An indescribable taste of rust and metallic sweetness exploded in Ning Shuyin’s mouth.
This special drink’s flavor… was absolutely devastating.
She nearly vomited on the spot.
Holding it in for a few seconds, Ning Shuyin forced herself to swallow, her small face scrunching up: “Mu Ze, what is this thing…”
Could it be… some kind of revenge from the Marshal?
Seeing her reaction, Mu Ze quickly explained: “This is a high-efficiency blood cell supplement specially supplied to the fleet. You should currently need to replenish…”
As he spoke, the secretary’s gaze subtly drifted toward the large bed.
Ning Shuyin looked at him with a blank expression, following his line of sight to see the shocking bloodstains on the sheets.
Ning Shuyin: “…”
In a flash, she suddenly understood what this considerate secretary had conjured up in his imagination.
He must have thought that a “fierce battle in bed” had taken place here just now.
And all that blood on the bed was hers!
Good heavens! What kind of interstellar filth was filling Mu Ze’s head?
Ning Shuyin’s cheeks flushed crimson as she tried to explain: “No, that’s not it! You’ve misunderstood.”
Mu Ze nodded: “Right, it’s not what I think. I understand.”
Whether it was his tone or his expression, Mu Ze’s response was far too perfunctory. She knew he didn’t believe her at all.
Ning Shuyin wanted to clarify, blurting out, “That’s the Marshal’s…”
Before she could finish, the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted.
The smile on Mu Ze’s face changed into something else—a complicated expression like someone who had just stumbled upon a massive piece of gossip.
Ning Shuyin, meanwhile, nearly bit her own tongue.
Situ Linchen had warned her that the loss of control of his Special Ability must never be disclosed to anyone.
So she couldn’t reveal that Situ Linchen had been wounded by her own rampaging manifested blade.
But… if she didn’t say the second half, the first half—”that blood is the Marshal’s”—sounded even more terrifying.
A delicate girl with no strength to truss a chicken, during a date, managed to make the Interstellar Alliance’s most powerful SSS-Rank Marshal bleed profusely in bed?
That sounded even more absurd and far more likely to set imaginations running wild!
But all her words could only get stuck in her throat, dissolving into a pale, feeble: “Mu Ze… in any case, things are absolutely not what you’re imagining.”
Just as Ning Shuyin was at a loss for how to explain, Situ Linchen parted his thin lips and spoke:
“It’s my blood.”
With that one sentence, Mu Ze’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
Situ Linchen didn’t elaborate further, only saying calmly: “Is there a problem?”
Mu Ze immediately stood at attention and declared loudly: “No problem at all, Marshal.”
After that, the room fell into a subtle silence.
Situ Linchen continued working at his desk. Mu Ze seemed to be processing the new information he’d just received, his face cycling through shades of red and yellow.
As for Ning Shuyin, she sat there restless and uneasy.
Every second felt like a death knell drumming in her ears.
Doctor Luo Lan would arrive soon—she had to leave before then.
Ning Shuyin frantically searched her mind for an excuse to escape.
Feeling unwell? The thought was extinguished the moment it appeared.
Are you kidding? Luo Lan was the Interstellar Alliance’s top medical genius.
If she said she felt unwell, she’d never get away.
Have someone call and stage a scene to summon her away?
That was the most overused escape tactic in blind date scenarios.
But in this world, the only friend she could turn to for help was Su Qianqian.
That was even more out of the question.
She absolutely could not let Su Qianqian have any contact with these men.
A single phone call could destroy the main storyline.
As for a work excuse…
Today, Situ Linchen had “considerately” applied for seven days of paid leave for her, and that excuse was blocked off as well.
…
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her.
The city AI steward.
That was it!
The old trope of “forgot to turn off the gas at home” was cliché, but it worked.
She lowered her eyes, her fingertips flying across the Light-brain in a flurry of maneuvers, and a string of commands was sent out.
With all that done, all she had to do was wait quietly.
“Beep beep beep!”
In less than ten seconds, a sharp alarm suddenly blared from her Light-brain.
Even Situ Linchen, who was present, slightly raised his eyes and looked toward her.
Ning Shuyin feigned panic as she answered the communication.
A stern, synthetic voice immediately rang through the room:
“Ms. Ning Shuyin, hello. An anomaly has been detected with high-energy-consumption equipment at your residence in Chenguang Apartments, District Six. To prevent a regional energy grid failure, please return home immediately for physical verification. Repeat: please return home immediately.”
The notification voice was stern and cold.
Ning Shuyin thought to herself: Plan successful. On her face, she put on an expression of panic and anxiety.
“Marshal, there’s a situation at my home. I must go back immediately.”
Ning Shuyin’s Light-brain flickered with the highest-level red alert.
Situ Linchen’s gaze rested on her face for two seconds.
That look seemed capable of seeing through everything.
Just as Ning Shuyin’s heart was about to leap out of her throat, he finally nodded: “Go.”
Having received permission, Ning Shuyin let out a breath of relief.
She practically jogged to the door and was about to instruct the smart system to open it—
“Wait.”
Situ Linchen’s cold voice came from behind her.
Accompanying it were his footsteps, steadily drawing closer.
Done for? Had she been found out?
Ning Shuyin’s body froze in place. She didn’t even dare turn her head, afraid of meeting those eyes.
She felt a gaze land on her back, pressing down on her until she could barely breathe.
“Leaving just like that?” Situ Linchen’s voice carried a chilling pressure. “Our business isn’t finished yet.”
What did he mean?
What else did he want to do?
Could he be about to—
Just as Ning Shuyin’s inner drama was running wild, Situ Linchen tapped her shoulder with his finger, signaling her to turn around.
“The matching system.” He spoke in an icy tone.
“What matching system?” Ning Shuyin asked uneasily.
Her heart leaped back up to her throat.
“Confirming that this date is complete. It’s procedure,” Situ Linchen said flatly. “You haven’t confirmed on your end.”
“…”
So that was all… that was all he meant.
Ning Shuyin hastily pulled up the Rose Society Matching system interface and clicked the “Confirm Date Complete” option.
On both their Light-brains, a green notification lit up simultaneously.
[Congratulations, Situ Linchen, on completing your first date.]
[Congratulations, Ning Shuyin, on completing your first date.]
“Done, Marshal.”
“Mm.” Situ Linchen made a nasal sound, his eyes still calm and emotionless.
He reached out, past her shoulder.
It wasn’t to corner her against the wall—he just wanted to open the Resonance Pod door for her.
Ning Shuyin’s heart began to pound wildly.
The heavy metal door slid open smoothly to both sides with a “swoosh.”
But the door hadn’t been opened by Situ Linchen—it had been opened from the outside.
Ning Shuyin didn’t notice this.
She strode forward quickly, about to escape this terrifying place, when she crashed headlong into someone’s embrace.
It was an exceptionally solid chest.
Her nose was instantly enveloped by a crisp, cool scent of mint.
“Sorry—”
The apology caught in her throat.
Ning Shuyin raised her head in a panic, and her whole body froze.