The young man, for some reason, had always struggled to stand firm in front of the petite Xia Miao, and now he found it even harder to straighten his back. His voice trembled as he defended himself, "I didn’t mean to get hurt. Miao Miao, I just wanted to pick the most beautiful flower to make you happy."
"Do I need you to take such risks just to make me happy?!"
Scolded, his body flinched, but he didn’t dare utter a word in protest.
The bouquet of unnamed red flowers by the window bloomed vibrantly, their petals lush and radiant. Yet on that untamed, primordial planet, such striking colors often signaled danger.
Countless beasts lurked in the shadows, waiting for foolish creatures to be lured by the dazzling beauty and step into their deadly domain—only to become their most delicious meal.
Xia Miao pressed her lips together. "Even if I were mad at you, all you had to do was come find me and say a few sweet words. How could you be so stupid!"
No. 13 blinked slowly, his lashes fluttering, adding a touch of fragility to his demeanor. "I’m sorry, Miao Miao. I’m too stupid."
His earnest apology was so sincere that Xia Miao’s anger began to dissipate.
She was angry—angry at his foolishness, his naivety, his lack of cleverness. But the moment her gaze fell on his wounds, her temper faded just as quickly.
She said, "You’re hurt this badly. Stay in my room tonight. I’ll take care of you."
No. 13 suddenly perked up. "Okay!"
Given how filthy he was and his inability to move easily due to his injuries, Xia Miao helped him to the bathroom and personally scrubbed him clean—though when it came to certain sensitive areas, she tossed the towel at him and told him to handle it himself.
Perched on a small yellow duck-shaped stool, No. 13 deliberately moved at a snail’s pace. "Miao Miao, won’t you help me?"
Xia Miao stood with her back to him at the bathroom door. "No. Do it yourself. Hurry up!"
No. 13 tried again, "Miao Miao, I need your help."
"I already said, do it yourself!"
Silence fell in the bathroom.
Xia Miao waited… and waited. Hearing no movement, she finally couldn’t resist turning around—only to freeze, her expression blank. "What are you doing?"
No. 13 sat there, completely bare, his long legs awkwardly tucked in, his hands desperately trying to press down—but given the sheer volume, his efforts only managed to reveal a tantalizing glimpse.
Under the warm-toned light, his hair took on a golden hue, like bright sunlight, while his clear blue eyes shimmered with innocence.
The youthful man, exuding an air of naivety and purity, murmured, "Miao Miao, I can’t control it."
Xia Miao snapped, "How can you not control your own body?!"
He replied, "I don’t know. The moment I see you, I just… get excited."
Xia Miao’s face burned crimson. "Mikhail Anatolyevich Dobrolubsky, you shameless pervert!"
She bolted out of the bathroom.
Left alone, he sat in the steamy room, his golden hair damp and limp, his expression lost. Hunched over despite his tall frame, he truly resembled an abandoned giant dog.
In his understanding, when the instinct for reproduction arose, one simply pinned down a female and proceeded for the sake of the species. But he didn’t dare do that to Xia Miao.
It had already been hard enough to coax her once. If he had to do it again, he might as well lose half his life.
No. 13 had heard plenty of crude talk from his teammates. Though inexperienced, he had some theoretical knowledge. Just as he was about to test the manual override, the rapid patter of footsteps approached.
The girl reappeared at the door, her face flushed. Despite her obvious embarrassment, she held her head high, clutching a small box she’d dug out. Like a queen bestowing a favor, she declared,
"If you promise not to move recklessly… this young lady might consider helping you."
No. 13’s eyes lit up with dazzling brilliance. He tossed the towel aside, disregarding his exposed state, and hobbled eagerly toward Xia Miao, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips to hers.
The bathroom door closed, muffling further sounds.
The universe was often cloaked in darkness, but by human standards, it was now deep into the night.
Long Shenting knocked on every passenger’s door, but to his dismay, there was no trace of Xue Fufu—not even anyone who recognized her name.
Could Xue Fufu have been nothing more than a beautiful figment of his imagination?
Unwilling to accept that, Long Shenting quickly formed a new theory: if Xue Fufu wasn’t in first class, perhaps she was in another cabin.
Gritting his teeth, he refused to let go of any possibility and decided to check second class. Passing through the experimental zone, he heard strange noises and instinctively followed the sound, stopping before a rattling metal door.
Frowning, Long Shenting reached for the handle.
The moment the door cracked open, something shot out and enveloped his entire face.
In the late hours, when silence blanketed every cabin…
Xia Miao lay sprawled on the bed, unable to sleep—for one simple reason: a certain man was still nibbling at her like an overeager puppy.
At first, considering his injuries, Xia Miao had taken the lead, armed with her theoretical expertise. But midway, the wounds on his legs had miraculously healed at an impossible speed.
Xia Miao asked, "Isn’t your recovery a little too fast?"
The man blinked. "It must be the power of love."
With that, he buried his face again.
No. 13 nuzzled against her, lifting damp, pleading eyes. "Miao Miao, I want more from that little box."
Xia Miao swiftly hid the box under her pillow, feigning seriousness. "All gone. None left."
His lips pressed into a tight line. Reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, tormented by the agony of being able to touch but not consume.
To his credit, he was a quick learner—he knew that without the supplies, Xia Miao wouldn’t engage.
As for how Xia Miao had found the box in the first place—every room’s bedside drawer came stocked with a full pack, meant for passengers’ urgent needs.
No. 13, now a fledgling reveling in newfound pleasures, brimmed with enthusiasm. One or two rounds were far from enough.
And by short, it was truly in the literal sense—duration-wise.
A novice, easily overwhelmed by stimulation.
Regardless of species, males shared one delusion: the unwavering belief that their prowess was far greater than demonstrated, and that next time, they’d perform even better.
No. 13’s eyes darted around until, suddenly, a brilliant idea struck. Lifting his head excitedly, he declared, "Miao Miao, I’ll go borrow some from the next room!"
Xia Miao quickly pulled up the blanket, wrapping it tightly around him. "Please, just behave yourself! If you have no shame, I at least want to keep mine!"
