A major incident occurred in the city centre.
Several hovercars with police markings were parked at the entrance of a particular home. The area had already been cordoned off with yellow tape. A dense crowd had gathered, looking on while whispering.
“I can’t believe something like this happened in the imperial capital.”
“That child is so pitiful. He’s covered in blood.”
“Apparently he spent the night in there with the bodies of his mother and the killer.”
Ye Muo stood beside the steps. As someone involved with the murder investigation, he was kept within the cordon.
His mind was completely blank. Bewildered, he looked down at his hands. They obviously belonged to a child and were coated with blood. A thick crust had even congealed beneath the nails.
Was this a dream? It must be. How strange, why would he have such a dream?
A group of people in black uniforms with white gloves came in and out of the house. Several of them had finished gathering forensic evidence and stood by the hovercars, chatting.
“The killer has already been identified as the prisoner who escaped during escort. He’s been on the run for two days and probably set his sights on robbing this mother and son out of desperation.”
“The prisoner and the mother are both dead. Preliminary speculation is that the mother fought fiercely with the murderer. Both were fatally wounded and died on the spot.”
Here he paused and sighed, directing a very complicated look at the child standing in the clearing not far away.
The toddler stood there barefoot, even his face half stained with blood. Who knew if that was his own or someone else’s? Bruises big and small littered the exposed parts of his limbs, particularly shocking considering the child’s fair, tender skin.
They had long grown numb to murder cases, but something about this one struck a chord.
“That child probably saw his mother die before his eyes… He’s only three or four at most, right? That’s far too young. He’s the same age as my youngest daughter.”
“Haven’t logistics and doctors arrived yet?”
In order to avoid secondary injuries, they were generally prohibited from treating injured people on scene.
“They’re still on the road. I just asked. They said judging by the injuries on the pictures, there shouldn’t be any internal bleeding. If there are no fractures, we can perform a little first aid.”
The group shared a moment of silence before they ended the conversation and walked towards Ye Muo. One of them took a blanket and gently draped it across his shoulders.
Ye Muo didn’t have the slightest reaction. He continued to stare blankly at his hands, which were covered in congealed blood. It was under his fingernails, on his chin, and dyed his pajamas so severely that their original colour could no longer be determined.
The other party paused for a moment before asking a colleague for a towel. He wiped the child down very gently.
“How old are you? Three or four?”
He’s never heard this language before, but he could still understand its meaning.
Ye Muo very slowly looked up at the man wiping his hands. He was wearing the same uniform as the people who put up the cordon, something similar to what the military would wear. There was a badge on the chest of interweaving sword and flames. It was an insignia that Ye Muo had never seen before.
The man’s hands stopped for a moment before gently wiping at the blood on Ye Muo’s chin.
He then asked.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Cgf sbe tecugs? Qbeiv sbe ilxf rbwf wlix?”
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Ktf wjc aegcfv ab ibbx jr kfii. Ktfgf kjr atf wbatfg ktb tjv yffc qea lcab j ybvs yju.
Lf kgjqqfv Tf Zeb lc atf yijcxfa jcv qlmxfv tlw eq. Mbgaecjafis, atf ybs kjr ralii sbecu jcv tjv alwf ab obgufa atlr clutawjglrt cluta.
Ye Muo was buried in the blanket on the man’s shoulders. With a pale complexion, he watched that house and the body bag containing the mother whose face he had never seen before grow further and further away. His limbs seemed to be doused in ice. This was no dream.
Someone had really died. The blood was real, as was the body.
The crowd suddenly became noisy as it parted to either side.
Several people crossed the cordon, striding towards them. They were all wearing black uniforms trimmed with silver under their army-issued cloaks. The one in the forefront pulled out his credentials, causing the man holding Ye Muo, along with several of his colleagues to perform a military salute in unison.
The newcomer returned the salute before saying, “I am Ye Zhiyuan, the father of this child. You can verify my identity via my military credentials.”
He held out his hand.
“Leave him with me.”
Thus, Ye Muo was transferred from one embrace to another.
Ye Zhiyuan held Ye Muo and stared motionlessly at the blood below the steps for a while. He was a good-looking man wearing thin-rimmed glasses. What was supposed to be a gentlemanly look appeared a little cold and solemn now.
It wasn’t until Ye Muo unconsciously curled up that the man looked down and wrapped Ye Muo up in his coat. Then he turned and headed towards a hovercar.
It was very warm inside the car. Ye Zhiyuan set Ye Muo on the small table in the car and unwrapped the small blanket wrapped around him. He carefully checked Ye Muo from head to toe for injuries before bringing him into his arms again. Then, he took the box on the seat next to him and gave it to Ye Muo. Inside the box was a plush that looked very soft.
Ye Muo glanced at the plush and then up at Ye Zhiyuan.
The car door opened. Another man got in, holding a thick pile of documents.
“Sir, there’s nothing unusual about the prisoner’s background. He’s a galactic pirate who escaped during transport. It should just be an accident.”
“Are the results of the case out yet?”
“Yes. There are basically no abnomalities. The culprit’s psychic power was originally Level B, but his cerebral domain suffered severe trauma. There is also psychic power residue on scene. The victim probably managed to take him down with her due to this injury.”
Ye Zhiyuan’s heart thumped heavily. Psychic power. The Grantz royal family has always been known for its superior psychic power.
In his arms, Ye Muo was struggling to hold the box. It slipped out of grasp and tumbled under the seat. Ye Zhiyuan helped get it back for him. He mentally sighed. This child was still too young. He was just being overly paranoid.
The Empire has always hunted down galactic pirates brutally with little regard for their lives. It was common for prisoners to be missing arms or legs. Psychic power crushing was also commonplace.
Especially since it was the technique favoured by the current Emperor on the battlefield. With him as a role model, the entire imperial army operated like a well-oiled machine dishing out violence. It would be more strange for prisoners not to be injured.
“Settle the victim’s final affairs for me.”
Ye Zhiyuan ended the conversation after a brief explanation before looking down at Ye Muo.
Ye Zhiyuan did not dismiss Ye Muo because he was a toddler. On the contrary, his attitude was very solemn.
“You may not remember me, but I am your father.”
Ye Muo tilted his head back.
Ye Zhiyuan paused for a moment before covering Ye Muo’s eyes with one glove-clad hand. It felt a little cool. Ye Muo heard him speak almost without emotion, like he was reading off a report.
“Your birth was my mistake. Because of this mistake, you need to be a child better behaved than any other. Your existence will be suppressed. You will never receive the attention and honour your deserve. Your life will be more difficult than other children, even though you have done nothing wrong. However, you can ask me for help. I will do what I can within certain limits.”
Ye Muo sat quietly in his arms, listening. He suddenly spoke.
“Mommy.”
Ye Zhiyuan’s tone was calm.
“She’s already dead. This is also my fault.”
“Let’s go home.”
After only about a few minutes, the hovercar stopped in front of a villa. Ye Zhiyuan carried Ye Muo through the courtyard and to the door. Standing there, he could hear the faint sound of laughter and conversation from within. He hesitated. Putting Ye Muo down, he opened the door and gently ushered the child inside.
Walking into the living room, Lady Ye was sitting on the sofa with an eight or nine year old standing next to her. A tot a little older than Ye Muo sat on the carpet, holding a toy car.
“You’re back. I thought you said you would make dinner today. Anyways, dinner is waiting for you.”
Lady Ye looked up. When she saw Ye Muo, she rose to her feet.
“Whose child is this? How did he get like this? Ye He, go and bring the first aid kit over.”
“What happened? Say something. Come here, baby. Why are you making him walk over here by himself? He can’t even walk well yet.”
A little anxious, Lady Ye went forward to scoop up Ye Muo and set him on the sofa.
Ye Zhiyuan lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, and whispered.
“He’s my child.”
Lady Ye paused. She straightened.
“What did you say?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll give you a chance to explain.”
Ye Zhiyuan’s head lowered even further.
“I’m so very sorry.”
Lady Ye looked coldly at Ye Zhiyuan and slapped him.
Ye Zhiyuan’s head tilted to one side. He took the blow without saying a word.
“Where’s his mother?”
“Dead after a home invasion last night.”
Lady Ye gave another slap before proceeding with her questioning.
“Have you kept in touch with her?”
“No. Aside from the child and monthly living expenses, no.”
Lady Ye followed every question with a slap.
“One last question. Did you have anything to do with her death?”
“No, it was an accident.”
With this, Lady Ye finally stated.
“I’m very angry right now. I don’t want to see you. I’m going to sleep and figure out what to do with you later.”
With that, Lady Ye turned and went upstairs. Ye Yun, who was sitting on the carpet with his toy car, followed her.
Ye Muo sat on the sofa. Ye He has long taken the first aid kit over. When he saw Lady Ye go upstairs, he put the kit on the floor and also followed.
Ye Zhiyuan took the first aid kit and opened it. He got down on one knee in front of Ye Muo and began to treat his wounds.
“There are many empty rooms at home. You can choose one for yourself. I’ll see to it that everything is arranged like Ye He and Ye Yun’s rooms.”
Ye Muo’s exposed limbs were littered with bruises. Ye Zhiyuan had checked them over before. They might look serious, but based on his experience they weren’t severe. More pressing was the injury on Ye Muo’s forehead. A lot of blood had spilled out there, but it has stopped by now.
Ye Zhiyuan treated his arms and legs and bandaged up his forehead. What he saw when he unbuttoned Ye Muo’s blood soaked pajamas made him stiffen. That tiny, faintly rising and falling chest was covered with scars upon scars.
Some were new, but most were old. Not even military veterans who have experienced many battles would have so many indelible scars.
Ye Zhiyuan’s countenance was icy cold as he gently traced these wounds with a gloved hand. Ye Muo shivered minutely due to this slightly cold touch.
“Don’t be afraid.”
As he looked at Ye Muo, the man realized he seemed a little too quiet and obedient compared to other children his age. That in itself was not normal for a child this young.
“I’m going to call for a doctor to come over.”
Translator’s Corner
I’ve wanted to pick this one up for a while. The CG novel page has some things to keep in mind regarding this novel.
Going to try my best to update daily until the end of June!
Yikes, translator wasn’t kidding about the first bit of this story being angsty. Out of the frying pan and into the fire for this kid.
i wonder if he transmigrated from birth or this night?
Hmm, probably that night? Just my speculation ಠ_ಠ
I was expecting worse when the translator said it’s gonna be angsty. I was quite nervous, hopefully this is the worst of it. *Meekly and sincerely begs the yaoi god
I accidentally commented under this thread, my bad
damm this is one way to start a story
thank you for picking this up!! 🫶🏼
So the og body was abused before the incident?
Who else thinks original Ye Muo might’ve killed the “mom”?
I’m confused about the summary, is Ye Muo the Xavier in the summary or???
Way to start a story (☉｡☉)!
Oof my heart…I hope the “step mom” isnt the stereotype …prob will b.