The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 18

Leaning closer for a look, Yu Ruan realized it was the notification sound from the light brain indicating a new message.

Following the method described in the manual, he tapped open the message interface as the light flickered. Immediately afterward, a gentle yet deep voice echoed in his mind:

“Your Highness Yu, I hope everything has gone smoothly today?” the voice said. “I assume Lord Itu has already handed the light brain to you. All our contact information has been stored in it. If you encounter any issues, please feel free to reach out to me at any time.”

Yu Ruan recognized the voice—it was Xie Zhi.

He was deeply moved.

Without delay, Yu Ruan composed a text message, clicked send, and expressed his gratitude.

After sending the message, it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t yet thanked Ye Yizhou and the others who had helped him earlier.

Previously preoccupied with moving, he hadn’t obtained their contact information. Now that he had it, he ought to send each of them a greeting.

Although these distinguished individuals probably didn’t need his thanks, the gesture itself mattered.

Yu Ruan smoothly recorded several greeting messages and sent them one by one, scrolling through the contact list from top to bottom. Only after going through the entire list did he realize something felt off.

He scrolled back to the top and carefully reviewed the contacts again, confirming that one name was indeed missing.

How could Gu Yu’s contact information not be included?

He distinctly remembered Gu Yu using a light brain right in front of him back on Kennan Star. It didn’t make sense for it to be missing now that they were on the capital planet.

Could Xie Zhi have forgotten to add Gu Yu’s contact when inputting the information?

Puzzled, Yu Ruan instinctively wanted to send a message to Xie Zhi and ask.

But as his finger hovered over the message interface, he hesitated.

It felt somewhat inappropriate to send an inquiry right after expressing thanks—almost like implying negligence in Xie Zhi’s work.

Xie Zhi had been nothing but kind, and Yu Ruan didn’t want to risk creating any misunderstanding over such a trivial matter.

After a moment’s thought, he took out his communicator and decided to send a message to Gu Yu himself.

Back on Kennan Star, he had saved Gu Yu’s StarNet contact number. Though he wasn’t sure if it would still work on the capital planet, it was worth a try.

Quickly locating the contact labeled “Landlord,” Yu Ruan tapped on it and tentatively made the call.

“Beep—”

The busy tone echoed from the receiver, and for some reason, Yu Ruan felt a bit nervous.

Glancing at the retro wall clock ticking away, he thought, At this hour, most people are probably asleep. Maybe I should try another time?

After all, the young master was quite particular and always went to bed early. Calling now was unlikely to reach him.

Just as Yu Ruan was about to hang up, the call was unexpectedly answered.

The sound of running water came through the receiver, accompanied by light, steady breaths, as if someone was recovering from strenuous exercise. A familiar, magnetic voice sounded from the other end: “Hello?”

It was Gu Yu.

He had actually answered.

Yu Ruan was momentarily stunned and didn’t respond. After a brief pause, the other party patiently repeated, “Hello?”

The “Hello” snapped Yu Ruan back to attention. He quickly said, “It’s me,” and then proudly went completely blank while holding the phone.

This was a bit awkward.

Had he chosen a bad time to call Gu Yu?

Listening guiltily to the sound of running water from the other end of the line, Yu Ruan felt like he had done something particularly inconsiderate.

While he hesitated, a soft “beep” came from the other end of the line. Immediately, the sound of water stopped, and the other person seemed to have pushed a door open and walked out, asking, “What’s up?”

Yu Ruan finally snapped out of it and said apologetically, “I said I wanted to thank you before, but I forgot to ask for your new contact information.”

The other person responded indifferently with an “Mm,” and then asked, “So?”

Yu Ruan: “So I made this call. I hope it didn’t disturb your rest.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Ruan sensed that the person on the other end of the line seemed to have stopped walking.

The other person stood still, as if puzzled by why Yu Ruan would make such a request. After a long pause, he slowly asked, “You don’t mind?”

“Huh?” Yu Ruan was confused.

Mind? What was there to mind?

Yu Ruan couldn’t quite grasp what Gu Yu meant by that.

From what he remembered, the other person hadn’t done anything that would make him feel uncomfortable.

Or was Gu Yu referring to the fact that he had gone incognito and secretly rented a cheap apartment for Yu Ruan on Kenan Star?

Recalling this, Yu Ruan was deeply moved: The young master is truly beautiful inside and out. To avoid hurting my self-esteem, he went about it in such a subtle way. So thoughtful!

What a good friend!

Catching the implied meaning, Yu Ruan tactfully said, “It’s fine, I completely understand your intentions. You don’t need to worry about it. Actually, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t given me this opportunity, I wouldn’t have been able to,” rent a place so smoothly.

Before he could finish, the other person cut him off: “I’ll send it to you in a bit.”

Yu Ruan froze for three seconds before belatedly realizing that he had just successfully obtained the other person’s contact information.

He immediately brightened up. Even though he knew the other person couldn’t see him, he nodded vigorously and cheerfully replied, “Mm!”

“Anything else?” Gu Yu asked.

Yu Ruan sensed a certain depth in his tone, unsure whether it was due to lack of rest or a bad mood. But judging from Gu Yu’s state when he answered the call, Yu Ruan keenly felt it was likely the latter.

After a moment’s thought, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you in a bad mood?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Ruan felt he had overstepped. Instantly, a wave of regret washed over him.

Oh no, what if Gu Yu gets angry and blocks me?

Yu Ruan was on edge.

The line was quiet, so quiet that he could only hear the other person’s breathing. Yu Ruan waited cautiously for Gu Yu’s response. After a long while, the other person spoke nonchalantly, “Why do you think that?”

“It was just a gut feeling.” Sensing an opportunity to salvage the situation, Yu Ruan apologized at lightning speed, “I overstepped by assuming things. I’m sorry.”

Hearing this, the other person fell silent again.

Yu Ruan looked up anxiously, watching the second hand of the wall clock tick forward. By the time he counted to “eight,” Gu Yu finally deigned to speak again, uttering a faint “Mm.”

“You guessed correctly,” he admitted straightforwardly. “I am indeed in a bad mood.”

Yu Ruan: “!”

He actually got it right!

Yu Ruan felt a flash of delight, but then quickly realized: Why should this make him happy?

His mood immediately dipped. Soon after, he couldn’t help but start thinking about how he could help the other person cheer up.

After all, Gu Yu had helped him quite a bit. In relationships, give and take was essential!

With that thought, Yu Ruan mustered his courage and took the initiative to ask, “Actually, I have a small favor to ask. If you have time, would you mind taking me out to explore? I want to get familiar with the Capital Star, but I’m not really close to anyone else, so I feel a bit awkward.”

Generally speaking, going out for a walk could help improve one’s mood. Yu Ruan decided to invite the young master to accompany him, hoping it might lift his spirits.

Sure enough, Gu Yu fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. Not long after, he responded casually with an “Mm,” and said, “Sure.”

Though his reply was as brief as ever, his tone sounded noticeably brighter.

He recited an address to Yu Ruan. After a pause, as if realizing Yu Ruan might not remember it well, he added, “I’ll send it to you in a moment.”

“Okay.”

Yu Ruan hung up the call cheerfully. Within seconds, a new message from an unfamiliar account appeared in his communicator’s inbox. Opening it revealed the other party’s current address.

He promptly saved the contact number and added the address to his notes. Only then did he feel at ease, turning to wash up and get some sleep.

The next day, Yu Ruan, holding the address Gu Yu had given him, found Yitu.

Politely presenting the address, he said somewhat sheepishly, “Grandpa Yitu, could I trouble you to arrange a car to take me here?”

Yu Ruan wasn’t entirely sure about Gu Yu’s background, nor did he know if Yitu was familiar with him. So, he simply omitted whom he was going to meet and straightforwardly made his request.

Yitu took the address, clearing his throat lightly. “Your Highness Yu, there’s no need to be so polite. If you wish to go somewhere, just say,”

Before he could finish, his eyes fell on the address on the paper, and his expression shifted to one of shock.

Yitu had assumed that His Highness Yu was merely curious and wanted to explore the area a bit. He never expected Yu Ruan to present him with such a dilemma.

The place he wanted to go was actually the residence of the former Crown Prince!

In the Capital Star, strict orders had been issued never to mention matters related to the former Crown Prince in front of the new one. That’s why Xie Zhi had omitted the other’s contact information from the communicator provided to Yu Ruan.

Who would have thought that, despite all precautions, they had still managed to connect?

Yitu’s feelings were a mix of astonishment and complexity.

He looked troubled at the address Yu Ruan had handed him, then lifted his gaze to the sincere and innocent eyes of the young prince before him. For the first time, he felt truly caught in a difficult position.

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