Wu……

Zhou Mingjing slowly opened his eyes, and found himself lying in snow.

With a severe expression, he got up at once.

The soldiers around him also stood up one after another.

The Empire and Luobing were presently at war. Mu Yuan and Lucas had confronted each other countless times, but the Empire’s military equipment was truly powerful, and Lucas was still there. This led to Luobing’s retreat, and the royal family had proposed negotiations.

Zhou Mingjing was the one who would negotiate with Luobing on behalf of the royal family this time.

He set off from the capital and went all the way to the common stronghold of Luobing on the frontier of the Empire. However, he encountered an avalanche on the way, and the Luobing team that had come to pick him up fell down with him.

“Your Highness……!”

All of the elites of the royal family and his own private soldiers had come with him, and they reacted quickly, forming a protective circle.

On the opposite side was the Luobing team that had come to meet him.

To Zhou Mingjing’s surprise, Mu Yuan had actually come in person.

Mu Yuan and Zhou Mingjing looked at each other.

Then Zhou Mingjing gestured for the others to disperse, and stepped forward to greet Mu Yuan.

“I have admired you for a long time.”

“Your Highness.” Mu Yuan said: “We must get out of here as soon as possible, lest we get hit by another avalanche.”

The tall man had sword eyebrows and piercing eyes. He looked steady and good-natured, but still had the bearing of an admiral.

“If you want to leave, please do it yourself,” Zhou Mingjing said expressionlessly. “We’ll wait for the Imperial army here.”

They had been washed to the base of the snowy mountain by the avalanche, and if they wanted to leave, they could only choose to go into Luobing territory.

Now that the situation was unclear, Zhou Mingjing was unwilling to rush into enemy territory in such a way. It wasn’t that he was afraid, but rather that he didn’t want to turn himself into a bargaining chip for Luobing and trouble Lucas. He had not come here to hinder him.

“Wait here?” Mu Yuan frowned and said: “That won’t work, there won’t only be one avalanche.”

If Zhou Mingjing died under his nose, the situation between the two countries would be even worse. At that time, don’t even think about reconciliation. It was likely that the Emipre would raise troops regardless to attack the city.

Mu Yuan said: “I am more familiar with the terrain here than Your Highness.”

Zhou Mingjing said: “Are you, a Luobing Admiral, ordering me around?”

“I’m not ordering you, but I hope that you will consider the current situation.”

The two silently used their Alpha pheromones to suppress each other.

The atmosphere tensed, and the others also felt oppressed.

Zhou Minjing and Mu Yuan were both outstanding Alphas. Now, their pheromones were going head-to-head, and while they couldn’t tell the difference, the others were slightly out of breath.

“……Alright.” Mu Yuan sighed and withdrew his aura, saying: “Tell me, Your Highness, how long do you estimate it will be before reinforcements from the Empire arrive?”

“I don’t know, but I believe in Admiral Lucas.”

Mu Yuan’s frown tightened even further.

There was a cold wind blowing around this place. There were piles of snow everywhere, and there wasn’t much space.

Mu Yuan said: “We’ll wait for half a day. If the Imperial reinforcements haven’t arrived in half a day, we simply must leave.”

“Fine.”

Mu Yuan asked someone to make a campfire beside him. Zhou Mingjin took a look at it and sat down opposite Mu Yuan.

He was quite defensive.

After all, Mu Yuan could knock him out and take him to Luobing at any time.

Mu Yuan raised his eyebrows and said: “Your Highness doesn’t seem to have enough confidence in your troops, ah.”

“Isn’t it because I don’t have enough confidence in you?”

Zhou Mingjing looked exquisite. His phoenix eyes were sharp, and he looked noble and proud, even more so when he was being so provocative.

Mu Yuan just smiled.

However, Mu Yuan also miscalculated.

The avalanche didn’t wait for half a day, and the second wave came in the second hour after they settled down to rest.

“Get ready! Everyone get ready!”

“Evacuate to the trail!”

At this moment, Zhou Mingjing could no longer insist on waiting in place. He could only board the aircraft and rush forward, struggling against the planet’s gravity.

Boom—

Baboom—

Snow was falling in front of his eyes. Zhou Mingjing precisely steered his light personal combat aircraft to avoid the snow, but heard a boom, and the tail of the aircraft seemed to have been strafed.

Zhou Mingjing’s eyes turned severe.

What had happened?

A sneak attack from Luobing?

No, a sneak attack would not work in their favor at this time. Luobing needed him alive.

Zhou Mingjing turned on the surveillance and saw a small team chasing after him and firing artillery. They were neither from the Empire nor Luobing.

Looking at the aircraft, they seemed more like mercenaries.

Assassins?

The aircraft’s tail had been destroyed, and it started to become unstable.

Zhou Mingjing had no choice but to leave urgently. Otherwise, if he was hit again, he would be dead.

He sent out a distress signal, and then sat in the ejection pod and launched away.

But the troops rushed forward at full speed under Zhou Mingjing’s orders, and had passed Zhou Mingjing a long while ago. There was snow and smoke all around, and the visibility wasn’t good.

Seeing this, the mercenaries behind immediately fired upon the defenseless ejection pod.

Whoosh—

Then Zhou Mingjing saw Mu Yuan turn his mecha around and open the cockpit.

This was a very risky move. Once the cockpit was opened, it would lose the outer protection of the mecha.

Zhou Mingjing immediately steered the ejection pod and seized the opportunity to fall into the cockpit.

Boom—

The cockpit closed again almost at the same time the artillery fire landed.

Zhou Mingjing just barely reached safety.

However, the mecha was forced to bear the artillery fire head-on, and lost an arm in addition to its navigation system. Mu Yuan managed to leave with difficulty, and took shelter in a nearby cave.

The heavy snow sealed the entrance of the cave, isolating them from the artillery fire and avalanche outside, but also cutting them off from the way out.

Once everything had calmed down, Zhou Mingjing and Mu Yuan exchanged glances.

They……were trapped there.

Just the two of them.

It was very awkward.

What was even more awkward was that this cave was full of water, which meant that they couldn’t get out of the mecha without getting wet. This was a snowy mountain, and not to mention how cold it must be, they didn’t know what was in the water.

However, the mecha’s cockpit was not large, and the two of them were practically stuck together.

The mecha had already been bombed to some extent when they entered, so it was currently not upright and could only lie on its side. This narrowed the distance between the cockpit and the water on the ground, so their calves were soaked in water.

Mu Yuan paused for a moment, looking around to see if there was any other way out.

However, this cave was closed off. More precisely, it was just a depression in the mountain wall. Fortunately, there was a water-eroded hole in the side, through which the sky outside could be seen and air could enter.

Zhou Mingjing said with a frown: “Is your mecha’s communication system still working? If so, contact the reinforcements on both sides and see who gets here first.”

“En.”

Mu Yuan performed these operations, but could keenly smell a sweet, fishy scent.

He saw that the water under the mecha was stained with a patch of red.

Turning his head, he saw Zhou Mingjing lift his foot and roll up the leg of his trousers, exposing a wound on his ankle and calf.

Zhou Mingjing said: “My aircraft’s engine caught fire.”

Mu Yuan quickly found some disinfectant, medicine, and bandages.

“I’ll do it myself.”

“Let me help you.” Mu Yuan frowned. This wound…..could not be considered light, and there was also a wound on the back of the leg.

Fortunately, Zhou Mingjing could bear it.

Mu Yuan patted his knee and said: “Your wound can’t be contaminated with water. Set it here.”

“…….?”

“At such a time, there’s no need to hold onto your image.” Mu Yuan frowned and said: “Quickly.”

Zhou Mingjing: “……..”

He frowned and raised his foot slightly.

Mu Yuan couldn’t get used to Zhou Mingjing dilly-dallying as an Alpha, so he grabbed the uninjured part of his ankle and pulled it up to rest on his leg before giving him medicine.

Zhou Mingjing held his breath and said: “I can do it myself.”

“You won’t do it as well yourself.”

“I……hiss.” Zhou Mingjing didn’t want to lose face. He clenched his teeth and hands tightly.

The wound was large, and blood was still dripping from it, so it was impossible for it not to hurt.

Zhou Mingjing pursed his lips tightly and closed his eyes, not looking.

Mu Yuan said softly: “Hold on.”

The movements of his hands were gentle.

“Okay.”

After bandaging it, the bleeding finally stopped. Mu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The water beneath the mecha was already completely red. Mu Yuan glanced at Zhou Minjing’s pale face, and dialed the communication channel again a little fretfully.

Zhou Mingjing said coolly: “Don’t worry, I won’t die. And if I do, I won’t blame you. I’ll leave a note with my last words.”

“That isn’t the problem.” Mu Yuan paused, then said: “Luobing and the Empire will not be enemies forever.”

Zhou Mingjing raised his eyebrows.

Mu Yuan said: “Our common enemy is the star pirates, and cooperation between Luobing and the Empire is the long-term solution. We are short of food, and the Empire is short of ore. We should trade with each other rather than plundering what the other has by force.”

Zhou Mingjing smiled and said: “We had originally planned to do this, if not for your royal family getting greedy and starting a war.”

Mu Yuan didn’t speak again.

He was just an admiral. His status was different from Lucas’s in the Empire, and he had no power to influence the royal family.

Mu Yuan glanced at Zhou Mingjing. This person was different from the Luobing royal family.

Zhou Mingjing looked at his foot on Mu Yuan’s leg and tried to retract it, but Mu Yuan immediately grabbed it.

“Your wound cannot get wet.”

“……..”

The two of them didn’t talk further. Mu Yuan repeatedly tried to connect to the communication channel, and Zhou Mingjing closed his eyes, his consciousness beginning to blur.

So cold……

Zhou Mingjing involuntarily hugged himself and curled to the side.

Sensing Zhou Mingjing’s state, Mu Yuan reached out and touched his forehead. He really had a fever.

With the blood loss and such a cold environment, Zhou Mingjing’s situation was very bad.

Mu Yuan cursed inwardly, and then picked him up.

“What are you doing……!” In a daze, Zhou Mingjing realized that he was being attacked by another Alpha……he was princess-carried, and felt like he was about to rupture.

Holding another Alpha like this, Mu Yuan also felt like he was going to rupture. He said: “Do you have another option?”

Zhou Mingjing’s body temperature was too low, and Mu Yuan needed to embrace him to keep him warm, but Zhou Mingjing’s foot couldn’t touch the water, and the space in the cockpit was limited, so it had to be like this.

Zhou Mingjing gritted his teeth, feeling that he had lost his edge.

But it could not be denied that the other party was really thinking about him.

Zhou Mingjing unknowingly lowered his guard against Mu Yuan. After all, it was really too cold. So he leaned against Mu Yuan’s chest and fell asleep in a daze.

“Wake up.” Mu Yuan knocked on the top of Zhou Mingjing’s head, saying: “Don’t sleep.”

Zhou Mingjing felt a chill all over his body. If he fell asleep, it wouldn’t be for just a moment.

“En……”

“Don’t sleep,” Mu Yuan said. “Sleep again and I’ll tie you up and take you to Luobing.”

“……You wouldn’t dare.”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Mu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

“Anyway, the Imperial army……will save me. You can’t beat the Empire’s Admiral.”

Even halfway conscious, he was still very sharp.

Mu Yuan felt helpless.

Mu Yuan said: “Talk to me, don’t sleep.”

“…….”

What could they talk about, ah? There was nothing to talk about between Alphas.

Zhou Mingjing didn’t want to fall asleep either, so he started searching for topics to keep his mind active.

Zhou Mingjing asked: “Do you have a lover?”

“…….No.”

“Why not?”

“I haven’t met the person I’m fated with yet.”

“What kind of Omega do you like?”

Mu Yuan hesitated, then said: “I don’t feel much toward Omegas.”

Zhou Minjing said: “If you don’t like them, then you’re gay?”

“……I have a pheromone disorder.”

Mu Yuan couldn’t smell other people’s pheromones, so no matter how fragrant an Omega in heat was, he couldn’t react.

“Oh.” Zhou Mingjing said slowly: “You can’t get it up, ah.”

“…….” Mu Yuan lowered his eyes and said: “If I told you I could smell your pheromones, would you believe me?”

Zhou Mingjing sneered: “You can’t smell an Omega, but you can smell me, an Alpha? 

Mu Yuan said nothing.

He thought to himself, it was the scent of green fruit, fragrant and soft, completely different from his own. 

How could an Alpha be so sweet?

In fact, Zhou Mingjing’s pheromones were not very sweet, but these were the first pheromones that Mu Yuan had smelled. It was his first understanding of pheromones, and the first candy he ate would of course be sweet.

Zhou Mingjing raised his eyebrows: “Then tell me, what do I smell like?”

“Green fruit, sweet and sour.” Mu Yuan bowed his head, moved closer to Zhou Mingjing’s neck, and said: “I want to take a bite.”

“…….”

Too close.

Zhou Mingjing didn’t know if Mu Yuan was lying to him, trying to tease him, or had a pheromone disorder. He sniffed and felt that it smelled fresh.

Zhou Mingjing sneered, and pressed the back of Mu Yuan’s head down to sniff him.

After smelling him, Zhou Mingjing said: “You smell like saltwater, very refreshing.”

Mu Yuan raised his head.

“So does it smell good?”

He couldn’t even smell himself.

“Very good.” Zhou Mingjing leaned close to Mu Yuan’s ear and said: “Not only does Admiral Mu not like intimate relations , but he also prefers the same gender?”

His tone was full of provocation.

Warm breath puffed onto Mu Yuan’s ear, and he maintained his severe expression, not speaking.

“Tsk.”

Mu Yuan changed the subject and said: “The target of the mercenaries this time was you? Who wants you dead?”

“I don’t know,” Zhou Mingjing said. “I’ll look into it when I go back.”

“En.”

Zhou Mingjing thought to himself, he was so old, yet this was the first time he was embraced and protected by another person, and also the first time he had talked to someone like this.

It was kind of……amazing.

Not long after the Empire’s reinforcements arrived, led by Lucas himself.

Of course, when Lucas saw Zhou Mingjing in Mu Yan’s arms, his expression nearly cracked.

Once he knew that reinforcements had arrived, Zhou Mingjing  couldn’t hold on, and passed out. Mu Yuan had no choice but to carry the man down and place him on the medical bed.

Lucas hesitated, then said: “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.”

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