"It's none of your business, mind your own business." Her tone was unfriendly, and her spoiled princess temper flared up again. But the handsome young man, who usually indulged her whims, was uncharacteristically tough this time, his face as cold as ice, a far cry from the amiable demeanor he displayed when interacting with her before.
A little puppy came bounding out from the shadows around the corner, its four short legs carrying it to the boy's feet. With its big, round eyes wide open, it bit his trouser leg, making a soft whimpering sound.
He ignored the little creature at his feet, but Sikong Yufu's gaze sharpened as she stared at it: "Did it tip you off?" Her aura was three degrees colder than before, and her gaze was like a sharp sword, as if it could pierce through its body.
The puppy understood what she meant, let out a short, mournful whimper, and lay down at the boy's feet. It glanced at its owner with a pitiful look, and seeing that he had no intention of protecting it, it could only stretch out its paws to cover its face, pretending that they couldn't see it.
"It doesn't matter who told me, Sikong Yufu. I don't care what you're planning to do, you'd better stop." The newcomer's tone carried a hint of helplessness, but what was more striking was the almost commanding tone in his words.
When Chaoge saw the little puppy at his feet, her smile faded slightly, and she turned her gaze back to the window. Even a dog had been part of the scheme against her; how could she still manage a smile now?
Sikong Yufu snorted coldly, ignoring his words, and turned her gaze back to Yan Chaoge, still addressing the same guy: "A mere prisoner, how I decide to deal with him is my business. I'm reminding you one last time, you'd better not overstep your bounds."
“You’re courting death. Do you think you’ve hidden your feelings for the Lord well? The Lord has entrusted her to you. Before you touch her, you’d better think about whether you’ll lose your life over something so foolish.” There was a hint of weariness in his eyes. He seemed reluctant to persuade her but had no choice. Seeing that she still didn’t change her mind, he had to add, “The Lord will kill you.”
【Wow, what a huge mess of drama. Let me sort this out. Right now, it seems like Sikong Yufu likes Luo Qinghe, and this guy likes her?】 Seeing this plot development take off like a mile, Chaoge could only switch into gossip mode with Little Red Riding Hood in her mind to distract herself from her abdominal pain, as if the untouchable guy in their conversation wasn't her at all.
"I think so, 'snap'...you probably won't get beaten up next. 'snap'" Little Red Riding Hood's reply was somewhat broken and indistinct, but what puzzled Chaoge the most was the eerie 'snap' sound that came with her words.
"[You... has it crashed?]" Chaoge frowned slightly. Little Red Riding Hood can't be in trouble. If something happens at such a crucial moment, who will she talk to about romance and life when she's bored?
"Don't people usually eat sunflower seeds at times like this? Let me imitate that." Little Red Riding Hood answered frankly, while Chaoge thought—kill it.
Are you fucking eating sunflower seeds in my head?! Little Red Riding Hood, you've got a problem!
The last blood-stained words finally made Sikong Yufu's will waver. She looked at the person sitting by the wall clutching their stomach, then turned to look at her friend whose face seemed to say, "If you don't listen to my advice, I won't be polite." She could only grit her teeth and glare at Chaoge, but she didn't move. Perhaps she felt that leaving like this would be too shameful.
The pain in her abdomen remained as sharp as ever. Whenever Chaoge strained her abdominal muscles, the pain would return. For a moment, she could only sit helplessly in place, pretending that she had no intention of getting up.
The young man knew, of course, that she was just looking for a way to back down. He took two steps forward, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her outside without turning his head, saying, "I've just come up with a new gadget recently, let me show you."
"I'm not a three-year-old, I'm not interested! Ouyang Haoze, let go of me, do you hear me! I can walk by myself!" Sikong Yufu tried to shake off his grip, but she couldn't get rid of him. He dragged her away.
Only the little white dog that Chaoge knew so well was left behind, whimpering sadly at its owner, but as expected, it received no response.
These days, you can't even underestimate a dog, let alone an enemy agent! Chaoge looked the little puppy up and down. It stretched out its front paws, sat on its hind legs, stretched its little white paws, yawned, stuck out its pink tongue, and came running towards Chaoge on its four tiny paws.
What are they planning to do?
He definitely didn't come over to lick her a couple of times and ask for a hug.
This guy is quite the actor! How come I never realized before that it was so clever it could almost be a spirit?
Sure enough, it seemed oblivious to the wariness in Chaoge's eyes, darting over to her hand. The tiny creature, barely longer than Chaoge's forearm and with canines no bigger than grains of rice, sniffed at the back of Chaoge's hand, which was clutching her stomach, with its pink nose. Chaoge blinked, completely bewildered by its unusually serious expression. It stuck out its tongue and licked the back of Chaoge's hand, then… took a bite.
Chaoge almost slapped it away. She had finally witnessed how terrifying these kinds of animals could make people bleed even if they didn't have all their teeth. She blurted out, "Holy crap!" Was this going to make her die from rabies?
"Big brother, we've spent so many days together, and I've fed you so much. Even if I didn't do you any favors, I've still put in the effort! How can you turn your back on me as soon as we get back to our territory? As a dog, you're ungrateful, and now you're being so heartless! Ouch, that hurt like hell!" Chaoge shook off the hand that had been bitten like a paw. "Aren't these little puppies supposed to bite without hurting? What's with the blood?! Is this a mutant?!"
[Hmm, this tastes so delicious.] Little Red Riding Hood originally intended to mock Chaoge's serious reaction after being bitten by a dog, but unexpectedly, she sensed something in Chaoge's blood that was extremely attractive to its core program.
【Hey, I actually think this stuff tastes pretty good. Am I poisoned? No, I need to do a self-test. -- Self-test mode activated. Five, four, three, two, one... System enters hibernation mode --】 After that, no matter how Chaoge called out to her, Little Red Riding Hood pretended to be dead and didn't respond at all.
What the hell is going on? She clutched her stomach, feeling like she could vomit three liters of blood. The moment she was bitten and in pain she wanted to jump up, the pure white little creature instantly ran away and hid in a place where Chaoge was sitting, out of reach of even a shoe. It made a 'woof' sound in its throat, stuck out its tongue and licked its front paws, then sat down and looked at her with its round black eyes looking as innocent as could be, as if to say, 'I don't know who that dog that bit you was.'
She pointed at it with a trembling finger, but strangely, she didn't feel much pain on the back of her hand. When she looked at the back of her hand where it had bitten her, apart from the dark red blood that had dried quickly, she couldn't find any wound. When she leaned against the wall and straightened up in confusion, she found that the sharp pain in her abdomen seemed to have been massaged away. She rubbed her belly, and after a while, even the slight pain was gone.
So this dog, at such a young age, is also doing part-time healing? Even a dog is this amazing; P4 Nebula has truly impressed me. Chaoge twitched her lips, unsure how to react to this farce.
【Little Red Riding Hood? Crashed? Hello? Are you there? You stupid system?】Chaoge called out several times in her mind, but received no response at all. She could only helplessly conclude that this thing was indeed malfunctioning.
Could it be a problem with that guy's saliva?
Chaoge stretched out her right index finger and slowly stroked along her jawline, beckoning to the little puppy. But as soon as she recovered, the puppy immediately used all four limbs to run towards the corner of the huge warship room, disappearing from Chaoge's sight in a flash, as if being chased by some great demon king.
Chaoge: ...I understand this world less and less.
The warships sailed through space, and if it weren't for the time display, Chaoge would have thought that the place she was in was so neglected that even the most powerful forces wouldn't bother with her, and that she had been forgotten in the vast universe. Since even Little Red Riding Hood, the only person who had spoken to her, had somehow crashed, she could only idly explore the place where she was imprisoned.
The walls were bare, except for the metal chair that seemed to extend from the wall where I had been sitting. All of it was metal deformed from memory; with this structure and material composition, why did this warship look so much like the one from the Crystalless Empire?
About half a day later, Luo Qinghe appeared before her again, still wearing the gentle smile that Chaoge had seen most often. "Xiao Fu tampered with the surveillance system. What did she do to you?"
Chaoge was yawning by the window. Hearing this, she paused in her act of covering her mouth. She turned her sleepy head to look at Luo Qinghe, tilted her head to examine her, and couldn't figure out her intentions. So she casually replied, "We had some intimate and deep contact. By the way, how far is this from where you are? It's so boring to stay here all day."
Intimate and deep...contact? Luo Qinghe's smile froze, somewhat confused by Chaoge's choice of words.
"Are you tired of staying here? I'll take you out for a walk tomorrow. Where do you want to go?" Luo Qinghe walked to her side, casually unbuttoned her military uniform jacket, took it off, and handed it to the side. A mechanical arm automatically appeared on the smooth wall, and a clothes rack was disassembled on the ground. The mechanical arm hung the military uniform jacket on the rack.
Chaoge seemed to perk up a bit at her suggestion, a smile appearing in her eyes: "You can go wherever you want? Aren't you afraid I'll find out some earth-shattering secret and sneak back to tell on you?"
"If I told you to run, would you go back?" Luo Qinghe seemed to have figured something out in this short time. She just smiled and looked at Chaoge, then sat down next to her.
Seeing that she was in a good mood, and that her previous obsession seemed to have disappeared, Chaoge couldn't help but smile and reply, "Of course." As soon as she said this, Luo Qinghe's expression did not change at all. Seeing that Qinghe was indeed much calmer, she calmly added the last word: "No."
To Qin Muge, I was merely an added bonus, so she wouldn't even blink an eye if she abandoned me. But to you, I was your lifeline; how can our importance be compared?
Before I can see my own worth, at least I have a sense of security with you.
Luo Qinghe's smile widened, carrying a hint of relief at surviving a calamity. She resembled a gambler who, after losing all his chips, finally won everything in his last bet.
Chaoge's smile faded slightly. She let out a long breath and looked out the window again. All the stars fell into her eyes, but they did not soften her gaze in the slightest.
☆ The fifth sentence spoken to the big bosses in Chapter 54
While the scenery in the universe is magnificent and spectacular, things always have a hidden side. In the weightless world, countless well-known and unknown rays are brewing.
Little Red Riding Hood still didn't react, and Chaoge's life was no longer as Qinghe had promised, where she could come and go as she pleased. It was as if she had truly been cut off from her life in the Crystalless Empire.
There's no chance of you stumbling upon something while just strolling around. Every soldier who comes and goes here keeps their mouth shut, and you can't even tell what they're thinking.
Some things always happen when you least expect them.
For example, the news of the defeat in the Red Cloud Galaxy, and... the footage of Qin Muge participating in the battle on the front lines. Although Chaoge only caught a glimpse of it, the arrogant aura that could be felt even through the electronic screen was overwhelming. For a moment, Chaoge even stopped in her tracks, as if all the air around her was filled with her presence again.
After standing there stunned for a long time, he turned around and walked back to where he was supposed to be. He sat alone in that huge cage for a long time before he remembered the purpose of going out in the first place.
Why did he personally go to the front lines again?
Because she had to lead from the front... because she was an invincible legend of the empire.
"I'll show you something interesting." Qinghe, wearing a military uniform jacket, handed her a crystal-making board, interrupting the faint melancholy that lingered around Chaoge.
Chaoge initially thought it was something interesting, but after getting it and just turning the first page, he was shocked and his eyes widened as he met Qinghe's gentle smile. It was a record of family events from the three major military families—something that even within the three major families of the empire, such records might not exist.
Some things, some people do, but they hope that no one in the world will know.
With a casual glance, Chaoge took in all the family events of the Yan family over the past few decades. When she was about to see the Yan family's information, she paused for a long time and did not scroll down any further.
Then, she handed the item back to Luo Qinghe.
Qinghe's expression remained the same as when she was with Chaoge before—gentle and without any sense of aggression. Although she would occasionally change her expression in an instant, it was clear that she longed to return to the way she and Chaoge used to be.
However, Chaoge always felt that the closer he got to the P4 Nebula, the more intense the coldness emanating from Qinghe became.
Seeing that Chaoge handed the item back to her instead of continuing to read, Luo Qinghe's eyes showed a hint of doubt. Chaoge, however, did not maintain any mysterious silence and told her her purpose: "Everything that happens in the Empire, especially what happens in the three major families, cannot be separated from her and Min Kaiyang. I have asked her about the Yan family many times, but she has never told me the truth I want. If she won't tell me, then no one else will either, so I don't want to be disappointed again."
I will obtain what I want to know through my own methods.
When Luo Qinghe heard the name mentioned, her expression remained unchanged, but a question suddenly arose in her mind. If Qin Muge knew, others would at most praise the leader's advanced intelligence network, but Min Kaiyang… why?
I originally thought that the Min family was just a group of trusted confidants that Qin Muge had cultivated, but now it seems that there are still some things to be explored.
Luo Qinghe reached out and brushed some hair away from Chaoge's forehead, her fingertips sliding down to her cheek before covering it with her palm, moving a little closer. A slight smile played on her lips, and a rare, genuine joy shone in her eyes, making her smile seem more real: "Why didn't you ever think that she didn't tell you simply because she was afraid?"
She's afraid that if she tells you the truth, you'll no longer be completely under her control.
"Qinghe, your assumption is quite funny." Chaoge looked away again, ignoring the slightly cool palm of Qinghe's hand as she gently touched her cheek. Turning her gaze elsewhere, Chaoge continued calmly, "Nothing can frighten her."
You don't know, nothing can frighten her, just like me. Thinking about it carefully, I also have nothing to be afraid of. My only wish is to return to my own world.
Unexpectedly, Luo Qinghe's hand, which had been covering her face, suddenly moved down, her slender fingers gripping her chin tightly, forcing her to turn her head. The smile on her face faded slightly: "If you really think that way, why don't you dare look me in the eye when you say it?"
Chaoge's gaze followed her movements, fixing solely on her eyes. She reached out and grasped Luo Qinghe's wrist, letting out a soft sigh. She knew it; Qinghe's purpose in doing all this was simply to dissect her inner thoughts more deeply. Whether it was deliberately letting her know about Qin Muge or the records of today's family events.
Chaoge tightened her grip on Luo Qinghe's wrist, as if she were holding onto something tightly, but her expression suppressed all her emotions. Then, with that same suppressed expression, Chaoge looked into Luo Qinghe's eyes and repeated what she had just said: "Nothing can frighten her."
The interior of the temperature-controlled warship shouldn't feel cold, but Chaoge always felt that the temperature around her was getting lower and lower. Otherwise, how could she feel the temperature around her eyes gradually rising?
Even the outline of Qinghe, which had always been clearly visible, gradually became blurred.
Luo Qinghe suddenly froze. She imagined a thousand possible reactions from Chaoge in the end. Perhaps she would be angry, perhaps numb, perhaps strong, perhaps disdainful, or perhaps hateful. Even if she were sad, it wouldn't be like this. Tears welled up in her eyes, revealing an indescribable sadness and vulnerability.
Life on a warship is a kind of alternative imprisonment, isn't it? Add to that the endless probing from friends, whose motives are sometimes unclear, and the fact that there's no one around you you can trust, yet the things you want to say in your heart seem to overflow.
Chaoge blinked, tears streaming down her face. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. The pent-up emotions had finally found an outlet, and Chaoge felt she could no longer control her feelings.
"What do you want to know? Qinghe, what exactly do you want to know? How do I feel about Qin Muge using me? Or how do I end up liking you? Or am I even a person? Do I even have basic human emotions?" I desperately want to tell you that everything that happens in your high-dimensional civilization is none of my business! Just let me go home! I just want to go home!
What started as a gentle grip on Luo Qinghe's wrist quickly escalated into a tight hold. Yan Chaoge seemed poised to pour out her innermost feelings, staring intently at Luo Qinghe, her voice still suppressed, "Let me tell you, Qinghe, I'm heartbroken. I cried because the person I thought I loved abandoned me without a second thought. My friend, whom I felt guilty towards, whom I thought I could finally make amends for, now faces the reality that I can't even tell her I'm sad. Because I don't know what I might say that could bring disaster to the people in the places I've lived. I can't even tell her about my sadness, because she loves me, yet my heart has no room for her..."
As Chaoge spoke, Luo Qinghe's expression gradually returned to calm. Unlike Chaoge's forced and suppressed calm, Luo Qinghe's calmness was like the feeling of relief after finally resolving something very important.
"So what do you want now, my Marshal?" Chaoge finally paused his words, his gaze still fixed on Qinghe.
Luo Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, completely unconcerned about the state of her wrist being held by Chaoge. Although the people of the P4 Nebula were physically strong, the force Chaoge exerted to cause her pain was still somewhat painful compared to when she was completely relaxed.
He simply raised his other hand from his side and gently wiped away her tears, his voice softening naturally: "I didn't mean anything by it, I just didn't want you to feel so stifled. I'll do whatever you want. I won't use any information I get from you, please trust me this once, okay?" Except for the request to 'not like you anymore,' everything else, as long as you want it and I have it, I'll give it to you.
You give her things so easily, things that others would try every means to take away, yet you won't give me even a little bit. How can I not be jealous? My dear, Chaoge.
Yan Chaoge stared silently into her eyes, then looked away again. This time, however, Luo Qinghe didn't eagerly demand an answer from her as she usually did.
After a long while, Chaoge turned her gaze back, and for some reason, a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Actually, my trust is worthless."
Luo Qinghe smiled too, the tenderness in her eyes impossible to hide.
The torment over such a long period of time wasn't just limited to Chaoge; the mutual harm was ultimately meaningless, and it almost made her forget the original purpose.
She heard the most beautiful promise in the world. Chaoge smiled and promised her, "Okay."
☆ The sixth sentence spoken to the big bosses in Chapter 55
The p4 nebula, planet e239.
A planet so barren that only the rock-grown tree exists, its landscape ravaged by constant winds and sandstorms, leaving no trace of green. The sudden sight of this world filling the view only brings a sense of bewilderment. If there is any sight that catches the eye, it is undoubtedly a corner of the P4 nebula map visible in the sky—a cluster of seven-colored mist, dazzlingly beautiful, seemingly holding the secrets of the world's primordial beginnings, possessing a fatal attraction to human curiosity.
This ordinary place, far from the war between the two star systems, has very few residents due to its harsh environment. As a secondary defense planet of the P4 Nebula, apart from military facilities, most of the buildings are low-rise, with no tall buildings in sight.
This usually remote place has recently started to receive some refugees affected by the war on the front lines. There are wounded soldiers who have retreated from the battlefield, as well as some young women who have lost their homes and have come to this place to live temporarily according to the country's instructions. One thing that cannot be ignored is that most of them are accompanied by small animals of various shapes and sizes, with only a very few not.