The starlit galaxy was quiet. On one floor of the Qingyuan Star River Hotel, a room belonging exclusively to Loes stood serenely amidst the night.
Soft lighting spilled across every corner, and the air carried a faint floral fragrance. Plush toys and fresh flowers filled the corners, while the white gauze curtains by the window fluttered lightly. Star-shaped lights hung dreamily, giving the room a tranquil warmth.
At the desk, Loes leaned over a thick binder of documents, reading intently, murmuring to himself, “So that’s how it works… it can operate like this…”
Suddenly, the door opened quietly. An alpha female entered briskly, her expression serious. “Loes, we’ve discovered new intelligence.”
Loes immediately closed the book and rose, following her to the hotel’s internal conference room reserved for them.
The room was surrounded by greenery and flowers, with a circular table at its center. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows framed the deep night outside, a fusion of stars and the city lights, ethereal and dreamlike.
Inside, dozens of alpha females were seated, speaking in low tones.
“We finally have a home of our own.”
“This is my first time living somewhere so beautiful…”
“Sir Gu Qing allowed us to design our own rooms! Mine has a rotating book wall and even a floating garden!”
The atmosphere was lively, filled with a rare sense of ease and joy.
Until Loes spoke, and the room gradually quieted.
His tone was calm, eyes steady. “We all know that Sir Gu Qing has always treated us well. Now, as our organization rapidly expands, the future is unpredictable. We must prepare in advance.”
He handed out the documents he had requested from Sir Gu Qing: “These materials are officially authorized. Study them well. Your future contributions should not only repay Sir Gu Qing’s trust, but also help us build a future that belongs to us.”
The alpha females nodded in agreement. Just as they were about to begin studying, Loes’s tone shifted. “Additionally, we’ve received intelligence that cannot be ignored.”
The room fell silent once more.
“—The black market seems to have been unified.”
Exclamations broke out.
“Impossible! The black market is full of ruthless space pirates and criminals…”
“It’s always been fragmented, each faction balancing the others. How could one person suddenly control it?”
“Even the insectoids and the Stellar Alliance couldn’t achieve that. Who has such power?”
One alpha female flipped open her light-screen and reported, “The identity of the black market overlord remains unknown. Name, appearance, origin—none of it can be traced. Only known is that he is extremely mysterious, never publicly seen, hidden deep in the black market, heavily guarded, untouchable.”
Another added, “But according to multiple sources, the overlord… seems to be searching for ‘Landae.’”
The room stirred again.
“Landae… isn’t that another identity of Sir Gu Qing?!”
“How could it be? Sir Gu Qing involved with the black market?”
“We must protect him! What if they intend harm…!”
Loes raised a hand to calm them, his tone firm. “Don’t panic. Do you know why they’re after ‘Landae’?”
The reporting alpha female shook her head hesitantly. “Not yet…”
Loes’s gaze darkened slightly. “From now on, this matter is classified at the highest investigation level. Do not alert Sir Gu Qing. Once we determine the overlord’s intentions and identity, we will report to him.”
His voice was steady, resolute. “Sir Gu Qing trusts us. We must be his strongest shield.”
Elsewhere, a warship sailed toward the insectoid homeworld.
Milton had just finished a strategic briefing, his expression cold, footsteps steady as he crossed the corridor to his office. Passing the tea room, fragments of conversation reached him:
“Sir Gu Qing and the General finally officially married. That wedding was grand…”
“No surprise—they’ve been together for a long time. At the military headquarters, they were inseparable.”
“But the General is our strongest military alpha. Can Sir Gu Qing really satisfy him?”
“Sir Gu Qing has such a fit, powerful physique—just looking at him gives strength vibes~”
Milton paused, not turning back, his expression even colder.
He pressed a hand to his aching lower back, memories of the previous night surfacing, his face betraying no emotion, yet growing slightly more stern.
It had started the night before last—he had spoken impulsively, low and possessive to Gu Qing: “You are mine. Gu Qing, only mine.”
The other man seemed to flip a switch, suddenly wilder than in heat. From that moment, Gu Qing clung to him relentlessly.
Yesterday, they had been inseparable in the hotel room, from morning to night, across the living room, bathroom, kitchen, even by the window.
Everywhere bore traces of their intense time together.
Milton recalled the scattered clothes and overturned chairs, ears tinged red, yet his face remained cold, as if freezing the air around him.
And Gu Qing? That shameless man stood at the door, calm and composed. “I’ve packed the luggage. The rest, let the household robots handle.” He spoke with a lingering satisfaction.
Milton inhaled deeply, fingers tensing.
The next moment, he strode out of the tea room, as if the conversations were mere background noise—insignificant.
No one noticed the subtle stiffness in his steps as he left.
Back in his office, upon opening the door, the familiar aroma of food greeted him.
A steaming lunch sat on the table, dishes meticulously prepared to his preferred taste.
Beside it, a small plate held his favorite dessert—Silver Dew Custard.
It was a treat Gu Qing had once specifically crafted for him: mildly sweet, not cloying, melting instantly in the mouth.
His gaze paused on the chair—now equipped with a soft cushion, perfectly matching his usual posture.
On the back, his cloak was neatly draped, temperature just right—not cold, not warm.
The household robot screen lit up, displaying a message from Gu Qing:
“Alpha, even when busy, make sure to eat. I placed the dessert in the most convenient spot and prepared the cushion so you’ll be comfortable :)”
Milton stood still, expression unreadable, yet his ears flushed faintly red.
He pressed his lips together and approached the chair. The cushion made his waist far more comfortable.
He lowered his gaze to the Silver Dew Custard, pausing, before scooping a spoonful into his mouth.
…the familiar flavor remained, with a light fruity fragrance, reminiscent of the alpha who always clung to him.
Inwardly, he cursed: “That dog of a man.”
Yet as he did, the sweetness slowly melted in his chest, quietly seeping warmth.
He struggled to resist, but the corners of his lips betrayed him, curling slightly upward.
Elsewhere, Gu Qing sat alone in his warship room, brow furrowed, eyes fixed on the light-screen.
Zooming in, he revealed a stack of flashy covers with the hot-titled “Interstellar Nights Secrets”.
He scrolled, murmuring, “So it can be done this way…”
Since reading the three books, it was as if he had unlocked the universe’s secrets of pleasure. His gaze shone with a calm analytical light—assessing technique and structure.
In the depths of his consciousness, the small celestial entity curled in a corner, trembling, muttering: “This old fox… how can he study even this so seriously… my innocent mind… has been permanently corrupted… sob sob…”
It shivered, desperately trying to erase the images. “I shouldn’t have seen this… really shouldn’t have seen this…”
Suddenly, it recalled Gu Qing’s instructions when crafting the Eternal Blaze Star Chain—to split one’s spirit and integrate it into the chain.
At the time, it thought Gu Qing was insane. The spirit could just be sliced? Did he have too many lives?
But Gu Qing had smiled faintly. Looking back now, it seemed he had planned all along to pull Mi Mi into this.
Recalling yesterday’s intense “field exercise,” almost breaking the bedboards, the small entity silently lit a row of candles and affixed a paper talisman on a lotus of passing, writing: —“Take care, Mi Mi.”
Gu Qing remained immovable, sitting upright, eyes sharp, fingers taking notes on the light-screen, brow furrowing and nodding occasionally, fully immersed in the data’s depths.
—Studying with absolute seriousness, without pause.
It was as if he wasn’t reading erotica, but conducting a scientific revolution that could shape the future of the stars.