Quike and the others had just breathed a sigh of relief after unloading the heavy burden from their hearts, only for it to come crashing back the very next second—this time even heavier than before: “!!!”
Didn’t Major General Blairand let the Big Boss go? Why did he bring him back again? And unconscious, no less? What about the Strategist? Could it be that Major General Blairand silenced him in the wild?!
A tangled web of love triangles, bitter grudges, and one question after another swirled in their minds. Yet, under Blairand’s meaningful gaze, no one dared to voice their doubts.
The camp fell into an inexplicable silence—a silence so oppressive it bordered on awkwardness. This uneasy stillness lingered until General Aks returned to the camp with his team.
The interstellar pirates were already running low on ammunition, and many of their companions succumbed to the effects of the drugs midway, falling unconscious and severely weakening their combat effectiveness. Taking advantage of the situation, Aks stealthily infiltrated their base from behind and, with minimal effort, managed to capture most of them. He even rescued the male zergs, including Heim, who had been abducted.
Blairand, tasked with guarding the camp, stepped forward as he saw Aks returning with his team and asked, “Have all the interstellar pirates been captured?”
Aks raised his hand to remove his protective helmet. After a night of pursuit, he was covered in snow and mud, panting heavily as he replied, “No, some small fry managed to escape. When I chased them to the northern region, I almost ended up in a conflict with the local commander there. But all the abducted male zergs have been rescued. To avoid further complications, we’ll set off for the capital soon.”
Blairand remained noncommittal. “The north and west have always been at odds. When I pursued them to the Lagona Deep Sea, I was blocked by them as well. What do you plan to do about the interstellar pirates who escaped?”
General Aks frowned. “We’ll issue a warrant when we return to the capital. There’s a direct order from above—these interstellar pirates must be completely eradicated.”
As he finished speaking, something seemed to cross his mind. He suddenly froze and instinctively raised his eyes to look at Blairand. “What about those two male zergs who were being kept in solitary confinement?!”
Blairand neither avoided his gaze nor hesitated, responding calmly, “They accidentally escaped earlier. We’ll issue a warrant for them when we return to the Empire.”
“Damn it! What the hell are you talking about?!”
Aks was startled by the response and immediately realized Blairand was lying. Those two male zergs had been kept in a reinforced containment cell—how could they possibly have escaped? He cursed under his breath and rushed into the starship where Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng had been detained. But when he reached the prison, he found it completely empty—long since deserted.
“Bang!”
Aks, furious, slammed his fist against the wall. He turned around, ready to confront Blairand, but to his surprise, the other zerg had already followed him in. With a swift movement, Aks grabbed Blairand by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Lowering his voice, he coldly demanded, “Did you let them go?”
Blairand made no attempt to fight back, allowing Aks to hold him by the collar. “When we return to the military headquarters to report, I’ll submit a request for suspension and review. I’ll take full responsibility. You can pretend you don’t know anything about it.”
Aks was so enraged he could barely speak. “You—!”
It wasn’t that Aks was angry about Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng escaping; it was that he was furious at Blairand for mixing personal feelings with official duty. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, “Do you even remember your position? Getting entangled with a group of interstellar pirates like this! Don’t you think it’s beneath you?!”
Blairand paused for a moment in silence, but then unexpectedly smiled and quietly said something Aks couldn’t understand: “Aks, I don’t want to either.”
He didn’t want it either.
It would have been better if things had ended here.
When Blairand was initially imprisoned by Carlos, he shouldn’t have been sent to Ah Sui’s starship. That messy, tangled relationship should never have been formed in the first place. Now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sever it completely.
Blairand finished speaking, disregarding the stunned Aks, and turned to return to his own starship. At that moment, dawn was breaking, and the dark sky began to lighten with a faint fish-belly white. The blood-red sun slowly rose from behind the snow-capped mountains, yet it failed to melt the icy grip of the winter morning.
Aks, a beat slow in his reaction, finally snapped out of his daze. He wiped his face with his hand and could only order the team to set off. He and Blairand had known each other for many years; he couldn’t just throw him under the bus for the sake of two escaped interstellar pirates.
They had already reached the northern region, a considerable distance from the western area. Even with non-stop flying, it would take several days to reach their destination.
By nightfall, Ah Sui finally regained consciousness. He groggily opened his eyes and found himself in a secluded inner cabin. The room was small—barely bigger than a capsule—with only a bed and a small desk.
“?”
Ah Sui opened his mouth, attempting to speak, only to realize that no sound came out. He tried to move his body, but his limbs felt weak and limp, unable to summon any strength.
What was going on?
A sense of unease washed over him. He clearly remembered fleeing with Xu Cenfeng through the snow, but the moment his vision had gone black, he had lost consciousness. How had he ended up here? Had the military captured him again?
But this place didn’t quite feel like a prison.
Ah Sui furrowed his brow and tried to channel his inner strength, but his body remained weak and limp. Just then, Blairand finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom. When he opened the door and saw that Ah Sui had awakened, his motion of drying his hair paused for a moment.
“You’re awake?”
Blairand placed the towel on the desk beside him and walked over to sit by the bed. His golden hair was only half-dried, still damp with water, and the faint coolness he carried with him was barely noticeable, but it brushed against the air as he approached.
Blairand?
Ah Sui relaxed immediately upon seeing him, subconsciously treating Blairand as a calming presence. He opened his mouth silently, signaling that he was unable to speak, his brow furrowing slightly as a look of urgency crossed his face.
Blairand quickly noticed his intent. “You want to speak?”
Yes, yes.
Ah Sui couldn’t speak, so he could only blink hard, but in doing so, a few strands of hair from his forehead poked him, causing a sharp pain that almost brought tears to his eyes.
Seeing this, Blairand gently raised his hand and used his fingertip to push aside the stray hair from Ah Sui’s face. He softly explained, “The effects of the drug haven’t worn off yet. You can’t speak right now.”
What drug effect?
Ah Sui thought to himself, Have I been poisoned?
Blairand had no intention of keeping anything from Ah Sui—there were things that couldn’t be hidden, and he didn’t want to lie. “I put a sleeping drug in your dinner, which is why you passed out during your escape… Don’t worry, Xu Cenfeng has already escaped safely. He will never return to the west.”
Ah Sui understood the latter part—Xu Cenfeng must have gone north to find friends. However, he couldn’t understand why Blairand had drugged him. He blinked hard, trying to convey his shock and confusion.
Blairand, on the other hand, thought to himself that Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng had always been inseparable. Now that Ah Sui knew he had intentionally let Xu Cenfeng go but forced him to stay, he must be angry and upset.
“Ah Sui, don’t hate me…”
Blairand’s voice was low, feeling a strange relief that the drug’s effects hadn’t worn off yet, preventing Ah Sui from cursing or even speaking. The look on Ah Sui’s face now wasn’t any better than the pale, frightened expression he had worn earlier.
”You’ve always wanted to visit the capital, right? In a couple of days, we’ll be able to go, but you have to behave. No causing a scene, and no running away, or we’ll be caught.”
Blairand was taking a gamble by keeping Ah Sui so close under his watch. Ah Sui’s skills were just too high; if he didn’t use the sleeping drug to restrain him temporarily, there was no telling what might happen. If Ah Sui caused a stir and alerted Aks, they would end up in a prison again, and rescuing him would be even harder.
Ah Sui: “…”
Ah Sui didn’t quite understand what Blairand was saying, which caused a brief mental shutdown.
Seeing that Ah Sui was silent and dazed, Blairand didn’t press for a response. He gave him some time to process everything that had just happened. As the night grew late, it was time to sleep. Blairand raised his hand and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. However, for some reason, he suddenly decided to leave a faint bedside lamp on.
“You’re afraid of the dark, so I’ll leave a light on for you.”
Blairand, having been imprisoned on a starship for so long, still remembered many of Ah Sui’s habits. After speaking, he lifted the blanket and got into bed, lying quietly beside Ah Sui. A chill lingered on his body, and if one paid close attention, they could still smell the faint scent of the shower gel.
Ah Sui couldn’t control his trembling for a moment, his nervousness taking over. Although he was trying to overcome his fear, things like this took time. The closest he had gotten to Blairand was holding hands before; he wasn’t ready to share a bed yet.
Blairand keenly sensed Ah Sui’s tremor and silently buried his face in the crook of Ah Sui’s neck. It seemed as though he sighed softly. “I knew you were still afraid of me…”
No, no, that’s not it!
Ah Sui’s mind raced, desperately trying to explain, fearing that Blairand might misunderstand. However, the effects of the drug hadn’t worn off, leaving him unable to do anything. In his dazed state, he felt a damp, tickling sensation on the back of his neck, as if someone was gently licking or kissing him. Unable to control himself, he shut his eyes.
Although Ah Sui had kissed Blairand before, it hadn’t happened often. Each time, he would quietly blush, and this time was no exception.
Blairand sensed the unusually high temperature on Ah Sui’s face. In the darkness, he rolled over and pinned the other beneath him. He leaned close to the male zerg’s ear, his voice hoarse yet gentle as he whispered, “Ah Sui, open your eyes and look at me…”
At the sound of Blairand’s words, Ah Sui instinctively opened his eyes. However, in the next moment, a warm sensation softly covered his lips. Blairand pried open Ah Sui’s mouth, his tongue entwining with his in a tender, lingering kiss. The male zerg’s pheromones overwhelmed him, causing the corners of his eyes to redden. When the kiss finally ended, he could only lower his head and rest on the other’s chest, breathing heavily.
Blairand’s back injury hadn’t fully healed yet, and even through his clothes, Ah Sui could feel the thickness of the bandages underneath. Ah Sui wanted to check the extent of the injury, but after much effort, he could only manage to make a slight movement with his fingertips. In the end, he had to give up on the thought that lingered in his mind.
Blairand’s mental energy had only just stabilized, and logically, he shouldn’t have been close to Ah Sui. The male zerg’s pheromones would only provoke him again and again, stripping away all rationality. Yet, some things were like a drug addiction—no matter what, they couldn’t be quit.
Blairand touched Ah Sui’s flushed face, feeling that the other’s vulnerable, submissive appearance easily stirred the hidden desires within him. He struggled to control the turmoil in his emotions, then turned over and lay beside him. In the darkness, he gently took Ah Sui’s hand and placed it around his waist.
“Sleep.”
Blairand did nothing more, maintaining that embracing position as he fell asleep, just like when they used to stay in the star pirate hideout.
For the next two days, Ah Sui spent most of his time lying in bed. When he finally regained a little strength, Blairand would carefully time it to feed him a small sip of water, only for him to become weak and powerless again afterward.
This medicine was strange; not only could it put Ah Sui into a brief state of dormancy, but it also provided his body with the energy it needed, making him unable to feel hunger.
On the third day, Ah Sui had learned his lesson. He pretended to drink the water, but actually kept it in his mouth without swallowing. When Blairand left the room, he struggled to turn over and spat it out onto the floor.
“Plop!”
Though he had only spit out a mouthful of water, Ah Sui somehow managed to make it sound as if he had coughed up blood. He lay by the edge of the bed, gasping for breath, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as if he had narrowly escaped death. For the past three days, he hadn’t been able to speak a word or move a finger, suffocating him in silence.
But Ah Sui’s luck had always been a bit off. No sooner had he spit out the water than he ran into Blairand, who had returned. The female zerg stood at the door, staring at the wet marks on the floor, silent. The atmosphere immediately froze, thick with tension.
Ah Sui froze, his body stiffening. “…”
Damn, why is he always so unlucky?
Every morning before leaving, Blairand would use a suppressant to mask the scent of Ah Sui’s pheromones on his body, to prevent Aks from noticing. Today, in his rush to leave, he forgot the suppressant. When he returned unexpectedly, he found that Ah Sui had secretly spit out the medicine behind his back.
“Ha…”
Blairand slowly exhaled, his brows and eyes shaded by the brim of his hat, making it hard to read his emotions. However, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he stepped forward, helping Ah Sui up from the edge of the bed. He gently wiped the water stains from the corner of Ah Sui’s mouth with a tissue, his voice still soft and tender.
“I told you, didn’t I? Just a few more days. Once we get back to the capital, I’ll give you the antidote.”
He paused for a moment before continuing, “You never listen to me.”
It had been the same when he secretly looked at his zerg form last time, and the same when he took the medicine.
Ah Sui’s martial arts were too strong. If he woke up and insisted on finding Xu Cenfeng, it would be hard to stop him. The worst-case scenario wasn’t just that; Blairand was more afraid of Aks discovering it and having him thrown into the prison. Blairand didn’t want to take that risk.
Ah Sui struggled to move his tongue, wanting to tell Blairand that he wouldn’t hate him because of Xu Cenfeng, but since his tongue was still numb, his mouth didn’t cooperate. After a long while, not a single word came out.
Blairand didn’t mind. He walked over to the table, refilled a glass of water, and then added a pale pink liquid from a vial into it. This medicine was a hundred times more expensive than gold. It was specifically designed for female soldiers who had fallen into a state of frenzy, to help them recover from mental damage. The drug had a numbing effect but left no aftereffects. In a way, it could extend one’s life.
Blairand shook the cup of water gently before walking back to the bedside and helping Ah Sui sit up. He brought the cup to his lips, speaking softly, “Be good, take a sip.”
Ah Sui kept his mouth closed, refusing to drink.
Blairand always had his ways of dealing with him. “If you won’t drink, I’ll have to inject the medicine.”
The injection was painful.
Ah Sui wasn’t afraid of pain, but at Blairand’s words, he still opened his eyes. He frowned and tried to say something, but because he couldn’t speak, his words came out too quickly, making it seem like he was scolding.
Blairand noticed this and subtly furrowed his brow. “Are you cursing at me?”
Ah Sui was startled by Blairand’s words and thought, This misunderstanding could escalate! He quickly shook his head in denial. To his surprise, his body could move now. However, as he did, there was a sharp “clink” as the glass shattered. The cup Blairand was holding was knocked from his hand and fell to the ground, the medicine spilling across the floor.
The air now truly fell into a dead silence.
Ah Sui: “…” What should he do? He didn’t mean to.
Blairand closed his eyes in silence, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he opened them again, stood up, and walked to the desk. He opened a drawer and took out a syringe, clearly intending to inject Ah Sui.
Seeing this, Ah Sui’s heart raced. Without knowing where the strength came from, he tumbled off the bed with a thud. He stumbled to his feet, but not steady enough, and with a “thud” he collapsed to his knees.
Blairand was startled when he saw Ah Sui regain his ability to move. However, before he could react, his waist suddenly tightened as he was firmly embraced by the male zerg. A slightly hoarse voice whispered in his ear:
“I’ve never hated you.”
Blairand froze.
In that critical moment, Ah Sui’s survival instinct kicked into overdrive. He clung to Blairand in a classic “gripping the thigh” posture, trying his best to ignore the syringe in the other’s hand. He buried his face into Blairand’s abdomen and muttered softly, “If Brother Cenfeng has left, then let him go. I won’t hate you.”
When Xu Cenfeng was in prison, he had told him that everyone had their own path to follow, and his path lay in the North.
“Ah Sui, your path is in the West. No matter what happens, always keep heading west. There are people waiting for you there, and the person you’re searching for as well…”
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