Meanwhile, Lu Li completely oblivious to the calculated scheme being spun behind his back was still happily tucked away with Aseya, sampling the assortment of refreshments.
“Aseya, try this one. The texture is incredible.”
Having discovered an exceptionally delicious pastry, Lu Li’s immediate instinct was to share the joy with his partner.
Using his own dessert spoon, Lu Li scooped up a small, delicate bite of the cake and gently guided it right to Aseya’s lips.
Using… the exact same spoon?
Aseya stared at the utensil, highly aware that Lu Li had literally just pulled it out of his own mouth. Does this… count as an indirect kiss?
Seeing Aseya freeze with his lips firmly closed, Lu Li instantly deciphered the source of his hesitation.
True to form, Lu Li immediately switched to his signature “green-tea puppy” persona, his voice dripping with mock vulnerability. “Ah… what should I do? I used my spoon without thinking. Surely my Ci jun wouldn’t find me repulsive, right?”
“Why aren’t you eating it, Ci jun? Could it be… that you really do find me distasteful?” As the words left his mouth, Lu Tea-Tea let his head droop, the picture of pure, unadulterated dejection.
Unable to see the playful glint hidden beneath Lu Li’s lowered lashes, Aseya panicked, genuinely believing he had broken his male’s heart. He quickly leaned forward, parting his lips to take the cake directly from Lu Li’s spoon.
Because he moved in a desperate rush, a few stray crumbs of the pastry were left clinging to the corner of his lips.
Seeing this, Lu Li leaned in close, his handsome face magnifying rapidly in Aseya’s field of vision.
Thump-thump, thump-thump…
Aseya’s heart completely lost its baseline rhythm, hammering erratically against his ribs.
Because the proximity was so absolute, Aseya swore he could hear the steady, resonant echo of Lu Li’s heartbeat intertwining with his own.
Thump-thump, thump-thump…
Is the Male Lord… about to kiss me?
Aseya’s eyelids fluttered shut, fully surrendering to the moment.
However, the anticipated warmth of lips meeting didn’t materialize. Instead, a slight, cool touch brushed against the edge of his mouth.
Opening his eyes, Aseya realized Lu Li was simply using a long finger to tenderly sweep the residual cake crumbs from his face.
Lu Li took one look at his partner’s dazed expression and immediately knew exactly what scenario had been playing out in Aseya’s mind. He couldn’t resist poking at him further.
Chuckling softly, Lu Li teased, “Aseya, what precisely were you anticipating just now?”
Realizing he had been thoroughly played, Aseya’s embarrassment instantly flared into mock indignation. “Master! I am officially ignoring you for the rest of the evening!”
“Oh, don’t be like that, Aseya! I was wrong, I promise.”
“Even if you ignore me, it’s fine I’ll just keep bothering you until you change your mind, Aseya.”
Lu Li trailed closely behind his retreating general, offering a relentless stream of soft apologies to coax his blushing spouse back into good spirits.
Right at that moment, the high-society conspiracy ring, spearheaded by Prince Cedric, began its coordinated advance toward the unsuspecting couple.
“Aseya.”
Hearing his name called, Aseya paused his playful bickering with Lu Li, instantly pulling himself back into proper military posture.
“Cousin.” Aseya offered a respectful nod to Cedric in greeting. “Is there something you require?”
Before Cedric could articulate a response, Euan eagerly cut in. “Nothing significant. It simply feels like an eternity since we last caught up, and I wanted to share a formal drink with you.”
With a fluid motion, Euan signaled a passing banquet attendant, lifted two crystal flutes of premium red wine from the silver tray, and extended one toward Aseya.
Aseya accepted the glass, instinctively preparing to drink, but a sudden thought gave him pause. They still had to pilot their personal starship back home later that evening. With that responsibility in mind, he politely declined the beverage.
Seeing Aseya refuse to indulge, Euan immediately executed a seamless pivot, redirecting his advance straight toward Lu Li.
“Well, since Aseya is refraining, Lord Lu Li, surely you won’t deny me the honor of a toast?”
Aseya immediately moved to intercept the gesture on his male’s behalf, intending to substitute Lu Li’s alcohol with a non-intoxicating juice. However, Lu Li gently stayed his hand, offering his general a profoundly reassuring, steady gaze.
“Naturally. And please, Euan, address me simply as Lu Li. There is no need for such rigid formalities between us.”
Seeing how remarkably cooperative and sociable Lu Li was proving to be, Euan smiled warmly. “Very well, then you must call me Euan as well.”
Euan raised his glass in a salute, and Lu Li mirrored the motion, throwing his head back to drain the contents in one clean, effortless swallow.
“Spectacular!” Euan cheered, his eyes gleaming. “Let’s have another. It has been a long time since I encountered a noble male who drinks this resolutely. Lu Li, another round with me!”
Lu Li, brimming with unearned confidence, smiled smoothly. “Since Euan has issued the challenge, let’s proceed.”
With a soft chime, the two clinked their glasses and downed a second round.
Seeing Euan executing his role with such magnificent efficiency, Frost realized he couldn’t afford to lag behind. Stepping forward, he addressed Lu Li directly. “Come, Lu Li. You must share a drink with me, your older brother-in-law, as well.”
By this point, Lu Li would have to be blind not to see the underlying pattern. Ah, so my wife’s entire maternal clan has organized an alliance to get me completely hammered.
To be perfectly honest, Lu Li hadn’t possessed a clear understanding of his own biological tolerance for Zerg alcohol. After those first two dense drafts with Euan, his vision was already going slightly soft, and a distinct, warm buzz was beginning to swirl through his brain.
However, when one’s ranking brother-in-law extends a formal toast, a male simply does not refuse if he values his domestic peace. Steeling his resolve, Lu Li accepted the fresh glass and downed Frost’s offering.
Aseya watched the display with mounting concern. He had no inkling as to why his brothers were suddenly so intent on intoxicating his partner, nor did he know Lu Li’s actual limit. He instinctively moved to shield his male and intercept the drinks.
Yet, Lu Li subtly caught his eye, offering a sharp, silent refusal.
What a joke, Lu Li thought through the mounting fog. How could I ever let my own wife protect me from a drinking challenge?
Worse came to worst, he would simply pass out, and his fiercely capable military wife would carry him home. It wasn’t a crisis. But he absolutely refused to lose face in front of his brother-in-law.
Seeing Lu Li successfully absorb the hospitality of both Euan and Frost, Cedric stepped forward with an elegant, slow stride. “Since the younger ones have already paid their respects, come, Lu Li—share a final glass with me.”
Lu Li had no alternative. Summoning the last vestiges of his cognitive function, he toasted the First Prince and downed his fourth consecutive glass.
Yep, I’m completely done for. The moment the fourth wave of alcohol hit his stomach, Lu Li knew with absolute certainty that he was profoundly, thoroughly intoxicated.
But it was fine. His reliable wife was right here; there was zero risk of him being abandoned at the venue.
Aseya watched as a deep, crimson flush bloomed across Lu Li’s cheeks. The male’s gaze had turned entirely unfocused and dreamy, his posture swaying slightly as he struggled to maintain his balance. It was glaringly obvious he was completely drunk.
Seeing their target reduced to a beautifully pliable state, Euan and the others silently declared their mission accomplished.
Euan shot Aseya a highly suggestive, knowing look.
“Aseya, make sure you seize the opportunity well tonight,” Euan murmured into his ear, his tone laced with wicked amusement.
Aseya was a fully mature, adult Zerg; he knew exactly what his family was implying.
Forcing himself to maintain a facade of absolute military composure, he turned his gaze down toward his inebriated male.
An intoxicated noble male was a sight of pure temptation. The liquid brightness that usually defined Lu Li’s eyes had dissolved into a hazy, vulnerable mist, his heavy-lidded gaze looking up at Aseya as if issuing a silent, breathless invitation.
The ambient banquet lights washed over Lu Li’s face, highlighting the soft rose flush on his cheeks like a morning blossom opening to the sun simultaneously innocent and profoundly alluring.
Staring at this version of Lu Li, an intense, possessive urge flared in Aseya’s chest. He wanted to remove this male from public view immediately, shielded away from the prying, covetous eyes of any other predatory females in the hall.
Without a shred of hesitation, Aseya stepped in and swept the entirely unresisting, semi-conscious Lu Li up into a flawless princess carry.
His powerful arms locked securely beneath Lu Li’s frame, lifting him with a level of hyper-vigilant care, as if he were handling a priceless, fragile treasure.
Lu Li’s face remained flushed a deep apricot red, his eyes tightly shut as he muttered a string of incoherent, velvety nonsense against Aseya’s shoulder, his head lolling heavily against the junction of the general’s neck.
Aseya carefully adjusted his grip, ensuring his cargo was cradled in the absolute maximum amount of comfort. Maintaining a steady, unhurried stride, he marched straight through the bustling elite crowd, completely ignoring the barrage of stunned, curious stares tracking their departure as he brought Lu Li directly onto his personal starship.
The cool night wind rustled the hemlines of their matching white and light-blue formalwear, painting a uniquely tender picture against the quiet darkness of the spaceport.
The moment Aseya managed to deposit Lu Li into the starship’s cabin, the male instinctively curled his body into a comfortable, tight ball against the leather seating. Yet, the moment Aseya turned his back to initiate the starship’s launch sequence, a heavy warmth suddenly materialized directly behind him.
Lu Li had stealthily uncoiled himself, looping his arms securely around Aseya’s neck from behind. He began burying his face into the general’s nape, his unruly, fluffy hair rubbing rhythmically against Aseya’s sensitive skin over and over again.
Aseya forced a ragged breath through his lungs, straining every ounce of his military discipline to keep his focus locked onto the navigation console.
Sensing that Aseya was actively trying to ignore his presence, the intoxicated Lu Li escalated his tactics. Leaning further into his space, his hot, alcohol-laced breath began whispering directly across the shell of Aseya’s ear.
The touch of that damp, gentle respiration carried an undeniable weight of heavy, unadulterated provocation.
Lu Li bent slightly lower, pressing his lips nearly flush against Aseya’s ear, exhaling a deliberate puff of concentrated warmth. That sudden current acted like a jolt of pure static electricity, causing a dense sheet of goosebumps to instantly ripple across Aseya’s flesh.
The breath was warm, heavy, and saturated with the rich, sweet aroma of high-grade wine, systematically unraveling the fine hairs at the back of Aseya’s neck and with them, the absolute last of the general’s emotional restraint.