You can think of these extra series as an epilogue of sorts~ also, the author still titled it as Chapter 124, so I’m following them.
After everything was over, Qiao Zhiya suddenly seemed deflated, showing little interest in the subsequent planetary cleanup. While Chu Rong was busy, Qiao Zhiya reverted to his dragon form and spent his days lying on the three encrypted texts, reading them over and over again.
“Qiao Yi, our little baby…” Mi Lai looked worriedly at the golden figure on the small sofa.
Qiao Yi shook his head, gently patting her hair. “He just needs some time to recover.”
Qiao Zhiya was too innocent and kind-hearted. He had just encountered a sad and terrible story and had personally killed a major character in it. He needed time to process and come to terms with what had happened.
Mi Lai looked at her son, who seemed so dispirited that even his scales had lost their luster. She pursed her lips and suddenly turned and ran out.
Qiao Yi’s hand, still on her hair, hung in the air as he watched her run off. He then glanced at his still dispirited son and couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Although the monster was dead and the underground lair had collapsed, the Zerg were not yet fully cleared.
Many Zergs were buried underground, but even more had rushed out, gathering together to attack the flagship blindly. Without the monster’s control, they had become even more violent and chaotic, making them difficult to handle.
Chu Rong had been using his spiritual strength to control the situation these past two days, preventing casualties among the soldiers clearing the Zergs. He had been so busy that he barely had time to sleep.
When Mi Lai burst into the command room, Chu Rong had just finished a round of spiritual power control and was taking a potion to replenish his strength, all while asking about Qiao Zhiya’s condition.
Seeing Mi Lai’s grim expression as she rushed in, he immediately thought something had happened to Qiao Zhiya and asked anxiously, “Auntie, what’s wrong?”
Mi Lai looked at his dark circles and the potion in his hand, puffing up her cheeks before reluctantly saying, “Go rest!”
Chu Rong was momentarily stunned and reflexively asked, “What?”
“I said, go rest! Right now, immediately! I’ll watch the Zergs for you, it’s just keeping them from flying around, right? I can do that too!” Mi Lai put her hands on her hips and glared at him, looking fierce.
Chu Rong finally processed her words. He hadn’t been cared for by an elder in a long time, and his emotions stirred, though he didn’t show it. His gaze softened as he nodded, “Then I’ll trouble you, Auntie. Thank you.”
Not wanting to refuse the concern from an elder, he accepted her offer.
“Since you said thank you…” Mi Lai glared at him with a hint of reluctance, frowning as she said, “Go to sleep! Take my little baby with you. I’ll allow you to sleep together, but only for three— no, just two days! Don’t do anything inappropriate, or I’ll beat you up!”
As she spoke, her hand involuntarily clenched, as if ready to make good on her threat.
Chu Rong was stunned again, then couldn’t help but smile broadly. “Alright, thank you, Auntie.”
Mi Lai turned her head and waved him off, biting her lip to keep from taking back her words, clearly not wanting to speak further.
Chu Rong, concerned for Qiao Zhiya, didn’t say more. He instructed those in the command room to take care of Mi Lai and then left quickly.
“Damn it!”
Hearing Chu Rong’s footsteps fade away, Mi Lai couldn’t help but clench her fist and give herself a light punch.
Seeing this as he walked in, Qiao Yi quickly stepped over and gently held her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. “Qiao Zhiya is in his dragon form right now.” So it’s okay for them to sleep together.
Mi Lai was taken aback and turned to see her husband approaching. The pent-up frustration in her heart dissipated a bit. She then glanced at the screen displaying the chaotic swarm of bugs and, feeling a surge of anger, rolled up her sleeves and cursed, “It’s all these bugs’ fault! Just watch how I crush them!”
Chu Rong strode towards the resting area, thinking that Qiao Zhiya might be napping at this hour. He contemplated whether to clean up first before seeing him. However, as soon as he turned into the small hall, he saw the little golden dragon lying listlessly on the sofa.
He paused, immediately frowning, and walked to the sofa to look down. The little golden dragon was lying with its wings drooping, staring blankly at the now-decrypted texts. Chu Rong gently picked him up.
Startled by being lifted, Qiao Zhiya snapped out of his thoughts, fluttered his wings, and turned to look.
“Why are you like this? Are you feeling unwell?”
Chu Rong turned the little dragon to face him, gently tugging at his limp tail. He leaned in and asked, “Who said everything was fine this morning? Why did you lie to me?”
Qiao Zhiya looked at his frown and the dark circles under his eyes, fluttered his wings, and then extended his paws to hug Chu Rong’s face, rubbing his head against him affectionately without saying a word.
It was rare for the usually polite and considerate Qiao Zhiya not to respond to a question. Chu Rong gently stroked his small body, glanced at the cipher books on the sofa, and instantly understood why Mi Lai had sought him out.
The weight of the conspiracy had indeed affected Qiao Zhiya.
The little dragon’s nuzzling was light, accompanied by occasional low purring sounds, a natural call for comfort.
Chu Rong’s heart softened immediately. He didn’t ask any more questions, kissed Qiao Zhiya’s forehead, and carried him toward their room.
“I’ve been busy all night and want to sleep for a bit,” Chu Rong said as he entered the bathroom, placing the little dragon on a small platform by the bathtub. He started unbuttoning his military uniform and asked, “Do you want to join me?”
Qiao Zhiya looked up at him with wide eyes, seemingly not understanding the question.
Chu Rong didn’t press for an answer, naturally undressed in front of him, taking off his uniform jacket, unbuttoning his shirt, and removing his belt, leaving only his undergarments. He then leaned over to start filling the bathtub with water.
Seeing Chu Rong’s body so close, Qiao Zhiya’s mind, muddled for the past few days, suddenly cleared a bit. He couldn’t help but back away slightly, fluttering his wings.
Pretending not to notice his reaction, Chu Rong straightened up and kissed Qiao Zhiya on the head. He then went to the sink to wash up, eventually stripping off all his clothes and stepping into the shower.
Qiao Zhiya, whose gaze involuntarily followed Chu Rong, was momentarily stunned, then stiffened his tail, covering his eyes with his paws.
It was no wonder he reacted so strongly – the perspective of a dragon was different from that of a human. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, with his small stature, his eyes were at an awkward level. Moreover, they hadn’t been intimate in a while, and now seeing Chu Rong naked all of a sudden, he felt overwhelmed.
Too embarrassing…
Flapping his wings, he tried to distract himself, turning his back to Chu Rong as his heart raced, feeling so embarrassed he wished he could hide.
Chu Rong finished his shower quickly and approached the little dragon, who was huddled on the edge of the bathtub. He scooped him up and stepped into the tub, turned off the water, added some essential oils to soothe the mind, and activated the massage feature.
“Change back,” Chu Rong said as he settled into the tub, holding the stiff little dragon in his arms and gently squeezing his wings.
Qiao Zhiya’s gaze flickered over Chu Rong’s bare chest before he closed his eyes and shook his head, his wings flapping in an attempt to escape.
He didn’t want to change back because he would be naked, and then they would be… No, no, no, he couldn’t. He had lost weight recently and felt unattractive. He couldn’t let Chu Rong see him like this.
Chu Rong easily restrained him, using his mental strength to calm him. He gently lifted the dragon’s tail and said teasingly, “I’ve heard that dragons are different from humans in certain areas. Let me see…”
‘What???’
Qiao Zhiya opened his eyes in shock, seeing Chu Rong reaching for him. He let out a panicked cry, flapping his wings more vigorously, and if not for his scales, his face would have been bright red.
Seeing the little dragon finally become animated, Chu Rong couldn’t help but smile and continued to tease him.
Despite the disparity in their strength, Chu Rong easily subdued Qiao Zhiya, who struggled and tried to keep his tail tightly tucked. As Chu Rong’s hand pulled slightly at the tail, Qiao Zhiya panicked, and in a flash of golden light, the tub’s water overflowed, now containing two people.
Feeling the added weight, Chu Rong immediately embraced the person on top of him. He bent his knees to provide a seat, lifted a hand to stroke Qiao Zhiya’s flushed face, and leaned in for a kiss.
“Mmm.”
Qiao Zhiya regained his senses, pressing his hands against Chu Rong’s chest. But upon feeling the bare skin, he quickly withdrew his hands as if burned, tightly shutting his eyes.
Chu Rong wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close, chest to chest.
The scent of essential oils filled the air, and Chu Rong’s aura surrounded them. Slowly, Qiao Zhiya’s tense body and mind relaxed. His eyelashes fluttered, and tentatively, he wrapped his arms around Chu Rong’s neck, shyly responding to the kiss.
After the bath, it was already late, and dinner time was approaching. Chu Rong decided not to sleep and instead held Qiao Zhiya on the bed, gently stroking his back. He said, “Today, the Imperial High Advisor turned into a dragon and circled above the palace for a long time with Jian.”
Qiao Zhiya, who had been drowsy, immediately opened his eyes and looked up at him.
“These two planets in the asteroid belt are neither in the Federation nor the Empire. According to planetary discovery laws, one belongs to you and the other to Nan Suo. Nan Suo has passed away without any relatives or descendants. After discussion, everyone decided to gift this planet to you. The cost of repairing the planet will be shared equally by the Federation and the Empire.”
Qiao Zhiya was stunned, wide-eyed. Two planets? The gift was too generous.
“If it weren’t for you and Uncle and Auntie, this battle wouldn’t have been won so smoothly and without casualties. So, this is what you deserve.” Chu Rong stroked his hair, pinched his ears, and said, “Qiao, I’m not Nan Suo, and you’re not Kang Cheng. This planet will recover, and so will our lives.”
Hearing the name that had been on his mind for the past few days, Qiao Zhiya’s heart tightened. He opened his mouth, understanding Chu Rong’s intentions behind the day’s events, and couldn’t help but throw himself into Chu Rong’s arms, murmuring, “I’m sorry… I just can’t understand…”
His intuition told him that Kang Cheng had loved Nan Suo too, maybe not deeply, maybe only briefly, but they had certainly loved each other. He couldn’t understand why Kang Cheng would destroy his and Nan Suo’s love if they had loved each other. Wouldn’t it have caused him pain?
“You don’t need to understand.” Chu Rong stroked his back and kissed his ear, speaking softly. “You just need to know that Nan Suo didn’t regret loving him.”
‘No regrets?’
Qiao Zhiya tightened his arms around Chu Rong, rubbing his head against Chu Rong’s shoulder. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “This planet… let’s name it Nan Suo.”
The story of Nan Suo was destined to remain unknown to the world, and everyone could forget him, but the place where his love was buried should remember him.
Chu Rong kissed his forehead, knowing he had finally let go, and nodded, “Okay.”
