Chapter 310: Opportunity

Chapter 310 Opportunity

The next day, the Imperial Star was invited to deliver a public speech.

To avoid any mishaps, Pei Ming’s trusted aide—a lieutenant-general—personally arrived at the scene. He demanded Jiang Qi recite the speech in advance, and under his watchful gaze, Jiang Qi lowered his eyes and flawlessly repeated every word of the script.

"Good," the lieutenant-general remarked. "But there’s still room for improvement."

After a moment of thought, he added, "Could you incorporate some expressions and gestures? A smile, waving to the crowd, opening your arms—things like that. It’ll help you connect with the audience. And don’t keep your eyes down the whole time. You need to make eye contact with the people from the Lower Districts. Understand?"

Jiang Qi lifted his gaze to meet the man’s eyes and forced a smile. "Of course."

The lieutenant-general continued, "Later, you’ll wear a hidden earpiece. Central Command will cue you on when to wave and when to smile."

Jiang Qi replied evenly, "Understood."

He obeyed like an emotionless machine, perfectly executing every order from above.

"Go on." Satisfied with the tool’s obedience and efficiency, the lieutenant-general patted him and smiled. "You’re the pride of the Lower Districts."

Jiang Qi nodded. As he stepped through the glass door, Ye Wang was waiting for him.

The major-general had changed into an elaborate military dress uniform, adorned with a sash representing his honors across his chest, his fingers sheathed in silk ceremonial gloves. He extended a hand toward Jiang Qi and prompted, "Madam, take my hand."

A ceremonial requirement.

Jiang Qi lowered his gaze and took the offered hand.

Ye Wang’s fingers were warm, but Jiang Qi’s were damp with cold sweat, icy to the touch.

Ye Wang murmured, "Protocol requires me to embrace you now."

Jiang Qi replied softly, "...Mhm."

And so, a solid warmth pressed against him.

Pei Gu and Ye Wang were of similar height, both just slightly taller than Jiang Qi by half a head. The hold enveloped him—a fleeting sense of safety.

Their clasped hands tightened reflexively.

For security reasons, the stage was set at the border between the Upper and Lower Districts, surrounded by guards clad in bulletproof vests and heavily armed.

The path to the platform was a long red-carpeted corridor, flanked by countless reporters. Thousands of cameras and lenses were trained on them, broadcasting the event live across every channel. As camera flashes lit up around them, Ye Wang could feel Jiang Qi’s grip growing tighter and tighter, nearly convulsive.

Gently, he stroked the back of Jiang Qi’s hand and whispered near his ear, "Wait until after the speech. Trust me."

With the Imperial Star’s handover to the Federation imminent, Ye Wang couldn’t afford any complications.

He added quietly, "I know what you’re thinking. You’ll get your chance."

"...Mhm."

Leaning into the warmth at his back, Jiang Qi curled his fingers slightly and murmured in reply.

Together, they walked down the red carpet and ascended the platform. Ye Wang waved cordially to the crowd below before they both took their positions at the front.

Ye Wang adjusted the microphone with care, lowering it to the right height before offering it to Jiang Qi—like a devoted spouse in a flawless marital tableau.

Jiang Qi then closed his hand around the microphone.

"Good morning, citizens of the Undercity. I am Jiang Qi, born in Sector B13 of the Undercity. Through participating in the Empire's Imperial Gene-forging Program, I secured my ascension to the Upper District..."

He recited slowly, the words on the script transforming into emotionless symbols. Jiang Qi was merely a marionette with silver strings, his throat gripped by unseen hands, forcing him to translate these symbols one by one.

His smooth, monotonous voice flowed through the threshold between worlds.

"I am deeply grateful to the Empire for this opportunity. The Genetic Modification Project is a visionary undertaking, allowing me to see a better version of myself. Without this project, I do not know where I would be today. Now, I have a successful career and a harmonious family..."

The general's voice came through the earpiece: "Smile."

Jiang Qi curved his lips. He had performed this action countless times before the interrogator, requiring no rehearsal: "I feel incomparable happiness and fulfillment."

After this line, he paused as instructed by the earpiece, allowing the cameras to capture his "happiness and fulfillment" expression. Through the lenses, the Imperial Star appeared dignified and refined, every bit the well-educated Upper District noble, with every vestige of the Undercity scrubbed from his bearing.

Only when the earpiece signaled approval did he proceed to the next segment.

"As for the Undercity housing collapse incident, I believe the responsibility does not lie with the search teams..."

The earpiece issued another command: "Lift your head. Make eye contact with the Undercity audience. Let them feel your sincerity."

"..."

Jiang Qi raised his eyes and looked at the residents of the Undercity.

Two days had passed since the unrest. Demonstrators and the dispossessed had gathered here, their faces reflecting the ashen pallor of surrender. Jiang Qi met their gazes—some filled with anger, others hollow—and saw the hand-painted crimson banners they held: "Give me back my home." Finally, his gaze settled on the back of the crowd.

He spotted a child clutching a teddy bear. Unlike the exhausted adults around her, she seemed miraculously unscathed, her eyes bright and clear as her father lifted her onto his shoulders. In her hand was a plastic toy rank insignia—a themed accessory modeled after the "Imperial Star."

Noticing Jiang Qi's gaze, the child happily raised the star and flashed him a sweet smile.

Many Undercity residents knew nothing of Jiang Qi's suffering, nor what the Genetic Modification Project truly entailed. They were unaware of the broken body and soul beneath his polished exterior. To them, Jiang Qi was their lottery-winning champion—a decorated war idol, their gilded celebrity, an object of envy. Children ran across toxic rubble-fields clutching faded plastic stars, proclaiming, "When I grow up, I want to be the Imperial Star."

Jiang Qi suddenly felt the urge to vomit.

Revulsion welled uncontrollably within him, his stomach spasming reflexively. He averted his eyes, unable to meet the child's gaze—unable to meet any of the Undercity residents' eyes. He perched on gilded stilts yet groveling in filth. Dressed in finery, he had never felt more exposed. Bitter words fermented in his chest; a long-suppressed storm threatened to break through the calm surface. Embers of defiance sparked then suffocated.

Ye Wang threaded fingers through his hand.

The commander stroked his wrist, gently pinching his pinky as if comforting a spooked colt. Those perpetually amused eyes watched him quietly, seeming to say, "I promised you. I won’t lie."

He had promised, "There will be a chance to speak."

"..."

This was not the right moment, Jiang Qi knew.

If he spoke now, the Empire would immediately seize him, launching an investigation. The breach into the restricted research sector would be exposed, and Ye Wang would be implicated.

Jiang Qi took a deep breath.

He tore his gaze away from the child's star toy and continued his speech.

"...That concludes my address."

Twenty minutes later, the state-sanctioned litany finally came to an end. Jiang Qi bowed deeply at precisely 45 degrees to the audience.

The earpiece delivered its final command: "Pivot on your heel. Embrace your consort."

Jiang Qi turned around, facing Ye Wang directly.

The commander continued to gaze at him quietly, rubbing his little finger beneath the podium as if asking, "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Jiang Qi raised his arms, sliding them under the commander’s in a full embrace. He buried his chin in Ye Wang's shoulder, keeping his face hidden from the cameras. He clung desperately, as if trying to fuse them together.

Ye Wang's fingers stiffened for a moment before he, too, lifted his hands to rest on his "wife's" slender back. He soothingly kneaded the nape of Jiang Qi's neck and whispered, "It's alright, it's over now. Everything's fine."

Jiang Qi still didn’t let go.

This embrace had the higher-ups’ approval—one Jiang Qi could prolong as much as he wished. Under the watch of countless cameras, only here could he afford a moment of vulnerability.

So Ye Wang didn’t speak either, simply patting the man in his arms, over and over.

Around them, confetti machines sprayed colorful streams of rainbow paper, and fireworks burst in the daylight. Photographers captured the moment from the best angles, ensuring the cameras faithfully recorded the scene. Unless something went wrong, this image would splash across headlines in every major news outlet in the empire the next day.

It was unclear how much time had passed before Jiang Qi finally released Ye Wang.

He still held the commander’s hand, their fingers laced together tightly, his palm damp with sweat—as if clinging to the faintest semblance of support.

Ye Wang sighed softly and wrapped an arm around Jiang Qi’s shoulders, guiding him away.

As the empire’s carefully crafted "golden couple," Ye Wang and Jiang Qi were undeniably media magnets. Reporters descended like vultures, shoving mics in their faces. Many blocked their exit, shouting questions: "Major General Ye, with such a vast difference in status, can you tell us when you first fell for Colonel Jiang?" "Major General Ye, how do you make marriage work with a partner from such a different background?" "Major General Ye, who fell in love first?"

The empire’s brass ate this up. They needed gossip to divert the media’s attention and reinforce the lovers' persona they had constructed.

Ye Wang glanced down—Jiang Qi’s face was pale, his eyes dull, clearly in need of rest. Brushing off the reporters, he replied offhandedly, "I fell for him watching the battle footage. There he was, standing at the forefront of the starship, coolly eyeing the enemy command vessel before raising his hand to order the attack. So damn hot—I was a goner right there. Yes, yes, love at first sight. Exactly that."

Ye Wang didn’t take any of this seriously. He was used to shooting the breeze, and he could lie in his sleep. Before long, he had maneuvered Jiang Qi to the exit.

Just as they were about to step out, a reporter lunged forward. Unable to reach Ye Wang in the crowd, they jammed the mic in Jiang Qi’s face, shielded by Ye Wang’s side: "Colonel Jiang, some say your marriage to Major General Ye is solely due to the Ye family’s status. How do you respond?"

Jiang Qi remained silent. Undeterred, the reporter pressed, "Colonel Jiang, have you ever had feelings for Major General Ye?"

They weren’t backing down without a reply.

Jiang Qi’s mind was a tangled mess, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, when the question abruptly snapped him back. He hesitated for a moment before answering, almost involuntarily, "Well..."

Before he could finish, Ye Wang dragged him off.

Finally escaping the reporters, Ye Wang pulled Jiang Qi onto the aircraft, swiftly drawing the anti-surveillance curtains before igniting the engine. As the craft ascended, the podium shrinking to a speck below, Ye Wang let out a long breath.

They arrived home.

After the exhausting morning, Ye Wang wasn’t physically tired—just drained by the whole charade. The moment they stepped inside, he was wiped out, and he collapsed onto the sofa, motionless for a long while. "Sit down for a bit. Too many people out there."

But Jiang Qi set his things by the entryway, slipped into house slippers, and hurried off to the kitchen.

Ye Wang: "?"

Was he about to whip up a disaster the second they got home?

Then Jiang Qi stuck his head out from the kitchen. "Sir, would you like some milk?"

Ye Wang: "?"

His rival playing house? He couldn’t refuse!

Ye Wang: "Yes. Blueberry flavor, please."

Before long, Jiang Qi came out with two cups of milk, pushing one toward Ye Wang.

Ye Wang found it odd, but he noticed Jiang Qi holding the warm milk and zoning out completely, his gaze unfocused, fingers intertwined and trembling slightly, as if his mind had completely left his body, somewhere far away.

It seemed like he was using meaningless actions to mask some private anguish, and it was hard to witness.

Ye Wang didn’t press him. He took a sip of the blueberry milk and deliberately changed the subject, smiling, "Why did you hug me so tightly earlier? I couldn’t pry you loose."

Jiang Qi’s fingers stilled. He lowered his eyes, staring at the steam rising from the milk. "...The lieutenant general ordered me to."

He squirmed with discomfort, though it was still better than his earlier state.

Ye Wang chuckled. "He told you to hug, so you hugged? What if he told you to kiss? Would you do that too?"

"..."

Jiang Qi’s hand trembled again. He glanced up briefly, his gaze flickering to Ye Wang’s lips before quickly looking away. He hesitated, then finally mumbled evasively, avoiding a direct answer, "In that situation... if the lieutenant general ordered me to kiss, I suppose I’d have to."

Ye Wang: "I suppose so."

He wanted to say more, to keep the conversation going and distract Jiang Qi from the speech, but his comm unit chirped with an incoming alert.

Ye Wang checked—it was from Colonel Bu Nian.

"Major General, we’ve commandeered a mineral survey vessel for planetary surveys. Have the people you’re bringing disguise themselves as miners and technicians. You’ll need to cooperate—just say they’re your team sent to survey a private planet for mining. Departure is scheduled in two days."

Ye Wang flashed a thumbs-up.

He assessed Jiang Qi with a calculating look, thinking, *The chance to smuggle out the Imperial Star has finally come.*

Author's Note:

Jiang: "Kiss? Well... it’s not... not entirely out of the question."

Bing: "No! Commander Ye is still frozen in the cryo pod! Go back and kiss him there!"