Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Jing Yi prepares a meal for General Chen’s household, cooking rare, nutritious insect meat—centipede and mantis—as well as rice and other dishes.
• Yang Chun, the guard captain, is overwhelmed both by Jing Yi’s cooking and by Jing Yi’s attractive appearance in a simple military-chef apron. He becomes so flustered that he avoids making eye contact.
• The meal is attended by General Chen, Madam Chen, Yang Chun, and Jing Yi. Chen’s children and grandchildren are absent because of work and school, leaving Yang Chun to regularly keep the elderly couple company.
• Jing Yi is thrilled to see naturally grown rice, an expensive and scarce food in Mi Star society. Most people rely on processed nutrient solutions and powders because mass-produced crops have poor nutritional quality.
• Madam Chen offers the rice partly because Jing Yi is Qin Meng’s new wife. Her affection for Jing Yi is connected to her love and regard for Qin Meng.
• Jing Yi eagerly eats the insect dishes with rice while the other three struggle to overcome their disgust and disbelief. He finishes his meal rapidly and asks why no one else is eating.
• Despite his enthusiasm, Jing Yi’s low genetic rating and limited digestive ability prevent him from eating as much as he wants. He manages only a modest amount before becoming full.

Character development

• Jing Yi is shown as passionate about food, particularly fresh and nutritious ingredients. His excitement over rice reveals how rare and emotionally meaningful high-quality food is to him. His habit of eating quickly reflects his demanding past, in which work and interruptions often forced him to rush meals.
• Yang Chun is portrayed as capable and perceptive in military matters but comically helpless when confronted with Jing Yi’s beauty and cooking. His thoughts also reveal his fear of Major Qin’s dangerous reputation and his belief that Jing Yi is best suited to Qin Meng.
• Madam Chen demonstrates immediate goodwill toward Jing Yi, though much of it comes from her fondness for Qin Meng. She is willing to share precious food with Jing Yi because he is Qin Meng’s spouse.
• General Chen and the others remain cautious and stunned by the insect dishes, highlighting the social unfamiliarity of Jing Yi’s food choices.

Significant themes

• Food as luxury and status: Naturally grown rice is rare and reserved for privileged people, emphasizing the society’s technological abundance but declining food quality.
• Prejudice versus experience: The guests initially view insect meat as disgusting, while Jing Yi experiences it as delicious and nutritious.
• Affection by association: Madam Chen’s kindness toward Jing Yi is partly an extension of her love for Qin Meng, showing how Jing Yi’s new marriage grants him social protection.
• Individual limitations versus desire: Jing Yi imagines eating endlessly but is constrained by his weak body and C-grade genetic rating.
• Everyday survival and labor: His fast eating habits come from years of overwork, interrupted meals, and concern about the cost and consequences of illness.

Character interactions

• Jing Yi’s cooking and appearance leave Yang Chun embarrassed and intimidated, creating humorous tension between them.
• Madam Chen indirectly welcomes Jing Yi by sharing valuable rice with him, treating him favorably as Qin Meng’s wife.
• Jing Yi innocently encourages the others to eat, unaware—or unconcerned—that they are psychologically struggling with the idea of eating insects.
• The meal brings the group together while also exposing the cultural gap between Jing Yi’s adventurous palate and the others’ conventional expectations.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Jing Yi regrets eating too quickly, realizing he has deprived himself of the chance to savor the alien dishes. Seeing the others hesitate, he plans to hide the remaining food for later. Yang Chun finally tries the mantis meat and becomes immediately obsessed with it. Before General Chen can taste the dishes, Qin Meng returns from a lengthy mission disguised as “Grey Eagle.” He reports successfully completing the mission and claims he was unharmed, though his ragged appearance and hunger suggest otherwise. Mrs. Chen warmly notices that he has lost weight and insists he eat. Qin Meng then devours the alien cuisine with extraordinary speed, nearly matching or surpassing Yang Chun and consuming most of the mantis and centipede dishes.

Character developments

• Jing Yi remains comically vain and food-obsessed, balancing his desire to eat with his concern for maintaining an elegant image.
• Yang Chun changes from reluctant eater to enthusiastic competitor once he tastes the food. His irritation at Qin Meng’s return motivates him to defend his share of the meal.
• Qin Meng is revealed as highly capable, disciplined, and emotionally controlled. Despite exhaustion and hunger after his mission, he maintains a calm military demeanor and hides any discomfort. His disguise also frees him from his usual concern with appearances.
• General and Mrs. Chen show strong affection and concern for Qin Meng, treating him like family despite his abrupt, disguised arrival.

Significant themes

• Food as comfort and connection: The unusual dishes become a source of pleasure, competition, and fellowship after hardship.
• Appearance versus reality: Qin Meng looks bedraggled but acts formal and composed; Jing Yi tries to appear elegant while secretly grieving over his food; Qin Meng’s disguise further emphasizes the contrast between identity and outward appearance.
• Competition and survival instinct: The diners’ hesitation quickly gives way to fierce eating once they discover how delicious the food is. Qin Meng’s military-honed appetite intensifies the rivalry.
• Familial care: Mrs. Chen’s immediate concern over Qin Meng’s weight and hunger highlights the warmth of the Chen household.

Character interactions

General Chen warmly welcomes the disguised Qin Meng and praises his successful mission. Mrs. Chen interrupts the formal exchange with maternal concern, seating him and urging him to eat. Qin Meng’s enthusiastic eating alarms and frustrates Yang Chun, who recognizes him despite the disguise and fears he may expose him. Their silent rivalry turns into a battle for the food, while Jing Yi watches in confusion as the two men consume the dishes he had hoped to save.

Chapter Summary: “First Clash”

Key Plot Points and Events

• General Chen and his wife share the remaining insect meat after Qin Meng and Yang Chun rapidly consume most of it. General Chen scolds the two younger men for failing to save more for him, though they insist that leaving a few pieces already shows respect.
• Jing Yi notices that everyone’s attention is drawn to Grey Eagle, a seemingly ordinary-looking soldier whose presence nevertheless dominates the room.
• While Jing Yi openly studies Grey Eagle, Grey Eagle suddenly meets his gaze with an intense, predatory look that frightens and unsettles him. After several seconds, Grey Eagle grins and calmly resumes eating, leaving Jing Yi humiliated and furious.
• After the meal, Madam Chen introduces Jing Yi and Grey Eagle formally. She explains that Jing Yi has recently married Qin Meng and praises Jing Yi’s cooking, especially the fried insect meat, which Grey Eagle compares favorably to high-grade beast meat.
• Madam Chen hopes the two young men will become familiar with one another, since they will be living in the same place. However, their first meeting has already created mutual hostility.
• Grey Eagle silently examines Jing Yi from head to toe, and Jing Yi interprets his expression as contemptuous judgment of his weakness and appearance. Jing Yi becomes enraged but cannot openly confront him because Grey Eagle has not actually said anything insulting.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi: Displays his bold, observant, and easily provoked nature. He is fascinated by Grey Eagle’s unusual charisma but quickly becomes defensive after feeling threatened and judged. He also shows social awareness by initially deciding not to cause trouble while staying in someone else’s home.
• Grey Eagle: Revealed as quiet, intimidating, physically formidable, and highly focused on food. Despite his ordinary appearance, he possesses an overwhelming presence and communicates provocatively through his expressions and gaze rather than words.
• Qin Meng and Yang Chun: Their greedy, carefree behavior over the insect meat highlights their familiarity with General Chen and the relaxed atmosphere among the soldiers.
• General Chen and Madam Chen: Act as warm, teasing hosts. General Chen’s mock anger and Madam Chen’s efforts to introduce the two men emphasize the family-like relationships within the household.
• Qin Meng and Grey Eagle: Their apparent antagonism masks a close relationship, suggesting they are friends or comrades who habitually bicker.

Significant Themes

• First impressions and miscommunication: Jing Yi and Grey Eagle form a hostile impression of each other largely through looks, assumptions, and unspoken judgments.
• Charisma beyond appearance: Grey Eagle’s plain face contrasts with the extraordinary presence that draws everyone’s attention.
• Social rivalry and pride: Jing Yi refuses to appear weak or humiliated, while Grey Eagle’s silent scrutiny challenges his self-confidence.
• Found-family camaraderie: The teasing, shared meals, and informal treatment among the generals, soldiers, and their families reveal a close-knit community.
• Food as connection and status: Jing Yi’s cooking earns immediate admiration, while the scarce insect meat becomes a source of competition, affection, and social attention.

Character Interactions

• General Chen playfully hits Qin Meng and Yang Chun for eating too much, while they cheekily defend themselves.
• Jing Yi watches Grey Eagle closely, only to be unnerved when Grey Eagle returns his stare.
• Madam Chen praises Jing Yi’s cooking and introduces him to Grey Eagle, attempting to encourage friendship.
• Grey Eagle’s silent appraisal of Jing Yi deepens their antagonism, while Jing Yi struggles to retaliate without appearing unreasonable.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi theatrically responds to Grey Eagle’s rude attitude by adopting an exaggeratedly elegant, aristocratic demeanor. He intends to make Grey Eagle look like the uncouth one, though his beautiful face makes him appear more like an arrogant, favored imperial consort.
• Grey Eagle laughs at Jing Yi’s performance and remarks that Jing Yi is interesting but unworthy of Qin Meng. Jing Yi counters that he is already Qin Meng’s husband and mockingly treats Grey Eagle as a rival trying to seduce his spouse.
• Qin Meng changes the subject to Jing Yi’s excellent cooking and asks about the meat he prepared.
• Jing Yi reveals that the meat came from large alien insects, describing their grotesque appearances in detail. He then explains that the heart-shaped pieces contained crunchy insect eggs.
• Qin Meng, General Chen, Madam Chen, and Yang Chun become horrified and vomit after realizing they had unknowingly eaten bugs. Jing Yi is left alone at the table, pleased that he has successfully gotten the better of Grey Eagle and the others.
• Jing Yi continues staying at the Chen residence and enjoys his daily life there. Grey Eagle also remains in the household, where he is treated like a member of the family.
• After their initial conflict, Jing Yi and Grey Eagle avoid one another. Jing Yi prefers peace as long as Grey Eagle does not provoke him.
• Jing Yi prepares for his eventual return to the Qin family by studying basic laws. He recognizes that legal ignorance would leave him vulnerable to exploitation and is determined to understand the rules well enough to protect himself.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi: Shows his sharp wit, theatrical personality, and talent for psychological retaliation. Rather than engaging in a physical confrontation, he humiliates the others through clever manipulation. He also demonstrates practical foresight by studying the law before returning to the hostile Qin household.
• Grey Eagle: Although initially aggressive and provocative, he is amused by Jing Yi’s personality and appears to recognize that Jing Yi is not easily intimidated. After being bested once, he learns to avoid direct conflict.
• Qin Meng: Is entertained by Jing Yi but becomes visibly disturbed when he learns the true origin of the food. His relationship with Jing Yi remains teasing and adversarial, with Jing Yi openly asserting his position as Qin Meng’s husband.
• General Chen, Madam Chen, and Yang Chun: Their fondness for Jing Yi’s cooking turns into disgust once they learn what they have eaten. Their reactions underline how effectively Jing Yi uses information to control the situation.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Beautiful presentation disguises the revolting nature of the ingredients, just as Jing Yi’s elegant appearance contrasts with his mischievous and vindictive personality.
• Wit as self-defense: Jing Yi relies on intelligence, performance, and humor to protect himself and establish social dominance rather than using force.
• Social and domestic power struggles: The exchanges resemble palace intrigue, with Jing Yi treating ordinary interactions as contests of status and influence.
• Knowledge as protection: Jing Yi’s decision to study the law reflects his determination not to remain helpless or dependent on the goodwill of others.
• Adaptation and survival: As a transmigrator entering an unfamiliar society and hostile family, Jing Yi actively learns the customs and systems necessary to survive.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi and Grey Eagle engage in a battle of mockery, with Jing Yi’s contemptuous performance provoking Grey Eagle’s laughter rather than anger.
• Jing Yi reinforces his relationship with Qin Meng by declaring that he is already Qin Meng’s husband, while simultaneously treating Grey Eagle as a romantic threat.
• Jing Yi’s conversation with Qin Meng turns into a prank when he describes the insects and their eggs in graphic detail, causing the entire group to vomit.
• Jing Yi and Grey Eagle eventually settle into mutual avoidance, while Grey Eagle remains warmly integrated into the Chen family household.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi dedicates himself to studying Federation law, refusing distractions such as mech battles and gossip about himself. In only a few days, he progresses from complete legal ignorance to basic competence.
• He focuses especially on the law concerning the extraction and preservation of sperm from deceased school-level military officers for the purpose of producing descendants.
• Through his research, Jing Yi learns that Major Qin’s legally recognized conditions for leaving behind descendants are being a school-level officer or higher and having a spouse. Since Jing Yi qualifies as Qin’s spouse, he realizes that their marriage was likely arranged as a practical transaction.
• Although the marriage could provide him with wealth and security, Jing Yi suspects that the Qin Family has ulterior motives. He finds their insistence on marrying him especially suspicious given the original owner’s notorious recklessness.
• Jing Yi concludes that the Qin Family is potentially dangerous and that he cannot rely on his own family for protection. He resolves to escape their control rather than passively enjoy their wealth.
• He devises a strategy based on becoming highly famous online. If he becomes a public figure recognized throughout the Federation, harming him would carry too much reputational and political cost for the Qin Family.

Character Development

• Jing Yi demonstrates discipline and adaptability by rapidly educating himself in law despite starting with no knowledge.
• His difficult life as an orphan and physically disabled person has made him cautious, observant, and resistant to naïve assumptions.
• Rather than being intimidated by the Qin Family’s power, Jing Yi analyzes his disadvantages and identifies fame as a form of protection.
• He shifts from merely surviving the marriage arrangement to actively planning how to gain independence and leverage.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Learning the law allows Jing Yi to understand his situation and identify both his rights and vulnerabilities.
• Marriage as a political and economic transaction: Jing Yi recognizes that his relationship with Major Qin is not romantic but tied to military benefits, inheritance, and the continuation of valuable genes.
• Power and reputation: In this futuristic society, public attention can shield a vulnerable individual from abuse by powerful families.
• Self-reliance and survival: Jing Yi cannot depend on either the Qin or Jing families and must create his own protection.
• Social manipulation and celebrity culture: Fame is presented as something deliberately manufactured and used as a weapon in a society shaped by media and public opinion.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi’s central conflict is with the Qin Family, whose decision to force him into the marriage makes him suspect hidden hostility.
• His relationship with Major Qin is discussed indirectly through the law: Qin’s military status and death make Jing Yi’s role as spouse legally significant.
• Jing Yi contrasts his own situation with the powerless protagonists of palace-intrigue stories, using that comparison to recognize that the interstellar media environment gives him more opportunities to resist.
• He has little confidence in the Jing Family, reinforcing his need to protect himself through public fame rather than family alliances.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi realizes that his greatest advantage in resolving his current troubles is his connection to his deceased husband, Major Qin Meng, whose reputation and influence remain powerful.
• He logs into the original Jing Yi’s Interstellar Network account, which had originally been used to obsessively confess love to Qin Meng. The account had attracted millions of hostile followers who mocked and insulted him.
• After Qin Meng’s death and the announcement of Jing Yi’s marriage to him, public opinion changes dramatically. Wedding photographs—especially one showing Jing Yi in a striking red ceremonial robe and another depicting him mourning beside Qin Meng’s urn—shock the public and soften many former haters.
• Jing Yi gains more than four million followers through the marriage, bringing his total to over five million. He sees this large online following as a powerful resource and begins planning how to use it.
• To prepare for his intended action, Jing Yi creates an altar for Qin Meng using a printed black-and-white photograph, gauze curtains, an offering table, incense, fruit, and homemade pastries.
• He discovers that the pastries he had prepared have disappeared. Realizing that Grey Eagle must have stolen and eaten them, Jing Yi becomes furious, especially because the two already dislike each other and avoid one another when alone.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi: Becomes increasingly confident and resourceful. He recognizes the value of Qin Meng’s status and his own growing public influence, while remaining dramatic, vain, sharp-tongued, and easily angered. His preparations also show his domestic competence and determination to honor or make use of Qin Meng’s memory.
• Qin Meng: Though dead, he remains a major presence through his reputation, portrait, urn, and marriage to Jing Yi. His public image continues to shape Jing Yi’s social standing.
• Grey Eagle: His off-page theft of Jing Yi’s pastries reinforces the antagonism between him and Jing Yi. Their relationship is defined by mutual resentment and silent hostility.

Significant Themes

• Public image and the power of appearances: Jing Yi’s beautiful appearance and carefully circulated wedding photographs transform public opinion, showing how easily society judges people through visual presentation.
• Social media influence: Jing Yi’s massive following changes from a source of ridicule into a potential weapon, giving him influence and confidence.
• Love, mourning, and spectacle: The public interprets Jing Yi’s marriage to a dead hero as tragic devotion, even though Jing Yi views the situation pragmatically.
• Reputation and inherited influence: Qin Meng’s fame continues to benefit Jing Yi after death, allowing Jing Yi to borrow his husband’s prestige.
• Petty conflict and domestic grievance: The serious emotional and political circumstances are undercut by Jing Yi’s intense anger over stolen pastries, adding humor and highlighting his dramatic personality.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi’s relationship with the public evolves from antagonistic exchanges with online haters to widespread admiration and sympathy from new followers.
• The leaked wedding photographs become a silent interaction between Jing Yi and the public, reshaping how millions perceive him.
• Jing Yi and Grey Eagle maintain a cold, hostile relationship, pretending politeness around others but ignoring each other in private. Grey Eagle’s alleged theft of the pastries gives Jing Yi a fresh reason to resent him.

Chapter 27 Summary

Plot points and events

Jing Yi becomes angry after discovering that someone has taken the pastries he made. Although he enjoys sharing food with people he likes, he refuses to tolerate Grey Eagle taking things without permission, especially since he dislikes him. He searches for Grey Eagle and finds him pretending to be a gardener in the General’s residence. Grey Eagle denies stealing the pastries, despite clearly knowing what they tasted like. Rather than continuing the confrontation, Jing Yi devises a revenge scheme. He pretends the pastries were offerings for his deceased beloved, Qin Meng, and claims that Qin Meng appeared in his dream complaining of hunger. Jing Yi implies that eating the offerings may bring bad luck or supernatural consequences. Grey Eagle—secretly Major Qin—reacts with visible alarm. Satisfied, Jing Yi returns to the kitchen, makes another batch, and carefully arranges the pastries beside the offering table in his room.

Character developments

Jing Yi reveals that his generosity has limits: he genuinely enjoys feeding people he cares about, but he will not allow someone he dislikes to exploit his kindness. Though his initial anger fades before he confronts Grey Eagle, he proves himself clever and vindictive, choosing psychological manipulation over direct conflict. His confidence in his own appearance and dramatic abilities is also highlighted as he imagines using white clothing and mourning imagery for a future performance. Grey Eagle’s shameless denial and apparent fondness for the pastries are exposed, while his reaction to the supposed ghostly implications suggests that Jing Yi’s trick has genuinely unsettled him. The revelation that Grey Eagle is actually Major Qin adds an element of dramatic irony.

Significant themes

The chapter explores generosity versus entitlement, emphasizing that kindness should not be mistaken for weakness. It also uses deception and theatricality as forms of power: Jing Yi turns his grief-themed performance concept into a practical prank. Appearance and presentation are important, as Jing Yi’s white clothing evokes innocence and mourning while still failing to conceal his alluring nature. The contrast between Jing Yi’s playful manipulation and Grey Eagle’s covert identity creates humor and suspense.

Character interactions

Jing Yi confronts Grey Eagle in the garden, accusing him of stealing the pastries. Grey Eagle denies it with implausible confidence, while Jing Yi notices the physical disadvantage of speaking to the taller man from below. Jing Yi then changes tactics, adopting a sorrowful tone and inventing the story about Qin Meng’s offerings. His feigned concern successfully frightens Grey Eagle, allowing Jing Yi to leave victorious without revealing the deception.

Chapter Summary: “A Perfectly Matched Marriage”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi stages a series of emotionally charged photographs and a video to create the image of a devoted widower. He poses with scriptures, in front of a memorial photograph, while making a silk flower, and finally plays a simple version of Für Elise on a leaf.
• He posts the photos and video online with a sentimental message claiming that he married the man of his dreams, who has passed away but remains spiritually present. He also hints that he is undergoing a second gene-compatibility examination and may soon have a child carrying his deceased husband’s genes.
• His carefully constructed persona immediately becomes popular. His post reaches the trending list within minutes, delighting Jing Yi, who recognizes that portraying oneself as loyal and devoted is an effective way to gain public sympathy.
• Qin Meng views the post and sees Jing Yi performing grief in front of his memorial hall and photograph. His reaction is one of stunned disbelief and irritation, expressed only as “Major Qin: …”
• After logging off, Jing Yi begins researching ways to cultivate mental power. He has discovered that it improves everyday activities such as cooking, sewing, and crafting, and he dreams of eventually building and piloting his own unique mecha.
• Although his mental power is only D-rank and society considers people of that level incapable of achieving much, Jing Yi refuses to accept these limitations. He believes persistence and effort can gradually compensate for poor natural talent.
• He finds seven single-line diagrams intended for mental-power training. The simpler patterns are manageable, but the most complex ones cause dizziness and nearly make him faint. He realizes the exercise can completely drain his mental power and decides it is too dangerous to attempt casually.

Character Development

• Jing Yi demonstrates strong adaptability, shameless creativity, and a talent for manipulating public opinion. He knowingly constructs a false but persuasive image of faithful mourning to attract popularity.
• Beneath his theatrical behavior, Jing Yi is ambitious and hardworking. His dream of creating a powerful, personally designed mecha reveals his determination to exceed society’s expectations of a D-rank mental-power user.
• Jing Yi also shows a practical willingness to experiment. He tests mental-power techniques himself and carefully evaluates both their benefits and risks.
• Qin Meng is positioned as the unwilling subject of Jing Yi’s performance. His silent reaction suggests disbelief, annoyance, or embarrassment at seeing his memorial and identity used for Jing Yi’s online popularity.

Significant Themes

• Performance versus reality: Jing Yi’s public image of devoted mourning is entirely staged, highlighting how easily appearances can replace truth in the eyes of the public.
• Celebrity and popular opinion: The chapter satirizes internet culture and fandom, showing how quickly audiences reward emotional narratives and how easily popularity can be manufactured.
• Persistence against social limitations: Jing Yi rejects the belief that innate rank determines one’s future, emphasizing effort, gradual improvement, and self-belief.
• Ambition and self-improvement: His interest in mental-power training and mecha construction reflects a desire to grow beyond his current abilities.
• The dangers of experimentation: The mental-power diagrams offer a potential path to advancement but also demonstrate that progress can come at a physical cost.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi’s main interaction is indirect: he addresses the online public through his staged post, deliberately shaping how strangers perceive his marriage and bereavement.
• Qin Meng observes the performance from a distance, creating a humorous contrast between Jing Yi’s melodramatic presentation and the deceased man’s likely disbelief.
• Jing Yi also engages with the Federation’s broader culture and scientific knowledge by searching for established methods of mental-power cultivation, while mentally comparing them with training concepts from novels he remembers from Earth.

Chapter Summary

• History of the Meditation Method: Jing Yi researches the origins of the seven psychic-power images. They were initially dismissed as primitive totems, but Jiang Yun later discovered that repeatedly studying and tracing them could train psychic power and potentially raise a person’s level. The seven images correspond to psychic grades F through S.
• Social significance: The Meditation Method gives people a chance to overcome their innate psychic rankings. Although most can advance only one level, and very few can advance more, it prevents society from becoming completely rigid and offers weaker individuals hope for a better life. Jing Yi reflects that this limited fairness is still immensely valuable.
• Jing Yi’s unusual ability: Since Jing Yi is supposedly D-grade, he should only be able to use the third image, yet he can nearly complete the fifth, corresponding to B-grade. He wonders whether this may be his transmigrator “Golden Finger,” though he dismisses the thought and reminds himself that diligent effort matters more.
• Meditation breakthrough: Jing Yi prints the images and meditates using the fifth pattern. The lines transform in his perception into a vast three-dimensional maze, forcing him to search for the sole path to survival. He meditates for over two hours, leaving him refreshed and with more condensed, smoother psychic power.
• Mysterious mark: During meditation, a crimson mole appears in the center of Jing Yi’s palm and absorbs every trace of increased psychic power, eventually shining like a ruby. It vanishes when he stops meditating, leaving no evidence. This suggests another unexplained power or secret connected to Jing Yi.
• Report about the child: After missing lunch, Jing Yi leaves his room and meets a young guard. The guard informs him that General Chen and Madam Chen are away and gives him the genetic matching report from the research institute. The report will determine whether Jing Yi is genetically qualified to raise his deceased husband’s child.
• Jing Yi’s conflict: Jing Yi dislikes being called “Madam Qin,” asking the soldier to use his name instead. He feels deeply conflicted about the report: he hopes the match fails so he can escape the uncomfortable arrangement, but fears that failure will make the Qin Family resent him and strip away his remaining value.

Character Development and Interactions

• Jing Yi shows strong concentration, self-discipline, and a tendency toward self-mockery. Despite fantasizing about possessing a special advantage, he ultimately chooses patience and hard work. His anxiety about the genetic report reveals his precarious position within the Qin Family.
• Jing Yi and the soldier: Their interaction is brief and formal. The soldier delivers the message and report respectfully, while Jing Yi corrects the uncomfortable title “Madam Qin.”
• Jing Yi and the absent Qin/Chen family members: Though General Chen, Madam Chen, and Grey Eagle do not appear directly, their absence leaves Jing Yi alone to confront the report and the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Chapter Summary

Jing Xiaoyi reads a genetic compatibility report declaring that his genes and those of the supposedly deceased Major Qin Meng are an almost perfect match. The report claims that any child they conceive would have no genetic defects and a high chance of being a Double-S Gene genius. It repeatedly congratulates “Madam Qin” for finding such an ideal marriage partner, only awkwardly adding condolences for Qin Meng’s death at the end. Jing is furious at being treated as a widow and mocks the report’s researcher for his insensitive wording. He refuses to cook lunch for the guard, joking that he is already full from anger and that the guard can eat the offerings intended for Qin Meng. The guard, who had hoped to enjoy Jing’s cooking, is disappointed.
The scene then shifts to a secret military squad summoned by General Chen. The squad members—Lone Wolf, Brown Bear, Tiger Cub, and a scar-faced, monkey-like soldier—pass the time joking and looking at images of Jing, whom they refer to as “Eagle Sis-in-law.” They tease Brown Bear for admiring their commander’s husband and discuss how fortunate Qin Meng, nicknamed “Eagle Bro,” is to have Jing. Their casual, vulgar behavior contrasts with the legendary reputation of their unit, R, a highly classified special-operations team credited with resolving numerous dangerous missions.
Although Qin Meng has officially been dead for half a month, the squad members clearly believe he is still alive and wonder when he will return. They worry that he may come back only after Jing has already had their child, and they complain that they cannot visit their future nephew because Jing does not know them. When General Chen finally arrives, he angrily demands to know how they learned that Qin Meng is not dead, calling the information top-secret. Brown Bear innocently points out that Chen himself told them, exposing the general’s contradiction.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi is increasingly irritated by the “Madam Qin” label and the public assumptions surrounding his marriage. His anger also reveals his unwillingness to accept Qin Meng’s death at face value, despite outwardly complaining about the situation.
• Qin Meng remains absent but dominates the chapter through his reputation, marriage to Jing, and the squad’s loyalty. The squad’s certainty that he is alive strongly hints that his death was staged or concealed.
• The R squad is introduced as a group of highly capable but irreverent soldiers. Their joking personalities humanize them, while their classified record establishes their importance and competence.
• General Chen appears authoritative and secretive, but his attempt to reprimand the squad is undermined when Brown Bear reveals that Chen himself leaked the information.
• The guard is shown as practical and somewhat opportunistic, hoping to benefit from Jing’s cooking despite maintaining a stern exterior.

Major Themes

• Miscommunication and bureaucratic absurdity: The genetic report’s celebratory language is inappropriate because it treats Qin Meng as dead while enthusiastically discussing his ideal marriage and potential children.
• Identity and social labels: Jing resents being reduced to “Madam Qin,” suggesting tension between his personal identity and the role imposed on him by society.
• Hidden truths and secrecy: Qin Meng’s alleged death, the classified military squad, and General Chen’s evasiveness all suggest that important facts are being concealed.
• Contrasting appearances and reality: The R squad seems like a group of crude, unserious soldiers, yet it is actually an elite force behind major military victories.
• Found family and loyalty: Despite their rough humor, Qin Meng’s comrades care about him, Jing, and the child they expect the couple to have. Their concern shows deep loyalty beneath their teasing interactions.

Chapter Summary

• Reunion and revelation: General Chen reveals that he already knew the soldiers’ “summons” was a trick designed to bring Grey Eagle—Qin Meng—back to the unit. Qin Meng then appears, and the four rogue soldiers joyfully confront him. Their reunion becomes a chaotic beating: Qin Meng punishes them for deceiving General Chen, while they beat Qin Meng for faking his death and abandoning them without explanation.
• Emotional bond: Beneath their joking and rough treatment, the soldiers had been deeply grieved by Qin Meng’s supposed death. They believed he was too powerful to have died so easily, but the Federation’s official announcement still caused them to mourn. They had even planned to avenge him if he did not return within a month. His summons confirms their suspicions that he had staged his death for a mission.
• Qin Meng’s infiltration: General Chen explains that Qin Meng infiltrated Reverse Order, one of the most brutal and dangerous pirate organizations in the Federation. After being recognized, Qin Meng faked his death by appearing to die alongside the enemy, then adopted another identity to continue gathering intelligence.
• The threat of Reverse Order: Reverse Order is a cult-like pirate group involved in massacres, terrorism, and the destruction of rival pirate crews. It has secretly allied with the X-Star people, receiving weapons and supplies while expanding rapidly. If it unifies the pirate factions, it could become a major threat to Federation security.
• The mission: Qin Meng has already obtained the coordinates of one of Reverse Order’s three major bases. The team must use that information to locate the other two bases and destroy all three simultaneously. Qin Meng must continue pretending to be dead so Reverse Order does not become suspicious, relocate, or retaliate.
• Character developments: Qin Meng is shown to be highly capable, courageous, and willing to sacrifice his identity and reputation for the mission. However, his decision to work alone causes his comrades emotional pain. The four soldiers’ fierce reaction demonstrates their loyalty and affection, while General Chen’s amusement and nostalgia reveal his appreciation for their brotherly bond.
• Themes and interactions: The chapter emphasizes loyalty, brotherhood, sacrifice, and the emotional cost of military duty. The soldiers express affection through teasing and violence, while General Chen balances humor with responsibility. Though promotions are offered as a reward, the team is far more motivated by the opportunity to eliminate Reverse Order and avenge past crimes.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

The group secretly leaves the military district to carry out their mission. Meanwhile, Jing Yi learns that the genetic matching report is complete, and Zhang Qiu begins pressuring him to return to the Qin Family. Determined not to be trapped in the family’s internal conflicts, Jing Yi devises a public-relations strategy to use his status as a famous internet celebrity to justify remaining at Gold Star.
He creates a series of highly dramatic posts portraying himself as a grieving widower visiting the places where his late husband, Major Qin Meng, trained and served. Wearing Qin Meng’s oversized teenage military uniform, Jing Yi photographs himself around the military headquarters and records a passionate performance of the “Yellow River Cantata” in the echo plaza. The resulting images emphasize his grief, devotion, and growing determination to live in a way that honors Qin Meng.

Character developments

Jing Yi shows his resourcefulness, vanity, and strong survival instinct. Rather than passively returning to the Qin Family, he recognizes the influence of his five million followers and turns public sympathy into a shield. His performance is partly calculated, but it also reflects genuine attachment to Qin Meng and a growing desire to preserve his memory. Jing Yi’s carefully constructed image shifts from fragile mourner to someone determined to “carry” his deceased husband’s life forward.

Significant themes

The chapter explores public image as power, especially how fame can provide protection against family and political control. It also develops themes of grief, remembrance, devotion, and self-reinvention. Jing Yi transforms mourning into a public narrative, presenting himself as someone becoming stronger through loss. The contrast between his small figure and the vast military setting symbolizes both his vulnerability and his emerging inner resolve.

Character interactions

Jing Yi clashes indirectly with Zhang Qiu, who pressures him to return to the Qin Family, while Jing Yi counters through manipulation of public opinion. He also interacts with Yang Chun, borrowing Qin Meng’s old uniform despite Yang Chun’s speechless reaction to his theatrical plan. Qin Meng, though absent and deceased, dominates the chapter through his reputation, military achievements, and the emotional role he continues to play in Jing Yi’s life.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Yang Chun secretly follows Jing Yi through the Military Headquarters, worried that he may trespass or cause trouble. Instead, Jing Yi carefully avoids sensitive areas and behaves properly, convincing Yang Chun that he understands the limits of his situation. Yang Chun becomes moved by Jing Yi’s apparent devotion to Qin Meng and hopes the general can prevent the Qin Family from taking Jing Yi back.
Jing Yi photographs his visit and posts the images and a heartfelt message online, declaring that he does not want to return to the Qin Family because he cannot feel Qin Meng’s presence there. He says he wants to remain at the Military Headquarters, where Qin Meng had once been happiest. The post receives an enormous emotional response, with former critics beginning to support him and fans increasingly accepting him as “Madam Qin.” They also praise the new musical piece he performed with a leaf, assuming Jing Yi composed it for Qin Meng.
Later, Jing Yi receives an unexpected communication from his father, Jing Bo. Jing Bo criticizes him for publicly displaying his private life and accuses him of disgracing Qin Meng and provoking the Qin Family. Jing Yi responds defiantly, insisting that he married Qin Meng—not the Qin Family—and refuses to let them control his public identity or choices.

Character developments

• Jing Yi demonstrates considerable intelligence and self-control. Although he appears carefree, he deliberately maintains his persona because he knows he is being watched. He also skillfully uses social media to shape public opinion and strengthen his position at the Military Headquarters. His bold response to his father shows increasing independence and confidence.
• Yang Chun shifts from suspicion and vigilance to sympathy and admiration. He begins to view Jing Yi as genuinely devoted to Qin Meng and becomes concerned about the dangers of returning him to the Qin Family.
• Jing Bo is revealed as hypocritical and controlling, presenting concern for propriety while primarily worrying about family reputation and the Qin Family’s reaction.
• Qin Meng, though absent and deceased, remains central to the chapter through Jing Yi’s posts, the public’s memories, and the emotional meaning attached to the Military Headquarters.

Significant themes

• Love beyond death: Jing Yi’s refusal to leave Qin Meng’s former home is interpreted as proof of enduring love and loyalty.
• Public image and performance: Jing Yi consciously manages his behavior and online presence, turning his supposed recklessness into a carefully controlled public persona.
• Individual versus family authority: Jing Yi rejects the idea that marriage gives the Qin Family control over him, asserting that his relationship was with Qin Meng alone.
• Transformation of public opinion: The public quickly changes from disliking Jing Yi to sympathizing with and even celebrating him, showing the power of emotional storytelling and social media.
• Contrasts between appearance and reality: Jing Yi appears impulsive and provocative, but his actions are strategic; his playful online persona also conveys sincere grief and devotion.

Important character interactions

• Yang Chun watches Jing Yi from a distance and privately reassesses him with sympathy.
• Jing Yi interacts indirectly with the public through his post, gaining widespread support and the affectionate title “Madam Qin.”
• Jing Yi confronts Jing Bo during their communication, mocking his outdated views and firmly defending his right to remain at the Military Headquarters and live according to his bond with Qin Meng.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After dinner, General Chen asks Jing Xiaoyi about his plans now that his genetic compatibility test has been rechecked.
• The chapter recounts Jing Yi’s increasingly elaborate meals. He progresses from fried bug meat to stir-fries, grilled dishes, dry pots, teppanyaki, candied and braised foods, sushi, and other creations.
• General Chen, Yang Chun, and Grey Eagle become jealous and suspect Jing Yi is deliberately tormenting them by preparing varied, delicious bug-based meals while they eat bland standard food.
• Jing Yi’s cooking supplies expand as he searches online, gathers unusual local seasonings, and processes them himself. His kitchen becomes increasingly well stocked.
• After feeling upset by a call with Jing Bo, Jing Yi discovers a rare wild black-feathered chicken in the refrigerator. He uses it to make stock, allowing it to simmer nearly all day.
• For dinner, he turns the stock into a yin-yang hot pot with clear and spicy broths. He prepares numerous ingredients, including thinly sliced bug meat, high-grade beast meat, meatballs, noodles, and vegetables.
• The others are initially confused by the raw ingredients and table-side cooking. Jing Yi demonstrates how to cook food directly in the pot using chopsticks.
• They realize that chopsticks are exceptionally practical for hot pot, while their spoons leave them struggling to retrieve food. Their frustration and envy continue despite the meal being more conventional than Jing Yi’s earlier bug dishes.

Character developments

• Jing Xiaoyi/Jing Yi is shown as creative, resourceful, and deeply passionate about food. He turns cooking into both a hobby and a way to cope with emotional stress. His skill and preparation steadily improve, and he takes pride in introducing unfamiliar culinary practices.
• General Chen and the others maintain their military discipline but are gradually worn down by Jing Yi’s cooking. Their attempts to ignore him fail as curiosity, hunger, and envy grow.
• General Chen appears concerned about Jing Yi’s future and directly asks about his plans after the genetic test results, suggesting the beginning of a more serious conversation.
• Jing Bo affects Jing Yi emotionally through their phone call, prompting Jing Yi to retreat to the kitchen for comfort and distraction.

Significant themes

• Food as comfort and self-expression: Jing Yi uses cooking to manage his emotions and express creativity.
• Cultural unfamiliarity and adaptation: Hot pot and chopsticks are treated as strange or impractical at first, but their usefulness quickly becomes apparent.
• Scarcity and resourcefulness: Jing Yi transforms overlooked local plants, minerals, and ingredients into valuable seasonings and satisfying meals.
• Humor through jealousy and deprivation: The others’ disciplined resistance is repeatedly undermined by the enticing food, creating a comic contrast between military restraint and ordinary appetite.
• Innovation challenging convention: Jing Yi’s unconventional methods gradually prove more effective than the familiar utensils and standard meals.

Character interactions

• General Chen, Yang Chun, and Grey Eagle silently endure Jing Yi’s extravagant meals while trying not to show envy.
• Jing Yi’s culinary demonstrations repeatedly force the others to reconsider their assumptions, especially when hot pot and chopsticks outperform their conventional eating methods.
• General Chen’s final question shifts the chapter from comedic food-related conflict toward Jing Yi’s personal future and the consequences of his genetic test.

Chapter Summary: “Housewarming Joy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi hosts a hotpot meal for General Chen, Chen’s wife, and their companions. Despite initially struggling with the unfamiliar ingredients, cramped bowls, and chopsticks, everyone eventually becomes enthusiastic about the food.
• The meal leads to three amusing breakthroughs:
  1. The guests overcome their disgust toward bug meat and come to prefer its springy texture.
  2. They quickly learn to use chopsticks because their desire for food motivates them.
  3. Jing Yi’s cooking earns him recognition as an exceptional, almost miraculous chef.
• After the meal, General Chen asks Jing Yi what he plans to do now that his genetic compatibility has been rechecked.
• Jing Yi honestly explains that he wants to remain in the military district rather than return to the Qin Family. He argues that he feels safe and happy there, and that living near Amon’s former home helps him feel connected to his deceased husband.
• Jing Yi admits that he deliberately influenced public opinion to discourage the Qin Family from taking him back, though he insists his feelings about staying with the military are genuine.
• General Chen warns him not to provoke Qin Zhengyu, describing him as a powerful and dangerous political figure. However, he reassures Jing Yi that he is personally on Jing Yi’s side.
• With General Chen’s intervention, representatives of the Qin and Jing Families are sent away. Both families stop troubling Jing Yi, allowing him to remain safely in the military district.
• Jing Yi realizes that General Chen possesses far more authority than he had previously understood and is surprised by the extent of the general’s influence over the situation.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi becomes more open and strategic. He candidly acknowledges that he manipulated public opinion, but also shows that his desire to remain in the military district comes from genuine emotional attachment and a need for security.
• He demonstrates growing independence by rejecting the Qin Family and refusing to be treated as a powerless dependent or “caged pet.”
• General Chen emerges as a powerful protector and a wise mentor. He cautions Jing Yi against overconfidence while validating his choices and promising direct support.
• The hotpot guests move from skepticism and discomfort to enthusiasm, particularly regarding bug meat and chopsticks.
• Amon, though absent, remains an important emotional presence in Jing Yi’s decisions. Jing Yi associates the military district with Amon’s life and memory.

Significant Themes

• Finding a home: The chapter centers on Jing Yi’s wish to build a life in a place where he feels secure rather than return to a hostile and complicated family.
• Protection and belonging: General Chen’s support gives Jing Yi the stability and protection he lacks from his biological and marital families.
• Strategic survival: Jing Yi recognizes that, without power or allies, he must use public opinion and careful persuasion to protect himself.
• Food as connection: The hotpot meal creates warmth, camaraderie, and cultural exchange, transforming an official discussion into a comfortable gathering.
• Grief and remembrance: Jing Yi’s attachment to Amon’s former residence shows how he uses physical places to remain connected to Amon.
• Power and political influence: Jing Yi’s mistaken understanding of the balance between General Chen and Qin Zhengyu is corrected when Chen effortlessly shields him from both families.

Important Character Interactions

• Jing Yi and the guests bond over hotpot, with the guests’ enthusiasm humorously undermining their earlier serious discussion.
• Jing Yi and General Chen share a candid conversation in which Jing Yi explains his motives and Chen evaluates his judgment.
• General Chen acts as both a stern elder and a dependable ally, warning Jing Yi about Qin Zhengyu while assuring him that he will not face the Qin Family alone.
• Yang Chun jokingly highlights Qin Meng’s absence from the meal by sending her pictures, prompting an amused and threatening response.
• The Qin and Jing Families remain largely offstage but are decisively pushed out of Jing Yi’s life through General Chen’s authority.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• General Chen decides to support Jing Yi after observing his resourcefulness and willingness to solve problems rather than passively endure hardship. He considers Jing Yi a suitable future son-in-law and intends to protect him.
• The next morning, General Chen sends Yang Chun to escort Jing Yi to Qin Meng’s former residence in a military family residential compound near the Admiral Mansion.
• Yang Chun introduces Jing Yi to the compound’s facilities, including schools, a kindergarten, cafeterias, and parking areas. He also explains the surrounding households and provides Jing Yi with a detailed information file about the neighbors.
• Jing Yi discusses his plans for the properties inherited from the Jing Family. Because most are scattered across Mi Star while he expects to settle on Gold Star, he wants to sell underperforming assets, consolidate the rest, and relocate them for easier management.
• Yang Chun offers to introduce him to Fan Qiao, a capable and trustworthy business expert who can handle the assessment and reorganization.
• Jing Yi and Yang Chun enter apartment 135, Qin Meng’s former home. The residence is spacious but cold and barely shows signs of Qin Meng having lived there.
• Jing Yi is relieved that the apartment feels like a blank slate. He begins imagining it as a home he can shape according to his own preferences.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi continues adapting to the customs and power dynamics of Mi Star. He remains somewhat bewildered by General Chen’s indirect behavior but demonstrates practical judgment in planning his finances and future.
• He reveals a strong desire for independence and stability, especially because of his orphaned upbringing. His concept of home is deeply tied to safety, privacy, and personal control.
• General Chen shifts from cautiously observing Jing Yi to actively accepting and protecting him, believing Jing Yi is capable and not helpless.
• Yang Chun is shown to be much warmer and more considerate than his stern appearance suggests. His loyalty to Qin Meng motivates him to help Jing Yi, and he becomes a dependable ally.
• Jing Yi’s trust in Yang Chun grows as he recognizes his kindness and practical assistance.

Significant Themes

• Finding and creating a home: The empty apartment symbolizes a fresh beginning, allowing Jing Yi to build a life separate from both his past and Qin Meng’s shadow.
• Independence and self-determination: Jing Yi wants control over his property, finances, living space, and future rather than remaining dependent on others.
• Trust and chosen relationships: Yang Chun’s support shows Jing Yi beginning to form meaningful connections in his new environment.
• Adaptation to an unfamiliar society: Jing Yi continues learning Mi Star’s customs, class structures, and political relationships while gradually finding his place within them.
• New beginnings after loss: Qin Meng’s death leaves behind an emotionally empty space, but Jing Yi views that emptiness as an opportunity rather than merely a burden.

Character Interactions

• General Chen’s unseen assessment of Jing Yi contrasts with Jing Yi’s confusion over Chen’s indirect behavior, highlighting the gap between their perspectives.
• Yang Chun guides Jing Yi through the military residential compound and offers detailed practical advice, establishing a protective, almost brotherly relationship.
• Jing Yi responds with sincere gratitude and openly shares his plans, showing increasing comfort and trust toward Yang Chun.
• Their discussion of Fan Qiao creates a potential professional connection that may help Jing Yi secure his assets and establish himself on Gold Star.

Chapter Summary

Jing Yi tours Qin Meng’s former home with Yang Chun and immediately begins imagining renovations and additions. Although the house feels excessively large and lonely for one person, Jing Yi decides it is perfect and embraces it as his new home. Yang Chun watches his excitement while privately worrying that Qin Meng may not have been fully informed about Jing Yi moving in.
When Jing Yi asks which room Qin Meng used, Yang Chun points him toward a smaller downstairs bedroom rather than the master bedroom. Jing Yi finds this odd but accepts Yang Chun’s vague explanation that it was more convenient. Maintaining his image as a devoted widower, Jing Yi acts sorrowful when he sees the room, lamenting how little Qin Meng left behind and promising to preserve it. Yang Chun feels guilty watching Jing Yi grieve, since he knows Qin Meng is actually alive but cannot reveal the military secret.
Before leaving, Yang Chun promises to have Fan Qiao contact Jing Yi and accepts an invitation to Jing Yi’s housewarming celebration. Jing Yi then reveals ambitious plans: he wants to buy insect and beast meat from the military district, process and sell it through an online shop, and eventually study mech manufacturing so he can produce high-quality mech parts or even complete mechs. Yang Chun is impressed by this new side of Jing Yi. Rather than seeing him only as fragile, seductive, or grief-stricken, he recognizes Jing Yi as resilient, determined, and worthy of respect. Yang Chun agrees to help him investigate the meat-supply arrangements.
After Yang Chun leaves, Jing Yi looks forward to opening his online shop. The chapter then emphasizes his calculated approach to his public image. He understands that repeatedly relying on his “pure white lotus” or helpless-widower persona would eventually bore his followers. To become a successful internet celebrity, he must introduce new qualities and maintain audience interest. Although he has moved into his husband’s home, he deliberately avoids making an overly dramatic announcement, knowing that excessive displays could make him appear frivolous and cause fans to grow tired of him.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Jing Yi: Moves from apparent mourning into active plans for financial independence and a new career. He demonstrates business sense, ambition, emotional resilience, and careful control over his public persona.
• Yang Chun: Remains protective and sympathetic toward Jing Yi while being burdened by the secret of Qin Meng’s survival. His opinion of Jing Yi changes from pity and suspicion to genuine admiration and respect.
• Qin Meng: Though absent, his presence shapes the scene through his former home, bedroom, and the secret surrounding his supposed death.
• Jing Yi and Yang Chun: Their interaction combines deception, guilt, practical cooperation, and growing mutual respect. Jing Yi asks Yang Chun for assistance, while Yang Chun agrees to support his business plans.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus reality: Jing Yi performs grief publicly while privately planning his future, and Yang Chun must conceal Qin Meng’s survival.
• Personal reinvention: Jing Yi realizes he cannot rely on one fixed persona and must continue developing both himself and his public image.
• Independence and ambition: His plans to sell insect meat and manufacture mechs show his desire to build a self-sufficient life rather than depend on inherited wealth.
• Grief and hidden hope: The home appears to be a memorial to a dead husband, yet the reader knows Qin Meng is alive, creating emotional tension.
• Changing perceptions: Yang Chun’s view of Jing Yi evolves from pity to respect as he sees his determination and strength.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Qin Meng’s death, Jing Yi recognizes that public grief will fade and that his own fame is currently tied almost entirely to being known as “Major Qin’s wife.”
• He decides to broaden his identity as an internet celebrity so that his popularity will survive even after Qin Meng’s influence is forgotten. He also resolves never to abandon this career, since rebuilding it later would be nearly impossible.
• Although General Chen’s intervention has greatly reduced the Qin family’s threat, Jing Yi remains wary of relying completely on outside protection. His orphaned upbringing has made him distrustful and self-reliant.
• Jing Yi begins filming himself cooking. He prepares an insect-meat dish with impressive speed and skill, plating it artistically with a carved rose before preserving it in a Freshness Box.
• He then prepares dough made from nutritional powder. Rather than making elaborate pastries, he focuses on fulfilling a deep craving for a basic staple: steamed buns.
• Having previously experimented with Chinese and Western baked goods—and having had Grey Eagle steal and enjoy some—Jing Yi now shapes the buns into small roses and places them in a steamer.

Character development

• Jing Yi: Demonstrates strategic thinking about his career, emotional independence, and insecurity about losing the protection associated with Qin Meng. His cooking also reveals his creativity, technical skill, nostalgia for Earth, and strong attachment to familiar staple foods.
• Qin Meng: Though dead for more than half a month, he remains central to Jing Yi’s public identity and emotional circumstances. Jing Yi worries that Qin’s memory and influence will gradually fade.
• General Chen: His protection has weakened the Qin family’s ability to threaten Jing Yi, but Jing Yi still questions how long that protection will last.
• Grey Eagle: Indirectly shown to appreciate Jing Yi’s cooking after stealing and eating a plate of his pastries.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance and insecurity: Jing Yi refuses to place his safety or future entirely in another person’s hands.
• Public image and survival: He understands that celebrity depends on constant reinvention and plans to become more than “Major Qin’s wife.”
• Grief and impermanence: Qin Meng’s death and the fading of public sorrow emphasize how quickly attention and emotional intensity disappear.
• Cultural memory and homesickness: Jing Yi uses Earth-style cooking and staple foods to preserve familiar habits in the alien Mi Star society.
• Transformation of ordinary things: He turns nutritional powder and insect meat into appealing, skillfully prepared foods, challenging the Mi Star people’s limited attitude toward food.

Character interactions

• Jing Yi’s relationship with Qin Meng remains the foundation of his public identity, even though Qin is absent and deceased.
• General Chen’s intervention has created an indirect protective relationship with Jing Yi, but Jing Yi maintains emotional distance and does not fully trust its permanence.
• Jing Yi’s cooking connects him with viewers through the floating camera, while his past pastries created a playful interaction with Grey Eagle, who secretly ate them.
• His imagined relationship with his audience motivates him to build an independent identity and retain their affection beyond his association with Qin Meng.

Chapter Summary: “Friends Hand in Hand~”

1. Key plot points and events

• Jing Yi prepares an elaborate homemade lunch on the alien Mi Star: steamed nutrient-powder buns, a stir-fried meat dish, fruit juice, and homemade pickled vegetables.
• He carefully arranges the meal, decorates the table, and records himself cooking and eating it for his online followers.
• Jing Yi uploads the video at exactly eleven o’clock, just as most Mi Star citizens are preparing to eat plain nutrient solution. His timing and enthusiastic narration make the meal seem especially tempting.
• Although he includes no direct advertising, the video effectively promotes his food and lifestyle. Fans across the Nine Planets angrily—and tearfully—accuse him of cruelty for displaying such delicious food while they are hungry.
• Meanwhile, Major Qin Meng is undercover with his team, attempting to infiltrate the star-pirate organization Reverse Order and discover the locations of two additional bases. The squad members see Jing Yi’s video and become jealous and resentful, joking that Qin Meng is selfish for having such a talented cook as a spouse.
• The chapter ends by emphasizing the contrast between Jing Yi’s apparently delicate, lovesick public image and his true, cunning, ruthless personality.

2. Character developments

• Jing Yi: Demonstrates culinary skill, confidence, theatricality, and a strong enjoyment of life. He presents himself as an elegant, affectionate survivor while deliberately using his attractive appearance and carefully timed video to manipulate viewers’ emotions and attract attention.
• Major Qin Meng: Is shown enduring a difficult and dangerous undercover mission. Though separated from Jing Yi, he remains connected to him through the squad’s reactions to the video. The teasing suggests that Qin normally benefits from Jing Yi’s cooking and is now suffering without it.
• Qin’s squad members: Their boredom, hunger, and irritation reveal their close camaraderie. They complain about Jing Yi while also envying Qin, turning their hardship into humorous banter.
• Jing Yi’s fans: Their perception of him shifts. They had accepted him as a grieving, gentle spouse, but his provocative lunch video reminds them that he is actually sharp, shameless, and morally dubious.

3. Significant themes

• Food as luxury and social contrast: Jing Yi’s ordinary homemade meal is extraordinary to Mi Star’s working population, who largely survive on nutrient solution. The scene highlights inequality and makes his meal both comforting and cruelly tempting.
• Public image versus reality: Jing Yi’s beautiful, fragile persona conceals his calculating and ruthless nature. The chapter plays with the gap between how people see him and who he really is.
• Humor amid hardship: Qin’s dangerous undercover work is contrasted with the squad’s comic outrage over food, making friendship and teasing a source of relief.
• Cultural exchange and adaptation: Jing Yi’s cooking becomes a small but symbolic introduction of Earth customs to the Mi Star people, framed humorously as a historic achievement.
• Manipulation and performance: The video is presented as a warm, sincere message, but its timing and presentation function as deliberate emotional advertising.

4. Character interactions

• Jing Yi interacts directly with his audience through the edited cooking video, presenting himself as caring and encouraging while knowingly provoking them.
• Qin Meng’s undercover teammates collectively mock him for supposedly keeping Jing Yi’s cooking to himself, expressing both affection and envy.
• The fans’ reaction creates an indirect interaction with Jing Yi: they curse him for tormenting them with food, while he remains safely unaware—or unconcerned—about their suffering.
• The chapter also contrasts Jing Yi’s domestic, indulgent world with Qin Meng’s austere military operation, linking the married couple despite their physical separation.

Chapter 40 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The online audience continues reacting dramatically to Jing Yi’s cooking videos. Many viewers admit they were initially deceived by his attractive appearance and assumed the food was “dark cuisine,” but are now desperate to learn how to recreate his dishes.
• Fans experiment with Jing Yi’s recipes, producing comically poor results, including hard, weapon-like balls made from nutrition powder. Others theorize that Jing Yi possesses a secret technique or alters the food’s molecular structure.
• Jing Yi is pleased that his cooking has successfully transformed his public image. Although he dislikes the nickname “Madam Qin,” he is satisfied that he has established himself as a culinary expert and “taken revenge on society.”
• That afternoon, Jing Yi meets Fan Qiao, a capable businessman introduced by Yang Chun. Fan Qiao lives in the same military housing district and is married to Colonel Sun Fang.
• Jing Yi asks Fan Qiao to help reorganize his assets: eliminating undesirable holdings, consolidating the worthwhile ones, and transferring everything away from Mi Star.
• During their meeting, Jing Yi serves Fan Qiao two kinds of homemade pastries and offers him a rare homemade tea made from leaves he discovered and roasted himself.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi: Gains confidence and satisfaction from his growing reputation as a master of cooking. He remains reluctant to return to Mi Star and recognizes his own limitations in business and asset management. His willingness to serve Fan Qiao his treasured tea shows that he genuinely likes and trusts him.
• Fan Qiao: Is introduced as intelligent, capable, financially independent, and skilled at managing both business and domestic affairs. Though gentle and refined in appearance, he is perceptive, principled, and quietly formidable.
• The online audience: Their opinion of Jing Yi shifts from mockery and pity to admiration, hunger, curiosity, and respect. His cooking has given him a powerful new public identity.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Viewers initially judge Jing Yi and his food by appearance, only to discover that both are far better than expected. Fan Qiao also appears mild and harmless while possessing considerable strength and sharpness beneath the surface.
• Reputation and reinvention: Jing Yi deliberately uses his cooking to reshape how society sees him and establish an identity independent of his previous image.
• Domestic skill as power: Cooking, household management, and business ability are treated as valuable strengths, challenging the idea that power comes only from military or public achievement.
• Trust and selective generosity: Jing Yi’s decision to share his treasured tea reflects the rare personal connections he is beginning to form.

Character Interactions

• The commenters humorously confess their former prejudice against Jing Yi and beg for his recipes, turning public ridicule into admiration.
• Jing Yi and Fan Qiao immediately feel a mutual affinity because both possess gentle exteriors and more complex, guarded personalities underneath.
• Their first meeting is practical but warm: Jing Yi offers Fan Qiao pastries and tea, while Fan Qiao considers taking responsibility for reorganizing Jing Yi’s assets.