Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

"My Contractor, was that person your new Contractor?" Lin Mo asked cautiously as he helped Ning Xuan take off her outer coat.

Lin Mo was wearing clothes custom-made for him and Chen Nan by Yan Fuzhen. They were white robes with embroidered patterns, ornate and lavish in style, and scented with the incense Ning Xuan favored.

Ning Xuan breathed in the faint fragrance wafting from Lin Mo, sighed, and said in a complicated tone, "He’s not."

Thinking of that person, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but sigh again. She glanced at Lin Mo and asked, "Lin Mo, do you want to go back to the army?" According to the regulations, a Contractor was required to accompany their Contractor for the first year of the contract. However, they could return to their post early as long as they obtained their Contractor’s consent.

Lin Mo was bent over, tidying Ning Xuan’s clothes. When he heard her words, his knees went weak, and he knelt. "My Contractor, I went out on business today without obtaining your permission. Please punish me."

Lin Mo and Chen Nan had originally accompanied Ning Xuan to school and then to the Controller Protection Association. But Lin Mo received an urgent communication from a subordinate and had to leave on an emergency matter. At the time, Ning Xuan was on the seventh basement level of the Association’s Training Institute. Seeing the urgency, Lin Mo sent a message to Yan Fuzhen and left to handle his business alone.

That was why, later, it was Yan Fuzhen who waited outside to take Ning Xuan home.

"I heard the war is fierce in the Second Legion’s war zone. If you want to return to your unit, I can sign the consent form." During class at school earlier that day, Ning Xuan had happened to overhear Fang Heng telling Lin Mo all about the current situation there.

Lin Mo’s back tensed. ’Did Ning Xuan overhear my conversation with Fang Heng?’ he wondered. When Fang Heng had approached him earlier, he not only described the situation in the second war zone but also said he wanted to go serve there with him. Lin Mo tried not to read too much into it, but Fang Heng’s gaze had been undeniably strange.

"My Contractor, I don’t want to go back. There is indeed a war in that zone, but it’s a long-term battlefield. The outcome won’t be decided overnight. I would like to request your permission to go out for one to two hours each day to handle business. And one more thing, please allow me to purchase a batch of the improved Inhibitors you developed and send them to the Second Legion’s garrison on the battlefield." Lin Mo had been trying to figure out how to tactfully present his requests to Ning Xuan. He hadn’t expected her to bring it up first, so he blurted everything out at once.

"If you need to go out for business, just let me know. As for the medicine, there’s no need to buy it. Go purchase the ingredients on the Star Network, and I’ll refine a batch for you. The medicine Chen Nan’s family refines is not only expensive, but its purity is also subpar. It’s a complete waste of my formula." Ning Xuan’s eye twitched as she thought of the popular Inhibitor from Chen Nan’s family that he’d brought back. That medicine had too many impurities. Although it barely achieved the intended effect, it came with many side effects. Ning Xuan was starting to regret giving the formula to Chen Jingyu.

Chen Nan had just finished preparing the medicinal bath for Ning Xuan. Hearing her words, he knelt to the side with a look of shame. "My Contractor, it is my mother who has handled things poorly. Please punish me."

"Er, Ah Nan, this has nothing to do with you."

"However, if you go home to visit your mother, you can tell her to push the R&D department to improve the purity," Ning Xuan said with a smile.

While Ning Xuan was consoling Chen Nan, in the blink of an eye, Lin Mo had already taken off his outer robe and shirt, revealing his bare back. He produced a red soft whip from somewhere and held it above his head with both hands. "My Contractor, I failed to request your permission before going out on business today. Please punish me."

Lin Mo had been shoved by Di Youlin earlier. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, there were faint bruises on his back, shoulders, and arms from the impact. There were also some ambiguous red marks on his chest, just below his neck. Chen Nan’s eyes inadvertently swept over them, and his face instantly turned red. When he saw Ning Xuan glance at him, he immediately understood, excused himself, and left.

"Come here, let me see." Ning Xuan beckoned, sitting down on a nearby daybed. She watched as Lin Mo shuffled forward on his knees until he was before her.

"These scars are from the punishment at the Association, aren’t they? Are you doing this because you think you deserve to be punished, or because you want to make my heart ache for you?" Ning Xuan took the soft whip and traced the scar running down the center of Lin Mo’s back as she asked.

"I deserve to be punished, My Contractor. I deeply regret not clarifying our contract relationship back when I took you to collect the data. The truth is, I was captivated by you the first time I saw you. I overthought things and failed to protect you in time, which led to the crisis you faced on D618 Star. Every time I think about you encountering assassins from the Slaughter Pavilion, I’m filled with regret. Punish me, My Contractor." Lin Mo docilely rested his head on Ning Xuan’s lap.

"You’re acting very strange today, Lin Mo." Ning Xuan used the coiled soft whip in her hand to lift Lin Mo’s chin, studying his expression.

A beauty viewed under lamplight possesses a unique charm. Moreover, Lin Mo’s eyes were exceptionally soft today, brimming with tender affection. His lips were so alluring that Ning Xuan couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss them.

However, Lin Mo was shoved aside. Di Youlin’s face appeared suddenly, and Ning Xuan’s lips landed on his cheek.

Di Youlin had burst through the door. The night wind swept the scent of wisteria from the courtyard into the room, making the candlelight flicker erratically.

Ning Xuan’s eyes flew wide. She pulled back and viciously slapped Di Youlin across the face.

"How did you get into my courtyard?" Ning Xuan demanded furiously.

After taking the slap from Ning Xuan, a red handprint quickly began to swell on Di Youlin’s fair face. He straightened up from his bowed posture, lowered his head, and answered calmly, "I just walked in."

"Apologies, Master. 17’s system defense barrier is ineffective against him. Should I activate the alarm for you?" After Di Youlin broke into Ning Xuan’s room, the AI butler had already detected that someone had breached the courtyard’s defense barrier. It immediately came to check the situation and saw that the intruder was the guest its Master had brought back during the day. 17, which had been about to sound the alarm, decided to ask first.

"No need. Everything’s fine here. You can go rest," Ning Xuan said, dismissing the AI butler.

"Di Youlin, if you keep pretending to be slow-witted, I’ll have you sent right back to Room 701." Ning Xuan stared at Di Youlin’s swollen face, her icy voice laced with frost.

Di Youlin’s body suddenly went rigid. The vacant look in his eyes changed in an instant, completely different from before.

"You may have been confined in 701, but your family never gave up on you. They’ve been constantly trying to find a cure. Your thoughts might have been a bit muddled when you first got out, but half a day has passed. This act is getting pointless." A mocking smile touched the corner of Ning Xuan’s lips as she looked at him.