Discussing The Correct Posture To Enjoy Dog Food

Chapter 165 - Pomegranate Flavored Sentinel Gong (6)

Translated by Hua Li ^_~

Escorting a guide—this was a task Xiang Muchuan considered himself very experienced in.

Madam Xiang was a materialist at heart, not fond of online shopping. Unlike the butler, Uncle Chen—who was a natural salesman with lines like “Madam is the most beautiful,” “Everything suits Madam,” “This was made for Madam”—she preferred her son’s honest, straightforward company. As long as time permitted, Xiang Muchuan never refused her. It was also the reason he happened to be at the mall seven days ago, which by sheer coincidence led to him rescuing Gou Liang from that robber.

All of Xiang Muchuan’s knowledge about guides came from his mother and Uncle Chen’s tastes. So he brought Gou Liang straight to Free Star’s biggest shopping center—after all, Madam Xiang had once said: the secret to spoiling a guide is simple—buy, buy, buy.

“This is a credit card, no limit.”

Xiang Muchuan handed him the card directly, meaning: spend however you like.

Gou Liang had already resigned himself to the young marshal’s questionable taste in “dates,” but this “CEO and his cannon-fodder lover” mode of dating left him utterly speechless.

Keeping his face calm, he accepted the card and asked, “Buy… all?”

“You can.”

Xiang Muchuan nodded.

If he couldn’t pay it back—well, he could always outrun interstellar pirates.

Free Star’s shopping mall was unlike any other. Every item here was stolen goods, risky to buy but bizarre and dazzling in variety.

Gou Liang had little interest in these flashy, overpriced trinkets—until they walked into a certain specialty shop.

It was a panties shop.

And set in such a prime location of Free Star’s mall, it was no ordinary underwear store.

The sign boldly declared: From the Imperial Queen, the Federation’s First Consul, down to you humble peasants—men, women, young, and old—there’s no underwear we can’t provide, only underwear you can’t afford. Welcome, custom orders available, dearie~

——Yes. It was a professional pirate-run stolen-panties business.

What made Gou Liang march in without hesitation was today’s featured promotion: @Young Marshal Xiang.

Xiang Muchuan’s face stiffened as Gou Liang dragged him inside, where two guides—one male, one female—were in a shouting match over “the one and only pair of Young Marshal Xiang’s worn underwear.”

The male guide roared, “I reserved it five years ago! Why should she steal it from me?!”

The female guide snapped back, “Whatever he offers, I’ll pay ten times more!”

The shopkeeper tried to smooth things over. “No need to fight! If we managed to steal Marshal Xiang’s underwear once, surely we’ll get another chance. This pair was already reserved ten years ago, for six million federation credits…”

“Eight million!”

“Ten million!”

“Twenty million!”

“Forty million!”

The two guides were practically throwing fortunes at each other.

The shopkeeper’s eyes gleamed, though he put on a troubled face. “Please, don’t quarrel, dear customers. How about this—I’ll move your reservations to the top of the list according to the price you just quoted. When stock comes in, you’ll be the first I notify. And don’t be discouraged—we also sell Young Marshal Xiang fan-inspired panties. Take a look: Gentle Embrace, A Million Kisses, Suit Seduction… all privately customized, one-of-a-kind, for men and women both.”

He even pulled out samples.

Gentle Embrace—lace fabric, with embroidered hands of Marshal Xiang cupping the hips (for men’s) or wrapping front and back (for women’s).

A Million Kisses—exact replicas of Xiang Muchuan’s lips.

Suit Seduction—a pair simply printed with his only high-quality candid café photo, exclusive to this shop. Buyers also received a full-size poster.

At that point, Gou Liang was sure the so-called “ten-years-ago reserved genuine underwear” was just bait. The shopkeeper’s real target was clear.

Sure enough, he brought out his ultimate weapon.

“Now, this last pair is truly unbeatable—don’t miss out! Sound-Panties, Divorce Special Edition, one-of-a-kind!”

He pressed a switch. The underwear vibrated gently, and Xiang Muchuan’s low, magnetic voice played: ‘We’ll divorce tomorrow. I’ll marry you.’

KjV kwVMH TJubUkjCS OOFuW Vuf bZZubA.

tTg cWNg WCb mgcWNg sLubgj jTDugfgb, “eTTT!!!”

mCU DapHs: “……”

HuWCs rLJTLWC: “……”

Gou Liang was furious.

Puj sDuS hC HuWCs rLJTLWC’j TWCb TLDv, WCb WmDWub nhL AuWCs ihLNb Nhjg JhCvDhN WCb qNhi Tuj JhKgD, HuWCs rLJTLWC vDugb vh SLNN Tuc WiWM. VLv nhL AuWCs jvLqqhDCNM bDWssgb Tuc vhiWDb vTg jNgWwM jThSfggSgD uCjvgWb.

Pg jNWccgb vTg JDgbuv JWDb bhiC hC vTg JhLCvgD WCb Nhhfgb jvDWusTv Wv HuWCs rLJTLWC.

Hearing his unspoken thoughts, Xiang Muchuan silently met his gaze. At last, under Gou Liang’s fierce glare, he gave in. Face cold, he told the shopkeeper, “We’ll take all the Marshal Xiang underwear. Either every last one, or none at all.”

tTg jThSfggSgD’j gMgj Nuv LS uCjvWCvNM. e VNWJf QDWshC JDgbuv JWDb! eJDhjj WNN XDgg RvWD, mgigD vTWC W TLCbDgb TWb gKgD qggC ujjLgb!

xaie ieaW CHE WpSE, eaW QCvjO pHQ hUHEjpS WpcaHsW vEjE WElUjEQ hCj SahE!

He immediately abandoned the two guides.

“Perverted sentinel!”

“Shameless sentinel!”

The two guides were furious at having been cut out of the deal, but since they weren’t new to Free Star, they knew very well the weight a Black Dragon Card carried. All they could do was hurl insults for show.

Gou Liang, however, treated their words like compliments. Without batting an eye, he took the sound-panties from the shopkeeper’s hands and pressed the switch again. To his surprise, the cunning shopkeeper really had made his merchandise worth the price—Young Marshal Xiang’s voice, enough to make ears pregnant, had more lines.

“Baby, I don’t like that ugly monster at all. You’re the only one I love.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!”

The male and female guides nearly lost their minds.

They forgot all about glaring at Gou Liang. Instead, they grabbed at the shopkeeper, desperate: “Can we preorder this model?! Can the lines be customized too?!”

Even knowing it was fake, they were willing to be deceived.

Money wasn’t the issue. If they could “have” Xiang Muchuan in this way, they’d gladly bankrupt themselves!

For the first time, Gou Liang saw with absolute clarity: his love rivals spanned the entire universe.

This time, he didn’t need Gou Liang’s reminder—Xiang Muchuan spoke first: “You said this was one of a kind. If any duplicates appear, they’ll be treated as breach of contract under Free Star’s rules.”

And Free Star’s breach rules were simple: one hundred times compensation.

The shopkeeper, who had just swiped a fortune through Xiang Muchuan’s card, could only shoot the two guides a helpless look. The moment the transaction confirmation hit his terminal, he grinned like an idiot.

“Not shopping anymore?”

As they left the underwear shop, Xiang Muchuan was a little surprised to see Gou Liang heading back the way they came.

Clutching the sound-panties, Gou Liang gave him a long, soulful look—

Flirt. Faithless husband.

Two giant labels were etched on the marshal’s face in his guide’s eyes. With a wolfish snort from his nose, Gou Liang turned his head and stomped away.

“Angry?”

Watching him huff like that actually amused Xiang Muchuan. He caught Gou Liang’s hand and, for once, smiled at him—the way Madam Xiang had advised: If buying doesn’t work, just smile.

Unfortunately, his mother had never explained the essence of this particular beauty trap. With stubble on his chin and a stranger’s borrowed face, Xiang Muchuan’s smile wasn’t winning anyone over.

Enraged, Gou Liang slapped the lacy panties right onto his face and snarled with a crooked grin, “I just found out these panties have a recording too. I c-can’t wait to tr-try it out!”

He was so furious that he almost forgot to stutter.

Xiang Muchuan pulled the panties off his face. He’d been ready to scold him for the disrespect—but hearing those angry, stammering words somehow made him laugh instead.

【Ding, target favorability updating, current—】

Xiang Muchuan hurried to clarify, “It’s fake.”

“I kn-know.” Gou Liang lifted his chin, eyes sharp with arrogance. “Th-then… y-you wear it, f-for me t-to see.”

Xiang Muchuan, still holding the delicate, lace panties clearly designed for a petite guide: “……”

【—Favorability: data unstable, recalculating. Master, what are you doing?! Do you even remember the mission at Daming Lake?!】

【Can’t you see I’m on a date? Shut up!】

【Ding, current favorability: +70!】

Xiaosi: …I really am too young for this job (:зゝ∠).

Xiang Muchuan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Looking at Gou Liang’s fierce, determined little face, he found it impossible to look away—even though Gou Liang was still wearing an unfamiliar, ordinary mask, his eyes burned so brightly they demanded attention. Touching his puffed-up cheeks, Xiang Muchuan chuckled, “Alright, don’t be mad. Pirates live dangerous lives. Yesterday they were selling panties, tomorrow they’re retiring. I guarantee this shopkeeper won’t go back to his trade in this lifetime.”

“Re-really?”

“Re-really.”

Instantly, Gou Liang’s smile bloomed, not minding at all that Xiang Muchuan had mimicked his stutter.

Though he did feel a pang watching him crush the recording chip inside the panties and tear the delicate lace to shreds.

Their mental connection still open, Xiang Muchuan caught that fleeting thought easily.

All of Madam Xiang’s twenty years of “guide-handling wisdom” vanished into smoke. In that moment, it was like something long-blocked inside him suddenly snapped free. Without needing to be taught, he pulled Gou Liang into his arms, murmuring against his ear: “If you want to hear it… I’ll give you the live version anytime.”

Gou Liang’s eyes flew wide in shock—then he stifled a laugh, peering at him with mock suspicion. “Say… s-say y-you’ll div-divorce me? Or th-that I’m an ug-ugly monst-monster?”

Seeing his pettiness, Xiang Muchuan chuckled. “Whatever you want to hear, I’ll say it.”

Gou Liang’s grin burst forth like sunlight. Yes, he liked an experienced old driver far more than a sweet boy.

Watching him beam so foolishly, Xiang Muchuan couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to the dimple hidden in his cheek. He whispered, “And I like it when you give yourself to me without holding back.”

【Ding, mission progress bar advancing. Current progress: 0.01%.】

No one else in the universe could feel so vividly the fiery, vibrant soul hidden beneath Gou Liang’s quiet, reserved exterior. Silence and obedience had always been his armor, his way of keeping everyone at a safe distance. But Xiang Muchuan wanted to be the exception—to be accepted fully, to see every flicker of temper, and embrace the real Gou Liang that belonged only to him.

It was a pity his little guide hadn’t yet safely passed the ten-day observation period since awakening. His mental domain wasn’t stable enough for a full merge. Otherwise… Xiang Muchuan would have tested, right now, what it meant to own completely and belong to one another.

He shared the thought openly—surprisingly frank and direct.

Gou Liang was overjoyed. Though he fought to keep a straight face, his spirit sea burst into fireworks he didn’t bother to hide, letting Xiang Muchuan savor his unguarded delight.

He tilted his head up. Their eyes met, laughter and warmth colliding into something more intense, more joyful.

This time, Gou Liang didn’t shrink back. Blushing, yet bold, he asked for confirmation: “Y-you said… you li-like me?”

“Mhm.”

“Mhm?”

“I said it—I like you.”

Gou Liang’s face lit up with pure joy. He wrapped his arms around Xiang Muchuan, rubbing his cheek against his neck like an affectionate silver wolf. “I al…so li-like you.”

【Ding, target favorability updated. Current favorability: +80!】

*

The Professor didn’t make Xiang Muchuan wait the full three days. That very night, he came knocking.

At first glance, his eyes darted back and forth between Xiang Muchuan and Gou Liang, and he gave a lewd grin. “Brother Mu, didn’t expect you to be into this sort of thing.”

After Gou Liang’s grand victory at the underwear shop earlier, the two guides who had been tailing them caught clear sight of his lovey-dovey interactions with Xiang Muchuan. They even snapped photos and launched a trending topic: #Drop the coordinates, let’s burn these two doggy sentinel-lovers alive!#

Though the gossip only circulated within Free Star’s local net, the Professor—an incurable gossip himself—caught wind immediately of the tale of Brother Mu, Young Marshal Xiang’s underwear, and the sentinel star-crossed romance.

Xiang Muchuan calmly held Gou Liang’s hand and sat down. “Since Professor is here now, does that mean you’ve found the people I wanted?”

Seeing him ignore the tease, the Professor muttered to himself about how boring he was, but went along with the serious talk. “Correct.”

Saiya and Dr. Tangdi had fled into Free Star in a rush. Matching headcounts and identities hadn’t been hard; their location was quickly uncovered.

Of course, anyone else would never have pulled it off. Without someone of the Professor’s level, without paying a price high enough to tempt him, finding a few fugitives in the chaos of Free Star was nothing but a pipe dream.

But Xiang Muchuan wasn’t just anyone. The Professor had worked with ‘Black card Mu’ before, and admired his generous spending and decisive style. He had no need to stall for extra profit.

Professor: “Now the problem is, they went straight to Blind Mike after arriving here—and someone’s already made a deal with him. From what I hear, tonight is the handover.”

Xiang Muchuan had anticipated as much.

Saiya couldn’t have stayed in Free Star without protection from a local overlord. As a Free Alliance spy who’d failed his mission, he wouldn’t dare flee with such a bargaining chip in hand. Waiting here to redeem himself was the safest bet.

That was exactly why Xiang Muchuan had named such a high price at the start.

He smiled. “Let’s not dance around it. Since you haven’t closed the deal, that means the other party didn’t offer Mike enough. Professor, why not just tell me—what will it take for you to hand them over to me?”

“I do love lecturing smart people.” The Professor laughed heartily. “But I can’t speak for Blind Mike. If you trust me, I’ll arrange a meeting. You two can talk face-to-face. But let’s be clear—whatever deal you strike with that old blind man, it’s not part of our arrangement.”

“Of course.”

With that settled, the Professor moved quickly.

After pocketing his commission from Xiang Muchuan, he set up a meeting. Soon, Xiang Muchuan stood before Blind Mike, leader of the Cyclops Pirates.

Mike had lost one eye in his youth and wore his near-death survival like a badge of honor. With age, his other eye had gone cloudy too. Only the Professor dared call him “Blind” to his face.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mu,” Mike chuckled. “I’ve long heard this old illiterate had a very generous client. Now I see it’s true. Since we know each other now, Mr. Mu, you’ll remember to give me business in the future, won’t you?”

“Blind man, your mouth’s been annoying for decades.”

The Professor shot him a glare, but Mike just laughed—it was clear they were on good terms.

Mike didn’t waste more time bantering. He cut straight to business: “The buyer will be here in two hours. The man’s stingy, but handing the goods to you instead would cost me. So, Mr. Mu, what price are you offering to snatch this batch?”

“Rest assured, Mr. Mike. As long as the goods are sound, I won’t let you take a loss.”

Yao Zicong handed over a Black Card already loaded with funds. Mike scanned it and immediately beamed.

‘Black Card Mu’ truly lived up to his name. The payment not only covered his penalty to the previous buyer but left him with a hefty surplus. He’d basically doubled his profit.

“Mr. Mu, you’re refreshingly straightforward. No wonder this old fool kept you hidden from us.”

Mike signaled his men, and the “goods” were brought forward.

Thirty people in total—three fewer than in the report. All were drugged and unconscious.

After verifying Saiya and Dr. Tangdi’s identities through genetic mapping, Xiang Muchuan promptly transferred the rest of the payment and prepared to leave.

Mike, still hoping for more business, said, “Once you leave Free Star, we can’t help anymore. Better to wait till the buyer’s gone, then take your cargo out?”

As long as you paid protection fees, there was nothing they couldn’t guard on Free Star.

But Xiang Muchuan declined politely. “I’m a businessman too. If I can’t deliver on time, I’ll go bankrupt. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Mike.”

He took his leave with the captives.

Watching the departing starship, Mike muttered to the Professor, “Looks like the Free Alliance and Empire are gearing up for a big fight.”

The Professor shrugged. “Not our concern.”

But not long after leaving Free Star, Xiang Muchuan’s group was intercepted by Free Alliance starships.

“Motherf*cker!”

Yao Zicong cursed furiously. “That old blind bastard didn’t stop at two deals! He sold our location to the Free Alliance, too!”