re turning your back on me so quickly?” Li Yao persistently leaned in, “I used to sleep in the same hibernation pod with my brothers all the time, it’s no big deal. Let’s chat.”

“Have you thought it through?” Liang Huan asked.

“I didn’t overthink it at all.” Li Yao showed him the small black dragon tattooed on his wrist, raised his chin and ordered him, “Touch it.”

Liang Huan touched it suspiciously, and after a moment, his expression changed slightly: “This place has also been broken.”

“At that time, this hand was blown to pieces, with rotten flesh and broken bones everywhere, but I was lucky. The escape pod closed in time, and most of it was still there.” Li Yao pointed to the dragon’s horn, “I couldn’t move at all, I passed out and woke up, and all I saw was my own blood and bones. Later, I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or awake. Later, I could barely move and didn’t know how long I crawled before I reached the healing device.”

“I was this far away from it.” Li Yao gestured with a hand’s width, “But I felt like it took me years to reach it. Later, I learned it only took three months. Unfortunately, it was still too long. Since then, I haven’t been able to operate precision instruments with this hand. At first, I couldn’t even write.”

This was the first time he had talked about the past, and Liang Huan looked at the little black dragon with a complicated expression.

“I dream of piloting a mecha again, but I can’t, Liang Huan.” Li Yao’s voice rang low in his ear, “If you can heal me, I’m willing to do anything for you.”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes and gently stroked the little dragon on his wrist: “I will try my best.”

Li Yao took the opportunity to grab his hand: “Thank you.”

Just as Liang Huan was about to look up, Li Yao’s hand on his shoulder swiftly pulled him in, and he was embraced by Li Yao. The warm body pressed against him, making him stunned.

Where he couldn’t see, the veins on Li Yao’s forehead were about to burst. He never expected that acting was so mentally draining. Counting back to his birth, he had never said such cheesy and disgusting words to anyone. To restore his mental power, he would resort to any means.

Fortunately, people with mental disorders don’t remember what happened after they recover, otherwise, he would definitely silence Liang Huan.

A warm palm suddenly covered his back, and Liang Huan gently patted his back and chuckled softly: “Li Yao, if you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to do this.”

Li Yao raised his head, raising his eyebrows with a slightly sharp gaze.

“Your ears are red.” Liang Huan let go of him and playfully pinched his ears.

Li Yao was strangely silent for a few seconds, the redness at the tip of his ears spreading like wildfire, all the way to the base of his neck.

Damn it!

He wanted to kill him right now and send Liang Huan into outer space!

“It’s too hot.” He covered Liang Huan’s eyes and pressed him into the quilt, “You go in and cool off.”

Liang Huan had an annoying smile on his lips, and Li Yao grabbed the pillow and covered his face, saying fiercely: “If you laugh again, I’ll suffocate you.”

Liang Huan accurately grabbed the black dragon on his wrist, his voice muffled from under the pillow: “Li Yao, this is regicide.”

Li Yao grinned ferociously: “That’s right, I plan to usurp the throne immediately.”

Liang Huan didn’t move. Li Yao was afraid of really suffocating him, so he let go of the pillow and saw Liang Huan’s face slightly red from being suffocated, looking at him with a smile: “Okay, I’ll wait.”

The heart in his chest suddenly skipped a beat. Li Yao cleared his throat and threw the pillow at him: “You rest, I’m going to the training ground.”

Liang Huan glanced at the time on the chip: “The training ground will be closing soon.”

Li Yao was already at the door, and when he heard this, he roared: “I miss the zombies! I’m itching for a fight if I don’t fight them for a day!”

Liang Huan sat up hugging the pillow, slightly dazed.

He had forgotten how many years it had been since he had played around so carefree with someone. Was it because he had transmigrated to another world and changed into a younger body, and even his mentality had become younger? The warmth of Li Yao’s wrist still lingered on his fingertips. He stared at his hand for a moment, then looked at the empty lunchbox that Li Yao had cleaned out.

…It was actually a little bit happy.

Living with Li Yao day and night seemed more dangerous than he had imagined.

—

Jiang Mufeng looked at the old man who suddenly appeared in his office, pushed up the glasses on his nose, and said, “It hasn’t been a week.”

“I know.” Li Yao sprawled on his expensive sofa, drinking freshly squeezed juice delivered by a robot, “I just happened to be passing by.”

“You rarely visit me, and even when you do have something to say, you contact me by communication.” Jiang Mufeng was a little curious, “What made you grace my humble abode twice in such a short time?”

“You don’t understand the suffering of married people.” Li Yao bit the straw.

Jiang Mufeng said while looking at the files: “That spy?”

“Watch your words, it hasn’t been confirmed yet.” Li Yao was a little unhappy.

Jiang Mufeng said succinctly: “You’re finished.”

Li Yao raised his eyes.

“I’ve seen Liang Huan’s photos, this is definitely a honey trap specifically set for you.” Jiang Mufeng frantically processed his work, “He’s completely your ideal type.”

“When did I have an ideal type?” Li Yao didn’t care.

Jiang Mufeng said: “High mental power and low physical ability, good-looking and clean, gentle and considerate personality, not afraid to go to the outer districts with you.”

“Male.” Li Yao added.

“What’s wrong with being male? A few days ago, I just handled a divorce case with a robot.” Jiang Mufeng said, “In the New Era, there are even people marrying heteromorph zombies. The criteria for choosing a partner for humans are not so strict with species, but you are still fixated on gender.”

Li Yao snorted coldly: “Has You Zhao Chen contacted you?”

“He did, he drank a few sips of wine and cried like he was dying, after cursing you he started cursing himself.” Jiang Mufeng processed the files very quickly, without even blinking, “Yi Heng Bai’s death was completely an accident——”

After he finished speaking, he realized that he had misspoke. He finally raised his head from his work to look at Li Yao, but found that he was reacting indifferently, staring at the mecha projected by the chip in a daze.

“The Mecha Competition? You’re going to participate?” Jiang Mufeng was a little surprised.

Li Yao fiddled with the image of the A-grade mecha that served as the prize, and said indifferently: “If I participate, I can only participate in the two-person competition. My mental power fluctuates and it’s easy to mess up, and my hands don’t work well.”

“For this level of competition, even if you don’t use mental power, you can defeat them with one hand.” Jiang Mufeng didn’t take it to heart, “I still remember your famous saying, ‘Mechas below S-grade are trash.'”

Li Yao sighed: “Liang Huan insists on me participating, he’s making a fuss at home.”

Jiang Mufeng’s teeth ached: “The Yi Yuan’s court hearing has been postponed for another three months. The military claims to have found the black box left by the Dawn Fleet.”

“Black box? That thing exploded into slag long ago.” Li Yao sneered, indifferently fiddling with the mecha in the holographic image.

Jiang Mufeng heard the words and said solemnly: “Do you really not know where the black box is?”

Li Yao raised his eyelids to look at him: “Jiang Lawyer, have you finally decided to abandon the darkness and come over to the military?”

Jiang Mufeng was choked by his words and said with a cold face: “If I wanted to rely on the military, I would have handed you over when you made the first call to me, and wouldn’t have cleaned up so many messes for you.”

Li Yao stared at him intently, and after a long time, a smile appeared on his face: “Don’t be angry, just kidding.”

“Liang Huan is not one of us.” Jiang Mufeng took off his glasses and rubbed his eyebrows with a headache, “When the news that you were looking for a matching partner came out, all parties took action, but the military controlled it very strictly, and couldn’t intervene at all, not to mention that the population matching center is a neutral scientific research institution.”

“Whatever.” Li Yao got up, “I’m leaving.”

“Li Yao.” Jiang Mufeng called out to him, “The Dawn Project’s total annihilation was an accident, and all parties have already finalized it. You have been acquitted, and even Yi Yuan has no direct evidence to prove that he is responsible. Why do you have to find out the truth? Almost all the high-level officials related to the Dawn Project were buried in space, even if you really find something, who are you going to seek revenge on?”

Li Yao said helplessly: “You’re overthinking it, I just want to be able to pilot a mecha again.”

Jiang Mufeng didn’t believe it: “You know something, tell me I can help you.”

“The juice is not sweet, but it tastes good, pack me a copy.” Li Yao said to the robot.

Emotions surged in Jiang Mufeng’s eyes, and he said in a deep voice: “Part of Liang Huan’s information has come out, his genetic test is fake.”

Li Yao’s gaze finally shifted from the juice.

“He is indeed an S-grade mental power, but the actual physical ability rating is E-.” Jiang Mufeng saw his face darken, but still bit the bullet and said it, “Liang Huan is a high mental power functional disorder patient.”

“He can’t pilot any mecha at all.”