Chapter 117: Is He Jealous of Himself?
Hearing her words, Sen Ji’s eyes dimmed slightly. “So, were they insults directed at me?”
“Not at all!”
Xie Qiang countered quickly. She saw the man’s eyes curve into a soft smile as his thumb gently wiped away the oil film left on her lips from the steak. His voice was tender and slow. “Then I’ll love hearing them.”
Xie Qiang’s face turned beet red in an instant. “You… how can you speak so brazenly without any restraint?”
“So, can you tell me now?” The man’s face leaned in a few inches closer. His straight nose was mere centimeters away; before their tips could touch, their breaths had already become entwined and merged.
Xie Qiang’s heart rate accelerated uncontrollably. Before her, Sen Ji’s emerald tiger eyes stared at her with the depth of a jade lake. The longing in his gaze undoubtedly gave her a surge of courage.
Her fingers gripped his sleeves. She nodded slightly while looking at him. “Then… what if I… might like you?”
Sen Ji’s frame stiffened. A hint of shock radiated from his eyes. “How is that possible?”
He instinctively drew back half a step, shaking his head. “You loathed me so much before. How could you suddenly fall for me?”
Xie Qiang couldn’t explain the answer. Looking at the retreating man, she tightened her grip on his cuffs and asked in return, “And what about you? I bullied you for nearly three years. Why did you choose to sleep with me when you were clearly conscious?”
“I…”
Sen Ji was momentarily speechless.
Indeed. He had once been so weary of her humiliation, wanting nothing more than to draw a clear line between them. Now, in just a few short months, had he not lost his heart because of her changes?
During those days of memory confusion after being interfered with by the Zerg Queen’s pheromones, though his memories were those of his teenage self, his subconscious feelings were centered on liking Xie Qiang. Otherwise, his younger self would not have fallen in love with her at first sight.
Furthermore, he wouldn’t have been so desperate to become her Sentinel and plant a permanent mark on her.
“Then… when did you start liking me?”
After asking, Sen Ji immediately covered Xie Qiang’s lips with his palm, his gaze shifting nervously. “If the one you like is the me from the period when I was influenced by the Zerg pheromones, then don’t say it.”
That youthful Sen Ji was confident, unrestrained, and even knew how to act spoiled. It was understandable why she would like him.
Xie Qiang blinked.
Is he actually jealous of himself?
It was strangely cute… Looking at the man’s evasive and nervous expression, Xie Qiang couldn’t help but feel a bit mischievous. She stuck out the tip of her tongue and lightly licked his palm.
Sen Ji snapped his head back, his tiger pupils trembling. “You…”
Xie Qiang grabbed his wrist and pulled his palm down from her lips. She spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. “I liked you even before that.”
The man’s earlobes gradually flushed. “Why did you fall for me?”
“Hmm, let’s see,” Xie Qiang took his fingers and began counting them off like treasures. “You’re handsome, you have a great physique, high combat power, and you can be my shield…”
She paused, her gaze drifting slightly downward. “You also feel good to touch, and your stamina is quite decent…”
“Xie Qiang,” Sen Ji was so embarrassed his entire neck turned red. “You only found that out after we… marked!”
“A-ha~” The girl offered an innocent smile. “They’re bonus points after the fact!”
Dammit… how can her mouth be so sweet.
Sen Ji was deeply moved. He couldn’t help but lean his forehead against her shoulder, his voice husky. “Then tonight… can I go to your bedchambers?”
Xie Qiang: ???
Again???
Chapter 118: What If the Kitty Likes Doing Bad Things?
Recalling the data Cang Jiu had provided to “fill in the gaps,” Xie Qiang blinked with a curious and innocent gaze, her words piercing straight into the heart of the person opposite her.
“Family Head Zhuque, I heard that the SS-class Sentinels of your Zhuque family only evolved through the sacrifice of their own brothers’ lives? So, are you an elder brother or a younger brother?”
The expression of the Zhuque Family Head opposite her darkened instantly. His sharp, piercing gaze shot toward Hong Que.
This stupid boy! The secret the Zhuque family has hidden for thousands of years—did he actually leak it to the Princess?
Hong Que looked at Xie Qiang with a face full of shock.
How—how did she know such a family secret! This was a secret only successive family heads were permitted to know!
She even dared to say it right in front of his father… She—she was so cool!
As expected of the Guide I want to marry!
Hong Que’s shocked gaze gradually transformed into one of adoration.
Being stared at like that, Xie Qiang felt as if a bunch of bright, burning stars were bouncing off her face. She silently raised her hand to cover Hong Que’s face, blocking the heat of his gaze.
“This Princess is young and has quite a heavy curiosity. I hope the Zhuque Family Head won’t take offense.”
Xie Qiang’s voice was soft and delicate. Her exquisitely formed feline eyes crinkled into a smile, her large round eyes narrowing into slits. she looked vivid and cunning, but combined with her actions just now, she seemed like a little kitten doing its best to be wicked.
Clearly knowing that the spirit tablet on the table was for worshiping an evil spirit to gain ill-gotten wealth, she nonetheless raised her paw without a care, using those soft, cute paw pads to ruthlessly knock it to the ground.
What if the kitty likes doing bad things?
After all, she was draped in the scent of an SSS-class Sentinel.
The Zhuque Family Head couldn’t help but snort coldly. “The Princess is an S-class Guide. Who in the Star Sea Empire would dare to take offense?”
So what if she’s S-class? The Imperial Capital wasn’t a combat zone; the demand for purification wasn’t that high. She was just a fragile Guide who could be crushed easily.
“Since you don’t dare to offend, why does the Zhuque Family Head go against this Princess’s wishes and try to take away my two Imperial Husbands?”
Xie Qiang blinked her large, innocent cat eyes, looking puzzled. “Could this be what Father taught me—to act one way on the surface and another behind the back?”
The corner of the Zhuque Family Head’s mouth twitched slightly, but he didn’t respond.
Xie Qiang blinked and leaned back against the sofa, looking at him thoughtfully.
She had brought up the “Golden Thigh” of the Star Sea Emperor, yet the Zhuque Family Head’s reaction was one of disdain. It seemed…
The situation in the Imperial Capital was exactly as she had imagined.
Planetary resources were held by the major noble families. They were filthy rich in the capital and unwilling to upgrade the combat equipment for the various combat zones, still forcing Sentinels to rely on their physical bodies to fight the Zerg.
High-quality soundproofing materials were used extensively in a gallery VIP room that only served for artistic entertainment, yet they were stingy when it came to making soundproofing devices for Sentinels whose sharp five senses made them prone to mania.
And the military power the Emperor possessed was mostly deployed in combat zones to deal with the Zerg; he simply didn’t have the spare strength to return to the capital and confront these corrupt nobles. Instead, these nobles kept their own Sentinels at home generation after generation—hardly different from raising private armies in ancient times.
To break the deadlock, the Emperor could only rely on an SSS-class Sentinel to kill the Zerg Queen and reclaim all civilian military power back to the capital.
It just so happened that the SSS-class Sentinel of this generation couldn’t be purified by Guides.
And it just so happened that in the novel, the Emperor had raised Wanyan Jin in advance, telling him to protect the “sister” who wouldn’t be born until three years later.
Furthermore, this Princess, who was destined to be born, was able to purify this SSS-class Sentinel.
The Emperor’s schemes run deep!
Xie Qiang lamented in her heart, shaking her head repeatedly. “Sigh, sigh—”
The Zhuque Family Head was stunned by her inexplicable reaction.
He wondered what the Princess was going to say, but after waiting for a long time, she didn’t provide any explanation. She just kept shaking her head and sighing, making him feel restless and irritable.
Finally, he couldn’t hold it in. “Princess, what exactly are you trying to say!”
“Eh?” Xie Qiang looked up at him, then let out another long, soft sigh. “The more secrets one knows, the more dangerous their life becomes. Family Head Zhuque is still young; does he already have a death wish?”
The Family Head’s face darkened.
She wasn’t that old; how could her words be so infuriating?
“Forget it!” The Family Head waved his large hand, not wanting to bicker anymore. “Since Hong Que is so desperate to marry into the Royal Family, I will no longer stop him. But he and Mo Yin haven’t been home for a long time. I hope the Princess can permit them to return home for a visit!”
Her sleeve was tugged tight. The red-haired youth looked at her nervously. “Xie Qiang…”
Once they went back, his father would surely perform the blood sacrifice immediately, making Mo Yin a sacrificial offering!
Xie Qiang took Hong Que’s hand and gave him a reassuring look. She then turned to the Family Head and said with a smile, “Family Head Zhuque, between keeping the Zhuque family’s secret and taking Hong Que and Mo Yin away, you can only choose one.”
The Family Head’s face went cold. “Does the Princess truly intend to tear our father and sons apart?”
Xie Qiang nodded earnestly. “Mhm.”
“Fine!” The Family Head stood up, looking down at Xie Qiang from his height. He sneered, “Then the Princess better take good care of my sons. If you accidentally lose them, I will definitely demand an explanation from the Emperor!”
After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and strode out of the VIP room.
Hong Que breathed a sigh of relief instantly. “That scared me to death.”
“You’re afraid of him?” Xie Qiang asked, puzzled. “Is he very bad to you?”
“No, it’s that he’s too good to me.” Hong Que shook his head, looking a bit miserable. “Because of that, he sent Mo Yin to the Black Prison and let him suffer through all sorts of abuse and torture. As the beneficiary of the family, I couldn’t resist or complain. I could only think of every possible way to…”
He paused and looked away. “I thought of every way to steal him out.”
“Hong Que, you really are terrible at keeping secrets.” Xie Qiang propped up her head, looking at him with amusement. “You made some kind of deal with my Father to rescue Mo Yin, didn’t you?”
“!!!” Hong Que’s eyes widened. “How did you know!!!”
She’s so smart!
Xie Qiang: “…” Because Mo Yin is the guard the Emperor gave to the original host. If it wasn’t the Emperor helping, who else could it be?
“It seems you definitely can’t be a prosecutor in the future.” Xie Qiang silently crossed a name off a certain list in her heart.
“Otherwise, the Empire would be in peril!” she lamented softly.
“Hey! You’re mocking me!” Hong Que felt embarrassed and angry, reaching out to tickle her waist.
Xie Qiang felt both ticklish and sore, instinctively kicking at him. “Hong Que, stop it—”
Unexpectedly, her ankle was caught. In the next second, she was pulled onto the broad sofa. The red-haired youth never tired of tickling her. In the midst of their struggle, she accidentally slipped up, and Hong Que pressed down forcefully, pinning her directly to the sofa.
Their faces were mere inches apart. They could clearly see the patterns in each other’s pupils and feel the warm breath hitting their lips.
Xie Qiang and Hong Que both widened their eyes at the same time.
Translator’s Note: The term “acting one way on the surface and another behind the back” (表面一套，背後一套) is a very common way to describe hypocrisy. Xie Qiang is starting to see the political chess board—she’s not just a Guide; she’s a key piece in the Emperor’s plan to rein in the nobles. Also, the tickle fight turning into a “kabedon” style moment? Classic!
Recommended Reads
![The Cannon Fodder Omega’s Mental Power is Off the Charts [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/omega.png)
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
