Forcefully Doting On You - v2c17

 

Chapter 49

Note: I apologize for the delay. This is the longest chapter I've ever translated so far. It's probably three times longer than the average chapter for this novel. ┐('～`；)┌ Anyway, hope you guys enjoy reading!

It turned out that Ruan Jia's intuition was correct.

The one who got off the aircraft was his beloved Cai Cai. Ruan Jia hurriedly took a few quick steps to greet her. However, before he could even say a word, the smile on his face froze.

That's because Ruan Jia immediately saw another annoying face coming down from the aircraft.

Wearing a dark green military uniform, Claire wrapped his arm around Mu Cai's shoulder even faster than Ruan Jia did. The tall alpha stood next to the omega, appearing as if he wanted to embrace him into his arms.

It was almost irritatingly perfect.

Ruan Jia glared angrily and asked bluntly, "Claire, what are you doing here?!"

Just after he vented his frustration, he felt a gentle pat on his shoulder. His elder brother Ruan Chen's voice, filled with amusement, sounded from beside him, "This kid, what a way to speak!"

After scolding Ruan Jia, Ruan Chen turned his head and smiled at Claire, "My younger brother is quite reckless, I apologize for any offense caused. The capital star is currently experiencing a temperature drop, and it's not suitable to stay outside for long. Since the two of you are here, please follow me inside to have a seat."

After he finished speaking, Ruan Chen gave Ruan Jia a glance, signaling him not to make a scene.

With his anger unvented, Ruan Jia felt agitated. Looking at the young man across from him, his small face was scrunched up into a ball, his eyes filled with grievance.

Noticing Ruan Jia's expression, Mu Cai understood that he was most likely annoyed with Claire. However, he didn't quite understand why Ruan Jia had such a big issue with Claire.

According to the original plot, Ruan Jia had always sided with the original character. He disliked anyone who wasn't good to the original character.

In the novel, Claire didn't like the original character, often ignoring and acting coldly towards him. As a close friend of the original character, Ruan Jia naturally disliked Claire, often clashing with him.

But in Mu Cai's perspective, Claire had always been kind to him. Even if Ruan Jia previously misunderstood him, he shouldn't be so hostile towards Claire now.

However, since Ruan Jia was upset at that moment, Mu Cai couldn't just ignore his feelings. Moreover, the matter Claire wanted to discuss with Ruan Jia's elder brother was likely related to the military department. Mu Cai felt it wasn't something he, as an outsider, should intrude upon.

So, he lightly patted the hand that Claire had on his shoulder and said, "Brother Claire, you go and attend your meeting. Ruan Jia and I can hang out together."

Hearing this, Ruan Jia, whose face was initially so gloomy it could almost drip water, immediately lit up with excitement.

Claire held onto Mu Cai's shoulder tightly, but his expression didn't change. A smile crept onto his face as he said, "Alright, have fun. I'll call you when I'm leaving, I'll take you home."

He then added warmly, "You haven't been home in a while, Auntie must be quite anxious."

Mu Cai doubted the authenticity of Claire's statement.

Based on his recent video calls with Shi Xuezhen, her life seemed to be quite full and colorful. It seemed likely that she only remembered she had a son when she had a spare moment and would then video call him.

Mu Cai didn't think his mother was too anxious about him.

However, considering Shi Xuezhen had indeed expressed the hope that he could return home soon, and Mu Cai had only planned to visit Ruan Jia and then go home, he nodded in agreement.

Seeing the young man politely agree, Claire finally let go of Mu Cai's shoulder, smiling as he said, "Go on, have fun."

With the pressure off his shoulder, Mu Cai moved next to Ruan Jia, putting an arm around his, and took the initiative to say, "Ruan Jia, let's go."

Ruan Jia, who'd been watching the whole time, felt that Claire was sticking to Mu Cai like a bag of toffees that couldn't be shaken off. The way Claire had put it was quite annoying, as if he was temporarily handing Mu Cai to Ruan Jia.

Mu Cai never belonged to Claire in the first place!

However, despite Ruan Jia's anger, the fact that Mu Cai had willingly put his arm through Ruan Jia's made it impossible for Ruan Jia to vent his frustration.

Ruan Jia quickly took Mu Cai's arm, his stunning eyes flashing with happiness, "Let's go, Cai Cai, to my room. I have made pudding, desserts, and baked some cupcakes for you in advance."

Hearing this, Mu Cai had stars in his eyes. "Great, let's go!"

The four of them walked through the front door together.

Once inside, Ruan Jia immediately pulled Mu Cai into his room, quickly locking the door behind him. Within moments, he had hidden Mu Cai, leaving no trace for outsiders to see.

Claire, whilst talking to Ruan Chen, partially noticed this scene. His heart was uneasy as Mu Cai disappeared from his sight, but he came to see Ruan Chen for official business so he had to suppress this frustration.

Since Claire hid this so well, without even a wrinkle on his forehead, his familiar cold demeanor didn't show any sign of his bad mood, leaving Ruan Chen oblivious.

Ruan Chen continued, "There's new information from the border, traces of Zerg activity have been discovered on planet Moma."

Claire's expression grew stern.

Moma was not within the territory of the Galactic Empire, nor did it belong to the Kale Federation. However, that didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was very close to the planet Kotal. If you boarded a military-approved warship, it might only take five or six hours to reach Kotal from Moma.

Kotal was a resource planet on the border of the Galactic Empire, dedicated to mining various minerals. Although currently used as a resource planet, the Galactic Empire did not plan to abandon the planet after the mining was completed. Instead, they planned to relocate a number of people to live on Kotal, making it a permanent residential planet.

Therefore, the mining process on Kotal was very orderly, with no violent destruction of the original ecology of the planet. The mining scientific and technical personnel made up the first group of permanent residents on Kotal, and they had already built houses and bases.

The closest planet to Kotal, Lunuo, was the Galactic Empire's permanent populated planet. Although Lunuo was remote, technologically undeveloped, and even though more than half of its regions were not covered by the planet's network, it had a population of more than a hundred million. There even existed a small mecha college funded by the Empire.

If traces of bug activity were found on planet Moma, it was not impossible that they had already infiltrated Kotal. And Lunuo, which was adjacent to Kotal and served as a resource transit station, receiving the mineral resources transported from other planets, could also be in danger.

With a frown, Claire asked, "Did you check the personnel on Kotal?"

Among the Zerg species, there was a spire worm. Their larvae were tiny and could directly parasitize on humans. For their survival during their larvae stage, these bugs could temporarily control humans to do things they were completely unaware of, such as cutting themselves with a knife.

However, the intelligence of spire worm larvae is limited, and they are unable to cause more disruption to human society. Their threat mainly lies in the harm they cause to individual humans. When the larvae of spire worms mature into adults, their control disappears entirely. At the same time, the parasitized humans, being used as nourishment, are essentially beyond rescue.

Ruan Chen nodded: "We are already investigating. And now, the military has urgently halted all flights to the planets of Runo and Kotal except for those with special military approval. The citizens of these two planets are also under investigation."

This eased Claire's worries slightly. After thinking for a bit, he asked again, "Have any traces of the Zergs' activity been detected?"

Ruan Chen replied: "Yes, it has been detected. It's the formation of small booker worms."

A booker worm is a type of small Zerg, often tasked with reconnaissance and probing duties. Their presence is a clear sign that the Zerg might arrive in this star system soon.

Although the Zerg relied on their indestructible bodies to flatten every planet they reached, they are not completely brainless beings. They were thwarted by humans 300 years ago, yet they still dare to return after 300 years. This could imply one of two possibilities. Either they want to avenge their previous queen, or the Zerg have evolved a new species that could function as a secret weapon.

Just thinking about the latter possibility gives Claire a slight headache.

Fortunately, the humans of today are not the same as the humans of 300 years ago. Back then, the advent of mecha alone was enough to inflict heavy damage on the Zerg queen. But now, humans have more mechas, as well as better mecha fighters. Not only do they understand the Zerg better, but the Zerg also do not fully understand them.

________________________

Claire and Ruan Chen continued to discuss news from the front line and the corresponding strategies being employed by the military. In another room, Mu Cai was biting into a soft, baked cake.

His rosy lips touched the creamy frosting, and when he pulled away, a bit of the white cream remained on his lips. A bite mark was left in the cake, the edge still showing the indent of his teeth.

Mu Cai sat upright in his chair, earnestly holding the cake, totally engaged in eating it. From time to time, he extended his red tongue to lick the cream that had landed on his lips.

Ruan Jia watched the younger man with a touch of greed in his eyes and finally asked, "Do you like it?"

"It's delicious!" Mu Cai answered promptly.

He thought for a moment, then generously complimented, "Your cooking skills are always superb!"

Ruan Jia couldn't help but laugh.

Being able to cook for someone he liked and receiving compliments in return naturally made Ruan Jia's mood quite wonderful.

He picked up a small dish of peach-flavored pudding, used a fork to take a bite, then swallowed it after savouring it for a moment, sincerely stating, "This flavor is truly sweet, it's like the scent on Car Cai."

At that, Ruan Jia brought the small dish to Mu Cai's face, saying, "You must try this. It's really delicious!"

Mu Cai scrunched up his nose, seemingly unwilling.

He smelled his own scent every day, especially recently. Perhaps it was because his heat was approaching in a week, so his natural scent had become quite strong. Anyone who smelled the same scent every day would eventually develop some immunity to it.

Therefore, Mu Cai had no interest at all in the pink peach pudding in front of him. He wondered about Ruan Jia, his best friend who had grown up with him. Even though he should have been used to his scent by now, he seemed not to find it offensive at all. In fact, she seemed to have a fondness for food with a peach flavor.

Ruan Jia didn't care whether Mu Cai was interested in the pudding or not. When he saw his conflicted expression, he simply put the dish down. Ruan Jia moved closer to Mu Cai, so close that they were almost touching each other.

Seeing that Mu Cai did not seem uncomfortable at all, Ruan Jia felt a secret delight. This was a rapport that they had developed from childhood, not something that could be easily surpassed by others.

With this thought, Ruan Jia lay his head on Mu Cai's shoulder, his nose gently sniffing the area between his hair and neck.

The sweet scent of peaches rushed at him.

The scent was even more pronounced where the neck and shoulders met, near the glands. It was even stronger than usual. As he inhaled the scent, she couldn't help but ask, "Cai Cai, is your heat coming soon? You smell so sweet. But this time is even sweeter than before."

Ever since Mu Cai put on a suppressor ring, his scent had faded significantly. That had been a regret for Ruan Jia. Even though he now felt a stolen joy for being able to smell such a strong peach scent, she still managed to keep a clear mind.

The scent on Mu Cai was unusually strong.

As the saying goes, abnormality indicates a problem.

Mu Cai, of course, had also noticed. But it had only started happening in the last few days. He had been preoccupied with the tournament, and had just returned home today. Naturally, he hadn't had time to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Mu Cai explained the situation.

But Ruan Jia still felt something was off. Before she could think about it further, Mu Cai suddenly picked up a piece of matcha-flavored dessert and held it in front of him, a mischievous smile on his face: "Eat it! Look how green and fluffy it is, isn't it cute? Eat it!"

Ruan Jia usually hated anything matcha-flavored. He thought it had a certain bitterness, but because Mu Cai liked it, he would always make it for him.

Each time, Mu Cai would tease him like this, but he had never forced him to actually eat it. He knew he was just joking and wouldn't really eat it.

But now, as Ruan Jia heard Mu Cai's words and inhaled the scent of peaches, his eyes landed on the dessert in his hand. Although he knew that he didn't like matcha-flavored sweets and had never eaten them before, he felt a moment of dizziness and somehow thought it must be delicious.

Not knowing why, Ruan Jia leant forward and took a bite.

The faint bitternes spread in his mouth, stimulating her taste buds and making him sober up.

When he looked up, he saw the surprise in Mu Cai's eyes.

Ruan Jia, too, was surprised.

He had just taken a bite of the dessert while holding onto Mu Cai's hand. It was a position that was too intimate. The blush rose instantly on Ruan Jia's face. Just as he was about to say something to alleviate the awkwardness, he heard a gentle knock on the door.

At this moment, all Ruan Jia wanted to do was escape from the awkwardness. He hurriedly said, "Come in."

But the moment he said it, Ruan Jia regretted it.

Who else could be knocking on his door now, if not Claire?

Sure enough, after getting a reply, the door was gently pushed open. A man with sharp eyebrows and eyes, a high nose and thin lips, dressing in a dark green uniform, stood at the door looking at them.

Claire glanced at the situation inside the room and was very displeased with how close Ruan Jia and Mu Cai were sitting. He barely furrowed his eyebrows, then looked at Mu Cai and said, "Cai Cai, let's go, I'll take you home."

Although Mu Cai didn't know why Ruan Jia was acting so unusual all of a sudden, he saw the other's face as red as a fully cooked shrimp and thought it would be best not to dwell on it.

Thinking like this, Mu Cai immediately said, "Ok."

Just as he was about to stand up, Ruan Jia suddenly said, "Wait!"

Mu Cai paused.

Ruan Jia's face had returned to its normal color.

Although the situation was embarrassing a moment ago, his brain was working at lightning speed. In a flash, Ruan Jia had carefully analyzed what was wrong between him and Mu Cai.

In just a few seconds, Ruan Jia came to a somewhat startling conclusion.

However, this conclusion was significant, and he had to report it immediately!

Ruan Jia glanced at Claire and, with a serious expression, said, "I need to talk to you."

Claire expression was very serious. Although he frowned, he did not refuse Ruan Jia, but simply nodded.

Ruan Jia stood up, one hand on Mu Cai's shoulder: "Cai Cai, can you wait here?"

His tone was like coaxing a child. Although Mu Cai was slightly resistant, he didn't refuse but obediently nodded.

Ruan Jia breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and went outside, gently closing the door behind him.

Their posture made it obvious that they were discussing something, something that Mu Cai was not privy to. Although Mu Cai felt a rare sense of being excluded, he thought some things are better left unsaid if the two didn't want to tell him.

Mu Cai was bored sitting alone in Ruan Jia's room. He put the Matcha-flavored dessert that Ruan Jia had taken a bite of back on the plate and grabbed another one for himself.

The conversation between the two was quick. Just as Mu Cai finished eating his dessert, the door was opened again. He looked towards the door, first glance at Claire, failed to discern anything from his expression. He then looked at Ruan Jia, whose face was just as unreadable.

Deflated, Mu Cai watched as Claire offered him a gentle smile, "Cai Cai, come with me."

Mu Cai nodded, bidding farewell to Ruan Jia and Ruan Chen, whose expressions were unexpectedly stern, before stepping onto Claire's private aircraft.

________________________

The two sat together as usual.

Although Mu Cai was curious about what had transpired between Claire and Ruan Jia, their secretive behavior suggested it was something not to be divulged. Hence, Mu Cai decided not to probe further.

However, it was evident that Claire had recognized his curiosity.

Claire gently took Mu Cai's hand and asked with a grave tone, "Cai Cai, there is something I must tell you."

Claire normally had a stern appearance and looked somewhat fierce when not smiling. However, he had never been this serious in front of Mu Cai before. Mu Cai wasn't afraid, but he couldn't help feeling a little nervous, "Go ahead."

Claire licked his lips, struggled a bit to speak amidst the sweet scent of peaches lingering from Mu Cai, "Although Ruan Jia disapproves of me telling you, I believe you, being the person involved, have the right to know."

Mu Cai nodded.

Claire continued tentatively, "Cai Cai, you have a regular heat cycle, if I remember correctly, it should begin a week from now. But the pheromones you are emitting now are already very dense, almost akin to those during the peak of your heat. Did you feel discomfort somewhere?"

So that was what it was about.

Mu Cai also noticed that his scent had become much stronger lately. He thought about it carefully and said, "I'm sure I don't feel uncomfortable, but I do feel that my pheromone scent is much more intense than before."

Claire nodded and asked, "Did something unusual happen between you and Ruan Jia while you were in the room together just now?"

Hearing this, Mu Cai frowned and said, "Ruan Jia was acting a bit strange. He doesn't like eating matcha-flavored things, and I used to tease him with matcha-flavored desserts, which he never ate. But today..."

"He ate it," Claire looked into Mu Cai's eyes and continued to ask, "Do you know what Ruan Jia told me?"

Mu Cai shook his head, his big, dark eyes staring at Claire, seemingly urging him to continue talking.

Claire subconsciously swallowed and almost involuntarily started to explain, "Ruan Jia said he actually didn't want to eat it. But after smelling your scent and hearing your words, he felt his entire mind was being led by you. Although you were joking, the command in your words made him involuntarily obey."

With wide eyes and an incredulous look on his face, Mu Cai asked, "Are you saying that I inadvertently manipulated Ruan Jia's will?"

Claire's hand tightened, "Yes, just like how you control the mecha."

He continued, "Just now, I was also controlled by you."

Mu Cai couldn't believe his ears.

Claire gently placed his hand on his shoulder, his gaze deep, "You didn't speak, but you looked at me. Your gaze told me you wanted to hear what Ruan Jia and I had talked about, and I told you everything. Although I intended to do so anyway, at that moment, I couldn't think of anything else but to fulfill your wish."

If it weren't for Ruan Jia telling him beforehand, Claire thought he might not even have realized it. Firstly, because he was not on guard against Mu Cai, and secondly, because he himself was now an alpha.

Claire knew very well that he loved Mu Cai. When faced with his requests, he would always satisfy them, making him prone to this influence.

Moreover, the sweet scent of his lover's pheromones were lingering around his nostrils, and he simply succumbed to his instincts.

Meanwhile, Mu Cai was trying to understand the whole situation.

Although he initially managed to briefly control the mecha due to a series of coincidences, and later, after some training, his mental power increased, allowing him to control the mecha for extended periods. However, Mu Cai understood that up to this point, he was not capable of controlling people.

Otherwise, why would Leon, during their time on Randt Star, act as if he didn't understand his rejection, and insist on blocking the dormitory door?

Mu Cai carefully traced the timeline and concluded that this change must have occurred in the short span of time between the end of the Mecha Tournament and today.

During this period, who had made contact with him? Who had done something to him?

Every person he interacted with flashed through Mu Cai's mind, making his thoughts chaotic and causing him to doubt everyone.

Why was there no hint of this in the plot? How could the storyline deviate to this extent?

This kind of ability was quite terrifying because you never knew when you would control someone and make a decision that you would regret for the rest of your life.

Mu Cai did not have any ambitions; he didn't want this power.

Yet, unbeknown to him, someone else had schemed against him.

A sense of panic began to traverse across Mu Cai's mind.

Seeing Mu Cai's pallor, Claire quickly pulled him into his embrace. In contrast to his robust stature, Mu Cai was soft and small, making himself comfortable in his arms.

A surge of tenderness filled Claire's chest. He gently comforted, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."

Mu Cai tried to explain, "I think something has happened to me that I'm not aware of. I didn't intend to purposely control you guys, but..."

"I know, I know," Claire hugged him tighter, lightly kissing his forehead, "I know you didn't do it on purpose. Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."

Mu Cai was also trying to steady himself. First, he checked the system in his brain, finding that the system's status light was stable, and the energy field transformation was proceeding in a steady and efficient way.

Only after seeing this system, which was closely linked to him and constantly reminded him that he did not belong to this world, did he calm down slightly.

At the same time, an icy, metallic information molecule scattered in the cramped space, filling Mu Cai's nostrils. The scent was somewhat similar to blood, but Mu Cai didn't hate it. He even felt a sense of ease surrounded by such information molecules.

Claire shared some recent discoveries about the Zerg on the front lines with Mu Cai, speculating that evolved Zerg would infiltrate Randt Star. Mu Cai came into contact with these evolved bug creatures during his time on Randt, leading to his unique changes.

As he spoke, Claire pulled out a silver necklace from his chest. A small, diamond-shaped silver shield hung from the necklace, with Claire's name inscribed in gilded lettering.

It was Bai Ze.

The devoted look in Clair's eyes seemed to impart strength and courage to Mu Cai, "Cai Cai, can you take out Qingluan, please?"

His tone was almost coaxing.

In reality, Mu Cai had already calmed down, but looking into Claire's gentle eyes, he unclasped the necklace from his neck too.

Mecha can take several non-mecha forms, like necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or even ankle bracelets. When Master Baze made Qingluan, he also used the necklace form, referencing the design of Bai Ze.

The azure and silver diamond-shaped shields were put together. Claire held Mu Cai's hand, allowing him to hold the two small shields in his palm. Claire's hand, however, enveloped Mu Cai's, holding it against his chest.

With their foreheads touching, Claire's green eyes looked deeply into Mu Cai's, like an abyssal body of water. "Bai Ze has a design that can connect to another mecha, detecting the location of the mecha and the status of its owner. I will channel my spirit energy into Bai Ze and then establish a connection between Bai Ze and Qingluan. This way, I can be there immediately if you're in danger."

Mu Cai felt suspicious. It seemed strange for this design to appear in a private mecha. He looked up at Claire, wanting to ask whether this binding could be undone after it had been established.

Was it lifelong?

To his surprise, a hand covered his eyes.

Claire's low and deep voice echoed in his ears, "Don't look at me, as I would soften at your gaze. You're too convincing right now, and I don't want you to back out. Please, Cai Cai?"

His voice was gentle yet sonically deep. Being so close, their hands still enveloped within each other's, Claire's chest vibrations when speaking transferred through Mu Cai's hand straight to his heart.

A sudden, intense sensation stirred within his heart.

He simply hummed in response.

Claire closed his eyes and channeled his psychic energy into Bai Ze. Soon, the diamond-shaped silver shield began to glow softly, followed by the azure one.

After a while, the light on Bai Ze and Qingluan gradually faded.

Claire opened his eyes again, a tender smile on his face: "It's done."

Mu Cai looked at him, surprised.

Claire didn't release his hold on Mu Cai's hand, but continued: "I wanted to do this just in case, to ensure your safety... but you still need to stay with me."

Mu Cai nodded.

Even though the plot had completely fallen apart, he knew that the ending would inevitably be humankind overcoming the invasion and successfully defending their homeland.

Due to a series of fortunate events, he had now taken on an extraordinary key role. It was only natural for him to take his responsibilities seriously, and not to take it lightly.

With Mu Cai's consent, and the spiritual connection between Bai Ze and Qingluan established, a weight was finally lifted from Claire's heart. The sweet scent of peaches filled his nostrils. Although he was somewhat reluctant, Claire forced himself to let go of Mu Cai's hand. His body had already reacted to the intoxicating sweet smell.

Claire crossed his legs, attempting to conceal his discomfort.

Of course, Mu Cai sensed Claire's awkward plight and awkwardly turned his gaze towards the scenery outside the window.

At this point, even as naive as Mu Cai was, he sensed something was amiss.

Claire treated him kindly, far surpassing the boundaries of a traditional friendship.

He faintly noticed that aside from the natural instinct of an alpha to protect an omega, Claire must really like him.

At the thought of this, Mu Cai was for some reason, elated.

At the same time, he also felt a little deflated.

If this were the real world, Mu Cai would undoubtedly be with Claire, giving it a shot to walk hand-in-hand into old age.

But after all, this was merely an energy field.

Even if Mu Cai developed feelings for Clair, he couldn't truly be with him.

Because an energy field like this depletes quickly, and all that once seemed incredibly real would soon become nothingness.

If they knew from the start that they would soon part ways, wouldn't it be better not to start in the first place?

With these thoughts in mind, Mu Cai felt somewhat dispirited.

The two of them looked in different directions, each with their thoughts, until the private aircraft stopped at the front door of the Shi family's residence, following the preset route.

The subsequent time was spent with Claire accompanying Mu Cai to meet Shi Xuezhen and the Shi family's elders. He briefly explained to them, stating the reason before taking Mu Cai back to the military department after dinner.

Claire chose not to bring Mu Cai back to the Léon family because, after all, Mu Cai was an omega. Although the Omega Rights movement in the Galactic Empire was in full swing, it was unavoidable that gossip would fly if an unmarried omega were to live in an alpha's house.

Claire didn't want Mu Cai to endure such grievances. Even if Mu Cai himself didn't care about rumors, Claire very much did. He didn't want Mu Cai to be misunderstood by others, especially given the large number of people in the Leon family, some of whom were supportive of him and others who were not. Claire didn't want Mu Cai to bear the brunt of their scrutiny for no reason.

So he took Mu Cai back to the Mecha Manufacturing Base instead. The interpersonal relationships there were simpler, and it was also within the security of the capital star's military department. It was safer and more reassuring, making it more suited for Mu Cai.

Should Mu Cai's relatives wish to see him, they need only follow the protocols given last time.

As it turned out, Claire was right - Mu Cai was doing quite well here. Although there weren't many recreational activities, Claire was there to accompany him in training and take him out for a ride from time to time, which wasn't boring at all.

________________________

A week later, as previously promised, Mu Cai returned to the Imperial Mecha Academy with Claire to have a meal with Mu Feng.

The Imperial Mecha Academy and the military base were both located in Area F, not too far from each other. Moreover, there were many outstanding mecha fighters within the academy, making the environment relatively safe. Therefore, Claire agreed with Mu Cai's request to return to the campus early.

However, Claire had to accompany Mu Cai to dine with Mu Feng.

Mu Feng had enthusiastically chosen a restaurant in the academy, believing it to be his brother's favorite according to past observations. He was ready to enjoy a meal with his brother.

However, Mu Feng hadn't expected an extra person to come along.

Upon seeing Claire, Mu Feng internally collapsed.

He just wanted to have a meal alone with his brother! Why was Senior Claire following along? If Claire was here, he would undoubtedly steal his brother's attention!

Moreover, Senior Claire had a hearty appetite!

Mu Feng touched his not-so-full wallet and couldn't help but whimper in his heart.

Fortunately, Mu Cai was well aware of Mu Feng's predicament. He briefly explained why he brought Claire along and offered to pay for the meal, saying, "I brought an extra person, so I'll pay."

After all, the other party's living expenses had long been cut off. Although participants in the Mecha Tournament finals had received quite a substantial bonus, mecha combat was still quite expensive, especially the maintenance cost of mechas in the later stage.

Mu Feng, who had originally intended to treat Mu Cai to a meal, of course, couldn't agree to this. On hearing that Mu Cai was currently facing some troubles, he felt even more sympathy. He hardly even remembered how much money he had.

While thinking about how nice his brother was, Mu Feng insisted on paying: "No need, no need, I said I would treat my brother to a meal! It's on me!"

The two of them went back and forth for quite a while. Claire, who was on the side, couldn't bear to see it anymore and adamantly said, "I'll pay for this meal, or we won't eat it at all."

Only then did the two stop arguing. They quietly looked at the scapegoat, waiting for him to order.

Claire first ordered a few dishes that Mu Cai liked to eat before passing the menu over to Mu Feng.

Mu Feng didn't enjoy the meal very much.

Just as he had imagined, as long as Senior Claire was present, the other would inevitably try to steal his brother's attention. Claire served tea, poured water, separated the bones from the dishes for his brother, and even helped eat the leftover food on the plates!

And it seemed his brother had grown accustomed to it!

Mu Feng felt like he had no say in the matter at all!

In fact, Mu Cai had become accustomed to it out of necessity.

A week ago, when he had just begun to understand Claire's feelings, he couldn't respond and decided to avoid him. But now, because of the Zerg matter, Mu Cai had become a primary protection target and couldn't freely leave Claire's side. Moreover, Claire seemed to realize his intentions and directly applied to the military department as his bodyguard.

While the military department did send additional mecha fighters, they would stay outside the training room while Mu Cai was practicing, and only Claire would accompany him inside.

When they ate in the military cafeteria, they sat separately from the others at another table. Everyone ate their own food, but Claire would bring Mu Cai his food, prepare everything for him, ensuring he could eat it directly.

From Mu Cai's initial resistance and attempts to be independent, all his resolve was defeated by Claire's downcast and pitiful expression. If Mu Cai didn't eat the food Claire brought, Claire would silently eat it on his own, leaving his favorite dishes for him.

If he didn't allow Claire into the training room, Claire would join the others outside, waiting for him from dawn until dusk.

Mu Cai just couldn't stand to see such a disheartened expression on him face, like a big dog abandoned. In the end, he could only surrender. He even indulged in self-degrading thoughts like, since he sort of liked him anyway, why not enjoy the moment and not think about the distant future.

As a result, today Mu Cai has developed a bad habit of only opening his mouth whenever it's mealtime, and the envy Mu Feng felt in his heart was immense.

He wanted to help his brother cut the steak! He wanted to help his brother wipe away the sauce from the corner of his mouth!

After finishing the meal, Mu Feng was exhausted both mentally and physically.

After Mu Cai said goodbye, he plans to follow Claire to welcome the competitors of the grand finals.

In a week's time, the grand finals will be held in the arena of the Imperial Mecha Academy. Competitors usually arrive a few days in advance to adjust to potential jet lag and familiarize themselves with the venue.

Over the past few days, quite a number of participants have steadily arrived at the Capital Star. Today, after having lunch with Mu Cai, Claire arrived at the Imperial Mecha Academy intending to join the team welcoming the arrival of the grand finals participants.

They were riding a private aircraft, and upon arrival at the warship landing pad, the students of the Imperial Mecha Academy had already lined up in formation to welcome them.

Among the grand finals participants walking down from the warship, Leon caught sight of Claire and Mu Cai standing together, involuntarily raising an eyebrow.

However, the closer he got, the more his expression changed.

When Leon was just three steps away, Claire stepped in front of Mu Cai, looking at him with cold and stern eyes.

Leon angrily asked, "You put a temporary mark on him?"

________________________

Author's Note:

Leon: Mu Cai has this strong scent of rust on him! Claire, you can't deny you're like a dog, marking your territory!

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter