An impulsive Alpha

Picking another plate of pudding from the table, Shen "socially anxious Commander" Que leaned back in his chair and discreetly surveyed the guests talking to Pei Ji.

The lord of Jiluo Star, the head of the Interstellar Commerce Association, the president of the Golden Butterfly Auction, and... Duke Owen?

-A hereditary noble of Messiah, and the largest shareholder in the Tree of Life.

Shen Que gave him a surprised glance.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed the soft, creamy pudding.

What was he doing here?

The Tree of Life operated in entertainment, while White Sand Star focused more on industry.

Their businesses had nothing to do with each other. In fact...

Given Pei Ji's reputation, they could even be considered enemies of a sort.

Surely he hadn't come to meet a major traffic generator in person just because Pei Ji had contributed so many trending topics to the Star Network?

He watched the potbellied duke drape an arm around Pei Ji's shoulders as they drank together.

An inexplicable irritation rose in Shen Que's chest.

He had met Duke Owen once before at the Imperial Court, during a banquet hosted by the Empress.

His impression of the duke could be summed up in one word: sleazy.

In two words: incredibly sleazy.

At the time, he had been the First Fleet's chief commander. Duke Owen had approached him again and again, hoping he would take part in a special interview on the Star Network.

Shen Que hated being in the public eye, and most Star Network interviews were entertainment-oriented. Naturally, he had refused.

But the duke seemed incapable of understanding plain speech and kept clinging to him.

He couldn't be openly rude at the Empress's banquet, so he could only endure the exhausting exchanges.

In the end, he hadn't even managed a bite of dessert.

The pastry chef for that banquet had been brought in specially from Tianfu Star, and their syrup sponge cake was superb.

The more Shen Que thought about it, the more annoyed he became. His expression darkened slightly, and even the pudding in his hand no longer tasted sweet.

A voice dripping with disdain suddenly came from nearby. "What a spectacular opening dance, Pei Ji! I thought you'd open with a worm-blasting performance."

A tall, thin man parted the crowd and walked over.

He wore a military uniform, and on closer inspection, his features bore a strong resemblance to Duke Owen's.

The moment he appeared, Pei Ji, who had been patiently entertaining Owen, suddenly darkened.

"Austin." A cold smile curled his lips. "Is the Fifth Fleet really that idle? They can even give you leave to attend someone else's banquet?"

The man named Austin looked utterly scornful.

"I saved up six months' worth of leave just to watch you dance like a defective AI. You certainly didn't disappoint. The Star Network's meme remix section has fresh material now."

Pei Ji gave a cold chuckle. "Material you edited yourself, I take it?"

The air instantly grew thick with hostility.

Shen Que frowned slightly.

The man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him.

"Who is he?" he asked Anya.

Anya leaned close to Shen Que's ear. "His name is Austin. He's Duke Owen's youngest son, currently a major general in the Fifth Fleet, and... the General's former classmate."

"Classmate?"

Shen Que glanced at the two men.

"Yes... he's the one... You know how the General went off alone to blow up an Insect Nest during his graduation exam? It was because of a bet with him..."

"Oh..." Shen Que understood. "The little finger," he said meaningfully.

Anya nodded. "Yes, yes! He's the one the General stuck his little finger up at."

She hastily added, "Please don't copy him, my lady! That gesture is really vulgar on White Sand Star."

Austin, Owen, the Tree of Life...

Shen Que suddenly understood why Pei Ji's reputation on the Star Network had always been so awful.

So he had offended the head of the paid trolls.

Pei Ji and Austin were still trading barbs.

From "Seriously? A second-grade major general personally trolling the Star Network?"

To "That's nothing compared to the General, who even found time to kill bugs during his wedding."

As he said that, Austin cast a seemingly casual glance at Shen Que, which the sharp-eyed Pei Ji immediately caught.

"Hey!"

He suddenly hooked an arm around Austin's neck and hauled him aside.

Pei Ji used his full strength. Austin nearly choked under the hold and opened his mouth to swear:

"Fuck you, Pei Ji! I'm a junior shareholder in the Tree of Life! A general in the Fifth Fleet! You've got some fucking nerve trying to murder me..."

Pei Ji tightened his arm, forcibly cutting off the rest.

Leaning toward Austin's ear with a sinister smile, he asked, "Pretty, isn't he?"

Austin froze. "What's pretty..." he rasped.

"I mean the Commander. Pretty, isn't he?"

Austin's face instantly flushed red, whether from suffocation or anger.

Pei Ji watched his shifting expression with amusement, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at himself.

"My wife."

Austin began struggling wildly. "Fuck&*...&% Pei Ji, you shameless bastard! If you've got the guts, &&%...￥"

Duke Owen watched the scene with a cheerful smile.

"Hahaha, you two get along so well..."

Shen Que: "..."

He suddenly asked, "What did Pei Ji and Austin make that bet over back then?"

Anya shook her head blankly. "I hadn't come to the Fallen Star Palace yet when the General was in school... so..."

She turned to Demi for help.

Demi shook her head too. "Mm... the General never said, so I don't know either."

Phil, who had been leading the shipping frenzy on the Star Network, suddenly looked up. "I did overhear a little."

"What? What?" Demi and Anya immediately perked up their ears.

Phil adopted an inscrutable expression. "Remember when the Lord's Wife came to the Fallen Star Palace in person and lectured the General for three days and nights? She went through a pound and a half of tea leaves alone... I happened to be bringing her tea..."

Demi looked impatient. "Why don't you start with the General's birth while you're at it? Get to the point!"

Phil cleared her throat twice. "It seemed to be about some White Moonlight."

"White Moonlight?"

Shen Que's hand paused as he scooped his pudding.

Phil said, "The General had someone he adored back in school—his White Moonlight. You knew that, right?"

Demi nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes! He liked him for years. Every time he came home on leave, he'd talk about him."

Suddenly realizing something, she hurriedly covered her mouth and glanced at Shen Que.

Shen Que showed little reaction. His spoon simply stopped in the middle of the pudding as he said calmly, "Go on."

Phil said, "It seems the General and Austin liked the same person. They fought several times before graduation and lost a dozen credits."

"He must have really lost his temper that time at graduation, so..."

Anya shook her head. "...An impulsive Alpha."

Phil said, "Alphas are like wild beasts, aren't they? Ridiculously possessive. Wouldn't you agree, my lady?"

Shen Que kept his head lowered, slowly turning his spoon through the pudding, stirring it and scraping it away bit by bit.

He suddenly asked, "Who did the person they liked end up with?"

The three little maids exchanged glances.

Demi said, "Neither of them, I think? The General joined the Fourth Fleet after graduation. I never heard anything about him dating anyone."

Phil said, "Alphas are all like that. They come down hard on other Alphas, but turn timid around the Omegas they like. My guess is, he never even confessed."

Anya said, "So the General got into a spiteful bet with a classmate and soloed a Hive over someone who didn't even know who he was."

The Beta little maids all shook their heads. "What an impulsive Alpha..."

Just then, Pei Ji returned with a spring in his step, having infuriated Austin into leaving.

Glancing at the mangled pudding in Shen Que's hand, he chuckled. "What did it do to offend you?"

Shen Que's spoon stopped. "...It doesn't taste good."

"Really?" Pei Ji reached out and forcibly took the remaining pudding before Shen Que could resist. "Let me try."

He shoveled the ugly remnants into his mouth.

"Tastes fine to me. Caramel can be a little bitter. You don't like bitter things?"

He picked up another plate of pudding from the table.

This one was milk-flavored.

Pei Ji scooped out a spoonful and held it to Shen Que's lips.

Shen Que silently watched the tempting pudding wobble softly in front of him.

After a while, he opened his mouth anyway and took the spoonful of pudding.