Chapter 7: Nuzzling Her Cheek

Xion and Lu Zhan were deeply touched, yet they insisted on following the rules. However, Nian Tu was adamant that they eat together, and unable to resist her, they began to eat with a sense of formal restraint.

Interstellar ingredients are sourced from specialized resource planets. Free from industrial pollution and raised by nature, these ingredients are not only healthier than what Nian Tu used to eat on Earth, but their flavors are also far superior.

The potatoes were soft, savory, and fragrant; the tomatoes were tangy, sweet, and juicy; the lettuce was crisp and refreshing.

The pork ribs had been stewed until the meat fell off the bone, coated in a rich, mellow mashed potato that was even more intense than the flavor of the meat alone. The beef brisket melted in the mouth, having fully absorbed the essence of the tomatoes, leaving a lingering, unforgettable aftertaste.

The two males were completely stunned by these three dishes, which Nian Tu referred to as "home cooking."

Just by the aroma, they had guessed it would be good, but they never expected it to be this incredible!

As native citizens of the Empire, they had grown up on nutrient paste. Having only occasionally tasted natural food, they had assumed that the dishes served in high-end restaurants were the pinnacle of culinary art. After tasting today's meal, they realized that everything they had eaten before was essentially a waste of good ingredients.

In front of Nian Tu, the two males barely maintained their reserved manners, though they ate with intense focus.

With company to share the meal, Nian Tu’s appetite was better than usual, though she still ate very little.

She finished first and left the table. The moment she was gone, the atmosphere at the table instantly turned tense and confrontational.

Xion moved at lightning speed, snatching three of the four remaining pork ribs from the plate, followed by a piece of potato.

Lu Zhan grabbed a spoon and scooped up the tomato beef brisket, leaving behind only a little sauce, two pathetic-looking pieces of beef, and a few scraps of tomato.

It wasn't that the stir-fried lettuce was unappetizing; it was simply that they were both carnivores by nature. Even in human form, their dietary preferences were influenced by their beast forms. Though they didn't favor vegetables, they didn't let the dish go to waste, dividing it equally between themselves.

Once the spoils were divided, Xion plated his portion, took several photos with his optical computer, and triumphantly sent them to his uncle, Feli.

Xion: [Image] [Image] [Image]
Xion: Made by Nian Tu. Delicious.

Feli was surprised to receive a message from Xion.

His nephew had been rebellious since childhood and almost never took the initiative to contact him. Today, he had already rudely rejected one communication request and hung up on another, yet now he was sending messages of his own accord.

He opened the message, and as expected, it concerned that young female, Nian Tu.

He read the text first. A female cooking... Had Xion lost his mind? Not to mention how one could let a female do such dangerous work, could food made by a female even be eaten? Wouldn't it be poisonous?

He scrolled up to the food photos.

The optical computer could capture the scent at the time of recording, simulate it into data, and send it along to the recipient. In short, the interstellar era had achieved the ability to smell photos.

The moment he saw the images, Feli was hit with the dual impact of the alluring colors and the overwhelming aroma. His stomach let out an embarrassing growl.

Feli: "..."

The embarrassed Marshal once again invited his nephew to a video call.

This time, Xion answered promptly. He looked satisfied, half-lying in his room like a well-fed lion. He was no longer his usual majestic and upright self, but instead appeared lazy and relaxed.

Seeing him in such a state of ease, Feli couldn't help but chuckle: "Do you want to end up in prison, Xion? Actually letting a female cook for you."

Xion: "Niannian directed, and I did the cooking. I won't end up in prison."

He spoke like a child who had received his favorite reward at school and was showing it off to his uncle: "We plan to handle our three meals a day like this from now on. She said she would teach me how to make other dishes, too."

"From now on?"

The smile on Feli's face faded. He gazed at Xion for a long time before saying, "There is no 'from now on' for you two."

"Nian Tu is a wonderful female, almost the ideal partner for any male. I understand your infatuation with her. A hot-headed kid like you values romance above all else, wishing to drown in the river of love."

"But Xion, your instability rating is currently 74. Not 4, 14, or 24. Even if it were 64, I might have agreed to let you be together, provided you transferred to logistics permanently, never set foot on a battlefield again, and worked hard to maintain emotional stability."

"But 74 is simply too high. You won't be able to maintain this for more than a few years."

"Do you intend to just drift along like this?"

"She might like you. Because you are the youngest Major General in the Empire, and I am willing to be your backing; your future is limitless."

"But she won't love a lion that can never turn back into a human again—a lion that goes mad, fails to recognize her, and attacks her as if she were a stranger."

Xion’s expression gradually darkened.

He struggled to refute Feli: "Nian Tu will undergo a second awakening. She will surely have psychic power."

Feli sighed: "But you are an S-class male. Psychic power below A-class has almost no soothing effect on you."

"The percentage of females who awaken to A-class psychic power is less than 2%. Are you really so confident that she can?"

Xion fell silent.

Feli continued: "A-class females are never short of partners. The number of males they can soothe is limited, and the demand for partners has always exceeded supply. You must seize the time."

"Xion," Feli’s usually forceful tone suddenly became laced with exhaustion: "In this world, we are the last of our kin. I have only you."

The Ryan family had never been populous, and it seemed as if they were under some sort of curse of short lives. Dying on the battlefield, dying of illness, dying in accidents... and most of all, dying from losing control and turning into beasts.

And now, Xion was facing the crisis of losing control and turning into a beast.

Feli delivered the final verdict: "You can be willful about other things, but not this time."

"I have compiled a list of A-class females who currently have vacancies for partners. Look through it as soon as possible, find the one you find most agreeable, and pursue her immediately—right now."

This communication, too, ended with uncle and nephew parting on bad terms.

Xion closed his eyes, his heart in turmoil.

Recalling the comrades on the battlefield who had suddenly lost control and turned into beasts, their mad, unrecognizable state where they knew neither friend nor foe, it was difficult for him not to fear becoming that kind of irrational beast himself, ultimately dying without dignity.

He needed psychic soothing.

But the A-class psychic awakening rate was far too low; he could not pin his hopes on Nian Tu.

His uncle was right.

But he couldn't do it.

Anxious and frustrated thoughts swirled incessantly in his mind. Xion's breathing grew rapid, and bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes.

His instability rating soared, and the moment it hit 80, the optical computer emitted a "beep-beep-beep" alarm, instantly sending a notification to Xion’s emergency contact, Feli.

In the blink of an eye, the man on the bed transformed into a lion. Shaking off his tattered clothes, he crashed through the window and leaped from the second floor.

Lu Zhan, with his keen senses, heard the alarm and rushed over, but he was a step too late.

He picked up the optical computer Xion had dropped on the floor and connected the call to Marshal Feli, reporting quickly: "Marshal, this is Lu Zhan. Major General Xion has turned into his beast form and left after breaking the window. Judging by the traces left behind, he headed toward the southeast. There is no major damage at the scene, nor any bloodstains."

A beastman who has lost control is different from one who chooses to change form; the latter is merely a change in shape while the mind remains human, whereas the former is closer to a true beast, devoid of human reason.

Once a predator like a lion loses control, its destructive power is terrifying.

A large number of officers were dispatched to search, and all departments received warning notices.

Lu Zhan joined the search party for Xion. Before leaving, he checked on Nian Tu and found that she had fallen asleep, undisturbed by the commotion, so he left quietly and let her continue to rest.

In the middle of the night.

Nian Tu slept fitfully, feeling as if something furry was rubbing against her face.