A month later.
"I want to go out on a mission."
Meng Xi-cong was sitting in the living room watching the news. Hearing this, he raised his eyes to look at her calm face. He didn't reject her outright: "Why?"
Su Mi said in a low voice: "I'm so bored. I've been here for a month, and I've already wandered around the whole Free City. It's extremely boring."
Meng Xi-cong was away from home during the day every day. She had nothing to say to the group of honest and reserved servants. The days of being kept in a gilded cage were not easy. God only knew how much she missed the days of flying freely in space in a Cheetah.
Meng Xi-cong nodded, his tone steady and cold: "Fine. On the condition that you satisfy me whenever I need it."
"Whenever?"
"Yes." Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her into his lap. "I want to see you every night when I come back." He didn't want to have a situation like last time where she was almost taken by other men again.
Two days later, Su Mi, dressed in military uniform, arrived at a small tavern in the city, followed by an unremarkable young man – that was the military police sent by Meng Xi-cong.
From a distance, she saw Er Qiu and Li Zai sitting at a small table, both looking a bit restless. When they saw Su Mi, their expressions were somewhat complicated. Su Mi walked over, said nothing, and downed two glasses of wine as soon as she sat down.
Er Qiu then couldn't hold his calm and said to Li Zai in a sarcastic tone: "It's really strange. The commander's woman still wants to go on a mission. Isn't she crazy?"
Li Zai gave him a disdainful look and said: "Shut up! Can't you let her have her own way?"
When Su Mi said she wanted to go on a mission, Meng Xi-cong directly arranged for Er Qiu and Li Zai to follow her. This could also be considered the privilege of the commander. But these two probably held a grudge for the embarrassment they suffered that day and were being sarcastic to her.
However, Su Mi was quite happy.
They already knew about her relationship with Meng Xi-cong, but they still dared to taunt her, which made her look at these two with new eyes. Moreover, at the moment, she didn't want to be treated as "Meng Xi-cong's woman" at all and receive special treatment from others. If that were the case, once Meng Xi-cong didn't want her anymore, what would she be?
"Better to resolve enmity than to let it fester." Su Mi smiled. "First and foremost, I'm a soldier."
Er Qiu's eyes rolled, and after thinking for a moment, he said directly: "I want a promotion! To captain! No, major!"
Li Zai gave him a disdainful look and turned to Su Mi and said: "I want a house."
"No way!" Su Mi was straightforward. "My relationship with Meng Xi-cong isn't what you think."
"What is it like?" Li Zai didn't believe her. "The commander was so generous. For you, he casually bet ten Cheetahs!"
Su Mi gave a faint smile: "When he loses interest in me one day, I won't even be worth a single Cheetah."
Er Qiu and Li Zai were both silent for a moment. They exchanged a glance. Er Qiu snorted, and Li Zai held her chin and stared at Su Mi.
"I'll help you with the mission." Su Mi said. "But for the time being, I can only take missions that require me to return on the same day."
Er Qiu was the first to react. His eyes immediately lit up like a wolf's: "No way! We used to think that the commander didn't like women, but when it comes to the little wild cat, he wants her every night!"
Li Zai was also amused. She put aside their previous grudges and hooked Su Mi's shoulder: "You're the first woman by the commander's side. Come on, tell us, is he really fierce? He must be!"
During the conversation among the three, the military police following Su Mi was sitting in the corner of the tavern, quietly sipping his drink alone. When Su Mi and the other two clapped hands and left, he just lowered the brim of his hat and smiled at them as a farewell.
The next afternoon, Li Zai and Er Qiu were still lounging in another tavern, waiting for mission information from the intermediary agency. A team of black-clothed military police suddenly appeared, smiling insincerely and saying that someone wanted to see them. Er Qiu hadn't even reacted yet when Li Zai immediately exclaimed.
"I already regret getting involved with Su Mi." Li Zai said.
"Don't be a Monday-morning quarterback." Er Qiu said. "Did you dare to refuse yesterday? The commander had already agreed to let her go on a mission."
When they saw the commander again, Li Zai was even more afraid than last time. Er Qiu, on the other hand, felt that the commander seemed a bit more amiable – because of Su Mi's relationship, he had a bit of a smug feeling as if he were part of the family.
The commander was sitting there with a calm and steady demeanor. The row of gloomy military police behind him instantly became mere foils.
Li Zai and Er Qiu exchanged a glance. Li Zai stepped forward and said: "Sir... Su Mi came to see us yesterday."
Meng Xi-cong nodded. He only kept one military police by his side, and the others retreated. The military police handed a stack of large-denomination banknotes to Er Qiu. But Er Qiu and Li Zai didn't dare to take them.
"Here's a task for you." Meng Xi-cong said calmly.
The two immediately took the money and gave a standard military salute: "Commander, please give the order."
"Daily report." His expression was natural. "A daily report on Su Mi."
The two didn't react at first. The military police on the side explained with a smile: "Everything Mrs. said, everything she did, and everyone she contacted... That's the content of the daily report."
Er Qiu and Li Zai were shocked by the word "Mrs.". They heard Meng Xi-cong say calmly: "She's my woman, so your actions are loyalty, not betrayal."
That night, when Mu Xiting was sorting out Meng Xi-cong's recent itinerary, he saw a business trip arrangement for the next week and suddenly had an idea. The next morning, he took out the itinerary and showed it to Meng Xi-cong.
"Southern Hemisphere Base?" Meng Xi-cong looked at him. "Isn't it next week?"
Mu Xiting said: "The scenery in the Southern Hemisphere is beautiful, and the people are simple and honest. Sir, you can take Mrs. there to relax."
Meng Xi-cong was stunned for a moment. He frowned: "You want me to court her?"
Mu Xiting was taken aback. Meng Xi-cong's expression was a bit cold: "Xiting, she's my woman. She should be absolutely obedient. I can spoil her, but I won't go out of my way to court her. Remember!"
A week passed in a flash. Su Mi had already gone on a simple mission with Er Qiu and the others once, and recently took on a second mission – to take a wealthy merchant's family from the Alliance on a space trip. Although this mission was simple, the process was interesting, and there was a good profit to be made.
On the third day of the mission, she was to take the wealthy merchant's family to see the nearby galaxies, nebulae, and the space boulder belt. Su Mi was already quite familiar with this route and had docked in the boulder belt many times. She herself liked the rough and weathered charm of the boulders very much, so she was in a good mood that day.
Since her schedule was full for the whole day, she had to drive the Cheetah out early in the morning. As soon as she sat in the Cheetah, she saw Meng Xi-cong, Mu Xiting and others walking from one side into the apron and towards another Cheetah.
This surprised her a bit – Meng Xi-cong had gotten up early in the morning. She had thought he had already left, but unexpectedly he was still there. And he was going on a business trip to the Southern Hemisphere these days. She was secretly happy that she could stay outside for a few days.
However, they didn't seem to see her. She immediately crouched down, planning to wait until they took off before leaving.
And Meng Xi-cong, standing beside the Cheetah, saw with his peripheral vision the petite figure curled up almost unnoticeably in the driver's seat of the distant Cheetah. He was silent.
These days, he had sensed Su Mi's cheerful mood. Sometimes when he came home, he even heard her humming unconsciously in the bathroom. Obviously, since she started going on missions, her days had been much easier.
And now, he was going to be away for a few days, and she seemed even happier.
In the astonished gazes of Mu Xiting and the others, Meng Xi-cong walked straight to that Cheetah, knocked on the glass window.
Su Mi, who had been huddled in the driver's seat, opened the hatch a bit awkwardly and surprisingly. Before she could react, a gust of wind blew towards her, and her waist was instantly grabbed by a strong force. In the blink of an eye, her body was lifted into the air.
Her feet left the ground, and her body was forced to press closely against his, with her chin against the straight military uniform on his chest. His tough and solemn features were right in front of her, staring intently.
"Are you happy that I'm going on a business trip?" His tone betrayed no emotion.
"No."
With a sullen face, he picked her up horizontally and turned towards his own Cheetah.
"You can't do this!" Su Mi struggled vigorously. "I've taken on a mission, and Mu Xiting said I don't have to go with you!"
Mu Xiting in front was like he hadn't heard anything, looking expressionlessly as Meng Xi-cong threw Su Mi onto the back seat of the Cheetah.
"I can't?" He held her waist with one hand and barked at the driver: "Take off!"
Even though Su Mi had always been self-controlled, she was now angry. It was as if the resentment that had been secretly building up during their seemingly calm days of getting along, the unwillingness to be forced to stay by his side, and the growing dependence and reluctance in her heart towards him had intertwined into an uncontrollable rage, causing her to explode.
"Meng, Xi, Cong!" She punched his chest hard. "Do you know how selfish you are!"
However, he easily caught her hands, pushed her down with the momentum, and pinned her against the cabin wall. The several mercenary officers in the back cabin all turned their heads to look at the corner. Su Mi, regardless of everything, kicked his knee hard. He dodged by shifting his body, grabbed her waist with one hand, and slapped her against the cabin wall again.
Su Mi's back hurt, and she groaned. His grip immediately loosened. Seizing this opportunity, she suddenly lunged forward and bit his neck hard.
Meng Xi-cong grabbed her neck and lifted her up completely, then stuffed her into his arms. This time, he held her so tightly that she couldn't move an inch. Mu Xiting on the side quickly handed over a gauze and pressed it against Meng Xi-cong's bleeding neck.
Meng Xi-cong took the gauze with one hand and pressed it, as if he didn't feel any pain at all. He stared at the angry yet obviously fearful look in the eyes of the woman in his arms and suddenly laughed deeply.
"Su Mi..." His face was very close, and his breath was on her face.
Su Mi lowered her head and didn't say a word.