Xia Ya's Slowness

Xia Ya froze the instant he heard Mu's words.

He made no sound, merely standing there in silence, every muscle in his body taut.

His mind plunged into chaos in an instant. Mu's words were like a thunderbolt, splitting apart the thoughts he had been immersed in—machine maintenance and simulated battle plans.

He felt his breathing grow labored, a suffocating pain tightening in his chest.

Mu's gaze did not relax in the slightest. He stepped forward again, closing the distance between them.

His voice became even more direct, his tone laying everything bare without the slightest attempt at concealment.

"Hadn't you decided to love Lacus the way you love Jiliang?"

Mu's voice was clear and firm, every word aimed straight at the most important decision in Xia Ya's heart.

His eyes remained fixed on Xia Ya, as though he intended to see through every thought in his mind.

At Mu's words, Xia Ya's pupils abruptly contracted. His body jolted, the tremor spreading from his chest through every limb.

His mind cleared in an instant, all his thoughts converging into one distinct focal point.

His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

The shame brought by his own slowness surged over him like a raging tide, making his face burn.

Lacus—her name surfaced clearly in his mind.

He remembered the scene in the Orb Army headquarters conference room, when an officer had reported that Siegel Clyne had been shot dead.

Lacus's body had trembled in extreme shock. Her pale face, and her words—"The moment I decided to leave PLANT with you, I had already prepared myself"—all rose vividly before his eyes.

After that, when Siegel Clyne's death was announced, Lacus had displayed an unusual calmness and strength. She had told Xia Ya and Jiliang that she needed to be alone,