Free Web NovelChapter 182: Chapter 182: Parting Gift
Mu Tangfeng hadn’t planned on returning to his room. He didn’t want Jiang Xia to see that he’d been crying and mock him for it.
But his lips still bore the mark Lanlan had left, like a medal of victory. He couldn’t resist returning to his room to show it off without a word.
Although Jiang Xia hadn’t gone in to disturb them, they had been in the room for so long that his imagination had already run wild, picturing all sorts of scenarios.
The moment Mu Tangfeng returned, Jiang Xia immediately noticed the red, swollen corner of his mouth.
He’d been jealous all night, and he had to fight the urge to strangle Mu Tangfeng.
So, the next day, he also clung to Shi Lan for a long time.
He wasn’t throwing a tantrum, and he didn’t need Shi Lan to coax him. He was just being clingy, finding different ways to stick to her. One moment, he was in his beast form, rolling around in her arms. The next, he was in his human form, resting his head on her lap. They were inside another of the game’s travel scenarios, where the ground was covered in soft green grass.
Jiang Xia’s long hair spilled across the grass. Against the green, his silver-white locks and the charming smile playing on his lips, which pleaded for affection, were more captivating than anything else.
Shi Lan willingly lost herself in the moment. It was less a case of Jiang Xia clinging to her and more that she was indulging him.
In the end, Jiang Xia’s lips were also as soft and plump as a ripe peach, looking as if they could burst with juice. With his face flushed and his gaze, full of deep affection and love, fixed on her, Shi Lan’s heart pounded in her chest. She ended their intimate moment with a light, fleeting kiss.
After this, Shi Lan came to a clear realization: having multiple partners was, at times, a sweet kind of trouble.
But what could she do?
She loved every single one of them and couldn’t bear to let any of them go.
—
The day He Hanshi left Yaoxing, Liu Si knocked on Shi Lan’s door. When she went out and saw him, she asked with a puzzled look, "Liu Si, is something the matter?"
For the past two days, Liu Si still hadn’t figured out how Shi Lan and Admiral He were connected, but he had no doubt whatsoever that the Admiral was fond of her.
He took a metal box out of his Space Bag. "This is a gift for you from the Admiral. As the commander, he’s already left with the main force, so he could only ask me to deliver it."
Shi Lan accepted it. Not wanting to waste any more time, Liu Si got into his Hovercar as soon as she took the box and headed to the rendezvous point to depart with the remaining troops.
Soon, a fleet of Teleportation Spaceships departed from Yaoxing.
After he left, Shi Lan opened the metal box. Mu Tangfeng and Jiang Xia came over and curiously peered inside with her.
Inside the box lay two miniature pistols.
Mu Tangfeng inspected one. "The Admiral must have modified this pistol. It’s very light and easy to handle."
As he spoke, he fired a shot at an empty patch of ground nearby. A cloud of dust and smoke immediately billowed up, leaving a three-centimeter-deep crater.
His eyes filled with admiration. "The recoil is minimal, it’s simple to use, and it has a fast draw speed."
"If I’m not mistaken, this gun is designed primarily for fighting the Insect Clan, but it can also be used against people. It’s not lethal; it can knock an opponent unconscious directly, so it offers great protection."
As he continued, his feelings grew complicated.
Admiral He was far more attentive to Lanlan than he had imagined. This gun was practically tailor-made for her.
Mu Tangfeng knew a thing or two about mechatronics, but his knowledge of firearm modification wasn’t as deep. At least, he couldn’t have achieved what the Admiral had—every single component was perfectly optimized to retain its offensive power while maximizing ease of use.
If this gun were put up for auction, the bidding would start at 1,000,000, at least.
He carefully placed the gun back into the metal box.
Shi Lan hadn’t known much about pistols, but after hearing Mu Tangfeng’s analysis, she realized this gun was likely the kind of priceless item you couldn’t buy on the open market. It was incredibly precious.
She carefully placed the pistol in the most prominent spot inside her Space Bag. That way, if she were ever in trouble, she would remember it immediately and not let He Hanshi’s effort go to waste.
Jiang Xia, who had been listening from the side, was stunned. After a moment, he couldn’t help but sigh, "Is there anything Admiral He can’t do?"
Aside from his background in the slums, the man was practically perfect.
But when Shi Lan heard Jiang Xia’s words, she felt a strange pang in her heart. ’No one is born a genius,’ she thought. ’He Hanshi must have had to work incredibly hard behind the scenes and put in so much effort...’
That night, Shi Lan made a video call to He Hanshi. He had mentioned he was usually free after 10 PM, so ever since they made their relationship official, they had been contacting each other much more frequently over the past two days.
When He Hanshi answered the call, the first thing to appear on screen was the top of his head, his silver hair damp and covered with a towel.
He didn’t have a privacy screen active, so Shi Lan could see his entire surroundings.
He seemed to still be in space, as the background looked like the interior of a spaceship.
She only glanced at the background for a moment before her eyes fixed on He Hanshi. He was shirtless, with only a thin bath towel wrapped around his waist, slung low beneath his V-line. Gone was the stern, imposing aura he projected in his military uniform. As an occasional droplet of water trickled down his skin, he exuded a raw, seductive charm.
He Hanshi was casually drying his hair. A pleased "Lanlan" rumbled in his throat, but after waiting a moment without a reply, he couldn’t help but look up at her and ask with concern, "What’s wrong?"
Shi Lan snapped back to her senses, her face blushing. She quickly shook her head, refusing to admit she had been staring, and awkwardly changed the subject. "It’s nothing. Thank you for the gun you sent. I like it a lot."
He Hanshi’s eyes swept over the flustered shyness she was trying to hide. A faint smile touched his lips, but he didn’t call out her clumsy lie. "As long as you like it, Lanlan. It’s a solar-powered electric gun, but if the battery is low, you can substitute it with an Energy Stone. Generally speaking, a full charge can fire 100 rounds."
After dozens of attempts, this was the highest capacity he could achieve while still meeting the criteria he believed were suitable for Lanlan.
He continued, "Things might get a little rough from here on out. You have to protect yourself, Lanlan. Don’t go anywhere alone."
Hearing this, Shi Lan grew worried. "Is it the Insect Clan? Will you be able to handle it? How are you feeling? Your collapse value hasn’t increased, has it?"
She fired off a series of questions, and He Hanshi patiently answered each one.
"Yes. It’s possible new Mutated Insect Clan will appear soon."
"Don’t worry about me, Lanlan. I’m in great condition. I’m a 3S Spiritual Power Beastman, after all. I can easily take care of pretty much any member of the Insect Clan I encounter."
Even the Insect Mother wouldn’t dare to confront him head-on.
"As for my collapse value, I haven’t encountered any new members of the Insect Clan in the past two days, so it hasn’t increased."
After hearing all his answers, Shi Lan felt somewhat relieved.
The two chatted for a little while longer. Just as Shi Lan was about to go to sleep, He Hanshi said reluctantly, "Good night."
Shi Lan nodded sleepily, her eyes half-closed as she replied in a daze, "Good night."
He Hanshi’s doting, joyful laughter came through the screen. After a moment, as if afraid of disturbing her, he whispered softly, "Dream of me."
As for Shi Lan, her eyelashes trembled like a butterfly’s wings, a silent response as she sank into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The call was still connected. The man on the other end gazed at her serene, sleeping face for a long while before he could finally bring himself to hang up.
