The Silly Prince Successfully Cancels the Engagement, But the Fiancée is His Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: The Clear Snow Festival (Qing Xue Jie)

The moment he walked into the morning class classroom, everyone instantly swarmed Bai Qing. He was taken by surprise, looking dazed, his beautifully shaped eyes full of confusion.

“How is your body? I heard your mental power was exhausted. Are there any side effects?”

“This year, the entire Mecha Combat Department is no longer ranking scores for this wilderness drill. They’re just holding a commendation ceremony for you guys. I’m so jealous of that prestige.”

“Have you eaten breakfast? This is the breakfast I brought. I made it myself. If you don’t mind, have some.”

Bai Qing didn’t quite know how to handle this situation. He stiffly raised the corner of his mouth: “I…”

Ye Sheng interrupted him, waving his hands repeatedly: “Move away, move away! Our Qingqing hasn’t completely recovered yet. If you make us stand here at the door, what if he gets too tired? And you, you should eat your own breakfast. Who doesn’t know you’re an undercover agent sent by the Dark Cuisine World?

“Now, you all go back and attend class honestly, and while you’re at it, think about what gifts you’ll prepare for the Clear Snow Festival.”

As he spoke, Ye Sheng pushed Bai Qing into the classroom. Once they were back in their seats, Ye Sheng complained in a low voice: “Blocking you at the door first thing in the morning, how thoughtless. What if you catch a cold?”

Bai Qing turned his head: “Did they just say the academy is holding a commendation ceremony for us?”

Ye Sheng: “I haven’t heard anything. If they say so, maybe it’s true.”

Before the two could finish speaking, everyone’s intelligent guides received a notification.

The notification instructed all teachers and students of the academy to attend the Passion-Leaf Team Medal and Commendation Ceremony at the auditorium five days later.

The signatory was Meng Yunting.

Ye Sheng shared his discovery with Bai Qing: “Dean Meng is personally presiding for us? After all, the previous notices were signed either by the Student Affairs Office or the Logistics and Security Office.”

Bai Qing’s finger tapped the two words “Medal Awarding” on the virtual screen.

The full title read: “Regarding the conferral of the ‘Giant Forest Pioneer’ Medal and Commendation Ceremony upon students Bai Qing, Xiang Zhuo, and Ye Sheng.”

Ye Sheng’s expression was briefly blank, and then he reacted: “Medal Awarding! If I’m not mistaken, only the King can confer medals, right?”

Only then did Bai Qing gently withdraw his hand.

For the rest of the day, Ye Sheng couldn’t calm down.

He kept muttering: “That’s His Majesty the King, the King! The King is going to personally award me a medal!” “Aren’t you excited?” “I’m not like you and Xiang Zhuo. I’m totally excited about the King!” “I’m going to hang this medal above my bed! I really want to kiss the Former Empire forces right now—they created this opportunity for me!” “Where is the Former Empire’s lair? I can still go kill a hundred more!”

Bai Qing numbly slid his seat over by one space.

So noisy.

…

The Medal Awarding and Commendation Ceremony was unprecedentedly grand, attended by all teachers and students, except for one person.

Xiang Zhuo, the person who was supposed to be awarded a medal, was absent.

Ye Sheng quietly poked Bai Qing with his elbow: “Xiang Zhuo is missing such a big event. What is he doing?”

Bai Qing didn’t seem concerned: “Perhaps he doesn’t need this medal.”

Ye Sheng chuckled secretly: “True. After all, he’s been on the battlefield before. Maybe he uses medals to play checkers.”

Bai Qing stopped whispering with Ye Sheng and focused his attention on Meng Yunting.

Speaking in front of all the teachers and students, as well as the parents of the Bai and Ye families—two families that were a pillar and a cornerstone of the Empire, respectively, and with the King backing them—Meng Yunting thought of the three children being paired up. If anything had gone wrong during the wilderness drill…

Meng Yunting dared not think deeply, but the fact that the three children, who left on foot, were all carried back, caused him immense heartache. Therefore, his speech was particularly sincere.

At the emotional peak, Meng Yunting’s voice trembled. He held it in for a moment before managing to continue.

When the speech concluded, the entire hall erupted in thunderous applause.

His Majesty the King’s eyes held a smile: “Yunting, you don’t need to blame yourself. This was the three children’s choice. Regardless of the outcome, I believe they can accept it. What’s most valuable in young people is responsibility and courage.”

The King was not one for formalities. During the medal awarding process, His Majesty first pinned the Giant Forest Pioneer medal on Bai Qing, then gently patted his shoulder: “Very good, Bai Qing.”

Bai Qing looked up and saw the King’s face filled with affectionate kindness, his eyes soft: “I felt a little regretful when I approved your application to unbind your genetics, but now, I feel your choice was very wise.”

Bai Qing: “Your Majesty?”

“That brat, he doesn’t deserve you.”

Bai Qing: “Your Majesty is too kind. His Highness is very opinionated and has his own thoughts, which is something I lack.”

The King grew increasingly satisfied with Bai Qing: “Bai Jinfeng has raised a good son. That brat having his own thoughts? They’re all crooked ideas! Missing an important event like the medal ceremony to return to the Northwest Army. I don’t know what he’s up to. I can’t control him anymore.”

Bai Qing lowered his eyes, obediently refraining from responding.

The Northwest Army, stationed in a remote, barren region. Why did Xiang Zhuo return to the Northwest Army?

Moreover, after the battle on Giant Forest Island, the Former Empire forces surfaced, and all major military zones were likely preparing for war. Returning at this critical juncture, was Xiang Zhuo planning to go to the front line?

The award ceremony concluded, and everyone began to leave in an orderly fashion. Bai Qing was called aside by Meng Yunting.

Meng Yunting: “Bai Qing, His Majesty the King has something else to say to you.”

The King slowly walked over and handed Xiang Zhuo’s medal to him: “Bai Qing, I don’t know when that brat Xiang Zhuo will return. Even if he does, he won’t return to Stunken Palace. Would you do me a favor?”

Bai Qing had no choice but to gently nod.

“If you see him, help me give him this medal,” the King said meaningfully. “Seeing that it’s from you, he will certainly be happy.”

…

There were only two weeks left until the Clear Snow Festival.

The Military Academy had a tradition: on the day of the Clear Snow Festival, everyone would freely exchange gifts. If someone hadn’t decided who to exchange gifts with, they could place their gift at the Sun and Moon Radiance statue and randomly pick up another one.

This was known as an anonymous exchange.

The Clear Snow Festival gift exchange gradually became the topic of discussion across the entire Military Academy.

Sweet Omegas from the neighboring Academy of Etiquette would come to the Military Academy every year at this time to conduct street interviews for their assignment.

Bai Qing finished his day of professional classes and was walking toward the training ground. With his exceptional mental power, he suddenly heard two very faint, excited voices from behind a stone pillar: “That’s him, that’s him! We finally found him!”

“Go!”

“Go!”

Bai Qing had already mobilized his mental power, ready to counterattack, but he hadn’t expected two Omegas to leap out from behind the pillar. One wore a beautiful pink tutu dress, the other a delicate noble suit. A girl and a boy, looking exactly like dolls straight out of a glass showcase.

They held up huge camera lenses. The girl smiled sweetly at Bai Qing, feigning a chance encounter: “Oh, hello there, student. Can we trouble you for five minutes?”

Bai Qing relaxed his mental power, but his tone remained as cold as ever: “No.”

The Omega girl looked completely stunned to be rejected, her smile frozen on her face. The Omega boy stepped up to the challenge: “Student, this is for one of our assignments. We only have a few small questions, it won’t take up much of your time. They’re just about the Clear Snow Festival. If you encounter a question you don’t want to answer, you can skip it. Today is the last day for our assignment submission, and since school is over, we won’t run into anyone else. Please…” The Omega boy looked wistfully at the somewhat unfeeling Omega before him. Sure enough, everyone at the Military Academy, whether Alpha, Beta, or Omega, is cold and rigid.

The Omega girl also put her hands together in a pleading gesture: “Please, please! If we don’t finish today, our consequences will be truly terrible…”

Bai Qing raised an eyebrow: “How terrible?”

Could it be worse than him being beaten down on the field because he lacked training and experience?

The girl was choked up again, and her beautiful eyes actually welled up with a few tears…

Ye Sheng, who was walking back after buying water nearby, saw this scene and secretly lamented that Bai Qing was truly a different species from other Omegas. Still, he dutifully slid over, rushing to the scene. He spoke kindly to the two young Omegas: “What’s wrong? Are you conducting an interview? You can interview me.”

The two Omegas stared at Ye Sheng for a moment, then simultaneously turned back to Bai Qing, looking eager: “Please, student! If we don’t complete the assignment, we will be held back a year, and that goes into our permanent record…”

Ye Sheng: “…” You guys deserve it.

Bai Qing held up two pale fingers.

The girl squealed happily: “Can you spare us two minutes? That’s enough! Can Can, turn on the camera.”

The Omega boy, Can Can, skillfully turned on the machine and set up the reflector.

Bai Qing opened his mouth ruthlessly: “Two questions.”

The two young Omegas: “…”

The girl, Hua Hua, reacted quickly: “That’s fine, Bai Qing, that’s definitely enough!”

After saying this, the girl’s eyes widened, and she belatedly covered her mouth.

Can Can was frantic: “Ahhh, Hua Hua, you let it slip! Now he knows we were deliberately staking him out!”

Bai Qing sparingly showed a one-pixel smile: “If you don’t start now, it will only be one question.”

Hua Hua was instantly flustered, but her professional training was solid. Facing the camera, she flashed an incredibly sweet smile: “Hello everyone, I’m your old friend Hua Hua. Today, we’ve come to the National Defense Military Academy…”

After the opening monologue, Hua Hua handed the microphone to Bai Qing: “The Clear Snow Festival is approaching. Bai, who are you planning to exchange gifts with?”

Bai Qing: “I haven’t prepared a gift yet.”

Hua Hua paused: “…Hahaha, Bai, you are so humorous! Hahaha! On such an important day as the Clear Snow Festival, who are you planning to spend it with, and how?”

Bai Qing: “With the training machine.”

Hua Hua & Can Can & Ye Sheng: “…”

Can Can posted the video to the forum without any editing, genuinely preserving Hua Hua’s stunned expression.

In a remote location far to the northwest, on a barren, unnamed planet, one person could only barely receive a faint StarNet signal from the highest mountain peak. Covered in grime, with bloodstains on his exposed skin, he sat on a pile of rubble, heedless of the dirt. He had watched the short video, which was less than a minute long, countless times.

After a long while, his gaze fixed on the last frame of the footage, the moment Bai Qing looked into the camera.

From his chest erupted an extremely gentle, soft chuckle.