Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Having received the offer that stirred his heart, Lu Wei was so delighted that he cooked a lavish meal.

Of course, given the lack of Earth's resources here, Lu Wei had to utilize the locally grown substitutes to recreate familiar dishes with great care and affection.

These unfamiliar ingredients could only be approximated to achieve a semblance of their original flavors.

After his Earth brother tried the dishes, his stomach felt significantly better.

Lu Wei planned to store the leftovers in the fridge.

Oh, right, there was no refrigerator here.

However, through his research, he discovered that Emperor Star possessed advanced preservation technology.

By placing his prepared dishes in a compression chamber, they could remain fresh for years.

If he portioned them out separately, he could easily reheat them whenever desired, turning them into perfect accompaniments upon heating.

As Lu Wei compressed the food, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Wait a minute, wasn't this process quite similar to... a ready-made meal?

On Earth, he had questioned the concept of ready-made meals.

After arriving in the galaxy, he had come to understand them and even surpassed them.

To confirm if it was still edible after a few days, Lu Wei offered it first to His Majesty the Dog as a tester.

With a fake smile, Lu Wei warmly heated it up for the royal dog: "Just made it, give it a try."

His Majesty the Dog's eyes shone with satisfaction: He loved me so much.

Yet, Lu Wei's gaze was sharp as knives.

Look at how happy the royal dog was.

—He couldn't resist frozen food, no matter what.

Watching His Majesty the Dog consume the reheated meal he prepared, Lu Wei confirmed that it was indeed edible.

But he had no intention of eating it himself.

That day, a branch of the royal family attempted to assassinate the king. That very night, the entire family was implicated and used as an opportunity to punish some overly ambitious nobles, serving as a warning to others.

As Lu Wei sipped on freshly extracted vegetable juice, he inquired about the intelligent brother, Smart Bro, who was involved in the assassination attempt: "So, who was it that tried to kill you that day?"

His Majesty the Dog couldn't recall the names of the branch members: "I don't know."

Lu Wei: "But you really need to step up your game. Those nobles from the collateral branches won't give up easily."

The King: "Can't you just vomit again?"

Lu Wei: "..."

Haha, really hitting where it hurt.

"Scram." Lu Wei had no desire to engage in conversation with this jerk.

Yet, His Majesty the Dog was a man of his word and brought Lu Wei to the Interstellar Summit once more.

The Interstellar Summit was as tedious as ever. Other than teasing Lu Wei, there was little amusement for His Majesty the Dog.

The other party buried his head in for a deep inhale.

This habit of sniffing his back always made Lu Wei unable to resist tapping his head.

In full view of everyone, Lu Wei warned him, "Try anything funny again!"

The noble officials attending the summit: "......."

Sitting on the "Queen's Seat" and acting all high and mighty, even daring to pluck hairs from the tiger's head.

A true warrior!

---

Another special day had arrived.

The Sovereign's Affliction Day.

In the past, there had been similar instances. Usually, no one dared to provoke him during these times, and the entire Royal City would fall into an eerie silence.

The adjutant wore a worried expression, exchanging glances with Captain Li. No one could do anything when the royal ailment flared up.

As Lu Wei walked down the corridor, he sensed an unusual stillness in everyone, more so than usual.

Even the chef, who usually struck up conversations with Lu Wei, remained unresponsive today.

Raising an eyebrow, Lu Wei asked, "What's going on?"

The adjutant delicately explained, "It seems to be His Majesty's affliction day."

Inquiry followed: "Affliction day?"

The adjutant replied, "An inherited illness within the royal lineage, a genetic condition."

Lu Wei vaguely recalled hearing about it. Whenever this occurred, Huo Jin would endure great pain. The Dog Sovereign always adhered to the principle of "if I'm suffering, everyone else will too." Thus, during these times, anyone foolish enough to cross paths with him would be metaphorically shot as the first bird to stick its head out.

It was rumored that the conceited Earl lost his head that way, and countless madmen who dared to challenge the authority were punished.

The emperor's eccentric temperament was undoubtedly linked to this illness.

With an expression of "I'm counting on you," the adjutant implied that according to His Majesty's description, this young man should be deeply in love with him.

Such a devoted young man would surely be willing to go through fire and water for the emperor.

Lu Wei stopped in his tracks. "Are you kidding me? You want me to deliver food in this situation? Do you want me dead?"

The adjutant: "..."

This didn't quite follow the script.

Shouldn't the other party express their love for the emperor at a time like this and offer to take care of him, allowing them to reminisce about old times and deepen their affection?

The adjutant explained, "This episodic illness is relatively short-lived. Once this phase passes, everything will be fine."

Lu Wei leaned back in a show of respect, halfheartedly expressing his camaraderie. "So, how do you usually handle it when this happens?"

The aide shook his head. "When the time comes, I'll request an assignment to an extraterrestrial mission." Even exploring unknown star systems was more tolerable than facing His Majesty directly.

Lu Wei sighed. "You guys have it tough."

The aide replied, "It's not that bad. After all, the salary for this rank is quite decent, and the benefits are provided by the Empire. There are plenty of opportunities for travel, allowing us to visit many planets."

Lu Wei's expression remained neutral. "Oh."

Your friend 'Lu Wei' has withdrawn a concerned message.

Caring about capitalists was his problem; he'd better go back and drink some Chinese herbal medicine to regulate himself.

Assuming the role of an impartial judge, Lu Wei said sourly, "Aide, showing concern for His Majesty is also part of your job. Avoiding it is inappropriate."

The aide: He seems angry. Why?

The aide explained, "I don't always go on missions. I didn't last time. It was just after His Majesty met you – he seemed much better afterwards."

This time, it was Lu Wei's turn to be speechless.

He could still recall His Majesty the Dog's disguise as an adjutant when he picked him up, saying:

"I tried the last method from the Empire's textbooks."

—Mating.

And the experiment subject turned out to be himself.

What happened next seemed predictable.

Lu Wei wasn't an idiot; he knew how to avoid harm and seek benefit.

He couldn't afford to be penetrated by another man again.

Without any mercy, Lu Wei replied, "I can't do it. You'll have to find someone else."

Both of them had reached the door when Lu Wei suddenly changed his direction and prepared to leave.

The adjutant grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on!"

"Well, Mr. Lu, at this moment, you're the only one who can do it, and you must be different! Just look, His Majesty only eats the food you prepare," the adjutant urged.

Lu Wei glanced at the freshly cooked meal in the basket of pre-prepared dishes. "How exactly do you see me as different based on my magical pre-cooked meals?"

The adjutant was puzzled. "Pre-cooked meals?"

Lu Wei explained, "They're frozen foods repurposed, commonly known as meal kits."

The adjutant was speechless. "…"

So, all this time, His Majesty had been eating frozen food!

This was the nth time today that the adjutant found himself at a loss for words in response to the young man's remarks.

Could it be that what His Majesty enjoyed... was the thrill of communicating with someone as unpredictable as "Spicy Pepper" with his extraordinary thought process?

Lu Wei offered a small spring roll he had packed himself. "Would you like one? It's just been heated up."

The adjutant politely declined. "That won't be necessary, thank you."

"Oh." Lu Wei put the bun back down.

The adjutant had no choice but to toughen up and say, "In any case, His Majesty definitely won't make things difficult for you, but we might not be as lenient."

So for their sakes, this first bedmate in over a century would have to make a heroic sacrifice!

Before Lu Wei could say anything, the adjutant pushed him inside.

Then, the door was callously shut.

With a slam, Lu Wei found himself locked inside the sovereign's chambers, the 'Dog Emperor.'

They were instantly separated by a single door.

Inside, Lu Wei pounded on the door frantically. "Adjutant! Adjutant! How could you be so ruthless!"

He yelled, "Do you have any sense of camaraderie, any love for your colleagues? This is workplace bullying! I'll report you, I swear!"

Outside, the adjutant wiped his sweat, feeling the weight of guilt dripping down his back.

The biting words still pierced the adjutant's heart: "I share my heart with my colleagues, but they play mind games with me. It truly leaves me cold."

Adjutant: ...

Although he had no idea where the young man learned such trendy phrases, they were indeed vivid.

The adjutant tried to call out, "Apologies, Mr. Lu, do your best!"

Lu Wei was about to retort, "You $#@%..."

His mouth was suddenly covered by a hand, and a tall shadow enveloped him entirely.

Perhaps it was due to this damned planet, but he could sense the scent of the other person, the same alluring aroma that had drawn him in during their first encounter.

Huo Jin's emotionless voice echoed from behind, "So many things to say to the adjutant?"

Lu Wei turned his head with a sarcastic smile, "Your subordinate is also a... dog."

Before he could finish, his mouth was covered once more.

"Cease your words, I have no desire to listen."

Lu Wei: "Damn it."

The Canine Sovereign chuckled, "I've been observing you and the adjutant since earlier. Your conversation seems never-ending."

Lu Wei: "Mmm... Ah, umm, ahh, ohhh?" (Do you want to know who we were talking about?)

The Canine Sovereign buried his face into Lu Wei's back, inhaling deeply.

Lu Wei's legs turned numb from the excitement.

Damn it, you don't even suck on cats like that!

One of Lu Wei's hands was held captive, while the other covered his mouth.

The Canine Emperor continued speaking, "When I was serving as your adjutant, you initiated conversations with me. But after we returned, you seldom sought me out. Do you prefer him?"

The Canine Emperor's voice remained tranquil, but the subtle rise in tone at the end betrayed his emotions, which Lu Wei immediately picked up on.

Lu Wei: Tch!

In his eyes, this damn subordinate was even less than a dog to His Majesty.

The smiling Dog Emperor: "You can't answer, can you?"

Muffled Lu Wei: ???

Damn it.

He wanted to answer! With such immense strength, he had no way to resist being pulled along. All Lu Wei could do was mumble and try to communicate through gestures, using his eyes to signal that he couldn't speak.

The Dog Emperor acknowledged his gaze.

The Dog Emperor continued to smile: "Whining won't help either."

Lu Wei's gaze instantly turned into a deadly glare.

"How is your adjutant better? Can he provide for you?"

The canine emperor embraced him from behind, and the other party was significantly taller than himself.

Lu Wei had never imagined that one day, as a man, he would find himself in such a scenario.

On the verge of death, Lu Wei could still earnestly ponder the other's words.

Come to think of it, only the canine emperor could pull off something like this.

"You even want to feed him," the canine emperor sneered.

Lu Wei: "Guh... Oh?"

My Lord Red-Braised, I'm innocent!

Damn it, he wanted to kill someone!

The scent emanating from the canine emperor was becoming unbearable for Lu Wei.

Pepper could distinctly feel a spark of desire ignited within him by the scent emanating from the other, causing his body to grow limp.

It was evident that the other party was equally captivated, gazing at him with an intensity that resembled a predator eyeing its prey. His dark pupils were fixated on Pepper without a moment's deviation.

Lu Wei felt his own body beginning to soften as well.

Damn.

His Majesty the Dog was even nuzzling his back like a cat in a trance.

"Wait... Mmm."

Lu Wei: "..."

Damn.

This was like the prelude to something about to unfold.

Damn it!!!

Yet, he lacked the strength to retaliate!

During his rut, Emperor Dog was purely an obstinate madman who wouldn't listen to reason, even as he nipped at Lu Wei's neck, inquiring about his weaknesses, bearing grudges all the while.

Before being taken, Lu Wei could only curse and feel grateful that this damn bastard couldn't sire offspring!

Otherwise, how could it be acceptable to be impregnated like this??