Everything went haywire

On the banquet hall terrace.

Austin punched the railing.

"Ow! That hurt..."

He stared at the railing in alarm, then felt it again.

"Fuck, white obsidian?"

Obsidian was one of the hardest ores, rare and expensive, with a certain sacred significance. It was generally used for decorations in temples.

Who the hell had so much money to burn that they made railings out of obsidian?!

Several undercover paparazzi gathered around him with their Terminals.

"What's happening on the Star Network?" Austin asked, blowing on his reddened hand.

"There's a small wave of pushback, mostly because that opening dance had such great chemistry. Loads of people are shipping them."

"But most people are still discussing whether Pei Ji is just putting on an act."

Austin said viciously, "Keep a close eye on him! Don't let a single embarrassing moment slip past!"

His eyes shifted. "Ideally, get footage of him giving Shen Que a dirty look, or shots where they look like they barely know each other. Cut every affectionate gesture!"

The paparazzo looked troubled. "But... the General hasn't left his husband's side. Everything they do is affectionate..."

"Idiot! If there's nothing, can't you edit it?! Splice something together!"

"And..."

"And what?"

The paparazzo lowered his voice. "It seems like someone's watching us. A lot of people's cameras have suddenly broken for no reason... sometimes in the time it takes to get a drink of water..."

Austin rapped him hard on the head. "Who said you could drink water on the clock?! If you're going to be paparazzi, you'd better be prepared to die of thirst or starvation!"

"Am I paying you triple wages so you can come to this banquet to eat, drink, and have fun?!"

The paparazzo hastily nodded in submission. "Yes, yes, yes..."

Taking a deep breath, Austin straightened the collar of his uniform and sneered.

"Looks like Pei Ji did make a few preparations. Too bad they're useless. Let's see whether he can shut things down faster than I can spread them on the Star Network!"

"Oh, right, and that opening dance of his. What the hell was that?! Great chemistry, my ass... get a few professionals to critique it frame by frame. Give it an explosive title, something like [So what if he's handsome? We can't say his dancing sucks?]"

The paparazzo gave him a thumbs-up. "Nobody does it like you, young boss!"

The other paparazzi nodded repeatedly as well. "Honestly, young boss, with your talent for steering public opinion, joining the fleet was such a waste. You should've come to the Tree of Life's marketing department."

Austin basked in their praise.

Just you wait, Pei Ji.

You might not care what other people think, but Shen Que won't necessarily feel the same.

The former Commander of the First Fleet was exceptionally cautious whenever he appeared in public, and every word he spoke was carefully considered.

How could someone so reserved stand being gossiped about alongside a controversial bastard like you?

Divorce is only a matter of time!

Austin whistled inwardly.

A third of the way through the banquet, Pei Li returned to the lord's seat.

Old Hall hurried over in a panic.

"General, it's about to start!"

Pei Ji replied, "Got it."

He set down his plate and pulled Shen Que to his feet, while Shen Que was still savoring the last trace of sweetness on his tongue.

Shen Que froze briefly, then realized.

They were about to announce the assets.

Pei Ji curved his lips and leaned close to Shen Que's ear.

"Any moment now, I'll be one of the richest Alphas on all of White Sand Star."

"Is there anything you like? Jewels? Starships? Or a vacation asteroid? I can buy you anything..."

Shen Que's expression remained unchanged, but his heart slowly sank.

Pei Ji didn't know that a share of the assets would go to him, much less that his share included the Ore Trade.

The lord of White Sand Star began to speak.

Jewels worth hundreds of millions, checks, shares, an entire tract of the Third Oasis...

Sharp gasps rose from the crowd now and then.

By the end of the long list, even Shen Que had grown a little numb.

"All of the assets listed above have been certified by the Imperial Arbitration Council. From this moment onward, they will belong to my only son, Pei Ji. May prosperity follow him forever."

The older man paused briefly.

"Next, I will announce the remaining portion: the assets belonging to my only son's Omega, Shen Que, the wife of White Sand Star's young lord."

The whispers instantly grew louder.

In the paparazzo's livestream, the comments exploded as well.

[Holy shit?! Shen Que gets a share too?!!]

[Oh my god, I was already numb listening to that, and it was only for his son? His son-in-law gets more?]

[Can I timidly ask how much a fleet's commander-in-chief earns? Would it cover even a tenth of what they just announced?]

[A tenth? You're seriously underestimating Shen Que... he doesn't even make a twentieth!]

[Hahaha, why am I staying up late to watch this when I earn 1,000 Starcoins a month?]

[Waaah, I'm done watching. My corpse feels unwell.]

[Good lord, give me that much money and forget being abandoned at the wedding-I'd happily spend my whole life as a widow with a living husband!]

In the hall, everyone's eyes were fixed on Shen Que, but he paid them no attention.

He was watching Pei Ji.

His Alpha's brows were knotted, his gaze fixed on Pei Li above them. There was no telling what he was thinking.

Pei Ji had always been sensitive to other people's gazes-especially his-but at that moment, he hadn't noticed Shen Que watching him.

So... he did mind after all?

Shen Que watched him calmly.

After listing the assets one by one, Pei Li slowly delivered the final line:

"...as well as White Sand Star's Ore Trade."

The murmurs could no longer be contained.

"My god... the Ore Trade..."

"Doesn't that mean sand gold..."

"Hasn't White Sand Star's Ore Trade always been inherited by the young lord?"

"I remember it was handed over to Pei Ji to manage before. Why... wasn't he up to it?"

Shen Que saw Pei Ji's face turn cold in an instant. His profile tensed, and the corners of his mouth, usually lifted, dropped heavily, revealing a rare viciousness and indifference.

The air seemed to freeze.

Shen Que called to him tentatively. "Pei Ji?"

His Alpha's fists were clenched, his knuckles white. His expression shifted several times, as though he were forcibly suppressing something.

"Pei Ji?"

Shen Que touched his lowered hand.

Was he angry?

As though suddenly waking up, Pei Ji took a deep breath and seized Shen Que's hand.

His grip was a little too tight.

He was angry.

Shen Que's heart sank completely.

The people around them were discreetly watching.

He didn't like so many probing gazes.

Pei Li and Ai Fan left the hall accompanied by their butler, Barry. Music began to play, and the banquet resumed.

Shen Que seemed about to say something, his hand shifting uneasily in Pei Ji's grasp.

But Pei Ji suddenly turned and casually kissed his cheek.

"There's mousse cake on the table. Mom's pastry chef makes it really well. Have some while you wait. I'll be right back."

Shen Que froze. Before he could speak, Pei Ji had already released him, passed through the crowd, and disappeared.

For a moment, he felt rather lost. His brows drew together slightly, complex emotions surfacing in his eyes.

Pei Ji...

Just then, a sudden flash came from nearby.

Shen Que's pupils contracted. He sharply raised his head and caught a furtive figure darting past.

Phil cried out, "Paparazzi!"

The paparazzo turned and ran.

The Little Maid darted into the crowd and gave chase.

Anya said, "Oh no, oh no! He got footage of the General leaving!"

They had all noticed Pei Ji's foul mood just now.

Demi let out a long sigh. "I'll go after the General. We can't let him do anything stupid!"

But she had barely left when another light flashed.

A familiar tall figure suddenly stepped between the paparazzo and Shen Que.

Charles Lee approached with a wineglass in hand. Before he could speak, the second paparazzo sneaking photos let out a pained "Ow!"

Crack!

The shattered camera was crushed underfoot.

A short major general with a silver star pinned to his chest appeared out of nowhere. As he kicked the paparazzo to the floor, he casually picked up a glass of wine from the table and reached Shen Que at the same time as Charles.

The two wineglasses unexpectedly clinked together.

Behind them came a servant's concerned questions and the paparazzo's panicked voice.

A few drops of fine white wine from Tianfu Star splashed out, landing at their feet.

The officer paused, then looked the tall man who had suddenly appeared up and down and touched the brim of his cap.

"Hello, I'm Luo Yuan, a second-class major general of the Fourth Fleet. It's a pleasure to meet you!"