The Fake Son Wants to Live [BL]
Chapter 197 - The new plan

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 - The new plan

After the transmission with Dican had ended, the room remained hushed, broken only by the occasional buzz of incoming data and the rapid tapping of keyboards. Xing Yu stood unmoving, a storm raging behind his silver eyes. Jian paced restlessly, looking on the verge of panic. Eren stared at his communicator, as if willing the entire situation to reverse.

Then, another ping.

Eren quickly tapped the screen and read the new incoming message. His brow furrowed. "We’ve just got an update," he said tightly. "The First Prince’s fleet is officially en route. They should reach Earth’s orbit within the next cycle."

Xing Yu barely moved. "And?"

Eren hesitated, then continued bitterly, "Apparently, Dican’s ’mate’ was... too delicate to stay on Earth. That’s why they had to leave. He was scared, overwhelmed. They’re justifying the retreat because of him."

He was barely holding in his rage. "Mate’s delicate? Delicate?" he barked a humorless laugh. "If he’s so goddamn delicate, why don’t we just drop him in Gia’s volcanic zone and see how long he lasts! Let’s see how ’fragile’ he really is when—"

"Eren!" Varon hissed, slapping a hand over the soldier’s mouth before he could spew another insult. "That’s enough."

But the damage was done. The bitterness had already curdled in the air. Jian looked sick, the weight of worry pressing hard on his chest. His fingers twisted in his jacket sleeve, nails digging deep into the fabric. "My grandpa and Quanya..." he whispered. "They’re still on that ship. They’re just... gone now."

"General," Varon turned seriously to Xing Yu, "what do we do?"

Xing Yu’s eyes slowly focused, cold and calculating. "We wait."

Jian’s breath hitched. He spun around and grabbed Xing Yu’s arm, gripping him hard. "Wait?! What do you mean wait? My grandpa—Quanya—they’re up there. We have to go after them!"

"We can’t," Xing Yu said, voice emotionless. "Our shuttles aren’t built to survive the passage near the black hole surrounding Gia’s sector. If we chase blindly, we lose everyone."

"No!" Jian cried, his grip tightening. "We can’t just sit here and do nothing!"

Xing Yu’s jaw twitched, a rare break in his composure. He slowly looked down at Jian, his hand carefully wrapping around Jian’s wrist to pry it free. "We’re not doing nothing."

He turned to Eren, the silver in his gaze burning now. "Send a priority message to the First Prince’s fleet. Inform them that two humans—Quanya and Jian’s grandfather—are aboard the second prince’s vessel. When they intercept the mothership, they are to retrieve both and escort them safely to the First Prince’s care."

"And if they’re harmed?" Eren asked, already tapping furiously at his pad.

Xing Yu’s voice dropped, ice-cold and deadly. "Then I will personally have Dican’s throat. Royal blood or not, I will make him bleed."

Eren swallowed hard and nodded. "Understood."

"And this time," Xing added, turning back toward the trees as if he could see the disappearing streak of the mothership’s trail, "we have imperial authorization. The Emperor has personally greenlit the handover of the two humans. Even Dican can’t defy that."

"Even if he tries to," Varon said lowly, "he won’t win. The First Prince... won’t let him."

The group fell into a heavy silence.

"Why can’t we just ask the Emperor to order them to go back?" Jian’s voice cracked as panic began to rise again, his hands trembling at his sides. "Can’t he make them return? He’s the Emperor—he can command anyone!"

Xing Yu turned to him slowly, his expression softer than usual, but still unreadable. He took a few steps closer, his long coat brushing the forest floor. "The ship must have already traveled far," he said gently, his voice low. "It’s not like the smaller cruisers. A mothership burns immense fuel just breaking through Earth’s atmosphere. Turning around now would risk stranding them mid-space. It’s a huge gamble... even for us."

Jian’s face twisted with helplessness. His chest felt tight, his mind a whirlwind of terrifying images—Quanya, alone and confused. His grandfather, unwell and stuck on a ship with strangers, with him... with that man Bian.

He bit down on his lip, hard, tasting blood. "I don’t... I don’t trust Dican. Why would he suddenly just take off like that? He didn’t even ask anyone! He didn’t check!" His voice grew high, anxious. "He just took them! Like they were—like they were his! What if something happens? What if—"

"Shh." Xing Yu stepped in, his hand gently pressing Jian’s shoulder to steady him. "Jian."

Jian looked up at him, breathing heavy, eyes wet.

Xing Yu’s cold grey gaze met his, and this time, the ice had melted just a little. "He might have been hasty in his decision... but Dican is not reckless. He’s not the sort who would hurt innocents." He let the words settle, grounding Jian’s thoughts. "And the entire crew on that ship? They’re my soldiers. Loyal to me first, not the throne."

Jian blinked at him, surprised. Xing Yu reached up, brushing a damp strand of hair from his forehead.

"I will send orders to every single one of them—explicit ones," Xing continued. "To protect your grandfather and Quanya twenty-four hours a day. They won’t be alone. And they will be safe."

Something in Jian’s chest loosened. Not completely. But just enough.

"You’re sure?" he whispered.

"I’m sure," Xing Yu said, his hand lingering for just a second before stepping back. "They’ll be safe, Jian."

Jian exhaled shakily, nodding as he glanced up at the fading sky. The mother ship was gone. But not out of reach. Not entirely.

And if Xing Yu said they would be safe... maybe he could believe it.

Maybe.

"So, what now?" he asked, still clearly annoyed. "Do we keep going with the plan? You still want to walk across the damn world, General?"

Xing Yu looked at the crumpled map Jian had dropped in the dirt. His jaw tightened slightly. "Yes. We follow the plan."

Eren blinked. "Even now?"

"Yes. We’ve confirmed Grayling nests in multiple regions. Our ships may be fast, but they can’t scan and clear territory on foot. We can. This isn’t about speed—it’s about precision. If we let even one nest fester, we’re asking for disaster."

Jian slowly bent to pick up the map. His fingers brushed against the corner where his route had been sketched out—a twisting red line through forests, deserts, cities... and danger.

But what if something happens while we’re away?" Eren asked, voice uncertain again.

"Then we adapt," Xing Yu said simply. "But for now, we focus on what’s in front of us."

Jian looked back up at him, his eyes searching.

And for once, Xing Yu reached out without waiting—resting a hand on Jian’s shoulder.

"You’re not alone in this." _{freew\ebno\vel..(c)om}

But Jian felt it like an anchor. Real. Heavy. Steady.

He nodded. "...Okay."