Fu Yafang had long anticipated such a scene, but she hadn't expected it to unfold in this manner.
The most direct and effective way to gain Mu Ye Xingchen's trust was to become his woman.
And in name, she already was.
More than a month ago, the moment she left this lounge for the second time, the guards at the door had seen from Fu Yafang's disguised disheveled collar that she had been intimate with the Grand Commander.
Even though it hadn't actually happened, this solid rumor had surely spread throughout the entire Black Star Tower.
For the mission, for intelligence, for Xian Xia, Fu Yafang had long prepared herself mentally.
Fu Yafang feared not even death; physical and mental humiliation, torture, and interrogation were even less of a concern.
The only person she felt she had wronged was her boyfriend, Liu Feng.
The vows they had exchanged once broke Fu Yafang's heart, but after only a minute, she became vigilant again.
The real battle had just begun! This time, she absolutely could not lose!
"Amuse me..." Mu Ye Xingchen slowly loosened his collar, his eyes calmly fixed on Fu Yafang as he spoke.
Fu Yafang gritted her back teeth, narrowed her eyes, and said coldly, "You wish."
"Then let me amuse you..."
After a night of passion, Mu Ye Xingchen slowly sat up in bed and turned to look at Fu Yafang.
Fu Yafang's hands were bound above her head, her eyes covered by a thin black veil, and she lay naked on the bed.
For a moment, Mu Ye Xingchen found himself mesmerized, murmuring, "A body this perfect is hard to find in Xian Xia, or even on Black Star."
The unique sensory experience evoked an indescribable feeling in Mu Ye Xingchen towards this woman.
It was a novelty he had never experienced, as if his body, which had followed him for thirty-five years, had been re-energized.
This experience was brought to him by this woman.
Fu Yafang panted with her small mouth open, beads of sweat slowly trickling down her fragrant, fair neck. She cursed fiercely, "Despicable!"
Though she cursed, she was secretly delighted. Her plan to entice him into intimacy had succeeded, marking the first step in getting closer to Mu Ye Xingchen.
Mu Ye Xingchen smiled slightly, caressing his long, flowing hair, turning his tired yet beautiful face towards the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the sky was beginning to brighten; a new day had dawned.
...
Mu Ye Xingchen walked with a light stride, a faint smile on his lips, heading towards the underground laboratory.
For the first time in many years, he felt relaxed and pleased.
He even began to fantasize about a more intimate interaction with Fu Yafang after her restraints were removed.
But this thought lasted only a few seconds before it was replaced by his usual composure.
A brief indulgence could improve work efficiency; he now needed to devote himself to his work with greater focus.
Accompanied by five or six followers, Xingchen entered the laboratory.
A large, transparent, barrel-shaped instrument stood in the center of the vast laboratory, its top reaching straight into the ceiling.
Countless pipelines converged from all directions in the laboratory ceiling, some connecting to the barrel-shaped instrument, others disappearing with the instrument into the ceiling.
Beneath the instrument was a metal circular base larger than the barrel, with more than a dozen scientists gathered around its perimeter, monitoring the holographic projections emanating from the base.
These holographic projections displayed various detection data of Gu Ya's body.
A female scientist with her hair in a bun and wearing thick-rimmed black glasses approached Xingchen. Her posture was humble, her tone steady, and she spoke in a low voice, "Grand Commander, after monitoring throughout the night, the test subject has shown no abnormalities. His body seems to be the same as any ordinary Xian Xia youth."
Xingchen looked at the large metal sarcophagus in the center of the barrel-shaped instrument and nodded gently.
Gu Ya's small head was visible, but his body from the neck down was locked within the sarcophagus.
Hundreds of fine black cables hung down from the top of the barrel-shaped instrument, connecting to the back of the sarcophagus.
"What is his consciousness status?" Xingchen asked calmly.
The female scientist explained, "We have established a triple layer of consciousness containment. His consciousness is locked in the middle zone and is still struggling."
After speaking, the female scientist gestured slightly towards a middle-aged male scientist in the distance.
Five meters in front of Xingchen and his entourage, a huge holographic screen suddenly descended. The three-dimensional image began to display the image of an octopus wriggling on glass. It occasionally transformed into the movement of ferrofluid. Soon, it split into countless tiny dots, constantly flickering. Then, it returned to a state of calm, like a tranquil lake without ripples, but this calm lasted less than two seconds before the patterns began to shift again, even more violently than before.
The female scientist explained, "Calmness represents integration. Currently, the drug dosage is at its maximum. In 18 hours, the total calm period was three minutes and twenty-four seconds and fifteen microseconds, with a fusion stillness rate of 3.15‰. The rest of the time was spent in a state of resistance."
A hint of displeasure flickered across Xingchen's face, and he asked, "How much is needed to officially begin integration?"
The female scientist calmly replied, "80% is the basic threshold; fusion is possible at a minimum of 85%. To be on the safe side, it's best to reach above 94%."
"Approximately how long will that take?"
"In the past 18 hours, the rate was 0.175‰ per hour. However, as time progresses, the acceleration of consciousness static state also increases. If not interfered with by other factors, the integration speed will increase exponentially. Based on the most conservative estimate, it will take thirty days to reach a state of complete fusion."
"Very good." Mu Ye Xingchen's face finally revealed a satisfied smile, similar to when he first entered.
Suddenly, Xingchen remembered something. He turned slightly and asked with a hint of annoyance, "Where is Honglian Zhiwu?"
A short, plump man in military uniform behind him wiped the sweat from his chubby face, lowered his head, and stammered, "Report, Grand Commander, General Honglian... came here last ni... night, and hasn't appeared since..." The man's voice grew smaller, as if he were directly responsible for Honglian Zhiwu's absence.
"This little girl..." Mu Ye Xingchen thought to himself. She must be upset that he had sent her away yesterday and then slept with another woman.
However, he showed no dissatisfaction and calmly turned to leave the laboratory.
Dismissing everyone behind him, Xingchen took the pedestrian elevator alone to the 53rd floor. In Honglian Zhiwu's ostentatious bedroom, he found an extremely chaotic scene.
Sheets and quilts were thrown on the floor, dozens of empty wine bottles lay scattered across the carpet, and various alcoholic beverages spilled everywhere.
The pungent smell of alcohol mingled with perfume, filling the dimly lit, purplish room.
On the carpet, three exquisitely built male rabbits lay intertwined, all in a deep sleep. They appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old, completely naked, with only long, fake rabbit ears on their heads.
They were all pets meticulously chosen by Honglian Zhiwu, resembling Mu Ye Xingchen in appearance, but vastly different in temperament and aura.
Honglian Zhiwu lay sprawled on the bed, completely disregarding her image.
Her slightly darker skin color made her difficult to spot in the dim room, lying on the dark red mattress.
Mu Ye Xingchen turned on the lights. The male rabbits woke up groggily, cursed, and upon seeing the Grand Commander, scrambled to grab their clothes and fled.
"Ah—!!!" Honglian Zhiwu, like a child, flailed her limbs on the bed, throwing a tantrum as she woke up.
Mu Ye Xingchen sat on the edge of the bed like a parent, allowing her to move freely. He looked at the large portrait of Mu Ye Xingchen hanging on the wall and said calmly, "You're not young anymore; it's time to rein yourself in."
"You can play with women, but I can't play with men! I had a very good time last night! Get out, get out of here!" Honglian cursed, and as she cursed, she started to cry, "I only want you! You said you would marry me when we were children! You said it! But you married other women! You've been avoiding me all these years!"
Mu Ye Xingchen sighed softly, recalling past events.
At fourteen, he was abducted from Xian Xia by Black Star walkers and brought to the Black Star Empire. He escaped during a prison riot. While wandering, he rescued a seven-year-old Honglian Zhiwu, and they depended on each other.
He still remembered the first time he saw little Honglian, her dirty, frail little face, her sweet smile as she asked in a childish voice, "What's your name, big brother?"
He had indeed said he would marry her, but that was when little Honglian was dying of a fever, and he had cried to comfort her.
Who knew that after saying those words, heaven seemed to have heard his plea, and Honglian Zhiwu miraculously recovered.
From then on, the frail Honglian Zhiwu refused to interact with him as a "sister."
Everything harmonious changed after Mu Ye Xingchen awakened his path to ascension.
When Xingchen saw those lofty, admired, and incredibly glorious Black Star generals, he had only one thought: "Climb up! Live a good life, and reclaim what belongs to me!"
To be honest, in terms of emotions, Mu Ye Xingchen had indeed abandoned Honglian Zhiwu.
In return, he gained supreme glory, a revered status, and wealth that mortals could not disdain.
Since his father-in-law's family died, Mu Ye Xingchen no longer had the inclination to think about love; he had only one goal: to realize his lifelong dream.
"I will compensate you," Mu Ye Xingchen murmured, slowly getting up, picking up his clothes, and tossing them to Honglian Zhiwu.
Just then, a man in military uniform burst through the lounge door, saluted, and shouted in a slightly panicked tone, "Grand Commander! The test subject has awakened!"