Because of the lightning strike that forced He Qing to return to secular life, he stayed in his room for a few days, hoping Duan Chenhui would forget about it.

But on this day, he still got caught by Duan Chenhui. Despite having returned to the secular world, his routines hadn’t changed.

Duan Chenhui, sitting in a wheelchair, blocked his door. “I had some clothes sent over,” he said before rolling away in his wheelchair, indicating He Qing should follow.

He Qing thought to himself, so domineering. Reluctantly, he followed and arrived at a large dressing room. There stood a row of lifelike robots, their mechanical hands holding stacks of clothes. There was also a real butler—Uncle Cai.

“Go try them on,” Duan Chenhui said, resting his hands on the wheelchair’s armrests and raising his chin slightly.

“General, there’s no need to go through all this trouble,” He Qing said, touching the prayer beads hanging from his chest, attempting to draw a line between them.

Duan Chenhui glanced at him, “I’ve already arranged for your transfer. You can continue studying your old major—botany and floral design. But the clothes need to be more practical.”

He Qing looked down at the robe he was wearing, gently lifting his sleeve. “I’m used to these.”

“There will be many outdoor classes at the Central Academy, even if you’re only studying floral design.”

He Qing paused and quickly changed his tone, “Then, I’ll follow local customs. Thank you, General.”

“Hmm.” Duan Chenhui signaled to the butler, “Keep your documents safe.”

The butler handed He Qing a box. Opening it, He Qing found not only his enrollment certificate and various documents but also a stack of gold cards…

He Qing closed the box, glancing at Duan Chenhui. The General is being subtle about giving out cards, huh? Does he think he’s raising a wife?

“General, I don’t think I need this,” He Qing smiled and took out the gold card.

Duan Chenhui rubbed the armrests of his wheelchair, raising his head to meet He Qing’s eyes, his voice suddenly more serious, “He Qing, the Central Academy isn’t like White Tower. You’ll need to cover all your own expenses.”

He Qing froze. His original self’s parents had passed away, and everything at White Tower had been free. His broke family hadn’t given him a cent. He really was dirt poor, and this wasn’t the cultivation world—things were so hard for him here.

“Well… thanks, General.” He Qing glanced at Duan Chenhui’s legs. Once I retrieve my real body, I can heal him. This is just a down payment, He Qing comforted himself as he tucked away the gold card and box. He then went to change into the clothes Duan Chenhui had picked out.

He came out wearing a black suit, holding a tie in his hand.

Duan Chenhui looked up. “Black really is too dull.” He sounded like a strict judge.

He Qing turned to look at himself in the mirror. He wasn’t used to modern clothing at all. Suddenly, he noticed Duan Chenhui stand up and walk toward him.

He Qing quickly turned. “Should I change into something else?”

Duan Chenhui stopped him, taking the tie from He Qing and tying it himself. “In formal settings, you have to wear formal clothes. You need to learn how to tie a tie.” He paused, “The freedom you had in White Tower is a different kind of freedom.”

“I understand.” He Qing lowered his head, watching Duan Chenhui’s hands. He was tying it slowly, deliberately letting He Qing see how it was done.

After finishing, Duan Chenhui straightened the tie and clipped it with a tie clip. He retreated back into his wheelchair, observing He Qing for a moment before saying, “Try the white one.”

“Yes,” He Qing turned around to change again, feeling like a doll performing a dress-up show for General Duan.

After trying on several suits, the remaining clothes were more modern but carried a hint of ancient style. He Qing turned slightly in front of the mirror. The outfit was simpler than his robe but kept its essential features, and it felt more comfortable than the suits.

Duan Chenhui had him switch to a white and gold outfit. He came over to adjust the knot in front of He Qing’s chest. “Other than your school uniform, you can wear this kind of outfit on normal days.”

He Qing touched the embroidered pattern on his sleeve and the metal clip. He pulled out the clip and asked, “A hidden weapon?” But this hidden weapon was too pretty, adorned with sapphires.

Duan Chenhui looked at him. “I had it custom-made based on ancient texts. This kind of weapon is too outdated and can only be used as a decoration.”

He Qing fiddled with the sparkling clip for a moment before putting it back. “The General is thoughtful. I don’t know how to repay you. General, perhaps—”

“The wedding preparations are already underway,” Duan Chenhui cut him off, looking up. “You can repay me soon.”

He Qing shut his mouth pitifully. Didn’t he say he doesn’t like weak, helpless Omegas? I’m already so useless—I don’t even know how to tie a tie.

Duan Chenhui slipped a space ring onto He Qing’s finger. “The space inside can fit a mecha.”

“I don’t have much mental power…”

“It can hold other things too.”

“…”

He Qing couldn’t argue with that, touching the ring. This was probably Duan Chenhui’s way of testing him.

With nothing to do at the General’s mansion, He Qing felt bored and couldn’t showcase his talents.

One morning, after finishing his meditation, He Qing went to feed the koi in the lotus pond. The plump koi swam over eagerly, opening their mouths wide, expecting to be fed. He Qing scattered some fish food into the water, watching the colorful koi frenzy to eat.

“How did the General manage to raise you all so fat?” He Qing squatted down, reaching out to pet them one by one, but after doing so, he withdrew his hand in disappointment. None of them had gained spiritual intelligence.

He Qing threw the rest of the fish food into the pond, putting his hands together in a prayer, “I hope you guys have another meal coming.”

That’s right—last night, Duan Chenhui had eaten one of the koi. It was said that primitive carp from Blue Star were very expensive, something even royalty could rarely taste.

But General Duan ate koi.

And said it wasn’t tasty.

He Qing tried it too and had to agree—it tasted like mud… and the interstellar chefs didn’t have the skill to cook it properly.

After feeding the koi, He Qing heard the sound of a wheelchair behind him. Turning around, he saw Duan Chenhui, as expected.

“You can pick the flowers here if you like,” General Duan sounded like a rich boss. And indeed, lotus flowers were quite expensive in the interstellar world.

“Thank you, General,” He Qing replied politely, jogging over to push the wheelchair and ask with some enthusiasm, “General, you seem to have some free time lately.”

Could it be because he’s been sidelined due to his leg injury? He Qing thought of how ancient emperors loved to discard loyal subjects after they had outlived their usefulness, and couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.

“The Zerg have temporarily retreated, so I have some time to rest,” Duan Chenhui glanced at him, his tone calm and measured.

“Ahem… then let’s take a walk.” He Qing looked at Duan Chenhui’s legs. Such resilience, so calm and steady—he truly lived up to his title of War God.

He pushed the wheelchair around the General’s mansion, casually checking out the environment. Before lunch, he pushed General Duan back inside.

After eating and drinking well in the General’s mansion, He Qing felt like he was starting to gain weight. As the wedding day approached, he received a message from the He family—they finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

He mentioned this to the butler: “I’ll be going home today.”

The butler understood immediately. “I’ll inform the General.”

“No need, I’ll go by myself,” He Qing declined politely. “Besides, the General is so busy, I’d hate to disturb him.”

The butler gave him a look. “Then I’ll prepare a gift for you to take back. There’s a blue sapphire in the storeroom that I think would be perfect.”

“I already have a gift in mind,” He Qing declined again. The butler paused for a moment, then fell silent.

He Qing turned around, picked up a flower basket, and got into a small boat to collect lotus seedpods from the pond. The butler, holding the bamboo pole, watched anxiously as He Qing splashed around.

“Mr. He, we can help you,” the butler offered, worried He Qing might fall into the pond.

“It’s more sincere if I pick them myself,” He Qing replied, snapping off a lotus seedpod. “They’ll love it.”

The butler fell silent again. While lotus seedpods were indeed expensive, they were nowhere near the value of that sapphire, and the seeds inside were only edible.

Upstairs, Duan Chenhui looked down at He Qing, who was in the lotus pond gathering seedpods. He Qing’s skin was very fair, and it appeared even smoother against his dark hair. Duan Chenhui watched for a moment before turning back to his work.

He Qing snapped off another seedpod and glanced up at the window. He touched the prayer beads on his chest. If anything went wrong, Duan Chenhui would know. Living under the same roof was definitely dangerous.

But on second thought… it was kind of thrilling.

He looked down at the basket, already half-full of seedpods. “That’s enough. Let’s head back.”

The butler let out a sigh of relief, rowing the small boat back to shore. After thanking the butler, He Qing carried his basket of lotus seedpods back to his maiden family.

Ever since the central government abolished hereditary titles, the He family had fallen into decline and never recovered. But even a camel, no matter how skinny, is still bigger than a horse, and the family’s large mansion still had an imposing air, resembling a castle inside.

He Qing pondered for a moment, This isn’t a camel—it’s a whale. Even a skinny whale is bigger than a camel.

He Qing was led to a spacious hall and seated at the far end of a long table. He placed the flower basket on the table and glanced at the rows of uncles and cousins seated on either side.

It felt like a court trial.

“Good day, everyone,” He Qing greeted, but no one responded. Instead, pairs of eyes, gleaming with green, wolfish hunger, stared at him.

Across from him, the white-haired patriarch gave him a slight nod.

He Qing smiled faintly and closed his eyes to recite the Heart Sutra.

The old patriarch lifted his wrinkled eyelids. “We raised you to this age; it’s time for you to contribute to the family.”

As soon as the patriarch spoke, the other uncles and cousins chimed in.

“Your cousin is in the military now. You should have a word with the General and ask him to give him a hand.”

“Your eldest uncle is looking to expand his business, but he’s unsure if the higher-ups will approve the development. He wants some inside information for assurance.”

“I heard you got hurt recently. I spent a fortune at an auction to get you a potion. It will ensure you bear a son for the General.”

Everyone spoke at once, all trying to get He Qing to whisper something into Duan Chenhui’s ear. But they soon realized that He Qing was motionless, completely ignoring them.

“Aren’t you going to answer? Cat got your tongue?” The eldest cousin, annoyed, spoke up.

“I doubt the General would even like a useless flower vase like him. Why bother trying to please him?” the second cousin, who had always disliked He Qing, added. His younger brother was an Omega too, and much better than He Qing. Why hadn’t his brother been chosen? If it had been his brother, he’d surely be obedient.

After finishing his meditation, He Qing opened his eyes and stood up. “Amitabha. Anything else? If not, I’ll be leaving.”

“He Qing, we’re asking you a question!” The old patriarch, full of vigor, finally spoke for the second time. As the head of the family, he had likely never been ignored by a junior like this before.

He Qing nodded respectfully to the old patriarch, then turned to his towering eldest cousin. With a warm smile, he said, “Cousin, if your mental power can reach level B, I’ll strongly recommend you to the General. You should work hard.”

A vein twitched on his eldest cousin’s forehead. His mental power was only level D. Was He Qing mocking him?

He Qing then turned to his uncle. “Uncle, mixing business and politics is risky. If it gets exposed, everyone will end up receiving court summons.”

His uncle’s face twitched as he stubbornly retorted, “I’m only asking you to get a little information! It’s not like I’m doing anything shady!”

Ignoring him, He Qing turned to the third aunt holding the potion. “Thank you for your kind offer, Aunt, but I’m weak. Drinking this might result in a double fatality.”

“What do you mean by that?” Third Aunt was instantly furious. “This potion is mild! Do you think I’d give you poison?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” He Qing said, hands together in a serene prayer.

Third Uncle slammed the table and stood up. “Such insolence! Such disrespect for your elders! We’ll have you flogged ten times according to family rules, then kneel in the ancestral hall for three days!”

“Feed him the potion first! Once the General has an heir, he’ll be grateful to us!” Third Aunt’s face twisted with rage. “I’ve tested this potion myself!”

“I’ll hold him down!” The second cousin rushed over, eager for the drama.

He Qing took a step back, lifting his flower basket. “The General is watching you all.”

“?!!!” Everyone turned sharply toward the window, only to realize they had been fooled.

“He’s bluffing us!” The eldest cousin rushed forward but tripped halfway. “Ahhhh—!!!”

His scream was so pitiful that it made everyone wince. The second cousin snickered, delighted at his misfortune.

He Qing chuckled softly, fingers gently rolling the prayer beads. “If you punish me privately, the General will get angry. I’m doing this for your own good.”

“This is just family discipline!”

“Who said anything about punishing you?”

Two voices rang out simultaneously. The door behind them swung open, and a man in military uniform, silhouetted by the light, strode in.

He Qing ran over with his flower basket in hand. “General, you’re here?”

“Who’s planning to punish you?” Duan Chenhui asked, his eyes locking onto He Qing’s, repeating the question.

In Duan Chenhui’s eyes, family punishment equated to domestic violence. This was common knowledge—General Duan was not only decisive in battle but also loathed any form of private punishment.

“We were just—” the eldest uncle began, only to find his voice failing him. He stared at Duan Chenhui in terror. How powerful was this man’s mental strength?

Everyone quickly realized—even if Duan Chenhui didn’t like He Qing, Alpha or Enigma, no one would tolerate others interfering with their Omega. It was simply out of the question.

Duan Chenhui gave them all a sweeping glance before turning to He Qing. “I’m asking you.”

“I was just marveling at how some family rules are more feudal than in ancient times. What do you think, General?” He Qing said, smiling brightly, holding his flower basket.

Duan Chenhui looked at him for a moment, then turned his gaze to the others. “Then abolish them. Don’t you all agree?”

The eldest cousin stared in disbelief at He Qing. He dared to snitch? He never used to be like this!

The room fell into dead silence as the He family members looked to the old patriarch for help.

The old patriarch stood up, his words light but effective, “The General is right. We’re moving with the times, unlike some families.” His face was thicker than a city wall, even managing to shift the blame onto other families, as if to say those old-fashioned ones were even worse than him.

Everyone: “…”

He Qing was also impressed, blinking silently.

Duan Chenhui, however, added, “Mr. He is right. I’ll draft a law tomorrow and submit it to ensure such cruel private punishments are eradicated.”

“?!!” If other families found out, wouldn’t the He family become the scapegoats? Could it be that the General actually liked He Qing? Was the rumor about him only acting out of duty false?

The He family members were in turmoil, all eyes turning to He Qing. So the General did like the delicate, harmless type? Was the rumor that he didn’t just a lie?

He Qing was a bit surprised, glancing at Duan Chenhui. Seems like the General wanted to do this anyway and is just using me as an excuse.

The eldest uncle looked around, forcing a smile. “General, forgive us for not welcoming you properly. Let’s not stand here talking—please, join us in the parlor.”

Duan Chenhui accepted the invitation. “I’m here to deliver the wedding invitations and gifts.” As he spoke, a row of robots carried in the gifts.

He Qing glanced at them. The General who preached against feudalism was actually handing out betrothal gifts? So hypocritical.

The eldest uncle looked at the gifts, suppressing his growing anxiety, and said tactfully, “General, this way, please. We should discuss the wedding details.”

Duan Chenhui nodded and followed them.

He Qing, holding his flower basket, trailed behind like a flower boy. When they reached the parlor, Duan Chenhui sat down and pulled He Qing to sit beside him. He Qing obediently sat, holding his basket, quietly listening in.

He soon realized that Duan Chenhui wasn’t here to discuss the wedding details but merely to inform the He family about it.

The He family members also noticed this, awkwardly continuing their stilted conversation.

Duan Chenhui glanced at the terminal on his wrist. “It’s getting late. I have work to do.”

Third Uncle quickly stood up. “Haha… since the General has everything ready, we’ll be sure to attend on time. I’ll walk you out.”

Duan Chenhui nodded slightly to everyone before standing up to leave. He Qing followed with his flower basket, and the two of them got into the hover car waiting in the courtyard.

He Qing poked his head out and waved to the people seeing them off. “Goodbye, everyone.”

The Third Cousin glanced at the flower basket in He Qing’s hand. Wait a minute—wasn’t that the gift He Qing brought back? While it seemed a bit shabby, at least it could be used to make soup.

“He Qing, what about—”

With a “whoosh,” Duan Chenhui’s hover car disappeared into the sky, leaving Third Cousin with his hand outstretched.

He Qing gently touched the lotus seed pods in the basket and smiled at Duan Chenhui. “General, they didn’t want my gift. Let’s take it back and make soup.”

“Sure.” Duan Chenhui looked at the seedpods in his hand and smiled slightly. How could He Qing be just a flower vase? He was the delicate white lotus blooming on top of that vase, hiding his true nature.

“By the way, why did you suddenly show up, General?” He Qing asked, pretending to be casual, but really thinking about the space ring.

“I had a tracker placed in the space ring I gave you,” Duan Chenhui replied straightforwardly, testing him.

“You’re worried I’d be in danger? I’ll take good care of it.” He Qing remained calm, not only unbothered but also offering an explanation for Duan Chenhui’s actions.

“Then take good care of it. If it goes missing, I’ll hold you responsible.” Duan Chenhui raised an eyebrow. He had indeed meant to keep an eye on him—he wasn’t going to let just anyone come and go from the General’s mansion.

“Yes, General,” He Qing answered obediently.

Duan Chenhui scrutinized him for a moment. He Qing’s expression showed no hint of rejection. Other than his face, He Qing wasn’t Duan Chenhui’s type at all. But they could respect each other and play their roles well in this charade.

In terms of acting, they were indeed a perfect match.