QTEBS Chapter 121

Too dangerous.

Both the proximity and the intense scent.

Ji Xing, at the age of forty-six, was at a point where desire could easily ignite. The military academy taught how to suppress such desires, but Ji Xing never took that course seriously. He was always casual because he believed he wouldn’t experience such impulsive emotions.

The military officer who taught the course once said, “The desire of a female Zerg is most likely to cloud your judgment. You need to exert all your strength to suppress it in my class! Only then can you pass.”

Ji Xing, who easily got an A+, now realized how strong, dangerous, and fascinating the desire that could cloud one’s judgment was.

Zong Yuan breathed hot air in his ear, “Commander, you dirtied the sofa.”

Goosebumps scattered along his neck, and Ji Xing shivered, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” Zong Yuan, always staying behind him at a finger’s distance, semi-jokingly said, “Commander dirtied his own sofa, and I got to smell the scent of the Commander. I should be thanking the Commander.”

Zong Yuan had a smile at the corner of his mouth, clearly teasing in a good mood. He said with profound meaning, “Commander’s sofa is wet, pants are wet… could it be that even the underwear is soaked?”

His last sentence was said low and slow, carrying a moist ambiguity.

Ji Xing briskly increased his pace, walking straight to the study. His nails dug into the flesh of his palms. Only after steadying his voice did he say, “We should discuss the mission on Nato Star.”

His palms stung intermittently. Ji Xing exerted all his strength to suppress the emotional tide stirred up by Zong Yuan. Although he appeared indifferent, the table in the study was filled with the juicy fruits and hot, tender food that male Zergs loved.

Bringing the food into the study, Ji Xing remembered to set the insulation.

Zong Yuan sat down, and the closest to him was the freshly fried and crispy golden Babasaurus.

Ji Xing, pretending to be calm, returned to the bedroom to change clothes. When he came back, Zong Yuan still hadn’t touched his chopsticks.

“…” Ji Xing frowned, “You go ahead and eat; I’ll organize the data.”

A Zerg of this age should easily get hungry, right?

Most of the food on this table Zong Yuan had seen before. It belonged to the Ke’er category on their family dining table. He never paid much attention to these, firstly because he was genuinely uninterested, and secondly, to disguise his male Zerg identity. Now, someone had specifically arranged this table for him, including some dishes he had never seen before. Zong Yuan felt a bit uncomfortable, a rare occurrence.

He touched his nose, “Aren’t you eating?”

Ji Xing brought the only cold drink on the table to him, “Not hungry. You eat. This is cold; wait for fifteen minutes after you finish the hot food before drinking.”

He stared at Zong Yuan as if executing a mission. Zong Yuan finally moved his chopsticks. He was indeed hungry, especially after coming directly to him without having a meal. Thanks to his wife’s blessings today, he tasted what was said to be the favorite food of male Zergs for the first time in this world.

It had to be said that claiming it as the favorite food of male Zergs made sense.

The taste lingered with a hint of sweetness, and Zong Yuan, not a fan of sweets, surrendered to these dishes.

In front of Ji Xing, there were files scattered on the table. He pulled out documents and placed them on the desk, writing and drawing on the blank paper. Glancing at Zong Yuan’s actions, he counted silently in his mind, noting each move, “Within one minute, ten bites of Babasaurus meat, three bites of young Hu beast meat, and one bite of the fruit from the Suixi Tree.”

He was devoutly writing something, and Zong Yuan thought it was task-related information.

On it, however, was recorded every single bite Zong Yuan took.

Ji Xing frowned.

Loves meat but hasn’t touched a single bite of vegetables.

Didn’t male Zergs firmly reject a carnivorous diet to avoid affecting their physique?

This isn’t healthy.

Zong Yuan ate contentedly. As Jiujiu came in to tidy up, it brought another serving of desserts from the most popular teahouse on the busiest street in the Empire.

“Hmm?” Zong Yuan was surprised. “You got desserts from their place?”

He picked up a white, creamy dessert emitting a sweet fragrance. His eyes squinted from the sweetness, his expression turning fierce.

As a big man, Zong Yuan usually only drank salty soup. He never expected that one day he would indulge in these teeth-aching sweet treats!

He had no interest in touching sweets before. After finishing the milky white treat in his hand, he eagerly picked up a piece of pure black cake with flowing black chocolate sauce.

“Well,” Ji Xing’s expression remained calm, “don’t eat too much at once.”

This table of food and desserts was the first time Ji Xing used his privileges. He spent several times the regular price through a private channel to prepare a meal and desserts before Zong Yuan arrived.

Ji Xing handed the cold drink to Zong Yuan while deciding in his mind. He resolved to promote his military rank to provide the best for the little male Zerg, but with his current monthly star coins, it was still a bit of a stretch.

Zong Yuan lay comfortably on the chair. Ji Xing adjusted the temperature and placed a set of neatly organized documents in front of Zong Yuan. As Zong Yuan looked through them, he found information known to the general public as well as some classified details.

“There is a riot every month,” Zong Yuan lazily remarked. “Nato Star wakes up at an unpredictable time each month?”

“Yes,” Ji Xing nodded and displayed a recent photo of Nato Star taken from a distance. “This month, there hasn’t been a riot yet.”

In the photo, the entire surface of Nato Star was covered with a layer of green plants, known as Adagen Beasts. These plant-like creatures resembled lifeless entities residing in their territories until encountering invaders, at which point they revealed their brutal side.

Adagen Beasts were resilient, and their presence could be found on various planets. However, the Zergs never considered them a threat because Adagen Beasts could only grow to a size of 20 centimeters at most, and even their ferocious power was merely a minor nuisance for the Zergs.

But on Nato Star, it had already covered the entire surface.

Zong Yuan browsed through the pictures and information. “Adagen Beasts only grow 1-1.5 centimeters every ten years.”

“Yes,” Ji Xing paused, lowering his voice. “I suspect that Nato Star possesses a substance that accelerates the growth of living organisms.”

He displayed another image, continuously zooming in until a tiny black dot became visible.

“This place is the only area not covered by Adagen Beasts,” Ji Xing pointed at the spot. “The sole entrance.”

Zong Yuan frowned at the black dot. “It’s too risky. Adagen Beasts could cover this spot at any time.”

Ji Xing agreed with his observation. “But we can only enter from here. This is the only way to avoid angering the Adagen Beasts right from the start.”

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow, suddenly having a different idea. “Adagen Beasts have a strong survival rate and can continuously grow in a suitable environment, right?”

“Yes.”

“So there’s another possibility,” Zong Yuan said. “Nato Star might not have a substance that accelerates the growth of living organisms; instead, it could have a function that takes away time.”

“The flow of time on Nato Star is completely different from ours.”

Ji Xing pondered his words, his expression suddenly becoming serious. “I’ll immediately inform the military! If it’s really like this, we won’t be able to complete the assessment at the First Military Academy!”

“Don’t,” Zong Yuan stopped him. “It… could also make me grow up quickly.”

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Translator’s corner:

Me to Zong Yuan: (°ロ°)