Chapter 98

Chapter 98: To Keep the Cubs from Being Taken, She Started Playing Games and Blew Her Cover

Jiang Tea Tea was a great demon.

She’d seen every kind of storm.

She didn’t blink at Sui Xuan Chu’s sudden suspicion. Instead, she tossed a question back at him.

“Your uncle is that powerful, and after someone sleeps with him, they get pregnant with dragon hatchlings… and they run away?”

“And they don’t want him?”

Sui Xuan Chu made a sound like he’d been struck by a revelation—and then her question hit him again and overturned the fantasy.

He nodded slowly. “You’re right.”

“My uncle’s ability rank is high. His mental power is terrifying. His body is strong.”

“And honestly, his fertility is insanely difficult.”

“If he really slept with someone, there’s basically zero chance the other party could run away.”

“He goes everywhere wrapped in layers of protection.”

“He wouldn’t let a female sleep with him and escape.”

Jiang Tea Tea tilted her head. “Why are you so sure? What if she’s a real expert?”

Sui Xuan Chu looked at her like she was hopelessly naive, but he still explained patiently.

“My Sister Tea, you hate my uncle because you have no basic common sense.”

“If you did, you’d know my uncle’s face and body are the kind of handsome that hits like a weapon.”

“He’s rich. He’s powerful. He has status. He’s ridiculously strong.”

“He doesn’t just attract females—he attracts males too.”

“If any female slept with him, how could she bear to run away? She’d demand status. She’d demand a title.”

He said it like it was obvious. “I told you. My uncle is too strong. He’s a fertility disaster, but if he ever did get someone pregnant…”

“Even if he didn’t love her, he’d take responsibility. He’d marry her, respect her, and raise the cub properly.”

In this empire, in this interstellar age, by their beauty standards, Old Loach probably did count as handsome.

But in the demon realm?

Outside of his dragon clan status, he wasn’t anything that special.

And more importantly—he was brutal.

Sleeping with him had felt like near-death. Rough. Savage. Too strong.

Only someone with a broken brain would ask him for status.

Once she completed her contract with the fake heiress and found a way back to the demon realm, she’d take the cubs and leave.

A tree demon raising dragon cubs in the demon realm?

She’d become a living legend.

Sui Xuan Chu leaned closer, elbowing her. “Roommate, you’ve been asking me so many questions about my uncle sleeping with someone or someone sleeping with my uncle…”

His eyes gleamed. “Don’t tell me you actually know something.”

“We’re close. We’re roommates for four years. You might even become my Commander-in-Chief one day.”

“If you know something, tell me so I can prepare myself.”

Jiang Tea Tea slapped the spot he’d elbowed and scooted away. “Learn from your uncle. Male and female shouldn’t get too close. Keep some distance.”

Sui Xuan Chu ignored her and moved closer anyway. “I’m not an adult yet. What are you afraid of? You don’t like me, and I don’t like you.”

Jiang Tea Tea gave him a slow look. “How do you know I don’t like you?”

Sui Xuan Chu’s brow furrowed instantly. He pulled back like she’d threatened his life, then dragged out his second case of milk and shoved it toward her. “Take it. All of it.”

“I’ll go ask my uncle for more.”

“For milk, do you really need to force yourself like this?” he muttered.

Jiang Tea Tea blinked. “Which eye saw me forcing myself? What if I really do like you?”

Sui Xuan Chu pointed at both eyes. “Both.”

“You think I’m stupid?”

“I’m gold dragon clan’s only seedling. I’m the Zhen Lin Empire’s Crown Prince. I’m the future emperor.”

“I grew up with imperial education. I’m not mentally underage just because I’m not physically hatched yet.”

Jiang Tea Tea didn’t know the imperial process, but it sounded exhausting.

“Fine,” she said. Then she held out her hand. “Give me your invisibility storage button too.”

“When we get back to Capital Planet and I get the compensation the Jiang family owes me, I’ll pay you back.”

Sui Xuan Chu had come to interrogate her about how many times she’d met his uncle and what they’d discussed.

Instead he lost two cases of milk and an invisibility storage button.

Jiang Tea Tea happily took the storage button, drank another carton of milk, then stored the rest inside and shoved it into her pocket.

The two of them kept chatting for another ten minutes, swapping complaints about Chong Ming like he was their shared enemy.

Then Jiang Tea Tea’s door knocked again.

Two long knocks and one short—rhythmic and deliberate.

Jiang Tea Tea opened the door to find Cheng Lin Yue: clean clothes, clean hair, eyes worried.

“Why are you here?” Jiang Tea Tea asked.

Cheng Lin Yue smiled nervously. “I came to check on your bel—”

Jiang Tea Tea coughed once, sharply, cutting her off. She stepped aside and said loudly, “Sui Xuan Chu came to check on me too.”

Cheng Lin Yue looked like she’d been struck by lightning. “Sui Xuan Chu is here too? That’s why… Cheng Xiao Ting was knocking at his door and no one answered.”

Sui Xuan Chu stood. “Cheng Xiao Ting is looking for me?”

Cheng Lin Yue nodded quickly. “Yes.”

“I’ll go,” Sui Xuan Chu said. “You two talk.”

The moment he left, Cheng Lin Yue closed the door and checked the room like she was searching for hidden enemies.

Only when she was sure they were alone did she ask in a small voice, “Sister Tea… are you really okay?”

“And Sui Xuan Chu… he really isn’t the cubs’ father?”

Jiang Tea Tea answered flatly, “I’m fine. Sui Xuan Chu and I are roommates, teammates, and friends. Nothing more.”

Cheng Lin Yue let out a shaky breath. “Okay.”

Then her worry returned. “There’s something I still need to tell you.”

Jiang Tea Tea motioned her to sit. “Say it.”

Cheng Lin Yue’s voice turned urgent. “If dragon clan cubs are forced to receive psychic-force soothing that doesn’t belong to their own dad—if they’re hit by mental pressure from another high-level dragon…”

“Even if they manage to be born, they may never awaken abilities. And they may never grow properly.”

She swallowed. “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming is gold dragon clan. Royal blood. He has natural bloodline suppression over other dragons.”

“I’m afraid that when he used ability pressure on you today, your cubs might have been harmed.”

“So… when we get to the training field later, if he uses ability pressure to test us, you absolutely, absolutely cannot go.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s cubs needed his mental power soothing badly.

And once they returned to Capital Planet, she’d be busy with school and he’d be busy running an empire.

They might only cross paths once a month. Once every three months.

If he got too busy, even the monthly bottle of dragon blood might get sent by a secretary or adjutant instead.

If she wanted to soothe the cubs properly, she needed the chance now.

Still, she kept her voice calm for Cheng Lin Yue’s sake. “It’s fine. I know my body. You don’t have to worry.”

Cheng Lin Yue looked like she wanted to argue. “But—”

Jiang Tea Tea held out her hand. “Aren’t you good at reading pulses? Check me. See what you feel.”

Cheng Lin Yue immediately took her hand, one palm supporting, the other fingers pressing lightly to Jiang Tea Tea’s wrist.

The pulse was strong. Powerful. Full.

Cheng Lin Yue stared, stunned. “They… they’re so lively.”

Jiang Tea Tea lifted a brow. “Exactly. Lively. I know what I’m doing.”

Cheng Lin Yue’s worry eased slightly, replaced by confusion. “But… it shouldn’t be. Why?”

Jiang Tea Tea gave her a perfectly unarguable answer in this world. “Because Beast God is protecting me.”

For beastfolk—male or female—the Beast God was sacred beyond family.

Cheng Lin Yue accepted it instantly and began constructing her own explanation. “You’re right. People usually awaken abilities at ten.”

“You didn’t awaken until eighteen and a half. Your body has always been different.”

“So we can’t judge you by normal standards.”

“If anything can happen to you, then the same is true for your cubs.”

Jiang Tea Tea nodded, amused. “Exactly.”

Cheng Lin Yue leaned forward, serious again. “Still. We should be cautious.”

“If you feel anything wrong, signal me. I’ll protect you.”

“And once we return to Capital Planet, the first thing we do is get you checked. Check you and the cubs. Understand?”

Jiang Tea Tea absolutely did not want a hospital exam.

She was a tree.

If a medical scan revealed that, it might kill them with shock.

She hedged. “We’ll see. If I feel bad, I’ll check. If I feel fine, then it’s fine.”

Cheng Lin Yue shook her head. “No. Whether you feel fine or not, you should check. It’s responsibility—to you and the cubs.”

Jiang Tea Tea crooked her finger at her. “Come closer.”

Cheng Lin Yue leaned in, ear tilted.

Jiang Tea Tea whispered, “I awakened plant-type ability. 3S rank.”

Cheng Lin Yue’s eyes went so wide they looked like round metal bells. After a long stunned pause, she finally breathed out, half-shocked and half-thrilled, “You’re… then it’s your call whether you get checked.”

Jiang Tea Tea smiled brightly. “Later, I’ll help you all refine your abilities. See if I can push your levels higher.”

Cheng Lin Yue nodded so fast she looked like a pecking chick. “Yes! Yes! Thank you, Sister Tea. Thank you!”

Now it made sense.

No wonder Sister Tea’s weapon was always a branch or staff. It wasn’t random. It was her element.

And if Sister Tea was a 3S plant-type user…

Then she wasn’t “poor” at all. She just didn’t need money. If she stood on the street and shouted, high-level ability users would line up with star credits in hand, begging for her to refine them.

That was exactly why Jiang Tea Tea had revealed it.

She needed a healer cover.

With a healer cover, she could refuse anyone who wanted to examine her body.

She would carry the dragon hatchlings alone.

Raise them alone.

Give birth alone.

After birth, she’d dye them and they’d belong to her.

A perfect plan.

When Jiang Tea Tea left her room again, all six males—including Sui Xuan Chu—already knew.

They were waiting in the hallway, rubbing their hands, faces full of flattering eagerness.

“Sister Tea, we were blind. We thought you awakened speed ability, but you awakened plant-type ability—and it’s 3S rank!”

“When you have time, I’ll turn into a wolf and let you pet me!”

“Wolves aren’t even good to pet. Pet me! I’m feline beastfolk—I’m super soft. I can lick you. Pet me however you want!”

“Now I realize—when I turned into a dog at the Royal Military Academy and you petted me, you were refining me with mental power!”

“You all have fur. Octo and I don’t. Roommate, don’t be biased. Don’t pet them and ignore us!”

Jiang Tea Tea’s gaze swept over them. “I’ll pet all of you. When we get back to Capital Planet, I’ll pet all of you.”

One of them shouted, “I’ve decided! I’m not fawning over male idol Chong Ming anymore!”

“I’m fawning over you, Sister Tea! Make me your little cutie! Refine my mental power to 10S rank!”

Adjutant Ai coughed lightly, reminding them, “Everyone, this way. We’re heading to the training field.”

The group fell in line, still buzzing—talking about reaching 10S rank, beating their male idol, surpassing their male idol, becoming empire heroes.

Jiang Tea Tea listened and felt her toes curling inside her boots.

These little cubs could train for two hundred years and still wouldn’t beat Old Loach.

The training field aboard the super battleship was huge—wide, open, and full of raw, aggressive energy.

And standing next to Chong Ming was a sight that made Jiang Tea Tea’s eyes stick.

A female.

Tall. About 1.8 meters. Hair in a high ponytail. Combat stance. Hands behind her back.

Beautiful in a sharp, striking way.

Jiang Tea Tea stared without blinking.

For a moment, she thought of her grandmother—the great tree demon she’d once acknowledged as family.

The female didn’t look the same. Her voice wouldn’t be the same. Her expression wasn’t the same.

But her aura carried a familiar edge—like someone from Jiang Tea Tea’s own world.

Chong Ming’s voice cut in, dry. “What are you looking at?”

Jiang Tea Tea didn’t even glance at him. “I’m looking at that beautiful woman.”

Her voice turned cheerful, confident. “Her mental power is blocked. She’s stuck around 5S rank and can’t break through. If I refine her, she’ll reach 6.5 easily. If she’s lucky, she might even hit 7S rank.”

Chong Ming’s golden eyes narrowed. “You can see through her mental power level?”

“Yes,” Jiang Tea Tea said, still staring at the female.

Chong Ming’s tone sharpened. “You can see hers, but you can’t see mine?”

Jiang Tea Tea finally snapped her eyes to him, irritation plain. “It’s not that I can’t see yours.”

“I’m pretending.”

“Because I don’t feel like dealing with you.”