After walking along the path for a long time, Xia Shizhao finally saw the stream. He lazily walked over, lay down on the ground, spread his limbs, and murmured to himself while looking at the starry sky.

"Why is Stone Star different from what's described in the book? Wasn't it supposed to be a desert? The air is so fresh, and there's a lot of greenery around."

The air remained still.

With the stars reflected in his eyes, Xia Shizhao stared intently for a moment, then sighed heavily and raised his voice:

"Come out with me~ You've been hiding for so long, I can't shake you off."

Yes, Xia Shizhao just wanted to see who was following him, wandering aimlessly in the woods. Seeing that the person didn't seem to have any ill intentions, he simply let her be. "Answer my question, do you know why?"

"The current state of Stone Star is the result of continuous planting by the people on this planet, who have protected this land for generations."

My footsteps pattered lightly on the lawn, making a soft, rustling sound.

Xia Shizhao sat up, turned his head and saw Ye Qiuling. He was unusually calm. "General Ye."

"Call me Ye Qiuling."

She tilted her head, a faint smile appearing on her eternally unchanging expression. Her long, dark eyelashes drooped gently, her deep, mysterious blue pupils, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye made her look like a bewitching succubus. Even the most beautiful roses beside her couldn't compare to her allure.

Xia Shizhao snapped out of his daze. "Um... this is against the rules."

Interstellar military law states that one should not address a general by his name.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible; don't worry about them."

Ye Qiuling walked beside her, "Let me tell you about Stone Star. Are you curious why it's completely different from what's described in the book?"

"Ah, yes, that's surprising. The book says that Stone Star was a barren land ten years ago."

"Stone Star was once a desert, but it was not the 'no man's land' described in the books. It was just that the cost of managing it was too high, and there was no room for development, so no one was willing to take on this mess. The 'no man's land' was just a false history published by the upper class to avoid criticism and to prevent their glorious and selfless image from being tarnished."

"You mean... when this place was advertised as a wasteland, there were still traces of human habitation?"

Xia Shizhao's voice rose uncontrollably as he asked the question, filled with disbelief and a slight tremor.

“Yes, not many, eight hundred thousand, but they are also lifeless people abandoned by various countries,” Ye Qiuling picked a dandelion and blew on it gently, the seeds drifting into the air until they disappeared. “When I took over here, there were only one hundred thousand people left.”

"This group of people..."

"Food was scarce, and water evaporated as temperatures rose. They left in despair."

Xia Shizhao was speechless, his fists clenched in anger. "With so many people in the interstellar space, how could we not help these people!"

"...Yes, how could I not help?"

Knowing the situation, Ye Qiuling sighed slightly, "The Star Alliance, no, not just the Star Alliance, but all three major powers are living too comfortably. The attention of those in power is not on these scattered small planets at all. They are simply unwilling to put in the effort to do these things."

She didn't say the rest, but Xia Shizhao already knew.

Xia Shizhao's face was heavy. "This world is like dog shit."

“Cough,” Ye Qiuling wholeheartedly agreed with this statement, but looking at Xia Shizhao, who was indignant yet looked aggrieved, she found it somewhat amusing and glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, “Let’s not talk about this world for now, is there anything seriously wrong with your body?”

"No, it's just my period." Yes, even now Xia Shizhao still feels that this is no different from his period, just that he feels uncomfortable for a week.

"Hmm?" Ye Qiuling was a beta before but is an alpha now, so she doesn't really understand what it feels like to be an omega. During her sensitive period, she is more irritable and aggressive. She only knows a little about omegas from books.

However, the book says that omegas are very vulnerable during their fever period, but Xia Shizhao's reaction was completely inconsistent with that. She was a little confused, but still cautiously reminded her, "It's good that you're okay. If you feel unwell, you can go see Fu Ziran."

"Uh-huh."

The two fell silent.

Xia Shizhao walked quietly ahead, the moonlight filtering through the swaying leaves, its soft, bright light gently caressing her delicate oval face.

Like an elf who has fallen to earth.

Ye Qiuling followed behind her step by step, her eyes filled with nothing but her.

"Ye Qiuling, you..." Xia Shizhao was about to say something

Suddenly, a hand reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her back a large step.

A rock the size of a fist fell from the sky and hit the spot where Xia Shizhao had just been standing.

"Holy crap..."

What is that?

Xia Shizhao looked up in bewilderment, and heard a hissing sound as a bird the size of a head fell from the sky.

"A bird unique to the Stone Planet, it likes to pick up stones and smash moving objects; it is generally called the stone-throwing bird."

After calmly explaining, Ye Qiuling removed her hand from Xia Shizhao's waist, bent down and picked up the bird. "Want some roasted meat? Besides being a bit of a hassle, it has another advantage: the meat is very tender."

"Huh?! Okay!"

Xia Shizhao was overjoyed. She had been regretting not getting to eat the rabbit for a while. Looking at Ye Qiuling, she hesitated for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Did you see the rabbit just now?"

"Uh-huh."

Ye Qiuling silently took out a lively rabbit from the compression bracelet, which Xia Shizhao found very familiar.

"Is it the one I just chased?"

Ye Qiuling was silent for a while, then nodded. She saw that she seemed to really like the rabbit. Seeing that she couldn't catch up and looked disappointed, she decided to chase after it herself, because Fu Ziran said that omegas really like cute and fluffy little animals.

Not wanting to kill a rabbit late at night, Xia Shizhao's laziness and appetite overcame his reason: "Um... do you know how to roast rabbit meat?"

"Huh?" Ye Qiuling was stunned. "Didn't you want to raise it?"

"Who said that? Roasted rabbit is delicious ⊙▽⊙, but spicy rabbit pieces are even better! But the conditions don't allow it for the time being."

As he spoke, Xia Shizhao revealed the expression typical of a foodie.

The two stared at each other, then fell silent.

Ye Qiuling raised her hand and gently patted the rabbit's head. The rabbit, which had been struggling wildly, breathed its last in her hand. "I can do it, and my skills are pretty good. Do you want to try?"

"Great! Great!" Xia Shizhao clapped enthusiastically. "Looking forward to your cooking."

Watching Ye Qiuling skillfully handle the rabbit and the silly bird, quickly cleaning up the skin and blood, and even carving out two wooden forks, her wilderness survival skills were on full display.

Xia Shizhao quietly squatted to the side, watching without causing any trouble.

As if he had thought of something, he silently took out a bunch of things from his spatial bag, spices such as cumin, star anise, and chili powder, and handed them to Ye Qiuling.

He chuckled at Ye Qiuling's indescribable expression, "Sprinkle some on, I love spicy food."

"Hmm." Her long, slender, pale fingers brushed against Xia Shizhao's fingertips as she calmly sprinkled the spice bottle onto the roasted meat.

The oblivious Xia Shizhao didn't notice at all.

The aroma of barbecue wafted out in waves, almost drawing Xia Shizhao's soul away, and she couldn't help but swallow hard.

A moment later, Ye Qiuling handed her the roasted bird, saying, "Be careful, it's hot. Don't be too hasty."

"Ouch! Ouch, it's so hot! Mmm~ It's delicious!"

Xia Shizhao stuck out his tongue, his eyes were brimming with tears, and he had a happy smile on his face, making him look a little silly.

Ye Qiuling looked at her and couldn't help but chuckle, "Is it delicious? I'll make it for you again next time."

"This roasted bird is really delicious, would you like to try it?"

After the object was extended, Xia Shizhao realized something was wrong. There was a difference between "ao" and "you," and what she was doing was no different from harassment. When she tried to pull it back, her hand was grabbed. Ye Qiuling gently took a small bite and said, "It's quite delicious. You can have it."

"Ah, oh oh."

Xia Shizhao lowered his head and started nibbling at the food, but when he looked at the spot where Ye Qiuling had bitten off a small piece, he suddenly felt a little disgusted.

You must have lost your mind (ー_ー)!!

Ye Qiuling was diligently grilling something, while Xia Shizhao was diligently eating something.

After finishing their meal, the two took a walk to digest and didn't return to their respective rooms until 10 p.m.

After tidying everything up, Xia Shizhao lay in bed and only then realized what she had done. She covered her head with a pillow, looking completely bewildered. She had spent so much time alone with Ye Qiuling today!

Good heavens, am I dreaming?

Ahhhh! Why are you being so gentle with me?! I can't take it anymore, my brain is going to explode, I don't want to think about it anymore, I'm going to sleep.

Unable to figure it out, Xia Shizhao simply gave up.