His colleague got out of the car and hurried over.
“Tan, why are you so pale? Did that little brat Ji Shileng give you trouble?”
The man was considerably older than Ji Shileng and had heard plenty about him through their social circles.
People who reached heights in their youth that others could never attain in a lifetime tended to carry a certain effortless pride in everything they did.
And that unconscious air of superiority rubbed him the wrong way.
“No. He didn’t”
The Bugatti rounded several bends and disappeared from view.
Tan Shengbie pressed his lips together, then asked quietly:
“Why did Ji Shileng go to the Empire in the first place?”
His colleague heard plenty of rumors through his connections.
He had no firm evidence, but he was convinced one particular account was true.
“Apparently, he had a fight with his father. Stubborn as anything, refused to back down. His father lost his temper and packed him off to the Empire”
Starting the car, he clicked his tongue.
“Said it would straighten out that temper of his. Who knew he’d end up being bullied like that?”
Tan Shengbie said nothing more. He merely turned toward the window and fell silent.
After dropping Tan Shengbie off, Ji Shileng happened to receive a message from his eldest sister, telling him to come home for an outdoor barbecue.
Racing no longer held much appeal, so he drove back up to say goodbye to Su Ke and the others, then stepped on the accelerator and headed home.
His expression was cool, his pale lips lightly pressed together.
Honestly, Shang Jianli was rather impressive. Ji Shileng had never been particularly homesick before.
Single-handedly, Shang Jianli had cured him of that bad habit.
At the thought, he decided Madam Wen Qin ought to send Shang Jianli a ceremonial banner thanking him for his “instruction.”
The Federation’s evenings were pleasantly cool. Beneath Qingshui Creek’s dim streetlights, there were no pedestrians and no other cars.
The broad asphalt road seemed to have turned upside down, as though he were traveling across the blue-black sky dusted with stars.
Ji Shileng parked. Before he even reached the others, he heard his mother scolding his father.
“I grilled that for Xiaoshi. If you want some, make your own”
His father sounded both aggrieved and dejected, stubbornly clutching a skewer of green beans.
“Darling, I’m just tasting it for you. Checking your technique”
“…”
Unable to bear the sight of her father being so hopelessly devoted to his wife, Ji Shiyun got up and moved to another seat.
She spotted Ji Shileng first.
“Xiaoshi’s back”
The aroma of grilled food filled the air, and Ji Shileng was soon being plied with one bite after another by his mother.
His sister mocked him for behaving as though he had neither hands nor feet. He accepted every word of her displeasure without complaint.
A large screen stood on the lawn, showing the Interstellar Military Competition live.
The broadcast had just reached its entertainment segment. To ease the tension of the competition, this year’s event included a short interview and Q&A feature.
This episode’s guest was none other than Shang Jianli.
The instant he appeared, Ji Shileng lowered his head and devoted himself to his food.
It would be a lie to say he was not embarrassed, especially with his entire family sitting there.
Anywhere else, he would never have reacted like this.
Noticing that her brother seemed ready to bury his face in his bowl, Ji Shiyun delivered a pointed verdict.
“Hopeless”
“I never claimed otherwise”
At home, he could never win an argument with Ji Shiyun. He might as well surrender.
Ji Shiyun: “…”
When she said nothing, he added:
“Oh, come on. It doesn’t matter if I’m hopeless. As long as the rest of you are accomplished, we’re fine”
Expressionless, Ji Shiyun deposited a skewer of burnt potatoes into his bowl.
“Just eat”
Wen Qin burst out laughing. Now this felt like home.
The entertainment segment was fairly informal. Viewers were selected at random to join the livestream and ask questions.
The whole point was to cultivate an approachable public image.
Ji Shiyun glanced at her brother.
“Why don’t we try joining? We’ve got nothing else to do”
Ji Shileng remained silent, making a show of observing the rule against talking while eating.
Wen Qin blinked.
“Shall we give it a go? There are so many people applying anyway”
Ji Shileng had not expected his mother to join in. Only a few days earlier, she had been warning him repeatedly to stay away from Shang Jianli.
He tried to stop them.
“Mom, Shiyun, you don’t even like him. Why bother applying?”
But Wen Qin was thoroughly interested. She pulled Ji Shiyun over to the large screen, and they began figuring out how to request a connection.
“Ji Shileng, give me your communicator. Mine’s out of battery”
Under pressure from his sister, Ji Shileng obediently handed it over so she could scan the code.
They had not even managed to submit their request before Shang Jianli selected the first caller.
“Hello, General Shang. Do you have any predictions for the results of this individual event?”
It was a perfectly conventional question. Easy enough to answer, but one poorly chosen phrase could invite criticism.
Shang Jianli nodded and gave an impeccably measured response.
“Results depend on human effort. I believe we should pay greater attention to the hard work and dedication our competitors demonstrate throughout the event”
The second round began. Ji Shiyun finally submitted their request at the very last second.
Another suspenseful selection followed. On the large screen, Shang Jianli was browsing the applicants on a tablet.
Suddenly, a username caught his eye: Winter Is Cold When It Snows.
Reason told him Ji Shileng could not possibly have submitted that request.
His hand accepted it anyway.
Ji Shiyun returned the now-connected communicator to her brother.
Wiping his fingers, Ji Shileng took it from her.
“I told you, with that many people applying, there’s no way they’d pick us”
His sister did not answer. Puzzled, he looked up and found her smiling at him before pointing to the communicator.
The screen showed an active connection.
Ji Shileng: “…”
The world might as well end. He was exhausted.
What a cursed connection. Truly cursed!
One chance in tens of millions. How had Shang Jianli managed to pick him?
It had to be rigged.
The host broke the silence.
“Hello? Is this Winter Is Cold When It Snows?”
“Yes”
“We’re delighted to tell you that, out of all the viewers who applied, our general personally selected you!”
Ji Shileng: “…”
When he remained silent, the host assumed he was overwhelmed with excitement and hurried to prompt him.
“If you have a question for General Shang, now’s your chance”
The host’s words brought Shang Jianli back to his senses first.
He picked up the tea on the table, using the motion of taking a sip to gather himself.
Ji Shileng had nothing he wanted to ask.
Unfortunately, he was already on the program, live across the entire interstellar world. Even without a question, he would have to invent one.
A few seconds later, he asked in genuine bewilderment:
“With so many people applying, why did you pick me?”
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