Miao Te was still standing there, dumbfounded, staring at the liquid metal orb that had far surpassed his comprehension. Meanwhile, the Major General, who was coldly glaring at the whimpering orb, had already started giving orders.
“Command.”
He said.
“Aaah~~ No~~ Dada knows it was wrong~~ Major General, please, nooo~~”
Major General Taylor had only said a word when the previously cute and pitiful orb suddenly panicked and rushed over, spinning around the Major General at a dizzying speed.
Miao Te felt he could only see the afterimages of Dada as it whizzed by.
However, the Major General was completely unfazed and continued speaking.
“Disable the voice module for six months.”
The white orb, which had been circling the Major General in a tearful attempt to beg for mercy, suddenly crashed to the ground with a splat, its simulated liquid metal teardrops growing even larger.
It lay on the ground, tears streaming down in torrents, as the tears on its round body grew almost as wide as noodles.
But no matter how wide its tears got, it didnโt make a sound.
The Major General’s orders were absolute. Disabling the voice module meant that it wouldnโt be able to make any sound for six months. For a chatterbox like Dada, this was far more cruel than wiping its memory and emotional database.
Erasing its memory and emotions would have been just like dying for an intelligent brain. But to make it go six months without speaking was, as humans would say, a fate worse than death.
Yฤซng yฤซng yฤซng yฤซng(T/N: I just put in the raws pinyin translation)… Major General doesnโt love me anymore… yฤซng yฤซngโno, actually, the Major General never loved me.
Wait, the Major General likes the madam! Have the madam plead for mercy!
With this brilliant idea in mind, the white orb kept its (โฌโฌๅฃ โฌโฌ) expression, floating up from the ground with tearful eyes and wobbling toward the still-shocked Miao Te.
But before it could float over, Major General Taylor glanced at it lightly from the corner of his eye.
The round orb shuddered violently in mid-air, trembling several times, before drooping and floating away with its noodle-sized tears still intact.
Judging by the S-shaped curve it drew as it floated away, it was clear the blow had been severeโit couldnโt even float in a straight line anymore.
The Major General couldnโt be bothered to deal with the pathetic act of the white orb and went straight to the nearby long sofa, turning around to sit down.
With a raise of his fingers, a pale blue holographic screen appeared in front of him, filled with countless flickering data, while images of different planets occasionally flashed in the corners of the screen.
Major General Taylor sat there quietly, his long legs crossed, the ends of his soft black hair falling over the corners of his slender phoenix eyes. He stared at the holographic screen before him, his cold face showing no emotion.
However, the slightly sharper curve at the corner of his eye, hidden beneath his black hair, betrayed his current displeasure.
His well-defined fingers occasionally tapped the virtual keyboard on the screen, bringing up increasingly complex data and diagrams. If Miao Te looked closely, he would have noticed that most of it was data related to the Mia star system, and the various images of different galaxies were all from corners of the Mia system.
Miao Te wasnโt paying much attention to the dizzying data on the screen. He was just relieved that Major General hadnโt pressed Dada on what it meant by “I want you two to reconcile.”
Although it had been a slip of the tongue in a moment of frustration, meant to trick Dada into stopping its calls of “Major General’s wife,” if Major General Taylor ever found out that he had said, “Yes, we’re fighting, and I want to break up with him”โฆ well, that would be a nightmare.
Thank goodness.
The teenager thought with relief, cautiously glancing to the left from the corner of his eye.
The handsome Major General was still quietly seated on the sofa, with the numbers on the screen in front of him flashing by at lightning speed.
His lips were slightly pressed together, looking colder than ever, and his attention seemed completely absorbed by the data on the screen.
Miao Te pulled his gaze back, then quietly and carefully stood up, intending to slip away from this awkward situation while the Major General wasn’t paying attention.
However, he had barely taken a single step.
“Sit down.”
A low voice suddenly rang out.
The Major General spoke without even lifting his eyes, his tone calm.
Yet it was that casual tone that made Miao Te’s heart inexplicably tighten.
Miao Te: “…”
His plan to sneak away was thwarted, and the teenager obediently withdrew his outstretched foot and sat back down on the sofa.
As he sat, he couldn’t help but glance up at the Major General.
The Major General, seated to the side, was still slightly bowing his head, his long lashes lowered, and the pale blue light from the screen in front of him reflected on his face.
His eyes, which now looked like glowing sapphire gems under the blue light, remained fixed on the screen. He hadn’t even glanced at him.
Though there was no expression on that handsome face, Miao Te had the distinct feeling that the person before him was unhappy.
As for why he was upset… he had no idea.
Even if he was unhappy, the culprit was that white ball, not him. He was a victim too, so why was Major General Taylor mad at him?
Blaming others for misplaced anger isnโt a good habit, Major General.
Though he felt a bit wrong for being the victim yet still bearing the brunt of the Major General’s misplaced anger, the teenager obediently sat still, waiting for the Major General to realize his mistakeโoh no, rather, to mercifully lift his restriction.
Still, no matter how obedient his expression appeared, Miao Te didnโt believe he had done anything wrong. He didnโt think heโd be punished, so he wasnโt particularly nervous.
But sitting there with nothing to do, and with Dadaโwho usually entertained him with videosโnot around, and without a new data ring of his own, he was bored out of his mind. He had also woken up halfway through a nap, so he hadnโt slept enough. As he sat there, he quickly began to feel drowsy again.
He tilted his head, a bit groggy, staring at the still-composed side profile of the Major General. He wondered how long the Major General would stay like that, and when he might finally cool down. His head bobbed as he thought, and soon his body slumped back against the sofa, falling asleep again.
***
His head knocked heavily against something, and his body almost slid off. Groggy, the teenager lifted his head in a daze.
Where is this…
Itโs not my bedโฆ
Half-asleep, Miao Te vaguely recalled that he had dozed off on the sofa a little while ago.
Hmm… is the Major General still angry?
He turned his head with some effort, his vision still blurry, and everything around him was just a vague outline. Even so, he could see that the sofa beside him was emptyโnothing was there.
The Major General, who had been sitting there handling business before he fell asleep, was nowhere to be seen.
…Looks like he’s cooled down… so I guess I can go back to my bedroom and keep sleeping…
Still drowsy, the teenager thought in a haze, wanting to stand up.
But for some reason, his legs seemed numb, too heavy to move, as if something was weighing them down.
In his daze, Miao Te shifted his gaze from the sofa to the floor, and suddenly, a pair of long, crossed legs, draped over the armrest of the sofa, appeared in his field of vision.
The legs in his sight were extraordinarily long, wrapped in tight black pants, the muscles full and defined, the taut lines gracefulโanyone could tell just by looking that they must feel nice and springy to the touch.
In his dazed state, the teenager stared at those legs, instinctively sensing something was wrong, but his half-awake brain couldnโt quite figure out what.
Hmm… legs…
He thought in a fog.
Long legs…
His groggy mind continued to make connections.
Long legs…
He thought blankly.
Oh crap! Major General!
In an instant, his drowsiness vanished, and the teenagerโs eyes flew open wide in shock. He jerked his head forward in horror.
And when he looked downโ
Black hair cascaded down from his forehead, half-covering the Major Generalโs pale cheek. His head was slightly tilted, resting on Miao Teโs lap as he sat on the sofa.
Soft strands of hair cascaded through the gap between the teenager’s legs, and the Major General had his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Staring at Major General Taylor, who had his head resting on his lap, taking a nap, Miao Te was completely dumbfounded.
What was going on here?
He had just dozed off for a bit, so how had Major General Taylor ended up lying on his lap?
A bit startled, Miao Te instinctively reached out to push the man off his lap, but just as his hand touched the other’s hair, the Major General, who had been lying on his side, suddenly moved slightly, turning over a bit.
Soft black hair rustled down from his cheek, revealing the face that had been half-hidden. As he turned, that handsome face, like an elf from legend, was now directly in front of the dazed teenager’s gaze.
The teenager’s fingers froze at the edge of the hair. He stared at the Major General resting on his lap, silently hoping that he would open his eyes.
But the Major General didn’t seem to wake up. He had only turned over in a half-awake, half-asleep state. After turning, he peacefully continued sleeping on the teenager’s lap.
The teenager sat frozen, not daring to move.
The young man lay quietly on the sofa, his head resting on the teenager’s lap, napping.
At first, he had been startled and instinctively wanted to push the Major General off his lap, but when the Major General moved, he froze for a moment and didn’t manage to push him.
Now, fully awake, he found himself even more afraid to act rashly.
Push the Major General off?
Ha, if you’ve got the guts, go ahead.
Looks like Iโll just have to wait for the Major General to wake up on his own.
The teenager thought miserably, forcing himself to sit still despite his legs going numb.
But sitting there doing nothing made the numbness in his legs even more noticeable. Miao Te looked around for something to pass the time, but eventually, he had no choice but to lower his gaze and focus on the face of the Major General resting on his lap.
He stared at that face, hoping that the closed eyes would open in the next second.
But when his gaze fell on Major General Taylorโs face, the teenager paused for a moment.
The Major Generalโs eyelashes were fine and long, standing out even more against his ice-white skin.
Yet even the shadow of those thick lashes couldnโt hide the faint bluish marks under his eyes.
Has he not rested these past few days?
Miao Te wondered in confusion.
He hadnโt seen the Major General come back these past few days, so he had assumed the Major General was resting somewhere else. But now it seemed like heโd been incredibly busy, barely getting any rest; otherwise, the dark circles under his eyes wouldnโt be so prominent.
The Major Generalโs skin was so pale that the bluish shadows under his eyes stood out starkly, like a speck of dirt on a smooth, white porcelain surface.
Unable to resist, Miao Te reached out and touched it.
The bluish marks werenโt stains, so of course they couldnโt be wiped away. But as the teenager’s fingers brushed against the marks, his fingertips gently brushed over the fine eyelashes.
The soft sensation passed through his fingertips, slightly tickling him.
This soft feeling was nothing like the Major Generalโs usual presence.
The teenager pulled his hand back, reflecting on that.
At first, waking up to find his legs being used as a pillow by the Major General and going numb, he had been a little annoyedโuntil he saw the clear dark circles under the Major Generalโs eyes.
Forget it.
Miao Te thought generously.
It seemed that the Major General had been working hard these past few days, so Miao Te decided not to wake him. After all, every time they harmonized their minds, he woke up being treated like a body pillow by Major General Taylor anyway.
The Major General must have been tired and, in his exhaustion, had once again treated him like a body pillow, resting on his legs.
As the teenager thought about this, he continued to stare at that handsome face. His gaze unconsciously drifted lower, landing on the sleeping Major Generalโs lips. A vague memory of their softness suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and Miao Te felt his cheeks heat up. He quickly averted his gaze.
But just as he was about to look away, something caught the corner of his eye. When he looked more closely, any embarrassment vanished, replaced by concern.
The Major Generalโs lips were pale and thin, giving off a cold, sharp aura. Yet they were still quite beautiful, shimmering faintly under the light like pearlescent gloss.
But now, Miao Te noticed that the Major Generalโs lips had lost their luster, and there was even a cracked cut at the corner of his mouthโa clear sign of dryness.
The Major General’s face was truly beautiful, so exquisite it seemed like a work of art.
Miao Te could tolerate the dark circles under his eyes, but seeing the cracked and dried lips made him feel an ache of concern.
It felt like seeing a flawless painting scratched or a beautiful piece of porcelain chippedโa painful sight, no matter how you looked at it.
Overcome with concern, the teenager reached out again, gently brushing his fingertips across the corner of the Major Generalโs lips. They felt much more chapped than the soft lips that had grazed his own not long ago.
Itโs too dry, should I put some lip balm on him?
Miao Te thought to himself.
But even if lip balm existed in this era, thereโs no way the Major General would ever use it, right?
Hmm… so what should I do?
As he pondered how to take care of the Major Generalโs lips, his fingers unconsciously rubbed gently at the corner of the Major General’s lips.
After just a couple of rubs, a hand suddenly shot up, grabbing his wrist.
The previously closed phoenix eyes snapped open, and dark blue pupils locked onto Miao Te.
“What are you doing?”
The Major General held Miao Teโs hand, staring at him as he asked.
“Uh… your mouth, itโs cracked.”
As Miao Te spoke, he tapped the corner of Taylorโs mouth, where the cut was.
The moment his fingertip touched the corner of the Major Generalโs lips, for some reason, the Major Generalโs lips pressed together tightly, and the hand gripping the teenagerโs wrist tightened slightly.
A sharp pain shot through his wrist, and the teenager instinctively let out a small sound, his face twisting in discomfort.
The Major General, who had been pressing his lips together, froze for a moment before realizing what heโd done. He immediately loosened his grip, though he didnโt let go completely. He simply shifted his fingers lower on Miao Teโs wrist.
When the Major General moved his fingers, the bruises on Miao Teโs wrist became visible.
The teenagerโs skin wasnโt as pale as the fingers he held, but it was soft and smooth, like a childโs, with faint, downy hairs visible.
The bruises were clearly in the shape of fingerprints, obviously caused earlier when Dada, in the form of the Major General, hadnโt controlled its strength and had gripped him too hard.
Miao Te hadnโt paid much attention to it at first, but when Major General Taylor had squeezed his wrist just now, it had pressed on the bruise, causing him to wince in pain.
“Does it hurt?”
The Major General glanced at the bruises on his wrist, then looked up at him.
“A little… but it’s okay.”
Miao Te mumbled, trying to brush it off.
Right now, his only concern was one thingโsince the Major General was already awake, could he please get off his now-numb legs?
But it seemed the Major General didnโt hear his silent plea, as he remained quietly lying on his lap.
Suddenly, the hand that was still holding Miao Teโs wrist tugged upward with a bit more force.
Before Miao Te could react, he felt something slightly rough press against his wrist.
Silky, jet-black strands of hair clung to his wrist, cool and smooth.
With his eyes closed, Major General Taylor’s slightly dry lips gently pressed against the bruise on his wrist, bringing a cool sensation along with a faint sting.
The manโs long eyelashes brushed against his wrist, which was particularly sensitive due to the bruises, causing a tickling sensation.
Warm breath from the Major Generalโs nose grazed his skin like a feather gently sweeping across it.
Then, those phoenix eyes opened, the lashes brushing his wrist, and the slightly rough lips still resting against it. The young Major General’s expression was cold and distant, yet his narrow eyes carried an indescribable, profound gaze as he looked at him.
The azure pupils glimmered faintly as if they were about to pull him in.
The teenager was stunned for a moment.
The next second, his cheeks suddenly flushed.
He panicked slightly.
In his panic, his mind became muddled.
In his confusion, he reached out with his free hand, grabbing the Major Generalโs face and giving it a firm pinchโ
“Is this another fake?”
Miao Te mumbled, his face flushed.
That one sentence made the Major Generalโs gaze instantly turn icy, and his expression darkened.
He immediately let go of Miao Teโs hand, sat up, and swung his long legs around. His black boots hit the floor with a sharp thud.
The Major General sat up, turned to the side, grabbed the teenagerโs chin, and yanked him closer.
“Canโt recognize me?”
He said, gripping the teenagerโs chin, his handsome face now dangerously close.
His gaze was chilling, filled with clear displeasure, and a hint of menace seeped through.
He said, “Can you recognize me now?”
That look was too frightening, and his face was too close. The teenager, with his chin held tight, nodded hurriedly.
“I recognize you now!” Miao Te said. “I was half-asleep earlier!”
The Major General stared at him for a long moment before finally releasing the hand that was gripping his chin.
However, his expression still didn’t look very good.
“If you mistake me again next time…”
The Major General began to speak but only finished half his sentence, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The unspoken second half, combined with the chilling glare, was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
Miao Te sat there in stunned silence for a while, unable to form a single word.
So, you were in a bad mood this whole time because I didnโt recognize Dada pretending to be you?
…Major General.
For someone whose future journey is among the stars, is it okay to be this petty and narrow-minded?
***
Translated by NightOwll
***