He Xingjue's face darkened. What did he mean by saying he was no longer capable?

"You can't take advantage of our whole family," He Xingjue said with a helpless expression.

"Other people would love to have this, but you're not happy about it," the old man said angrily.

"Then go find someone else." He Xingjue ignored the old man, picked up his chopsticks, and continued eating.

As for Li Ze, he didn't stop eating the whole time.

The old man looked at the two of them, feeling both angry and amused. Even His Majesty wouldn't dare to act like this in front of him, and still treated him with some respect. Unlike them, they ate and drank as if they were nothing, completely ignoring him.

"You really won't come and help me?" the old man asked, still unwilling to give up.

Li Ze shook his head. "Not interested."

"Sigh—" the old man sighed, "You're making things difficult for this old man."

"No, it's you who's making things difficult for us," He Xingjue interjected. "Tell me, what exactly do you want with us tonight?"

The old man glanced at He Xingjue. "Can't it just be this?"

“Yes. But it doesn’t seem like it. This should just be your appetizer.” He Xingjue’s eyes sharpened.

“You’re mistaken. Getting your partner into the military is a big deal, and this next thing is just a side matter,” the old man said, his expression turning serious. “Speaking of which, this matter is related to the two of you.”

"I'd like to hear the details." He Xingjue put down his chopsticks.

Li Ze also stopped, his clear black and white eyes sweeping over the old man.

The old man cleared his throat. "Two days ago, Zhao Xi's son suddenly appeared."

Zhao Xi was unmarried before his disappearance and was imprisoned for twenty-four years. During those twenty-four years, he didn't see a single living creature, let alone a human. Therefore, his son must have been born before he was imprisoned, and he must be at least twenty-four years old now.

He Xingjue never doubted whether Zhao Xi was a real son. It was too easy to identify kinship in the interstellar space, and no one dared to make false claims of kinship.

Therefore, this son must be real.

"Are you worried that he will come after me and Aze for revenge?" He Xingjue asked.

The old man shook his head. "It's not that I'm worried, but that he's already taking his revenge."

He Xingjue asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

“Zhao Xi’s son’s name is Zhao Mingqi.” The old man’s expression suddenly turned serious. “We suspect that he is connected to that force called Qi. He is not only seeking revenge against you, but also against the royal family. In this beast tide on Vermilion Bird Star, more than a thousand members of the royal family have perished.”

The old man's words were quite revealing. Li Ze and He Xingjue exchanged a glance; the former's expression was murderous, while the latter seemed thoughtful.

"Could it just be a coincidence?" He Xingjue asked.

The old man sighed with relief. “We hope so too. Right now, His Majesty has people secretly monitoring him 24 hours a day. The reason I’m telling you this is to give you a heads-up, and also so that you can lend a hand when we need it.”

When the old man offered to lend a hand, his eyes were fixed on Li Ze.

Li Ze nodded. "If he really is one of Qi's men, and we have a grudge against him, I can step in and deal with him."

"I'm relieved to hear that. Alright, you can continue your meal. Goodbye." With that, the old man ended the call.

In the middle of the night, Li Ze silently opened the door.

"Where are you going in the middle of the night?" He Xingjue asked, arms crossed, looking at Li Ze with interest.

Even after being discovered, Li Ze remained calm. "Go and investigate that Zhao Mingqi."

"Tsk, I knew you couldn't hold back." He Xingjue walked over, put his hands on Li Ze's shoulders, and pushed him into the room. "No matter if that Zhao Mingqi is Qi or not, you don't get involved. I want to avenge this myself."

"But you—"

"Don't expose my weaknesses. I'm not very strong now, but I will work hard to improve." He Xingjue interrupted Li Ze and slammed the door shut with his foot.

He grabbed Li Ze's wrist and led him to the bedroom. When they reached the bed, he sat down first and then pulled Li Ze into his lap.

Li Ze's buttocks were pressed against He Xingjue's warm and firm thighs, his back against the other's burning chest, and the other's arms wrapped around his waist, clasped together in front of his lower abdomen.

This is a very intimate yet submissive posture.

Li Ze instinctively tried to break free, but as soon as he moved, He Xingjue spoke up, "Li Ze, admit it, you clearly care about me a lot."

Li Ze paused, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to. His mind raced, recalling everything he had done for He Xingjue, and it seemed to be true.

He cares about He Xingjue.

"So what? I treat you as a friend, but your head is full of lewd nonsense. Besides sleeping with me, can you think of anything else?" Li Ze said angrily, sensing the strangeness behind him.

“Wanting to sleep with you and loving you are two things that are inseparable. I know the last experience was bad, even terrible. Give me another chance, and this time I will definitely make you feel good.” Before Li Ze could agree, He Xingjue reached into Li Ze’s clothes and grabbed Li Ze’s slender waist.

"stop--"

Before Li Ze could even open his mouth, He Xingjue caught his red lips precisely and pleaded, "Try it. This time, I'll serve you. It will be very comfortable."

He Xingjue's words carried an irresistible seductive meaning. Li Ze only hesitated for a moment before the other party—

Li Ze suddenly widened his eyes and began to struggle.

"Don't move," He Xingjue soothed softly, deepening the kiss.

Li Ze was dazed and confused by He Xingjue's kisses, his consciousness and senses gradually fading away. He felt like a puppet in He Xingjue's hands, who controlled his body and emotions, inflicting pain, pleasure, and leaving him in a state of limbo, driving him to the brink of madness.

He Xingjue, on the other hand, was impeccably dressed, without a trace of dishevelment, and his eyes were clear and lucid, showing no sign of being moved by emotion.

His sharp eyes were fixed intently on Li Ze's face, like a skilled hunter calmly watching his prey enter the net and succumb to its demise...

His mind went blank for a while, as if a white light flashed through it.

He lay on the bed with lifeless eyes, his gaze unfocused. His heart and body were exhausted. At this moment, he didn't want to think about anything or do anything.

He Xingjue sat to the side, slowly wiping his long, large hands. The white tissue was casually tossed on the ground, adding an air of decadence.

"I'll carry you to the bathroom to wash up." He Xingjue said as if it were a routine, and without waiting for Li Ze's consent, he picked him up.

Still basking in the afterglow, Li Ze was obedient and compliant, letting him hold her, letting him strip her naked, letting him wash and wipe her...

Finally, she carried herself back to bed and covered herself with a blanket.

If Li Ze hadn't been observing the other person's physical reaction, he would have thought the other person was genuinely calm. It turned out that the other person was simply suppressing their emotions to the extreme.

"I'm going to the bathroom, you go to sleep first." He Xingjue kissed Li Ze on the forehead and turned to go to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Li Ze smiled slightly, then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.