Chu Ci turned the speed dial to its maximum, and the deep purple aircraft ignited, starting up. The thrusters burst with a brilliant blue flame before shooting into the sky. Less than half an hour later, it landed at the entrance of the military department.
The guard saw the male zerg descending from the aircraft, exchanging puzzled glances and extending a hand to stop Chu Ci.
“Sir, this is a restricted area of the military department. May I ask your business?”
“I’m looking for Major General Nuo Wei,” Chu Ci replied, opening his holographic device to show the matching file. “I am his male master.”
Although the military department is an important stronghold, the real secrets lie behind the thick, forged doors of underground fortresses. The buildings above ground are where military officers work, and males are allowed inside.
The guard quickly stepped aside. “Major General Nuo Wei is in room C-305, Area A.”
“Thank you,” Chu Ci said, nodding as he moved forward.
The guard’s face showed a momentary concern.
“Has Major General Nuo Wei done something wrong for his male master to visit the military department?”
Following the guard’s directions, Chu Ci soon found Nuo Wei’s office. As he grasped the door handle, a sense of trepidation akin to a feeling of being almost at home overwhelmed him.
He placed his hand on the door and knocked gently. “Nuo Wei, it’s me. May I come in?”
“Yes, please come in.”
Nuo Wei’s voice trembled from behind the door, almost too soft. The male master told him to sit quietly in the office and not move, and he obeyed without a word for half an hour. Only when Chu Ci opened the door did Nuo Wei lift his gaze, rising from his chair as if about to kneel.
“Don’t kneel!” Chu Ci’s voice cut through the air, “No kneeling!”
Nuo Wei froze in place.
For a female who isn’t favored, kneeling is more about safety than shame—it protects their vulnerable abdomen and exposes a more durable back to punishments. Without permission from a male, Nuo Wei can only stand there helplessly.
He forced a smile. “I’m sorry for troubling you by coming all this way. If you’re interested in using a whip, the military has a heavy one, not really suitable for males. Perhaps you’d allow me to call a deputy…”
His words faltered in his throat.
The male zerg pulled him into an embrace.
The male master stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Nuo Wei, pulling him into a tight embrace that almost seemed to press him into his very bones. Chu Ci’s hand clamped on Nuo Wei’s head, fingers threading through his silvery hair, holding him firmly against his shoulder blades.
“I’m sorry,” Chu Ci whispered. “I shouldn’t have given you a cold shoulder. I should have been clearer from the start.”
Nuo Wei stood there, stunned by the embrace. He had lost his parents early and hadn’t experienced the nurturing touch of a father figure. Admiral Erwen was stern and seldom offered physical affection. So this act from Chu Ci, almost a first of its kind, was nearly all Nuo Wei could remember of being held this way.
…It was very warm.
The male’s grip was strong, arms tight around him, yet Nuo Wei didn’t feel uncomfortable. He was completely enveloped in Chu Ci’s embrace, the warmth of the male’s body seeping through their clothing, every point of contact burning and making him slightly dizzy. His head nestled against the male’s shoulder, chin resting against Chu Ci’s neck. Chu Ci’s hand at the back of his head, he even caught a hint of the male’s faint, musky scent.
It was as if the male had forged him a suit of armor, protecting him completely. Nuo Wei almost had the illusion that, no matter what happened next, his male master would always be so closely pressed against him.
“Sorry,” Chu Ci whispered near Nuo Wei’s ear, repeating himself softly. “Did I scare you?”
Nuo Wei paused, slowly shaking his head.
The Major General of the Empire was stiff and rigid, his muscles used for battle feeling weak and pliable, most of his weight resting against the male. Chu Ci didn’t hold back; he welcomed Nuo Wei’s weight, comforted by it. Only when pressed close in this way could his sore and troubled heart find some solace.
He rubbed Nuo Wei’s long hair, soothingly saying, “Don’t be afraid.”
Nuo Wei blinked, “I’m not scared.”
Not scared—just disappointed and somewhat numbed, feeling that being treated well only made it more painful to possibly fall back into hell.
Nuo Wei took a deep breath, his tension easing. Still nestled in the male’s embrace, it felt inappropriate not to stand up. He wanted to move, but the male’s arms still held him firmly. Nuo Wei hesitated but eventually said, “My Lord, the medal.”
His chest still bore the medal, and being held so tightly would leave marks on the delicate male.
“I don’t care.” Chu Ci took a deep breath, slowly releasing Nuo Wei, but the arm around his waist didn’t let go. He forced Nuo Wei to meet his gaze, “You want to ask me if I want to marry Kaier Ennuo as a female companion, don’t you?”
Nuo Wei hesitated for a moment, replying, “…Yes.”
Nuo Wei didn’t want to discuss this topic; before, during the video call, the male’s expression was unkind. Since waking up in the hospital last time, Nuo Wei hadn’t seen that cold, stern look on Chu Ci’s face again. He was apprehensive, wanting to hide the past, even if their time together only stretched back to before the probation period. He didn’t want the male to take back the remaining warmth.
Nuo Wei lowered his lashes, “If you want him as a female companion, I have no objections.”
Chu Ci asked, “If I want him as a female companion, what would you do?”
The male’s tone was gentle, his gaze soft, his arms encircling Nuo Wei’s waist, the faint scent of his pheromones providing a reassuring calm to Nuo Wei’s anxiety. He bit his lip, “…I would go to the correctional facility.”
“Don’t go.” Chu Ci pulled the uneasy female monarch back into his embrace, one hand running along Nuo Wei’s stiff spine. “Nuo Wei, I don’t know Kaier Ennuo, and I never thought of marrying him. That day, he gave me his business card, and I refused, just putting it in my pocket.”
He rubbed Nuo Wei’s soft silver hair again. “You saw it and then misunderstood, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
This wasn’t Nuo Wei’s first misunderstanding of the male. He looked slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I misunderstood again. Please punish me.”
Chu Ci sighed, “Where would I dare to punish you?”
Just saying a few harsh words was enough to make Nuo Wei close off his heart again—if he were to truly punish him, he wouldn’t be able to coax Nuo Wei out again.
The comment sounded strange to Nuo Wei. “You are the male master; of course, you can punish me.”
“Alright.” Chu Ci pulled Nuo Wei to sit down, taking his hand and turning it over, playing with his white jade-like fingers. “I need to be clear with you; don’t do this next time. I don’t intend to marry a female companion, nor do I plan to replace my female monarch. Nuo Wei, you will always be my female monarch.”
Nuo Wei suddenly lifted his eyes.
He and Chu Ci locked gazes; the pale blue eyes held flickering lights, while Chu Ci calmly met his gaze. Nuo Wei, instinctively avoiding it, halted, stubbornly keeping his gaze fixed on the male.
Chu Ci stood still, letting him stare, his amber eyes focused and returning the gaze, containing only Nuo Wei’s image.
Ultimately, it was Nuo Wei who couldn’t hold out first, hurriedly diverting his gaze, staring at the floor, unable to stop thinking:
… This feels like a dream, an illusion.
But the male’s scent and warmth were real, something Nuo Wei couldn’t fake. Seeing this silly female in a daze again, Chu Ci took his hand, doing something he had wanted to do since entering.
He opened Nuo Wei’s palm and lightly pressed a kiss on it.
Unlike the kiss with pheromones for healing last time, Chu Ci didn’t linger. His lips briefly touched Nuo Wei’s hand, quickly pulling away.
It was a kiss without any ulterior motives or desires—just something the male wanted to do, like a kiss to a freshly blooming rose petal. He lightly tapped Nuo Wei’s palm and spoke softly, “Hmm? Did you pinch yourself again? Don’t do it next time.”
Nuo Wei asked, “Do you want to take back this power?”
He bit his lip, looking somewhat unhappy.
Chu Ci blinked in surprise. “What power?”
The male zerg was always changing his orders, casually bestowing benefits and then just as casually withdrawing them. Nuo Wei shouldn’t react to this, but with Chu Ci’s expression so gentle, and his tone so soft, he found himself feeling a little pitiful. “When I pinch my palm like this, I can contact you.”
Chu Ci let out a faint sigh.
He found it hard to describe his feelings now—complicated, melancholic, with various indescribable emotions weighing heavily on his heart. All he wanted to do was hug this silly female even tighter. Chu Ci took Nuo Wei’s hand. “Of course you can still contact me, but not by hurting yourself like that.”
He used his fingernail to make a mark in Nuo Wei’s palm. “If you do it like this, you can contact me.”
Nuo Wei looked down at it. The male hadn’t used much force; it was barely visible, only leaving a faint white mark.
Chu Ci took off Nuo Wei’s lightbrain, took a picture of the mark on his palm, and saved it, then handed it back to him. “If you pinch yourself again, do it according to this standard, understand?”
Nuo Wei nodded. “Hmm.”
Chu Ci ruffled Nuo Wei’s hair, feeling its soft texture. Looking at Nuo Wei’s confused expression, he genuinely wondered how an Imperial Major General could be so stupid. Unable to resist, he reached out to pinch Nuo Wei’s cheek, pulling the soft flesh apart. “How do you end up like this, you silly female?”
Nuo Wei was too dazed to speak, mumbling, “Mm…”
“Admiral!”
At that moment, the guard found Admiral Erwen’s office.
He relayed everything about Chu Ci’s visit to the Admiral. Erwen furrowed his brow. “Did the male mention why he came?”
The guard replied, “No, but he came in a rush. He drove his aircraft at full speed, and his expression wasn’t good. I thought something was wrong, so I came to report.”
Erwen knew very well how much his nephew, Nuo Wei, was disliked by the male. He never expected Nuo Wei to serve the male well, only hoping he didn’t anger him. Fortunately, Chu Ci wasn’t difficult to talk to. Last time, he sent a gemstone as a token, which successfully soothed him.
Although the cyan gem was valuable, it was merely a drop in the bucket compared to Erwen’s wealth.
Erwen’s eyes swept over the display cabinet in his office, finally settling on another equally precious gemstone. He carefully wrapped it in a velvet cloth, placed it in a luxurious gift bag, and hurried to Nuo Wei’s office.
He silently prayed: Hopefully, this equally precious gemstone would once again win the male’s forgiveness.
