Chapter 159: Interstellar (ABO) 13

The wrists of all three individuals were bound with ropes, the other ends of which were held tightly by the abductors, who warned them against any reckless attempts to escape, declaring that no one would come to their rescue if disaster struck.

Unsure of how much time had passed, they walked on until Ke Yuandao’s shoes were completely caked in mud, and the group finally came to a halt.

Shortly after, the three of them were hauled onto a small boat.

Sitting inside the vessel, Ke Yuandao strained his ears, catching only the rhythmic splashing of oars against the water, with no sound of high-tech propulsion.

After an indeterminate period of rowing, the boat finally stopped.

Once their feet touched solid ground once more, the blindfolds were removed from their eyes.

Ke Yuandao squinted slightly, noticing that the ambient light was somewhat dim.

They were surrounded by a dense grove of tall trees, with a tranquil lake behind them and a rustic little villa standing right ahead.

The three captives were led inside.

"Master, don't do anything rash. There are tons of security mechanisms all around," Gousheng’s voice sounded in his ear. "Careful you don't turn into a honeycomb."

Stepping past the entrance, they traversed a short hallway that immediately opened into a living room.

The interior was warmly decorated. Sitting on the sofa in the center was a figure with long, dark hair tied back at the nape, clad in casual loungewear and quietly brewing tea.

Ke Yuanya and Ke Yuandao stared in astonishment: "Major General??"

Hearing the commotion, Yue Yixian raised her head, her brow furrowing slightly as she caught sight of the two youngsters trailing behind the doctor: "What is going on with these two?"

"Boss, you said to bring them along together," replied A, the leader of the abductors.

Yue Yixian helplessly massaged her temples: "Alright, you guys head down first."

The towering men untied the ropes binding the trio, saluted, and exited the room.

Inside the living room, Yue Yixian gestured toward the opposite sofa as she looked at the three of them: "Sit."

The three sat down as instructed.

"Doctor Qiu, do you know why I had you brought here?" Yue Yixian remained seated across from them, leisurely pouring a cup of tea for each person.

"No idea," Doctor Qiu replied bluntly. "I certainly didn't expect that the mastermind behind my kidnapping would turn out to be Major General Yue."

The word "kidnapping" was punctuated with a particularly heavy emphasis by Doctor Qiu.

"If I hadn't had you tied up and brought here, what would you have done if you ran away again?" Yue Yixian said with a smile. The steam rising from the teacup blurred her delicate features, making it somewhat difficult for Ke Yuandao to read her expression from across the table.

"So, the people who ambushed and kidnapped me in various other places previously—that was you?" Realization dawning, Doctor Qiu asked through clenched teeth.

"No, I was merely one among the many who tried to capture you. In fact, didn't I even help you chase away the ones who actually wanted you dead? You really should be thanking me." Yue Yixian shot Doctor Qiu a sidelong glance before adding, "Though, you certainly have a lot of enemies."

Doctor Qiu let out a cold, cynical laugh and remained silent.

"There are a few matters concerning you that I'd like to discuss. Let's go upstairs," Yue Yixian said, standing up with a thoughtful expression. Then she turned to the younger pair: "You two little ones be good, stay right here in the living room, drink your tea, eat some pastries, and watch a cartoon."

Doctor Qiu’s face remained expressionless: "Threatening me is useless. Even if I could escape, I wouldn't care whether they live or die."

"Are you sure you don't want to chat with me first before deciding whether to run away?" Yue Yixian turned and began walking up the stairs.

After a moment of hesitation, Doctor Qiu followed her to the second floor.

Left behind in the living room to sip tea, munch on pastries, and incidentally watch cartoons, the two youngsters exchanged a simultaneous glance, each reading the eager impulse in the other's eyes.

Just as they attempted to stand up and follow, two large men strode into the room, planting themselves firmly behind the pair.

A flippant voice chimed in: "My, my, how can children be running around so carelessly? Look at that, caught by the bad guys just like that."

Nibbling on a pastry and forced to watch the cartoon, the two looked up to see Mo Feiyi descending the stairs.

Ke Yuandao: "..."

What on earth is his wife plotting now?

"Master, I checked. Whatever Madam is up to right now must be highly confidential; I can't breach the defense system of this house," Gousheng’s voice piped up in his ear once more.

"I must say, you two have nerves of steel. Did you really think popping some suppressants meant you could just run wild?" Mo Feiyi asked, noticing their silence, while simultaneously stuffing a pastry into her mouth.

"Yuanya will protect me," Ke Yuandao replied, latching onto Mo Feiyi's use of the word "you two" to test the waters with a deliberate counter.

"You—well, you're fine, but I'm talking about your sister. It's one thing for a fine O to disguise themselves as a B, but to go participating in underground boxing matches in the black market? And then enroll in a military academy on top of that? Did you do it because you were afraid the whole world wouldn't know you're an O masquerading as a B???" Mo Feiyi said casually.

Ke Yuanya’s expression shifted slightly: "How do you know? Have you been investigating me?"

"Isn't an investigation only standard procedure? Since your little brother was deliberately cozying up to the Major General, there was no telling what kind of malicious motives he might be harboring, so naturally, your family background had to be checked down to the smallest detail." Mo Feiyi spread her hands. "Still, you two are gutsy. Entering a military academy before thoroughly cleaning up your tracks—weren't you afraid your political rivals would discover this and use it to destroy your family?"

Ke Yuanya pressed her lips tightly together in silence.

In truth, she had considered everything Mo Feiyi pointed out and had even attempted to erase the traces of her past. Yet, she never imagined that the secret she had guarded with such painstaking effort would be exposed so effortlessly.

Filled with bitter reluctance, Ke Yuanya clenched her fists.

"What is Instructor Mo expecting us to do?" Ke Yuandao possessed a more calculating mind than his sister, allowing him to maintain a slightly higher degree of composure.

Mo Feiyi gave him an appreciative nod: "Let your sister resume her life and identity as an O."

"No way," Ke Yuanya snapped as she abruptly stood up. "That kind of life is not what I want. Why shouldn't an O be allowed to enlist? I, too, am someone who wishes to serve and fight for her country—what right do you have to stop me!"

"What right?" The nonchalant smile that usually rested on Mo Feiyi’s face vanished, replaced by an icy, ruthless glare as she looked down at the girl. "By the sheer fact that you will experience heat cycles!"

"I won't have heat cycles," Ke Yuanya retorted through clenched teeth.

"Planning to rely on suppressants indefinitely? You should know that long-term use of suppressants doesn't..." A hint of mockery curved the corner of Mo Feiyi's lips.

"I know they lose effectiveness in the later stages, so I'm looking for other solutions!" Ke Yuanya interrupted her.

"What sort of solution? Don't tell me you're planning to surgically excise your pheromone gland?" Mo Feiyi clearly did not take the stubborn child before her seriously.

"Exactly," Ke Yuanya stared straight back at her. "If you people hadn't barged in and disrupted my plans, the surgery would have already been completed."

Never expecting that her casual remark would actually hit the bullseye regarding Ke Yuanya's intentions, Mo Feiyi stared at her in utter shock: "Do you have any idea what getting rid of your pheromone source actually means for you?"

"It just means no more heat cycles and no more popping out babies, right? That sounds ideal," Ke Yuanya looked down at Mo Feiyi from her height and declared, "If I were forced to marry a chauvinistic Alpha like you, I'd honestly rather slice out my own pheromone gland than ever become your kind of bride!"

Mo Feiyi: "????"

Good grief, she was ranked among the top ten most eligible Alpha candidates on Throne Star; how on earth did she end up being rejected so thoroughly?