(The previous chapter was Chapter 24, but that can't be changed, so... you all know how it is, right?)
Qin Mo: "?"
Xuan Yu: "!"
Fu Shiyi: "..."
The three beast-husbands' gazes simultaneously landed on the elephant beastman. If looks could physically manifest, the elephant beastman would probably have been sliced to death by them already.
Lao Wei hadn't expected the elephant beastman to pull something like this either. Though polyandry was common in the Federation, who openly tried to steal someone away right in front of their husbands?
This brat really had no sense of timing.
Lady Yunyang was indeed outstanding, and wanting to become her beast-husband was only natural. But at least do it behind people's backs!
You should just sneak in some sweet talk and flattery when her husbands aren't around. Maybe if Lady Yunyang was pleased, she'd take you in.
But no, you just had to say it right in front of Qin Mo and those guys. Isn't that practically provocation?
How was this idiot ever a former member of the 7th Army?
Lao Wei couldn't bear to look anymore. The ostrich beastman also stared at their comrade like he'd seen a ghost.
The word that simultaneously popped into both their minds was—
Hopeless!
Despite being mentally flayed by Yunyang's three beast-husbands, the elephant beastman continued seriously: "Lady Yunyang, I am an S-class defensive ability user. I can absolutely protect you well. Would you give me a chance?"
He didn't care how Yunyang's beast-husbands reacted. As long as Lady Yunyang nodded, that was all that mattered.
The three beast-husbands knew this too, and turned to look at Yunyang as well.
Qin Mo's eyes were full of grievance.
Xuan Yu's mouth drooped.
Fu Shiyi showed no expression.
But Yunyang inexplicably read the same message from all three of their eyes: Mistress, are we not satisfying enough for you?
She shuddered and immediately declined: "I'm sorry, the Federation Marriage Center has already matched me with five beast-husbands. That's more than enough."
The other two husbands hadn't even moved in yet!
For now, she had no intention of expanding her husband roster.
The three beast-husbands were satisfied.
The elephant beastman drooped his head in dejection.
Worried that another similar situation might arise, Yunyang didn't even tell Lao Wei about tomorrow's arrangements before hurriedly taking her leave with her three beast-husbands.
The elephant beastman watched her and her three husbands leave, his expression utterly crestfallen.
Seeing him like that, Lao Wei swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Forget it. The kid was still one of their own from the 7th Army. He wouldn't scold him.
Lao Wei patted the elephant beastman on the shoulder. "Go on back. If your contamination level stabilizes, you can leave the purification tower in half a month."
This good news lessened the disappointment in the elephant beastman's heart. He straightened up and gave a proper Federation military salute.
"Adjutant Lao Wei, if my contamination level stabilizes, I want to return to the 7th Army base!"
The 7th Army base was on planet X92, while their garrison was on the fringe planet T21.
Returning to the garrison meant rejoining the fight against the insectoids.
The ostrich beastman also said he wanted to return to the garrison.
But Lao Wei shot the elephant beastman a glare. "How many times do I have to say it? I've already retired. You need to call me Warden now!"
Though he and Old Griffin were both former adjutants of the Federation's 7th Army, he had retired due to injury while Old Griffin was under supervision because of his contamination level being too high. How could he still deserve the title "Adjutant"?
"I'm sorry." The elephant beastman quickly corrected himself. "Then, Warden, can I still return to the garrison?"
Lao Wei rolled his eyes at him. "We'll talk once your contamination level stabilizes."
He then turned to look at the ostrich beastman. "And you too."
"One after another, your contamination levels just dropped and already you're thinking about all this nonsense."
"Get out of here now. Stop wasting my time!"
The elephant beastman and ostrich beastman had both been soldiers under Lao Wei's command, so they didn't dare disobey a single word from him. They quickly followed the ten supervisors out.
The elevator went down, leaving only Lao Wei alone in the office area.
He sat back down in his chair, looked at the date on his optical computer, and sighed.
The female insectoid's egg-laying season was approaching again. Both of those brats still had contamination levels above 70. Sending them back to the garrison now would be like sending them to their deaths.
For the Federation, he should agree.
But that little sliver of selfishness kept him from approving it right away.
Wait a little longer. At least until those two brats' contamination levels stabilized.
---
Tonight's cook was Fu Shiyi.
Yunyang sampled a bite, then made a quiet comparison in her mind.
Fu Shiyi's cooking was also excellent—on par with Xuan Yu's. Qin Mo was slightly inferior to both of them.
But as someone who couldn't cook and could only eat, no matter which beast-husband did the cooking, Yunyang dutifully finished every last bit of her portion.
Seeing her empty bowl, Fu Shiyi pinched her slender arm, then helped her to a small half-bowl of rice.
"Mistress, you're too thin. Eat a bit more."
"But I'm full." Yunyang slumped back in her dining chair.
Although the females of the interstellar era could eat without gaining weight, she never liked eating too much at night.
After all, in her previous life, her dinner portion had only been half of what she ate now.
Fu Shiyi didn't force her. He simply, with absolute naturalness, brought that small half-bowl of rice to himself and leisurely finished it.
Qin Mo and Xuan Yu stared wide-eyed at the distinctly pink bowl in his hands.
This Fu Shiyi was so scheming! He deliberately gave Mistress extra rice just to use the same bowl as her.
While seething with indignation, both of them secretly noted this trick in their hearts.
Next time, they'd do the same too!
After dinner: evening walk, then absorbing insect cores.
The whole routine done, Yunyang looked at the three beast-husbands gathering around her, her gaze flickering.
Last night, Yunyang had slept in Fu Shiyi's room, so Qin Mo said eagerly: "Mistress, sleep in my room tonight."
Xuan Yu refused to fall behind: "Mistress, my room is comfortable too!"
Fu Shiyi knew he'd been a bit too rough with her last night. Adjusting his glasses, he wisely chose to stay silent.
If he went again tonight, Mistress might develop a trauma about him.
Of course, if Mistress was still willing, he'd be more than happy to serve again.
Noting that Fu Shiyi didn't speak up like last night, Qin Mo and Xuan Yu briefly reached an unspoken agreement and jointly squeezed Fu Shiyi out.
"Mistress, you already marked Fu Shiyi last night. You can't choose him again tonight." That was Qin Mo.
"Mistress, you need to be fair. By rotation order, tonight should be my turn." That was Xuan Yu.
Yunyang swept her gaze across the three beast-husbands and said matter-of-factly: "Tonight I'm not going to any of your rooms. I'm sleeping by myself."
Now that she'd marked all of them, could she rest for one day or not?!
Not favoring any of them—how was that not also a form of fairness?
Qin Mo and Xuan Yu exchanged a glance.
Fine.
As long as Mistress didn't continue favoring Fu Shiyi tonight, that was good enough.
None of the three beast-husbands raised any objection. They escorted Yunyang upstairs, then each returned to their own rooms.
But what was truly going through their minds? No one knew.
Two hours later, the villa's lights automatically turned off.
In the pitch black, the door to the room next to Yunyang's opened silently.
Qin Mo crept quietly toward Yunyang's room, then opened his optical computer to send her a message.
Just then, a gust of wind blew over.
