Cheng Li put on her clothes and drank a bottle of nutrient solution before the nurse led her to Yuan Mu’s hospital room. There, she saw not only Yuan Mu, but also Uncle Zhao, Hu Li, Chu Feng, and the others. Every single one of them was submerged in green liquid. No need to think about it, they were definitely stark naked too.
“Your husband was the most seriously injured. He’ll probably need another day before he wakes up,” the nurse said. Her eyes were full of sympathy as she looked at Cheng Li. “After he wakes up, there’s a high chance he’ll become an ordinary person. An ordinary disabled person.”
Cheng Li: “………” There was really no need to emphasize the word “disabled.”
Nearly ten thousand people had been taken hostage. After suffering consecutive attacks from both star pirates and the insectoid race, only a few hundred survivors remained.
Cheng Li was given a roll of bedding and arranged to stay together with the others in a place similar to a training room.
Although everyone had survived the disaster, many had lost family members or friends, and the atmosphere was unbearably heavy. The entire training room was quiet, and even conversations were deliberately kept low.
The next day, Uncle Zhao, Hu Li, Chu Feng, Li Shuixi, and the others woke up one after another. Their wounds had all been treated and were no longer serious, though their heads still throbbed faintly with pain.
Yuan Mu did not wake until eight o’clock that evening. Watching him approach in his wheelchair, Cheng Li suddenly felt disoriented, as though she no longer knew what day or year it was.
It felt as if him sitting in a wheelchair belonged to a lifetime ago.
Their gazes met. One pair of eyes remained cool and calm, without a ripple. The other burned hot and intense, carrying emotions deep enough to last a lifetime in a single glance.
Cheng Li was the first to look away. Lowering her eyes, her thoughts fell into chaos.
Yuan Mu’s feelings for her…
When had they started?
There was also a roll of bedding placed on Yuan Mu’s wheelchair. Uncle Zhao helped him spread it out, choosing a spot directly to Cheng Li’s right, while Li Shuixi was on her left.
“Our luck this time was honestly heaven-defying. If we hadn’t run into that military warship patrol, we’d all be corpses by now,” Chu Feng sighed, lingering fear still visible on his face.
Li Shuixi lay there, her head still spinning. Hearing that, her face filled with lingering fear as well. “I never want to experience that kind of insanely good and insanely bad luck ever again.”
“When we get back, we can brag to our classmates that we’ve been to the Chaos Star System before.” Hu Li sounded rather eager.
Li Shuixi rolled her eyes. “What’s there to brag about? We spent over a month mining. If you’re not embarrassed, I am.”
As she spoke, she glanced toward Cheng Li and Yuan Mu and thought, ‘Mining’s nothing worth talking about, but the former First Seat of the First Military Academy and his newlywed wife? Now that’s gossip-worthy.’
“The fleet said they’ll drop us off at the transfer station when we arrive. We’re heading back to Alpha Star then. What about you two?” Chu Feng asked Cheng Li and Yuan Mu.
Both the First Military Academy and Second Military Academy were on Alpha Star, and they still had classes to attend. The reason he did not directly ask whether Yuan Mu and Cheng Li were returning to school was because he knew the two of them had already taken leave from school. Still, he remembered that both their families were on Alpha Star.
“We’re going to the Gamma Star System,” Yuan Mu replied.
“That’s the complete opposite direction from Alpha Star. What a shame. I thought we’d be able to travel together,” Hu Li said regretfully.
“The three of us originally went out for a practical assignment. Now the assignment’s unfinished, and the deadline’s already up. We’ll head back to school first and see what the teachers arrange,” Chu Feng explained.
“What are you going to the Gamma Star System for? Vacation?” Li Shuixi asked.
Yuan Mu looked at Cheng Li, his gaze gentle. “To recuperate.”
When her period arrived, Cheng Li was completely stunned.
She had entered this body two months ago and had completely forgotten about it!
So even in an interstellar era with technology this advanced, this kind of monthly suffering still hadn’t been solved?
Cheng Li curled into herself, her lower abdomen throbbing with waves of pain. Her small face was deathly pale, devoid of even a trace of color.
In the darkness, Yuan Mu abruptly opened his eyes. He had caught the scent of blood.
His first reaction was to look toward Cheng Li, checking whether she was safe. The moment he turned his head, he saw her biting her lip, her face pale as paper.
Yuan Mu was instantly alarmed. “Where does it hurt? I’ll go get a doctor.”
As he spoke, he started climbing toward his wheelchair.
“I’m fine.” Cheng Li stopped him, an awkward expression flashing across her face. “It’s period cramps.”
Yuan Mu froze for two seconds, then immediately turned his face away. “Did you prepare everything you need?”
“No.” Cheng Li’s voice was low as she buried her face in the blanket.
“I’ll go buy it.” Yuan Mu’s ears turned bright red. The moment he finished speaking, he climbed into his wheelchair and sped off as fast as he could.
Hidden beneath the blanket, Cheng Li covered her face.
‘It’s just my period. I’ve lived through two lifetimes already. What’s there to be embarrassed about!!!’
Yuan Mu’s trip there and back took less than ten minutes in total.
He handed a bag to Cheng Li and asked worriedly, “Can you walk?”
“I can.” Cheng Li stood up and took the bag. Under Yuan Mu’s watchful gaze, she slowly walked toward the restroom step by step. With every step she took, it felt as though blood was pouring down her legs.
By the time she finally reached the restroom, her pants were already beyond saving.
Cheng Li opened the bag and discovered that inside were not only sanitary products, but also a fresh pair of pants. Everything had been prepared perfectly.
Looking at the underwear inside, Cheng Li’s face instantly turned scorching hot.
After her emotions finally settled and the heat faded from her face, Cheng Li slowly walked back. When she returned, she discovered that not only had her bedding been completely replaced, there was also an extra blanket, and a thermos cup had been placed beside her pillow.
Her gaze drifted toward the person on her right, but all she could see was the back of his head.
Silently, she let out a sigh of relief.
The faint rustling sounds behind him were like a brush dancing across his heart, leaving behind an unbearable itch. Yuan Mu restrained the urge to turn around. Only after the person behind him lay down and steady, even breathing filled the air did he finally close his eyes. Before long, he too drifted into sleep.
The transfer station was a small planet. The first thing Cheng Li, Yuan Mu, and the others did after landing was apply for replacement smart terminals.
Smart terminals were issued uniformly by the government, something like a combination of an ID card and a mobile phone from Cheng Li’s previous life. Of course, their functions far surpassed either of those.
The replacement procedures for Cheng Li, Uncle Zhao, Chu Feng, and the others went smoothly without any issues. But when it came to Yuan Mu, a small disturbance arose.
“Mr. Yuan, according to your medical records, there is a joint diagnosis from a military doctor and an A-rank guide confirming that you no longer possess the mental sea required of a sentinel. Your gland has also atrophied and fallen away. At present, you are no different from an ordinary person. We will therefore be removing the ‘third gender’ designation from your records. Do you have any objections?” the staff member asked.
Chu Feng, Hu Li, and Li Shuixi were all stunned. They looked at Yuan Mu in disbelief.
“Wasn’t your mental sea in turmoil just a few days ago? How did it suddenly…”
“It was after that incident,” Yuan Mu interrupted them. “Not being a sentinel anymore is a good thing for me. It saves me a lot of trouble.”
The three of them glanced at his legs, deep in thought.
A trace of envy appeared in Cheng Li’s eyes. What was so good about being a sentinel or a guide anyway? Either there was a susceptible period or a heat cycle, not to mention mental sea riots, marking, and all the other nonsense. Troublesome and restrictive.
After parting ways with Chu Feng and the others, Cheng Li, Yuan Mu, and Uncle Zhao continued onward to the mining planet.
Three days later, they disembarked from the starship, rented a small spacecraft, and after another half day of travel, finally arrived at the mining planet.
“This is a mining planet that’s already been excavated before,” Yuan Mu admitted honestly to Cheng Li. “What’s left are mostly low-value metals. There isn’t much worth in mining them anymore.”
Cheng Li had a special enthusiasm for mining planets. She had never deliberately hidden it, so both Yuan Mu and Uncle Zhao had noticed long ago.
He had thought she would be disappointed after hearing that, but instead, her face remained bright with excitement as she eagerly said, “I want to go take a look.”
“I’ll go too.” Yuan Mu was not at ease letting her go alone.