The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 58

Thank goodness.

Even so, Yu Ruan didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy. He sat anxiously in the back seat, his gaze vacant, unable to stop his mind from wandering.

Had he been too harsh on Gu Yu?

After all, Gu Yu’s expression had seemed genuinely serious. Yet not only had Yu Ruan fled on the spot, but he hadn’t even said a word before running off. He couldn’t help but wonder how Gu Yu would feel when he returned and realized Yu Ruan was nowhere to be found.

Unconsciously, Yu Ruan touched his lips. The soft sensation still lingered, carrying a taste that made his heart flutter.

Realizing this, he quickly shook his head, trying to dispel the heat rising to his cheeks. But the feeling seemed to mock him, growing only more intense, burning with an unbelievable warmth.

Noticing his reaction, Qi Shu turned around and asked with slight confusion, “Your Highness Yu Ruan, is something wrong?”

“No!” Yu Ruan snapped back to reality and hurriedly denied it. “I’m fine, thank you for your concern. Really, there’s no need to worry about me!”

Qi Shu paused briefly, then tactfully moved past the issue. “We’ve arrived at the Marshal’s residence. You may exit through the back door.”

Yu Ruan stared blankly for a few seconds, glanced at the imposing building outside the car window, and quickly opened the door in embarrassment.

He had been lost in thought for so long!

Qi Shu parked the car and walked back to Yu Ruan’s side. Smiling at him as he observed the Marshal’s residence, Qi Shu said, “Let me first show you to the room where you’ll be staying. The Marshal just sent a message, he’s just finished a meeting and should be home in about half an hour.”

With that, he took the backpack from Yu Ruan’s hands and said, “Your Highness, please follow me.”

“Okay.” Yu Ruan snapped back to attention, nodded, and followed him.

As the Empire’s undisputed top combatant, Lin Fenghan held an esteemed position, and the scale of his residence was naturally far beyond that of ordinary nobles. However, compared to the grandeur of the exterior, the interior of the mansion was surprisingly modest, so understated that it hardly seemed to match his current status.

Qi Shu led the way, first helping Yu Ruan settle his luggage before guiding him through the facilities of the residence. “This is the living area. Everything you’ll need for daily life can be found here.”

“Alright.”

“The eastern section is the training area,” Qi Shu explained. “The Marshal will guide your training sessions there. Generally, aside from the rooms on the second floor marked ‘No Entry,’ you’re free to go anywhere. However,” he added with a smile, “I doubt you’ll have that much curiosity.”

Yu Ruan scratched his nose. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome.” Qi Shu said, “The Marshal may seem stern, but he’s actually quite soft-hearted. As long as you don’t cross his boundaries, he rarely gets angry. Of course, due to his personality, he might not come across as approachable as His Highness the Regent.”

Yu Ruan nodded vaguely, then added sheepishly, “To be honest, I don’t know much about Instructor Lin either. Back at school, everyone was a bit afraid of him because he seemed so strict and hard to talk to. But Instructor Lin is genuinely kind, as long as” he didn’t make the training schedule so brutal.

Thinking of the training schedule Qi Shu had given him, Yu Ruan felt a wave of despair.

Qi Shu smiled understandingly.

“You don’t need to worry about it,” he said to Yu Ruan. “The Marshal is the same even in the military. After all, his usual demeanor does tend to cause misunderstandings. But please believe that his intentions toward you are sincere. As for that training schedule, it’s also an expression of his deep affection for you.”

“……” Yu Ruan froze.

He opened his mouth, about to explain to Qi Shu that he really didn’t want such sincere feelings, when he saw the man suddenly raise his wrist, frowning slightly as if communicating with someone.

A moment later, Qi Shu lowered his wrist and smiled at him. “The Marshal has returned. Please follow me.”

Before Yu Ruan could react, the sound of military boots clicking against the marble floor echoed from a distance. Yu Ruan looked up and saw a figure in deep blue military attire come into view. The man removed his gloves and handed them to a servant nearby, his gaze sweeping over Yu Ruan. “Feeling rested?”

Yu Ruan felt a pang of guilt.

He understood the implication behind those words: only half a day had passed since the competition ended. Yesterday’s match had been exhausting, and it would be understandable if he wanted to rest a bit longer in his dorm, even if he had to make up an excuse.

Especially since he had been so resistant yesterday, his sudden eagerness now was undoubtedly suspicious.

Meeting Lin Fenghan’s eyes, Yu Ruan’s gaze wavered slightly. “Yes, I’m fully rested now. Thank you for your concern, Professor.”

At this, Lin Fenghan’s brow furrowed slightly, and he raised an eyebrow as if questioning Yu Ruan’s words. However, he didn’t press further, simply giving a quiet “Hmm” and tilting his chin. “Come here.”

Yu Ruan obediently complied and followed him.

“Omegas generally have weaker physiques and lower stamina. You’re among the better ones, but you still stand no chance against an Alpha,” Lin Fenghan said as he removed his coat and tossed it to Qi Shu, leaving only a thin white shirt. “Though you may not have many opportunities to use these skills, learning more won’t hurt you.”

He turned and walked into the training area, glancing at Qi Shu and signaling for him to make preparations.

Understanding the look, Qi Shu gave Yu Ruan an apologetic smile, bowed slightly, and then turned to leave.

Lin Fenghan retrieved a pure white model gun from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Yu Ruan, his expression indifferent. “Today, I’ll teach you how to use a gun. Hold it steady.”

As he spoke, the entire training room transformed abruptly. The distant wall shifted under the play of light and shadow, morphing into a shooting range. Yu Ruan stared in astonishment at the gun in his hands, suddenly gaining a crystal-clear understanding of the phrase “forcing growth.”

Teaching shooting on the very first day. Was this really okay?

But clearly, Lin Fenghan saw no issue with it. He gestured toward one of the targets with his chin. “Go try it.”

Yu Ruan had no choice but to take the gun and clumsily begin his attempt.

Lin Fenghan handed him an earplug, signaling for him to put it on. Following the instruction, Yu Ruan fitted the earplug and picked up the gun. The moment his fingers touched the barrel, a prompt sounded from his neural interface, accompanied by Lin Fenghan’s cool voice. “Follow the instructions.”

The shooting practice didn’t conclude until the sun had fully set.

Lin Fenghan glanced sideways at the time, waiting until the seconds hand precisely aligned with the exact hour before giving a reluctant nod. He said to Yu Ruan, “Take a break. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Yu Ruan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He set down the model gun in his hand, but before he could revel in his relief for more than a few seconds, he was met with another instruction straight from hell: “Tomorrow at 7 a.m., come to the training ground for practice. I’ll be here at 8 a.m. to conduct a results test. Any issues with that?”

“…” Yu Ruan’s expression froze.

No!

He had plenty of issues with that!!

However, before Yu Ruan could voice any objections, Lin Fenghan finalized the matter: “See you tomorrow.”

He removed his earplugs, gestured for Qi Shu to tidy up the area, gave Yu Ruan a slight nod, and strode out of the training ground, heading toward a room on the second floor marked “No Entry.”

He seemed to be in a hurry. Perhaps there were other urgent matters that required his personal attention.

Yu Ruan stared blankly at his retreating figure before turning his gaze back. “Will the test be difficult?”

Qi Shu gave him a noncommittal smile.

Yu Ruan: “Got it.”

He glanced at the screen displaying his miss rate, a staggering 65%. Without even thinking, he knew passing the test would be difficult. He let out a heavy sigh, flexed his numb fingers, thanked Qi Shu, and returned to the room that had been arranged for him, his mind filled with anxiety.

After a simple dinner, Yu Ruan collapsed onto the bed like a salted fish, feeling as though his limbs no longer belonged to him.

His arms, having held a gun for several hours straight, were sore, aching, and unbearably heavy. The thought of enduring another day like this tomorrow made his vision darken, and he felt an overwhelming urge to curl up under the bed and pretend to be an ostrich.

To be fair, seven to eight hours of high-intensity physical training every day was already daunting enough. But to have to face a graded test right after starting, forced to confront the harsh reality, made it all the more unbearable.

At this thought, Yu Ruan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.

Perhaps he should have agreed back then when Gu Yu offered to be his teacher. No matter how embarrassed he might have felt, it would have been better than facing Lin Fenghan now.

The memory brought back the kiss in the library earlier that day. Instantly, the embarrassment that had faded with the exhaustion of training resurfaced. His face flushed hot, and he buried his head under the covers.

His heart raced uncontrollably. Yu Ruan instinctively covered the back of his neck, his thoughts in disarray.

It was strange.

At some point, he had realized that whenever he faced Gu Yu, he would feel an inexplicable sense of fluster. Every move Gu Yu made would unsettle him, making his heart race and his face flush.

Initially, Yu Ruan had attributed this to the normal physiological reactions before an Omega’s heat. But now, after being marked, he found that these reactions hadn’t diminished instead, they had intensified.

Yu Ruan didn’t know if this was due to the mark’s influence. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t just an ordinary physiological reaction.

His thoughts grew increasingly tangled. In the end, Yu Ruan gave up struggling, pulled the covers over his head, and buried himself deeper under the blankets.

Thanks to this, his night’s sleep was far from restful.

Keeping in mind Lin Fenghan’s mention of a test, Yu Ruan didn’t dare sleep in the next day. Instead, he rose early from bed, washed up in his room, went downstairs to the living area for breakfast, and hurried to the training ground.

Time was tight, he needed to squeeze in some extra practice before Lin Fenghan arrived at the training ground.

Fortunately, from his experience the day before, he had discovered that the light brain he carried also had a basic teaching function. Even without Lin Fenghan’s guidance, he could rely on the light brain’s lessons to effectively improve his shooting skills.

As he approached the training ground, a wave of anxiety washed over him: What if he truly messed up the test today? How could he explain to Lin Fenghan that it was due to his own limitations, not a lack of effort?

Just as Yu Ruan was lost in thought, a sharp gunshot echoed from the distance.

Instinctively, he turned toward the sound and spotted a figure in white standing inside the training ground someone who looked vaguely familiar.

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