42: Truth or Dare, a late-night test

The night was deep.

The spaceship entered a stable automatic cruise mode, the roar of the engines becoming low and rhythmic, like a hypnotic lullaby.

In the public lounge.

The originally bright overhead lights had been thoughtfully dimmed by Alice, leaving only a few warm yellow floor lamps. The light filtered through the frosted shades, casting ambiguous halos across the carpet.

The air was filled with a faint lavender scent mixed with the sweet aroma of freshly popped popcorn, making one relax involuntarily.

Several beanbag chairs were casually pushed together, forming a semicircle.

"Come on, come on! The game is starting!"

Lele, wearing that dinosaur onesie, sat cross-legged in the center of the carpet, excitedly waving the blue card in her hand.

"Truth or Dare! Whoever loses must unconditionally obey!"

Gu Pingsheng leaned against the sofa, holding a glass of whiskey with ice, his expression languid. He had changed into loose gray loungewear, the collar slightly open, revealing a section of his collarbone. He seemed less cold and sharp than during the day, and more casually roguish.

Sitting to his left was Lin Qinghan.

She had taken off that cold Nano Light Armor and changed into a black silk camisole nightdress, with a thin knitted cardigan draped over it. Her long hair was casually tied behind her head, with a few stray strands hanging by her ears, making her cold face appear softer and more alluring.

To his right was Tang Xiaoxiao.

This girl was still her usual carefree self, wearing an oversized men's T-shirt that barely covered the tops of her thighs, her two strong, wheat-colored legs stretched out casually, full of wild vitality.

As for Liu Ruyan...

She had insisted on squeezing in opposite Gu Pingsheng, wearing a semi-transparent lace nightdress, with what was underneath faintly visible. She had carefully applied a "no-makeup" look, and her eyes drifted toward Gu Pingsheng from time to time; her little schemes were practically written on her face.

"First round! Start!"

Lele placed the card on the coffee table in the center and spun the pointer on it hard.

"Whirrr—"

The pointer spun rapidly, finally coming to a slow stop.

It pointed directly at Liu Ruyan.

"Oh! It's Sister Liu!"

Lele clapped her hands and cheered.

Liu Ruyan's eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up straight, intentionally puffing out her chest to make that patch of snow-white skin more conspicuous.

"I choose Dare!"

Her voice was sweet and cloying, and she looked at Gu Pingsheng with lingering, suggestive eyes, as if saying: Hurry up and command me, anything is fine.

Lele smirked and pulled a punishment card from the deck.

"The Dare is... kiss one person of the opposite sex present! Ten-second time limit!"

The whole room fell silent.

Then, a look of ecstatic joy bloomed on Liu Ruyan's face.

This was heaven-sent!

The only person of the opposite sex present was Gu Pingsheng (Alice was a robot and didn't count). Wasn't this just clearly asking her to offer a kiss?

"Since it's the rules of the game..."

Liu Ruyan lowered her head shyly, adjusted her hair, then stood up and walked toward Gu Pingsheng with a cat-like gait.

As she moved, that semi-transparent nightdress swayed gently, bringing with it a whiff of cheap perfume.

She walked up to Gu Pingsheng and slowly leaned over.

Her neckline opened wide, and that deep cleavage was displayed before Gu Pingsheng without reservation.

"Captain..."

She breathed like an orchid, her red lips slightly parted, and leaned toward Gu Pingsheng's face.

Closer.

Closer still.

She could even see the fine fuzz on Gu Pingsheng's face and smell the faint scent of tobacco and alcohol on him.

Just as her lips were about to touch Gu Pingsheng's cheek,

A slender hand suddenly reached out.

A single finger pressed against her forehead.

"Stop."

Gu Pingsheng spoke calmly, his voice flat and waveless, but it was like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing Liu Ruyan's enthusiasm.

Liu Ruyan froze.

She remained in that pouting posture, awkwardly hanging in mid-air.

"Cap...Captain?"

She blinked aggrievedly, her eyes instantly turning red.

"These are the game rules... I'm willing to lose the bet..."

"Rules are dead, but people are living."

Gu Pingsheng withdrew his finger and wiped it on the sofa armrest with disgust.

He took a sip of his drink and looked at Liu Ruyan with a playful expression.

"I'm allergic to your saliva."

"Pfft—"

Tang Xiaoxiao, who was next to them, couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Although Lin Qinghan didn't laugh, the corners of her mouth also turned up slightly.

Liu Ruyan's face instantly turned the color of pig's liver, mortified with shame.

"Then... what should I do?"

She bit her lip and asked unwillingly.

"Change the punishment."

Gu Pingsheng pointed to Alice, who was in standby mode in the corner.

"Alice's joints have been a bit noisy lately; go apply some machine oil to them."

"Remember, you must wipe the whole body, and don't miss a single joint."

"Huh?!"

Liu Ruyan widened her eyes, looking at Gu Pingsheng in disbelief.

Make her, a Campus Belle, go apply machine oil to a robot? And the whole body at that?

That machine oil was dirty and smelly, and it was hard to wash off if it got on your hands!

"What? Unwilling?"

Gu Pingsheng raised an eyebrow, his gaze instantly turning cold.

"On my spaceship, obeying orders is the primary rule. Even if it's a game."

Liu Ruyan shivered all over.

She remembered the fear of being locked in solitary confinement before.

"I... I'll go..."

She gritted her teeth, enduring the humiliation, and turned to walk toward Alice.

Watching Liu Ruyan's wretched back, Gu Pingsheng was in a great mood.

"Continue."

Second round.

The pointer spun again.

This time, it stopped in front of Lin Qinghan.

Lin Qinghan's body stiffened slightly, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on her cardigan.

"Sister Qinghan!"

Lele looked at her with a grin.

"Truth or Dare?"

Lin Qinghan hesitated.

A Dare was too uncontrollable; what if it turned out like Liu Ruyan's...

"Truth."

She said softly, her voice cool and jade-like.

Lele pulled out a card, glanced at it, and then covered her mouth and giggled.

"Hehe, this question is so embarrassing~"

She flipped the card over and showed it to everyone.

【Please state the color of the underwear you are currently wearing.】

Boom!

Lin Qinghan felt a rush of hot blood go straight to her head, her originally fair cheeks instantly turning bright red, and even her earlobes were tinged with crimson.

This kind of question... how could she answer it in front of everyone?

And... and Gu Pingsheng was still watching!

She subconsciously brought her legs together, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Um... can I change to another one?"

She lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's, carrying a hint of pleading.

"No way~"

Lele shook her head, looking innocent.

"You have to accept the bet if you lose! Sister Qinghan wouldn't be a sore loser, right?"

Lin Qinghan bit her lip.

Of course she could handle losing.

But...

She secretly raised her head and glanced at Gu Pingsheng.

Gu Pingsheng was leaning on the sofa, swirling his glass, looking at her with an inscrutable smile.

That gaze... was too aggressive.

It was as if he possessed X-ray vision, piercing through the cardigan she was wearing, piercing through that thin layer of silk nightdress, and seeing directly into her most private places.

He was scrutinizing her.

Like he was scrutinizing a piece of private property that belonged to him.

That kind of gaze made Lin Qinghan feel a shudder, and a layer of fine goosebumps rose on her skin.

Shame.

But more than that, it was an indescribable... sense of submission.

He was the Captain.

She was the First Officer.

On this spaceship, everything about her belonged to him.

Including this secret.

Lin Qinghan took a deep breath, trying to calm her wildly beating heart.

But that heat could not be suppressed, and instead spread up her neck all the way to her chest.

"Bla... Black..."

She finally spoke.

Her voice was very soft, with a hint of trembling, as if it were squeezed from the depths of her throat.

"What? I didn't hear you clearly~"

Tang Xiaoxiao chimed in from the side, grinning and putting her hand to her ear like a megaphone.

"Say it louder, Sister Qinghan! We're all girls (except for the Captain), what are you afraid of!"

Lin Qinghan glared fiercely at Tang Xiaoxiao; if that look could kill, Tang Xiaoxiao would have died eight hundred times already.

But she still had to speak again.

This time, she raised her head and looked straight into Gu Pingsheng's eyes.

In those cold, clear eyes, there were now ripples of shy, watery light, like melting ice and snow.

"Black... lace..."

The last two words were so soft they were almost inaudible.

But everyone present heard them clearly.

Gu Pingsheng's eyes darkened for a moment.

Black lace.

These three words, paired with Lin Qinghan's cold and ascetic appearance, were simply the most lethal aphrodisiac.

In his mind, an image involuntarily surfaced: black lace trim, tightly wrapping that snow-white skin, faintly visible, mysterious and seductive...

"Ahem."

Gu Pingsheng coughed lightly to hide the dryness in his throat.

He put down his glass, his gaze lingering on Lin Qinghan for two seconds before moving away.

"Not bad."

He commented blandly.

Only two words.

Yet it made Lin Qinghan feel as if she had been stripped bare, her whole body burning up.

She quickly lowered her head, tightened the cardigan on her body, and wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

Third round.

The pointer spun again.

This time, as if by fate's arrangement, the pointer stopped steadily in front of Gu Pingsheng.

"Wow! It's Captain Brother!"

Lele jumped up excitedly.

"Truth or Dare?"

Gu Pingsheng raised an eyebrow.

Truth?

He had too many secrets; the system, rebirth, Hand of God... none of them could be told.

"Dare."

He said calmly.

Lele chuckled, carefully selected a card from the pile of punishment cards, and then held it up like a little demon.

【Get wall-slammed by a person of the opposite sex present and maintain eye contact for ten seconds.】

"Who's coming, who's coming?"

Lele waved the card, her gaze sweeping over the three girls.

Liu Ruyan was still miserably wiping machine oil in the corner, so she was ruled out.

Lin Qinghan was still immersed in the shame from just now and didn't even dare to raise her head.

That only left...

"I'll do it!"

Tang Xiaoxiao slammed her hand up, looking eager to try.

She had long wanted to get revenge for being mocked by Gu Pingsheng earlier.

And... wall-slamming the Captain!

This kind of opportunity was once in a lifetime!

"Good! Go for it, Sister Xiaoxiao!"

Lele, who loved a good show, immediately cleared the space.

Tang Xiaoxiao stood up, rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was about to start a fight.

She walked up to Gu Pingsheng and looked down at him.

"Captain, sorry about this~"

After saying that, she took a deep breath and suddenly leaned over.

"Bang!"

One hand slammed heavily onto the back of the sofa next to Gu Pingsheng's ear.

The other hand braced against the other side.

A standard wall-slam posture.

The distance between the two instantly narrowed.

Close enough to hear each other's breathing.

The faint scent of sweat on Tang Xiaoxiao mixed with the fresh fragrance of lemon shower gel rushed straight into Gu Pingsheng's nostrils.

It was a very healthy, sunny scent.

Gu Pingsheng did not dodge, nor did he resist.

He just leaned on the sofa like that, looking up slightly, watching Tang Xiaoxiao, who was inches away, with a calm expression.

In those deep eyes, Tang Xiaoxiao's slightly nervous face was reflected.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The originally aggressive Tang Xiaoxiao suddenly felt something was wrong.

This script... why was it different from what she imagined?

Logically, someone being wall-slammed should be shy, nervous, and avoid eye contact!

But Gu Pingsheng's expression... why was it so calm?

Even... carrying a hint of mockery?

That kind of look was like watching a little kitten baring its claws and fangs; not only was there no deterrent force, but it actually felt quite cute.

Tang Xiaoxiao's heartbeat began to accelerate.

"Thump, thump, thump."

In the quiet lounge, that heartbeat was clearly audible.

She looked into Gu Pingsheng's eyes.

Those eyes were too deep, like a black hole, ready to suck her soul in.

His eyelashes were long, casting a small shadow under his eyelids.

His nose bridge was high and straight.

His lips... were thin, looking a bit cool.

If she kissed them... what would it feel like?

As soon as this thought popped up, Tang Xiaoxiao's face instantly turned red, all the way to the root of her neck.

What was she doing!

She was the one wall-slamming him, so why did it feel like she was the one being teased?

No!

She couldn't lose!

Tang Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, trying hard to widen her eyes, wanting to overwhelm Gu Pingsheng in momentum.

"What... what are you looking at! Haven't you seen a pretty girl before!"

She bluffed and shouted, but her voice was trembling a little.

Gu Pingsheng smiled.

The smile was very light, yet carried an indescribable air of wickedness.

"I have seen plenty of pretty girls."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic, like the strings of a cello, making Tang Xiaoxiao's eardrums tingle.

"But someone as... wild as you, is indeed rare."

Eighth second.

Ninth second.

Just as the countdown was about to end,

Gu Pingsheng suddenly moved.

He didn't push Tang Xiaoxiao away, but instead leaned forward slightly.

The distance between the two narrowed again.

Their noses were almost touching.

Tang Xiaoxiao could even feel his hot breath spraying onto her lips, carrying the faint scent of alcohol.

Her brain went blank instantly, her body stiff as a rock.

Gu Pingsheng looked at her panicked eyes, a playful curve hooking the corner of his mouth.

He leaned to her ear and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered:

"Heart beating so fast... afraid I'll eat you?"

Boom!

Tang Xiaoxiao felt a firework explode in her brain.

That warm breath drilled into her ear, traveling along her nerve endings throughout her whole body, making her go limp.

Her legs went weak.

She couldn't stand at all.

"Ah—!"

She screamed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and shot up, scrambling back to her seat.

She grabbed a pillow to block her face, leaving only her eyes exposed, staring at Gu Pingsheng in terror and shame.

"You... you pervert!"

Gu Pingsheng shrugged, looking innocent.

"I didn't do anything."

"You were the one who leaned in."

The whole room burst into laughter.

Even Liu Ruyan, who had been wiping machine oil the whole time, couldn't help but look back, feeling sour.

Hmph, so what if it was a wall-slam? What's the big deal!

If it were her, she definitely would have kissed him directly!

...

The game went on until late at night.

Everyone was a bit tired and had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.

"Alright, let's stop here for today."

Gu Pingsheng stood up and clapped his hands.

"We have to travel tomorrow, everyone go back and rest."

"Yes~"

The women stood up one after another and returned to their rooms.

When Lin Qinghan left, she gave Gu Pingsheng a deep look, her eyes complex, carrying a lingering trace of shyness.

Tang Xiaoxiao kept her head down, like a schoolchild who had done something wrong, and dashed away in a flash.

Lele yawned, holding her rabbit doll, and was dizzily led away by Alice.

Gu Pingsheng looked at the empty lounge, a smile hooking the corner of his mouth.

Tonight was interesting.

Not only did he relax, but he also unexpectedly discovered quite a few "secrets."

For example, Lin Qinghan's black stockings.

For example, Tang Xiaoxiao's innocence.

These were all good material for future training... oh no, cultivating team members.

He turned and walked toward the Captains Quarters.

He pushed the door open.

The room was pitch black.

Just as Gu Pingsheng was about to turn on the light, his hand felt a foreign object under the pillow.

A note.

By the dim light from the corridor, he could see the handwriting on it.

The handwriting was elegant, with a thick scent of perfume.

【Captain, I'm waiting for you in room 302~ The door is unlocked~ Heart.jpg】

No need to guess.

It must be that persistent woman, Liu Ruyan.

Gu Pingsheng sneered.

He crumpled the note into a ball and accurately tossed it into the trash can.

"The door is unlocked?"

"Then let it stay open."

"It'll be good for ventilation, to air out that machine oil smell."

He took off his coat and walked into the bathroom.

That newly installed deep sea therapy pod was emitting a faint blue light, waiting for his patronage.

Tonight was destined to be a good dream.