After the black landing craft abruptly broke free from Mia Star’s gravity, it slowed down, gliding gently away from the planet and heading toward the Ishtar, which was docked in the star system.
The landing craft lacked a cloaking feature on its outer walls, so Miao Te stood by the window, peering out through the half-person-sized transparent pane. The ship was slowly departing from Mia Star, the golden planet now obscured by two floating veils of gossamer, growing increasingly distant and blurred. All that remained were the two luminous, white strands gently drifting in the expanse of space.
It was still beautiful, but it no longer held the breathtaking charm it had when he first saw it. The thought of everything he had gone through on that planet soured his view of it.
Major General was right, he thought suddenly.
No matter how you looked at it, Earth—the blue planet—was still the most beautiful.
With that, the teenager lost interest and turned his gaze away from Mia Star, now gradually concealed by other celestial bodies.
As he followed the Major General out of the banquet hall, he had deliberately smirked at Beiat, who was glaring at them with a sullen expression. The scowl that crossed Beiat’s face made Miao Te feel a wave of satisfaction.
He had assumed the Major General would also show Beiat a cold look, but when he glanced over at the Major General, he realized that Major General Taylor hadn’t even looked at Beiat. He just raised his head and glanced upward.
He followed the Major General’s gaze and saw an old man standing by the second-floor railing, looking down at them. He saw the Major General and the old man exchange a distant look, and even from such a distance, it felt as if their stares collided sharply in midair, sparking a cold, fierce intensity.
The Ishtar floated quietly amidst the stars, its massive blue-black form gleaming with a metallic sheen, elegantly streamlined like a great whale swimming through the ocean.
Soon, the hangar doors at its belly opened slowly, swallowing the returning landing craft into its interior.
As Miao Te set foot on Ishtar’s metallic floor, a sudden, inexplicable sense of relief washed over him. Although he hadn’t spent much time on the ship, returning felt like coming home.
I’m back, he thought.
I can finally sleep peacefully, without fear.
The tension that had kept him on edge for days suddenly dissipated, and an overwhelming wave of exhaustion hit him like a brick wall. Though he had managed to catch some sleep while at Princess Salome’s, it had been anything but restful—always restless, afraid he might blurt something out in his sleep.
Now, all he wanted to do was sleep. His eyelids felt heavy, and he could barely keep his eyes open.
But the Major General had just returned to the ship, and as soon as he entered the command hall, almost everyone swarmed around him, waiting for his instructions. After being away for days and with so much having happened in his absence, the pile of matters requiring the Major General’s attention had only grown.
And look at the Major General—he hadn’t slept in two days and a night, and he was still injured, yet there he was, standing tall with perfect posture, his eyes sharp and alert, showing no sign of fatigue on his face.
Seeing his superior like that, how could Miao Te afford to slack off? Even though his eyes were drooping shut, he obediently stood quietly to the side. Whenever he got too sleepy, he would pinch his arm hard to jolt himself awake. The last thing he wanted was to doze off and fall from the high platform in front of everyone—now that would be humiliating.
His eyelids drooped again, and his body swayed. Miao Te quickly slipped his fingers into his sleeve and pinched his arm once more, the sharp pain waking him up just enough to steady his footing. He breathed a sigh of relief and let his hand fall back down.
But when he looked up, he met the Major General’s gaze.
Those ink-stained, glassy blue eyes stared at him—cold and indifferent, revealing no emotion. Then, the Major General walked towards him. Before Miao Te could react, his right hand was grabbed, and his sleeve was forcefully pulled up.
Bruises—blue and purple—peppered the teenager’s slender arm, marking every spot he had pinched to stay awake. Taylor’s eyes flickered over the bruises.
“Idiot.”
Taylor’s voice was cold, his expression unreadable as he glanced at Miao Te. Releasing his grip, he turned and walked away, but not before leaving a terse order.
“Go tidy my room.”
Miao Te stared at the Major General’s retreating figure, still in a daze, when a large hand suddenly landed on his head, ruffling his hair roughly.
Taking full advantage of his height, the red-haired Major effortlessly rested his right arm on the young man’s head. He glanced at the Boss’s back and couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “The Boss sure spoils you, doesn’t he?”
“Huh?”
Distracted by trying to pry the heavy arm off his head, Miao Te missed Robin’s comment entirely.
Robin gave him a sideways look, then chuckled and playfully swatted Miao Te on the head.
“Alright, kiddo, better get to cleaning the Boss’s room.”
With a grin, he gave the teenager a gentle push towards the exit.
Since the Major General had given the order, Miao Te naturally obeyed and dutifully returned to his room. The teleportation device once again left him dizzy and disoriented. He felt so sleepy that he could barely keep himself upright, and by the time he stumbled through the door, he was already half-asleep.
In his drowsy haze, he was still pondering where to start cleaning the room, completely forgetting that the room was equipped with smart dust removal systems. The Major General’s room even had a household cleaning robot set to tidy up on schedule, keeping the entire place spotless at all times—there was no need for him to lift a finger.
His fatigue-clouded brain had completely shut down. He slumped onto the sofa, still stubbornly trying to figure out what he could tidy up. Maybe he could start by wiping down the sofa, and then…
And then there was nothing.
He collapsed onto the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
Once he drifted off, the sofa beneath him detected his sleeping state and relayed the information to the central AI. Almost immediately, the room’s temperature adjusted slightly warmer, the gentle breeze keeping the air fresh softened further, and a faint, sweet floral scent was introduced into the air. The entire room was optimized for maximum comfort, ensuring the teenager’s sleep was even more restful.
How long he slept, Miao Te couldn’t quite tell. The only thing he knew was that he hadn’t slept so well in a long time—every ounce of physical and mental fatigue had melted away.
He stood up, stretched with immense satisfaction, and then padded into the bathroom in his slippers, giving himself a thorough scrub from head to toe.
Halfway through his shower, it suddenly dawned on him that the room had an automatic cleaning system controlled by the central AI.
So the Major General’s command to have him tidy the room… was just an excuse to let him rest when he was too tired to stay awake.
En, Major General’s always the same—cold on the outside, but soft-hearted on the inside.
The young man came to this conclusion and mentally handed Major General a “nice guy” card. If Robin and the others found out about his conclusion, they would probably have two words for him: “naive fool.”
Ha ha.
After sleeping soundly and enjoying a refreshing shower, Miao Te stepped out feeling completely revitalized. But just as he walked out of the bathroom, he heard a soft beep—the sound of the door opening. The Major General’s tall figure appeared at the entrance.
Miao Te quickly went to greet him.
“Major General, you’re back!”
Not accustomed to being welcomed home with a bright smile in his room, the Major General’s steps paused briefly as he walked in, then he continued with his usual steady stride. Feeling somewhat unaccustomed, he responded with a low hum as a form of acknowledgment.
Then he glanced at Miao Te.
The teenager had just stepped out of the shower, dressed only in soft, white shorts and a t-shirt. His young skin, still tender with youth, had been steamed to a light pink hue by the hot water. His face, especially, was rosy and fresh, looking so soft that it seemed a touch could make it blush deeper.
His jet-black hair was still slightly damp, with a few strands sticking to his fresh, tender cheeks, and a couple of water droplets dripping from the tips. His lips were also pale in color, but unlike Taylor’s cool, sharp pale tone, his were a soft light pink, like the color of a budding flower just beginning to bloom in early spring.
Seeing the Major General staring at him, the teenager blinked his still-damp eyelashes.
“Shall I make you some tea?” he asked.
The Major General wasn’t fond of eating much, but he did enjoy tea quite often, though he wasn’t picky about flavors. Miao Te, determined to hold onto his golden thigh for a hundred years, had quickly mastered the essential skill of making tea.
Major General Taylor’s gaze swept briefly over those pale pink lips before he turned around and grabbed Miao Te’s hand, pulling him over. Before Miao Te could react, he was yanked to the long sofa and immediately toppled headfirst onto it.
When he pushed himself up to look back, he was shocked to find himself lying horizontally across Major General’s lap. The Major General was seated on the sofa, and Miao Te was sprawled over him, his abdomen resting squarely on the Major General’s thighs.
What stunned him even more, as if he had been struck by lightning, was seeing the Major General’s right hand raised in the air.
“W-wait! What are you going to do—?”
Terrified, the teenager could no longer bother with keeping up the obedient act. Panicking, he twisted his head around and let out a loud shout at the Major General.
The Major General did not respond. His slender, almond-shaped eyes glanced sideways at him, raising slightly in a subtle expression.
Then, without warning, the raised hand came down hard.
Smack!
The crisp sound of skin hitting skin echoed loudly in the quiet room.
The teenager’s face instantly turned bright red as he tried to scramble up, but the Major General was faster. Just as Miao Te barely managed to lift his upper body, the Major General pressed him down firmly with his left hand.
The teenager, who had just lifted his upper body, fell back onto the sofa with a thud. He flailed his arms and legs in a desperate struggle, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break free from the left hand that held him down firmly.
“This is punishment.”
The Major General’s deep voice came from above, laced with a hint of unmistakable displeasure.
“I didn’t do anything wrong—!”
His words were met with a loud smack and a heavy hit on his backside.
The teenager’s entire face flushed a deep red.
“Even if I was wrong—! Even if I was—! I’m not a kid anymore! If you’re going to punish me, don’t do it like this—”
“You’re still four years away from adulthood,” the Major General replied slowly.
And then, smack.
“…This is child abuse!!!”
Miao Te immediately discarded the fact that he was already considered an adult on Earth, shamelessly clinging to the protective status of being a minor.
“As your grandfather’s appointed guardian, I have the right to administer a reasonable level of corporal punishment,” the Major General stated coldly.
Another sharp slap followed—smack.
Huh, there’s a decent amount of bounce.
The Major General Taylor mused with a deadpan expression, already prepared to bring his hand down once more.
However, before he could bring his hand down, the teenager suddenly turned around and wrapped his arms around the Major General’s waist.
This was the second time Miao Te had launched an attack on the Major General’s slender waist, and he clung to him tightly, refusing to let go.
“I was wrong! I know I was wrong!”
He decisively chose to admit fault.
A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him—whether he is wrong or not, it is better to admit it first to avoid getting hit again.
No matter what, at this moment, the teenager resorted to the same tactic he used as a kid whenever he was about to get spanked for being naughty—clinging to the Major General like a scoundrel, refusing to let go.
It wasn’t just the pain he couldn’t handle… it was the sheer humiliation of being spanked at his age!
Fortunately, the Major General lowered his raised hand at the youth’s desperate plea.
The Major General’s cold, sharp eyes bore into him as he asked, “Tell me, what did you do wrong?”
“…Assaulting my superior?”
“Continue.”
Taylor’s tone was flat, his expression unreadable.
The teenager frowned, thinking hard, his dark eyes darting around as he glanced up at the Major General.
“I was wrong.”
Miao Te figured it was best to come clean and admit everything, so he gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and said the words.
“I shouldn’t have kicked your ass—!”
Major General: “…”
“But I didn’t have a choice!”
The teenager’s voice was full of grievance; it wasn’t like he had done it on purpose. How was he supposed to know his kick would land right on the Major General’s backside?
“You’re so tall, and your legs are so long! I tried my best to kick higher, but I just couldn’t reach your back—I could only kick your butt—”
As Miao Te tried hard to explain himself, the Major General’s eye couldn’t help but twitch slightly. He yanked Miao Te off of him with force and pinned him back down onto the sofa.
Then, without hesitation, the Major General raised his right hand high once more.
Smack! Smack! Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack!
The sharp sound of hand meeting flesh echoed through the room in rapid succession, reverberating off the walls.
***
Translated by NightOwll
***