Chapter 303: Orange

Chapter 303: The Tangerine

Upon hearing the voice from the synchronized video, Jiang Qi shifted almost imperceptibly.

From the moment he entered the interrogation room, he had kept his head lowered, stoic and hollow, only lifting his gaze slightly when Ye Wang spoke.

Unlike the sofa and fruit provided for Ye Wang, Jiang Qi was restrained with handcuffs to prevent any sudden outburst. The interrogator observed him through bulletproof glass, tapping his knuckles on the metal desk with a dull thud.

"Look up. Watch the screen. Listen carefully."

He was not allowed to lower his head during the observation—a potential tell for hidden emotions.

Jiang Qi replied calmly, "Yes, sir."

His gaze locked onto Ye Wang’s face on the LCD screen.

"Pei Gu" was nothing like the rumors. Jiang Qi had seen him years ago when he returned victorious from battle. This infamous major general of the military was known for his brooding, almost pathological aura, his eyes sharp as a hawk's from years of prison interrogations. Yet after marriage, he was either upstairs working out in tight-fitting clothes that accentuated his lean waist or lounging lazily on the sofa watching TV. Surprisingly, he had become much more agreeable, the hostility in his brow replaced with an air of roguish nonchalance.

Jiang Qi knew his conduct as a spouse left much to be desired, but he had a faint feeling.

—Perhaps Pei Gu wouldn’t expose his outburst.

Expecting protection from the empire’s attack dog like Pei Gu was laughable. Jiang Qi was self-aware; this hope was as fragile as a candle in the wind, buried deep in his chest.

Just a little, very faint—but undeniably there.

So, before Ye Wang spoke, Jiang Qi lightly twisted his fingers subtly.

He heard the commander take a breath.

In the other room, Ye Wang stared into space, massaging his temple with one hand. "This line... tsk."

The line he was supposed to deliver was: "His condition isn’t stable."

Ye Wang wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what would happen to Jiang Qi if he said those words.

As archenemies, Ye Wang should have savored Jiang Qi’s suffering—the worse it got, the happier he’d be. But out of a shared identity’s mutual understanding, he despised the empire’s actions even more.

He lowered his gaze, quickly recalling the terms of his contract with the system, 66, searching for loopholes.

66 silently crawled onto Ye Wang’s shoulder and sighed deeply.

With the jaded sigh of an old hand, it sighed dramatically at the sky, unfazed by storms. "Ugh, not this shit again, here we go again! I knew it!"

Ye Wang: "?"

66 let out another long sigh, giving Ye Wang’s head a consoling pat. "It’s alright, Su Zhu. You don’t want to say this line, right? Ah, but your poor hubby is pitiful. Even I wouldn’t be able to say it. Fine, fine, I’ll teach you."

"What do you mean ‘my wife’ again?" Ye Wang protested. "So I don’t have to say it?"

66 poked him. "You can’t skip it, but &$#@&^*$# is possible."

After whispering a workaround, 66 patted Ye Wang affectionately and crawled back onto his head. "Got it?"

"......"

Thus, after a long silence, "Pei Gu" finally spoke under the interrogator’s sharp gaze. "His condition isn’t stable..."

The interrogator across from him immediately grew serious, writing in a frenzy. Meanwhile, in the next room over, Jiang Qi watched the screen, where the officer looked deliberately aloof, every inch the unrepentant rogue. Against his better judgment, Jiang Qi curled his lips into a ghost of a smirk.

This time, he’d misread the situation.

"...Is that so?"

The interrogator's pen paused, and Jiang Qi's lips stiffened.

Ye Wang rattled on: "His condition isn't stable? No, I think it's quite stable. In fact, my wife is gentle and virtuous; his mood is rock-solid. Every time he sees me, he gives me a warm smile."

The interrogator, who had just written "No": "..."

Jiang Qi, whose mocking smile hadn't yet faded: "..."

The interrogator's lips twitched: "Got it, Maj. Gen. I will record this truthfully. Second question: In the last month, have you and your wife been getting along?"

Ye Wang: "My wife and I haven't gotten along well..."

The interrogator continued writing.

"...would be impossible."

Ye Wang: "We've gotten along extremely well. As you can see, my wife is considerate, obedient, meticulous, and kind. We’re crazy about each other."

"..."

In the adjacent cell, Jiang Qi's interrogator glanced at the file labeling this humanoid weapon as "high-risk," while hearing Ye Wang describe him as "considerate," "gentle," "obedient," and "kind." He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

The questioning continued.

Throughout the session, Ye Wang's unpredictable pauses and convoluted sentence structures successfully managed to waste three of the interrogator’s notepads. By the end, he had managed to deliver all his lines amid the chaotic interrogation.

66 flashed a thumbs-up on the screen.

The interrogator pressed on: "Maj. Gen., you say you two are lovey-dovey, that you get along harmoniously without any friction. Could you provide two examples from your daily life?"

"Uh."

Ye Wang stalled for a second before winging it.

"For example, on the very first day we arrived home, my wife cooked a meal for me."

—Jiang Qi had indeed tried, though he almost torched the kitchen, and the commander ended up cooking instead.

"I remember it was a dish of stir-fried pork with green peppers. The peppers were fragrant and spicy; the pork was just right. Unfortunately, my stomach isn't great, and after eating, I had terrible stomach pain. My wife had to haul me to the Nutrition Chamber."

The interrogator eyed the broad shoulders and narrow waist barely concealed beneath the military uniform: "...You’ve got a weak stomach?"

Ye Wang shrugged: "Irregular meals in the army, you know. There's always so much military business to handle."

The interrogator, well aware this man came from the Pei family and owed his rank to ancestral favor: "...How noble of the Maj. Gen."

Ye Wang waved it off: "Just doing my duty, no trouble at all."

Now the interrogator's lips and even his eye were twitching: "Any other specific examples?"

Ye Wang flopped lazily on the sofa: "Oh, plenty. Like the time we drank together..."

The drinking story was best left untold, so Ye Wang changed the subject: "Or how my wife warms milk for me every night. And he’s got weird tastes, you know? His favorite is strawberry-flavored milk. You know the one? The pink kind, with cutesy angels or sprites, or sparkly princesses and fairy-tale castles on the packaging."

All three: "..."

A suffocating silence filled the interrogation room.

In the adjacent interrogation room, the interrogator looked up, scrutinizing Jiang Qi with disbelief, from head to toe and back again. After struggling for a long while, his face flushed red, and his professional composure finally succumbed to curiosity.

"So... you really like strawberry milk? The pink kind, with sparkly fairies and castles on the packaging?"

"..."

According to the rules, Jiang Qi couldn’t evade the interrogator’s question—doing so would be considered silent resistance.

He took a deep breath and replied stiffly, expressionless, "Yes, I like strawberry milk. Specifically the kind with sparkly fairies and castles on the packaging. Happy now?"

Opposite Ye Wang, the interrogator hastily finished his notes and concluded the session. He stood up, tucking the files under his arm. "Major General, you may leave now. We will complete the questioning next door and provide the assessment results shortly."

Ye Wang’s testimony was one reference point, but Jiang Qi’s own performance was far more critical.

Hearing this, Ye Wang let out a dry laugh.

The commander slouched lazily on the sofa, grabbing an orange from the fruit basket. "I think I’ll stay. I’ll wait here for my wife. He doesn’t have a hovercar, and this is the lower district—he won’t be able to flag down a taxi home."

The interrogators in both rooms froze simultaneously. Even Jiang Qi snapped his head up.

Since the interrogation had ended, the linked video feed was cut off. The last thing Jiang Qi saw was the commander’s gloved hands, long fingers toying with a bright orange.

Then, the screen dimmed and went completely black.

In the reflection of the darkened screen, Jiang Qi saw his own face—twisted in confusion and bewilderment he couldn’t even explain to himself.

Ye Wang had already made his stance clear.

— He intended to take Jiang Qi home.

No matter how long the Institute deliberated, he would wait.

Pei Gu wasn’t just an Imperial Major General—he was also a Pei family heir. Regardless of his motives, his attitude was something the Institute’s higher-ups had to consider.

The interrogator could only say, "Yes, sir. Please rest here for a while. Once the questioning concludes, I’ll return your wife to you immediately."

As he turned to leave, Ye Wang called out, "Ah—"

The commander gestured toward the door. "It’s a bit stifling in here. Mind if I take a walk? Nothing classified—just a casual stroll outside."

For an ordinary person, wandering near sensitive zones would be strictly prohibited. But Ye Wang was a Major General, several ranks above the interrogator. The latter could only reply, "Of course, Major General. If you don’t mind, I can arrange a guide for you."

Ye Wang: "Please."

Soon, the staff member who had escorted him in earlier approached. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they wandered around the outer perimeter of the experimental zone, avoiding the classified core areas. They did, however, pass by the storage and transport sections—two relatively unimportant areas—before arriving at the packaging bay.

Through the thick glass, Ye Wang caught a distant glimpse of the workers handling the packaging. These workers were from the undersector, and among them, there were likely informants planted by Bu Nian.

The packaged serums would be unloaded outside the glass doors, their labels bearing complex coded gibberish. These labels were removed and destroyed before entering the packaging room, ensuring the workers inside never accessed any classified information.

Ye Wang adjusted his sash, subtly fingering his medal.

Beyond this point lay secure zones, so Ye Wang stopped short. "Alright, that’s enough wandering. I’ll wait in my ride."

The staff member audibly exhaled. "I’ll walk you out."

Ye Wang cast one last glance at the secure area before turning away.

He climbed back into the aircraft, adjusting the seat cushion to a semi-reclined position, and took a moment to recall his observations in the experimental area. He mentally mapped out his memories, from the interconnected streets outside the testing zone to the intricate pathways within.

As he sorted through his memories, sleepiness washed over him. Ye Wang glanced at his watch, saw that it was still early, then closed his eyes and covered his face with his hat, drifting into a light sleep.

When Jiang Qi returned, this was the scene that greeted him.

The young, handsome major general lounged lazily on the cushioned seat, his face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. His posture was relaxed and carefree, as if he weren’t napping in an aircraft but rather sunbathing on a beach.

Hearing movement, Ye Wang stirred awake. He tilted his head slightly, causing the hat to slide off and reveal his prominent nose.

"Ah, you're back," the commander said lazily, sitting up halfway before reaching for an orange nearby.

He spun the fruit between his fingers and tossed it toward Jiang Qi.

He teased with a grin, "Sweetheart, want a bite?"