MORIC - Chapter 163

Chapter 163: The Eternal Third Wheel

Wen Xinghuo still felt uneasy after her conversation with Xi Mingguang.

She first went to see Sheng Yangkui, who had been placed in a private rest cabin. This practical training had truly been mentally taxing. Sheng Yangkui was one of the uninjured, but her constitution was naturally weak. She developed a fever after being rescued, and the military doctor prescribed her medication, telling her to rest well.

The battleship's corridors were filled with busy AI robots. Along the way, Wen Xinghuo also saw many officers in their rest cabins trying to contact their families.

The Zerg had come with overwhelming force. These officers weren't much older than Wen Xinghuo. Even though they would encounter sporadic Zerg during their careers in the Expeditionary Force, they were still stunned to see such a large-scale invasion.

She followed a guide robot deep into the battleship.

Two days had passed since her conversation with Xi Mingguang. With the network restored, every news headline on the light-brains was about the Zerg.

The main planet was still safe for now, but panic was spreading everywhere.

For the past few days, Wen Xinghuo had been either resting or following the officers to the front lines.

But she still came to visit Sheng Yangkui every day.

Sheng Yangkui had been running a high fever for almost a week, remaining drowsy and lethargic.

When Wen Xinghuo came yesterday, she hadn't seen her because Sheng Yangkui didn't open the cabin door.

Later, she sent a message saying she had fallen asleep.

The door card to the princess's rest cabin glowed with a golden light. Wen Xinghuo rang the doorbell. After a moment, the screen connected, but Sheng Yangkui opened the door directly.

She smiled at Wen Xinghuo. "You're here to see me?"

Wen Xinghuo had just changed her clothes. Even though Alphas could pilot mechas, the intense concentration during combat still made them sweat, no different from sparring in the mecha room.

Poor as she was, she knew to be clean and tidy in front of the person she liked.

Wen Xinghuo said, "You could have opened the door remotely. Why did you get out of bed?"

She entered the rest cabin, and the door slowly closed. It was a sealed cabin. The window was an AI-projected landscape, and the light mimicked natural light, so it didn't feel cramped.

On Sheng Yangkui's bedside table were many vials of medicine and a few sheets of paper.

Wen Xinghuo glanced at the trash can and asked, "Why aren't you taking your medicine?"

The trash can had a timed decomposition function that activated every hour, and it hadn't had time to destroy the contents yet.

The medicine vials inside were still full.

Sheng Yangkui froze for a moment, wanting to argue, but then she lowered her head, at a loss for words.

She was already petite, and her poor health since childhood made her look rather unwell.

Now, wearing a patient's gown, she looked like a lotus flower about to wither before it could even bloom.

Wen Xinghuo thought she had scared her and asked softly, "Does it taste bad?"

This was practically a rhetorical question. Even with today's advanced technology and various flavored medicines, it was still medicine.

Especially liquid medicine, which had a unique bitterness.

Sheng Yangkui sat on the edge of the bed, looked at Wen Xinghuo, and said, "I don't want to get better."

An unnatural flush still lingered on her face. Wen Xinghuo tentatively reached out her hand, and Sheng Yangkui leaned in meekly.

They had actually done more intimate things, but they were often apart. When they were together, there was rarely a tender atmosphere; it was either a critical moment or someone else was present.

So much so that when Sheng Yangkui occasionally recalled that intimacy, it felt like a dream.

Wen Xinghuo didn't even have to fully extend her hand before Sheng Yangkui's forehead was pressed against her palm.

It was very, very hot.

Sheng Yangkui: "I'm not delirious from the fever."

She pulled Wen Xinghuo to sit beside her. Wen Xinghuo had intended to sit on the other sofa but complied with her wish.

Sheng Yangkui leaned against Wen Xinghuo and said in a small voice, "I don't want to be sent back."

The rest cabin was very quiet; the soundproofing on the Expeditionary Force's fleet equipment was excellent.

Coming in from the bombing and slaughter outside, Wen Xinghuo felt as if she had entered another world.

Only when she pushed open the door to the therapy bay and heard the pained cries of the officers did she snap back to reality.

Even with mechas, it was difficult for humanity to completely eradicate the Zerg.

This time, too many high-grade Zerg had appeared. Their carapaces were tough. Some had wings that hadn't atrophied but had evolved, and their mouthparts could even pierce a mecha's outer shell.

Alphas could fight even without mechas, which was why Guyun Academy's Alpha division allowed Alphas to fight freely.

They needed strong bodies to handle all sorts of situations.

But few people knew that wounds inflicted by the Zerg did not fade after healing.

Wen Xinghuo had just returned from the therapy bay. Her combat squad had an accident today, and her back had been slashed open by an arthropod limb.

Even if Sheng Yangkui wasn't a particularly perceptive person, she could still smell the antiseptic on her.

Sheng Yangkui's hand rested on Wen Xinghuo's back. Wen Xinghuo instinctively sat up a little straighter, but it inevitably pulled at her wound.

She had always been able to endure—endure the world's annoying provocations, the scorn of her fallen noble family, the ostracism from her schoolmates.

This little injury was nothing.

How could it compare to the impact of Xi Zhoumeng's solitary courage when she stayed behind to cover the retreat?

Sheng Yangkui: "You're injured?"

She reached out, wanting to take off Wen Xinghuo's clothes, but didn't dare. Her hand was caught by Wen Xinghuo halfway there.

Wen Xinghuo shook her head. Her hairstyle had been the same since she was a child. A high ponytail, thin bangs, combined with her physique, always gave off a wild, untamable feeling.

Yet, she was the most docile one.

Wen Xinghuo: "It doesn't hurt."

They spent very little time together, and neither of them was very talkative.

One had a heart full of words worn down by lifetimes of hardship, coupled with the shame of taking someone else's love, leaving her not knowing what to say.

The other was born into a poor environment, wasn't particularly good-looking, was always a loner, and had grown accustomed to solitude.

How to express themselves became almost a torment of glances.

Sheng Yangkui felt she might as well pretend to fall asleep while talking, like last time. Then, at least Wen Xinghuo would stay with her for a long time and hold her hand.

That alone was enough to satisfy her.

If only they could hug.

That had been thanks to Xi Zhoumeng's help.

She really envied the way Xi Zhoumeng and Chi Yueshan interacted, as if nothing could stump the two of them.

"Are they urging you to go back again?"

Wen Xinghuo didn't let go of her hand, nor did she look at Sheng Yangkui. She asked, word by word.

They had hugged and kissed, but they hadn't marked each other like ordinary couples.

Couldn't, not allowed.

Or perhaps, couldn't, it wasn't time yet.

But neither dared to think about having a long future together.

Sheng Yangkui nodded.

Wen Xinghuo: "I confessed to Commander Xi."

Sheng Yangkui wasn't surprised; instead, she breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I told Xi Zhoumeng about the Xi family in my past life before."

"She wasn't surprised either."

"Or maybe the Xi family already knew something."

Wen Xinghuo: "I'm very worried."

She always gave people a profound sense of security, just like when Sheng Yangkui was in her cockpit, feeling Wen Xinghuo's muscles tense up.

It seemed like nothing could trip her up.

Sheng Yangkui, however, smiled. She asked, "Can I lean in your arms? Like in the cockpit."

Wen Xinghuo paused, then nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

Sheng Yangkui found a comfortable position. "Everyone is worried, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Now that the Zerg Tide is here, it proves that she..."

Sheng Yangkui paused. "...she's already desperate to break free."

The Zerg Queen, lying dormant in the Queen's body, was betting on the victory of the next Zerg Tide with each successive parasitism.

But humanity wouldn't be utterly defeated, even if it meant losing many elites.

Over the past two days, Sheng Yangkui had carefully reviewed her past life and her similar experiences growing up in this one.

Why was I chosen?

Like the previous queen and Sheng Xinggui and Sheng Qiuyu, I'm a child from a collateral branch of the royal family.

Was there anything else unusual?

When I was a candidate as a child, what did we have to do first?

Sheng Yangkui's first impression of the Queen was from a banquet she hosted when Sheng Yangkui was very young.

The triplets were all born to the same Omega mother, but she passed away after giving birth to them, so they were taken in and raised by other members of the royal family.

Sometimes even a biological mother can't treat all her children equally, let alone foster parents.

Anyway, in Sheng Yangkui's memory, she and her two older sisters spent more time at the royal nursery.

At the banquets, the Queen would receive the royal children and shake hands with each of them.

The Queen was very young. The lips beneath her veil were like cherry blossoms, captivating and desirable.

At least when they were young, everyone thought being the Queen was a wonderful thing.

But later, the Queen aged rapidly and was plagued by illness, just like the queens before her.

Even the children knew about the curse and the price of becoming Queen.

Even though it was said that becoming Queen allowed one to have an Alpha, it required the removal of one's glands, and no one had ever seen the Queen actually find an Alpha.

It must have been an excuse.

The Queen transformed from something beautiful into a nightmare.

Sheng Yangkui replayed the past she was reluctant to recall over and over again.

Including the fact that when she was killed by Wen Xinghuo, a successor had not yet been found.

The Zerg Queen that had invaded her consciousness was organizing the next reception.

The DNA test prepared in advance...

Was that the reason?

Wen Xinghuo waited for a long time and realized Sheng Yangkui wasn't continuing. She lowered her eyes to look at her, only to find her staring into space.

Just as she was about to say something, she noticed the voice control at the door had been activated.

Immediately followed by Xi Shuang's boisterous voice—

"Tadada-da! Little Princess, look what I brought you... eh? Why does it show there are two people inside?"

"Wen Xinghuo, that's you, right?"

"Whoa, I advise you to hurry up, put your pants on, get decent, and open the door for me!"

At the door, leading the way was Xi Shuang. Behind her, an Alpha about the same height reached out and covered Xi Shuang's mouth.

Ling Xun's injuries hadn't healed yet; her forehead was wrapped in bandages. But this didn't affect her gentle demeanor. She could still say "Pardon the intrusion" without batting an eye, then turn off the voice control.

Even with the excellent soundproofing, Wen Xinghuo could easily imagine what those two were saying at the door.

They're definitely cursing me out.

Sheng Yangkui was startled and quickly got up from Wen Xinghuo's arms, then frantically pressed the button on the table to open the door.

The door opened again. Ling Xun, holding a strawberry cake in one hand, was still arguing with Xi Shuang.

It wasn't really an argument; it was more like she was scolding Xi Shuang—

Ling Xun: "I told you we'd be third wheels. Couldn't you have checked the number of people inside before activating the voice control?"

Xi Shuang let out a dry laugh. "You're so good at calculating things, why don't you calculate when we're not third wheels?"

"I just don't get it. Whenever Zhoumeng is around, I'm a third wheel. When she's not, I'm still a damn third wheel."

Ling Xun: "Because nobody wants you."

Xi Shuang got angry and wanted to start shoving. But the doorway was so small that the sight of two Alphas standing there arguing looked almost like they were about to kiss.

"What do you mean nobody wants me? Is that any way to talk to your older cousin? Show some respect."

Ling Xun chuckled. "Guoguo, the door's open."

Xi Shuang turned her head. Inside, Wen Xinghuo was already sitting on the sofa, and Sheng Yangkui was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at them.

Wen Xinghuo finally found a chance to retort, trying to imitate Xi Zhoumeng's sharp tongue.

"Anyone who didn't know better would think you two were a couple."

Unfortunately, Xi Zhoumeng's brand of sarcasm wasn't so easy to learn. When she spoke, it sounded more like she was confirming it.

Besides, Xi Shuang was utterly shameless and went along with it. She leaned directly into Ling Xun's arms, tossed the desserts she was carrying—scrounged from who knows where—into Wen Xinghuo's lap, and said in a high-pitched voice, "My little sister and I didn't come to catch you cheating, you know. No need to be so nervous, Xiao Wen."

Wen Xinghuo: ...

Sheng Yangkui struggled to hold back her laughter.

Ling Xun pushed Xi Shuang away, walked in, and placed the strawberry cake on the table.

"When we came to see the Princess yesterday, she said she wanted to eat this. Coincidentally, the chef here is my cousin's ex-girlfriend's sister-in-law."

She seemed so gentle and considerate that it made Wen Xinghuo feel a little threatened.

Xi Shuang coughed. "Ahem, the ex-girlfriend and I have made a clean break."

Wen Xinghuo: "What else? You didn't sell your body for this cake, did you?"

After all, this was the Expeditionary Force's territory. Even if supplies were abundant, it would be difficult to find a cake under the current emergency circumstances.

Xi Shuang was furious. "Is my flawless body only worth a single strawberry cake?"

Unfortunately, with one of them having a broken arm and the other a lame leg, it was hard to see anything "flawless."

Wen Xinghuo suddenly felt that she and Sheng Yangkui seemed even less like a couple. She felt she wasn't considerate at all.

Sheng Yangkui explained, "You're very busy, I know. Actually, I was the one who asked..."

She glanced at Ling Xun, but Ling Xun didn't play along. "She didn't ask. When my cousin and I came to see the Princess, she was still groggy and mentioned her birthday was coming up."

Wen Xinghuo was utterly mortified.

Sheng Yangkui quickly grabbed her hand. "I didn't say it, I really didn't."

Xi Shuang: "Alright, Ling Xun is joking. It's actually her birthday. We were planning to go get you."

She sat on the other sofa and sighed. "These days are so hard. I wanted something sweet."

Ling Xun had nowhere to sit and felt it was inappropriate to sit on the edge of the bed, so she could only look at Wen Xinghuo.

But some blockheads are just unteachable. In the end, Xi Shuang shared half her seat, squeezing in with her cousin.

Xi Shuang: "I wonder how Zhoumeng is doing."

She opened a bag of cream puffs for herself. Beside her, Ling Xun unwrapped the cake and said lightly, "I just had a call with Xuan Ping."

Xi Shuang: "What?"

Ling Xun: "I confirmed something."

She stuck a candle into the cake and, while she was at it, turned off the cabin lights.

The electronic candle's simulated flame flickered, illuminating everyone's faces in the shifting light.

Ling Xun: "There's something I've never told you."

She took a deep breath and, in the darkness, took Xi Shuang's hand.

"Today is the anniversary of my death."

"This world... is a new, rebooted world."

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