Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Lying to His Brother for His Sister-in-law

When he saw the word "Brother" on his caller ID, Yuan Shiyao instinctively froze and looked up at the girl sitting across from him.

Jiang Qingli was holding a delicate plate in one hand and a fork in the other, completely absorbed in her meal, her eyes narrowed slightly like a cat’s.

Sensing his gaze, she looked back, puzzled, blinking in confusion.

As if he’d been burned, Yuan Shiyao abruptly averted his gaze.

The terminal was still vibrating.

For some reason, the terminal in Yuan Shiyao’s hand felt scorching hot. Instead of his usual pleasure at getting a call, he felt a strange sense of guilt.

After a few seconds of silence, Yuan Shiyao abruptly stood up and walked out, quickly stepping into another lounge.

He sat down on the sofa and straightened his clothes before pressing the connect button.

A second later, the holographic call connected.

His older brother’s face, nearly identical to his own, appeared before him.

But even a stranger could easily tell them apart.

Because they were just so different.

Yuan Shimo was sitting in his study, propping his chin on one hand. His green eyes, the same as his younger brother’s, scanned the lounge as he smiled. "Ah Yao, what took you so long?"

"I was..." Yuan Shiyao hesitated. "After class today, a student fainted in the hallway. It looked like a problem with their spiritual power."

Yuan Shiyao usually maintained a reserved and aloof demeanor at the academy and in front of others, but in front of his brother, he was like an elementary school student answering a question.

Yuan Shimo’s gaze didn’t rest on his brother. He stared nonchalantly into the middle distance, as if he wasn’t really listening.

But the moment his brother finished speaking, he followed up, "And then?"

Yuan Shiyao said, "I brought him to the hospital, and then... I came to the lounge and had a brief meeting with the student council."

His voice trailed off toward the end.

For some reason, Yuan Shiyao subconsciously concealed the fact that he had not only seen Jiang Qingli but was also in the same room with her.

"Is that so?" Yuan Shimo’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze landing on the empty tabletop.

Yuan Shiyao followed his gaze, and his heart sank.

In this kind of lounge, refreshments were always served to a VIP within two minutes of their arrival.

He had just told Yuan Shimo he was having a meeting here, yet the coffee table in front of him was completely bare.

’Damn it.’

A wave of embarrassment washed over Yuan Shiyao.

Fortunately, Yuan Shimo didn’t press the issue. He simply lowered his eyes to the book in his hand, his voice gentle. "Have you seen Miss Jiang? How is she doing?"

Not expecting his brother to suddenly mention Jiang Qingli, Yuan Shiyao’s voice sharpened. "Why are you bringing her up?"

Yuan Shimo glanced up at his brother, then lowered his gaze again. "I heard she nearly drowned. As her Beast Husband, I should show some concern."

Yuan Shiyao frowned. "Did Father call you again?"

Yuan Shimo didn’t answer the question, instead turning a page in his book. "Caring for my female master is my duty."

That was as good as an admission.

Yuan Shiyao’s brows were knitted, and just as he was about to speak, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside.

A nurse’s voice followed. "Miss Jiang, are you ready? Doctor Jin is..."

Seeing who was inside, the nurse expressed her surprise. "Oh? Mr. Yuan, why is it just you? Where is Miss Jiang?"

The black-haired young man instantly went rigid.

Without even looking up, he could feel his brother on the other end of the hologram lift his head and narrow his eyes.

His fingers, hanging at his side, curled unconsciously. "They’re in the lounge next door," Yuan Shiyao said, his voice calm.

"Oh... alright." The nurse noticed that Yuan Shiyao was on a holographic call and quickly apologized. "I’m so sorry to disturb you. I’ll leave right now."

After the door closed, silence fell over the room.

A rare feeling of shame washed over Yuan Shiyao. "I’m sorry, Brother. I didn’t mean to hide it from you... I just..."

"It’s fine." Yuan Shimo’s voice had grown distant. "I know. You don’t want me to suffer humiliation from a female ever again."

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

"My mentor is looking for me. Let’s talk later." Yuan Shimo offered a slight smile and ended the call.

Yuan Shiyao leaned back against the chair and raised a finger. A warm point of light bloomed and danced on its tip.

He stared at the light for a long time, until his eyes began to sting. Clenching his fist, he dejectedly lowered his head.

His shadow stretched out at his feet, wavering forlornly with the flickering light, like a silent pantomime.

-

By the time Jiang Qingli finished her examination, it was nearly evening.

She let out a lazy yawn as she walked out of the examination room.

Ye Linyuan had been waiting outside for hours, but his face showed no signs of fatigue. "Finished?"

Doctor Jin held a thick stack of reports, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Miss Jiang, congratulations! You’ve truly had a secondary awakening. It’s the Healing System. My preliminary judgment is that your Superpower Level is above A Level, and quite possibly even higher!"

Jiang Qingli blinked. "Preliminary judgment?"

"That’s right. As you know, females with Superpowers receive a monthly stipend from the Empire, so the official process is quite complex. The hospital can only provide an initial diagnosis."

Thinking she was disappointed, Doctor Jin quickly tried to reassure her.

"Your official level will need to be determined at a testing site, either at the Imperial Royal Academy or the Imperial Military and Political College. A panel of ten judges to whom you are not related by blood will score you and issue the final result."

Jiang Qingli had already accepted that she was a powerless good-for-nothing. Gaining a Superpower now was a pleasant surprise, so she wasn’t the least bit disappointed.

She nodded and offered a grateful smile. "Thank you, Doctor Jin."

"Of course." Doctor Jin smiled and nodded. "By the way, you should perform Spiritual Healing on your Beast Husbands more often during this period. It will help stabilize their spiritual power."

Ye Linyuan raised an eyebrow.

The Lord City Lord had always found things like levels tedious and detested places like hospitals.

But now, he found Doctor Jin much more agreeable than she had been moments ago.

After the pair left, Doctor Jin headed back with the reports.

She hadn’t gone more than a few steps before she almost collided with someone.

She took a few steps back in surprise. "Young Master Yuan, are you looking for Chi? He’s in a ward upstairs."

"No." Yuan Shiyao looked slightly uncomfortable. "I wanted to ask about... that student, Jiang’s, test results." He paused. "She’s a new member of our student council."

He added the last part in a low voice, though it wasn’t clear who he was trying to convince.

Doctor Jin didn’t hide the information. "Right now, I can only offer a preliminary judgment, but Miss Jiang’s readings are exceptionally high."

Yuan Shiyao disliked vague statements.

He provided a point of comparison. "You’ve tested Bai Yiyi before. Compared to her, is Jiang Qingli’s higher or lower?"

Doctor Jin stared at Jiang Qingli’s data, her brow furrowing deeper.

"Their data is comparable." Doctor Jin cleared her throat. "My preliminary estimate is that Miss Jiang will also be no lower than S Level."

Yuan Shiyao stared at Doctor Jin’s face. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

’He had a feeling her expression just now was strange.’

But Doctor Jin was perfectly composed, and his questions revealed nothing.

Yuan Shiyao gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

Once he was gone, Doctor Jin hurried into the records room. She pulled up Bai Yiyi’s data and placed Jiang Qingli’s data next to it for comparison.

As she compared them item by item, the confusion in her eyes deepened, and she couldn’t help but murmur, "This is too strange..."

If anyone else had been present, they too would have been shocked—

On the screen were two sets of spiritual power data. Aside from the names, everything else was completely identical!