Chapter 290: The Imperial General Was Again Forcibly Flirted With 18

Ian screamed in terror, tears and snot streaming, but the blade only landed to one side, not actually on his neck.

"I'm just messing with you, too lazy to even collect your corpse."

Jin Chen snorted, looking at him like a clown.

"Someone, take these law-breaking intruders of the Empire into custody, and wait for the imperial family to send someone to collect them."

"Yes!" Another squad of soldiers came over and dragged the half-dead few away.

The remaining soldiers also lowered their weapons, craning their necks curiously at Alex, and one bold one shouted outright.

"General! Your wife is gorgeous! You two make a great pair!"

Those words rang clear in everyone's ears, instantly provoking laughter; others joined in teasing, and Jacob burst out laughing nonstop.

Alex couldn't help laughing along—after all, the teasing was about himself, and it wasn't his own troops he could scold, so he just silently covered his flushed face.

"Get lost, you two are itching for a fight, huh!"

Jin Chen laughed and scolded, "My wife's beauty needs no comment from you!"

"Alright, Commander, we'll head out first—lest the crowd gathering here later see us in the banquet hall and cause public panic."

Jacob gave Jin Chen a salute, and the soldiers, still smiling, departed.

After everyone left, only the two of them remained in the venue.

Alex watched Jin Chen walk toward him against the light, his gaze gentle, his uniform tall and straight, his coat fluttering to reveal a slim, tightened waist.

He slowly raised a smile and moved in to embrace him.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +15, total 65!】

"Does the wound hurt? Your face is getting paler." Jin Chen spoke with concern, his fingertip rubbing Alex's cheek.

"A bit; I probably tore the wound just now."

Alex answered honestly, but added, "It doesn't actually hurt."

"Nonsense, a torn wound can't be painless." Jin Chen lightly pinched his nose and ushered him back.

"Those few imperial family members are imprisoned; these days they'll surely discuss who will take charge of them. You should also rest and heal—before you forced the timeline short, now you only need one final detox."

"I know." Alex agreed, then asked, "Have the guests at the banquet hall dispersed?"

"When I led the capture of Xavier, the guests were already leaving under the Old Man's guard, and the bride's family had long known today's plan—that fiancée never showed up."

Jin Chen said this and sneered, "Only Steven thinks his plan is foolproof."

Little did they know, the hosts and guests at today's banquet were already aware.

Upon returning to the spaceship, Gila and Gimon, who had earlier received the signal, were already waiting.

"Commander!" The two stood up as soon as they saw Alex approach.

"You did well this time."

Alex lavished praise on them, "Your disguise skills have gotten even better."

"It's all thanks to your teaching, Commander!" the twin brothers said in unison.

"So the hand signals you made earlier—did you have something important to say?"

Alex sat down with Jin Chen, naturally crossing his long legs, lounging lazily in his arms.

Gila nodded, "Yes, Commander, Duke Chester wishes to contact you via video call."

Gimon opened the sharing permission on his wrist-mounted smartbrain, ensuring everyone could see the virtual screen, "He said he's free anytime you want."

"Why does that sound so strange?" Jin Chen muttered, "If I didn't know from the original plot that Duke Chester is already an old man, I'd be jealous."

"Perfect, I also have a question for him—let's open the call."

"Sure." Gimon opened the video call.

Over there, they seemed to have been waiting; just a few seconds after dialing, Duke Chester's projection appeared on the screen.

"Duke Chester, good day."

Alex didn't stand, merely giving a slight nod as a greeting.

"Good day, Alex."

Duke Chester had a full head of white hair, wore a suit, and sat elegantly on a jewel-encrusted chair; despite his age, his bearing remained distinguished.

"Looks like life in the Federation has been treating you well."

Alex chuckled, "Indeed, it's better than in the Empire."

"I don't know how you, Duke Chester, came by information about my father—I've spent decades in the Empire and never heard you mention him."

Sensing the edge and probe in his words, Chester merely gave a tolerant smile, lowering his gaze to his coffee cup.

"I was an old friend and comrade-in-arms with your father—he charged the front lines while I commanded and repaired mechs; after our successive victories against the bug swarms and space pirates, Yixiduoer felt we threatened his throne."

"After that, Yixiduoer began targeting us openly and covertly, even turning a blind eye to conspiracies by other factions."

Hearing this, Alex frowned and asked, "But you're his cousin, the late emperor's own bloodline—yet you show no mercy?"

"You're still too young to know the upper-generation royal feuds; Yixiduoer could snatch the first-in-line succession right from my hands, so he naturally has no regard for kinship."

Seems he recalled something; Chester's gaze drifted distant toward the screen, as if looking past Alex at another old friend.

"In any case, your parents saved my life, so over these years I've been investigating their true cause of death—no surprise, it was Yixiduoer's doing."

"I pretended to let go of military authority and acted oblivious to your growth, just to avoid drawing attention and letting your upbringing be riddled with plots."

Alex froze, gripping Jin Chen's hand, and suddenly asked, "When I was repeatedly sidelined at the military academy due to my identity, the benefactor who secretly helped me… was you?"

"It was me—unfortunately I couldn't show myself openly, only help from the shadows; fortunately you grew quickly, even surpassing your father."

"Thank you." Alex rose and gave a sincere bow; Jin Chen also stood and bowed with him.

This was a belated gratitude, decades in the making.

Chester smiled again, his blue eyes behind the gold-rimmed lenses glowing with kindness, "So, can you trust me now?"

"Then next, I will lay out my plan—General Jin Chen, could you please step aside for a moment?"

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, "We can't, we're family."

Chester: "...... What?"

He almost couldn't keep his composure.

Alex: "......"

He suddenly felt an inexplicable embarrassment, as if bringing a boyfriend home to meet the parents.

(Tomorrow there's a car! — boom)