What does he mean?

Jing Xi couldn’t process it for a moment.

Chi Yao said he doesn’t have one now, so does that mean he did before?

Is he admitting that he had an unusual relationship with Yu Yi and that person who sent the message?

Jing Xi’s emotions, which had just barely calmed down, started to churn again.

Chi Yao hummed a tune as he returned to the bathroom to wash up, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He looked handsome and dashing from every angle.

He had laid his cards on the table. Someone as smart as Jing Xi couldn’t possibly misunderstand.

He brushed his teeth, unable to hold back a scoff.

Falling in love, what a simple matter. That fool Fang Liang even sent him tutorial videos. Hilarious, they were completely unnecessary.

After washing up and changing his clothes, he returned to the kitchen in a great mood, only to see Jing Xi sitting at the dining table, exuding an aura of pure gloom.

Chi Yao: “?”

This wasn’t how he imagined it.

He walked over and tentatively patted his head. “Wait for me, the food will be ready soon.”

Jing Xi said without expression, “Mm.”

Chi Yao: “?? “

Why so cold?

At the dining table, Chi Yao glanced at the man opposite him several times before peeling an egg and handing it over. “Is it acting up again?”

Jing Xi glanced at it and took it. “I’m fine. I can control it.”

But you don’t look fine at all.

Chi Yao thought about it but decided to swallow his words.

It was normal for an alpha in their susceptibility period to have some mood swings.

At 7:30, Yan Kai knocked on the door right on time.

“This is the newly completed precision scan map of the southern shallow sea area and its coastline.” Yan Kai enlarged the holographic map and projected it into the air, his expression grim. “I… I’ve never seen such a dense cluster of mutated beasts.”

Chi Yao gave it a cursory glance, took over control of the device, and with a swipe of his finger, magnified one of the mountain ranges.

The continuous mountain range was densely covered with all kinds of markers, with clusters of level-five mutated species on the peaks.

Still not accurate.

The number was vastly different from what they had seen the day before yesterday.

He continued to magnify the mountain range, locking onto a specific coordinate.

There was nothing at the location where the cave was supposed to be.

“Have them continue scanning,” Jing Xi said in a deep voice, taking it all in. “Do a comparison every ten minutes and report back to me daily.”

Yan Kai: “Yes, sir.”

He looked up, and his gaze inadvertently fell on his boss’s mouth.

How did it get chapped?

“Boss, are you feeling ‘heaty’?” Yan Kai asked with concern. “You need to pay more attention to rest. Minister Lu said that old hen soup helps reduce internal heat. I’ll arrange for them to—”

Hearing “old hen,” Jing Xi immediately refused.

“No need to trouble yourself.”

Yan Kai: “Oh…”

He looked up again and his sharp eyes noticed that the brother sitting opposite him also had a chapped lip.

Yan Kai: “…”

This must be from staying up late with the boss.

Working alongside the boss really is tough.

Receiving Yan Kai’s pitying gaze, Chi Yao was speechless.

After he left, Chi Yao couldn’t help but laugh out loud, which pulled at the cut on his lip, causing him to hiss in a sharp breath.

“All of Flying Dragon’s people are so health-conscious. You, as their boss, must have made them worry a lot.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Having wasted a day, Jing Xi had no intention of staying in the room any longer.

“Since you’re fine, I’ll make another trip to the south today,” Chi Yao said on the way to the temporary command center.

“No,” Jing Xi said firmly. “It’s too dangerous there.”

Chi Yao: “I’m the only one who can get close.”

Humans and machines would both be attacked. Currently, only Chi Yao could withstand it.

Logically, he understood, but emotionally, Jing Xi couldn’t agree.

What if that thing had even stronger methods of attack? Chi Yao would be all alone.

Upon arriving at the command center, Jing Xi first sent a video call to Lu Meng.

On the screen, Lu Meng was standing on a tank cannon, with incomplete high-rise buildings and a ground full of beast carcasses behind him.

Lu Meng pulled his gaze back from behind him and asked when he saw Jing Xi’s face, “Boss, are you feeling ‘heaty’?”

Jing Xi: “…”

Lu Meng: “Old hen—”

Jing Xi interrupted him, “What’s the situation today?”

Lu Meng ran a hand through his buzz cut in frustration. “This beast tide is lasting too long. We’ve been fighting for so long and it’s not even in its decline phase yet. It’s exhausting.”

Chi Yao stood behind Jing Xi, looking at the overall strategic map.

The mutated beasts were continuously moving north from the southern coast.

“The decline phase won’t come so quickly. There will likely be another small peak tonight.”

Hearing this, Lu Meng looked at him.

Knowing that this person was the leader of a pirate den, his feelings were complicated. He didn’t know what the boss was thinking, keeping this person around.

Jing Xi: “Arrange for them to take shifts and rest appropriately during the day. You’ll need to personally supervise from 11 PM to 3 AM tonight.”

Lu Meng’s eyes sharpened. “Yes, sir!”

After ending the call, Jing Xi then sent a video call to Jin Ze.

Jin Ze was directing his men to assist the garrison in evacuating refugees.

“Boss, if this continues, water and food for so many people are going to become a problem!”

The mutated beasts had laid waste to everything in their path. The massive number of beast carcasses had severely contaminated the water sources. The longer this dragged on, the greater the pressure on the rescue efforts.

“How much longer can you hold out?” Jing Xi asked.

Jin Ze: “Two days at most!”

“I understand.” Jing Xi swiped open his terminal and sent a video call to the person in charge of the garrison branch in Jin Ze’s area.

Chi Yao watched as Jing Xi methodically coordinated resources from all sides and secretly took a photo.

A beauty at work is truly charming.

While Jing Xi was still busy, he sent the photo to their small group chat in Extreme Shadow, adding a blushing smiley face emoji.

[What do you think of my taste?]

The group chat was silent for several minutes before a message popped up.

Chen Sheng: [Boss, are you finally going to take him out and seize Flying Dragon?!]

Li Yuan: [You’ve already infiltrated the enemy’s core! Boss, you’re awesome!]

Fang Liang: [You succeeded?! Sister Qin’s tutorial is the best!]

Chi Yao: “…”

He replied.

[I succeeded with my own skills, didn’t need a tutorial at all [smile]]

Chun Qin: [Did you make things clear?]

Chi Yao thought about it seriously and replied.

[I should have made it clear enough.]

Li Yuan: [What are you guys talking about? Why can’t I understand?]

Chen Sheng: [Don’t understand +1]

Fang Liang: [Should have? Then how did he reply to you?]

Chi Yao glanced down at Jing Xi, who was currently communicating with the food bureau and the supplies reserve bureau about resource allocation.

[He tacitly agreed.]

Fang Liang: […]

Chun Qin: [What did you say to him?]

Chi Yao: [I told him I don’t currently have a lover I’m dating.]

Fang Liang: […………]

Chun Qin: [And then?]

Chi Yao frowned.

He had made it so clear, what else was there to say?

Saying “I like you” between two alphas? Too cheesy.

Chi Yao replied confidently: [Nothing else.]

Chun Qin: [What was his reaction?]

Chi Yao: […No reaction.]

Chun Qin: [You should probably be more direct. I don’t think he understood.]

Chi Yao: “…”

Fang Liang: [Boss, you should just obediently study the course first. Listen to Sister Qin, you can’t go wrong.]

Chi Yao: “…………”

They had already kissed so seriously, didn’t that count as tacitly advancing to the next stage?

Would he kiss a common enemy?

Was he crazy?

“Sir, a large number of level-five mutated species have been discovered in the southern shallow sea!”

A staff member’s loud voice interrupted Chi Yao’s train of thought. He casually closed his terminal and looked over.

In the sea area 50 kilometers east of the mountain range where the cave was located, dense markers had suddenly appeared.

Red warnings flooded the entire screen.

Jing Xi stood up abruptly and walked to the monitoring station, his face darkening.

This scale was very similar to that mountain peak.

A programmer next to him quickly pulled up the feedback from various monitoring devices and said urgently, “Sir, they are moving north!”

On the virtual screen, the AI simulated the three most likely routes based on their movement trajectory.

As early as this morning, they would merge with the easternmost beast horde on the front line.

Jing Xi sent another video call to Jin Ze.

“Divert three teams to the eastern archipelago to cooperate with the local garrison in the emergency evacuation of refugees. It must be completed before midnight tonight!”

Jin Ze’s expression changed. “Yes, sir!”

After hanging up, Jing Xi dispatched a mecha unit to intercept them at sea.

After ending the call, a flicker in his peripheral vision caught his eye. Chi Yao was walking out without a word. Realizing something, Jing Xi quickly chased after him.

“Where are you going?” Jing Xi grabbed him in the hallway.

Chi Yao: “To take a look in the south.”

Jing Xi: “I forbid it.”

Chi Yao turned to look at him, his expression serious. “I am not your subordinate. I don’t need to listen to your orders, sir.”

Jing Xi’s heart clenched fiercely, and his hand unconsciously loosened.

Seeing his hurt expression, Chi Yao realized his tone might have been too harsh.

They were used to speaking to each other without holding back.

Jing Xi’s susceptibility period wasn’t over yet; he should be a little more lenient with him.

Chi Yao pulled the man over, patting his head, and chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry. You still owe me so many photos. How could I bear for anything to happen to me?”

Jing Xi’s eyelashes trembled, but he quickly regained his composure.

“I’ll give you Flying Dragon. Keep the co-vision on the entire time.”

Chi Yao released him. “I don’t know how to pilot your mecha.”

Jing Xi: “You can pilot a warship, but not a mecha?”

Chi Yao: “…”

Jing Xi’s grip on his hand tightened. “Come back immediately if you feel even the slightest discomfort.”

Chi Yao squeezed his hand back and smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on getting myself killed.”

After getting Jing Xi’s authorization, Chi Yao drove to the main ship’s hangar and, with practiced ease, boarded Flying Dragon’s cockpit.

Chi Yao: “Activate.”

All the lights in the cockpit lit up in sequence, and the mecha ascended.

The voice of Flying Dragon’s AI sounded in his ear.

“Where is Master?”

“He’s not here.”

Chi Yao’s gaze swept over the very simple control panel, testing the feel of the joystick and controller.

Flying Dragon: “Activate manual mode?”

Chi Yao: “No need.”

This mecha’s AI, like Xiao Hong, could be controlled by thought via Jing Xi’s brain chip. Otherwise, only voice mode and manual mode were left.

The mecha followed its previous flight path and arrived at the coastal mountain range in the south half an hour later.

But this time, the monitoring footage sent back by the mecha was even more shocking than the last.

The mountains were swarming with beasts, their numbers at least doubled.

“What do you think?” Chi Yao asked.

Although there was no sound from the earpiece, he knew Jing Xi was watching.

The next moment, Jing Xi’s voice sounded in his ear.

“Either the garrison concealed the truth, or the mutated beasts have developed anti-monitoring capabilities.”

Chi Yao nodded.

This planet had been developed into an inhabited area a century ago.

The Empire has strict requirements for the population of mutated beasts in inhabited areas; a beast tide couldn’t just erupt suddenly.

Chi Yao checked the area near the cave.

The spot where the mecha had previously docked was now occupied by a pack of beasts, leaving no place to land.

“Hei-ge, get to work.” Chi Yao tapped on his terminal twice with no response. He directly plucked the black bean out. “Switch to protective armor mode.”

A palm-sized virtual screen popped out from the black bean.

[Rude.]

Chi Yao: “Hurry up.”

The black bean hovered in the air for a moment, then reluctantly attached itself to his collar.

The next moment, Chi Yao watched as his perfectly fine military uniform turned into a gaudy, floral-patterned coat.

“…”

He heard a deep, muffled laugh in his ear. Chi Yao’s face darkened.

“Whose personality did you use?”

Jing Xi: “Who do you think around me would be capable of something like this?”

Chi Yao unbuckled his safety harness and stood up. “First, I’m ruling myself out.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Since there was nowhere to land, Chi Yao simply flew to the mountain peak, activated Flying Dragon’s stealth mode, and the mecha’s shell instantly mimicked the environment, disappearing from sight.

He slid down a steel cable onto a giant fir tree and made a gesture for Jing Xi to issue a retreat command to Flying Dragon.

A few level-four mutated wolves were resting under the tree. The path from here to the cave led through a pack of level-five wolf kings.

A gust of wind blew, rustling the leaves.

Chi Yao surveyed his surroundings, aimed the launcher’s button at a fir tree five meters ahead, and the steel cable instantly wrapped around the trunk.

When the next gust of wind blew, he took the opportunity to swing to the next tree.

Using the wind, he reached the cave entrance very smoothly.

Chi Yao made a gesture to begin.

Soon, a loud explosion was heard from a distance.

The wolf king pack guarding the cave entrance was startled and ran towards that direction at high speed.

Chi Yao leaped between the branches and landed steadily.

The cave was damper than two days ago, and the air was filled with the stench of dead fish and rotten shrimp.

“Can you feel that sound wave?” Jing Xi’s voice came through the earpiece.

Chi Yao shook his head, his face looking unwell.

Leaving his sweet-smelling little lover to work in this dirty, smelly cave was unbearable.

Flying Dragon had caused a significant commotion, so Chi Yao had it hide far away and fire a laser blast every ten minutes to ensure the wolf king pack wouldn’t return anytime soon.

Because he had been here once before, Chi Yao was much faster this time, reaching the end of Xiao Lan’s previous reconnaissance path along the main passage in just over ten minutes.

“Be careful,” Jing Xi reminded him in a low voice.

Chi Yao: “Mm.”

After less than a hundred meters, a virtual screen popped up in front of Chi Yao.

[I can’t take it anymore.]

Chi Yao looked at the countless forks in the path ahead and said in a low voice, “Shut yourself down and go back into the terminal.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the gaudy floral coat on his body disappeared.

“You still don’t feel anything?” Jing Xi’s voice came from the earpiece, accompanied by the crackling static of electromagnetic waves.

Chi Yao: “It’s probably within a sound wave frequency I can tolerate.”

There were too many forks, and no detection machinery could be used.

Chi Yao randomly chose a path based on his intuition.

It wasn’t entirely intuition; this path had the strongest stench.

“Who…”

A voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Chi Yao’s expression changed, his hand at his side clenched, and several steel spikes shot out from his ring.

“Who… you…”

“What’s wrong?” Jing Xi asked when he saw him stop.

Chi Yao scanned his surroundings warily, but there was nothing but stone walls.

“Did you hear any sound?”

Jing Xi: “A sound? No.”

“Who… you… who…”

There it was again.

Chi Yao’s face darkened.

The voice was not quiet, but Jing Xi couldn’t hear it.

Was it a hallucination? Or could only he hear it?

“Playing games.” Chi Yao identified the source of the voice and quickened his pace.

The stench grew stronger. If he weren’t wearing a filter mask, Chi Yao had no doubt he would have choked to death in here.

Passing through the corridor, the space suddenly opened up.

This was a large cave with a height of over thirty meters. Water constantly seeped from the moss-covered stone walls, forming a small pool in the corner.

Chi Yao carefully identified that the stench was not coming from this pool.

“Who… are… you…”

The strange voice sounded again, and only then did Chi Yao realize that this voice had no echo.

It was that sound wave.

“Is it the sound wave?”

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Jing Xi’s voice sounded in his ear at the same time.

Jing Xi: “Could the sound you’re hearing be that sound wave?”

Is this the tacit understanding between rivals?

Chi Yao smiled. “Possibly.”

Passing through this cave, he was once again faced with a corridor that only one person could pass through.

In the darkness, Chi Yao felt like he was walking into the underworld.

The crackling sound grew louder, and Jing Xi’s anxious voice came through the earpiece.

“Chi Yao? Can you hear me? The equipment is about to fail.”

The strange voice continued in his ear. Chi Yao stopped and looked ahead.

That thing was very close to him.

“Cut the connection for now. I’ll contact you in ten minutes.”

Chi Yao turned off the power to the remote monitoring and said loudly, “It’s just me here. Stop hiding and come out and talk.”

The strange voice sounded again.

“You… why can you… hear my voice…”

Chi Yao scoffed, “So do you want people to hear you speak, or not?”

The strange voice: “I see… you are a beast…”

Chi Yao’s face darkened. “Then what the hell are you? Are you controlling those beasts outside?”

The strange voice: “I am not… a thing… I am a person!”

Chi Yao smiled, deliberately provoking it. “What kind of monster dares to call itself a person? People don’t hide in places like this, nor do they emit such a disgusting smell.”

It was, as expected, provoked.

“I am a person… I am a person! I am!”

A virtual image flashed before his eyes, and Chi Yao quickly sidestepped to avoid it.

He heard a crisp sound and turned to see that it was the skull of a beast.

Throwing things when it’s angry?

Chi Yao: “Even if you throw things, you can’t change the fact that you’re a monster.”

A few more bones were thrown out, and the strange voice turned into a frantic roar.

Chi Yao guessed that it was probably some kind of beast with intelligence higher than a beast king.

After confirming that it had no other means of attack, Chi Yao prepared to go inside for a look.

But just as he took a step, the ground began to shake.

He listened closely; the shaking was continuous and growing stronger.

It was the beast pack!

The truth was right in front of him. Chi Yao’s eyes turned cold. He dodged a few beast bones and continued to walk inside.

In the darkness, his eyes gradually began to glow gold.

Wolf howls came from all directions. Jing Xi’s worried face suddenly flashed in his mind, and Chi Yao snapped back to his senses.

In the blink of an eye, the golden light in his eyes dissipated.

Chi Yao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to return the way he came.

Just as he reached the large cave, the wolf pack had already rushed in.

Chi Yao retreated into the corridor, and just as he was thinking of finding a random fork to hide in, a palm-sized virtual screen suddenly lit up in front of him.

[First on the right.]

Chi Yao quickly ducked inside. “You didn’t shut down?”

Xiao Hei: [This little sound wave is nothing.]

Chi Yao ran while mocking, “Who was it that said they couldn’t take it anymore?”

Xiao Hei: [Don’t bring up old scores.]

Chi Yao: “…”

Xiao Hei: [Don’t make Master worry. Believe it or not, I’ll put you in that floral coat again.]

Chi Yao almost laughed in anger. “Your master is me now. Believe it or not, I’ll have him make a floral-patterned shell for you?”

After a while, the virtual screen lit up.

[Forget it, I can’t be bothered to argue with you.]

Chi Yao scoffed, “Childish.”

He would swap it out for Xiao Hong when he got back.

Wolf howls and footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Chi Yao clenched his fists, leaped up as a wolf pounced, and bounced off the stone wall. The steel spikes on his ring sliced through the wolf’s carotid artery.

“Awooo!”

The wolf king cried out and collapsed.

Chi Yao didn’t linger and continued to run out.

The fork that Xiao Hei had pointed out bypassed the entire large cave, and he didn’t encounter many wolves.

Halfway there, seeing that the distance was about right, Chi Yao turned on the power to the monitor. Jing Xi’s anxious voice came through almost immediately.

“Chi Yao?!”

Chi Yao smiled. “I’m fine, doing great.”

Jing Xi: “What just happened?”

Chi Yao: “I’ll tell you when I get back. Have Flying Dragon launch a wave of explosions and pick me up at the cave entrance.”

A wave of the wolf pack surged into the depths of the cave.

After they passed, a section of the stone wall suddenly cracked open and turned into a small bean. Chi Yao snatched it and ran upwards.

“Xiao Lan can turn into a long sword, but you can only turn into a rock. You’re useless.”

Xiao Hei: [I can turn into anything.]

Chi Yao: “Then turn into a sword for me to see.”

Xiao Hei: [Not in the mood.]

Chi Yao: “…”

Jing Xi’s voice sounded in his ear.

“When you get back, I’ll help you implant a control chip.”

Chi Yao said as he ran, “Then while you’re at it, lower its intelligence level by three grades. It’s too smart and disobedient. A dumb one is easier to use.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the bean in his hand turned into a long sword.

Xiao Hei: [Suddenly, I’m in the mood.]

Jing Xi: “…”

Is it so fun to play with yourself?

He sat in the command center, watching the screen get closer and closer to the cave.

The vast majority of the wolf kings at the cave entrance were drawn away by the explosion. The few that remained didn’t last long under Chi Yao’s sword.

“You like wolf teeth so much, should I pick a nice one for you?” Chi Yao’s voice came through the screen.

Jing Xi saw Flying Dragon flying towards them, and half of his heart settled.

“I have this one, that’s enough. But you can pick a few for Grandpa, he’s in need of them.”

Chi Yao: “?”

What does Jing Rong need that for?

Returning to the mecha without any real danger, Chi Yao took off his military jacket, removed his mask, and loosened the collar of his shirt, taking a breath.

“It smells so damn bad.”

Jing Xi’s hologram appeared in front of him.

“Smelly?”

Chi Yao grabbed a towel to wipe his face and sat down in the pilot’s seat.

“The smell of that thing. It’s probably eaten a lot of beasts. The remains are all piled up in that cave, rotting.”

Jing Xi was lost in thought.

“There wasn’t much of a smell when we went last time. Does that mean it just moved there?”

“Very likely.” Chi Yao fastened his safety buckle. “It’s a pity I still didn’t get to see what it looks like this time.”

Jing Xi frowned and asked nervously, “Did its sound wave affect you?”

Chi Yao tossed the towel aside and said casually, “I was afraid you’d cry.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Speaking of which, Chi Yao suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Jing Xi. “Hey, I said I don’t have a lover right now, and you didn’t even react?”

Jing Xi was silent for a moment, then said lightly, “What does it have to do with me whether you have a lover or not?”

Chi Yao: “…”

This reaction isn’t right.

Chi Yao: “You don’t care if I have a lover?”

Jing Xi’s lips formed a straight line. He lowered his gaze to meet his. “If I said I cared, would you stop looking for one?”

Chi Yao nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Of course.”

Seeing Jing Xi’s surprised expression, Chi Yao frowned.

“Hey, I thought we were already in a relationship. Aren’t we?”

Jing Xi looked even more astonished.

Chi Yao laughed in exasperation. “You kissed me for so long, you even bit my lip open. Don’t you have to take responsibility?”

Jing Xi’s ears turned red, and his expression was a little unnatural.

“It wasn’t that long, just a few minutes—”

Chi Yao: “A few minutes isn’t enough? How long do you want to kiss? You tell me, how long does one have to kiss to be considered lovers?”

Jing Xi finally realized he was being led astray. “This isn’t about how long we kissed.”

Chi Yao: “Then what is it about?”

Seeing how he took it for granted, Jing Xi also got angry.

“You never showed any intention before. How was I supposed to know what you were thinking?”

Chi Yao: “I told you I don’t have a lover!”

Jing Xi: “Who the hell knows what you meant by that!”

Chi Yao: “…”

Isn’t it obvious and easy to understand?

He guiltily touched his nose. “Then let’s not count what happened before. I’m asking you now, do you want to be my little lover?”

One moment he’s being so cryptic, the next he’s throwing a straight ball. There was no romance to speak of.

Jing Xi: “No.”

Chi Yao: “…”

This stubborn brat.

Chi Yao: “You only get one chance. Think carefully before you answer.”

Jing Xi looked at him and said seriously, “I don’t want to be your lover.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Chi Yao: “I’ll give you one more chance.”

Jing Xi’s voice was clear and cold. “I want you to be my wife. You only get one chance. Think carefully before you answer.”

Chi Yao: “…………”