The starship lingered in a secretive corner of the Burke Star border, a vulnerable post. Even so, the leader dared not linger too long; they swiftly departed shortly after Jiang Ling boarded the starship.
Experienced in such matters, they knew the crucial thing was to immediately leave Burke Star’s jurisdiction, ensuring that once in another territory, even the enemies of some of their clients with immense influence in Burke Star couldn’t meddle in foreign affairs.
Within the starship, there were distinct zones. The front area boasted luxurious rooms, but towards the rear, only rows of crowded seats remained, still carrying a hefty price tag.
Using Wilson’s identity, Jiang Ling secured a window seat, which, all things considered, was relatively comfortable. He suspected that he might have already exhausted every bit of wealth Wilson possessed.
Seated beside him was a young man who didn’t seem like a troublemaker. Perhaps due to the lack of signals on the starship, the young man appeared extremely bored. Being somewhat sociable and having a liking for good looks, he started chatting with Jiang Ling in a low voice.
“Hey, buddy, what brings you here?” he curiously inquired, struggling to figure out a reason. It was his first attempt at smuggling, and he felt a bit timid.
“What about you?” Jiang Ling didn’t directly address his question, leaning against the window, eyes closed, taking a brief nap.
Seemingly, when he finally gained true freedom, he wasn’t all that ecstatic. In his mind, he kept replaying the image of Chu Wenyu, almost without thinking, picturing Chu Wenyu in a state of frustration and defeat. After all, he might be the first person to defy the other so thoroughly.
Jiang Ling wasn’t in the mood for casual chatter with others.
However, the man beside him was quite the talker, launching into a lengthy monologue. “I’m Lein, originally from Charles Star. Unfortunately, I fell out of favor with my father and got exiled to handle family affairs in a remote galaxy. That place is like a completely uncivilized wilderness. Can you believe there are still tribes and chiefs in the interstellar space?”
“At first, it was nothing, but the people in that tribe are ridiculously tough, especially the chief’s son. He saw me and insisted I marry into the tribe…” Lein spoke with a hint of embarrassment, his face flushing.
Terrified, he found a way to escape back.
“But luckily, once I’m back on Charles, I’ll find a resort and live carefreely,” Lein said with delight.
He had no intention of becoming an in-law to those wild folks who were taller and stronger than him. The thought was horrifying; he had never seen such fierce and towering omegas.
The bizarre reason caught Jiang Ling’s attention, and he couldn’t help but give him a sidelong glance. Yet, truth be told, he wasn’t in a much better situation.
Lein seemed more concerned about the starship’s journey than anyone else, constantly muttering about their current location. It seemed he was genuinely terrified. Especially upon learning that Jiang Ling was also from Charles Star, his attitude became notably more affectionate.
After enduring countless days and nights, Jiang Ling had become entirely unconcerned about the possibility of Chu Wenyu catching up. The starship’s speed must have reached its pinnacle, and he felt no passage of time as they had already left Burke Star’s starry domain. However, with each stop at a new planet to pick up other passengers, considerable time was spent.
Upon landing once again, many people prepared to step outside for some fresh air, taking the opportunity to check the star network for updates. Lein was no exception.
“Bro, wanna go out together?” he asked Jiang Ling.
After being declined, Lein left his seat. Sitting on the starship was just too dull, and he wanted to kill time online. Shortly after Lein left, another person approached, but this time, it wasn’t a friendly encounter.
“Hey, let’s switch seats,” said the scar-faced man who had been squatting and smoking earlier. His tone was provoking, as if he had singled out Jiang Ling as an easy target.
Jiang Ling paid little attention to his tone; he wasn’t in the mood to be bothered. He asked calmly, “Sure, where’s your seat?”
The scar-faced man smirked arrogantly and casually gestured backward, thinking Jiang Ling was as easy to handle as he imagined.
Following his gaze backward, Jiang Ling’s expression turned cold. Over there stood a group of intimidating muscle-bound men, likely associates of the scar-faced man. The crucial part was that the area had no seats, probably the lowest-priced standing section.
Jiang Ling carefully stared at the big man’s belly, seemingly puzzled as he asked, “Pregnant spouse?”
The scar-faced man’s expression instantly turned ugly. He menacingly approached Jiang Ling, attempting to grab his arm, but Jiang Ling dodged skillfully.
“Open your damn eyes and take a good look. I’m an Alpha!” he growled, increasingly frustrated.
Especially when he heard the passengers left behind couldn’t help but stifle laughter, he felt even more humiliated.
“Do you even know who I am? On the starship, I can’t touch you, but once we’re off, I have a hundred ways to deal with you,” the big man threatened, clenching his fists.
He did look genuinely intimidating.
Not long after he uttered this threat, a nearby passenger chimed in with amusement, “If I’m not mistaken, this guy just escaped from prison. Counting, I think he’s successfully escaped more than ten times already.”
They didn’t have much sympathy, especially now that they were out of danger, and everyone was feeling quite relaxed.
Jiang Ling despised being threatened, especially when he wasn’t in a cheerful mood. Perhaps having encountered someone like Chu Wenyu, the big man in front of him seemed rather primitive.
“Yeah, I’ll be waiting,” Jiang Ling replied, closing his eyes for a brief nap, ignoring the brewing tension.
Surrounding passengers were completely unfamiliar with Jiang Ling and cast a few extra glances, assuming the young man was oblivious to the scar-faced man’s ferocity.
With so many lives on the line and a vow for retaliation, he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
The starship was equipped with surveillance, and the cabin crew noticed the commotion. They promptly rushed over, unwilling to allow such incidents on the starship, lest it affect their business in the future.
The scar-faced man had initially intended to teach Jiang Ling a lesson, but in the face of the intervening staff, he had no choice but to abandon his plans. However, he continued to glare at Jiang Ling maliciously, as if he could tear him apart in the next second.
The stopover on the starship wasn’t long. Before long, passengers began boarding again.
Lein returned to Jiang Ling’s side, particularly gossipy as he spoke, “Do you know what news I just heard?”
Jiang Ling was not curious at all and didn’t respond.
Lein continued on his own, “Do you know Burke Star?”
“I don’t know.” Jiang Ling’s heart skipped a beat, almost immediately thinking of Chu Wenyu. Any mention related to him would trigger thoughts of the man.
“Oh, come on, did you skip geography? Burke Star is a big star system, just like Charles Star. Its military strength might even be stronger,” Lein couldn’t resist making a sarcastic comment.
Suddenly realizing something, he shut his mouth abruptly.
“Wait a minute, didn’t you board the starship from Burke Star?” Lein said, a bit annoyed.
He felt that Jiang Ling wasn’t treating him like a friend and was merely brushing him off.
Seeing Jiang Ling still unresponsive, Lein rolled his eyes and said, “Forget it, I’ll tell you. I heard that the ruler of Burke Star got injured.”
Jiang Ling was momentarily stunned, only then reacting. He immediately grabbed Lein’s arm, asking, “What do you mean? Is it because of the explosion?”
At this realization, Jiang Ling felt a bit disoriented. He should have been able to avoid this. He had already warned Chu Wenyu, so how could it be…
Glancing at the scenery outside the window, unsure of their current location but already standing up, Jiang Ling was fixated on how to get off the starship.
How could someone like Chu Wenyu possibly get injured?
“What are you talking about? What explosion?” Lein was startled by Jiang Ling’s actions.
Ignoring Lein, Jiang Ling repeatedly pressed the call button, intending to summon a crew member.
“No, what’s the rush? It’s not an explosion. I heard someone injured him. Now, the ruler seems to be looking for that person. If they really find them, it won’t end well,” Lein explained, not expecting his gossip to get Jiang Ling so worked up.
He had heard about this ruler, supposedly the youngest but most ruthless among the kings.
Jiang Ling slowed down and was somewhat puzzled by Lein’s implication. How could anyone possibly overpower Chu Wenyu? If there wasn’t an explosion, then what was going on?
“Tell me the details,” Jiang Ling said, his expression serious.
Lein felt quite pleased that Jiang Ling finally showed interest in his gossip. “Just now, I saw it on the news. The ruler mentioned that if the criminal surrenders voluntarily, there might be leniency. But if he personally catches them…”
“If what?” Jiang Ling sensed something amiss.
“The consequences are self-inflicted,” Lein conveyed the message, sending a shiver down his spine.
“It seems that the ruler is seriously injured; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so infuriated to the point of making this public. It could easily cause panic, especially after an attack on the royal family,” Lein speculated.
Jiang Ling was momentarily stunned, suddenly understanding something. Chu Wenyu probably sent him this news, and the injury was just an excuse.
Relieved that Chu Wenyu was still safe, Jiang Ling let out a breath but remained on edge. Did Chu Wenyu really intend to find him? Maybe if he couldn’t find him after a while, he would give up. Jiang Ling consoled himself with this thought.
In no time, the staff member who had heard the bell arrived.
“Is there anything you need assistance with?” he asked Jiang Ling.
The surrounding passengers observed Jiang Ling with calm interest.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jiang Ling casually said, “I just heard news about the ruler of Burke Star pursuing a criminal. Since I boarded the starship from Burke Star, I was concerned about being affected. I wanted to confirm the safety with you.”
The staff member chuckled and replied, “Rest assured, dear passenger. We have passed through three star systems between here and Burke Star. It’s very safe.”
Of course, he refrained from saying certain things, but the scar-faced man, who still held a grudge against Jiang Ling, didn’t hold back.
“Who do you think you are? The ruler has no time to bother with you. You’re really giving yourself too much credit,” the scar-faced man mocked.
For them, this was more like an honor. Frankly, they admired the person who dared to wound the king of Burke Star and managed to escape. It was like reaching the highest level of being a killer.
“As for worries, I should be more worried. I just escaped from a prison on a semi-major planet, not much different from Burke Star,” the scar-faced man declared, enjoying the attention from everyone.
Ignoring him, Jiang Ling awkwardly nodded at the staff member, trying to dismiss his concerns. On the starship, it should still be… quite safe?
Jiang Ling knew he had truly angered Chu Wenyu this time. If he were to be captured again, Jiang Ling doubted that Chu Wenyu would have the patience to treat him kindly.
Having witnessed the scene, Lein also felt a bit embarrassed. The guy next to him indeed lacked self-awareness, perhaps even more pathetic than Lein himself.
“Well, I’m actually quite worried too,” Lein said with a sigh, glancing at the scar-faced man. He leaned down to speak to Jiang Ling.
“This scar-faced guy just escaped from prison. If he’s truly hunted down at any cost, it’s like a rat ruining the entire pot of porridge.” Thinking about that nearly two-meter tall giant Omega, Lein felt bitter and even harbored some resentment towards the smug scar-faced man, who seemed oblivious to discretion.
He definitely didn’t want to be captured again.
“It won’t be that bad…” Jiang Ling didn’t know if he was reassuring Lein or convincing himself.
The starship continued its rapid journey without any sign of slowing down, the trajectory shifting unpredictably. Everything should return to normal soon.
Chu Wenyu’s feelings for him might be the same.
As for him, perhaps he would…
The author has something to say:
Lein: ??? Am I the rat ruining the pot of porridge?
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
