Hypocrisy

The last time they'd met was at the Xu residence, and even then, Lady Gina had immediately sensed the change in Xu Lingqu. But now wasn't the time for reflection. After wiping out a pirate nest at the Mulan Frontier, Xu Chengbi had come straight to Yuheng Star to see Xu Lingqu. He'd even summoned Lady Gina, who was on standby at the Capital Star, to pick her up—perhaps thinking she'd be more familiar with the girl.

Xu Lingqu noticed Lady Gina's grim expression and guessed that General Xu wasn't an easy man to deal with. She didn't ask questions. She put on the white serpent-patterned ring—Liu Ming insisted on coming along—and followed Lady Gina out. They arrived at the Yuheng Military Base, where General Xu's troops were stationed, and were let through without trouble, heading straight for the office of the base's commanding officer.

Xu Chengbi had already unlocked the external biometric lock. Lady Gina pushed open the heavy wooden door for her.

The carpet underfoot, woven from some unknown animal hide, felt soft. Before her stood a large square desk so black it seemed to let light through, with ripples like flowing water across its surface. Behind it sat a middle-aged man in an Imperial military uniform, the insignia of an Imperial Grand General—the highest rank—on his shoulder.

The man had an Eastern face, handsome and refined; it was easy to see that Xu Xiqin had inherited the best of his and Lady Catherine's features. His expression was impassive, his gaze fixed on Xu Lingqu from the moment she walked in.

Being stared at didn't unsettle her in the least. She walked calmly to the desk and said, "Greetings, General Xu."

Xu Chengbi suddenly smiled. "Sit down. Looks like you've been doing well at Moye Military Academy."

Xu Lingqu sat at his words. "Not bad."

"Catherine—she's always lived in a privileged environment. Sending you to the military academy was the cruelest thing she could think of," Xu Chengbi said naturally, as if they were old acquaintances. "She's just a bit foolish, but not bad at heart. I hope you won't hold a grudge against her."

Xu Lingqu sneered inwardly but said nothing.

Her reaction seemed to be within his expectations. He went on: "Lingqu, you probably don't know this yet—I never had Gina tell you directly, nor did I make it public. The truth is, you are the daughter of a former adjutant of mine. He died in battle for the Empire over a decade ago, and your mother followed him. Your father's name was Chang Xin, your mother's Liu Linghui. The reason you weren't registered at Zhuyun Frontier was because of your great-grandfather—Liu Zhi. At the time, he was too grief-stricken, so he registered you directly at Zhuyun Frontier as his adopted granddaughter and settled on the frontier planet."

Xu Chengbi sighed. "Later, he passed away. Before his death, he wrote me a letter, entrusting you to my care. I had people send you living expenses on schedule. Now that you're grown, every time I think of my adjutant, I feel I owe him, so I brought you to my side to raise. I didn't expect it to cause some unnecessary misunderstandings. Once I finished my work, I came personally to clear things up with you."

He looked at the young woman before him. Her face showed none of what he'd anticipated—no joy, no tears of gratitude, nothing. She simply stared at him coldly, like a sharp blade of ice. The smile on Xu Chengbi's face began to crack.

"Hypocrite."

The girl's voice was crisp. For a split second, Xu Chengbi thought he must have misheard. But at her expression, he understood: he hadn't. Those were the words she'd spoken.

Hypocrite.

That was Xu Lingqu's first impression of General Xu Chengbi.

"From the very start, you've gone on about how your wife isn't bad, just stupid, and asked me to forgive her. But I've never once voiced any judgment of her in front of you. Would I be right in saying this is your way of subtly planting a bad image of her in my mind while elevating your own image as a good husband?"

Her words were indeed like ice shards, shattering Xu Chengbi's fake smile completely.

His demeanor turned icy in an instant. "Speaking to me like that—how many lives do you have?"

"You won't kill me," Xu Lingqu sneered. "You went through the trouble of finding an old subordinate's daughter, adopted her, and that adopted daughter even got into one of the six major military academies. How well that elevates your noble General image. And the fact that you came here in person today to put on this grand performance proves I have enough value to drive you to do so. Killing me now and throwing all that away wouldn't fit your self-serving values."

She could, of course, have played along with the General, seeing through his game without calling it out. But this General Xu's snake-like, damp, hypocritical probing—laced with murderous intent—truly disgusted her. Better to speak plainly than to play games.

Xu Lingqu's identity wasn't shameful in the least, yet he refused to explain it to anyone, least of all his own wife. He was almost cruelly stepping on her to build up his own shining image. If he'd simply said outright that he'd adopted an old subordinate's daughter, Catherine might not have welcomed her warmly, but at least she wouldn't have resented her or schemed against her. Instead, he'd kept it hidden from the start, letting Catherine despise and torment her—then, afterward, revealed her identity and stepped in to defend his adopted daughter. In everyone's eyes, in one stroke, the image of a vicious, jealous wife and a caring General who looked after his fallen comrade's daughter was cemented. That made for a far more compelling story than a simple adoption.

And then he came to spin these fine words to Xu Lingqu, washing his hands clean and playing the good man, hoping she'd overlook that he was the true source of all the misery.

But the most disgusting part wasn't even that. What if she hadn't transmigrated? What if she were still that helpless, isolated girl from before? Having suffered at the academy without losing half her life, she'd walk out, hear this speech, and all her resentment would be redirected at Lady Catherine—and she'd be utterly grateful to this gentle General Xu. The whole process: he'd cast her onto a man-made island of isolation, then come along and "save" her on his own terms. That way, Xu Lingqu would be easily molded in Xu Chengbi's hands.

What did he want to use her for?

"The Moye people weren't wrong—you really are smart," Xu Chengbi said, dropping the pretense. He crossed his legs and leaned back, his posture shifting, the affability draining away to reveal the oppressive aura of a man in power. "It's true that adopting you serves my interests. But there are so many orphans in this galaxy—why would you choose to defy me? I've given you a chance to completely change your life."

The young woman before him had grown, but to Xu Chengbi, crushing her now was still as easy as crushing an ant. She dared to offend him like this; he had plenty of ways to make her vanish without a trace. But the people on that side had given him good feedback on her. Letting her die pointlessly would cost him a significant portion of his gains. Being stabbed by a few of her words was nothing compared to the profits he'd ultimately reap. Xu Chengbi simply took the girl's attitude as rebelliousness, so he decided to be straightforward with her—maybe she'd be more accepting that way.

Xu Lingqu saw right through him. A man who could use his old subordinate's daughter without a shred of psychological guilt had no moral compass whatsoever. It was no surprise he'd become an Imperial Grand General. In this interstellar Empire, some Grand Generals earned their rank through real skill and genuine merit—while others, by trampling on family, old subordinates, and everything they could use, naturally stood higher than the rest.

Xu Lingqu didn't think Lady Catherine or Xu Youwen were any better, of course; they were just small fry compared to General Xu. In the entire Xu family, Xu Xiqin's existence was nothing short of a miracle—a bright, beautiful sunflower growing out of a pile of mud.