Sir, do you want the pheromones? - Chapter 9

When Pei Xingyu was on the ship, he wore his military uniform every day, impeccably neat and wrinkle-free, with an austere and unapproachable aura, even at the cuffs and hem.

 

After a three-month course concluded, everyone returned to their respective posts. Since there were no battles or military drills, Pei Xingyu indeed had another adjutant who rarely bothered Jin Ran. As for Jin Ran, he had nothing to do and lay around chewing on a piece of grass while stargazing.

 

“Jin Ran, the dish you made yesterday was really delicious. Is there any left?” Pei Xingyu’s other adjutant, He Xinglan, climbed up the ladder. He was a Beta but looked softer than an Omega. With a baby face and very fair skin, his big, dark eyes made him look quite youthful, similar to the teenage Song Sishen.

 

He Xinglan nearly tipped Jin Ran off the hammock. Luckily, they both managed to grab onto the post and the railing in time, avoiding a fall.

 

“Oops.”

 

Seeing Jin Ran frown, He Xinglan quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry.”

 

Jin Ran bit down on the piece of grass in his mouth and turned away from him, “There’s none left.”

 

“None left?” He Xinglan’s voice sounded regretful, “I was going to ask what ingredients you need. I’m going to the transfer station with Commander Pei this time. I’ll buy the ingredients for you.”

 

Jin Ran turned around, almost tipping over again, “Where are you going?”

 

He Xinglan, oblivious to Jin Ran’s distress, continued, “Commander Pei always chats with General Luo for half an hour when he goes to the transfer station. I’ll take the opportunity to buy some ingredients for you…”

 

“Stop. Who’s going to the transfer station?”

 

“Commander Pei,” He Xinglan was startled by Jin Ran’s intense gaze, “W-what’s wrong?”

 

“When did this happen?”

 

He Xinglan explained, “Just now. Since Major Lin is still on vacation, Commander Pei has to go personally with a team to escort the supplies. Didn’t you know?”

 

Jin Ran really didn’t know. Ever since Pei Xingyu made him an adjutant, he hadn’t assigned him any tasks. It was as if he were just keeping a pet without any real involvement.

 

“Who? Commander Pei is taking you personally?”

 

He Xinglan, looking puzzled, said, “Yes, but I’ve been to the transfer station with Commander Pei many times. He doesn’t like to make a fuss, so he’ll probably still bring a small team of guards, just like before.”

 

Jin Ran sat up and spat out the piece of grass, “Do you still want to eat that rose powder from yesterday?”

 

He Xinglan nodded vigorously.

 

Jin Ran beckoned with his finger, “You go and fake an illness to avoid going.”

 

He Xinglan immediately shook his head, “No, no. Commander Pei is too intimidating. He’ll definitely notice if I’m pretending, and I’ll be in big trouble. Forget it, I don’t want it anymore.”

 

Jin Ran reached out and grabbed the back of his uniform collar, speaking coldly as He Xinglan leaned back, “Then I’ll make you sick. It’ll be easier to get leave.”

 

He Xinglan was frightened, “Hey, don’t be impulsive. Let go, let go.”

 

Jin Ran released his grip, lay back on the hammock, and He Xinglan adjusted his collar, asking softly, “Why are you so determined to go? Can’t you just buy the ingredients for me? Do you want to go for fun?”

 

What he wanted to do was find an opportunity to get a divorce.

 

He Xinglan didn’t understand why Jin Ran was so determined to go, but he truly didn’t dare lie to Commander Pei. Just speaking made him nervous, especially with Pei Xingyu coming over today. He shivered, “Ugh…”

 

“Hmm?” Pei Xingyu raised an eyebrow.

 

“Commander Pei!” He Xinglan saluted stiffly.

 

“Normally, Major Lin handles the supply escorts. Since he’s not here, I’ll go personally. You and Zhang Zhou prepare a light ship for us. The journey might be rough, so prepare extra backup energy.”

 

He Xinglan responded, “Yes, yes!”

 

Pei Xingyu pondered for a moment and asked, “Am I very scary?”

 

He Xinglan instinctively nodded, then shook his head frantically, “You’re not scary!” He added quietly in his mind, But someone is.

 

A glance from you makes me feel like I’ve made a terrible mistake and am about to be executed.

 

Pei Xingyu looked at his face and after a while said, “It’s good to be afraid. Being afraid helps avoid mistakes.”

 

He Xinglan shuddered, forcing Pei Xingyu out of his mind. Looking up, he saw Jin Ran’s “kind” smile again and shuddered once more, “What do you want to do?”

 

Jin Ran smiled and placed his hand on He Xinglan’s shoulder, slowly moving to his neck, and said with a smile, “Remember, you’re sick, seriously unable to escort the supplies. You need Brother Ran to go in your place.”

 

“I don’t…”

 

Jin Ran seriously asked, “Xiao Lanlan, isn’t it common to get injured while repairing mechas, like losing a hand or a foot? I’m not very clear about it, is it like that?”

 

He Xinglan, feeling the cold “threat” and the pressure on his neck, realized he might be strangled if he didn’t agree. “Alright, alright, I’ll agree! I’ll ask Commander Pei for sick leave. If he doesn’t agree, don’t blame me.”

 

Jin Ran waved his hand, genuinely smiling at him this time, “Okay, when I return, I’ll make you some pea cake.”

 

“Really?”

 

Jin Ran thought, Not at all. If I get divorced, I won’t be coming back to this broken warship. Even if Pei Xingyu begged, I wouldn’t return.

 

—

 

He Xinglan tremulously arrived in front of Pei Xingyu’s command ship. After his request was approved, he faced the commander with a pale face and cold sweat, “R-reporting to Commander!”

 

Pei Xingyu didn’t look up. “Speak.”

 

“I… I’m not feeling well, so I’m not suitable for long-distance escorting right now. Could I take sick leave and have Jin Ran go in my place?” He Xinglan was sweating nervously, really looking the part of someone who was ill.

 

Upon hearing Jin Ran’s name, Pei Xingyu suddenly looked up and glanced at him. He Xinglan immediately closed his eyes, cold sweat breaking out, cursing Jin Ran in his mind.

 

“… Fine.”

 

He Xinglan opened his eyes and sighed in relief, “Thank you, Commander!”

 

“Tell Jin Ran when you go back,” Pei Xingyu said, looking him in the eye. “This is a one-time exception.”

 

He Xinglan nearly knelt, murmuring to himself how frightening Pei Xingyu was!

 

—

 

That evening, Jin Ran made a plate of pea cake, propping his chin up and watching He Xinglan eat it almost to the point of choking. He asked if it was good, and He Xinglan nodded vigorously, asking if he could make something else next time.

 

Jin Ran agreed.

 

With modern technological advancements and being in space, most food was compressed and instant, rarely having such soft and fragrant pastries. He Xinglan was almost moved to tears.

 

Little did he know, he was just a guinea pig.

 

Jin Ran carried another untouched plate of pea cake, strolling to the command module’s exterior. Without applying for entry, he knocked on the door using the most primitive method.

 

The “cleaning robot” Du Yuan came out and immediately began alarming with “beep beep beep” when it saw Jin Ran. Jin Ran squatted down, placing his hand on it, “Keep making noise, and I’ll smash you.”

 

“Beep beep beep!!!!” Du Yuan’s sharp alarms and red lights flashed.

 

Jin Ran hissed and placed the pea cake on the ground. He pressed on Du Yuan’s chip location, pulled out a pointed tool from somewhere, and quickly pried open its silver shell, exposing its core.

 

Du Yuan made a muffled “beep…” Jin Ran tapped its light blue chip with the point of the tool and asked, “Still making noise?”

 

Du Yuan’s sound weakened to a faint “beep…”

 

Jin Ran put the silver shell back on Du Yuan, patted its “back” gently, and then placed the plate on it, “Carry this.”

 

A moment later, Pei Xingyu’s voice came from inside, “Jin Ran?”

 

Jin Ran clicked his tongue, “It’s me.”

 

“Come in.” Pei Xingyu had just finished his bath, his hair still wet, and his military shirt’s top buttons undone, exposing a small patch of his pale chest.

 

Jin Ran clicked his tongue again, thinking it was quite provocative to dress like this at night. After being in the military for so long, his skin was still so white, clearly having been pampered and not physically active. Tsk.

 

Pei Xingyu looked at the plate Du Yuan was carrying and asked, “What’s on Du Yuan?”

 

Jin Ran squatted down, picked up the cake, and placed it on the table, “Didn’t you say I’m your housekeeper? I’m here to serve you. Why don’t you want to see me?”

 

Since coming to the Ziwei Enclave, Pei Xingyu had rarely eaten such food. Besides nutritional supplements and pills, only some compressed food remained, which was simple and convenient.

 

“You didn’t come to Ziwei Enclave just to make pastries.”

 

Jin Ran sat down on a chair in the ecological chamber, propped his legs up on the table, and lightly tapped his gloved fingers on the armrest, whistling at him.

 

Pei Xingyu looked up and suddenly stepped back with lightning speed, the sharp edge of a military knife pressing against his neck!

 

Jin Ran smoothly drew the military knife from its rack, maintaining his seated posture. The blade was held horizontally, pressing against the side of Pei Xingyu’s throat.

 

The atmosphere in the space module became extremely tense, with the blade only half an inch from the throat!

 

Pei Xingyu was secretly alarmed. Jin Ran hadn’t even looked, yet he was so precise with the distance! If Pei Xingyu hadn’t pulled back or had been a bit slower, his neck would have been pierced!

 

“Your movements are quite sharp.” Jin Ran sheathed the knife, twirled it in his hand, and smiled at him, “Hey, if you don’t divorce me, are you not afraid I might kill you?”

 

Pei Xingyu lowered his gaze slightly, took a piece of the pale yellow pea cake, and bit into it. It was soft, delicate, and melted in his mouth. Jin Ran’s cooking skills were quite good.

 

“Is it good?”

 

Pei Xingyu nodded slightly, “Mm.”

 

Jin Ran’s gaze lingered around Pei Xingyu’s waist. The waist not secured by the military uniform’s buttons was covered by a loose shirt, but his legs were straight and long, and a faint orchid scent lingered in the air.

 

Having just bathed, Pei Xingyu’s complexion was less pale, his eyelashes wet and soft. Jin Ran glanced at him uncomfortably, then swiftly returned the cold, gleaming knife to its sheath and snapped his fingers, “I’m leaving.”

 

Pei Xingyu called out to him from behind, “Jin Ran.”

 

“What?”

 

Pei Xingyu wiped his hands and asked, “Today, He Xinglan came to tell me he wasn’t feeling well and requested you to help with the supply escort. Can you handle it?”

 

Jin Ran ground his teeth and chuckled, “Oh, Commander, you’re being ambiguous. Are you asking if I can do it or if I’m fit to handle it?”

 

Pei Xingyu said, “Escorting supplies isn’t a simple task. You have to deal with various emergencies on the road, and if you encounter space pirates, it can be life-threatening. Since you’re in the Ziwei Enclave, I’m responsible for you. If something happens, I won’t be able to explain to your father…”

 

At this point, Pei Xingyu felt a touch on his mouth.

 

Jin Ran’s thumb gently brushed Pei Xingyu’s mouth, his touch reaching his ear and causing a strange tingling sensation from his calloused fingers.

 

Jin Ran leaned in close to Pei Xingyu’s ear, inhaling the light and refreshing orchid scent, and whispered, “Commander, I advise you not to ask if I can handle it next time. Compared to being forcefully marked by an Alpha, you’ll find keeping this sentence to yourself much more comfortable.”

 

Pei Xingyu paused.

 

Jin Ran withdrew his hands and put them in his pockets, still slightly leaning over Pei Xingyu. He licked his canine teeth and said, “Do you want to try what it feels like to be forcefully marked by an Alpha? Wife.”

 

“… Call me Commander.” Pei Xingyu replied.