Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 57 - 36: Meeting Lan Cang Again

As soon as Lan Ruo rushed home from the academy, he saw a man sitting on the sofa. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The man had short, choppy black hair and a cold, stern face. His tall, imposing frame was still clad in a slightly-too-tight combat uniform that outlined the smooth, powerful lines of his muscles.

"Brother! What brings you back today? Are you staying for a few days this time?"

The man was applying medicine to a wound on his arm and wrapping it with a white bandage. Hearing Lan Ruo’s voice, he looked toward the door. "Just came back to see you. I’m leaving tomorrow. How was your entrance exam?"

"I passed the tests! My score was great—I ranked 139th and got into the Combat Department." Lan Ruo quickly swapped his shoes for slippers, entered the house, and began clearing the clutter off the table.

"I know. You’ve always wanted to go there."

"Yalan Military School has the best teachers in the Empire, and its graduates are sought after by the entire Western Continent. In the future, I’ll be able to help you out, Brother." Lan Ruo looked at the man, a sudden wave of sadness washing over him.

’My brother probably wanted to go, too. But he couldn’t scrape together enough for the tuition back then, so the academy rejected him.’

Part of his drive to get into Yalan Military School and make a name for himself was to fulfill his brother’s long-lost dream. Lan Ruo said with a hint of resentment, "You know, the Beastmen at Yalan Academy aren’t even that great. A lot of them are nothing compared to you, Brother. If you had gone to Yalan Military School back then, you would’ve definitely been at the top of the class..."

The man just smiled, not saying much more. He turned and headed for the kitchen. "To celebrate you getting into Yalan Academy, what do you want to eat today? I’ll whip something up for you."

"You’re the best cook! I haven’t had a chance to taste your cooking in so long, not since you joined the Mercenaries."

Lan Ruo went to help, growing more talkative as he recounted what happened during the competition. "Those scions from the great families aren’t all that, either. Some of them have no more class than the thugs from the slums!"

"At one point, a few of them cornered me to try and steal my Token. Luckily, someone helped me. She... she was a female..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke. Having gone through his own awkward, fumbling youth, the man knew exactly what his little brother was thinking. He chuckled softly. "You like her?"

"No, no," Lan Ruo denied hastily, his face growing redder. "She helped me. I’m just grateful to her. She’s like a big sister... kind of like you, Brother."

"She has a Thunder Talent, just like you. And she uses Golden Thunder, too..."

CRACK!

Lan Ruo had just stepped into the kitchen when he heard a sharp crack. He froze, staring at the shattered cookware on the floor. "Brother, you... what happened?"

"It’s nothing. This hand is still injured, not fully healed. It just... slipped." The man kept his head down, his back to Lan Ruo, hiding his expression. His voice was a little hoarse. "She... has a Thunder Talent?"

Lan Ruo hurried to get a broom and dustpan to clean up the broken shards. He answered without thinking, "Yeah. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone with the same talent as you, Brother. She’s incredibly strong—probably a Seventh Rank Beastman. I’ve never met a female that powerful before. I figure she must be from one of the great families."

The man said no more, just gave a bitter laugh. ’What was I even hoping for? She’s already dead. She died in the Beast Tide.’

It was his own failure, his inability to protect her. It had become the greatest pain of his life.

The man didn’t say another word for the rest of the meal. The silence was heavy and suffocating.

That night, before they went to their rooms to rest, he gave Lan Ruo a bag of Crystal Stones. "Expenses are high in the Imperial City. Is your living allowance holding up?"

"It’s enough, it’s enough." Lan Ruo accepted it, embarrassed. He really couldn’t afford to refuse. Thinking of the upcoming tuition fees, he lowered his head. "Brother, actually... I’ve found a few odd jobs in the Imperial City. I can cover my own living expenses from now on, so you don’t have to worry about me."

"You’re still young. Just focus on your studies. Don’t worry about anything else."

"Brother, are you leaving for a mission again? You’re not going to rest for one more night?"

Seeing his brother put on his jacket, ready to leave again, Lan Ruo felt a fresh pang of shame. His brother had toiled for him for so many years.

All because Lan Ruo was his only family.

His brother was someone who valued emotional bonds above all else. Because of his own childhood, he deeply envied other Beastmen who had families and relatives. He longed for a family of his own to belong to, but he’d never found the right person. Lan Ruo had always felt like he was dragging his brother down. His eyes suddenly reddened. "Otherwise... maybe I should just drop out. The school here in Oro City is actually pretty good..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I promised our Beast Father and Beast Mother that I would raise you until you turned eighteen and see you become an adult."