Chapter 292: Marriage

Chapter 292: The Wedding

The voice rang out crystal-clear, resonating directly in his skull.

Ye Wang froze mid-bite with his silver fork. "Oh?"

He glanced at Vice Admiral Pang, but Pang Su was still eating his vegetables, none the wiser.

Now that was odd.

The starship was equipped with the Federation's most advanced reconnaissance and control systems. How had this electronic voice bypassed all the shielding devices and resounded in his ears?

Then, a square electronic screen silently appeared beside his plate, planted squarely on the dining table, displaying a friendly expression.

"Hello there b(￣▽￣)d, host~"

Ye Wang's right hand remained still, his expression calm and composed, but his left hand crept stealthily to rest on the pistol at his waist. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "And you would be?"

Across from him, his vice admiral remained unaware, using his chopsticks to shove the broccoli aside and pick up the last piece of chicken breast in the plate.

As the slice of meat brushed past the screen, 66 tilted its head slightly and snuck a nibble.

The chicken was smoked, seasoned with black pepper—pretty damn good. After finishing, it perked up its display. "I'm an NPC support system from a high-dimensional world specializing in torture-the-protagonist narratives. Number 66, at your service, host!"

Ye Wang didn't doubt it for a second. A system that could appear before him undetected by Federation surveillance, even unnoticed by his vice admiral, could only be from a higher-dimensional civilization.

That meant his gun was useless.

Not only useless, but this mysterious entity with unknown technological capabilities could threaten his life at any moment. Talking beat fighting any day.

Ye Wang withdrew his left hand, lacing his fingers together on the table in a composed negotiating posture. He smiled politely, oozing polished charm, though his eyes remained shadowed beneath the brim of his cap. "Greetings, esteemed 66. May I ask the purpose of your visit? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ah, no need to be so formal!" 66 got flustered. "Well, Commander Ye, if I were to offer you a chance to assume another identity and infiltrate the Empire, how'd you like that?"

Unlike other hosts, Ye Wang existed in the same dimension as his mission target—no need for interdimensional travel. Moreover, he wasn't dead, so there were no afterlife perks to dangle. In other words, 66 had no tangible rewards to entice him into accepting the mission.

To address this, the Main System proposed a solution: outside the main storyline, Ye Wang could assume the identity of Imperial Major General Pei Gu to gather intelligence for the Federation, which could later be utilized upon his return.

A spy resurrected in another's body was far more discreet than a newly trained infiltrator.

Sure enough, Ye Wang's fingers twitched slightly, his smile deepening. "Please elaborate... Oh, would you like another serving of chicken breast?"

"...No, that won't be necessary." 66 hadn't expected its sneaky nibble to be noticed. It straightened up and quickly laid out the deal.

"To sum it up," 66 said, "Pei Gu's brain's fried, and his storyline has no one to continue it. We'd like you to step into Pei Gu's boots for a while—specifically, as Jiang Qi's husband."

Ye Wang curled his index finger, absentmindedly stroking his glove—a habitual gesture when deep in thought.

There was no denying it. This "system from a higher-dimensional world" had presented him with a sweet fucking deal.

The Empire and the Federation were currently in a ceasefire. As a commander, Ye Wang was about to return to the Federation's capital planet for R&R. During this downtime, he had nothing pressing to do. Meanwhile, the "Pei Gu" mentioned was an Imperial Major General. By assuming his identity, Ye Wang could directly infiltrate the enemy's power structure and obtain firsthand intelligence.

It was practically an all-gain, no-pain operation.

Ye Wang: "Deal."

He was never one to hesitate. "However, before we proceed, I'll need to make some arrangements."

66 obediently crouched in place: "Okay."

He watched as Su Zhu fastened his peaked cap and strode out of the control room. Soon after, a series of alarms rang throughout the starship, calling several direct subordinates to the conference room. Orders were issued methodically, and finally, Ye Wang made two calls to the home planet, seemingly seeking technical support.

Once everything was done, 66 stared blankly at Ye Wang as he approached: "Ready?"

Ye Wang: "Ready. Follow me."

He strode through the corridor, raised his hand to open the hatch, and then led 66 into a sealed metal-walled room. Inside was a sleek metal device of unknown function.

Ye Wang: "Do you need to step out?"

66: "?"

"Step out for what?"

As he spoke, Ye Wang had already removed his peaked cap, unfastened his cloak, and was unbuttoning the collar of his uniform.

66 scrambled back three steps: "Wh-what are you doing?!"

It stared at Ye Wang in near-horror. The commander was undeniably handsome, with an almost unfairly perfect physique. Even tightly wrapped in his military dress uniform, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs were evident. His thighs were strapped with a holster, while his calves were encased in jet-black leather boots with three-centimeter metal heels that further accentuated the defined lines of his legs.

Ye Wang chuckled, glancing back: "Aren’t we going to the Empire to replace Pei Gu? I’m storing my body in the stasis pod. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, can you take responsibility?"

The metal device in the center of the room was a stasis pod capable of healing, repairing, and preserving the body while maintaining its nutritional needs.

66 quickly turned away, not daring to look anymore: "Oh, okay."

Ye Wang lay down inside the pod.

Only after the hatch sealed completely did 66 cautiously peek around: "Su Zhu, I’m starting now, okay?"

Ye Wang: "Go ahead."

Instantly, countless distorted images materialized before his eyes, space twisting into knotted nodes. A splitting headache struck Ye Wang, and then he fell into deep sleep.

*

Empire, Home Planet, Observation Room 7312.

A blinding white light flared—a 1000w high-pressure short-arc xenon lamp aimed directly at Jiang Qi, washing out his delicate features, leaving them ghostly pale. The glare was too intense, forcing Jiang Qi to lower his gaze, his pupils reflecting a pale golden-brown under the light.

He sat on a metal restraint chair, his wrists locked in handcuffs welded to the table, leaving him no room to resist.

Before Jiang Qi stood a massive bulletproof glass panel with small openings to allow sound transmission.

On the other side of the glass, an evaluator in a white lab coat settled onto a plastic chair. He scrutinized Jiang Qi cautiously, a matte-black pen in hand.

The evaluator picked up a lined notebook from the desk: "Name?"

"Jiang Qi."

"Why are you here?"

"Abnormal mental fluctuations, posing a significant criminal risk. Undergoing observation and correction in Observation Room 7312."

The evaluator’s sharp gaze pierced through round-framed glasses: "What correction programs have you undergone? How would you evaluate them?"

"...Many programs. Morning labor, noon counseling sessions and ethics training, afternoon classwork," Jiang Qi murmured, eyelids lowered, a faint, empty smile tugging at his lips. "As for how I’d evaluate them... I suppose they’ve granted me inner peace. My emotions are more stable now, and I’ve begun to look forward to my future life."

"What kind of life are you looking forward to?"

Jiang Qi continued to smile, the expression softening his cool, tired features yet inexplicably carrying a solemn air: "I will stay away from the battlefield, build a life with Major General Pei Gu, do flower arrangements, read books, cook—just like countless ordinary people on the capital planet, living a happy and fulfilling life."

"After living an ordinary life, will you recall your years in the military with resentment and bitterness?"

"No," Jiang Qi replied softly. "I will always be grateful to the military for giving me this opportunity, taking me out of the lower districts and allowing me to live freely under the sunlight. This is a hard-won chance, and I will cherish it dearly."

The assessor studied Jiang Qi quietly for a long while before finally stamping the report with a crimson approval stamp.

—Approved.

He put away the assessment file and said, "Take a short rest. Major General Pei Gu will come to accompany you to the civil registry office for the official ceremony in two hours. Happy wedding, Lord Jiang Qi."

Jiang Qi responded calmly, "Thank you."

As the assessor stood and left, the harsh interrogation lights turned off. Only then did Jiang Qi raise a hand to shield his eyes from the already vanished glare. He stared silently at the bulletproof glass before him, his reflection revealing an utterly indifferent expression.

Jiang Qi lifted his gaze slightly, revealing a silent, sardonic smile.

The smile grew wider and wider before vanishing completely within seconds, as if it had never existed, leaving behind only an empty mask.

Behind him, the door to the cell opened, and a voice spoke: "My lord, please follow me to change your attire."

Pei Gu was a rising star in the military, and marrying him meant appearances could not be careless.

Jiang Qi stepped into the bathing chamber, took a quick bath, and wrapped himself in a tailored dress uniform before being escorted onto the shuttle.

There, he met his husband.

Jiang Qi tugged at the corner of his lips, producing a picture-perfect diplomatic smile.

He knew Pei Gu—once stationed at the interstellar prison, overseeing enhanced interrogations. Not an easy man to deal with.

*

Ye Wang was also discreetly observing Jiang Qi.

He had clashed with this man multiple times on the battlefield. In recordings, behind quartz glass, Ye Wang had seen Jiang Qi countless times—but only as a blurred silhouette or a cold, aloof profile looking down from above. This was the first time he had sat so close to Jiang Qi.

*It felt strange.*

Especially compared to the man on the battlefield—standing rigidly, expressionless, the metal clasps on his uniform gleaming sharply like a freshly drawn blade. This version of Jiang Qi, however, kept his eyes lowered, even smiling serenely.

Ye Wang tsked, idly adjusting the communicator in his hand before surreptitiously pointing it at Jiang Qi and capturing an image.

66: "...Host, what are you doing?"

Ye Wang turned away from Jiang Qi and hit send: "Showing my officers the 'Star of the Empire's' polite fake smile."

66: "?"

Upon arriving in this world, Ye Wang had dismantled the original owner's communicator, repurposed several cross-faction comm units from the house, assembled the simple components, and hacked them to a secure channel—all to maintain contact with the Federation.

Sending a photo was a good way to test the stability of the frequency.

He had already briefed his adjutants. His trusted aides all knew Ye Wang had gone to the Empire and was set to marry Jiang Qi. The moment Ye Wang sent the message, the secure line blew up, messages pouring in.

Pang Su: "Holy shit, the guy knows how to smile?"

Wen Muyuan: "If anything, that smile makes him even scarier than not smiling."

Pang Su: "Gives me the creeps - like he's waiting to strike."

Wen Muyuan: "What a coincidence, I feel the same way."

Pang Su: "Boss, are you okay? I keep feeling like he's going to lunge at you any second and put you in a rear naked choke!"

Wen Muyuan: "This guy once disabled one of our automated patrol ships with just two shots. Commander Ye, how many bullets do you think you can handle?"

"..."

Ye Wang: "He can't shoot. He's still under military surveillance and doesn't even have a gun. Meanwhile, I'm the one packing heat here. Plus, I've got special status right now."

Pang Su: "How special?"

Ye Wang: "Special enough that Jiang Qi absolutely won't be able to shoot me anytime soon."

His subordinates wanted to press further, but Ye Wang couldn't be bothered to entertain them. "Alright, go find something else to do. I've arrived."

Pang Su, suspicious: "Arrived where?"

Ye Wang chuckled and deliberately said, "The marriage license office."

Pang Su & Wen Muyuan simultaneously typed: "What???"

Ye Wang had mentioned he was coming but hadn't specified the details of his mission, conveniently omitting System 66 and only saying it was the latest research from the Science Academy, allowing his consciousness to be projected into the Empire.

Now, suddenly dropping the words "marriage registry" was like dropping a bombshell.

The comms went dead silent, leaving only the cosmic static—no messages at all.

Ye Wang turned off his communicator, exited the craft first, and extended his hand to his former nemesis, eyes glinting with mockery. "Shall we, dear?"

Hearing those words, Jiang Qi scowled in disgust but quickly lowered his gaze, barely touching his fingertips on Ye Wang's palm.

Side by side, they stood together—together in body but not in spirit.