Mother Leah nodded in agreement beside them, gently patting Mu Yan's hand and saying softly:
"Yanyan, you shouldn't overthink this. Muxi dared to do something to hurt you, so whatever consequences she faces, she deserves. Just focus on your exams; you mustn't let her ruin your future."
Mu Yan bit her lip, a flicker of hesitation crossing her eyes before she nodded gently.
"If your sister had half your sense, she wouldn't have caused so much trouble."
"Dad, you should just block her Star Brain access to teach her a lesson."
"Dad, Mom, please don't be angry with Sister. Maybe she'll come back once she's done messing around."
Hearing Mu Yan's words, her parents sighed slightly. Her mother gently patted Mu Yan's hand and said:
"Yanyan, you're just too kind-hearted. Even now, you're still speaking up for her. After what she did, she deserves to be punished, or else she'll just keep getting worse."
Inwardly, Mu Yan was ecstatic, but on the surface, she still put on a worried expression and let out a soft sigh.
"I know, Mom and Dad. I just hope Sister realizes her mistake sooner rather than later."
……
Meanwhile, far away on the barren planet, Muxi suddenly shivered for no apparent reason. She rubbed her nose, assuming she had caught a cold. She couldn't help but pause her work and look out into the distance.
The desolate landscape stretched before her eyes, exuding an indescribable sense of loneliness and bleakness. Every now and then, gusts of wind and sand howled past, whipping up a hazy cloud of dust.
"Miss Muxi, are you all right?"
Muxi snapped out of her daze, rubbed her nose, and replied softly, "I'm fine, just got some sand in my mouth accidentally. It'll pass in a moment."
The soldier nodded, told her to be careful, and went back to his own tasks.
Just then, Deputy Commander Zhou walked over. "Miss Muxi, your complexion doesn't look too good. Why don't you go back and rest?"
"I'm fine, the wind is just a bit strong. I'll be better in a bit."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a weight settled on her shoulders, and a thick military coat was draped over her.
Muxi turned her head and saw that Fesili had approached at some point.
"Go back and rest."
Muxi pulled the military coat tighter around herself, the chill in her body driven away significantly. She looked at Fesili gratefully, "Thank you, Commander."
"If you're really not feeling well, don't try to tough it out. Go to the medical bay and let Tang Yi take a look."
Muxi was about to say she was fine, but the words died on her lips.
"Then... then I'll go rest for a bit."
Fesili nodded, watching her leave.
Muxi turned and walked toward the distant starship. The military coat retained Fesili's body heat, making her feel warm all over, though her head was beginning to spin.
…
That night, Muxi developed a high fever. The extreme temperature swings between day and night on the barren planet, combined with the heavily polluted air, proved too much for her body, and she fell ill.
"The environment on this barren planet is far too harsh and not suited for females. If her physique weren't stronger than other females, she would have fallen ill long ago," Tang Yi said while rapidly preparing an antipyretic injection.
After administering the injection to Muxi, the group anxiously stood guard by her side. After a long while, seeing Muxi's temperature gradually drop, Tang Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead—not because he lacked confidence in his medical skills, but because the Commander's intense stare was making his skin crawl.
"She should be fine now, but we still need to keep an eye on her."
"Mm!"
"Commander, please help keep an extra eye on Miss Muxi's condition. If her fever spikes again, call me immediately."
Fesili grunted a response, his gaze never leaving Muxi.
The others left.
Only Fesili and the still-delirious Muxi remained.
Fesili stood up, walked over to the bed, and sat down. He reached out and touched Muxi's forehead, finding that while the temperature had dropped somewhat, it was still a bit warm.
In her sleep, Muxi alternately shivered with cold, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket while muttering, "So cold..." and then flushed red with heat, her hair damp with sweat as she tossed off the blanket and wriggled uncomfortably on the bed.
Seeing this, Fesili felt a pang of heartache and gently tucked the blanket back around her.
"Stop thrashing."
Yet Muxi seemed entirely deaf to his words, continuing to toss and turn in distress. Until her hand brushed against Fesili as he tucked her in, and she grabbed onto it like a drowning person clutching a straw, wrapping her arms tightly around him and refusing to let go while mumbling incoherently:
"Cold... hold me tighter..."
Fesili's motion to withdraw his hand froze. Looking at Muxi's flushed face from the fever, his heart softened.
"Alright."
Muxi didn't catch what Fesili said. Craving even a moment of warmth, her physical discomfort made her want nothing more than to press close to Fesili and soak in the comforting heat she so desperately needed. She inched closer and closer to him. Concerned she might fall off the bed, Fesili kicked off his shoes and leaned against the edge of the mattress to block her.
"Cold..."
Though her clothes were soaked with sweat, she still felt freezing, constantly rubbing against Fesili's chest. Only when she brushed against his warm body did she let out a satisfied sigh.
Fesili stiffened all over, trying to pull her hand out from inside his shirt, but Muxi—despite her apparent weakness—clung to him relentlessly like an octopus.
"Muxi, let go."
"Mm-uh, no."
With that, she even bit him.
Unable to take any more, Fesili ruthlessly pried her off his body. After a few repetitions, worn down and completely out of patience, Fesili finally got Muxi to settle down. He got off the bed, straightened his disheveled clothes, and casually sat back down at the edge to study the tactical map.
When he looked up from his Optical Computer and glanced back at the bed, his breath caught.
Muxi was flushed red from the heat, her clothes torn apart and left in a mess, exposing vast swathes of fair skin. The skin was tinted with faint red marks from the feverish flush. Fesili's eyes felt as though they had been scalded, and he moved to look away.
Seeing her reach to tear at her clothes again—another pull and she would be completely exposed—he lunged forward without a second thought to pin her wrists down.
At that moment, a soft footstep sounded outside, followed by the door being pushed open as Tang Yi walked in.
He caught sight of Fesili pinning Muxi down and kissing her, with a disheveled Muxi trapped underneath, her clothes clearly having been ripped open with force.
Tang Yi was utterly horrified. Forgetting his fear, he bellowed at the top of his lungs:
"Commander, what are you doing?! She's still a patient!!!"
Fesili jolted as if he had been burned, leaping off Muxi with lightning speed. With swift reflexes, he pulled the blanket up over her to prevent any further reckless actions, pinning a corner of the blanket down with one hand.
Then, with his other hand, he swiftly smoothed down his slightly wrinkled clothes and crooked collar, restoring his usual calm, composed, and immaculate appearance.
He turned around, his face completely devoid of expression, and gazed coldly at Tang Yi, stating flatly:
"Don't you know how to knock?"
Tang Yi shivered under the icy glare.
The Commander seemed furious!
Wasn't he angry that Tang Yi had interrupted his good time...?
No way!
Weren't you supposed to be immune to women?!