What to Do on the First Day of Marriage.
Xia Ze didn’t feel great when he woke up.
The main issue was the alcohol.
He knew his alcohol tolerance was terrible, one glass was enough to knock him out but he hadn’t expected to get this drunk after just half a glass.
So much so that when he woke up, he thought he was still dreaming.
Because this wasn’t his room!
Xia Ze bolted upright. No, this definitely wasn’t his room.
As he was still processing this, a soft chuckle sounded beside him.
“Awake?” Qi Jing had just finished washing up and was wearing an army-green T-shirt. The faint outline of his muscles showed through the thin fabric, making Xia Ze envious.
Xia Ze hesitated for another moment before quickly getting up. “I’ll go wash up too!”
“Wait.” Qi Jing paused, his gaze lingering on Xia Ze’s neck. “There’s something we need to do first.”
What?
Xia Ze looked confused. Qi Jing met his eyes directly. “A temporary mark.”
What?!
He understood what marking was.
But what was a temporary mark?
Just as Xia Ze was about to ask, Qi Jing explained, “On the first day of marriage, if your scent gland remains untouched, it’ll raise suspicions.”
That was true.
On the first day of marriage, they actually had to do something like this.
But Xia Ze instinctively retreated, touching his own scent gland.
They couldn’t bite the gland itself, that would definitely give them away.
Qi Jing narrowed his eyes, noticing the reluctance in the young man.
He had actually said it casually, just to tease the freshly awakened boy, but he hadn’t expected to scare him this much.
Just as Qi Jing was about to explain, he heard Xia Ze say, “Can you not bite the gland?”
“Just the area around it.”
Though a Beta’s scent gland had no sensitivity, for many, it was still a private area.
Xia Ze didn’t necessarily feel that way, but his gland was a bit special, so biting it directly was definitely out of the question.
To fool others, they probably didn’t need to bite the gland itself, the surrounding area would work just fine.
Xia Ze exposed his fair, delicate neck, covering his gland with one hand. “Go ahead, take a bite.”
Seeing the boy’s expression of grim determination, Qi Jing couldn’t resist teasing him further. “You’re really letting me bite you?”
“Really, hurry up.” As he spoke, Xia Ze even leaned forward slightly, like a naive little prey willingly offering itself to the hunter.
Originally, Qi Jing had only meant to tease him, but now that the boy’s neck was right in front of him, to bite or not to bite?
Without hesitation, Qi Jing sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers lightly brushing Xia Ze’s neck.
The Beta’s scent gland was tightly covered by its owner, but the surrounding skin was no less tempting, soft and fair, enough to make one’s teeth itch.
The boy leaned toward him almost obediently, though his other hand, gripping the blanket tightly, betrayed his nervousness.
Qi Jing took hold of that hand while pressing the other against Xia Ze’s shoulder, leaving him no room to retreat.
Leaning in, Qi Jing caught the unique, refreshing scent that belonged to Xia Ze. For a moment, he felt as though he had been bewitched, a strange stirring rising from deep within his heart.
This sensation was unprecedented like something gripping his heart and an instinct told him to bite down.
Bite the gland.
The gland is what you want.
This almost hypnotic urge made Qi Jing unconsciously lick Xia Ze’s smooth skin, the taste on his tongue making him want to pull the boy into his arms right then.
Xia Ze trembled instinctively, gripping Qi Jing’s hand tightly for support.
His eyes widened, but this was far from over in fact, it was only the slow, deliberate beginning.
The simulated bite marks on the gland began with sucking that left red traces, followed by the sensation of teeth, forcing Xia Ze to barely hold on.
Just around the gland.
If it had been the gland itself.
It would have been far more sensitive.
At this thought, Xia Ze couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, collapsing against Qi Jing’s shoulder, his eyes rimmed red.
He didn’t want to be bitten anymore.
It felt a little unfair.
Xia Ze took a deep breath and retaliated by biting Qi Jing’s shoulder, sharp teeth piercing through fabric, leaving a damp mark.
Round, like a cornered little animal lashing out, yet not enough to break skin.
What was happening?
He hadn’t meant to bite.
But his body had moved on its own, craving even more.
Xia Ze tried to steady his breathing, tilting his head to look at Qi Jing.
Qi Jing wasn’t faring much better.
If not for his iron self-control, he would have gone further, deeper.
And yet, all he had done was bite around the gland, a Beta’s gland, completely unaware of Alpha pheromones.
Somehow, Qi Jing even had the illusion that his rut was approaching.
When the false marking ended, as if possessed, Qi Jing lightly bit Xia Ze’s fingers, which were still covering his gland.
His fingers were nearly enveloped in Qi Jing’s mouth before the contact broke.
Both froze, struggling to calm their breathing.
Enough. This was enough.
They had already woken up late, and after all this dawdling, Xia Ze felt too embarrassed to go downstairs everyone in the villa was giving them teasing looks.
With his sharp hearing, Xia Ze even caught snippets of their whispers.
“Up so late? Must’ve had a wild night.”
“The area around his gland is all red, how many times did they go at it?”
“The general’s wife’s eyes are so red, he must’ve been bullied hard.”
What could he say?
Could he tell them that nothing had happened? That all they did was bite around the gland?
Xia Ze touched his gland again, feeling another wave of heat rising.
But the moment he covered it, he quickly withdrew his hand.
Why had General Qi bitten his fingers? Now even his fingers were burning.
Xia Ze hastily grabbed two petals of Gabriel’s Archangel and pressed them against his gland.
He used to make one petal last a month!
Now he was using two at once!
The morning passed in a daze, and by afternoon, Xia Ze was still sluggish. He had meant to tend to the flowers but ended up dozing off on the garden lounge chair.
The entire villa tacitly avoided disturbing him.
The general’s wife must be exhausted!
But how was the general so unaffected? He looked completely at ease.
While Xia Ze rested in the garden, the Natural Science Academy was abuzz over the desert rose. Beside it was a photo of the terrarium bottle clearly cropped from Xia Ze and Qi Jing’s wedding photo.
Surrounding them were the roses and hydrangeas Xia Ze had cultivated.
Colin had been admiring them all night, and his four old companions had spent the entire morning doing the same.
“These roses and hydrangeas are exceptionally well-nurtured, they’ve bloomed to such perfection.”
“Not just that, the colors are remarkably vivid. I wonder how they were grown.”
“Those two may be precious, but they’re not rare. The real marvel is the desert rose.”
“Desert roses are just a type of succulent easy to care for but hard to collect. This one isn’t the general’s wife’s doing; the general fetched it himself.”
“The most fascinating is this terrarium bottle. What did the kid call it? A ‘micro-landscape eternal bottle’? Interesting.”
In the afternoon, Colin finally voiced his thoughts: “I want Qi Jing’s wife, Xia Ze, to come to the Science Academy as my assistant.”
The moment these words were spoken, his four old colleagues were stunned.
As an assistant???
What was he talking about?
You’re the dean of the Natural Science Academy, do you know what that means in the interstellar world?
In this era where everyone craves greenery, those who cultivate plants represent endless prestige, glory, and wealth.
Countless people would break their heads trying to get in.
And being an assistant here is essentially being groomed as a student.
A stint at the Natural Science Academy is like gilding one’s credentials, it changes everything.
Moreover, being the dean’s assistant? If word got out, the envious crowds would flood the academy’s gates.
Colin pointed to the photo of the plant bottle: “This is the reason.”
Everyone understood, but still remarked, “It’s a good thing, but its utility is too limited, it’s too small, barely enough for one person.”
“Not only that, the materials are too hard to find. Many things can’t be solved with money.”
Take the desert rose, for example. The Natural Science Academy has money, but they still couldn’t find it.
The idea of a plant bottle, or rather, a micro-landscape eternal bottle, is excellent, but it’s too difficult to realize.
If this is the basis for entering the Natural Science Academy, it’s still not quite enough.
They don’t rely on connections or money here, only ability.
Simply growing roses and hydrangeas isn’t sufficient.
In other places, people who can grow these flowers are rare, but here, there are too many.
The Natural Science Academy focuses more on cultivating new varieties.
In other words, while ordinary people just grow flowers, they aim to create something new, greenery suited to the current environment.
That’s their true purpose.
Of course, this is the standard for researchers.
To become an assistant especially the dean’s assistant one must cultivate at least three S-grade plants.
And one of them must be consistently producible.
As mentioned before, plants are graded from S to C, divided into four levels.
Xia Ze must cultivate the highest-grade plants, and more than three types, just to meet the entry threshold.
Occasionally growing them is one thing.
But consistently producing one is a huge challenge.
Colin naturally understood and nodded, “Then I’ll urge him to go to the Plant Testing Center quickly.”
The four senior researchers exchanged glances again.
Colin had way too much confidence in Qi Jing’s wife.
Surely not.
He’s seen so many talented plant cultivators could Old Man Colin really be certain this Xia Ze could pass the test?
They’d all heard Xia Ze’s name to some extent. In less than a month on the main planet, he’d been involved in two major events and held a grand wedding.
Even they, obsessed with plants as they were, had heard plenty.
Did he really have that much skill?
One of them asked, “Then what were the test results of the plants he previously cultivated? Generally, the grades of plants grown by the same person are archived. Talented individuals are usually snatched up by major families long ago.”
The main planet’s Plant Testing Center also functions as a skill assessment hub for plant cultivators.
Plant cultivators first establish their files at the testing center, and every plant they send for testing is archived.
If two out of ten plants are A-grade, their annual salary would easily exceed a million.
Major families would be knocking down their doors to hire them.
And if an S-grade plant appears, the media would report on it.
Even the Natural Science Academy would pay extra attention to these young talents. Although they rarely extended olive branches, exceptional individuals would still receive invitations for visits.
Xia Ze’s name had never appeared in the Green Plant Testing Center’s records, they hadn’t even heard of him before.
This was precisely why everyone objected to Xia Ze directly becoming the dean’s assistant.
The truth was simple without cultivating remarkable plants, people wouldn’t recognize his abilities.
What if the dean recommended him? Even the dean’s recommendation wouldn’t suffice.
The Natural Science Academy maintained absolute impartiality!
Colin looked at his old colleagues with a knowing smile. “Just wait and see,” he chuckled.
His determination to recruit Xia Ze had solid reasons, and he understood why Xia Ze’s name was absent from the testing center records.
The reason was straightforward Xia Ze had never registered at any testing center!
He had been living on a remote planet where no testing facilities existed.
Yet from Colin’s perspective, Xia Ze’s affinity with green plants and his expertise likely far exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Seeing Colin’s confident expression, the others began developing curiosity about this Xia Ze fellow.
Could he truly be a promising talent?
Half-asleep, Xia Ze received a message from Dean Colin asking when he might be available to submit his cultivated plants for testing.
The testing center would deliver results within a week.
Colin included detailed testing procedures in his message.
However, he didn’t mention the assistant position yet, if Xia Ze’s plants met standards, they would naturally send an invitation.
The comprehensive evaluation would examine growth patterns, flowering, root development, water content, humidity tolerance, lifespan, and other factors, requiring more time.
Xia Ze had considered this before, he was genuinely curious about his plant cultivation skills. He quickly replied: “Understood, I’ll arrange a visit soon.”
After an afternoon nap, feeling refreshed, he surveyed the flowers and succulents thriving in his courtyard, it was time to get busy!
With his honeymoon approaching, a whole week away, he needed to distribute these plants promptly.
He couldn’t break his promises some were designated for General Qi, others for the military department.
When Qi Jing returned upon receiving the news, Xia Ze was still working in the garden, having meticulously categorized all the plants for distribution.
The four deputies, Ding Ruijie and others, arrived even faster than General Qi himself.
“You actually cultivated all these?! Are they really for us?!”
“This is too generous.”
“We’re getting such a bargain.”
The Ding siblings, Ruijie and Rujie, wore identical expressions of disbelief.
Even usually composed Lei Chen hugged his plants tightly, while typically unflappable Xu Chuan showed visible excitement.
For battlefield soldiers, green plants were invaluable, they spent fortunes on them annually.
Receiving them for free? No wonder they were overwhelmed.
Xia Ze glanced at Qi Jing and clarified: “They’re gifts for General Qi.”
“He’ll distribute them to you.”
Qi Jing’s ears twitched slightly, he knew the young man phrased it this way for his sake.
Though technically correct these were comrades who’d fought alongside him through life-and-death situations. Any surplus would naturally go to them.
The four deputies couldn’t contain their joy: “This is incredible! Many comrades can finally sleep well.”
“I’ll notify them immediately.”
Hundreds of flowers and succulents were systematically allocated by Xu Chuan to soldiers most in need of mental stabilization.
Working efficiently, they delivered every plant to their fellow soldiers by the next morning.
The military recipients could hardly believe their luck.
Last time they paid cost price now they were getting them completely free?
Xu Chuan said, “The seeds were bought by the General, and planted by his wife Xia Ze. They grew these specifically for us, so they won’t accept payment.”
Everyone knew how expensive greenery plants were.
The seeds weren’t cheap, maintenance cost even more, and the effort of greenery cultivators was invaluable.
Unable to contain their excitement, they said, “Thank you so much to the General and his wife! My spiritual energy has been unstable for a while without greenery plants, I couldn’t even fall asleep. Last time, using the plants grown by the General’s wife helped a lot. After this batch, my spiritual energy might even stabilize.”
Xu Chuan was equally pleased: “That’s great. It means the General and his husband’s efforts weren’t in vain.”
After receiving the free greenery plants, many couldn’t help but express their gratitude on the Star Network.
Following such a General, they would die without regrets!
They also couldn’t resist expressing their envy, how did the General manage to find such a perfect wife?
Though some passersby were confused, unaware of what had happened.
But no matter what, the military personnel wouldn’t elaborate further.
With all the greenery plants distributed, it was time for Xia Ze and Qi Jing to go on their honeymoon.
Their destination was a pre-booked D-class travel planet, a place resembling the oceans of Blue Star.
The Qi family had a vacation villa there, which Butler Qi had already arranged to be cleaned they only needed to arrive.
Xia Ze couldn’t help but marvel at how thorough General Qi was in maintaining their act.
The next step would likely be returning from the vacation planet and soon after, announcing a pregnancy.
Pregnancy.
Xia Ze instinctively pushed the thought aside, they could just gloss over it when the time came.
What truly mattered was something else.
General Qi would also be heading to the battlefield.
At this thought, Xia Ze frowned slightly.
Though he had known this was coming, the idea of General Qi actually going to war still worried him.
No matter how capable someone was, injuries were inevitable.
But the decisive battle against the space pirates had to be fought.
Not only to protect the citizens of the Star Empire but also to avenge Qi Jing’s father.
From any perspective, he ought to support General Qi.
Xia Ze’s face paled slightly as he recalled the state of the garbage planet when it was occupied by space pirates.
He was genuinely afraid.
If only they didn’t have to fight.
How wonderful it would be if everyone could live peacefully.
Xia Ze chuckled to himself, if things were that simple, there wouldn’t be so much trouble.
Just then, Qi Jing returned from the hyperspace ship’s cockpit and, noticing the boy’s expression, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xia Ze glanced at him, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Ever since Qi Jing had bitten near Xia Ze’s gland two days ago, their interactions had been awkward.
That single bite near the gland had left them both intoxicated in different ways.
Not just Xia Ze, even Qi Jing had needed over an hour to calm down.
At home, surrounded by others, their occasional conversations, though slightly awkward, were still manageable.
But now, inside the hyperspace ship’s cabin, they were alone.
And because it was their honeymoon, the cabin was decorated with overwhelming romance heart-shaped red balloons floated around them, and small figurines of kissing couples were placed everywhere.
The moment Qi Jing entered, Xia Ze felt uneasy no matter where he looked.
Above him were heart-shaped balloons, below were kissing figurines, and as soon as General Qi sat down, romantic music began playing from somewhere.
What was with this atmosphere?!
Wasn’t it a bit too romantic?!
Qi Jing was equally puzzled, but then his subordinates from the cockpit sent a message:
“General! No need to thank us! This is the least we could do! We definitely won’t be entering the cabin.”
“By the way, the tourist planet has special products that can make AOs even happier! Couples who visit always buy them, don’t miss out.”
Clever, but not useful for now.
Xia Ze noticed General Qi checking his communicator and stole a glance at his own.
Wait a minute.
There was something he seemed to have forgotten!
Dean Colin quickly called, and as soon as the call connected, his loud, urgent voice came through: “Xia Ze! Did you forget something?!”
“You promised to send those plants to the testing center!”
“If I hadn’t seen the news just now, I wouldn’t even know you’ve already left for your honeymoon!”
It wasn’t surprising that Qi Jing had arranged the wedding and honeymoon so convincingly.
Every move the two of them made was being watched.
If anything seemed off, the military operations would be delayed.
But Xia Ze hadn’t expected Dean Colin to find out about his departure from the news.
Feeling guilty, Xia Ze whispered, “I think there are still a few succulents at home should I send those over?”
