A Beta Who Was Courted Crazily for Love (Translated)

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Imperial University, Dormitory

"That's good." Yang An's fingers moved slightly, turning the pen he was holding. With a soft thud, it fell onto the off-white paper. The beta, tortured by the era's demands, squinted and leaned back, resting the back of his head against the soft pillow.

"Mr. Yu, what story would you like to hear tonight?" he asked lazily. "I'll read it to you."

"I'll pick a random page. Is that okay?" Yu Qingyan's fingertip glided over the smooth pages of the book as he said slowly, "627... my lucky number."

As soon as he finished speaking, his fair fingertip landed precisely on page "627."

Lucky number? Yang An was curious. "Mr. Yu, why is 627 your lucky number?"

Yu Qingyan's eyes lowered, the curve of his lips unchanged. "It's a secret."

Yang An blinked. Well, since it was Mr. Yu's secret, he wouldn't pry...

"Can I exchange a secret for yours?" Yang An said, changing his mind.

He was inexplicably eager to know Mr. Yu's secret and was reluctant to let the topic end there.

Yu Qingyan was taken aback, his heartbeat quickening. He liked the boy's curiosity about him, as if it meant the boy had some expectations of him as well.

"Okay..." he gently asked, "So Xiao An, what secret do you want to exchange with me?"

Yang An was stumped and had no idea. He tentatively asked, "Do you have any secrets you want to know?" After asking, he laughed at himself and couldn't help but sigh.

What secret could he possibly have that Mr. Yu would be interested in?

"Never mind, Mr. Yu, just consider me having a lapse in judgment. I..." He paused. "I don't really have any secrets worth exchanging with you. Even if I did, you probably wouldn't be interested."

Yu Qingyan's heart felt a twinge, not quite noticeable, but difficult to describe in that moment.

How could that be? He was interested in everything about the boy. As long as the boy was willing, he would gladly accept it.

"Ah, Mr. Yu, let me read to you. Page 627..." Yang An changed the subject, starting to search for the page. "It's a fairy tale."

Yu Qingyan thought about what he needed to do later and forcibly suppressed his inner excitement. "Alright, I'm looking forward to this story."

"Mr. Yu, the title of this story looks interesting." Yang An glanced at the title at the top and read softly, "The Forgotten Rod of Traces."

Yu Qingyan's eyes flickered slightly. He responded softly, "Yes, it is indeed interesting."

Yang An cleared his throat and began to read:

"...The old duke, who had led a life of benevolence and diligent governance, was highly praised by the people in his territory. Now, at 90 years old, he lay in bed, neither sleeping nor doing anything, just quietly staring at the ceiling, waiting for the arrival of death."

"He knew his time was short and was not attached to life, but there was one thing he could not part with, something that had accompanied him his entire life and had become like his second leg— the Rod of Traces. It was the duke's favorite cane because, due to his mobility issues, he had to take it with him everywhere."

"With the help of the Rod of Traces, the old duke could walk slowly. At first, he could only take a few steps, but gradually, the distance he could walk increased, and the places he could go independently grew more numerous. He affectionately named it 'Rod of Traces,' implying that false miracles had appeared, but it was enough to comfort some regrets..."