Chapter 16 part7

Translated by Eve

Edited by Karasunofight

After a few days, the door to the Commander’s room finally opened under the nervous and uneasy gazes of the space pirates.

Their Commander who walked out of the room looked as noble, cool, and elegant as ever—one who could be gazed at from afar but never approached. His clothes were meticulous from head to toe. From just looking at him, one wouldn’t be able to tell that he and his guide had spent so many days doing the deed. He didn’t exude any of the sensual or languid aura that one would expect to see after someone has indulged in sexual behaviour.

The only change that they could see in him was probably that...he seemed even more beautiful? After his spiritual force had stabilized, Sui Yuan’s expression was evidently brighter. He was so charming and attractive that it was difficult to look away from him.

As soon as he took one step out, Sui Yuan’s foot knocked against the medical box that had been openly placed before his door all this time. He silently lowered his head and gazed at the myriad of medicine. After looking at the medicine, he looked over at Dalena who was standing not far away, embarrassed with a conflicted yet happy look on her face.

Dalena promptly stepped forward under the other space pirates’ urging. She probed, "Commander, how do you feel? Do you need...cough...an examination?"

Sui Yuan, who knew his body well, waved his hand apathetically in response. He then asked about the important point, "Is there anything to eat?"

"Yes, yes, yes! We have had it prepared since a while back! These past few days, you’ve been making do with nutritional fluid. Commander, you must have gotten sick of it, ba? We’ll have food carried over very soon!" Dalena said at once. After taking a pause, she asked, unwilling to give up, "If you’re feeling all right, then what about Hill? Does he need...an examination?"

As soon as he heard ’Hill,’ the expression on Sui Yuan’s exquisite face slightly warped, and he gritted his teeth, donning a forced smile, "No need. He’s probably doing very well."

Delena and the other spectating space pirates fell silent in that instant. Then...they understood.

For a moment, it was completely quiet in the ship. Everyone was immersed in the shock that came from having their CP reversed. Even if they had prepared themselves, even if they had participated in coming up with crazy ideas on how to help Hill counterattack, now that it had come true, they still found it difficult to accept!

Their Commander was pushed down by Hill, this soft little imp? This was unscientific! Their Commander was so strong, how could he be the one to have been pushed down? The Commander must truly love Hill! He couldn’t bear to watch the other suffer through his bonding heat without a way to receive it, so he unexpectedly suppressed his instinct as a sentinel to submit to Hill. This was definitely a cause for great respect! He was simply a sentinel who could move the entire cosmos!

Sui Yuan felt the hairs on his body stand on end from being stared at by the space pirates’ deeply-moved gazes that were full of adoration and...pity (?). He forced himself to assume an aloof appearance, furrowing his eyebrows, "What?"

When they saw that their thin-skinned Commander was about to fly into a rage from shame, the space pirates did not dare say anything more, quickly dispersing. Only, the atmosphere in the pirate spaceship was relaxed and happy like never before. After all, although the process had been worrying, their Commander finally had a guide again! They didn’t have to worry that his spiritual force would collapse ever again!

Sui Yuan rubbed his temples. Looking at all of the surrounding space pirates, who were all pretending to be ’busy,’ he simply didn’t know what expression he should have on.

Fortunately, the aromatic, delicious-looking food was soon carried over. Dalena meticulously introduced both portions: this one was good for replenishing a sentinel’s energy, and that one was soft and easily digestible, therefore suitable for a guide to eat. Her explanation was serious and careful as if she was making an academic report.

In the end, Dalena wavered but still added, "Mn, perhaps it would be more suitable for Commander to eat the easy-to-digest meal? I specifically told the chef to make a bit more of this. There should be enough. If there isn’t enough, there’s still more in the kitchen!"

As for Sui Yuan’s response...he just slammed the door in Dalena’s face.

Dalena gave a hollow laugh as she rubbed her injured nose. She suddenly felt that her Commander seemed to be a bit of a tsundere for some inexplicable reason. Actually...he seemed very meng?

After he was finally able to block those gossiping space pirates out, Sui Yuan carried the food and headed into his room. He looked up and down at his beloved, who was lying in bed, curled up with a smile and sleeping soundly as if he was having a pleasant dream. Suddenly, Sui Yuan felt more discontent than ever.

When he recalled that preposterous bonding heat, Sui Yuan’s fingertips couldn’t help but twitch. He particularly wanted to fiercely beat up his sweetheart. The reactions of sentinels and guides were not the same during their bonding heats. A sentinel would become more and more excited as if they had an inexhaustible source of energy. Meanwhile, a guide would become completely powerless and could only allow the sentinel to do what he desired. Therefore, after Zhao Xihe aroused Sui Yuan’s desire and destroyed his rationality, he immediately washed his hands of it and didn’t do anything. Meanwhile, Sui Yuan, who couldn’t be satisfied, naturally had no choice but to rely on himself, just like what Zhao Xihe had said before. He had to ’take the initiative to move.’

Furthermore, what bothered him even more was that after the heat was over, Sui Yuan’s valiant sentinel constitution left him glowing with vitality after just sleeping for a bit. Aside from his behind feeling a bit off, he was full of energy. Even his chronic headache that had bothered him all this time was gone. It was like he had been resurrected in a game with full health.

By contrast, Zhao Xihe had blacked out. Even up until now, he had shown no sign of waking. Reportedly, a guide would sink into a period of weakness that could last anywhere from a few days to more than ten days, and they would need their sentinel’s meticulous and considerate care to ensure that the weak guide could peacefully pass this dangerous period.

Unfortunately, Sui Yuan, who had been gnawed clean by this ’weak guide,’ didn’t think about having a single ’tender, protective feeling towards the fairer sex’ at all. He was so full of resentment that his teeth itched when he looked at Zhao Xihe, who looked pitiful while swaddled in his blanket. He directly ripped off the quilt and kicked the young guide, who was in deep sleep, out of the bed.

The young guide fell onto the floor without having received any warning. Although the floor was covered by a soft rug, it was still enough to startle him awake from his dream. Zhao Xihe opened his eyes, a bit bewildered. He gazed, confused and at a loss, at his lover, who he had been indulging in harmonious action not long ago and yet seemed to have become hostile towards him upon pulling on his pants. It was only a few seconds later did he finally react, showing a shy and sweet smile, "My dear, you’ve awoken? How do you feel?"

"I’ve been awake for a long time. I’ve taken a shower, changed my clothes, and am about to eat," Sui Yuan responded insipidly, anger having diminished a bit. He stepped over Zhao Xihe’s body and carried the tray of food over to the desk.

Zhao Xihe, who was very adept at reading body language and tone, naturally knew that his sweetheart was upset over his action of going into heat without informing him first. He obediently climbed up and followed after Sui Yuan, barefooted and trying to sell meng, "Ai ya, I’m a bit hungry. That food smells great. It must have taken a lot of energy to make, ba?"

Sui Yuan silently glanced at him, pulled open a drawer, and grabbed a tube of nutrient fluid, throwing it into Zhao Xihe’s arms, "You eat this."

Zhao Xihe, who felt his mouth was full of bitterness upon seeing the nutrient fluid, lost his appetite: ".............................."

"These meals were tailor-made for a sentinel and guide’s constitutions," Sui Yuan calmly forked a piece of steaming hot meat, biting it with his mouth, "I think that I acted as both sentinel and guide, so I should enjoy both of these meals. What do you think, ne?"

Zhao Xihe：".............................."

——My dear, so long as you’re happy, it’s fine....

Although Zhao Xihe didn’t care about whether or not he actually ate. So long as Sui Yuan was happy, he would naturally cooperate.

Zhao Xihe had the tube of nutrient fluid in his mouth as he sat next to Sui Yuan, watching pitifully as the other ate. Not even bothering to wait for Zhao Xihe to show his skills in acting pitiful, Sui Yuan’s callous and unfeeling words shocked him in an instant, causing his mind to blank, "After you’ve finished eating, pack up your things and start implementing the plan. The military should have already fallen into our trap."

——Mn, that’s right. Although Zhao Xihe and Sui Yuan, these two hosts, had been ignoring their proper duties and doing unspeakable things, 5237 and 0007 had been conscientiously and carefully following the military’s every move. Furthermore, they were able to send prompt feedback to their two hosts...as for these two fellows who were muddleheaded from their desire, whether or not they had heard was a different matter.

"Right now?! Are you kidding?!" Was there anything more painful than being kicked out of bed after being harmonious with your lover?! Yes! Of course there was! It was for your lover to become hostile and directly send you far away as a punishment with no way of seeing each other again! "I’m a guide though! To immediately be able to lively jump around here and there after a bonding heat, it’s really weird, OK? I don’t mind, but I’m just worried that others will..mn, doubt your capabilities!"

Sui Yuan looked at him coldly, "Don’t worry. Other people know who was on top and who was on bottom. Even if you hopped around lively right now, no one would say a thing."

Zhao Xihe：".............................."

Regardless of how Zhao Xihe tried to search for an excuse to stay longer, Sui Yuan who had already made up his mind did not waver. Who knew if it was because his role’s strong and cold personality was influencing Sui Yuan, but Zhao Xihe who was currently donning a soft and cute appearance truly wasn’t intimidating enough. Instead, he made people especially want to bully him. In short, this time, Sui Yuan held the dominant position and was able to order around the ’feeble’ Zhao Xihe, who was left without any way to resist.

Thus, right after their bonding heat, the bitter guide Zhao Xihe, who hadn’t been able to even eat a decent meal, had no choice but to begin his miserable trek to the Guide Academy. When Sui Yuan had ’something to tell’ Nova, Zhao Xihe volunteered to go help him take care of Erick.

"Is there really no problem with this? You...just ended your bonding heat..." Nova, who was also a guide, naturally knew about the weak period that followed the bonding heat, so he asked with uncertainty, "It’s fine if I don’t go today. Your body is more important."

"I’m fine, la! My...cough...condition is great!" The young guide was very lively. It seemed like he hadn’t experienced the period of weakness and powerlessness at all.

Nova didn’t know the difference between being marked by a sentinel and marking a sentinel. Thus, he could only nod, skeptical. Since Dr. Dalena had said that Hill was very healthy, then there shouldn’t be an issue, ba? Nova looked at his rosy friend with envy and couldn’t help but suddenly think that he also wanted someone like his elder brother, a sentinel that would ’volunteer’ to be marked by their guide.

"Say, what does it feel like after bonding with a sentinel?" Nova was rather curious and shy as he asked his friend quietly about this private matter, "I heard that after a guide has been marked by a sentinel, they will involuntarily obey their sentinel. Meanwhile, the sentinel will become very controlling and possessive of their guide. So, what about when a guide marks a sentinel? Is it the same?"

Zhao Xihe blinked and shyly lowered his head, speaking without thinking, "I don’t feel submissive, la...that’s probably the difference between marking and being marked? Only, Germain...mn, his attitude has indeed changed. So, I want to go out for a while to relax. Although it’s not bad to be kept by his side, I’m a bit unaccustomed to it...."

Nova repeatedly nodded in earnest. He, who was used to having freedom, could not imagine what it felt like to be bound closely to a sentinel’s side.

——Unfortunately, what youngster Nova did not know was that his good friend was just spouting rubbish. Zhao Xihe really wanted to see Sui Yuan act extremely possessive and controlling so that they would always be together to the point where they would be like conjoined twins!

It was a pity, but the capabilities of an Actor’s soul were really too formidable. The dominant and submissive instincts between sentinels and guides did not have much of an effect on Actors. For Actors like Sui Yuan and Zhao Xihe, who had extremely high degrees of willpower, there was basically no effect whatsoever.

Therefore, while other sentinels and guides would be unwilling to leave each other after bonding, Zhao Xihe was a pitiful guide who was mercilessly kicked away to complete a mission after their bonding. Furthermore, he didn’t know when they would be able to meet again.

...No matter how he thought about it, it left him with streams of bloody tears, ah....

Zhao Xihe, feeling crushed, bid farewell to the endlessly envious Nova. He was just planning on going to play with the military when he was blocked by several tall space pirates.

The treatment towards the Commander’s adopted son and his partner were completely different, and they would naturally carry out different responsibilities. All of the space pirates knew how difficult it was for their Boss to accept a new guide. He absolutely would be incapable of bearing the pain of losing another one. Thus, the space pirates naturally needed to repeatedly advise this ’young and naive’ guide lest he slip up and bring about some irreversible ending.

As he listened to the space pirates’ earnest and well-meaning advice, Zhao Xihe really wanted to light a big row of candles for them. If this group of pitiful children knew that he was about to be seized by the military and sent to the Guide Academy, they would definitely fall apart!

Zhao Xihe acted lovably on the outside but ridiculed them internally as he dealt with the space pirates. Afterwards, Zhao Xihe reluctantly left the Germain Space Pirates’ stronghold, looking back frequently. Then, even when the sun set, he was never seen again.

Originally, the space pirates were unconcerned. After all, Hill was young and was used to having his freedom. It was understandable for him to play too happily and forget to come back. Only, as time continued to tick, they gradually realized that something wasn’t right. Meanwhile, the ’ringleader,’ Nova, also could not continue to wait in his apprehension and unease. He secretly snuck out and ran to where Erick had been recuperating. In the end, he found that the man had gone missing, and all that was left was a note written to him by Erick.

Erick didn’t know that the military had ’captured’ Hill. He only said that he wanted to leave and would repay Nova for having saved his life in the future. Meanwhile, Nova did not feel any of Erick’s emotions through his words. He only felt his back grow cold, and a fuzzy premonition formed in the back of his head.

He returned to the stronghold muddleheaded. The first thing Nova did was ask if Hill had returned yet. Unfortunately, the Heavens had not heard his prayer because all of the space pirates had gone out looking for news of Hill. What they brought back, however, was bad news.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

——Hill was taken by the military. They didn’t know how the military knew Hill’s identity as a space pirate. Perhaps there was another traitor amongst them.

As people who have stood opposite of the military all this time, the space pirates who had long since known what vicious deeds the military would stoop to immediately conjured up ideas. They had always protected Nova and Hill, these two immature guides, very well. The military didn’t have them in their files. Furthermore, they had so many opportunities to catch him before, and yet they waited until Hill and their Commander had bonded to capture him. This was simply forcing them to die, ah!

——There was definitely a traitor! There must be a traitor! It was the traitor who sold their secrets. Otherwise, how would the military know who to capture!?

The space pirates were all worked up. They angrily shouted that they wanted to fight to the death against the military and take back their Commander’s new guide. Meanwhile, the more rational side argued that they had to plan first, act later. First, they had to ensure Hill’s safety. Then, they could attack.

Meanwhile, as the main perpetrator but also the biggest victim from the others’ point of view, Sui Yuan sat in the head seat, his aura growing increasingly cold and ruthless. Silent, he looked like a dormant volcano: appearing cold, tranquil but underneath was a brewing, angry blaze that was capable of destroying everyone. This made the space pirates unwilling to meet his gaze. They were suppressed by the other’s aura to the point of being unable to lift their heads.

As for Nova, who stood at the furthest corner of the conference room, his face was pale, and his body shook slightly. He was afraid, timid, and remorseful. Each and every guess spat out by the space pirates was like a sharp arrow, piercing his severely damaged heart, reprimanding him for his naivety and foolishness.

Nova wanted to escape, but his conscience did not allow him to. Moreover, each and every one of his interactions with Erick flashed through his mind. What was once sweet and joyous had become coloured in pain and rage. He had long suspected that Erick was connected to the military, but he had deceived himself and did not investigate any further. Therefore...he had now paid the price for his ignorance. He’d hurt his most important friend and his most important relative.

Nova sucked in a deep breath, stepping forward meekly. Under the other space pirates’ flabbergasted gazes, he walked before his elder brother, voice trembling, "I think...I think I know what happened...everything is my fault...."

Even if he was hated by his only relative, even if he was spurned by the other space pirates...even if he would lose the protection he had until now, so long as Hill could be brought back safe and sound, Nova was willing to pay the price.

5237: "...For the poor shou who has been framed and put through this heart-wrenching ordeal...I light you a candle in sympathy."

Eve: ...Nova is so sweet awww. Also, ’cold-hearted’ SY is so amusing and clingy ZXH who keeps pouting from being spurned by SY is so cute omg. This entire arc is such a change. I’m shook.

Kara: Aw man, I feel bad. Nova didn’t deserve this kind of emotional trauma. He’s a good boy, guys, don’t hurt him like this! But, I agree with Eve: I’m also hella shook by the dynamic change between ZXH and SY. Not sure if I like it yet, but it has had its fun moments so far. |ω･)و ̑̑༉