The boss came over, patted him on the shoulder to indicate it was time for his break. He relaxed slightly, having been standing ramrod straight, and headed towards his dormitory, intending to call his roommates for lunch. This was quite a new situation; not long ago they were used to eating two meals a day, but ever since the new marshal led the conquest of a distant planet, something called Mica, meat prices had plummeted, and all sorts of novel meats flooded the market. Even gatekeepers in their small rural town were getting extra meals.
Rhett's roommate is a talkative guy, and he happened to be off duty today. He was fiddling with his cat in the dorm, which was getting increasingly annoyed by him, jumping around and meowing louder and louder, almost as if it was saying, "I'm so annoying! Get the hell away from me!"
"Hey! Rhett, you're back! Come on, let's grab a bite to eat, you two. Remember that place we went to before? I heard they have some kind of armored snake meat now, and it's not too expensive, let's go!" He'd barely opened the door when his roommate's eager voice rang out. Before he could even take a sip of water, he was dragged out to eat again.
As expected, Spall lived up to his talkative nature, casually putting his arm around Rhett's shoulder while rambling on about the rumors he'd recently heard from who-knows-where.
"Hey, have you heard? It seems that our marshal at the top is preparing his next plan. He's set his sights on Zicheng Star next to Yunmu Star. Another big wave of brothers is going out to see a new world!" He exclaimed happily, his eyes shining with longing.
Rhett didn't respond to his comment. For people living in a place like this, wanting to see the vast universe was practically a pipe dream. But now, by participating in the war, they could fulfill that dream. However… Rhett glanced at his roommate's expression; Spall's expression was almost identical to everyone else on the street.
The mother cat lay on her owner's head, blinked her orange-yellow eyes, seemingly oblivious to her silly owner's excitement, opened her mouth wide and yawned, her small, light bulb-sized eyes filled with a layer of mist.
Rhett was a man of few words. Precisely because he was not talkative, many things that could be put into words were swirling in his mind. He hadn't read many books, so he couldn't come up with anything by just thinking about it.
Just like now, the faces of the people around him are filled with joy and longing for the future. This kind of atmosphere may permeate the whole country, but he just subconsciously thinks about it, without even knowing what he is thinking about.
A white snake emerged from his sleeve, as if sensing its master's thoughts, flicking its tongue and licking his wrist. He stroked its head, a small, gentle smile playing on his lips.
"Oh my god, that scared me. Rhett, keep an eye on your pet, it pops up every now and then, it's terrifying!" Spall was about to grab his arm and pull him forward when he almost grabbed the white snake's head. When he pulled his hand back, his forehead was covered in sweat.
Looking into his eyes, which held no trace of gloom, Rhett smiled silently, then glanced at the bustling street and thought that this was actually quite good. Those things that couldn't be understood only needed to be understood by those in power; even if someone like him understood them all, what could he possibly do?
"One of these Ironclad Snakes, please, boss!" Spall called out excitedly after finding a seat in the corner. After watching the boss slowly write something down on the menu at the counter, he didn't forget to tease his roommate: "It's rare that you can eat this without any psychological barriers. You're really carefree."
Rhett sat upright, unlike Spall, who was always up to no good. The white snake wrapped around his wrist seemed to never touch human body heat. He patted the little guy's head. His gaze gradually shifted to his roommate's face, which looked like a shining star when he smiled, and he said somewhat indifferently, "Not very immersive."
Spall realized that teasing him was pointless. The people around them were chatting about everyday things, but most of them were just like them, who, although they had official positions, were just idle gatekeepers. So the most talked-about topic was the recent news about conquering the Mica Star in the Red Cloud Galaxy.
"Under the wise leadership of Marshal, the Red Cloud Galaxy, despite its supposedly advanced technology, was still utterly defeated! I've heard that the Red Cloud Galaxy has a most powerful Crystalless Empire, where fruits and vegetables abound and meat is plentiful!" The person speaking slurped his saliva. Rhett turned to look and saw a general of a higher rank than them, who had reportedly been incorporated into the regular army and could be transferred to the front lines at any time, essentially a reserve force.
He was given a piece of fruit the size of a baby's palm, and he was so happy that he talked about it loudly in the small restaurant for several days.
Wow! The onlookers loved hearing this kind of gossip, and they immediately got excited, especially since it involved the legendary marshal! They were eager to hear some legendary secrets from him!
Rhett himself didn't seem to notice anything, but Spall looked incredibly excited, his bright eyes fixed on that direction, as if anticipating what would happen next. Rhett found it somewhat amusing; the guy talking probably didn't even know what the front lines looked like.
Throughout the restaurant, everyone ate while listening to the officer's words. When they heard something exciting, they felt that everything tasted delicious! Even the most ordinary grass roots tasted quite good.
"You've said so much, but have you ever seen what the marshal looks like?" someone asked jokingly, stirring up trouble.
Spall opened his mouth as if to agree, but Rhett quickly grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, explaining expressionlessly amidst Spall's glaring expression, "You just said it was delicious, try it, and eat less and talk less."
Spall angrily took a bite, only to discover that what was between his upper and lower teeth wasn't meat at all! It was a snake from an armored snake! No, armor!
It snapped and almost broke his tooth.
The person who started it all showed no remorse whatsoever, only raising an eyebrow in surprise: "Ah, sorry, I picked up the wrong one."
Spall: ...I don't believe you for a second!
What the lower-ranking people were discussing naturally wouldn't reach the ears of those at the top. The marshal standing atop the P4 Nebula was staring blankly at the mountain of official business, taking advantage of the brief moment Si Zhongqi was out.
An unknown emotion was growing within her. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together on the table, as if reminiscing about the feel of something. She thought of that person, that person's smile, that person's gentle tone when explaining concepts to her—she longed to see her.
I want to hug her, I want to kiss her, I want to take her to my side.
She closed her eyes, shutting out all the emotions that had been released, and a gentle smile curved her lips. When she opened her eyes again, the smile was still as warm and gentle as ever, without a trace of aggression. No one would guess that such a gentle person was someone who stood at such a high position.
Just as Chaoge's attention was drawn to Qin Muge's shamelessness, she caught a glimpse of Luo Qinghe's favorability rating on Little Red Riding Hood's panel jump to 55!
She felt her heart skip a beat! If this happened a few more times, her heart would definitely break down! Definitely!
Qin Muge noticed her expression, which was somewhat amused. Since no one else was passing by, the general moved very close, his forehead touching hers. His gaze then shifted downwards and he noticed the silver necklace around her neck. Of course, she knew better than anyone what was hanging on it.
The dark gloves parted her collar, but what should have been a pale blue sphere of light was completely blocked by a small metal box that Chaoge had bought from somewhere, preventing any light from escaping.
Her lips touched the corner of Chaoge's lips, the black finger cot around the necklace around her neck insulating her body heat, making Chaoge feel that her hand was a little cold. She murmured softly, "You're naughty, why are you covering yourself up?"
That's what they said, but they didn't actually ask Chaoge to dismantle the thing. The words they uttered were more like lovers whispering sweet nothings. The idea of casually activating one's sadistic tendencies was simply unacceptable, and Chaoge instinctively shrank back.
Her intuition told her that this was no simple thing.
Don't ask why, when General Qin makes a move, how could it be anything ordinary?
This necklace is no ordinary piece!
Little Red Riding Hood: ...Why is the style of your inner drama so unique?
"Tell me, what's wrong? You look so scared?" Qin Muge stopped teasing her, pulled away a little, took off his gloves, and led her by the hand toward the mountain path beside him. Judging from their appearance, they planned to walk down the mountain.
Wait a minute! What do you mean by "scared to death"?! A general of your stature! Can't you use a little more elegant language?! Did your PE teacher teach you Chinese?!
If Little Red Riding Hood had a physical form, she would be looking at Chaoge with sadness and despair right now, but she can't. So all she can do is repeat, in a sorrowful tone, words she doesn't know how many more she'll have to say in the future: "Can you...get to the point?"
Chaoge felt she needed to organize her thoughts on how to concisely and clearly explain the favorability system, avoiding the most important points.
How can I make my girlfriend understand that she has a rival she needs to deal with, and that I am innocent? I need help urgently.
☆ Chapter 39: The Thirty-Ninth Evaluation of General Qin
“I need to organize my thoughts. Qinghe hasn’t been coming to class, has she? You know about Little Red Riding Hood’s situation. She’s been entered into that damn strategy system, and now Qinghe’s affection for me is higher than yours. Uh, do you know what I mean?” If she could, Chaoge really wanted to shake off Qin Muge’s hand, which was currently intertwined with hers. Her intuition told her that it was safer to keep her distance.
However, it's best to just think about it and never actually do it.
After Chaoge finished speaking, the general didn't react at all and just pulled her forward on his own.
Wait, is this really Qin Muge? General, look at me. I'm unhappy, I'm having a little tantrum. You weren't like this before. You used to love me so much. Don't you love me anymore?
"Her mind is as active as ever; I really want to livestream her." Little Red Riding Hood commented.
[Oh no, the one who just spoke is my cousin, let me explain.] The price of always forgetting Little Red Riding Hood in a moment of excitement is that my inner monologue is laid bare for all to see.
"I won't listen, I won't listen!" Little Red Riding Hood uttered this eerie reply in a flat tone.
Chaoge: ...
Before Chaoge could even get a good look at just how luxurious Qin Muge's personal vehicle was, and while she was racking her brains trying to figure out if the car looked familiar and seemed to combine offense and defense, and even have the energy reserves to initiate a three-dimensional space jump in an emergency, she was suddenly pulled into the car.
The car doors closed automatically, creating a closed space inside. She sat on Qin Muge's lap...wait, why on his lap?! There's a passenger seat next to him, sister!
She instinctively tried to move to the side, but Qin Muge simply reached out and put his arm around her waist. "Don't move." His fingers tightened, landing precisely on the itchiest spot on her waist. Chaoge immediately raised her hand to her shoulder, her lips twitching. "What the hell... Can't you just let me sit still? What's wrong with you?"
Qin Muge remained calm and unmoved, letting her struggle as she pleased. This made Chaoge think that Little Red Riding Hood's assessment of Qin Muge's strength in questioning her was correct. She estimated that even in an arm-wrestling match, both of their hands wouldn't be enough to overpower Qin Muge's one hand.
That's absolutely infuriating.
"Now, can you honestly tell me about you and that girl?" Qin Muge adopted a posture of listening attentively. If her hand hadn't been on Chaoge's waist, making Chaoge feel her strength at all times, Chaoge believed that this posture would have better demonstrated the listener's sincerity.
Oh, so this bastard was waiting for me here. Chaoge felt like a fish already lying on a chopping board, ready to be slaughtered. Struggling or not struggling made little difference, especially since the guy in front of her was a complete scoundrel.
"Do you think I'd believe you didn't know about my platonic friendship with her?" Chao Ge tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Qin Muge, her beautiful brown eyes filled with the words "I believed your lies."
"Oh." Qin Muge nodded knowingly, showing no remorse for having spied on someone else's life. After nodding, he added, "So I still want to hear your explanation in person."
...Your Chinese was definitely taught by the PE teacher. Which sentence does this "so" refer to? Dare you tell me?!
Faced with the oppression of a powerful force, Chaoge had only one choice: to resolutely refuse, which was to be a coward.
"Oh, listen to my excuse, this is how it is..." Chaoge began to recount the tiny, fleeting moments she and Luo Qinghe shared, which, in the grand scheme of things, amounted to the minuscule amount of time that people on this planet spend in their long lives.
—No, wait, something's not right.
Chaoge finally realized what was happening. Instead of distancing herself from Qin, she took the initiative to hug her neck and get closer. For the first time, she deliberately lowered her voice and stared into Qin's bright red eyes, asking, "You actually have the nerve to ask me these things? Who was it that disappeared without a word back then?"
Qin Muge: ...Huh, this little guy's IQ has suddenly increased.
How could the general be stumped by such a bold and unruly question from a commoner? Her answer was to quickly slide the hand that was on her waist upwards, press it behind her head, and press her lips to hers, sealing her mouth simply.
"Huh!" Completely surprised that this woman had such a low standard, Chaoge's eyes widened in astonishment. Her first reaction was to say something, which inadvertently gave the other party the opportunity.
General Qin's choice: Don't be a coward, just do it.
Half a minute later, Chaoge, who was sitting on Qin Muge, began to struggle as if she were about to die. Qin Muge decisively let go and licked her lower lip with some dissatisfaction. Her rosy lips were full and beautiful, and the color was so beautiful that anyone who saw them would want to kiss them.
"How did you pass your lung capacity test?" ← What does it mean to be shameless and push your luck? What does it mean to take an inch and then a mile? This is exactly what this shameless woman is all about.
Chaoge rubbed her forehead, feeling that she needed some peace and quiet and didn't want to talk to this big dog for the time being.
"Haha, I'm really sorry for bribing the teacher to let me pass the test!" Chao Ge tried to remove Qin Muge's hand from her waist, but as expected, she failed. She bit her lower lip in annoyance, slapped Qin Muge's hand, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at her.
Qin Muge patted her lower back, hugged her tighter, leaned on her shoulder, and sighed. Chaoge felt something was off. Where was that guy who always gloated after taking advantage of her, making her furious? This wasn't normal today.
So she cautiously asked, "You don't really not love me anymore, do you?" Are you trying to make me start my conquest of Luo Qinghe?! Yay!
Qin Muge felt somewhat helpless. If you call her naive, she's sometimes more astute than anyone else when it comes to observing herself; if you call her smart, she's just as foolish as she is, so you can't bring yourself to say anything like that.
"Stop fooling around. Speaking of which, were you chatting with Ling Tianji here just now?" Even though it was just a conversation, Qin Muge seemed to have already anticipated that scene.
Chaoge sighed dramatically, wondering how long ago she had arrived. She guessed that she had come after discovering that she had skipped class, and that she was probably secretly waiting in a place that neither she nor Ling Tianji could possibly find.
Unbeknownst to Chaoge, Qin Muge had cleverly shifted the topic, guiding the conversation towards Ling Tianji. Only Little Red Riding Hood noticed that Qin Muge's favorability towards Yan Chaoge remained at 50, unchanged.
☆ Chapter 40: The Fortieth Evaluation of General Qin
Chaoge didn't want to comment on Qin Muge's personal guard. It was obvious that the waters behind these people were incredibly deep, involving the three major families that were the foundation of the empire. They couldn't be simple people.
Ling Tianji's matter was suppressed so easily.
Qin Muge didn't bother to investigate further, and Chaoge didn't think about it either; it was that simple.
She wrapped her index finger around the plain silver necklace around her neck, and a meaningful smile curved her lips: "I don't know what this is, but are you sure it's okay for me to keep it here?"
Qin Muge's smile was like plum blossoms melting in the snow, clearly exuding a powerful aura, yet also containing a touch of arrogant amazement: "Hmm, this is the key to the entire Wujing Empire's treasury~"
Chaoge: ...I believed your nonsense.
"You're unhappy again because of Yan Chen's simple reason, huh?" The luxurious airship, powered by a small spaceship, flew smoothly in the air. Although neither of them felt that being silent together would be awkward, Qin Muge still asked the question slowly.
What do you mean by "because of Yan Chen"? He's Yan Chaoge's father! He's got the same face as my dad!
Chaoge wrinkled her nose, revealing a conflicted expression that seemed to want to refute but after thinking about it, she felt that something made sense, yet she still wanted to refute it. In the end, she reluctantly admitted that this was what she thought, and then said defiantly, "I'm just a coward, so what? But this kind of life won't last long. I always feel that what happened back then wasn't so simple."
Is it just because Yan Xi isn't Yan Chen's biological daughter? Is it just because of Chao Ge's madness back then that Yan Chen treats his child this way? Chao Ge always felt that something was missing.
He lacked something lasting, something that made him feel aversion whenever he thought of the child.
Qin Muge took in every detail of Chaoge's thoughtful expression as she pondered the question. She chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in her voice, instantly pulling Chaoge back from her wandering thoughts. Hmm, had she really been overthinking things?
"What makes you have such great confidence in them?" Qin Muge looked calmly at Chaoge, her crystal-clear, agate-red eyes radiating a unique charm. Her already exquisite face was further enhanced by her eyes, which resembled a glass of red wine, with a dark red hue flowing within, captivating the viewer without reason.