NOVEL NEXT 26
Chapter 26: A Gift You Desperately Need.
His Majesty Dai Na personally traveled to the border star system, causing quite a stir in the Imperial Palace.
In a gesture of sincerity, Si Niya assembled half of the military forces of the district for him, to serve as Dai Na’s accompanying fleet, and was ordered to depart with Dai Na.
The efficiency of the Imperial fleet was extremely high. When they were assembled and ready for deployment, the sun had not yet risen to its zenith.
Qi Yao was invited aboard the starship where Dai Na was located.
While waiting, he glanced at the time. It was 10:48 in the morning, and he had arrived at seven.
The speed was impressive.
At exactly eleven o’clock, Dai Na led the starfleet to depart.
Qi Yao was filled with anticipation; he would soon see Yi Er.
The border star system was distant.
Although the jump-type starship traveled quickly, even with long-distance jumps, it would still take at least eight hours.
Qi Yao sat with Dai Na in the starship’s lounge, counting the time on his fingers.
Then Dai Na asked him, “Why didn’t you let me tell Yi Er that you’re also on the starship?”
Before departing, Si Niya contacted Yi Er and informed him, using the pretext of supplementing military forces, that Dai Na would arrive at the border star system at night and asked him to welcome him.
Yi Er couldn’t refuse, as it was difficult to disobey the command of the Empress.
Qi Yao replied to Dai Na, “He didn’t want me to go in the first place. Now, by concealing my condition from him, in this situation, he can only deal with me after the fact.”
Dai Na seemed to understand deeply and nodded approvingly, “He will be very surprised to see you.”
Qi Yao thought to himself, as long as it’s not a shock, everything will be fine.
In the rush of the morning, when Qi Yao decided to go find Yi Er alone, he only asked Russell to help him take a day off.
He hadn’t formally requested leave from Teacher Nos yet. Now that he had some free time, he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t done this.
For no reason at all, skipping work might make Teacher Nos think he was slacking off.
He quickly found Teacher Nos’s contact on the terminal. “Your Highness, I need to ask my teacher for a leave first.”
Dai Na gestured for him to go ahead.
Soon, the terminal connected, and the image of Teacher Nos’s office appeared in the cramped lounge.
Qi Yao said somewhat apologetically, “Teacher Nos, I’m sorry I didn’t go to work today. I need to take a few days off with no fixed return date. There’s something wrong with Yi Er, and I have to go help him.”
Russell had already informed Teacher Nos that Qi Yao wouldn’t be coming today. When asked by Russell for the reason, Russell didn’t know, so Teacher Nos thought Qi Yao, this male zerg, had had enough suffering and had been tormented to the point of slacking off.
Now, upon hearing that something was wrong with Yi Er, he hurriedly asked, “What happened to Yi Er?”
When Teacher Nos asked this, his tone was very high, and coupled with his serious and anxious expression, it was hard not to let the zergs misunderstand and think that something serious had happened to Yi Er’s life or something very serious.
Qi Yao hurriedly waved his hand in embarrassment. “Teacher Nos, don’t worry, it’s not as serious as you think.”
How to explain to Nos? Yi Er wasn’t injured but was undergoing a second molting.
Just then, Dai Na, who was beside him, heard it and came over to explain the situation kindly, “Yi Er is undergoing a second molting.”
“It’s under His Majesty’s orders,” Teacher Nos said when he saw Dai Na, immediately performing a rare and valuable imperial etiquette, then exclaimed, “Yi Er is undergoing a second molting? That’s a good thing.”
Qi Yao felt a little embarrassed. Although he didn’t want to, he had to admit that now the whole star system probably knew that Yi Er was undergoing a second molting.
Teacher Nos exclaimed excitedly, “After the molting, he will become even stronger. At this time, it is indeed necessary for a male zerg to take care of him. Qi Yao, take good care of him. I approve your leave.”
After saying that, he changed his attitude and tone, saying, “But you can’t be idle. I’ll give you some assignments. During your leave, you should review what you’ve learned more, and when you come back, I’ll check your learning outcomes.”
Qi Yao suddenly felt like a hundred pounds of homework had fallen from the sky. Even if he had crossed through the book, he still had to experience the fear of being dominated by homework, and he had to behave very obediently as an apprentice and said, “Okay.”
After properly applying for leave and closing the terminal, Qi Yao stopped for a moment, and Dai Na curiously asked Qi Yao, “Weren’t you studying mechs? Why did you change to studying starships?”
Qi Yao explained, “I was studying mech technology with Yi Er before. Since he submitted the application to rush to the border star system that day, he handed me over to Teacher Nos.”
Qi Yao, this male zerg, unexpectedly accepted Yi Er’s arrangement. Dai Na couldn’t believe it and said, “You really listen to him.”
Qi Yao lowered his head and said, “If you want to stand by his side, you have to take some actions. Moreover, he said… Teacher Nos is a very excellent starship technician.”
Dai Na: “Nos is indeed excellent. It was the right choice to study under him.”
Qi Yao smiled apologetically, “He’s very strict.”
“Nos is also very strict with himself.”
Qi Yao asked, “Your Highness, have you ever partnered with him before?”
Dai Na looked into the distance, recalling for a moment, and whispered, “No, although Nos is technically excellent, not everyone can partner with him. He only partners with Yi Er’s female father.”
“Oh? So Teacher Nos is in such high demand.” Qi Yao was surprised. “It seems he’s truly excellent.”
Dai Na paused slightly. “Precisely because he’s excellent, he has the capital to choose.”
His gentle eyes looked at Qi Yao. “So, Qi Yao, strive to become excellent too.”
Qi Yao smiled and, in a voice only he could hear, said, “I will.”
Worried about Yi Er all night, Qi Yao hadn’t slept. Now, chatting with Dai Na, he unconsciously relaxed completely.
Without tension, drowsiness gradually crept over him. His eyelids grew heavier, and he couldn’t help but yawn involuntarily.
But Dai Na was still here, and it would be impolite to yawn in front of her. Qi Yao suppressed the yawn before it fully emerged, forcing it back down his throat.
Seeing Qi Yao’s yawn cut short, Dai Na couldn’t help but smile. “You look tired. Are you sleepy?”
How could Qi Yao admit he was sleepy?
He denied immediately, “No, Your Highness, I’m not sleepy.”
Dai Na smiled lightly. “Rest for a while if you’re tired. There are still six hours left. If you rest enough, you’ll have enough energy to see Yi Er.”
Whether it was Dai Na’s infectious smile or the commanding tone of his words, soon, Qi Yao couldn’t keep his eyelids from drooping, and he fell into a light doze.
Seeing him asleep, Dai Na gently got up and left the lounge.
Qi Yao slept straight through to the destination.
When Dai Na woke him up, he felt embarrassed, regretting occupying the empress’s lounge to sleep.
He slapped his face to wake himself up, blushing, “Your Highness, I’m sorry, I was just too tired.”
Dai Na, in a good mood, didn’t pay much attention to him. “It’s okay. We’re almost at the mother ship where Yi Er is docked. Aren’t you going to prepare?”
Qi Yao instantly became alert. “We’re almost there?” He slept for so long?!
Dai Na closed her eyes. “Less than three minutes.”
Wouldn’t that mean he would see Yi Er soon?
Qi Yao’s heart suddenly raced.
He had never cared much for the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” but now, as he was about to face Yi Er after more than a month apart, he seemed to suddenly understand its meaning.
He could touch Yi Er for real, no longer facing a virtual image on a holographic screen but the real Yi Er, whom he could hug and hold hands with.
Qi Yao quickly got up, checked himself over, dressed neatly, and cleaned his face. He looked presentable.
There were three minutes left.
Three minutes could be very long.
Three minutes could also be very short.
Time passed second by second, and Qi Yao waited silently as the cabin announced “approaching docking.”
The speed of the starship gradually slowed, and after a dull drip sound, the starship docked steadily on a flat surface.
Click—
The cabin door opened.
Qi Yao followed Dai Na out, but suddenly, Dai Na stopped him.
Qi Yao: “?”
Dai Na turned his head to the side. “Don’t you want to give him a surprise?”
Qi Yao: “…”
Perhaps Dai Na just wanted to surprise Yi Er unilaterally, but Qi Yao inexplicably stopped and hid at the end of the row of zergs.
Dai Na was the first to step out of the cabin, and Qi Yao listened intently behind her, hearing footsteps coming towards them.
Yi Er’s voice came neither hurried nor slow, “Your Majesty has traveled far. I, by the Emperor’s command, am here to welcome Your Majesty’s fleet.”
“Yi Er.” Dai Na patted Yi Er’s shoulder firmly. “You’ve worked hard this past month.”
Yi Er replied officially, “Protecting the safety of the Empire is my duty.”
Dai Na didn’t bother with too many pleasantries and said naturally, “Well, after a month of hard work, I have a gift for you. Do you want it now or later?”
Yi Er raised an eyebrow. “A gift?”
Coming to battle with a gift? What is the Queen thinking?
Dai Na pretended to be mysterious. “Hmm, a gift that you really need.”
Instinctively, Yi Er thought of Qi Yao.
Besides Qi Yao, he didn’t need anything else right now, but Qi Yao shouldn’t be here.
Wait, could it be that the gift is Qi Yao?
Could it be that Dai Na brought Qi Yao here?
Yi Er’s gaze lingered on Dai Na’s meaningful smile, feeling that this possibility wasn’t out of the question.
He glanced suspiciously at the starship Dai Na arrived in, silently giving Dai Na a look, then smiled and strode into the open cabin door of the starship.
Qi Yao leaned against the cabin door, waiting for Yi Er’s response. Just as he was wondering if Yi Er was so clueless that he couldn’t even guess, he heard a series of footsteps getting closer and closer.
The footsteps were steady and powerful.
Could it be Yi Er?
He nervously peeked out and unexpectedly, his gaze met a soft, silvery sight.
Yi Er’s long hair fell on his shoulders as he slightly lowered his head. The corner of his eye caught sight of Qi Yao leaning against the cabin door, and he turned his head to the side.
Their eyes met, and Qi Yao and Yi Er both smiled involuntarily.
“Male Lord.”
“Yi Er.”
As both zergs spoke at the same time, in a moment of confusion, Yi Er suddenly leaned in.
With a slight tilt of his head, before Qi Yao could react, the next second, his lips were captured by an urgent and slightly dominant kiss.
Breath was stolen in an instant, and in that moment, there was only one thought in Qi Yao’s mind.
6.3? System, you idiot, did you make a mistake in your calculation?