When the Omega opened his eyes again, he was met with a vista of silver-white. This monotonous hue, one of the most common colors in a military camp, stood in stark contrast to the magnificent colors of his dream. This was his bedroom; he was awake.
Feng Zhixi blinked. His body felt soft and relaxed, enveloped by a warm presence at his back. A faint, pleasant scent of green plums—sweet and refreshing—wafted over him. Lazily, he rolled onto his side.
Sensing the movement in his arms, the light-sleeping Alpha opened his eyes, meeting the Omega’s gaze as he turned.
They were extremely close. The Omega didn't seem fully awake yet; his eyes were misty, his long lashes fluttering up and down. His cheeks were flushed a soft pink from sleep, making him look like a soft, slightly temperamental kitten—both indolent and delicate. Ji Yeran couldn't help but smile.
Though Feng Zhixi was awake, his consciousness seemed to linger in the dream. He had already forgotten the specifics of what had happened there the moment he woke, only vaguely remembering something that had drawn him in. There had been a light like shimmering mist... what was it? He wondered uncertainly.
While the Omega was still dazed, Ji Yeran, mindful of the time, pulled him up. The military exercise had finally concluded today, and they were set to return. However, before that, the Federation military had a ceremony that was as tacky as it was pretentious, and it started exceptionally early.
Unfortunately, they were part of this tacky, pretentious ceremony.
*Utterly boring!* Feng Zhixi, who had been pulled up against his will, grumbled inwardly. As a pragmatic star pirate leader, he held nothing but disdain for such superficial rituals.
"Utterly boring!" General Ji Qiu grumbled the exact same sentiment as he stared at his ceremonial dress uniform. It was pure white, adorned with ubiquitous gold embroidery and various useless, encumbering decorations. With a stony face, the General pulled out the set of clothes that was good for nothing but being complicated.
A ceremonial dress uniform was entirely different from standard combat fatigues. Designed specifically for formal events, these uniforms pushed the ancient concepts of exquisite elegance to their extreme. On the collar, cuffs, belt, and epaulets, there were ornamental knots of various sizes—some complex, some simple. Each carried a different meaning, serving as symbols for a Federation soldier: Bravery, Justice, Honor, and Sacrifice.
At that moment, the grim-faced General Ji was wrestling with his ceremonial belt. Though it was a belt, the one for a General’s dress uniform was nothing like a standard military belt. A standard belt only required a simple, direct buckle. The General’s belt, however, came with a complete and tedious set of wearing requirements. This belt, representing "Honor," had to be fastened according to a series of convoluted steps and finished with a standard-issue, complex, and tedious ornamental knot before it was considered complete.
Looking at himself in the mirror, General Ji untied a misaligned knot for the thousand-and-first time. Unwilling to struggle further, he decisively pressed the communication button on his optical computer.
A moment later, a voice rang out in the room, and a holographic image of Chairwoman Ye appeared.
"What's the matter?" Having changed out of her own ornate gown, Chairwoman Ye was wearing comfortable loungewear, seemingly handling official business in her study. She looked at the Omega who had contacted her urgently, and then her eyes fell upon the tangled mess of a belt in Ji Qiu’s hands.
Understanding his predicament instantly, Chairwoman Ye set aside the document she was halfway through and began remotely guiding the General on how to tie the knot.
With her expert guidance, the General resumed his struggle and finally found the knack for it. As he tied the belt, he wondered: *Who on earth came up with this brain-dead design?*
Feng Zhixi, undergoing a similar struggle, shared the exact same confusion. Although his ceremonial uniform wasn't as complex as a General’s, the designers of these uniforms were world-class experts in the field of over-complication.
As the attire worn by soldiers during ceremonies, these uniforms represented the image of the entire Federation Military. Especially when compared to the officials of the Administrative Department, who looked glamorous at every event, the military uniform designers had declared: *We cannot lose; every uniform must be armed to the teeth!*
Irritably pulling at the belt, Feng Zhixi stared down at the silver band in his hands, wishing he could burn a hole through it with his gaze.
*Do these designers have oceans in their heads? One shake and it’s all water!*
Watching the Omega engage in a staring contest with his belt, the Warden, who was already fully dressed, suppressed a laugh. He walked over and took the belt from Feng Zhixi’s hands.
"Don't move," he said softly. The Warden reached his arms around Feng Zhixi’s waist, effectively pulling the Omega into an embrace. The Alpha lowered his head slightly, the silver-white belt winding through his long, steady fingers. His hands were sure; his movements weren't fast, but they were practiced. With leisurely precision, a complex and beautiful ornamental knot was soon tied.
Having finished that, Ji Yeran took Feng Zhixi’s hands, untied the messy knots at his cuffs, and began reworking them.
Now that someone had taken over the task, the Omega obediently held out his hands and looked idly into the mirror. He saw himself dressed in a slim-fitting white ceremonial uniform, cinched at the waist by a silver-white belt. The Alpha, head bowed, was currently tying the cuff knots; styles that looked incredibly complex were handled by Ji Yeran in just a few deft movements.
The cuff knots were woven from very thin cords laced with silver thread. The resulting knots resembled a vine-like totem, complementing the matching dark patterns around the cuffs. It was retro, magnificent, yet understated, adding a unique flair to the wearer. It was clear just how much thought the designers had poured into this.
Looking down at his own cuffs, Feng Zhixi raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself: *Such practiced movements?*
Just then, he heard a voice. "Chin up."
Having finished the cuffs, Ji Yeran moved his hands to Feng Zhixi’s neck. This was the final knot of the uniform. The Alpha patiently pulled the cords through, his lowered brows carrying a silent, tender quality.
Feng Zhixi tilted his chin up slightly to let Ji Yeran tie the collar knot, unable to stop himself from complaining, "What a hassle!" *Who actually came up with this pointless uniform?*
Hearing this, Ji Yeran couldn't help but smile. He coaxed him patiently, "Almost done. Don't fidget."
The knot at the collar was different from the others on the uniform. It was composed of very fine gold thread and needed to be tied into a Sunbird ring-clasp, the symbol of the Federation. It took an exceptionally long time to complete.
Seemingly soothed by the Alpha’s voice, the Omega stopped moving. He looked up, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ji Yeran. Watching the Alpha’s skilled movements, Feng Zhixi asked casually, "Do you wear this kind of uniform often?" *He’s so bad at tying a bandage for a wound, yet he’s so skilled at tying these knots.*
"I don't like these kinds of occasions; I've only attended once or twice," the Alpha replied offhandedly, focused on the final knot. "It’s not actually hard. You learn after doing it a few times."
As a Warden who had been extremely low-profile in his past life, Ji Yeran avoided these so-called ceremonies whenever possible. However, his family included a certain General who couldn't tie a knot to save his life. Before the age of six, this had been Ji Yeran's job. Practice makes perfect.
Thinking of this, Ji Yeran suddenly realized that since it was a ceremony, his father would likely have to wear his General’s dress uniform. After all these years, surely his father’s skills had improved?
He still remembered the day his mother had pushed open the door to find her son, not yet six years old, standing on a high stool helping General Ji tie his waist knot. Chairwoman Ye’s face had gone completely dark.
From then on, that job had been taken over by his Alpha mother.
Recalling the past, Ji Yeran shook his head helplessly, unsure how to even describe that couple.
Catching the implication in Ji Yeran’s words, Feng Zhixi raised an eyebrow. So, he wasn't skilled because he wore them often, but because he tied them for someone else?
When Ji Yeran finished the final knot, he looked up. The Omega before him was dressed in an exquisite, magnificent military ceremonial uniform. With pure white as the base, the cut of the uniform itself was simple and clean. The designers had placed all their ingenuity into the various complex, delicate knots and dark patterns, integrating extreme complexity into minimalism.
This design played to the Omega’s physical advantages perfectly. The pure white background served only to highlight the refinement of Feng Zhixi’s features. His beauty, as sharp and brilliant as a drawn blade, complemented the pure gold Sunbird totem at his collar perfectly.
*This uniform suits him well,* Ji Yeran thought. Then, he noticed something slightly off. The little patient’s mood seemed a bit... strange?
Giving Ji Yeran a nonchalant glance, Feng Zhixi maintained an air of calm indifference. "Time’s almost up. Let’s go."
"???" Ji Yeran was left utterly bewildered. *So, what just happened?*
***
Glossary
