Chi Yao tugged on the dog’s tail to move it to the side, getting ready to squeeze in between Jing Xi and the dog, hoping to scare them in the morning.

He had just placed one leg on the bed when his neck was grabbed.

“What are you doing?”

Jing Xi’s tone was cold, but his voice was lazy and hoarse with sleepiness. His sharp aura was greatly reduced, and to Chi Yao’s ears, it sounded like he was playing hard to get.

He wiggled his fingertips. They were a little numb.

Chi Yao didn’t mind the hand on his neck and continued to climb into bed.

“You kidnapped my dog, and you’re asking me what I’m doing? What do you think I’m doing?”

Jing Xi saw that the man was shamelessly lying down, so he lifted his foot and kicked him in the shoulder, pushing him away.

“It chose me on its own.”

Chi Yao grabbed his ankle and pressed down, scoffing, “How could it run off with you when its proper owner is right here?”

Held down by Chi Yao, Jing Xi was about to fight back when he suddenly heard him say, “Hmm? There’s the smell of a meaty bone—”

Jing Xi froze.

Chi Yao sniffed carefully.

“And it’s braised.”

They were close, and even if Jing Xi couldn’t see his expression, he could hear the teasing in his voice.

“Isn’t it a little inappropriate to be seducing my dog like this?” Chi Yao smiled and casually rubbed his ankle.

Jing Xi was feeling a little guilty, but at that touch, the hairs on his body stood on end, and he turned around and gave a hard kick.

“You don’t feed your own dog, and you’re saying I’m wrong for helping you?”

Chi Yao’s sight was not affected, so he could naturally see Jing Xi’s frustrated expression.

He shifted his body slightly to dodge, and while he was at it, he laughed. “Don’t make excuses. Just admit that you want my dog.”

Waking up in the middle of the night, Jing Xi’s temper flared up.

The two of them started fighting.

Yin Wei was large and was inevitably caught in the crossfire, getting kicked here and punched there.

It groggily looked up and saw that it was its master, so it rolled over and went back to sleep with confidence.

The two of them became more and more awake, fighting from the bed to the living room.

They used to fight every so often, but they hadn’t sparred in a long time with everything that had been happening.

Chi Yao broke out in a light sweat and felt refreshed.

“Hey, that’s enough. Do you still want to sleep?”

Jing Xi responded with a punch to the face.

“You won’t let me sleep, so why should you?”

Chi Yao captured his wrist and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a rumbling sound.

The words in his mouth changed. “I can spar with you, but let me fill my belly first.”

Jing Xi tried to pull his hand back, intending to scold him.

Before he could speak, his own stomach growled.

Chi Yao: “Did you finish the meaty bone?”

Jing Xi: “…”

Ten minutes later, the two of them had each taken a quick shower and were sitting at the bar, gnawing on large bones.

“You have good food and you don’t call me. I pampered you for nothing,” Chi Yao said, taking a big bite and chewing unhurriedly.

Jing Xi said expressionlessly, “Is it the kind of pampering from a bullet, or the kind from a knife?”

Chi Yao thought seriously about the scars he had left on Jing Xi in the past.

“Both.”

Jing Xi nodded seriously. “Then it must have hurt a lot.”

Chi Yao was teasing him, but he ended up laughing first.

“What, are you not satisfied with that?”

Jing Xi, wearing disposable gloves, skillfully used a dinner knife to cut the meat off the bone and said nonchalantly, “I’ll pamper you from now on.”

Chi Yao snorted, stealing a piece of meat from Jing Xi’s plate. “That depends on whether you have the ability to.”

Jing Xi glanced at him and moved his plate further away.

After eating two large pieces, both of them felt like something was missing.

Chi Yao: “That’s not enough to get full. Do you have any noodles?”

Jing Xi: “There should be some in the kitchen.”

The two looked at each other for a moment without moving, both waiting for the other to get up and cook.

Chi Yao: “You’re the host, you make it.”

Jing Xi: “If I make it, do you dare to eat it?”

Chi Yao: “…”

A moment later, Jing Xi watched Chi Yao roll up his sleeves and get busy at the stove.

“What are you standing there for? Did you wash the vegetables?” Chi Yao urged.

Jing Xi came to his senses, took the vegetables out of the sink, and handed them over.

Chi Yao reached out to take them. Seeing the sink full of water, he scoffed. “You use this much water to wash a few leaves? You prodigal.”

Being criticized for washing vegetables, Jing Xi: “…”

After the pot boiled, a rich aroma filled the air.

Chi Yao opened the lid and put in the soaked noodles.

“Who made this bone? It’s on par with Old Li.”

Jing Xi, with nothing else to do, leaned against the counter and watched.

“A young guy under Lü Meng. I heard his family runs a braised meat shop.”

“Lü Meng? Isn’t he from the Vanguard team?” Chi Yao chuckled. “It’s a shame not to transfer such a talent to the cooking team.”

Jing Xi ignored his teasing. “Did Old Li really used to be a chef?”

Chi Yao: “Did he tell you about it?”

He had known since the first day.

Jing Xi asked casually, “Then why did he become a space pirate later?”

Chi Yao’s chopsticks paused. He tilted his head to look at Jing Xi. “What? Are you so interested in Old Li? Trying to steal my people?”

Jing Xi avoided his gaze. “I just don’t think Old Li seems like the type to be a space pirate.”

“Doesn’t seem like it?” Chi Yao put the lid back on the pot, walked over, and leaned his hands on either side of Jing Xi. He smiled. “Then look at me. Do I seem like the type to be a space pirate?”

People like Chi Yao were flamboyant from the inside out. His personality, his actions, and even his appearance were aggressively beautiful.

If it were anyone else, being stared at by Chi Yao at such a close distance would have made their legs weak.

Knowing he was doing it on purpose, Jing Xi still felt a moment of panic. The fingers resting on the counter twitched involuntarily.

Jing Xi said expressionlessly, “If I say you don’t, will you change your profession?”

Chi Yao raised an eyebrow. “Probably not.”

Jing Xi: “Then what’s the point of me answering?”

Chi Yao: “I’m curious.”

Jing Xi: “When you’re in prison, I can slowly analyze it for you.”

Chi Yao: “…Do you not have a heart?”

Jing Xi: “What right do you have to say that about me?”

Chi Yao: “You’re abusing your good looks.”

Jing Xi glanced at the steaming pot. “It’s ready.”

Chi Yao glanced at it and reluctantly let go of him.

The beautiful person who owed him wouldn’t run away, but the noodles would get mushy if they cooked any longer.

A moment later, the two of them sat side by side at the bar, each holding a large bowl of noodles.

The noodles used the braised bone soup as a base and had some greens and mushrooms added.

Jing Xi picked up a chopstick full. The noodles were clear and had a springy texture.

“How does it taste?” Chi Yao asked.

Jing Xi swallowed a mouthful. “Not bad.”

He then picked up another chopstick full and ate it.

“That’s good,” Chi Yao said unhurriedly, nodding. “One mouthful is one credit, redeemable on the same day. The price doubles if it’s past due.”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Jing Xi suddenly choked. “Are you a loan shark?”

Chi Yao picked up a chopstick full and blew on it. “The noodles made by the Extreme Shadow’s leader himself. Do you think you can just eat them for free?”

Jing Xi: “…”

“Awoo!”

Yin Wei ran out of the room, smelling the aroma. It sat next to Chi Yao, its eyes fixed on the bowl, its tail wagging like crazy.

Chi Yao deliberately blew on the noodles. “Why didn’t you call me when you were eating?”

Yin Wei was drooling. Its eyes kept switching between the noodles and Chi Yao.

“Awoo~”

“This is my noodles. You can’t eat them,” Chi Yao said, pointing to the spot next to him and talking nonsense with a straight face. “This is my person. You can’t sleep with him.”

Yin Wei: “…?”

Jing Xi: “…”

Since Chi Yao wouldn’t let it eat, Yin Wei could only squat on the side and watch them.

Halfway through their meal, they suddenly heard a whimpering sound.

They looked up and saw Yin Wei drooling, crying from craving the food.

Chi Yao: “…”

This freeloader really ruined his image.

Jing Xi: “…”

He got up and went to the kitchen to get two bones, placing them on the opposite side. “Eat.”

Yin Wei’s eyes lit up, and it quietly extended its front paw.

Seeing that Chi Yao had no reaction, it quickly took two steps.

Silly dog.

Chi Yao: “Hurry up and eat. When you’re done, go back and warm my bed.”

“Awoo!”

After the two “bros” were full, they went back to their respective rooms.

After closing the door, Chi Yao leaned against Yin Wei and rubbed its chin.

“You like him that much?”

Yin Wei burped and licked its paws, its life complete.

Chi Yao opened a children’s book on his communicator and read three pages, but his mind was completely filled with Jing Xi’s face when he came out of the bath and the water dripping from the ends of his hair.

“F*ck,” he said, switching to his photo album and sending out a picture.

In the other room, Jing Xi tossed and turned on a bed that suddenly felt much bigger.

Just as he was starting to feel sleepy, his communicator suddenly rang.

He opened it and saw that it was from Chi Yao.

The first thing he saw was a picture of himself, which looked like it was taken when Chi Yao barged into the bathroom earlier today.

Below it was a line of text.

[I know you’re too embarrassed to take a picture of yourself, so I helped you. Consider it payment for this bowl of noodles tonight~]

Jing Xi: “…”

Shameless.

The next morning, the Flying Dragon fleet arrived at the military hangar in eastern N1.

With the Extreme Shadow on board, Jiang Feng first took a part of the team to negotiate with the station commander, Wang Lian Gong.

The transfer plan had been initially set, and now they had to sign the official agreement to complete the transfer.

Wang Lian Gong craned his neck, and seeing that the Flying Dragon’s commander still hadn’t arrived, he was very unhappy.

In the small conference room, Jiang Feng handed over the electronic and paper agreements.

“This agreement was drafted according to what we discussed before. If there are no issues, you can sign here.”

Wang Lian Gong didn’t even look at it.

“I’m sorry, I just received an order from my superior two days ago. This transfer—I’m afraid it will have to be postponed.”

Jiang Feng: “Colonel Wang, I already said that the higher-ups require the transfer to be completed immediately. I’ve already given you plenty of time to prepare.”

Wang Lian Gong sneered. “You think I’m easy to fool? If it weren’t for some people using shady methods, how could the Flying Dragon take over Cygnus with their strength?”

Jiang Feng’s expression darkened.

His tone and attitude were completely different from a few days ago.

It seemed that someone was backing him.

Jiang Feng: “So you’ve decided not to transfer?”

Wang Lian Gong smiled contemptuously. “Who knows, after the transfer, there might be another one in a few days. It’s a hassle.”

The military groups assigned to take over each star system were in charge of the stationed troops, and their authority was higher than the stationed troops. They also had a certain degree of scheduling and appointment power.

That was how the rules were, but in reality, there were some discrepancies.

Station commanders like Wang Lian Gong were stationed here for a long time, and their roots spread throughout the entire star system, while the military groups in charge might change frequently.

Although the military groups had higher authority than the stationed troops, sometimes, for the sake of convenience, military groups that were not too strong would bow to the stationed troops and even be led by the nose.

While the saying “a powerful dragon can’t defeat a local snake” was not entirely appropriate, it was close enough.

Jiang Feng was silent for a moment, then got up and went back.

Wang Lian Gong was backed by Li Bo, or even people higher up than Li Bo.

The implications were too great for him to decide on his own.

Xu Zhou stood behind Wang Lian Gong. Seeing his stupid leader looking smug, he wanted to take a leave of absence again.

“Sir, it’s not good for us to offend the Flying Dragon,” he said, bowing slightly and lowering his voice.

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Wang Lian Gong looked at Jiang Feng’s back and didn’t bother to lower his voice. “I’m just following orders from above. How can you say I’m offending them?”

Xu Zhou glanced at Jiang Feng and suddenly clutched his stomach. “Oh, my stomach hurts so much. I’d like to take a leave of absence to get an IV drip.”

“You’re taking leave again?” Wang Lian Gong frowned, sizing him up. “Did you hook up with some Omega recently? You’re always thinking about running off.”

Xu Zhou sucked in a breath and said with a fake smile, “Of course not. It’s just—my stomach is not feeling well.”

Wang Lian Gong waved his hand. “Get out of here.”

When Xu Zhou reached the outer area, Jiang Feng was about to leave.

He nodded slightly at Jiang Feng, clutching his stomach and quickly running away.

Jiang Feng glanced at him and didn’t think much of it.

Just as he reached the main entrance, Jing Xi, in his Major General’s uniform, walked in with his long strides.

Jiang Feng hurried over. “Boss, the agreement—”

He came out so quickly, and Jing Xi didn’t need him to say anything. He already guessed that there was a problem.

“Come with me.”

Wang Lian Gong had his feet propped up on the table, proudly shaking his leg. When he saw someone come in, he casually glanced at them and almost fell out of his chair.

The moment his eyes met Jing Xi’s, he instinctively sat up straight, not knowing where to put his hands.

His aura was just too f*cking powerful.

The only son of the noble Jing family, the youngest Major General in active service in the military, the legendary peak of combat power—

Jing Xi had too many labels. He was a being that people like them could only dream of reaching.

Wang Lian Gong used to think that those rumors were exaggerated, but now, he just wanted to slap himself.

“Are you Wang Lian Gong?” Jing Xi’s voice was cold as he stood in front of the conference table.

Wang Lian Gong hurriedly stood up and saluted.

“Hello, Sir. I am Wang Lian Gong, the commander of the Cygnus stationed troops.”

Jing Xi held out his palm to Jiang Feng. “The agreement.”

Jiang Feng handed him the paper agreement and said to Wang Lian Gong, “Colonel Wang hasn’t signed yet.”

Wang Lian Gong saw that Jing Xi asked about the agreement as soon as he arrived and couldn’t help but puff out his chest.

Cygnus was a hot commodity, and countless military groups were fighting for it. No matter which military group took over, they would inevitably need to use him.

Although his position was not as high as Jing Xi’s, if the Flying Dragon wanted to manage Cygnus well, they had to maintain a good relationship with him.

“You have already violated the orders from the higher-ups. This agreement—is void.”

Slap! The paper agreement was thrown on the table, and Wang Lian Gong was stunned.

“V-void?”

Jing Xi: “The Flying Dragon and the White Crane have already completed the transfer. In terms of procedure, the Flying Dragon is already the military group in charge of Cygnus. Whether this agreement is signed or not will not change anything.”

Wang Lian Gong’s eyes widened. He had never imagined such a possibility.

The military group in charge wasn’t even coordinating with the stationed troops?

If they skipped over the stationed troops, how could they ensure the safety and order of an entire star system?!

Before he could figure out the twists and turns, Jing Xi beckoned for Lü Meng to come over.

Lü Meng opened the electronic arrest warrant and showed it to Wang Lian Gong.

“You are now suspected of being involved in an illegal operation and a murder case. I, in the name of the commanding officer of the military group in charge, am temporarily suspending your position. Until your innocence is proven, you must cooperate unconditionally with the Flying Dragon’s investigation.”

Wang Lian Gong’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Wh-what murder case?! Y-you’re talking nonsense!”

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, we can talk about it slowly when you come back with us.” Lü Meng beckoned. “Take him away!”

Wang Lian Gong was grabbed by two soldiers and taken away without a word.

“What are you doing?! I’ll report this to my superior! You can’t touch me!”

Jiang Feng watched him being taken away and whispered, “Isn’t this too brazen?”

Jing Xi shook his head. “Doing nothing at all would be even more suspicious.”

Walking out of the door, he caught a glimpse of Chi Yao standing by the window at the end of the corridor. Yaoyao was squatting beside him. The master and pet seemed to be looking at something.

Hearing footsteps, Chi Yao put his hands in his pockets and smiled. “Major General, you’re being so ruthless. Aren’t you afraid of crazy retaliation?”

Jing Xi walked to the window and looked out in the direction they were looking.

Below was the training ground, where a group of new recruits was standing at attention.

“You’ve already done what can and can’t be done. Even if I do nothing, I’ll be met with crazy retaliation,” Jing Xi said, his voice calm.

Chi Yao: “So, as soon as you arrived, you decided to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys?”

Jing Xi was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of Yaoyao looking at him with bright eyes.

Jing Xi: “…You want to eat chicken?”

Yin Wei nodded. “Awoo woo!”

Chi Yao: “…”