Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As the starship sealed shut, no sound could be heard from outside. For once, a rare expression of joy graced Huainan’s face. She scooped up Torr and planted two resounding kisses on his little cheeks.

"Junior, what did you do to make that crooked merchant so furious?"

As they walked back along the ship’s corridor, Bernard couldn’t help but ask, curiosity piqued.

"Nothing much, just gave away half of his junk for some good deeds!"

"Pfft!"

Bernard chuckled mischievously. It seemed that while his junior might be naive, surviving for so long on a trash planet meant she wasn’t one to take losses lying down.

"Alright, in a few days, our ship will reach the stargate and perform a space jump. If the little one can’t handle it, you can ask us for a sleep pod. But it’ll be over in an instant—once we pass through that star system and enter the stable route, it’ll be smooth sailing."

"Really?"

Huainan hesitated, holding Torr. She wasn’t worried about herself, but Torr hadn’t gone through differentiation yet, which made her uneasy.

"It’s fine. At the very least, Ansel is quite kind to the two of you. After all, you—"

Realizing he’d said too much, Bernard quickly shut his mouth, relieved that Ansel had already gone back to rest.

Clearing his throat, Bernard led Huainan and Torr to their room, feigning nonchalance as he gestured for them to enter.

"This is your room. The key also serves as your pass. Nutrient solutions and other necessities are inside. External star-net access is temporarily unavailable until we pass through the stargate."

Huainan nodded, tactfully pretending she hadn’t heard his earlier slip-up. She took Torr’s hand, bid Bernard farewell, and closed the cabin door behind her.

"Whew—"

Standing alone outside the door, Bernard let out a long exhale. Thankfully, his junior wasn’t the overly curious type—otherwise, if Ansel found out he’d been running his mouth, there’d be trouble!

Inside, Huainan glanced around before setting Torr down to prepare him for a bath.

Torr had always been a quiet, introverted child, fully capable of taking care of himself—so much so that he often refused Huainan’s help.

Stepping into the bathroom, Huainan quickly noted how streamlined the process was compared to the outdated methods on the trash planet. Here, washing and drying were seamlessly integrated, making everything incredibly efficient.

She pulled clothes from her armband and crouched down to remind him,

"Let me know if you need help, Torr."

The little one merely nodded, not asking for her assistance.

Listening to the sound of running water, Huainan sighed and rubbed her forehead.

She used to dislike children—most of them were little devils, the kind that could break your heart without shedding blood. But now, Torr’s being too mature left her at a loss. At one point, she’d even worried he might have psychological issues.

As she organized their belongings, Huainan accidentally caught sight of the terminal in the corner and instantly recalled Senior Ansel’s warning.

Mercenary terminals and space clasps should never be shown off. The main planet was full of dangerous people—someone would inevitably recognize their origins. Combined with Huainan and Torr’s status as outsiders from a remote planet, it would only invite trouble.

Beyond that, there were the pheromone suppressors. The seniors had stressed that in any civilized place, going without one was practically seen as shameless behavior—something only star pirates and vagrants would do.

Huainan agreed with and appreciated these reminders. She resolved to dispose of these items at the first opportunity. As for the spatial bracelet Ansel had given her, he’d called it payment for the weapon upgrades.

At that thought, Huainan paused. She was truly grateful to both seniors. Though Bernard’s casual comments hinted that Ansel’s kindness stemmed from missing someone from his past, their help had been a godsend when she needed it most. That was why she’d offered to upgrade their weapons in return...

The door clicked open.

Torr stepped out, fresh and clean, his fluffy black hair and shiny eyes making him look even more adorable.

The sight instantly triggered Huainan’s motherly instincts, and she rushed over to scoop him up, snuggling him.

Faced with his sister’s occasional childishness, Torr merely blushed slightly, wrapping his small arms around her neck and letting her have her way. Only after a long moment did he murmur,

"Sis... bath."

Hearing his soft voice, Huainan grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom.

Closing the door, she tossed her clothes into the open compartment on the right and took a cleaning capsule into her mouth.

With a faint click, a mist began to envelop her.

Huainan pushed her hair back, revealing her smooth forehead and slightly hooded eyes. Beads of water trailed down her neck and over her fair skin, leaving shiny trails. The gentle spray felt like a massage, drawing a contented sigh from her.

By the time she reopened her eyes, the bathroom was pristine once more.

When Huainan emerged in her sleepwear, she found Torr sitting on the bed, his eyes drooping as his head nodding, threatening to topple over. She hurried forward to steady him.

Spotting his sister, he sleepily reached out, murmuring,

"A-woo!"

Huainan chuckled.

Oh well. She’d trouble Ao Ting to serve as a bedtime cuddle pillow one more time. Once they reached the main planet, she’d definitely get a few different ones for Torr.

Feeling Ao Ting’s sulky mood, Huainan couldn’t resist petting its soft fur.

"What can I do? You’re just too popular, Ao Ting."

"Grrr!"

Seeing Huainan’s shamelessness, Ao Ting pushed at her with its large black-and-white paws, bracing to pounce. Just as the two were play-fighting, Ao Ting suddenly turned its head, its bright blue eyes narrowing sharply as it stared at the door.

Is someone there?

Rustling sounds—

Seeing Ao Ting so cautious, Huainan barely caught a faint noise. She and Ao Ting quietly approached from either side.

Meanwhile, Tor, sensing the tense atmosphere, snapped fully awake. He covered his mouth with both hands, eyes wide and round, locked onto his sister’s hands by the door...

Bang!

Huainan flung the door open, and Ao Ting lunged forward.

Hiss—!

Outside the door stood a massive white serpent, stretching dozens of meters.

The cold white light of the corridor clearly illuminated the crisscrossing crimson scales over its slit pupils. Its snow-white body gleamed with rainbow-like reflections as it slithered, both beautiful and terrifying. At that moment, its thick coils nearly blocked the entire doorway.

Ao Ting’s charging form slammed into the serpent’s midsection, tackling it. The giant snake, however, was not about to back down. It arched its powerful spine, instantly coiling around the white tiger and constricting it in a death grip with its tail.

Entangled, the two beasts battled with snarls and hisses relentlessly.

"Hiss—!"

"Roar—!"

Seeing this, Huainan immediately shut the door. The corridor was too narrow for a proper fight, and given the serpent’s size—clearly a fully grown constrictor—Ao Ting might lose against its crushing power.

Where had this Spirit Beast come from?

As the two beasts tumbled, Huainan saw her chance to draw her bone dagger, ready to strike at the right moment—

"Huainan, stop!"

"Cassos! You too, quit it!"

Hearing Senior Bernard’s voice, Huainan swiftly changed course. The blade scraped against the floor with a nails-on-chalkboard screech.

Though Huainan halted, the Spirit Beast named Cassos ignored the command. Seizing Ao Ting’s momentary pause, it coiled its powerful tail around the tiger, tightening its grip as if to drag it away.

"What—?"

Seeing that neither beast was injured in their clash, Huainan’s battle fever subsided. Just then, Senior Bernard arrived, fuming. He grabbed the serpent’s neck and yanked it back with all his might. The sheer strength of an alpha forced the massive serpent to bend unnaturally.

"Cassos! Your temper is unbearable!"

"Get back here! Your partner needs you!"

Seeing Ao Ting struggling wildly in the serpent’s coils and realizing Cassos wasn’t an enemy, Huainan moved to intervene.

Unexpectedly, the serpent seemed to be waiting for her. The moment she drew near, Cassos lashed its tail and, with a swift motion, coiled around Huainan, disappearing with her instantly.

Ao Ting, witnessing Huainan’s abduction, hackles raised in fury. Its whip-like tail lashed furiously as it gave chase.

"For fuck's sake, what is this mess?!"

Bernard covered his face with a sigh. Just then, a soft sound came from beside him—a kid in a hazmat suit slipped through the door crack. It was Tor, who had seen everything. Though he knew the serpent was an ally, he was still panicked watching his sister get snatched.

"Brother Bernard, find sister!"

***

And so, Huainan was carried away by the Spirit Beast, racing through corridor after corridor, with a massive white tiger hot on their trail. The spectacle had the ship’s guards gaping.

Yet they merely exchanged glances before resuming their patrols.

Cassos’ temper was notorious—best not to get involved.

Gripping the rough scales beneath her fingers, Huainan dangled midair, bewildered, forced to ride the serpent’s undulating body. Senior Bernard’s earlier warnings had left her wary, but her confusion only deepened when Cassos brought her into a room thick with the sharp, green scent of an omega.

Having never been exposed to an omega’s pheromones before, Huainan felt her mouth go dry under the overpowering assault.

Thud!

She was flung precisely onto the bed, rolling straight into a burning-hot body.

The other person on the bed, sensing Huainan’s presence, immediately entangled themselves with her. The moment their bodies touched, every sensation magnified tenfold.

Huainan froze, acutely aware of the hot, uneven breathing against her back. She didn’t dare guess—or even think—who it might be, only watching helplessly as Cassos turned its head and slithered back to fetch Ao Ting.

"RROOOAAARR—!!"

A cacophony of furious snarls erupted outside the door.

Hearing Ao Ting’s distorted cries, Huainan struggled to break free, but a slender arm instantly barred her path.

"Mmm—"

The figure leaned in, forcefully pressing her into a cool mint-scented embrace.

Red hair. Emerald eyes—

"Senior Ansel!"