Chapter 304 - They all rejoiced

Chapter 304: Chapter 304 - They all rejoiced

The dinner that evening was nothing like Jian had expected.

The Emperor sat at the head of the long table, while Jian, Li Wang, and Nansich sat together on one side. Xing Yu and Celaus sat opposite them, leaving the Emperor with a clear view of everyone.

The table itself was filled with dishes he had never seen before.

Some of them looked vaguely familiar, while others looked like they had come straight out of an alien ocean.

One dish in particular looked almost like a giant lobster, except its shell was a deep silver-blue and faintly translucent. Thin golden lines ran across its body, glowing softly beneath the shell. When it was opened, the meat inside was white and tender, surrounded by a warm golden sauce that smelled faintly sweet.

There were also small crystal bowls filled with something resembling pearls, except when Jian picked one up with his fork, it burst softly in his mouth, releasing a warm, savory broth.

Nansich looked delighted. "This place keeps getting better." He immediately attacked the food.

Jian laughed quietly as he watched him pile food onto his plate without the slightest hesitation. "You really aren’t going to ask what anything is?"

"Nope." Nansich shoved another bite into his mouth. "If it looks edible, I’m eating it."

Li Wang looked at him with amusement. "I pity your stomach."

Nansich simply grinned and continued eating.

Jian, meanwhile, noticed a strange fruit sitting beside his plate.

It was about the size of a large peach, but its skin was covered in tiny translucent scales that shimmered between pale green and violet whenever the light touched them. A thin golden stem curled from the top, and through the almost transparent skin, Jian could see tiny drops of liquid moving inside.

He picked it up curiously. "What is this?"

The Emperor smiled. "Try it."

Jian hesitated before taking a small bite.

His eyes immediately widened.

The skin was surprisingly soft, and the inside practically melted in his mouth. Sweet juice burst across his tongue and immediately dripped down the corner of his lips.

It tasted like a giant grape, only sweeter and somehow more refreshing.

"This is really good." He took another bite without hesitation.

Across from him, Xing Yu had completely stopped eating. His intense gaze was fixed on him. More specifically, it was fixed on the single, glistening drop of juice running down his chin.

Jian noticed his stare and immediately flushed. "What?"

Xing Yu said nothing. But the dark heat in his eyes that made his stomach tighten.

He quickly wiped his mouth with his fingers before reaching for the napkin. "S-stop looking at me like that."

Xing Yu finally lowered his eyes, though the faint smile on his lips remained.

The Emperor chuckled softly. "That fruit is called a Luma fruit. They only grow in the northern crystal forests. They are considered quite precious because they require nearly ten years before producing their first fruit."

Jian looked down at the fruit in his hand. "Ten years?"

"Yes. Your mother used to like them very much."

Jian paused, his chewing slowing. A wave of warmth and a gentle ache spread through his chest. "I think I understand why."

The Emperor smiled quietly.

Nansich, meanwhile, had already moved on to the next dish. He was completely unrestrained, eating as though he had spent the last five years starving.

"Holy shit, this is good."

He pointed at one of the dishes with his chopsticks.

"What is this?"

"Sea crystal meat," the Emperor answered.

Nansich nodded seriously. "I’m taking some back to my room."

Li Wang nudged him with a glare. "You can’t just take the food from the royal dinner."

"Watch me."

"I won’t let you," li wang grabbed his plate and held it away from him.

"Hey!" Nansich reached up to take it from him but suddenly he froze up. His eyes had fallen on Li Wang neck. More specifically, on the small red mark visible on his exposed neck.

He leaned closer.

"What happened here?"

Before Li Wang could react, Nansich reached out and rubbed the mark curiously.

Li Wang immediately flinched and jumped slightly. His face turned bright red. He quickly pulled his collar higher. "N-nothing."

Nansich stared at him.

Then his eyes slowly shifted toward Celaus.

The Crown Prince was sitting perfectly calmly across the table.

Except for the tiny smile hiding behind his wine goblet.

Nansich narrowed his eyes.

Jian, however, had already figured it out. His own eyes widened as realization dawned.

He slowly scooted his chair closer to Li Wang, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Did you and my brother have sex?"

Li Wang’s head snapped toward him so quickly that Jian almost laughed. "No..." His answer was barely a whisper.

Jian’s eyes narrowed. "How would you explain the hickies?"

Li Wang’s face became, impossibly, even redder. He lowered his head, letting out a long, defeated sigh. "We... did some things," he mumbled, refusing to meet Jian’s gaze.

Jian froze. His gaze slowly moved toward Xing Yu. The man was eating with perfect etiquette, completely composed.

’So this Farian is the only one with good restraint.

Tsk.’

As if sensing the direction of Jian’s thoughts, Xing Yu glanced up at him.

Jian immediately looked away and pretended to be very interested in his food.

A soft cough suddenly came from the head of the table.

Everyone quieted.

The Emperor looked at Jian with a warm expression. "We will be having your welcome banquet in a few days."

"The entire planet will know of your arrival. They will know that the third prince has returned after so many years, bringing his mother home with him."

Jian smiled softly. "Is it like a grand thing?"

The Emperor shook his head. "It will be intimate. Only a few dignitaries will be invited. Don’t worry. It will not be overwhelming at all."

Jian let out a small sigh of relief. "Good."

The news spread across Gia faster than anyone could have imagined.

All across the planet, small glowing flowers began to float through the air.

They drifted between the towering crystal buildings of the cities, through markets and gardens, over bridges and across the wide open plains. Some were carried by the wind, while others seemed to float on their own, glowing softly as they moved.

People reached out to catch them, their faces turned up to the sky in wonder.

Children laughed with pure joy as they chased after them, their small legs pumping as they tried to capture the magical messengers.

The moment someone touched one, the delicate petals would open, and a small, shimmering image would appear above the flower, projected into the air for all to see.

It was the same image on every flower: a young man with long, flowing blond hair, gentle look in his eyes, and a distinct green gem nestled between his brows.

The youngest prince. Jian.

The entire planet seemed to rejoice at the news.

Their youngest prince had returned home.

In the cities, people gathered around the floating flowers, staring at the image with excitement.

Some had never seen Jian before, having only heard stories about the prince who disappeared years ago.

Even in the distant countryside, the flowers found their way to the people.

Far from the royal capital, where the crystal towers became fewer and the landscape opened into glowing forests and silver grasslands, a pale, slender hand reached into the air.

The fingers closed around one of the floating flowers.

A young girl stared at it curiously.

Words appeared beneath the image, but she struggled to read them. She sounded out each one slowly, her brows furrowing in concentration.

"Ji... Jian..."

Her eyes widened.

"The young prince!"

She immediately turned and ran.

Her small feet carried her across the uneven path toward a tiny home built into the side of a giant pale-blue tree.

It wasn’t exactly a hut, at least not in the human sense. The walls had been shaped from the tree itself, curving naturally around the small dwelling, while thin crystal branches formed the roof. Soft green light glowed from the seams between the walls, keeping the little home warm beneath the cool evening air.

The girl pushed through the rounded doorway.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Look at this!"

An old man was sitting near a small cooking hearth, stirring something in a deep stone pot. The delicious smell of herbs and roasted roots filled the little room.

He looked up in surprise.

"What is it? Why are you shouting?"

The girl hurried over and held out the flower.

"This! Look!"

The old man frowned as he took it from her.

Then he saw the image.

A young man with long blond hair appeared above the petals.

The old man’s hand suddenly trembled.

"Jian?"

The flower trembled between his fingers.

His voice became barely more than a whisper.

"He is back..."

The old man stared at the young face floating above the flower, his eyes slowly filling with emotion.

"Jian... he is really back home."