In the narrow cabin, Huo Jing merely stepped inside and occupied most of the space.
He glanced around first, his gaze landing on the cramped bed and the shower that could barely fit one person standing. He said harshly, “It’s terribly cramped—so I don’t understand why you’d give up the spacious Captain’s Quarters.”
Don’t say it like that, Star Pirate sir, Xie Jianxun thought. This is the cabin size you customized for your crew yourself.
Besides, it wasn’t small at all—plenty of room for one person, of course, though it couldn’t compare to the Captain’s Quarters.
Xie Jianxun instinctively followed up, “It’s not that bad…”
Before he could finish, he saw the star pirate leader stride forward, closing in on him. With no room to retreat behind him, Xie Jianxun shrank back onto the bed, clutching the blanket tightly to try to keep some distance between them.
Huo Jing nearly laughed in exasperation. “What, do you think I’m a villain guilty of every crime, about to do something to you?”
The young master replied warily, “The old you wouldn’t have, but now… who knows.”
“…”
Huo Jing fell silent for a moment, then said oddly, “You have a point.”
Xie Jianxun shifted his butt uneasily, wondering how likely it was that he could bolt out the door without getting caught… He looked like he was about to pull out all the stops!
The next second, Huo Jing grabbed the blanket in his arms and yanked it away.
He was serious!
The young master jumped up from the bed like a fish splashed with hot oil, scrambling to slip through the gap beside him.
But the great star pirate leader was tall with long legs. Standing in the narrow aisle like a soccer goalkeeper, he blocked every path. He easily scooped up the flailing fish into his arms.
Xie Jianxun was hugged tightly, his chest aching as he gasped, “L-Light, lighter!”
“…We don’t attack Federation planets, we don’t harm civilians unprovoked, and we don’t expand our city-states blindly.”
Huo Jing said in a low voice, lowering his gaze to look at him.
As expected, Xie Jianxun cautiously lifted his head upon hearing this.
By this point, Huo Jing’s tone had lightened again. “We even trade with some Federation planets that have greater autonomy, so you can think of us as… a merchant convoy with some armed forces?”
Xie Jianxun: “…”
What kind of modern reinterpretation of a star pirate crew was this?
He raised a question. “I heard star pirates raid Federation planets and leave those cities in ruins. That’s awful.”
Huo Jing thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Someone did try to get me to do that before. I was tempted at first, but then I realized the Far Voyage Army would chase me endlessly, so I gave up. I want to be a free star pirate, not a rabbit getting hounded.”
Seeing Xie Jianxun still staring at him wide-eyed, he smiled, leaned down, and nipped at his face. “What’s with that look?”
Xie Jianxun winced in pain and covered his face.
He said in disbelief, “You’re retaliating against me!”
Huo Jing looked at him curiously and said matter-of-factly, “You called me a bad guy, so of course I have to do something bad.”
Xie Jianxun took a deep breath and calmed himself. He couldn’t afford to pick a fight right now.
A powerful star pirate crew, on a Main Ship still in transit.
More importantly, he was still on their turf.
“Don’t be so tense, young master. At least I won’t do anything truly bad to you.”
Huo Jing pushed him back onto the bed, thought for a moment, balled up the blanket, and stuffed it into his arms as a makeshift comfort. “Here, your blanket, returned as new.”
Xie Jianxun said steadily, “You dog.”
Huo Jing replied indulgently, “See? I don’t mind that kind of name at all.”
Clutching the blanket did make him feel more secure.
Seeing that Huo Jing didn’t seem inclined to hold it against him, Xie Jianxun regained some courage. He mulled over his plans and asked, “So when can I get off the ship?”
Huo Jing: “Get off? Anytime. Where do you want to go?”
Xie Jianxun’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Really? You’re not tricking me? I want to go…”
He was about to blurt out his real destination when the words twisted in his mouth into something else.
“Can you drop me off at a nearby port? I can catch another ship from there.”
In truth, he wanted to go to PN-198, the gathering place for mechanics, where he had a good chance of finding someone with an Advanced Mech Engineer certification to fix One for him.
But he probably couldn’t say that outright, or Huo Jing would mock him mercilessly and shoot down his outing plans.
“Of course—as long as I’m with you.”
The star pirate leader finished the sentence for him, rather maliciously.
Xie Jianxun said nervously, “Why would you come with me? What about the Main Ship?”
Huo Jing: “To bring you back once you’re done playing.”
As expected, Xie Jianxun thought.
He glanced at Huo Jing’s expression and realized the man was serious. So “getting off the ship” just meant a supervised outing with the leader, not the full independence from the pirate vessel he wanted.
He curled up his knees in some dejection and said offhandedly, “So when can I go?”
“Go? Go where?”
Huo Jing bent down, leaning forward with one hand on his shoulder, his lips still curved in that malicious smile. “You’ve already boarded my ship—you’re one of us now. Where do you think you’re going?”
But he’d been kidnapped onto it!
What “modern trading star pirate crew”—they were still kidnappers at heart!
Xie Jianxun nearly passed out from anger. “I can’t stay here forever!”
The great star pirate boss said cheerfully, “Of course you can. Little young master, once you’ve entered my Siphon Whale, we’re all family.”
He repeated the line.
Huo Jing smiled slowly. “Aside from missions or temporary leave to affiliated cities, leaving the Siphon Whale without my permission counts as desertion.”
“The Siphon Whale hunts down deserters at any cost.”
…
“He seems really angry.”
A long whoosh of pressurized air sounded as Huo Jing entered the Captain’s Quarters. He recalled how Xie Jianxun had buried himself in the blanket earlier, muffledly telling him to get out, and felt a bit itchy inside.
Next time, he wouldn’t let him off so easily—at least he’d dig the young master out and tickle his armpits.
As Huo Jing thought this, he heard the First Mate say flatly behind him, “Boss. Mr. Xie isn’t too happy—about being a star pirate.”
Huo Jing raised a brow and turned around. “I gave him a choice. He could go to Minai Hill for a peaceful, happy life.”
The First Mate rubbed his brow and said nothing.
He probably wanted to say that Mr. Xie didn’t need that kind of choice—it was all outside his real options anyway.
“Three days from now, the Main Ship docks at Lihou Port.”
The First Mate brought up the topic himself. The young First Mate with gray eyes said seriously, “Do you want to take him to Lihou Port? Maybe Mr. Xie will cheer up.”
Huo Jing said tiredly, “Lihou Port only has the Black Market worth seeing—what else is there…”
He stopped abruptly as the First Mate reminded him, “Sunrise Restaurant.”
“Book a spot for me in advance.”
Huo Jing said. As if struck by a thought, he added casually, “I remember they have a special couple’s set meal that comes with the best scenic view seats. Get that one.”
The First Mate paused and reminded him, “Boss, Mr. Xie isn’t of age yet.”
Huo Jing’s gaze shifted from the walls of instrument panels in the Captain’s Quarters. He said puzzled, “I know he isn’t… Oh, right, he can’t drink. Make sure the head chef cancels the alcohol from his portion.”
No, that wasn’t what he meant.
The First Mate glanced at him, then glanced again.
He nodded afterward. “Yes. I’ll go book it now.”
That evening, no matter how much Xie Jianxun didn’t want to face people, he had to leave the cabin and join the crew for dinner in the restaurant.
Most of the star pirates gave him a deliberate look as they passed.
It made Xie Jianxun’s skin crawl; their gazes didn’t feel as friendly as they appeared.
God, who would have thought.
That one day, he’d be sitting in a pirate den waiting for dinner!
He entered the restaurant, met with another wave of stares, and kept a blank expression, ready to zone out. Getting his dinner would be victory enough.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. The newcomer called out intimately, “Little baby, why are you eating alone? Didn’t the boss come with you?”
Xie Jianxun snapped back to attention and looked over in alarm. It was that enthusiastic star pirate, Ke Xi, from last time.
Xie Jianxun stammered, “He went back to the Captain’s Quarters. Probably has stuff to do.”
Ke Xi complained, “No excuse for leaving you like this. Come on, I’ll eat with you. What do you like? I saw at the last buffet dinner you preferred sweet flavors.”
Xie Jianxun: “I eat both salty and sweet.”
With Ke Xi’s company, half the stares around them vanished, and Xie Jianxun could handle the rest.
He realized belatedly that Ke Xi had done it on purpose to shield him and gave him a grateful look.
The other man accepted it frankly and didn’t let him go alone, whether fetching food or picking seats.
Soon, they sat at a fixed table with their trays.
Xie Jianxun had chosen the smallest portion of rice, plus a sauced fried pork cutlet and a heaping bowl of vegetable salad.
Three bowls crowded the tray, each as big as his face.
They took up every inch of space.
Xie Jianxun said dazedly, “Doesn’t our ship have, uh, a window for small portions?”
Ke Xi cheerfully rubbed his chopsticks. “That’s already the smallest, baby. I haven’t seen anyone eat as little as you.”
His tray had a basin of rice topped with half a basin of potato-braised pork, plus a roasted lamb shank. Feeling it was too dry, he’d gotten a bowl of soup too, and gulped down half before eating.
Remembering something, he said, “Oh, wait—the boss’s portions are small too.”
So Huo Jing didn’t eat much either!
Xie Jianxun asked expectantly, “How small?”
Ke Xi glanced at his rice bowl and scoffed, “Two or three times yours, maybe.”
The light in the young master’s eyes faded.
Guided by the simple belief against wasting food, Xie Jianxun slowly ate two-thirds.
Now every dish on his tray had an even third left, but he truly couldn’t eat more.
Ke Xi had polished off his food. As he lifted the basin, Xie Jianxun noticed the bulging muscles on his arm… No wonder he ate so much, he thought enviously.
Ke Xi noticed his gaze. “What’s up?”
Looking down, he chuckled. “Ah, can’t finish? Here, let me help. Beautiful little baby needs to keep his figure—I get it.”
Xie Jianxun hesitated. “Is that okay?”
Ke Xi: “No problem, I wasn’t full anyway… Boss!”
As he spoke, Xie Jianxun saw him jump up from the table with a grin. “Perfect timing. I won’t disturb you.”
He bolted, and a wave of hot energy enveloped Xie Jianxun as the tall man sat down beside him, saying casually, “Eating?”
Xie Jianxun pursed his lips, wanting to grab his tray and leave, but it was held in place.
The great star pirate leader mocked, “Trying to run before finishing? Wasting food?”
Caught off guard, Xie Jianxun protested helplessly, “I don’t want to, but I really can’t find small portions. Is everyone on your ship a big eater?”
Huo Jing glanced sideways lazily. “Tech staff with small appetites usually pack them up to eat over two meals in their cabins.”
Xie Jianxun: “…”
So packing was an option!
“I haven’t eaten either. Give it to me.”
Huo Jing took the tray from his hands and set it back on the table, picking up the chopsticks without a care.
Feeling hot, he got up to fetch a cold drink. The transparent glass rolled with sparkling ice cubes, which he drained in one go.
“To cool down, avoid overheating.” Under Xie Jianxun’s gaze, Huo Jing casually ate some of the leftover rice. “If the young master doesn’t mind, keep me company a bit.”
Xie Jianxun had been about to sneak away but sat back down involuntarily at his next words.
“Three days from now, we dock at Lihou Port. Lots of good food and fun there.”
The great star pirate boss said lowly, “Don’t be upset. I’ll take you to eat—my treat.”
