This rare, affectionate gesture caused the few people standing nearby to widen their eyes in astonishment; they had never seen such a gentle side to their commander.
"Muxi, go back with them first. I promise you that once we reach the military base, no one will force you to do anything you don't want to do. I will request permission from my superiors to prevent you from being sent back to the Empire, so don't worry."
Muxi still shook her head.
"Be a good girl. I will come back to the military base to find you as soon as possible. This is an order, but it is also my request to you."
Knowing that she had to leave, and having received the assurance before leaving that she would not be deported back to the Empire, Muxi finally set her mind at ease.
She sniffed, trying hard to keep her voice steady. "Then... then you aren't allowed to get hurt. You must come back and find me soon."
"Rest assured, I'll be fine," Fesili promised solemnly.
Although the escorts who had come to fetch Muxi did not dare to speak out, their gazes kept darting back and forth between Fesili and Muxi, clearly finding the atmosphere between the two quite extraordinary.
Each of them privately guessed at the nature of the relationship between the two.
In their impression, the commander of the Third Legion was always iron-hearted, cold, and detached, so seeing him like this right now was truly surprising.
"It's getting late, Miss Muxi, we should set off." After hesitating for a long time, Randall finally bit the bullet and stepped forward to remind them again.
Subconsciously, Muxi leaned closer to Fesili once more, her hand gripping tightly onto his sleeve. That clinging look made Fesili's heart soften all over again.
"Go on. I'll be back very soon."
Fesili ruffled her hair and pulled her into a brief embrace. After a silent few seconds, they let go of each other, and he signaled for her to follow the others.
Muxi bit her lip, nodded, released her grip on Fesili's sleeve, and took step-by-step shuffling motions toward the exit of the starship.
Until she boarded the starship that had come to fetch her, she never once looked back.
Fesili stood quietly in place, gazing in the direction where Muxi had left, remaining motionless for a long time. Even after her figure vanished behind the cabin door, his gaze seemed capable of piercing right through the bulkhead to see the person inside.
***
Muxi sat in the seat of the starship, staring with a dazed expression at the boundless universe outside the window. Her hands instinctively and tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Even though she had already received Fesili's promise that he would report to his superiors and secure the guarantee preventing her from being sent back to the Empire, she still could not stop worrying: What if the higher-ups refused?
What if Fesili suffered some unexpected accident during this time?
The escorts who had come to fetch her occasionally cast curious glances in her direction, but seeing her low spirits, they tactfully chose not to ask any further questions.
"Miss Muxi, please wait here for a moment while we prepare some food for you."
Although Muxi was somewhat displeased that they had forcibly brought her away, she still nodded politely and expressed her gratitude.
The slight vibration of the starship in flight transmitted through the seat, but Muxi seemed completely unaware of it, consumed entirely by her anxiety.
What awaited her once she reached the military base?
In this world where she knew not a soul, where was she supposed to go?
She slowly closed her eyes, trying to force herself to calm down, but the moment she shut them, Fesili's stern yet tender face appeared vividly before her, leaving her utterly unsettled and unable to think straight.
She shifted her position, rested her head against the back of the seat, and let out a soft sigh.
"Master, you like him!" Xixi's voice rang out inside her mind.
She frowned and dismissed the thought with disapproval. "Don't talk nonsense. I... I'm just worried that if he kicks the bucket, the plot will reset to square one."
Though she denied it verbally, her heart felt as though it had been poked, sending a ripple of indescribable emotions spreading through it.
"Master, judging by the fluctuations in your brainwave data and your emotional responses, it's not just a simple worry that he might get hurt, oh. You harbor special feelings for him."
A faint blush crept across Muxi's cheeks. She raised a hand to touch her burning face, wanting to refute the claim yet having no idea where to begin.
Did she like Fesili?
"Miss Muxi, this is the food prepared for you. Please enjoy it at your leisure. If you need anything else, contact us directly, and we will do our utmost to meet all your requirements."
Muxi was pulled back to her senses by the sudden voice. Flustered, she dropped the hand touching her cheek, looked over at Randall—who was carrying the food—and forced a thin smile. "Thank you."
Randall placed the food on the small table in front of her, then turned and withdrew.
Muxi shook the distracting thoughts from her mind and began to eat.
After finishing her meal, she returned to her room to sleep, avoiding contact with them. It was like this for several days running.
It wasn't until the sixth day that Randall knocked on her bedroom door to inform her that they would arrive at the military base in half a day, telling her to pack her things.
Muxi acknowledged the notice, and after Randall left, she began packing her already meager belongings.
Her movements were somewhat sluggish, and the apprehension in her heart grew increasingly intense, filled with an unknown terror regarding the military base they were about to reach.
"Master, are you nervous?" The Little Milk Cat Xixi flew out from the spiritual consciousness sea, circling around her.
Startled by its sudden appearance, Muxi grabbed the scruff of its neck and tossed it right back into the spiritual consciousness sea.
"You are not allowed to come out without my permission."
The Little Milk Cat flicked its tail and let out a disgruntled "meow."
Though her days of solitude on the starship—spent deliberately avoiding excessive contact with others—had given her time to think, those thoughts only tangled further.
Half a day quickly passed amidst her brooding, and the starship finally descended slowly onto the landing pad of the military base.
The moment she stepped off the starship, Muxi was struck with awe by the grand military base before her eyes.
The landing pad was vast and boundless, large enough to accommodate dozens of large starships parked simultaneously.
Towering watchtowers stood all around the landing pad, equipped with advanced monitoring equipment whose lenses constantly rotated, vigilantly scanning every corner both inside and out of the military base.
Walking inward along the landing pad, one entered an area of neatly arranged barracks.
The barracks were all a uniform silver-gray hue, with thick walls that gave off an indestructible feel.
The windows of the barracks were small yet polished to a brilliant shine, and from the outside, one could faintly see neatly made beds and various military supplies inside.
Every fixed interval, a squad of armed soldiers on patrol marched by in uniform strides, their military uniforms free of a single speck of dust, displaying the rigorous discipline of the armed forces.
Venturing deeper still brought one to the core area of the base—the command center.
It was an imposing structure shaped like a giant eagle spreading its wings to take flight, with a massive antenna at the peak thrusting straight into the clouds. Muxi knew that was the communications beacon for the base.
The main doors of the building were immensely heavy, requiring strict identity verification to open. Flanking the entrance stood erect sentries holding energy firearms, expressionlessly scrutinizing everyone who approached.
Muxi followed Randall as they traversed the massive military base. Along the way, she could feel faint gazes cast her way—gazes that seemed tinged with curiosity or perhaps a different sort of scrutiny.
Keeping her head down and watching only the path beneath her feet, she nervously trailed behind Randall until he stopped in front of a door.
"Miss Muxi, this is where you will be staying from now on. Have a rest for a moment, and a person in charge will come by shortly to handle the handover with you." With that, he saluted and left.
Muxi stepped into the room. The interior furnishings turned out to be quite comfortable.