Chapter 521: The Seventh Day of Transmigrating into an Interstellar World

Chapter 521: The Seventh Day of Entering the Interstellar World

An Yi was startled for a moment.

He looked at Xing Ruize's back, then quirked the corner of his mouth: "Thanks."

"Mm," Xing Ruize said. An Yi was always staring at him anyway, so as his captain, it was his duty to look after him.

At that thought, the tips of Xing Ruize's ears went red.

Why did An Yi keep looking at him?

Did he think he was...

As for why he hadn't taken care of others before?

No need for that!!

Ma Zhiye glanced at An Yi, then stared at Xing Ruize's back, his expression unreadable.

Captain... he's so weird!

Comment section:

"??? Xing Ruize! Something's wrong with you, dude!"

"@Author! Aren't you laying it on too thick? Careful you don't actually make them gay!"

"You two are being a little too flirty..."

"Don't talk crap, he's just a captain looking after his team member, okay!"

"Oh? Then what about Jiang Biao, Ma Zhiye, Cheng Hong, and George?"

"Xing Ruize: No need for that! (straight-faced.jpg)"

"LMAOOO!!"

"No way! Did you guys not see that? The MC blushed!"

"I saw it! Right then! I got a screenshot!"

"What are you even using to screenshot??? I'll say it again! This is a novel! How the hell are you seeing images?"

"Using brain cells, the usual trick. (dog emoji)"

"...I'm so done with you guys!"

"HAHAHAHA the comments really know how to take screenshots."

"It's not his face that's red! It's his ears!"

"What's the difference? I'm asking you! I'm asking you!"

"A boy's blush says more than any love confession!"

"Can't handle it! This is kinda GAY! bleh~"

"@Author! Take back your powers!"

"..."

An Yi: "..."

An Yi pulled his gaze back and looked at the viewport ahead.

Outside the viewport, the starfield began to warp.

Countless points of light stretched into thin lines, spiraling into a massive vortex. Light exploded at the center of the vortex, then spilled outward, as if something were tearing open the fabric of the universe.

The Yuanxing's hull trembled slightly, as if something had grabbed it, then yanked it forward.

The jump began.

Four hours later, the Yuanxing dropped out of the jump channel. The shaking stopped, and the view outside the viewport settled.

An Yi looked out the viewport.

The starfield outside had changed.

In the distance was a dark red nebula, like the ashes of a fire, its edges faintly gold, its center a deep, somber crimson.

A few stars glowed faintly in the distance, looking like candles about to go out against the nebula's dark red backdrop.

"We've arrived at the Third Star Sector," the pilot's voice came through the communicator. "Three hours to the outpost."

Jiang Biao stood up and stretched, his arm nearly knocking into the equipment beside him.

"Finally here," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Jumping always sucks. Every time I feel like my bones got wrung out."

George rubbed his neck as he got up from his seat.

His face was a little pale, sweat beading at his temples, and his lips were paler than usual.

"I don't get it," he said weakly. "Why do I always feel this bad after every jump..."

Ma Zhiye walked past him with a blank face and handed him a bag.

George paused: "What's this?"

"Puke in here," Ma Zhiye said.

George: "...Thanks." He took the bag, looking conflicted.

Cheng Hong was awake now. He was leaning against the cabin wall, arms still crossed, but his eyes were open now, watching George with a slight smile.

George glared at him: "What are you laughing at!"

Cheng Hong didn't say anything, but his smile widened a little.

Then he looked at An Yi: "You okay?"

An Yi stood, walked to the viewport, and stopped: "Perfectly fine."

Cheng Hong nodded and didn't say anything else.

Xing Ruize's gaze fell on An Yi. He opened his mouth.

The words he wanted to say lingered in his throat—

Good, that's all that matters.

He swallowed the words he wanted to say. Forget it, no need to voice them.

An Yi's gaze landed on that dark red nebula. In the original story, Xing Ruize had discovered that chip at the outpost.

He remembered that after the chip was activated, the pursuers had come from the direction of the nebula. An Yi's eyes lingered on that dark red patch for a long time.

Someone came up behind him, standing very close.

So close that he could sense the other person's presence, could feel the gaze landing on his back.

An Yi didn't turn around.

"What are you looking at?" Xing Ruize asked.

His voice was still as cold as the universe outside the porthole, giving nothing away, but for some reason, he stood so close.

An Yi replied, "The nebula."

"Why are you looking at it?"

"It's pretty," An Yi said.

Xing Ruize paused for a moment.

He looked at the dark red nebula, then managed to get out: "It is pretty, indeed."

An Yi found that amusing. He smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up, the smile reaching his eyes.

Xing Ruize: "..."

He lowered his head, a little sheepish.

An Yi turned his head slightly and glanced at him.

Xing Ruize's profile looked a little tense in the light from the porthole, his jawline sharper than usual, and there was a faint, barely noticeable flush on his earlobe.

He was silent for another moment, then said: "Once this mission is over, you're going back to the academy?"

"Mm," An Yi said.

"Are you still going to go on missions with us?"

An Yi paused, then tilted his head and glanced at Xing Ruize again.

Xing Ruize's gaze had shifted from the nebula at some point, landing on his face. His eyes looked deep in the dark red light, as if holding back unspoken words.

An Yi smiled slightly: "Does the captain want me to keep going on missions with you all?"

Xing Ruize froze for a moment, then looked away, toward the nebula.

"It's up to you," he said.

An Yi said, "Oh."

Xing Ruize was stumped. He pressed his lips together.

"We..." he said, his voice a little lower than before: "This mission was about getting used to each other. We can go on missions together in the future too."

An Yi tilted his head, looking at him.

"Can we? So the captain doesn't want to?" he said, a hint of a teasing smile in his tone: "Just forcing ourselves to get along?"

Xing Ruize pressed his lips together, his earlobes turning redder: "...I do want to."

An Yi let out a soft laugh.

Jiang Biao clicked his tongue.

He looked at the two figures standing side by side in front of the porthole, feeling that something was off.

Why did it seem like the captain was being played like a fiddle by this kid named An Yi?

Or was it just his imagination?