Chapter 66#

Drunk#

Whether it was Yin Beichen’s overpowering presence or the singer forgetting the lyrics, the roaring song abruptly stopped, leaving only the noisy background music pounding against eardrums.

Wen QianYong was jumping on stage, having a great time, when he froze in place. Meanwhile, Crazy Rat and Qiu Zhen, who had been sitting in the audience watching, quickly scurried off to the side with their fruit platter.

As for the princes surrounding Ning Feng, they were also startled, but the newcomer was so good-looking—even better looking than them—that their fear diminished somewhat. Among them, one who was bolder softly sidled up to the robot.

“Brother, who is this? They’re really handsome.”

“Does Lele like them? If you like, I’ll introduce you,” Ning Feng said, patting his head, his tone lazy and a bit flirtatious. “This is our big sugar daddy, the top boss, Boss Yin.”

“So it’s Boss Yin,” said the boy named Lele, who looked barely of age with smooth, tender skin. He walked up to Yin Beichen with a smile, “Boss Yin, hello. I’m Lele, I—”

Before he could even touch him, he was thrown aside roughly. Yin Beichen strode over to Ning Feng in a few steps, grabbing him by the collar, a storm brewing in his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see? Having fun.” Ning Feng smirked crookedly.

“Come back with me.”

“What for? I’ve already paid.”

“Are you coming or not!”

“No.”

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Yin Beichen reached out and dragged him out, but Ning Feng dodged with a deft movement. He reached again, and this time the other quickly retreated several steps.

Crash!!

The bottles on the coffee table shattered all over the floor. The simple chase looked like a brawl. The princes were terrified, crowding around urging them to stop, some immediately running out to find help, but Crazy Rat cleverly blocked them.

“Boss Yin, are you sure you want to continue?” Ning Feng raised an eyebrow at him, looking indifferent. “I’m just a broken-down robot, but you’re of noble status. If this blows up, it won’t be me who looks bad in the end.”

Scanning the frightened faces around, Yin Beichen clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and finally refrained from any further extreme actions, though his eyes still fixed on the robot.

“That’s more like it.” Ning Feng chuckled twice, straightened his collar, and plopped down on the couch, patting the cushion vigorously. “Come on, come on, let’s continue.”

Seeing the crisis averted, Crazy Rat, familiar with the routine, called for a waiter to clean up and ordered a few more fruit platters and drinks. Wen QianYong, holding the mic, stood stunned for a moment, then downed a glass of wine gloomily and started singing. Qiu Zhen, seeing no more drama, patted Wen QianYong on the shoulder and began lecturing him about life.

But the princes had never seen anything like this.

That cold, handsome man was still standing there, his gaze like knives that could kill!

Suffocated by the heavy atmosphere, some of the timid ones were so scared they almost cried, not daring to approach at all. In the end, the robot had to pull them over one by one.

Ning Feng clicked his tongue and glared at Yin Beichen.

“I say, Boss Yin, if you’re joining, have a drink. If not, go home early and sleep. Don’t spoil everyone’s fun by standing there with a sour face.” He scratched Lele’s chin. “Look, you’ve scared my Lele. I’m heartbroken.”

Nearly dissected by Yin Beichen’s sharp gaze, Lele trembled all over. “Brother… no, Mr. Radish…”

“What, scared?” Ning Feng chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, big brother is here. Come on, ah—”

With that, he forked a small piece of fruit and coaxingly fed it to Lele’s lips.

Lele was a bit confused, because although the other had been cheerful earlier, he was very polite to them, not at all like other guests who got handsy right away. Still, he obediently opened his mouth and took a small bite.

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over him. He turned his head and saw the ice-cold beauty standing between them, backlit, looking down at him like he wanted to devour him.

“Move aside.” The low, pleasant voice suddenly sounded sinister, making Lele shudder. He didn’t even finish the fruit in his mouth; he scrambled away.

Yin Beichen’s thin lips pressed into a sharp line as he shoved aside all the princes next to Ning Feng and sat down. He draped his arm around the other’s solid waist, lowering his eyes, silently listening to them talk.

Ning Feng ignored him, chatting and laughing with the prince beside him. But with Yin Beichen being such a block of ice, everyone else was terrified—how could they have fun? They sat stiffly on the sofa, not daring to move, not even take a sip of water.

“Oh, this isn’t fun at all.” Ning Feng was a bit dissatisfied.

“If it’s not fun, then go back,” Yin Beichen said coldly.

“If you have urgent business, you can go ahead first,” Ning Feng sneered, his optics sliding to the trio who had been staying out of it, and silently clicked his tongue.

These guys were troublemakers, especially Wen QianYong!

When they had found him, Wen QianYong was singing wildly in the private room and had downed a few bottles of liquor. Singing and eating fruit wouldn’t have been a problem, but something snapped in the kid’s mind, and he suddenly called for a bunch of princelings to accompany them.

If Sha Mu found out, that would be bad!

But what sense was there in arguing with a drunk? Ning Feng had no choice but to have Crazy Rat and Qiu Zhen keep an eye on him while he dealt with the flock of pretty boys.

No one expected Yin Beichen to suddenly burst in.

Now they had dumped all these princes on him while they sat back and watched the show.

Tch! What a hassle!

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. Ning Feng crossed his legs and glanced at Yin Beichen.

“What? Boss Yin came all the way here just to sit around? Not even a drink?” He turned his lens slightly, then suddenly broke into a smile. “Ah, I get it. They must not be serving you well.”

With that, he personally poured half a glass of wine and handed it to Yin Beichen. “Please.”

Yin Beichen squinted coldly.

Though he wasn’t throwing a fit or yelling, Ning Feng could clearly sense the raging fury hidden beneath the surface. It was a static anger a hundred times more terrifying than a burst of rage, as if burning with blue flames.

Suddenly, Yin Beichen leaned forward, took the glass from Ning Feng’s hand, and downed it in one gulp.

“Ohhh~ Smooth.” Ning Feng shot Lele a look, and the boy quickly refilled the glass.

And so, Ning Feng kept urging Yin Beichen to drink, and the latter didn’t refuse, emptying every drop. Lele didn’t know what else to do, so he just kept pouring.

The other princes were stunned.

This was an extremely high-proof liquor, usually mixed with other drinks. Drinking it straight like Yin Beichen wasn’t unheard of, but after a few glasses, people usually collapsed. Yet he showed no signs of drunkenness except for a slight flush on his face.

Ning Feng was surprised too; he had never seen the other drink so much.

He himself had a high tolerance. Back in the military, when there were social engagements, it was usually him, the adjutant, who had to step in. By the time he was done, hardly anyone was left standing, so he had never seen Yin Beichen really go at it.

Now it seemed the guy had a pretty good tolerance.

But Ning Feng wasn’t about to stop him. As long as he drank quietly, it was better—fewer incidents.

For a moment, the small private room was eerily divided into two spaces.

Qiu Zhen sat with a fruit platter, munching away, his eyes darting between the two. Wen QianYong had just downed two more bottles, staggered onto the stage, and started singing a heartbreak ballad punctuated by drunken hiccups. Crazy Rat, seeing that no one in the room seemed normal, thought for a moment and decided to send Sha Mu a text.

The air was thick with intoxicating smells. The loud, grating music, mixed with Wen QianYong’s off-key wailing, made everyone’s heads spin. The dim, ambiguous lights flickered and swayed, helping them forget the pressure of reality, forget past memories, even forget themselves.

Whether it was some part of the song that triggered sad memories, Wen QianYong started crying again. Next to him, Yin Beichen, drinking steadily, eventually grabbed the bottle and refilled his own glass.

One was drinking gloomily, the other was wailing over a broken heart, and a bunch of little princes were surrounding him… Ning Feng was getting annoyed. He leaned his head back on the sofa, sucking on an oil bottle, idly thinking about spare parts.

His body parts were fine now, but his head was still too shabby. Even though a robot wouldn’t die from losing its head, the optics and audio receivers were there—if they broke, it would be troublesome. He needed to get some honor points and swap out the head.

When Wen QianYong ordered yet another breakup song, Lele finally couldn’t help asking, “Mr. Radish, what’s wrong with him?”

“Him?” Ning Feng gave a derisive laugh. “His boyfriend’s been too busy to reply to his messages lately. He’s throwing a tantrum.”

“Oh, they had a fight. Hope they make up soon.” Lele wrinkled his nose worriedly. “By the way, big brother, do you have someone you like?”

At that, Yin Beichen’s hand, holding the glass, paused.

Ning Feng clearly noticed and sneered inwardly. He leaned back nonchalantly, “I used to, but now…” In his peripheral vision, he saw the other’s fingertips turn white, and he curled his lips contemptuously.

“What’s it to me now?”

“So robots can fall in love with people too?” Qiqi marveled, half-covering his mouth.

Sensing the body next to him freeze, Ning Feng lazily lifted his chin, his optics gazing at the simulated starry sky above, closing his eyes as he smiled. “Just kidding. How could a robot possibly fall in love with someone?”

Yin Beichen bowed his head slightly, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing, his breathing uneven.

When Wen QianYong ordered another half-dozen bottles of hard liquor, Ning Feng finally couldn’t hold back. “Oh come on, it’s just a little fight. How big a deal is it? You’re acting like you’re dying.”

“You’re a robot, what do you know!” Wen QianYong cried out loudly, tears and snot streaming down his face.

“How would I not know?” Ning Feng lazily raised his head, crossing his long legs on the coffee table. “Precisely because I’m a robot, I know what’s worth it and what’s not. The world is big, why waste time on people who don’t care about you—”

“What about me?”

The hoarse words suddenly broke in, like a beast caged. Yin Beichen slowly turned his head to look at the robot, turbulent emotions surging in his eyes. “Do you care?”

In that instant, the entire room went silent, leaving only the blaring, raucous background music, disturbing everyone’s minds.

Ning Feng’s lens contracted, then shifted. After a moment, he gave a careless laugh.

“How could I not care about you?” He shook the oil bottle. “You’re Boss Yin, my big sugar daddy! I wouldn’t dare ignore you even if I ignored everyone else. Right—”

“Don’t call me Boss.” Yin Beichen’s face was beyond dark, barely holding back his anger.

Ning Feng tilted his head, his eyes squinting in a smile.

“Alright, Major General.”

As soon as Yin Beichen heard that, his fury shot straight to his head. The anger that had been building all day erupted like a volcano.

He grabbed Ning Feng’s wrist tightly, his voice strained. “Everyone, get out.”

“What?” The others were stunned, confused.

“Out.”

The man’s voice was gravelly. Though not loud, the killing intent radiating from him was so thick it seemed to solidify, threatening to tear their bodies apart.

The princes shuddered and scrambled for the door, terrified of being dismantled if they were a second late.

The trio in the corner, who had been watching the drama, seemed to sense something was wrong. They exchanged glances, helped the dazed Wen QianYong up, and slipped out, taking the fruit platter with them, and thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

In an instant, only Ning Feng and Yin Beichen were left in the room.

Ning Feng tried to shake off the grip but couldn’t. He frowned. “What’s your problem? Are you drunk?”

Yin Beichen took a few deep breaths, suppressing his anger, and slowly released his hand. “Ning Feng, let’s talk.”

“Major General, my name is Radish.” Ning Feng narrowed his optics.

“How long are you going to keep this up?” Yin Beichen gritted out.

Hearing this, Ning Feng let out a sarcastic laugh, raising his eyebrows defiantly.

“Oh, so that’s why Major General Yin is losing his mind here? You’ve mistaken me for a dead man again.” He sat down slowly, taking a sip from the oil bottle. “Seems like that dead man was really something special, someone you can’t forget. If he knew, he’d be laughing in his grave.”

The flat, emotionless mechanical voice unconsciously exuded indifference and disregard. Yin Beichen felt like his heart was being clenched, making it hard to breathe. Desire and despair pulled at him, and Ning Feng’s words “what’s it to me now” cut him like a knife.

He didn’t understand this pain—why it made his head throb, why it felt so heart-wrenching.

All he wanted now was for Ning Feng to come back, to return to his side, so they could get along properly. He would work hard to clear up past misunderstandings, try to make amends, take responsibility for his mistakes.

He would take good care of him, protect him, give him the best of everything. Whatever he liked, he’d buy; whatever he wanted to do, he’d do with him. He wouldn’t let him suffer, wouldn’t let him get hurt…

As long as Ning Feng would come back.

Yin Beichen’s chest heaved violently, his fingers digging deep into his palms. He didn’t know how much restraint it took to keep from knocking Ning Feng out and carrying him back.

“What exactly do you want?”

“You’re asking me? That’s what I should be asking you.” Ning Feng’s tone carried anger and a hint of helplessness. “Major General Yin, I’m Radish, I’m Dagger. You’re a major general, I’m a mercenary. We… no, you and I now only have a superior-subordinate relationship, only a monetary relationship. Nothing else.”

He paused, then continued. “Understand? Clear? If not, I can say it again—”

Suddenly, Ning Feng’s shoulders were grabbed hard. The world spun around him, and the joint between his head and neck made a clicking sound. The next moment, he found himself pinned down on the sofa by Yin Beichen.

“Damn it! What the hell are you doing!” Ning Feng rarely got angry. He felt his head wobbling and tried to steady it, but his hands were grabbed and pinned to the sides of his face.

“You are him. How can you not be him?!” Yin Beichen’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched.

Now his breathing was rapid, his cheeks flushed pink. His alcohol-moistened blue eyes were hazy, and his golden hair slightly covered his half-closed eyelids, hiding a certain seductive beauty.

Yin Beichen was already drunk.

Ning Feng stared at him steadily, then slowly closed his eyes.

“Major General, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Hearing this, Yin Beichen was stunned for a long time. Emotions surged in his hidden eyes—anger, grievance, anxiety… and even a trace of helplessness.

He looked down at the face so close to him, but at that moment, what he saw was not the square, battered metal face, but a handsome, strong face. Sharp jawline, full lips, deep black eyes that seemed to hold galaxies…

And in them, he saw himself.

Why had he never noticed before how beautiful Ning Feng’s eyes were?

“You are Ning Feng. You are my Ning Feng…”

His eyelids trembled slightly. Yin Beichen looked at him, his voice hoarse, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He slowly leaned in, his nose getting closer, gradually, gradually…

At first, Ning Feng wasn’t worried about what might happen. He knew his own limitations—just this battered, square face would make anyone keep their distance. But when he saw Yin Beichen’s blurry eyes and his face drawing closer, alarm bells went off.

“Yin Beichen, snap out of it! Yin Beichen!!”

Ning Feng struggled fiercely, trying to turn his head away.

But the drunken man was incredibly strong, and with his weight pressing down and the neck joint stuck, rotation was impossible. He could only watch as Yin Beichen’s face came closer and closer…

The system picked up the faint, light fragrance on the other’s body, mixed with the strong smell of alcohol, and automatically began analyzing the components. In his ears was the deafening electronic music, and the so-called newest silent engine unit of the Empire was whirring nonstop. Countless fluorescent green data flashed on the interface. Ning Feng’s vision blurred, his mind went blank.

What the hell was this?

What the hell was happening?!

At that moment, Ning Feng wanted to just power off.

But the power unit he had was brand new, capable of high-performance operation for ten days. So all he could do now was—close his eyes.

A shallow breath brushed against the tip of his nose. Just then—

Boom!!

A loud crash. The door was kicked open.

“Commander! Are you—?”

Thud!!

Suddenly, Ning Feng saw himself falling down—no, only his head fell, rolling a couple of times, his field of vision ending up under the sofa. Then, he saw Ou Jingshan bursting through the door, followed by Sha Mu, Wen QianYong, and the others.

When they saw the robot’s head roll off the sofa, Wen QianYong let out a horrified scream, instantly sobering up.

“Ra-Ra-Ra-Radish!! Your your your head!!!”

And Yin Beichen’s face buried itself into the crook of Ning Feng’s neck, immediately falling asleep.