Chapter 70: Worst Case, He’d Just Summon Julius Part 1

The small glass sphere of the Escape Pod was ejected into space, slowly drifting out of sight of the star pirates on the Main Ship.

They let out sighs of disappointment, regretting that they couldn’t see the man crushed by the pressure.

What goes down must come back up.

The dinner plates remained in place in the restaurant as the star pirates sat down and continued enjoying their simple, carefree breakfast.

The thought that the Siphon Whale would set sail that evening, and that he had to execute his plan, made Xie Jianxun’s heart race a little.

In the Great Star Pirate’s view, the young master was dazedly biting on the straw of his nutrient solution, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.

He had scared him earlier, Huo Jing thought. He should give him a gentler option… No, they were going to be partners as star pirates—what was this little thing?

He hooked an arm around Xie Jianxun’s shoulders and leaned in affectionately. “Finished eating? Want to come with me to check out the functional rooms on the Main Ship? They’ve got entertainment, fights, everything—they all love going there to have a blast.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Jianxun refused.

He shook his head. “I want to rest in my room.”

Huo Jing said regretfully, “Really not coming? There are still a lot of people outside right now. Once we set sail, the functional rooms will be swamped—you’ll have to queue for three days just to play a game.”

Xie Jianxun’s spirits lifted a bit as he took another sip of the nutrient solution.

Red oil cheese lobster flavor—who knew which genius had come up with that one.

He glanced at Huo Jing, as if to say, Don’t you have the star pirate boss right here?

Cutting in line would be a piece of cake.

The star pirate boss was indeed pleased by that look.

Huo Jing chuckled muffledly and lazily rubbed his own face against Xie Jianxun’s. “Alright, young master. Rest well. Whenever you need me… feel free to use me.”

The man was tall and broad, so with his arm around Xie Jianxun’s shoulders, the young master seemed completely enveloped in his embrace, with no space left between them.

Having his face rubbed felt like being pressed against the man’s stomach.

Xie Jianxun snapped back to reality and pushed the star pirate boss away with effort. A sudden thought crossed his mind: These intimate gestures—could Huo Jing really want to get with him?

Huo Jing: “What are you thinking?”

Xie Jianxun blurted out, “You want to date me?”

“How could that be? Aren’t we companions with hearts aligned…”

At those words, the leader paused, as if struck dumb by a sudden realization.

Xie Jianxun took the chance to shove him away, feigning complaint. “Otherwise, why would you stick so close?”

Huo Jing fell silent for a moment, then stared at him unblinkingly.

“It sounds fresh and interesting.”

The noisy restaurant crowd faded into the background as he mulled over the word, his voice growing lower. “…You hugged me last time.”

Xie Jianxun: “…”

Damn, he’d given him an opening.

He said dryly, “It was just a hug. Thank you. Don’t make it sound so ambiguous. You treated me to a meal and gave me permissions—I thought that was a better way to express my gratitude… That’s what my butler taught me.”

The Great Star Pirate stood up, and Xie Jianxun quickly followed, stepping back.

Huo Jing said cuttingly, “That scheming butler of yours? Damn it, why hasn’t he gone to hell yet.”

Xie Jianxun: “In fact, he’s still very much alive.”

Huo Jing: “I wouldn’t mind you putting on a show of undying love for your ghost butler—to repay years of upbringing.”

Xie Jianxun: “…Who talks like that!”

As he spoke, Xie Jianxun tossed the remaining empty bottle into the recycler and hurried out of the restaurant.

The Great Star Pirate recovered his composure and followed lazily behind, chatting idly. “Were you serious just now?”

“You want to try it with me? I wouldn’t mind.”

“I remember now—you’ve got an ex-boyfriend and a mechanical wreck. Honestly, without those one-two-three exes in the way, I bet we’d have gotten together ages ago…”

Xie Jianxun stepped one foot into his cabin, turned his head, and said calmly, “Alright, Mr. Huo Jing, shut up. I have no plans to date right now—especially since I haven’t come of age yet. This would be puppy love!”

The cabin door slammed shut, locking the star pirate leader outside.

Huo Jing grumbled discontentedly, “A few months at most—I don’t mind counting the days on the calendar.”

A muffled voice came from behind the door: “Get lost. I want to rest.”

Huo Jing wasn’t discouraged. His eyes gleamed like a wild wolf’s in the night.

He smiled as he pressed his forehead against the cabin door, lowering his voice. “Of course, young master. As you command.”

All along, he’d felt his approach was veering off course, but he’d been single his whole life with no experience in this area—he couldn’t think of anything else.

None of his crewmates had ever had a pure romance; it was always mutual benefits, one-night stands.

Now it all clicked.

It wasn’t that the Siphon Whale needed a new crew member—it was that he needed one.

At three in the afternoon, the Main Ship’s entrances opened again, sending out another wave of off-duty star pirates to carouse in Lihou Port.

And at three in the morning, the Main Ship would seal all entrances and set sail back to base, taking all the star pirates with it.

Xie Jianxun sat on a stone brick wall, the beach below swallowed by wave after wave of nearshore surf.

“You…”

The sound of wheelchair wheels came from beside him. He turned instinctively and saw a familiar face.

It was the young woman he’d reunited with yesterday in the mechanical prosthetics shop—Holianna.

Today, she wore a long skirt too, but with patterns, a brooch, and an elegantly braided updo that gave her an intellectual air.

“Sitting there is very dangerous. Come down first,” she said sternly.

Xie Jianxun hopped down obediently, embarrassed. “Sorry, it’s rare to see the ocean this close up. I got a bit excited.”

Holianna said gravely, “Your guardian should have warned you about the risks. Where’s Mr. Huo?”

Xie Jianxun instinctively looked back, and Holianna followed his gaze. Sure enough, there was the Great Star Pirate boss perched on another stone pillar in the distance.

He grinned relaxedly and waved his palm at them.

Sitting even higher, even more dangerously.

Holianna fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “Star pirates are all like that.”

Meaning they never took danger seriously.

She didn’t ask how Xie Jianxun had ended up hanging out with star pirates. She just earnestly warned him, “If you fall from there, you could easily twist a bone. The consequences don’t bear thinking about.”

Xie Jianxun nodded and thanked her. “Got it. Thank you.”

Before leaving, she heard Xie Jianxun ask abruptly, “How deep is the water around here?”

As a Lihou Port regular, Holianna answered without thinking. “As a port, the nearshore area here is about fifteen to twenty meters.”

Xie Jianxun mused, “Shallower than I thought.”

Over there, Huo Jing jumped down from the five-meter-high stone pillar unscathed and walked over to Xie Jianxun, habitually reaching to drape an arm around him.

The young master dodged aside. Xie Jianxun lectured, “What did I tell you at lunch?”

Huo Jing paused, a bit depressed.

The Great Star Pirate boss felt he’d taken a huge loss and pouted sulkily. “Yes, yes. When pursuing someone, keep your distance—no groping like a thug. Fine, young master, as you say.”

“Seems you had a great chat with that lady—didn’t even notice me here.” He glanced at Holianna.

Xie Jianxun waved it off. “Nothing much, just talking about Lihou Port’s scale. With seas this vast, are there fishermen catching fish?”

He deftly changed the subject.

Holianna smiled faintly. “Yes, and not far off there’s a small island full of fishermen. They trade their seafood with Lihou Port year-round.”

Xie Jianxun sighed. “Sounds great—fresh seafood whenever you want.”

“Let’s go, Xunxun. Time for dinner,” Huo Jing said, checking the sky. All the adults present knew he wanted some alone time. “Port restaurant or back on the ship?”

Xie Jianxun: “Back on the ship… Goodbye, Miss Anna.”

He didn’t forget to turn and politely bid farewell to the lady.

Holianna rested one hand on her knee and gave a small wave with the other, smiling at him.

On the way back to the Main Ship, the Great Star Pirate tried to negotiate some perks.

“Not even holding hands?” Huo Jing said. “Just pretend we’re good friends. Good friends holding hands while walking—what’s wrong with that?”

Good friends holding hands did seem fine.

Xie Jianxun pondered, found the logic sound, hesitated, then cautiously extended his hand. It was immediately clasped.

The man beside him let out a satisfied sigh, his fingers threading forcefully through Xie Jianxun’s gaps, his thumb pad hooking the back of the young master’s hand in a tight grip.

Xie Jianxun felt like he’d fallen into a trap—he couldn’t pull free.