Chapter 213

Chapter 213: I’m Like a Monkey With Its Ass in the Air—Showing You My Red Behind

Jiang Tea Tea’s eyes filled with suspicion. “Chong Ming, what do you actually want? Say it straight. Stop circling like this—it’s creepy.”

He was too nice.

No one was generous for no reason.

Was he regretting his promise not to fight her for the cub?

If so, she needed to run. Find somewhere to give birth, then fulfill her contract with the fake heiress consciousness afterward.

Chong Ming flinched, just slightly, as if her wariness had scratched something raw. He caught her pointing finger gently. “Classmate Jiang Tea Tea. I’m telling you the truth. You haven’t bitten me once in ten days. You haven’t drunk any dragon blood.”

“And in those ten days,” he continued, voice low, “you haven’t asked me for psychic-force soothing either.”

“The cub in your belly has no shell. If the nutrition isn’t enough, it will draw from the mother’s energy and abilities. It will weaken you.”

“You’re the kind of person with ambition and plans,” he said, eyes steady. “You won’t want to become weak because of the cub and lose the ability to do what you want.”

Jiang Tea Tea yanked her hand back and retreated two steps, suspicion deepening. “You’re way too calm about me biting you and drinking your blood. You don’t think it’s weird at all?”

Chong Ming blinked, genuinely confused. “Why would it be weird?”

Jiang Tea Tea snapped back, “Why wouldn’t it be weird?”

Chong Ming paused.

Then he remembered: she lacked basic common knowledge.

So he explained, slow and patient, like teaching someone the rules of the universe.

“The dragon clan is powerful. The higher the ability level, the harder it is to reproduce.”

“And once a high-level dragon finally has a cub, the cub becomes extremely domineering in the mother’s body. It draws her nutrition aggressively. In the past, maternal death rates were very high.”

“Later, through time and research, we learned the father’s psychic-force soothing can provide nutrition directly to the cub and keep the mother safe.”

“After that,” he continued, “as the dragon clan changed, we began taking mates outside our own clan. But breeding across species is even harder.”

He told her a story.

A senior dragon once took a feline beastfolk female as his mate. In beast form she weighed barely twenty pounds, her abilities weak.

By luck, she became pregnant.

The dragon loved her. Their size, their forms, their strength—everything was worlds apart. To keep her safe, he stayed by her side day and night, pouring his psychic soothing into her.

But she was too fragile. The cub too domineering. No matter how much soothing he gave, it wasn’t enough.

In the end, he had no choice.

He bled and let his mate drink.

Just one mouthful of dragon blood—and the cub stopped draining the mother’s power.

Seeing hope, the dragon cut flesh from his own body and cooked it for her. Blood and flesh worked the same way. Once the cub gained energy from dragon blood and dragon meat, it stopped looking for power inside the mother.

Eleven months later, the feline beastfolk female laid a dragon egg. Both mother and cub survived.

“After that,” Chong Ming concluded, “the entire dragon clan understood. If psychic soothing isn’t enough, we bleed and offer flesh. It ensures the mother can safely give birth.”

Jiang Tea Tea listened, eyes widening as everything snapped into place.

So that was why he’d been so calm about blood.

Then another thought hit her like a hammer.

She spun on him. “Wait. Are you saying… when I asked you for dragon blood the first time, you already suspected I had a cub?”

Chong Ming hesitated. “I had that thought. I wasn’t certain yet.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s teeth clenched.

So she’d been sneaking around like a thief, hiding and denying, thinking she was clever—

And he’d suspected it earlier than she had.

Fine.

No wonder he was Zhen Lin Empire’s leader. The sharpest, smartest, strongest beastfolk in the M31 Star System.

And her?

She’d been like a monkey with its ass in the air, flashing its red behind while it hopped around, smugly thinking it had fooled everyone.

So aside from not knowing she wasn’t human, and not knowing she had five cubs instead of one, he basically knew everything.

Scheming dragon.

Black-hearted dragon.

Standing above her and watching her play, teasing her like she was entertainment.

Jiang Tea Tea’s mind raced, fierce with resolve.

She would draw a clear line. Focus on her own career. Gather merit light. She didn’t need his blood, his flesh, or his psychic soothing. She could still give birth. She could still raise her cubs.

And after she finished the contract with the fake heiress consciousness and found her way home, she would take her cubs back to the demon clan.

She shot him a murderous glare, turned on her heel, and stormed off.

Fast.

So fast her legs nearly blurred.

Chong Ming’s long strides carried him easily to her side. He glanced at her profile. “Angry? Want to kick me ten times?”

Jiang Tea Tea rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She only walked faster.

Chong Ming sighed dramatically. “Classmate Jiang Tea Tea, don’t be angry. Being angry is punishing your own body.”

“Why be angry at yourself? Hit me. Kick me. Curse me. I won’t fight back and I won’t argue. You can vent your anger and feel better.”

“That’s two birds with one stone. Isn’t that great?”

Jiang Tea Tea formed a hand seal, gathered magic power, and used Shrink the Earth to an Inch.

She vanished.

Chong Ming stopped short.

The space beside him was empty.

His golden eyes were deep and quiet as he stared at the spot where she’d been.

In the simulation room, Huang Da Zhuang checked his messages for the fifth time. Still no reply from Sister Tea.

He worried aloud, “What if she’s like last time—secret mission, disappears for ten days?”

Sui Xuan Chu hadn’t received anything from his uncle about Jiang Tea Tea going on a mission, so he tried to reassure him. “Probably not. We boarded the warship with her. She just went wandering and didn’t call us.”

Cheng Lin Yue nodded quickly. “Right. She just went for a walk. We got called here and missed her.”

“Wait a bit,” she added. “She probably got the notice too. She might be on her way.”

Cheng Xiao Ting and the others kept staring at the simulation room doors. “If Sister Tea doesn’t come, my heart won’t settle.”

“Yeah. If Sister Tea isn’t here, I feel like something’s missing. I’ll have zero confidence.”

A loud voice cut in, amused. “Oh? So you little males and little females are saying that if your Sister Tea comes, you’ll have the confidence to defeat me?”

Chief Executive Zhong Li He grinned, clearly entertained.

Sui Xuan Chu, Huang Da Zhuang, and Cheng Xiao Ting were bold in that fearless, youthful way—new calves unafraid of tigers. Facing one of the strongest beastfolk in the star system, they still didn’t back down.

“Chief Executive Zhong, if Sister Tea comes, we have one hundred percent confidence we can beat you.”

“If she doesn’t come, we have ninety-nine percent confidence.”

“We’ll do everything we can to kill you in this simulation. You’re our honored guest, so we definitely won’t hold back.”

“We admire you,” Huang Da Zhuang added cheerfully, “because we want to defeat you.”

Zhong Li He laughed so hard his shoulders shook. “Fine. If you beat me today, I’ll gift each of you a mecha above Level Eight.”

A Level Eight mecha wasn’t just expensive—it was symbolic. A prize from a defeated chief executive was priceless.

Sui Xuan Chu whooped first. “Chief Executive Zhong, deal! And when you give us the mechas, sign your name on them so everyone can see you lost.”

“Yes!” Huang Da Zhuang chimed in. “Sign them! Make it obvious!”

Cheng Xiao Ting was already grinning like a fool. “We haven’t even won yet, but just imagining it feels amazing.”

“Sorry, sorry,” another laughed. “The moment I picture beating Chief Executive Zhong, I can’t stop smiling.”

Zhong Li He’s smile narrowed as he pretended to be offended. “I’m angry. I’m very angry. I’m going to beat all of you and then bill your commander-in-chief for it.”

Behind him, Kong Que stood quietly, half a step back, like a personal guard. His eyes never left Zhong Li He, keeping him always within reach.

Then, in the middle of the noise—

Jiang Tea Tea appeared.

One moment the room was crowded and loud; the next it went dead silent. Every head turned.

Jiang Tea Tea’s expression didn’t change. She looked across the crowd, calm as if she hadn’t just teleported into the center of them. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”

She gestured casually. “But Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming is coming to the simulation. He wants to solo all of us.”

“So whoever he picks as his teammate?” Her mouth curved with mischief. “Remember: you’re an insider. Help us kill Chong Ming.”

The room instantly ignited.

Soldiers from various ranks—some barely officers, some senior colonels—cracked their knuckles and grinned. Being an insider at Chong Ming’s side, stabbing him in the back in a simulation, and doing it under his nose?

That was exciting.

When Chong Ming arrived, he had originally intended to observe as a referee.

Jiang Tea Tea stepped forward first. “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, Chief Executive Zhong Li He is here. We want to do a full holographic war simulation.”

“We want you,” she said brightly, “to play the enemy. Give us a battle we can really sink our teeth into.”

Chong Ming’s golden eyes narrowed, calm and cold. His gaze swept the room like a blade. “So before I arrived, you already agreed on how to betray me and kill me.”

Jiang Tea Tea didn’t deny it. “Yep. We already agreed.”

She lifted her chin. “So are you taking the challenge, Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming?”

Zhong Li He stood beside her, smiling like a fox. “If Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming won’t, that’s fine. I can take the challenge.”

Jiang Tea Tea made an “oh” sound. “So Chief Executive Zhong will fight, and Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming admits defeat? Great.”

She looked thoughtful. “Should we promote it on Starnet?”

Zhong Li He gave her a thumbs-up. “Do it. Let the whole M31 Star System know he chickened out.”

Chong Ming exhaled like he was humoring children. “Fine. There’s nothing else to do on the way to Capital Planet. We’ll simulate a campaign.”

He lifted his voice. “Who wants to join my side?”

Dozens of soldiers who’d been tipped off earlier stepped behind him at once, from junior commanders up to senior colonels.

Everyone else—including Jiang Tea Tea’s team—joined Zhong Li He.

A total of one hundred and thirty-five people entered the holographic pods, put on their helmets, and dropped into the simulated battlefield.

Jiang Tea Tea and Zhong Li He’s side immediately began discussing offense and defense, fire support, how to divide their forces.

When the planning period ended, they split into six routes. They didn’t attack first. They waited, poised, hunting for an opening.

Chong Ming’s side waited too.

Then the first bombardment began.

In star warfare, people weren’t even on the ground before the fire came down. Under heavy fire, no cover lasted. Explosions shook the world. Smoke and blood filled the air so realistically it made people forget it was a simulation.

Drones swarmed like insects overhead. Warships, fighters, unmanned craft, thermal scanners—everything screamed and roared.

Once both sides truly engaged, time blurred.

Two days passed.

No victor.

Jiang Tea Tea piloted her mecha, planning to ambush Chong Ming with her team.

But it was like he had eyes in the back of his head.

He trapped them, sealed the net, and wiped them out completely.

After Jiang Tea Tea’s unit was eliminated, Chong Ming’s side shifted like a storm, deploying troops with ruthless precision to encircle Zhong Li He.

Zhong Li He refused to fall back. He shouted orders, drove his troops into counterattacks, and the battlefield became a frenzy—mechas clashing, abilities detonating, steel and fire and screams.

Traitors hidden within Chong Ming’s squad began striking from behind, determined to help Zhong Li He’s side win.

Chong Ming adjusted instantly. With limited troops, he chose the only option left—a savage, suicidal clash.

When the cannons were empty, when the mechas were wrecked, when the tech was gone, they fought hand-to-hand with the oldest brutality in the universe.

In the end, Chong Ming won—barely.

After two days and a little more, the simulation ended.

On Jiang Tea Tea’s side, only Zhong Li He—the overall commander—remained.

On Chong Ming’s side, besides himself, only five survived.

It was a narrow victory.

Everyone came out of it exhilarated, exhausted, eyes bright with the rush of war.

Jiang Tea Tea hadn’t slept in two days. Her cubs churned restlessly in her belly. While the others began the post-battle review, she yawned, slipped away, and ran for her quarters.

She showered quickly. There were less than ten hours until they arrived at Capital Planet. She could sleep.

With her long hair loose and sleepwear hanging soft on her body, she stepped out of the bathroom—

And saw Chong Ming.

He’d changed clothes. His hands were clasped behind his back as he stood by the window, staring into the endless dark beyond the glass.

He heard her and turned.

His golden eyes traveled over her from head to toe, pausing on her lower belly for three seconds.

“You look pale,” he said quietly. “Two days without rest, burning mental energy in the simulation. Are the dragon hatchlings making trouble?”

Jiang Tea Tea covered her belly. As if sensing her touch, the cubs wriggled and pressed beneath her palm.

“My face looks bad,” she said flatly, “because I stepped out and saw you.”

She pointed toward the door. “It’s over there. Get out. Don’t stop me from sleeping.”

Chong Ming didn’t leave.

He walked closer, bent slightly, and leaned in. His voice was low. “Jiang Tea Tea… is this why you’re angry? Because I knew you had a cub sooner than you expected?”

As he approached, a faint scent rolled off him—soft, alluring, and aimed straight at her.

Jiang Tea Tea stepped back fast, eyes narrowing. “Chong Ming, your ‘heat’ is here.”

“You reek.”