Chapter 126

The protective barrier around the Marshal's mansion was removed; now everyone, including the cat, has squeezed into the second-floor living room with a small balcony.

The earth-shattering blast in the afternoon didn't damage the protective shield of the Marshal's mansion, but it did introduce some glitches into the simulation system.

The constant climate system that once enveloped the Marshal's mansion was destroyed, and a gentle snowfall began, settling on flowering plants, creating a picturesque scene of seasonal juxtaposition.

Xiayou stood on the balcony, and one could see a white mist every time she breathed.

Xiayou twirled her fingers through the white mist, reminiscing about such harsh winter weather.

During the great disaster, the Blue Planet seemed almost barren. Prolonged winter and scorching summers were the two longest and most grueling seasons. Spring and fall, symbols of hope, always seemed fleeting in Xiayou's memories, leaving her to wonder if they might eventually disappear altogether.

Xiayou leaned on the balcony railing, scanning the surroundings, but saw no trace of the golden eagle and withdrew her gaze in slight disappointment.

The next moment, her vision darkened as a majestic golden eagle landed on the balcony, folding its wings. It tapped Xiayou with the tip of its wing, indicating it was cold outside and she should head in.

Xiayou, with her hands behind her back, sneakily touched the elder bird's feathers.

The golden eagle felt it, but indulged the young one's affection, pretending not to notice and letting her enjoy the touch.

Many people saw Uncle Zhou's true appearance today; Weicheng is now handling some subsequent confidentiality work.

Upon hearing the news, the Emperor returned promptly. Yet he seemed uninterested in Uncle Zhou's unveiled appearance, his attention instead captured by the hamster named D.

After Xiayou returned from the balcony, the golden eagle followed her inside and shut the door. Seeing her sneeze from the sudden temperature change, the bird adjusted the room's temperature with its wings.

Xiayou sat next to Luyinghuai, and Yuanyuan, lounging on the sofa, rested his leopard head on Xiayou's lap.

Habitually cradling the leopard's head, Xiayou's fingers began to pinch its paw pads, yet her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the butler sitting on a nearby armchair.

"Uncle Zhou... um."

The man seated opposite looked up. Though his facial features didn't seem aged, the unique charm cultivated by the passage of time made his aura even more distinct.

This interplay of danger and gentleness creates a sense of intrigue, a desire to approach, yet an instinctual wariness — as if there's a gripping story behind it all.

Confronted by such a strikingly handsome face that could surely drown in admirers, Xiayou struggled to address him as "Uncle."

Xiayou's dilemma was written all over her face, to which Uncle Zhou laughed and said, "I am much older than all of you."

Xiayou responded with a slightly awkward smile.

Who can call such a stunning individual "Uncle"?

Hamster D laughed so hard in Uncle Zhou's hand that his little belly shook uncontrollably.

When he first saw this fellow looking like a silver-haired old man, the feeling was so surreal that he was at a loss for words. Now, others can finally understand.

Who would've known? The golden eagle, with all its cunning schemes, pretends to be this benevolent and amiable old butler, and is even obsessed with raising chicks!

If others were to find out about this...

Suddenly, Hamster D stopped laughing. Sitting in Zhou Lin's palm, he fell silent for a moment and curled himself into a golden fur ball, motionless.

Uncle Zhou glanced down at him and gently enclosed the little hamster ball within his hand.

Lu Yinghuai used his privileges to delete all surveillance footage related to Uncle Zhou and then looked up at the Emperor.

The Emperor's seat faced Uncle Zhou, separated by a tea table. Between the two single-seaters, there was a longer sofa occupied by the black leopard and the couple.

A large white tiger lay against the sofa's backrest, its black and white striped tail resting beside the Emperor's shoulder.

The Emperor raised his hand and leisurely approved Lu Yinghuai's request to delete the mainframe backup. He then adjusted his sitting posture and gently stroked the white tiger's tail.

"So, anything interesting happened at home today?" The Emperor inquired, not showing a hint of displeasure from the bombing of his residence, but rather appearing amused.

Uncle Zhou rubbed the small hamster ball in his hand and calmly remarked, "The little bird was switched out, sent by the Federation."

Upon hearing this, everyone present wore a shocked expression.

Both Lu Yinghuai and the Emperor looked somewhat disturbed. After all, having a spy from the Federation infiltrate such a crucial place like the Blue Star was no minor matter.

However, Xiayou's expression was rather odd.

Yuanyuan lifted his head to gaze at Xiayou.

Xiayou hugged the leopard's head, giving Yuanyuan meaningful glances.

Lu Yinghuai murmured, "... Interrogate him first."

The Emperor commanded in a grave tone, "The Royal Guard must send someone over."

It's not that he doesn't trust Lu Yinghuai or is skeptical of the First Legion.

Rather, the hawk-owl was originally from the First Legion. If the entire investigation is left to them, there might be loopholes that could be exploited to challenge the results.

Lu Yinghuai nodded.

Uncle Zhou remarked with a smile, "It's only natural for the Federation to be curious about the spiritual entities."

After all, the Federation's research institute sacrificed so many, conducted prolonged human experiments, and even offered hefty bounties for the mental essence of the Bug Queen, all in hopes of harnessing these entities for their military.

Unexpectedly, the Empire achieved it first.

The Federation once remained composed, as the Empire's spiritual entities were highly unstable. Not only were there high mortality rates, but there were also instances of them not distinguishing friend from foe due to mental disturbances.

Now that news of Xiayou's ability to cure these mental disorders hasn't been tightly guarded, it has likely reached the Federation's ears.

Lu Yinghuai said, "The genetic report is out. This hawk-owl isn't the one from the First Legion, but they look strikingly similar. Does the Federation have a way to alter the appearance of these spiritual entities?"

Uncle Zhou pondered for a moment, "It's possible that something wasn't completely destroyed in the past and they managed to salvage it."

……

As the three discussed the Federation, Xiayou pricked up her ears, listening intently, while playing with Yuanyuan's fur.

Hamster D stretched lazily under Uncle Zhou's hand, his pink paws extending out, then snapping back with a flick.

Xiayou, curious about the earlier commotion outside, activated her holographic device and pulled up the recent surveillance footage from the garden.

The footage after Uncle Zhou's appearance was cleanly erased, but the process of the hawk-owl infiltrating the Marshal's mansion remained.

In the surveillance view, the hawk-owl, perched at a fork in a tree branch, blended seamlessly into the green leaves, virtually undetectable.

It was only because Xiayou knew there was a hawk-owl in the scene that she managed to spot it after closely examining the footage.

A moment later, Xiayou saw herself and White Tiger Sister passing through a corridor and entering a small reception room on the screen.

From the hawk-owl's vantage point, it had a clear view of Xiayou's actions and could have gotten even closer. However, the bird remained motionless, lying in wait.

The unexpected part came when Hamster D jumped down from the upper floor. Watching the golden furball flip from the third floor, expertly parkouring down railings and windows before landing gracefully in the garden, Xiayou's eyes widened in surprise.

What kind of hamster... is this acrobatic?

From the third floor of the Marshal's mansion, Hamster D's leap was executed with impeccable skill.

Hamster D paused to smooth its fur ruffled by the wind. As it prepared to stroll to the other side of the garden, it abruptly halted, sensing something and staring directly in the direction of the hawk-owl.

Simultaneously, the hawk-owl, realizing it was spotted, took the offensive. It spread its wings, diving sharply toward Hamster D with its sharp talons outstretched.

Given its angle and velocity, the hawk-owl was clearly aiming to eliminate Hamster D.

Xiayou paused the footage, rewinding slightly to rewatch that segment.

It seemed peculiar.

The hawk-owl had entered the Marshal's mansion under the guise of a First Legion companion beast. Even if discovered perched on a tree, it shouldn't have attacked so rashly—this would only increase suspicions about its true identity.

Making a mental note of the inconsistency, Xiayou continued watching.

She then saw the adorable curly-haired hamster deftly roll to avoid the hawk-owl's assault. In a swift motion, it pulled out a...

Xiayou's expression blanked for a moment. She rewound and replayed those few seconds multiple times.

Her gaze quickly shifted to Hamster D, who was still nestled in Uncle Zhou's hand, its tiny pink feet dangling out.

Returning her attention to the screen, Xiayou watched in astonishment as the curly-haired hamster swiftly brandished a gun. With precision, it set up a quantum laser cannon and aimed directly at the hawk-owl, hesitating not a second before firing.

The quantum laser cannon was powerful but required a brief interval between each shot.

The hawk-owl, though grazed on its wing, was poised to attack again. However, it was abruptly knocked from the sky by a swooping golden eagle. The eagle's sharp talons pinned the hawk-owl's throat, pushing it deep into the garden's soil.

Of all possibilities, Xiayou hadn't anticipated that the quantum laser cannon—capable of shattering the mansion's protective shield—would be wielded by Hamster D.

This tiny, cute hamster somehow produced a quantum laser cannon from its space node—a weapon dozens of times larger than itself.

A quantum laser cannon isn't the same as a laser gun. Such weaponry is typically mounted on warships and mechas, and private ownership by citizens is illegal.

Moreover, they're strictly inspected at checkpoints.

How Hamster D managed to bring it onto Blue Star and into the Marshal's mansion was a mystery.

Yet, considering Hamster D's background and the seemingly omnipotent Uncle Zhou...

Xia You silently turned off the screen, finally confronting the reality that this was a mercenary hamster.

*

Later, Lu Yinghuai returned to the bedroom a step behind. He was in the walk-in closet changing clothes.

Just as he had hung up his coat, he heard Xia You's voice from behind him: "Your Highness?"

Lu Yinghuai turned around to see a golden head peeking out from the side of the closet door.

"Your Highness, would you... ahem, wear the blue one tonight?"

Lu Yinghuai gazed at Xia You, a playful smirk playing on his lips and an eyebrow raised slightly.

Without any hint of embarrassment, Xia You walked in openly, his intent to watch Lu Yinghuai change all too clear.

Xia You had to admit, no matter how many times he watched, he was completely powerless against the sight of His Highness changing, the muscles contracting with each movement.

Of course...

After recent events, Xia You realized there were many more scenes he was powerless against.

The Xia You who once felt embarrassed by Lu Yinghuai's audacity had grown stronger amidst the persistent seductions from His Highness and Yuanyuan!

He now reveled in the beauty surrounding him, no matter what seductive tricks His Highness tried, he would not retreat!

... After all, there's a medical bay downstairs. A sneaky rest wouldn't hurt.

Xia You's gaze wavered for a moment.

Half of Lu Yinghuai's shirt was undone, and his military trousers were still neatly worn. The double belt cinched around his powerfully built waist, exuding a restrained allure.

Lu Yinghuai pulled Xia You onto the glass cabinet, stepping forward, fitting himself between Xia You's legs, and gently pinched Xia You's cheeks: "Who was it that cried out of exhaustion yesterday, saying I was bullying them?"

Xia You mumbled, "But... three times is reasonable, but five or six times isn't normal."

Lu Yinghuai paused.

Xia You uttered an "Oh," raised his hand to rub his face, and slowly added: "Your Highness, going on for too long isn't healthy."

"I've done my research; one shouldn't endure too much. It's harmful."

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

The Marshal suddenly found himself missing the innocent Xia You who would blush at the slightest tease.

Having been exposed to multiple stimuli in a short time, the young man now had an uncanny ability to narratively flirt with Lu Yinghuai without even trying.

Perhaps their psychic compatibility was too high or Xia You's physical constitution was unique, but whenever Lu Yinghuai was considerate of Xia You's well-being, he would always find an energetic and lively Xia You the next day.

After checking and finding no record of using the medical pod, Lu Jiuzhu even suspiciously questioned Lu Yinghuai.

Xia You pointed at the muscle peeking out from the collar of Lu Yinghuai's shirt and relayed the peculiarities he observed about the owl during the day.

Lu Yinghuai said, "It probably recognized D."

Uncle Zhou had been active in the Federation, and they likely kept visual records of him.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Uncle Zhou always disguised himself in the Empire. Even Lu Yinghuai had only seen his true face when he was very young.

D's real face had always been a mystery to the public. He rarely showed himself, usually cloaked, but his hamster companion was quite infamous.

After all, a mercenary hamster is, in some ways, truly unforgettable.

"Hmm?" Feeling tired from the position he was in, Xia You wrapped his arms around Lu Yinghuai's waist, looking up, "Is Mr. D famous?"

Lu Yinghuai remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "D is ranked second on the Federation's bounty list, right behind Uncle Zhou."

Uncle Zhou earned this "recognition" after bombing a Federation test base. Lu Yinghuai didn't want to know what D had done to warrant such a high bounty, especially given how unassuming his hamster companion seemed.

"Uncle Zhou gave me a list of the military weapons D currently carries in his space node."

Nobody knew about it before, but after the hamster pulled out and used the quantum laser cannon, it was necessary to inform the relevant parties.

Both Lu Yinghuai and the Emperor were left speechless by the report.

"His space node is almost equivalent to the armory of a Tier-2 planet."

The smile on Xia You's face froze for two seconds, disbelief evident, "How did he bring it in?"

Lu Yinghuai shook his head: "The fact that he shared this list already shows his cooperative stance. Concealing weapons from scanning detection is likely his trump card for survival."

Uncle Zhou's stance on protecting the hamster D was unequivocal. Since D was part of Lu Yinghuai's family, Lu Yinghuai naturally respected and trusted that Uncle Zhou would do no harm.

"Uncle Zhou vouched for D, and His Majesty has agreed to let D stay on the Blue Planet."

Xia You took a moment to process this and then nodded in acknowledgment.

"Our family really does seem to be a den of hidden talents..."

Xia You murmured under his breath, pointing to himself: "A novice undead who's still figuring out many things."

Then he pointed at Lu Yinghuai.

"A Marshal who harbors the crystallized psychic power of the insectoid queen within his mind."

He then made a circling gesture, "And two mercenaries who rank top two on the Federation's bounty list."

"Right, we also have the runaway Emperor's brother-in-law and a fiercely protective yet oddly comforting Empress sister living with us."

"...Wow."

As Xia You spoke, he gradually broke into laughter.

Lu Yinghuai chuckled as well, leaning in to rest his forehead against Xia You's.

Up close, he could clearly see the faint blush on Xia You's face after a bath.

Lu Yinghuai observed intently, gently caressing Xia You's temple.

Just as Xia You was about to speak, Lu Yinghuai's lips met his.

As his senses blurred, Xia You felt himself being lifted and instinctively wrapped his legs around Lu Yinghuai's waist, trying to focus: "Wait!"

Lu Yinghuai's stride towards the bathroom halted, looking down at the man in his arms.

Xia You's fingers traced gently at the nape of Lu Yinghuai's neck, whispering: "I'd like to venture into the core of Your Highness's psychic sea again."

The steps Lu Yinghuai had directed towards the bathroom changed to the bedroom, placing Xia You gently on the bed.

His eyes clearly expressed, "Don't even think about it."

The last time Xia You nibbled on the crystallized psychic power of the insectoid queen, it took Lu Yinghuai quite a while to recover, and since then, he never permitted Xia You to venture into his psychic sea core again.

Seeing Lu Yinghuai about to leave, Xia You, in his urgency, tightly wrapped his legs around him. Instantly, tendrils of psychic power shot out, binding Lu Yinghuai's arms behind him. With a swift movement, Xia You pressed him down onto the bed.

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

It wasn't the first time Lu Yinghuai had found himself looked down upon by Xia You from this angle, but being restrained, both hands and feet, was a new experience.

The Empire's Marshal, taken down by a healer's surprise move.

This story could have the Blue Star Base laughing for years.

Xia You leaned down, lightly kissing the corner of Lu Yinghuai's lips, his cheek brushing against Lu Yinghuai's, and his breath caressing the man's neck, causing him to catch his breath momentarily.

"Your Highness, may I take just a tiny nibble?"

"It won't affect me."

Xia You looked into Lu Yinghuai's eyes with utmost sincerity.

"Really, I swear."

Lu Yinghuai remained silent, just gazing at Xia You.

Feeling a bit guilty under his stare, Xia You whispered, "I just... have an urgent need."

Xia You waited atop Lu Yinghuai for a good while, only to see him not only decline but close his eyes, showing no intention to cooperate.

Lu Yinghuai's shirt was mostly unbuttoned after the scuffle, and as Xia You's hand rested on the defined muscles of his abdomen, his psychic force assertively surged into Lu Yinghuai's psychic sea.

As expected, he was kept out of its core.

Xia You gritted his teeth but, recalling his plans, was not willing to give up so easily.

Remembering how Yuan Yuan once lost fur madly due to extreme emotional fluctuations, a gleam sparked in Xia You's eyes.

Large emotional upheavals... would they also cause changes in the psychic sea's currents?

With a sly glint in his blue eyes and a mischievous touch of his fingers, Xia You formed a plan.

He was determined to breach His Highness's psychic barriers!

*

The next morning, Lu Yinghuai gently touched Xia You, who was sleepily burrowing under the blanket. He left a soft kiss on her forehead and then rose to freshen up.

Seeking advice from Fan and Xin is indeed valuable, but in the long run, it may hinder one's ability to infer and generalize.

Lu Yinghuai decided to carve out some time each week to revisit those aristocratic classes he used to skive off in his younger years.

He never shied away from his shortcomings but always sought ways to compensate and improve.

Then, to do his utmost best.

Beneath the blanket, Xia You, who believed she had triumphantly achieved her desires the night before, held her pillow with a smirk evident even in her sleep.