Chapter 208
Chapter 208: I Took a Bullet for You, Covered for You—I Love You, So I’m Leaving You
The moment the shot rang out, Jiang Tea Tea gathered magic power, ready to catch the bullet.
She planned to send it straight back into Agris’s body.
But Atuya moved.
She shifted at the last instant and took the shot for Jiang Tea Tea.
The bullet slammed into her shoulder armor. The impact threw her back half a step. Pain tore a muffled sound from her throat.
Blood spilled.
Agris froze, his hand shaking violently around the gun. “Atuya… what are you doing?”
“Why did you take that bullet for her?”
“You’re my fiancée. You’re supposed to be with me! Not with an outsider!”
Atuya looked at his distorted face and smiled bitterly. “Your Highness, I am with you.”
“Chong Ming is on Ri Pan Star.”
“You think you can abduct Jiang Tea Tea and leave Ri Pan Star safely? You think you can kill her and leave Ri Pan Star safely?”
“Don’t be naïve.”
“Outside Ri Pan Star, Zhen Lin Empire has two heavy-firepower patrol ships. Their portals link directly to their arsenal.”
“Inside Ri Pan Star, for this Space Weapons Exhibition, Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming publicly claimed there are five hundred thousand soldiers patrolling to protect every visiting leader and tourist.”
“If he says five hundred thousand…” Atuya’s eyes were cold. “Then there are another five hundred thousand covering the planet day and night.”
“You might not believe it, but I’m telling you anyway—before Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, you and I have no secrets.”
“For all we know, from the moment you kidnapped Jiang Tea Tea, he’s been watching this live.”
Jiang Tea Tea tucked her staff under her arm and clapped loudly, openly admiring Atuya.
“Exactly. Exactly.” She clapped harder. “Our commander-in-chief is watching.”
“Calling him ‘our commander-in-chief’ so naturally—wow. Sweet enough to rot your teeth.”
Far away, Zhong Li He—already suffering from being force-fed affection—heard Jiang Tea Tea’s teasing delivered straight into Chong Ming’s ear.
Chong Ming pressed his invisibility headset, voice cool. “I’m letting you watch the live feed. If you think it’s too sweet, I’ll close your access.”
Zhong Li He panicked. “No, no, no! I’ll take the cavities! I’ll take them!”
Chong Ming gave a smug little snort.
Zhong Li He hated how smug it sounded.
But for the sake of watching Agris get humiliated, he swallowed it.
He could get revenge later. Ten years was nothing.
Agris, hearing Atuya and Jiang Tea Tea’s exchange, flared with rage. “Chong Ming can watch all he wants! Jiang Tea Tea is in my hands. Watching changes nothing!”
“What is he going to do—blast us with artillery?”
“He doesn’t dare. I’m the Eldest Prince of the Insect Clan. You’re an Insect Clan general. If he kills us, war starts.”
“The Insect Clan has trillions of bugs—decades ago we lost, but now we won’t lose—”
“We will,” Atuya cut in, sharper than steel. “We lost decades ago. If we fight now, we still lose.”
She lifted her chin. “Reasons: one, their technology is beyond ours. Two, their citizen cohesion is beyond ours. Three, decades ago wasn’t Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s peak. Now is his peak.”
“When he wasn’t at his peak, he led his citizens and defeated us with technology worse than ours.”
“Now that he’s at his peak, with technology better than ours? Defeating us would be easy.”
“You’re boosting others and insulting us—”
“No.” Atuya’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m stating facts.”
“I have simulated Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s battles dozens of times.”
“While you were obsessed with abducting Jiang Tea Tea, I went to their space weapons pavilion and examined their tech.”
“They displayed weapons with odd-numbered model designations.”
“If there are odd numbers, there are even numbers. They only displayed the odd numbers.”
“So where are the even-numbered models?” Atuya’s voice dropped. “Hidden.”
“And why are they hidden?” She stared at him. “Because they’re reserves. Trump cards.”
“And who are those trump cards prepared for?”
“Us.”
Atuya wasn’t a general propped up by family wealth. She’d climbed through blood and bodies. Her analysis and command were forged in war.
Compared to her, Agris saw only personal gain—only the smallest, ugliest desires.
Everything arrogant and selfish about the Insect Clan was carved into him.
Agris stared at her, green eyes churning with gloom, fear, rage, and murderous intent.
Blood ran from the wound in Atuya’s shoulder and dripped onto the floor. She looked as if she didn’t feel it, meeting his stare without flinching.
After a long silence, Atuya didn’t try to seize the gun from him.
Instead, she turned toward Jiang Tea Tea and bowed deeply, apologizing—still covering for Agris even now.
“I’m sorry, Miss Jiang Tea Tea.”
“My highness invited you here without authorization. I failed to supervise.”
“If you must blame someone, blame me. Not my highness.”
“I will personally send you back and explain the situation to Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming. I hope… when that time comes, you can show mercy and speak for me.”
Atuya didn’t want this kidnapping to reach the queen.
After the last incident—when she and Asais had already paid too much compensation to get Agris out of Zhen Lin Empire—queen dissatisfaction had already been brewing.
If Agris angered the queen again, other imperial princesses who coveted Asais’s position would seize the chance. They’d tear Agris and Asais down and replace them.
Jiang Tea Tea tapped her staff into her palm, not answering immediately. She lifted a brow and looked at Agris.
“A male with no ability, relying on a female to wipe your mess—and you’re still proud.”
Agris snarled and lifted the gun again, aiming at Jiang Tea Tea. “Who says I have no ability? You’re in my hands right now.”
Jiang Tea Tea laughed, pure disdain. “You should be grateful, little bug.”
“The bullet you fired was stopped by your fiancée. If it hadn’t been… you think you’d still be standing here intact?”
Agris’s face darkened. “You—”
“Put the gun down.” Jiang Tea Tea’s voice turned cold.
“I’ll put it down when I—”
Agris’s hand suddenly dropped.
“W-what?” His eyes widened in panic. “My hand—my hand isn’t listening to me. Why isn’t it listening to me?”
Zhong Li He, watching from his office chair, went from lounging to bolt upright in an instant.
Chong Ming, on the other hand, sat calmly, as if Jiang Tea Tea doing the impossible was perfectly ordinary.
The gun clattered to the floor.
At the same moment, it fired.
A bullet slammed into Agris’s calf.
He screamed and hopped on one leg.
Atuya spun instantly, placing herself in front of Agris again. She faced Jiang Tea Tea directly. “I’m sorry, Miss Jiang Tea Tea.”
“Can you please show mercy and spare him this once?”
Jiang Tea Tea met her gaze. “Is it worth it?”
Atuya answered without hesitation. “It’s worth it.”
Jiang Tea Tea nodded. “All right. I respect people who love deeply and still have principles.”
Atuya’s eyes shook with relief. “Thank you. Thank you—”
Jiang Tea Tea stepped around her and kicked Agris hard.
He flew backward and crashed to the floor.
Jiang Tea Tea glanced back at Atuya. “No need to thank me. I won’t take his life.”
“As for compensation, take it up with our commander-in-chief.”
With that, she turned and walked out, leaving on her own two feet.
She arrived as a captive in a box.
She left like she owned the ship.
Atuya called her adjutant and ordered them to escort Jiang Tea Tea out of the warehouse.
Only when Jiang Tea Tea was out of sight did Atuya bend to help Agris up.
Agris coughed blood. Even with two broken ribs, he still shoved Atuya away, eyes full of resentment. “Atuya… I’m disappointed in you.”
Atuya’s hand froze in midair.
She stared at him for a long time.
Then she slowly curled her fingers into a fist and crouched in front of him, lowering her gaze.
Her voice was calm—too calm. “Your Highness, I know you want an ambitious wife. I also know my status isn’t worthy of you.”
“When the queen granted our engagement, I was only a major general. I saw you—your green eyes were beautiful. I fell in love at first sight.”
“I also knew I had no family to support me. No safety net. I couldn’t give you a life as lavish as the imperial palace.”
“So after I became your fiancée, I took the missions others refused.” Her gaze stayed lowered. “The aberrant beasts nobody wanted to hunt—I hunted them. The internal wars nobody wanted to fight—I fought them.”
“The bugs nobody wanted to kill—I killed them.”
“For bonuses. For merits. For promotions.”
“I climbed step by step because I wanted to be worthy of you. I wanted to spend a lifetime with you as your husband.”
“But you don’t like me. You don’t love me.” Her breath barely trembled. “I thought I could move you. I only moved myself.”
“I can’t match your ambition.”
She paused, then spoke like she’d made a decision she could never take back. “Your Highness… let’s end this.”
“When the Space Weapons Exhibition ends and we return to the Insect Clan, I’ll use my lifetime of merits to petition the queen to dissolve our engagement.”
“I’ll return your freedom.”