The Crown of Golden Dawn returned to the flagship Tianshuhao just as the Crystal Nest’s offensive had somewhat slowed down.
Jiang Jianming had been fighting continuously for five or six hours and was nearly exhausted when he returned to the ship. As soon as the cockpit opened, he saw Ryann waiting there.
Jiang Jianming: “Your High-”
Before he could react, he saw Ryann push off against the mecha’s body and enter the second cockpit.
“Time to switch,” Ryann checked the energy levels, “you need to rest properly.”
Before the words faded, Jiang Jianming felt the entire first cockpit shake slightly and descend. The second cockpit replaced the main position at the mecha’s chest.
The Golden Dawn mecha turned and flew out again along the return runway.
Jiang Jianming glanced around, a smile appearing between his brows, “Are you feeling better, Your Highness?”
This was his first time staying in the Golden Dawn’s cockpit after it had descended.
It was very peaceful. The complex control screens and battlefield images quickly retracted and withdrew, the light gradually dimmed, the seat slowly reclined. It felt like lying in bed with the lights off, indeed very similar to a medical treatment cabin.
“Don’t talk now, rest for a while.” Ryann’s slightly cold voice sounded by his ear, “That dog doesn’t know how to look after you, not a qualified dog at all.”
“Woof!” Seth’s protesting voice came through.
Jiang Jianming caught a faint whiff of medicine, likely from Ryann activating the first cockpit’s medical system to add inhalable medication to the air.
He thought helplessly that His Highness was still being overprotective. Just as he was about to say “at least turn on the visuals so I can see the battlefield situation,” he suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy, and his mind became foggy.
“Mmm…”
In the cramped cockpit, the black-haired youth’s limbs gradually lost strength. After letting out a thin breath, his eyes were half-closed, his pale neck drooping lifelessly against the cushion.
Jiang Jianming struggled to blink, his pupils somewhat unfocused, “Ryann? What medication did you give me…”
“Just a tranquilizer, you need rest.”
Ryann tried to sound casual, but his voice was clearly tense, “Cough, listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“My two Base Body consciousnesses have merged.”
“…” Jiang Jianming thought drowsily, Your Highness is so cunning.
For such an important matter, he didn’t dare face him directly when he was awake, instead locking him in the cockpit and taking advantage while he was drowsy from the medication.
Ryann’s voice even stumbled, “Jiang, I have so many things I want to tell you. I…”
“I’m… sorry for how I treated you back then, for abandoning you…”
“Sorry I couldn’t go mountain climbing with you, couldn’t spend the holidays with you, left you alone to suffer…”
“And later… forgetting you, treating you badly, that was my fault too… though you’re also responsible, always getting sick and injured, that’s a serious problem.”
“This past year I’ve missed you so much, Jiang… I really…”
He suddenly choked up, unable to say more.
If it were just one emotion, like love or hate, then it would be fine to express it frankly.
But when two lifetimes converge into one, with so many intense emotions that even the slightest touch brings tears of pain, how could it be explained in just a few words?
The cockpit shook several times, probably from Golden Dawn’s fierce close combat with the crystal creatures from the Crystal Nest.
Jiang Jianming silently curved his lips into a smile. Taking out your inner turmoil on the enemy? That’s very much like the Little Highness’s style.
“You don’t need to tell me these things, Your Highness…”
Jiang Jianming slowly closed his eyes, his softly moving lips appearing very tender in the darkness, his voice weak and gentle, yet somehow carrying an inexplicably bewitching quality.
He said softly. “I understand everything, and you need to understand that I understand…”
“Just like, I don’t need to ask if you’re worth it, don’t need to ask why you would go to such lengths for me.”
He remembered that battle when he learned the final truth, when he saw the Great Emperor’s remaining memories in the depths of the fortress ruins.
Ryann had done so many crazy things, and he had originally thought that once Ryann’s memories merged, he would definitely give him a harsh lesson.
But when they actually met, he felt it wasn’t necessary anymore. He knew how Ryann had loved him with his entire being, crossing vast years, traversing the dark universe, a love that even time and space had to bow before.
So.
“Because we’re in love with each other, right?”
This was Jiang Jianming’s last conscious words, as fatigue and relaxation led him into sleep.
He slept peacefully, deeply. Perhaps it was due to a subconscious familiarity.
He knew that in his lost memories, he must have spent countless times in this small space. Perhaps casually chatting with that founding emperor who stood above all others, giving tactical advice, or perhaps just peacefully falling asleep, waiting for battles to end.
……
When Jiang Jianming woke up again, he was in a room inside the starship.
Looking out the porthole, the fighting had temporarily ceased. He seemed to have been bathed, changed out of his sweat-soaked armor, uniform, and gloves, and was wearing comfortable sleepwear, tucked into a treatment cabin layered with several blankets.
Ryann was wearing the Silver Big Dipper uniform, intently sitting by the porthole looking at some data, eating an apple.
Jiang Jianming almost couldn’t tell if this was a starship on the Far Star battlefield, or if they had already finished fighting and returned to the empire.
When Ryann saw he was awake, his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly wiped his hands and came over to embrace him tightly, pressing his cool nose tip against his neck to smell his scent.
Jiang Jianming had barely called out “Your Highness” when his lips were forcefully sealed.
They couldn’t help themselves and shared an intense intimate moment, kissing until their breathing was chaotic, almost unable to stop.
When Jiang Jianming realized things were getting out of hand, he was lying on his back pinned to the bed by Ryann, his legs spread apart by the Crown Prince’s knees, his clothes already half disheveled.
“No… we can’t, Your Highness.”
Jiang Jianming used great willpower to push away the Crown Prince’s chest, saying through gritted teeth, “Now is not… the time for this.”
“Jiang, just once.”
Ryann braced one hand on the headboard, breathing heavily as he struggled to control himself. His usually cold eyes and lips were now wet and tinged with light red, “The Crystal Nest has stopped activity now, and the soldiers are all resting. I…”
Long curled hair fell onto the disabled human’s collarbone below.
The Crown Prince brushed his own hair strands away from his lover’s skin, looking down as he said hoarsely. “This past year, I’ve missed you so much.”
Jiang Jianming closed his eyes in despair. “…”
This was too much!
But the more His Highness acted this way, the more nervous he became… if they gave in now, they definitely wouldn’t be able to stop!
Ryann was still gently grinding against him, seemingly planning to wear him down until he got his way.
Jiang Jianming trembled as he caught his breath. He had been struggling to control himself too. Now being teased by this person until both his body and senses were numb, his fingers twitched, creating deep and shallow wrinkles in the bedsheet.
“Wait…Your Highness wait, we really can’t right now,” he struggled with his last wavering bit of reason, “Could we… substitute with something else?”
“Like, well…we could actually continue what you wanted to do when we first reunited…”
*****
About an hour later. Red Dragon and several major space bandits from the Lava Space Bandits were summoned into the Tianshuhao starship.
Everyone’s expression was very grave.
They all knew it was time for the formal showdown.
Red Dragon had promised to provide information to the empire and assist the Silver Big Dipper against the Crystal Cult. But regardless, the Lava group now had almost nothing left, and everyone wore electronic handcuffs – if the other side had killing intent, they could eliminate them at any moment.
The Silver Big Dipper soldiers escorted them to the door. The automatic door opened, and the space bandits walked in.
Then they all froze in place.
The atmosphere seemed quite different from what they had imagined.
There were only three people in the room, which wasn’t surprising – the two highnesses and one major general, the three currently leading the Silver Big Dipper army.
The issue was that they were… eating.
Jiang Jianming had thrown on an extra coat with gun holsters, but was still dressed casually, sitting on the bed leisurely drinking porridge – after several hours of intense fighting and sleeping twice, honestly, he was really hungry now.
Ryann had already finished eating. He sat beside him, the crystal bones at his wrist wrapped around Jiang Jianming’s wrist, seeming quite satisfied.
Xie Yuduo held chopsticks picking up a vegetable, examining the two with a strange gaze and asking in an odd tone. “Your Highnesses, is it tasty?”
Ryann: “Mm.”
Jiang Jianming: “…”
Jiang Jianming silently put down his bowl. He had actually realized his miscalculation – he had lost badly.
His Highness had now become a new half-human half-crystal species, but he was still pure human;
His Highness had developed a habit of enjoying consuming people, but he couldn’t derive any pleasure from it, and even quickly lost consciousness after being encased in crystal.
Now His Highness was satisfied and pleased, while he had merely taken a nap, heh…
Ryann realized he wasn’t happy and came over to coax him softly. “Next time I’ll control it more, and once you get used to it, you won’t fall asleep.”
Jiang Jianming expressionlessly, “No need, rather than being sealed in a crystal mass staring blankly, I’d prefer sleeping.”
At the door, Red Dragon stared blankly at Jiang Jianming. “Wait, you, you’re planning to talk to me like this!?”
Xie Yuduo turned back smiling. “Oh, the little bandits are here. Don’t just stand at the door, come in and stand!”
“Have you eaten? If not, bear with it. You can go get food after we’re done talking…”
Red Dragon: “.”
This was insult, undisguised insult!
Red Dragon was so angry steam was coming from his head. But being at others’ mercy, he had no choice but to lower his “steaming” head resentfully, and grudgingly shuffled into the room.
Jiang Jianming tapped his spoon against the bowl edge, “Alright, no more idle talk, let’s start with your situation, discuss the matters of the Lava group and Crystal Cult.”
Xie Yuduo added timely. “Don’t lie, your electronic handcuffs have lie detector functions. I don’t want to hear them beeping.”
Hearing this, Red Dragon’s face visibly darkened. The five space bandits behind him were the same, their faces red with suppressed grief and hatred, veins and muscles bulging.
“At that time…”
Red Dragon clenched his fists, his eye corner twitching.
Those unbearably painful memories surged back.
“At that time, after the Alpha Alien Star battle ended, the Crystal Cult’s Bishop of Destruction contacted us.”
“Hmph, though clearly a defeated army, he still acted as if everything was under control.”
“…He said that though the empire won this battle, they would surely send troops to expedition against the Crystal Nest next. But in fact, besides the Crystal Nest, partial victories or defeats elsewhere didn’t matter.”
