Messiah, the Capital Star, Imperial Court.
After a busy day of state affairs, Carolina dismissed her attendants and sat alone in her private garden.
After much hesitation, Her Majesty the supreme Empress finally opened her Terminal and logged into her disguised alternate account.
The Star Network's biggest gossip platform.
In a small livestream where a paparazzo risked their life to film in secret, comments flooded the screen.
[Holy shit-what kind of money did Pei Li throw at this? This palace, this dome, these chandeliers, these tables, this carpet-it's all so gorgeous!]
[See those patterns on the dome? All hand-painted by top-tier artists.]
[Damn, even AI-printing an area that big would cost tens of thousands, right? And it's hand-painted?!]
[I hate the rich now, folks. From today on, I'm pure sour grapes.]
[Why hasn't it started yet? I've been waiting since seven thirty. I've already gone through three streams that got shut down.]
[Check out the stream called "OMG This Is Wild." This paparazzo has never been caught.]
[Maybe Pei Ji has already run away, actually?]
[If he runs away again, I bet zero Starcoins that next month's trending searches will all be about him.]
[I really don't understand the point of this marriage.]
Carolina swiped expertly across the screen, firing sharp retorts at every comment attacking Shen Que while liking every negative comment about Pei Ji.
When the camera swept over Pei Li and Ai Fan seated at the head of the room, her fingertip paused.
The next second, the lights on the screen went out.
[Holy shit, the lights went out! The lights went out!]
[It's starting! It's starting!]
[Damn, the dome is opening-]
[Aaaaah, it's moonlight! This is my first time seeing the moon! It's so beautiful!!]
[Seriously! I'd only read about it in Ancient Earth poetry before. The Earthlings weren't lying!!]
[Waaaah, I have to save up for a trip to Blue Star No. 33!]
[Incredible. Using moonlight to pave the stage. Rich people really know romance.]
[Ooh, they're coming out! They're coming out!]
[Pei Ji actually didn't run away. Clap, clap.]
[Hehe, holding hands. Those two seem to get along pretty well.]
[Even if they didn't, they wouldn't let you see it. No matter how arrogant Pei Ji is, he wouldn't snub his own Omega at a banquet this big, right?]
[Uh... remember the wedding...]
[You can tell they're military officers. That posture is incredible!]
[You know, Pei Ji may have a bad reputation, but he really is handsome.]
[Ha, his face is a permanent fixture in plastic surgery clinics' reference photos, okay?]
[Doesn't it scare the Omegas getting surgery into tears?]
[Wow, is that a First-Class General's dress uniform? It's actually black. I've never seen one before. It goes so well with the Commander's white dress uniform!]
[He's bowing his head! He's bowing his head! The demon king bowed his head! Get the camera on him! Fuck, close enough-he's bowing to me!!]
[Shen Que is so beautiful, my god. Standing in the moonlight, he's practically glowing!]
[Ooh, does anyone else get that lift of his chin? As expected of the former First Commander. What a presence.]
[Waaaah, such a proud little kitty.]
Carolina nodded in satisfaction, her lips curling up unconsciously.
Of course her dear little Shen Que was handsome.
As for that egomaniac General... he was barely passable.
Giving Pei Ji a cursory glance, Carolina focused all her attention on Shen Que.
He looked much healthier.
Nothing like his time on Messiah before the wedding.
Whenever she passed his hospital room, all she saw was him sitting with his head lowered.
His clear, luminous face had been utterly bloodless, his deep eyes dull and lightless, his whole being shrouded in bewilderment and exhaustion.
At least the Shen Que on the screen now was in the mood to show a little pride.
But Carolina knew that Shen Que couldn't dance.
Not only that, she also knew that beneath his cool, reserved exterior, the Commander was actually... socially anxious.
At Imperial Court banquets in the past, he had always stood in a corner. Even if someone approached him, he would offer a perfunctory reply or two before slipping away.
Dancing in front of so many people...
The Empress of the Icarus Empire broke into a nervous sweat for her beloved Commander.
[Ahem, I'll refrain from commenting on their dancing.]
[As long as they're easy on the eyes. Who's actually watching the dancing?]
[It's not bad. You can't exactly compare them with Safiya, can you?]
[Speaking of which, Safiya is from White Sand Star too.]
[You know, their dancing might be mediocre, but at least they've got the right bearing (holding back laughter).]
[Ooh, Shen Que is twirling. He's so cute, help!]
[Elegant. Truly elegant!]
[Hahahaha, Pei Ji frowned. Did someone step on his foot?]
[Help, folks, look at these (screenshot) (screenshot). Shen Que's expression-it's subtle, but...]
[Shen Que: I'm falling apart.]
[Okay, okay, I see it now. Shen Que can't keep going. Pei Ji is carrying him.]
[God, I feel so bad for him. How much longer is there?]
[Why does Pei Ji look like he's talking? Is he reciting the steps?!]
[The Battlefield Demon's inner monologue: I've never memorized a script for a public speech, but I have to memorize steps to dance in public! Damn it!]
[Wait, look (screenshot) (screenshot). Is Pei Ji secretly squeezing Shen Que's waist?]
[Isn't his hand supposed to be on his waist anyway?]
[But his fingers moved.]
[To be fair, the Commander's waist really is slender.]
[I'd squeeze the hell out of it (drooling) (drooling).]
Carolina's brows drew tightly together. She opened the screenshots, zoomed in, and scrutinized them inch by inch.
...That creep! That bastard! That filthy scumbag!
How dare he!!!
She spammed the chat furiously.
[Pei Ji is trash!]
[What awful dancing!]
[I can't watch this anymore! Hurry up and finish (disdain) (disdain)!!]
Fortunately, the opening dance wasn't long, sparing Carolina's Terminal the fate of being smashed.
[Ah... it's over, it's over...]
[I don't know why, but I kind of want more.]
[Pei Ji's relieved expression is killing me. Harder than killing bugs, huh, Your Demon King Highness?]
[Wow, a kiss on the hand to finish.]
[Elegant! Truly elegant!]
[Ahem, their dancing might be average, but I still think it's a teensy billion times... romantic? I don't even know how to put it, hahaha.]
[Yes, yes, yes!]
[It's that presence, that feeling...]
[It's just romantic!]
[Right?!]
[It really is so romantic!]
It wasn't romantic at all!
Carolina shut off her Terminal and stormed back to her bedchamber.
Inside the Moon Palace's banquet hall.
Pei Ji braced his hands on his knees and panted heavily.
"I'm fucking... never dancing again as long as I live!"
Shen Que leaned back in a nearby chair, his slender fingers supporting his forehead, his lips slightly parted as he took shallow breaths.
...So tired.
He had run out of strength halfway through.
The turns had left his head spinning. By the end, he had only avoided making mistakes because Pei Ji quietly told him which foot to move.
Apart from dizziness and exhaustion, all he remembered of the dance was the Alpha's hand gripping his waist firmly the entire time.
And the faint, sandy scent of pheromones surrounding him.
Demi wiped away tears of emotion beside them. "Thank goodness you didn't get any steps wrong. Our special training paid off!"
Anya was equally pleased. "Some positive comments are appearing on the Star Network now. Some citizens are even shipping the General and his husband!"
"Really?!" Phil scrolled through Anya's Terminal. "Just wait! I'll start a thread and get the hype going right now!"
Pei Ji recovered quickly and squeezed Shen Que's shoulder. "You all right, Commander?"
Shen Que nodded.
With a tender ache in his heart, Pei Ji brushed his thumb over the Omega's pale lips, then picked up a tempting little caramel cake from the table.
He forked off the tip of the cake and brought it to Shen Que's lips.
"Have some sugar."
Shen Que ate it from his hand.
Pei Ji blinked. "How does it taste?"
Shen Que finished eating in silence. "...Sweet."
Pei Ji forked up another bite, which Shen Que leaned forward to take.
His lips curling up, the Alpha contentedly fed his Omega one bite at a time.
A guest came over to strike up a conversation.
Pei Ji showed no intention of going to greet them, continuing to concentrate on feeding his Omega cake.
Shen Que picked up the fork and took the last piece, coolly signaling to him: [Go socialize.]
Pei Ji understood Shen Que's signal and pouted: [Do I have to?]
Shen Que lifted his eyelids: [Should I go instead?]
Pei Ji immediately stood up and greeted his guest with a perfect smile.
Having witnessed everything without understanding any of it, Anya asked Demi blankly, "Did the General's husband say anything just now? Why do I feel like he and the General reached some sort of agreement?"
Demi said, "Children shouldn't ask so many questions."
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