The two would leave at the appointed time, and it was still early, so Liu Xian’an lay back on the bed again in his night clothes. A-Ning deftly rearranged the wardrobe, then turned around to find that his eyes were still open, and asked worriedly: “The young master seems to have been suffering from insomnia recently. Do you really not want to take medicine and recuperate?”

Liu Xian’an explained: “I’m not suffering from insomnia, I’m just thinking about the prince.”

“But the prince is next door to us,” A-Ning said. “And he will take the young master out with him later.”

Liu Xian’an felt that he couldn’t elaborate on this matter, because he was thinking about the one in his dreams. As he thought, it was as if he had returned to that hot spring, where his whole body was soaked and weak, and he had no strength to lift his eyelids. A-Ning had become accustomed to the problem of his young master falling asleep suddenly mid-word, so he quickly rolled up the quilt to cover him. With the weight on his body, Second Young Master Liu met His Royal Highness Xiao Wang once more, but perhaps due to having a doctor’s instincts, he felt that it was not good. Too often would result in an imbalance of qi and blood, so he thought hard, no more sleep, no more sleep, wake up.

He ran all the way in that illusory realm, looking for the world’s exit, but there were hot springs and peach blossom forests everywhere. There were slippery petals beneath his feet, and the sky was raining fallen petals so that he was about to be buried in them. Liang Shu sat by the bed and called him: “Wake up.”

Liu Xian’an opened his eyes, finally breaking free from the Three Thousand Worlds, but he didn’t expect the first thing he saw to be the person from his dreams. He sat up in bed and tried his best to calm his frantic heartbeat: “Why is the prince here? Where is A-Ning?”

“I told him to go back and rest.” Liang Shu said, “It’s almost zishi, do you still want to go to Yu Manor?”

I definitely want to go, but I had to wait for a while. Liu Xian’an threw off the quilt and got out of bed, a little disheveled from sleep. Liang Shu looked away from that smooth neck, following behind him without incident.

“You seem to have nightmares all the time. Do you want to take some tonic? What do you dream about?”

Liu Xian’an was perfunctory: I didn’t dream of anything.

Liang Shu grabbed a strand of his hair: “Is there another old man bothering you?”

Liu Xian’an replied, yes, yes, yes.

Liang Shu didn’t let go, and continued to order, next time don’t dream about the old men, dream about me.

Liu Xian’an had a guilty conscience and couldn’t listen to these words, so he changed the subject: “Why don’t we hurry to Yu Manor.”

Because A-Ning was not around, there was no need to wear the extremely long cloak. The two left the inn together. The night wind in the southwest was very cool, so Liang Shu naturally pulled him over by the waist, leaping up like a giant hawk. Both of them vanished into the dense shadows.

The lights were on in Yu Cong’s courtyard, and there were many maidservants and courtyard guards. The air was filled with a strong scent of medicine. Liu Xian’an removed the mask covering his face and took a small sniff, saying: “Green shucao can cure chest and heart pain, which is common for the elderly. However, green shucao is a strong medicine, and is generally only used when the disease is in the later stages. Only when other medicines are useless will one take the risk of trying it.”

“The shopkeeper also said that Master Yu hadn’t played shuttlecock in the streets for a long time.” Liang Shu said, “Let’s go and look elsewhere.”

Liu Xian’an put on the face mask again. Although there were guards all around, he was not nervous at all, and it was almost like he was “coming for a visit.” And Liang Shu’s mentality was similar. They naturally must investigate the cult, but he also could not delay holding hands with his sweetheart. Not far from Yu Cong’s residence, there was a courtyard full of colorful objects. Liu Xian’an spotted it and asked what it was, so Liang Shu took him there to have a look.

It appeared to be a warehouse, all piled up with useless things such as colored paper and colored cloth, cups, plates, bowls, several large black pots, and many tables, chairs, and benches. Liang Shu said: “They’re things for holding a banquet.”

They all looked brand new, and some of them hadn’t even been taken out of their bundled straw ropes, so they should all have been prepared for the banquet and the Many-Color Festival.

Liang Shu pushed open the door, and Liu Xian’an walked in with him. The lighting in the room was much darker than outside, and many things could only be seen as blurred outlines. After a moment, the eyes of the two gradually adapted to the darkness. At this time, a full moon happened to rise from the dark clouds, and the surroundings became brighter. As soon as it became brighter, the fine hair stood up on the back of Liu Xian’an’s neck, and he vaguely felt that someone was staring at him.

He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head. Looking at it, even though he was prepared, he nearly cried out. Liang Shu covered his mouth and said in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid, it’s a mannequin.”

Liu Xian’an nodded. He knew it was a mannequin, but knowing such did not prevent him from being frightened. Who could stand to run into such a pair of stiff white eyeballs in the dark? Liang Shu held his hand: “I’ll go look, you close your eyes.”

Liu Xian’an turned his eyes away as he said, but was curious, so he turned them back again. The master who crafted the mannequin seemed to have used all his ability, trying to make it develop in the direction of a beautiful girl. But it was also due to this that the mannequin looked extremely close to the appearance of a real person, but with a stiff look that was completely different from one. Wearing a bright red outfit and grinning, it might cause one more timid to wet their pants on the spot.

Liang Shu knocked on the mannequin, and there was a dong dong. He said: “It’s a human-shaped stone covered in a layer of paper.”

“For sacrificial offerings,” Liu Xian’an explained. “I’ve seen this sort of folk legend in books. If someone in the family is sick, one will throw a stone bride into the river so that the sick person will be blessed by the river god.”

“That rubbish makes no sense.” Liang Shu shook his head. “Fishers and bridge builders all beg the river god to come down, and curing diseases and preserving lives also requires the intervention of the river god. Moreover, the long river winds tens of thousands of feet, and there are sick people in all the villages along its banks. How many people does the river god have to marry?”

“If it was reasonable, it wouldn’t be called a ‘folk rumor’,” Liu Xian’an said. “Everyone loves to hear folk rumors where one must get married.”

Liang Shu asked: “You like to hear them too?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “Well enough.”

It was better to hear about a pair of lovers overcoming obstacles and finally getting married than to hear about an old monster going down the mountain to eat people. Liu Xian’an mused to himself, just like the current Huaizhen city, if what they caught up with was not a ghost, but two people getting married, the whole city could set up a feast. Wouldn’t that be very pleasant?

Liang Shu vowed: “Then whichever city we pass by in the future, if there is a wedding banquet, I will take you there to eat.”

As for the gloomy stone bride in front of them, it looked like she wouldn’t be able to marry the river god anytime soon. Liang Shu took Liu Xian’an out of the courtyard and went east, where the Young Master Yu, Yu Zhong, resided.

The lights in the hall were also on at this time, and there were servants coming and going to bring tea and snacks, obviously entertaining a guest.

This “guest” was the wizard who was said to be extremely effective in catching ghosts, named Yin Die.

In his forties, with a thin body and high cheekbones, he wore a dark-colored cloak. He had a deep complexion, and did indeed look like a master from a foreign land.

Liang Shu poked a small hole in the window paper, and asked Liu Xian’an to come over to watch the liveliness.

Young Master Yu probed: “What about the haunting?”

“I’ll need to catch the ghost myself.” Yin Die half-closed his eyes, “But the river god’s marriage cannot be delayed. The whole city will be notified tomorrow, and it will be done the day after tomorrow. Young Master Yu doesn’t want his father to have any troubles, does he?”

Yu Zhong continued: “Of course not, of course not, but—”

Before he could say “but,” Yin Die had already got up, flung his sleeves, and walked out the door. The tea set on the table with the cloak was overturned, and the old lady who was waiting to the side hurriedly went to clean up, but he didn’t even turn his head. He only left a sentence: “I’ll go to see Master Yu again, if Young Master Yu wants to hold the Many-Color Festival, he should prepare things quickly.”

Yu Zhong made a sound of affirmation, but the expression on his face was not very good. After Yin Die walked away, he grew even more angry, and seeing that no one was pleasing to the eye, he kicked out the maid and the old lady, cursing: “That deceptive dog, it’s just the old man who believes him. What should be prepared is already prepared. After all, isn’t it all just silver and gold?”

His trusted steward reminded him to keep his voice down, and that the walls had ears. However, Yu Zhong still wanted to curse. Not to mention Wan Yuan crawling out of her grave, Yin Die had probably planned it himself. Now the old man had been deceived to the point that he believed whatever he said, and his mind was confused due to his illness, but it was easy for him to open his mouth wide.

Liang Shu and Liu Xian’an listened outside for a while, and could roughly figure it out. This was the young master of the Yu family. He didn’t believe in ghosts at all, but could do nothing about Master Yu’s deep belief in Yin Die. Thus, he could only allow the wizard to run rampant in Yu Manor, and Yu Zhong only dared to to feel distressed about the money behind his back, even cursing his father.

Liu Xian’an pinched his nose and forced a sneeze back.

It was the first time Liang Shu had seen this sort of technique. He touched the other’s cold hand, leading him away from Yu Manor and back to the inn.

Liu Xian’an: “Achoo!”

A-Ning: “I told you to wear a cloak when you went out!”

Liu Xian’an heard but did not listen, entering the room lightly. He said: “I’m not cold. Why aren’t you asleep?”

A-Ning replied: “I’ve already woken up. Seeing that the young master had not come back, I was a little worried, so I came here and waited.”

“With the prince here, what are you worried about?” Liu Xian’an cupped his own face in his hands. “Warm.”

A-Ning commented: “The way the young master talks and does things now, he looks more and more like the prince.”

Liu Xian’an thought for a moment: “Intimidating without being angry?”

“Not quite like that.”

Liu Xian’an simply kept his face unchanged and put his hand into A-Ning’s neckline. A-Ning was so cold that he screamed and hid to the side, saying: “This is what you call not cold?”

Liu Xian’an explained: “When we were spying, the prince was holding me, so I naturally wasn’t cold.”

A-Ning didn’t realize that there was something wrong with this, because his young master looked weak and not very frost-resistant, so he needed to be held. He asked the shopkeeper to bring hot water for washing, and asked: “Did you find anything out?”

“According to Yu Zhong and the wizard, the Many-Color Festival will be reopened the day after tomorrow.” Liu Xian’an said, “If the female ghost’s true purpose is to put a stop to the Many-Color Festival, then when the news spreads tomorrow, she will probably take action.”

A-Ning was not very interested in the Many-Color Festival and ghost hunting. He only thought, if the female ghost makes trouble tomorrow night, wouldn’t his young master want to follow His Royal Highness Xiao Wang to watch the excitement again and not be able to sleep?

He speedily helped him wash up, then stuffed him under the quilt with great force and said: “Sleep!”

Liu Xian’an had not yet reacted, and didn’t know why he was lying down. He said: “But I still want to talk with the prince for a while.”

“It’s yinshi. The prince is going to sleep too.” A-Ning was unmoved. He had never thought before that his young master would someday refuse to sleep honestly. If this were to be written in a family letter, neither the Master or First Young Master would believe it.

Liu Xian’an was forced to lie on the bed, thinking about things and flipping pancakes,^[1] and only felt faintly sleepy when the pancakes were fully baked. This time, he did not dream of the hot springs and His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, but of the stone bride from Yu Manor following behind him, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The screaming was so shrill that Second Young Master Liu was almost at the point of death, so he could only say to her calmly: “You sit down, let’s talk about the Heavenly Dao.”

But the stone bride didn’t listen or speak, and only stared at him with her two eyeballs. Second Young Master Liu also looked at her for a while and felt that it was really boring, so he called a white crane and ignored her. He broke through the clouds ninety thousand li away toward the red sun in the sky, and returned to the present world, swaying and at ease.

And the first person he saw when he opened his eyes was still Liang Shu, who was sitting by the bed. He said: “It seems that this dream is pretty good. You’re smiling.”

Liu Xian’an was rather puzzled, and wondered if it was the other way around. Dreaming about His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was obviously very good, but nine times out of ten, he felt the panic and confusion of a nightmare, but dreaming about ghosts was very peaceful and quiet.

Liang Shu didn’t know what was going on in his mind at the moment. He frowned thoughtfully, thinking that it was the old white-bearded men who were causing trouble, so he stretched out his hand and lifted him up to a sitting position. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was already familiar with this process of taking advantage of beauties, and would return to this soft fragrance and warmth from time to time. Of course, this was mainly due to the fact that the Sleeping Immortal often failed to distinguish between dreams and reality upon waking up, his mind confused and muddled, and could be manipulated at will.

Grab him and move him.

It was good that A-Ning couldn’t see this, or perhaps he would drive the prince out in a rebellious manner.

Liu Xian’an leaned back on his waist pillow, still unwilling to move. He originally had not slept for long.

Liang Shu said: “Eat something first, then go to sleep.”

Liu Xian’an still didn’t move, so His Royal Highness Xiao Wang picked him up as a matter of course and made it appear that he had suffered a loss: “This lord has never served others in such a way before.”

The service was not good, far worse than A-Ning’s. No matter how precious this lazy fellow was, he could only rally his spirit and do everything himself. He dodged the hot towel thrown at him: “The prince has been staying in my room?”

Liang Shu nodded, handing him the towel: “I saw that A-Ning was a little sleepy, so I asked him to go back to his room and rest for a while.”

But the actual conversation that morning went like this—

A-Ning: “I’m not sleepy.”

Gao Lin: “You’re sleepy.”

A-Ning: “I’m really not sleepy.”

Gao Lin: “You really are sleepy.”

The two recited their mantras back and forth several times, and the guards next to them were all dazed. They wondered if Lieutenant General Gao had learned some medical skills himself, in order to forcibly make a diagnosis and arrange for others to sleep more.

Of course, Second Young Master Liu didn’t know all of this for the time being. After washing up, he sat at the table and took a piece of pastry to eat. Liang Shu opened the window to let in some air, but the breeze brought in the voices of the common people talking on the street. Liu Xian’an’s ears were very handy, and could pick up even a casual sentence. He immediately asked: “There was another haunting last night?”

Liang Shu nodded: “Yes, the screaming woke up half the city.”

“No wonder I heard it in my dreams,” Liu Xian’an said. “There was really a ghost screaming.”

“I originally wanted to let you sleep a bit longer.” Liang Shu opened the window all the way. “Have breakfast first, and after that, I’ll take you out to have a look.”

---

[1] “Flipping pancakes” is to toss and turn. ⮐

---

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Chapter Sixty << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-Two

Tong Ou said: “Yu Manor has behaved too cleanly and innocently these years. It stands to reason that this sort of big, local family should be the first target of the Baifu Sect, so we have not relaxed our attitude toward the Yu Cong father and son, but nothing has been discovered, and it seems that no cult disciples have come to lobby the Yu family.”

Liu Xian’an understood what he meant. There was nothing wrong with being clean and innocent, but that would have to be the cleanliness after the Baifu Sect failed to win them over, not like now. It was obviously a fat sheep, but the cult seemed to ignore it entirely.

Liang Shu asked: “So you haven’t found any flaws in them?”

“None existed at first,” Tong Ou said, “but then I found Uncle Wan and heard from him that Master Yu had donated the coffin and hired a wizard to urge an early burial. I felt that this was unreasonable, and reported it to the commander again. A new round of investigations was launched toward the Yu family, and this time we finally found a secret account, which revealed a little bit of the relationship between the Yu family and the Baifu Sect.”

“Only a little bit?”

Tong Ou was ashamed when asked: “Yes, only a little bit, not enough to be used as evidence.”

This time, it was also because of the story of the haunting and Wan Yuan’s tomb being struck by lightning that Tong Ou led his troops here ahead of schedule. Otherwise, according to the original plan, the “bait” and spies that lured in the Yu father and son would have to search for evidence for several more months.

But then “Wan Yuan” crawled out of the grave. When Tong Ou heard about it, he was in a daze, and even thought a little extravagantly. Perhaps his lover from back then was not dead, just persecuted so that she had nowhere to go, so she feigned death and fled to another place. According to her character, she would definitely come back for revenge, which was why the “haunting” was causing trouble all over the city.

“But as soon as I came, I saw that skeleton.” He looked forward to a miracle all the way, but didn’t receive it. Tong Ou said in a hoarse voice, “I killed her.”

“It was the murderer who killed her,” Liu Xian’an corrected. “Commander Tong has investigated the cult for more than ten years, so he naturally knows that they are either extremely self-interested and clever people, or extremely ignorant devotees. When the latter is manipulated by the former, the only ones who suffer are the normal people who only want to live in peace.” Wan-guniang, for example, and the girls who disappeared mysteriously and couldn’t crawl out of their graves, along with thousands of others.

Tong Ou hesitated: “I really don’t understand. Who would pretend to be a ghost and cause this mess?”

Liang Shu said: “That depends on what the other party’s purpose is.”

“Purpose, ah.” Liu Xian’an analyzed, “There used to be a Many-Color Festival in Huaizhen City, but because of the haunting, it has not been held so far. Could it be that the purpose of the ghost is to prevent this Many-Color Festival?”

Liang Shu sent someone down to inquire, and after a while, a guard went upstairs to report that the Many-Color Festival was really proposed by the Yu family. The purpose was to drive away illness. That Old Master Yu was not in good health recently, and hadn’t played shuttlecock on the streets for a long time.

Liu Xian’an turned and asked, can the Many-Color Festival also drive away evil spirits?

Tong Ou was a native of the Southwest. He explained that a Many-Color Festival could be big or small. As long as someone in a village or town proposed it, and was willing to set up the wine and banquet, then even if it was just to celebrate their good mood, they could also have a party.

“So perhaps the ghost doesn’t want Master Yu to successfully exorcize a demon.” Liu Xian’an stood by the table. “Could it be that Yu Cong’s enemy wants to curse him to die quickly, so they created this farce?”

There were many absurd reasons, because of course there were indeed all kinds of people in the world, but the evidence must be found before it could be counted. Liang Shu asked Tong Ou to return to the government office first, and Liu Xian’an asked: “What is your plan?”

Liang Shu originally wanted to say that first, people would be ordered to Yu Manor to investigate, but when the words came to his lips, he changed them calmly and said: “I’ll go to Yu Manor first tonight.”

“The prince intends to go in person?”

“Yes.”

Liu Xian’an made an affirmative sound and walked slowly down the street with him. After walking for a while, Liang Shu asked, “Do you want to go?”

Liu Xian’an didn’t have to think about it. I want to.

“Then let’s go together tonight.”

“Okay, ah.”

The question-and-answer was smooth and natural, as if Yu Manor was a famous tourist attraction that foreigners must visit when they come.

There were a few more shops on both of the streets than there were yesterday. Everyone still had to make a living. Liu Xian’an didn’t wake up until noon today, and hadn’t eaten anything after waking up. At this time, he was surrounded by the aroma of cooking and frying, and his stomach growled immediately. Liang Shu bought him a piece of sweet and salty pastry on the side of the street: “Save some room, and we’ll go eat at Bi Yinglou later.”

Bi Yinglou was the largest restaurant in the city, and had not been open for a few days. Liu Xian’an held the pastry in his hand and took two bites, then didn’t eat the rest. Liang Shu naturally took it from his hand and ate two or three bites himself.

Liu Xian’an looked at his big hand holding the pastry and couldn’t help but think of that dream this morning.

Although His Royal Highness Xiao Wang often ran to his Three Thousand Worlds without saying hello, and didn’t wear clothing eight out of ten times, he soaked in the hot springs in order to wash away the bloody slaughter and exhaustion from his body. It was not ambiguous, but even a little desolate and tragic.

But to touch him unclothed clearly had nothing to do with war. Liu Xian’an was engrossed in his thoughts. Even though he had already lived forty-eight thousand years, there was a strange realm that he had never experienced before, and he seemed to be floating amongst a thousand waves.

After surfing for a while, Liu Xian’an exhaled a bit and turned his head to glance at Liang Shu.

Liang Shu was still holding the last bite of pastry in his hand, and when he noticed his gaze, he asked, “Do you want to eat it?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “No.”

Liang Shu said: “You resent me.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You just resent me.”

Liu Xian’an was so quarreled with that he had no choice but to open his mouth and eat the pastry, wanting some peace and quiet. But Liang Shu looked at his soft, moist lips and thought of something else. It was often said in poems and books that a beautiful woman’s lips were like red clouds and her face was like snow. Liang Shu had thought at first, white and red, this is like a ghost, what is good about it? In the end, he realized that he had never seen the world before. They looked really good together, like snow and cherry blossoms. The ancients were sincere and did not deceive him.

Liu Xian’an asked: “What is the prince looking at?”

Liang Shu reached out and used his thumb to wipe off some pastry crumbs from his face.

There was a thin callous on his thumb. Liu Xian’an had already experienced such a rough yet tender touch in his dreams. He didn’t say a word, and continued to walk and think, why did he dream of the prince? Although anyone seemed to be able to, this was rather too much.

Liang Shu asked: “Are you thinking about Yu Manor?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “I’m thinking about my dream.”

“A dream again.” Liang Shu put his arm around his shoulders. “What did those old white-bearded men surrounding you say now?”

Liu Xian’an answered silently, they weren’t surrounding me, this time I ignored them.

As the two walked close together, the aroma of sandalwood naturally became stronger. Liu Xian’an thought, if this continues, I will probably have another dream tonight. The doctor knew that too many of this sort of dream would hurt his health, so he dodged a little to the side, only a step away. But for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who was just beginning to fall in love and wished he could spend twelve hours with his sweetheart, this step was comparable to stepping from the royal city to the Northwest. He retracted his hand with dissatisfaction and injury: “Speak, why are you ignoring me?”

Liu Xian’an said “Wu.” Don’t want to talk about it, I’m lazy.

And Liang Shu loved his laziness very much. When he saw him, he wanted to tease him and poke at him, so that even if the Sleeping Immortal was very capable, he couldn’t continue to float on the clouds anymore. Liu Xian’an had no choice but to pull his thoughts back and sigh. This was too different from His Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the dream, he had best continue to sleep.

Liang Shu asked again: “Why are you sighing?”

Liu Xian’an covered his ears with his hands.

Liang Shu smiled and hugged him, admitting defeat: “Okay, okay, I won’t say anything.”

Liu Xian’an thought: He is a little like the one in the dream.

The two had a meal together, and both thought that this sort of time alone at sunset was splendid, so they didn’t mention the case or the Yu family father and son. The waiter who served the food recognized them and whispered while they paid the bill: “The two of you are going to Yu Manor after dinner, right?”

The content of the question, the pinched off breath, and the atmosphere created by the two was clearly related to the haunting. Liu Xian’an looked at him sideways, and Liang Shu also set down the teacup in his hand: “Yu Manor?”

“Yes, ah, aren’t you two here to catch the ghost?” The waiter swiftly settled the accounts. “The wizard invited by Master Yu has also arrived, why don’t you all sit together and discuss it?”

Liu Xian’an said: “No, we will do it alone.”

“Do it alone, ah? Doing it alone is good, talented people can do it alone.” 

The waiter was good at talking, so Liang Shu gave him some extra money. “I hear that the wizard is also very powerful?”

“Yes, subduing demons and praying for rain, he is very effective,” the waiter said. “I heard that the ceremony is scheduled to be in three days.”

The news had spread all over the city, and everyone was discussing it. When the time came, they would go see it together. Even A-Ning had heard about it. After his young master came back, he said to him: “It is more lively than an opera, and you must bring a bench to get a seat in the front row. This time, there is no fear of ghosts.”

“All the people of the city will be gathered together, and the so-called ‘very powerful’ wizard residing in town will naturally be bold.” 

Liu Xian’an set the bundle in his hand on the table, and A-Ning asked, “What is this?”

“Clothes, a gift from the prince.”

“The prince has started to send clothes to the young master again?” A-Ning didn’t think it was strange, since there was a quilt in the front and a pillow in the back, but Liu Xian’an explained, “They are disguising clothes. I am going to visit Yu Manor with the prince tonight.”

A-Ning was puzzled: “Young Master doesn’t know martial arts.”

“It’s fine, I’ve made a night visit before.”

“That time in Chixia City, the young master went to investigate the plague since he’s a doctor, but there is no plague in Yu Manor.”

“Then I will still go.”

Liu Xian’an picked up his night clothes, went behind the screen, and changed by himself. The guards of Xiao Wang Palace all had night clothes, so Gao Lin had found this suitable new set for him. 

A-Ning sighed deeply and belatedly helped him. Of course, the night clothes wouldn’t be very good-looking, but Second Young Master Liu would look good in a sack. His whole person was covered in black, but he was even more white. A-Ning squeezed a few times and felt that the clothes were too thin, so he took another cloak out of the cabinet and brainwashed his family’s young master, saying, “This is also a gift from the prince, and happens to match the night clothes.”

Liu Xian’an commented: “Unless all the guards in Yu Manor are suffering from an eye disease, it will be difficult for them not to see it.”

“They won’t.” A-Ning tried to forcefully wrap him up. “The prince is so capable, even if the young master goes there with a set of drums and firecrackers, no one will notice. Does the young master not believe in the prince’s abilities?”

Liu Xian’an was so wrapped up that it was difficult to breathe, and thought, I believe in them too much.

---

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Chapter Fifty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-One

Perhaps because Liang Shu’s body was still a bit feverish, in his dreams, Liu Xian’an also fell into a bottomless hot spring.

He closed his eyes and slowly sank into the water, his outer robe fluttering in all directions like a huge, flirtatious flower. And in this moist and sticky world, he seemed to have completely fallen into the palms of another person. The rough, light callouses fit to his waist, bringing a strange and indescribable trembling, and his thin white toes were slightly raised as he stepped through the rippling water.

When his body reached the highest crest of the waves, Liu Xian’an clenched the pillow tightly with his fingers and sat up suddenly. A-Ning was also laying on the bedside to sleep, but at this moment, he also awoke. When he opened his eyes and saw Liu Xian’an sweating profusely, he quickly grabbed his arm and shook it. “Young Master, wake up, are you having a nightmare?”

The room was very dim, and there was noise outside the window. Liu Xian’an was sluggish for a long time until he realized where he was and heaved a sigh of relief, leaning back on the bed. He asked drowsily: “What time is it?”

“Chen shi,” A-Ning said. “Before leaving, the prince said that the young master worked hard last night, so he can rest at the inn today without going to the government office.”

While he was talking, he went to lift the quilt, but Liu Xian’an held on tight and would not let go. A-Ning didn’t react at first, thinking that he wanted to continue sleeping, so he said: “Then I’ll go get clean night clothes first. Young Master, please change out of the ones you’re wearing, they’re all soaked through.”

Liu Xian’an sat cross-legged on the bed, wrapped in the quilt. He said faintly: “You fetch them, I’ll change myself.”

The lazy young master wanted to change clothes by himself. A-Ning stopped in his tracks and looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then asked: “Did you just……dream about something?”

Liu Xian’an let out a muddled “En.”

A-Ning immediately sat back on the bed and grabbed his shoulders, very pleasantly surprised: “Really, then I will write a letter to the Master and the the First Young Master!”

Although Liu Xian’an was usually comparable to Buddha, where life and death were both fine, he was also shocked at this time. Why tell Father and Da-ge about this sort of thing?

A-Ning thought that of course he had to tell, ah! Because the entire family thought that the young master was desireless, but it seemed that wasn’t the case — anyway, Second Young Master Liu was mentally abnormal, and people all over the country knew it. Master Liu and First Young Master Liu were mainly concerned about whether his body would also have some disease in that certain area, and were anxious and distressed.

Liu Xian’an: “…….”

No desire to speak.

He changed the subject and asked: “When did the prince leave?”

“At Mao Shi. He left in a hurry, as if something had happened over at the government office,” A-Ning said. “It seemed that he didn’t have a fever any more, just a little cough.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t ask further questions. He lay back on the bed and slowly changed his clothes, still thinking in bewilderment about the erotic dream from last night. After thinking about it for a while, he simply covered his head with the quilt and fell asleep again. It was never too early or too late. He slept until his head ached and his muscles and bones were soft. In the afternoon, he got up in a daze and sat on the edge of the bed, closing his eyes as he searched for his shoes with his feet, and a chuckle sounded in his ear.

“…….”

Liang Shu crouched beside the bed and held his ankle, putting on the soft shoe: “Are you awake?”

He was awake, but still seemed to be in a dream. Liu Xian’an’s body froze, and he swallowed: “Your Highness.”

“A-Ning said you weren’t feeling well.” Liang Shu rose and sat by the bed. “Did you get too cold last night?”

Their arms touched, and body heat transferred to one another. Liu Xian’an’s heart thumped. Where was he cold, he was obviously scalded to death. Then he reached out and checked the other’s temperature: “No more fever. What about your heartbeat?”

Liang Shu opened his arms: “I don’t know, come and listen?”

At a normal time, he would have listened to it. It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard it before, but he had that wild dream last night and now couldn’t look directly at this embrace, so he just stretched out his hand to perfunctorily take his pulse: “En, it’s good.”

While speaking, he got up and walked quickly to the table, wanting to drink some overnight water to cool down. He poured it into the cup, but it was warm scented tea with some milk mixed in. Liang Shu said behind him: “Seeing that you asked A-Ning to buy this a few days ago, I simply invited the shopkeeper over.”

With him being so considerate and attentive, Liu Xian’an felt that this dream didn’t seem to come completely out of nowhere. Milk tea couldn’t calm down and clear the fire, it would only nourish it more as he drank, so he asked: “I heard from A-Ning that the prince went in a hurry to the government office this morning. What did the Imperial guards discover?”

Liang Shu said: “Tong Ou went to Yu Cong’s residence.”

Yu Cong was the renowned Master Yu in Huaizhen City, who had been assisting the government in promoting the ghost hunt. It was not surprising that Tong Ou went to look for him, but the strange thing was that he didn’t go to the door in the daytime, but spied on him at night.

Liu Xian’an was also surprised: “Spying?”

Liang Shu nodded: “Yes.”

In the middle of the night, Tong Ou dressed in dark clothing and sneaked into the heavily guarded Yu Manor, heading in the direction of the main house. His martial arts were actually fairly good, but no matter how good they were, they couldn’t compare to the Yu family’s guard troops. The patrols were so numerous that torches were lit almost everywhere, and ordinary people would have nowhere to hide. He was about to be discovered, but at the critical moment, an Imperial guard flew over and lifted him up, hiding in the dark.

“W-who’s there!” There were sparse footsteps and shouts.

“There’s no movement, ah. Could it be that we saw wrong?”

“Go, go. Go to the other side.”

The patrols dispersed, and Tong Ou was brought to Liang Shu by the Imperial guards.

Liu Xian’an continued to ask: “What did he say, why did he rush to Yu Cong’s house?”

Liang Shu put a robe on him: “That’s why I came to you, Tong Ou’s confession is related to that corpse. Wash your face first, I will wait for you outside.”

Liu Xian’an nodded. There was no time to think about the dream, so after washing up, he went out to find Tong Ou with Liang Shu. The other party was temporarily imprisoned in an empty room at the end of the corridor. He already knew Liang Shu’s identity at this point, so when he saw the two come in, he knelt down and saluted: “Royal Highness Xiao Wang.”

“Rise.” Liang Shu said, “Repeat everything you said this morning, including your identity and that of the corpse.”

“Yes.” Tong Ou got up and said, “Young Master Liu, I am the hunter in the rumors, and the owner of those bones is indeed Wan Yuan.”

Liu Xian’an’s heart tightened slightly.

Heresy was rampant in the Southwest, but the Imperial court was constrained by the Northwest in the past few years, and was unable to send troops to suppress it on a large scale. However, a lot of money was still allocated to the area, and there were orders to find ways to contain it so that it couldn’t develop too rapidly. At that time, Tong Ou was just a new recruit in the barracks, but because of his courage and skill, he was still entrusted with important tasks. He pretended to be an ordinary hunter and wandered around collecting information about the Baifu Sect.

“Once, when I was following some believers of the Baifu Sect, I was accidentally discovered by them. While avoiding pursuit, I stumbled and fell off a cliff. It was Wan-guniang who rescued me.” Tong Ou said, “She was chivalrous and upright, straightforward and lovely. I fell in love with her and we later made a private decision to stay together. But I still had important work to do at that time, so after the leg injury healed, I said goodbye to her and agreed to come and propose marriage in two months.” 

Liu Xian’an said: “But you didn’t come.”

“The Baifu Sect had too many disciples.” Recalling the past, Tong Ou felt great regret. “It was also my carelessness. Not long after leaving the mountain, I was ambushed by them and seriously injured once more. This time, a garrison heard the commotion and rescued me, sending me back to the camp. I lay in bed for three whole months and couldn’t remember anything clearly. Later, I met a miracle doctor from Baihe Mountain Village, who cleaned up the blood in my brain.”

But when he went to Huaizhen City again, he heard the news of Wan Yuan’s death. Tong Ou said: “I didn’t believe that she would commit suicide, so I always suspected that it was the disciples of the Baifu Sect who knew of our relationship and secretly killed her.”

Liu Xian’an asked: “Was Wan-guniang ever pregnant?”

Tong Ou hesitated for a second and said, “Maybe.”

During those three months on the mountain, the two had already crossed the line between men and women. Wan Yuan did not menstruate that last month, but she also said that she was never on time, so Tong Ou didn’t take it to heart.

It wasn’t until the day before in the autopsy room when Liu Xian’an said that the skeleton had been pregnant that he suddenly remembered this matter.

“Wan-guniang lived in the mountains since she was a child and had many old wounds on her body. The skeleton is indeed hers.” Tong Ou’s eyes were red, and he had to calm down for a moment before continuing. “But the child……can you tell if she had only been pregnant for two or three months?”

“It was more than two or three months,” Liu Xian’an said. “The child was born full-term.”

As soon as these words were spoken, even Liang Shu frowned, and Tong Ou was even more shocked: “This……is it true?”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “It is true.”

According to Tong Ou’s confession, when Wan Yuan went down the mountain, the child in her stomach was at most two months along, and her two months spent in the city were far from enough time to give birth at full term. Thus, the only explanation was that Wan Yuan didn’t commit suicide immediately by bashing her skull on the wall when she was taken to prison. Instead, she was quietly transferred to another place, and after she gave birth, she was……

Tong Ou murmured: “When she gave birth to a child, those people killed her and put her body back into the empty coffin.”

In this way, all doubts about the case were explained clearly, including why the coffin was empty and why it was later filled with bones. The truth was far more bloody and cruel than people had thought. Tong Ou put his head in his hands, not daring to think about what had happened to her in the time she lived. Liu Xian’an sighed and reached out to pat his shoulder: “Do you want to take a rest for a while?”

“No……no need.” Tong Ou lowered his head and reached up to wipe away his tears, gritting his teeth. “I want to avenge her.”

“Why did you go to Yu Cong’s residence last night?”

“Because it was Yu Cong’s son who went to persuade Uncle Wan, saying that he had cleaned up Wan-guniang’s remains and there was no need to look at them. He also said that the coffin was the best one, and was nailed shut in case the soul of the deceased should become uneasy. Every word was urging for a burial as fast as possible.” Tong Ou said, “I have been looking for Uncle Wan since I learned of Wan-guniang’s death. Later, he was found in a dilapidated charity hall that was soon to be abandoned. He was already unconscious, and was brought back to the military camp for recuperation for more than half a year before he could speak.”

Liu Xian’an said: “So you think there is a problem with Yu Cong’s son?”

Tong Ou said: “Not just for this reason. I have been investigating the Baifu Sect for so many years. Although the Yu family claims to be kind and generous people to outsiders, the source of the family’s money is unknown. We placed a lot of bait around this father and son. In fact, I should have waited for a while before going to look, but after learning yesterday that Wan-guniang was pregnant, I really felt…..I lost my head for a while, but fortunately the prince rescued me.”

“No need to thank me. After the matter is settled, you will go back to the military camp to ask for punishment yourself,” Liang Shu said. “First, let’s talk about the clues you discovered about the Baifu Sect and Huaizhen City over the years.”

---

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Chapter Fifty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty

Five minutes later.

Pei Yi knocked on the passenger door. The window rolled down, and a puff of smoke drifted out from inside.

Through the thin haze, Pei Yi could clearly see the despondency in Li Yuan’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Li Yuan was afraid that his friend wouldn’t like the smoke, so he extinguished the lit cigarette in his hand. He rolled down the car windows and sunroof, turning on the ventilation. “Are you coming in? It might still be a little stuffy.”

Pei Yi didn’t care about the smokiness. He opened the door and sat inside. “Sorry I butted in just now.”

Li Yuan sighed. “No, if not for you, I might not have been able to ask questions or make a decision.”

Pei Yi understood the undiminished pain in his friend’s heart, and explained the circumstances, “I’ll go in your car. I just asked Lao Fu to keep an eye on Madam An’s situation covertly and make sure she gets home safely before going back.”

After all, An Yang’s condition had not been completely cured.

If she took things too hard and was stimulated by those words to the point of doing something stupid, if something happened on the way home, Li Yuan would suffer even more.

Li Yuan acknowledged his friend’s kindness. “Thank you.”

“I told you, there’s no need for such politeness between friends.”

Pei Yi took out two plastic-sealed mini bags of snowball cakes from his coat pocket and handed one over. “Do you want one? They’re really tasty.”

Li Yuan took it slowly. “Why are you carrying this with you?”

Pei Yi blurted out, “Er-ge had someone buy them for me.”

After realizing his baffling sense of pleasure, he quickly changed his words, “So what, it takes a lot of brainpower to design games, so I like to eat something sweet.”

“Although it’s a bit childish, sweets do make people feel better, don’t they?”

“En.”

This time, Li Yuan didn’t deny it.

He opened the plastic bag and stuffed the mini snowball cake into his mouth, playing with the edge of the bag with his head down.

“……..”

Feeling the pain in the depths of this silence, Pei Yi sighed softly. “Pear Garden, don’t hold back when you’re not feeling good.”

From beginning to now, Li Yuan was not the party at fault in this incident, but the biggest victim of all.

After all, he was also a misplaced child, and Pei Huan’s situation over the years had been much better than Li Yuan’s.

Li Yuan ate without tasting it, and choked up a little. “Pei Yi, do you think all of this is true? Could there be a mistake?”

After all, the current “authenticated truth” was one-sided on An Yang’s part.

Pei Yi knew of the established results in the book and in reality, so he asked, “What do you think? Do you want to do the paternity test?”

Li Yuan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The only child of Li Xiang and An Yang, Li Yuan bore his father’s surname and his mother’s first name, which also carried the love between the couple in the beginning. He had lived with this external identity for twenty-five years.

From childhood to adulthood, Li Yuan felt that he was never short of material and spiritual abundance, and was grateful for his parents’ upbringing and love. Before the misfortune at home, he had been living very proudly and confidently.

“Later, the business situation of the company went from bad to worse. In order to keep me from worrying, never informed me of the real economic situation, and even tried his best to support me in everything I wanted.”

There was not much written about Li Xiao in the original book, but Pei Yi could glean from Li Yuan’s description that he was a caring and responsible father.

“It was only about two months from the onset of my dad’s illness to his death. The time was too short, so it was even more difficult to accept. I saw he was depressed all day long, but he decided that he should stand up and support the company and the family.”

And Li Yuan also did the same—

He gave up the major he liked, and shoulders his studies, career, and his small family with An Yang alone.

Li Yuan learned to socialize, to drink, and to be a little shrewd amongst the smoke and mirrors. He set aside his self-esteem and pride, endured contempt and ridicule, and worked hard to support Dawn Games.

The reason Li Yuan endured all of this willingly was because of his parents’ love for him, but what happened now subverted the way he looked at things—

As a “mother,” An Yang knew everything a long time ago, but didn’t report it, and this mother’s love and support went to someone else.

“A paternity test can produce results, but it can’t be exchanged for real feelings.” Li Yuan looked at Pei Yi as if searching for an answer. “They should love Pei Huan very much, right?”

“…….”

Pei Yi knew what his friend meant.

Just giving up on more than twenty years of companionship and love?

If not for the successive news of her husband’s death and her son’s misplacement, how many parents in the world could really be so cruel?

Presently, An Yang may be able to give up her affection for Li Yuan because of her biological son, but the Pei couple might not be able to achieve such a smooth emotional transfer.

Pei Yi still remembered this plot in the original text—

Even though the two returned to their real identities, Pei Ruzhang and Deng Xiuya did not abandon “Pei Huan” and shun him, which to some extent caused Li Yuan to be resentful.

Li Yuan was willing to be honest to his friend about his thoughts. “I want to know the exact result, but I don’t want to have any interaction with them.”

He wanted to ask for his own piece of mind, but didn’t want to have unnecessary entanglements with the Pei family.

Pei Yi hesitated for a couple of seconds before giving his opinion, “If you really want to know, I could ask my older brother to do a blood test with you?”

Li Yuan didn’t react for a moment. “Older brother?”

Pei Yi said, “Grandpa Pei’s grandson, my cousin, Qin Yishun.”

If he remembered correctly, it seemed that cousins could do a kinship test? It was just that the accuracy rate was not as high as a paternity test.

“…….”

Li Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled unexpectedly. 

So many things had happened in succession that he had nearly forgotten that Pei Yi was also a member of the Pei family!

Pei Yi was helpless. “What are you smiling at, I’m trying to find a way for you!”

Li Yuan realized belatedly, “If Pei Huan and I were switched at birth, doesn’t that make me your cousin?”

Pei Yi smothered a cough. “We are, nominally. If you want to talk, you can tell me anytime.”

Li Yuan raised his eyebrows, suddenly feeling that things weren’t too bad. “I suddenly have a little brother. That seems pretty good”

“…….”

Pei Yi threw his unopened snowball cake into his hands. “I worried for you in vain. Drive quickly if you have nothing to do, let’s not keep Lou Yang waiting for too long.”

Li Yuan finally revealed a light, sincere smile. “Pei Yi, thank you.”

If Pei Yi hadn’t firmly chosen to cooperate with him at the beginning, perhaps the current Dawn Games would have ceased to exist long ago, let alone the YWY Studios representing the new generation.

If there was no support for his business, and if there was no encouragement from Pei Yi as a friend, he would only have a worse life than now, right? 

“You’re welcome.”

Pei Yi’s lips curved slightly, and he snatched the snowball cake back from him again. “I’m starving to death, I need to pad my stomach.”

Li Yuan cheered up and started the car. “Fasten your seatbelt. Let’s go get dinner at Sister Yang’s.”

. . . . . . .

Lou Yang didn’t live with her parents, but rented a well-decorated suite for herself, and only went back to her parents’ house for a short stay on weekends.

When Pei Yi and Li Yuan arrived at their destination, Lou Yang was busy in the kitchen.

Xiang Nansheng, who was unpacking bags, saw the two of them and took the rare initiative to urge, “Just in time, you two come help me.”

Xiang Nansheng was a little older than them, but it wasn’t polite to call him by his job title in private.

Pei Yi was curious. “What is it?”

Lou Yang came out of the kitchen and explained, “The main lights in the living room and cloakroom aren’t working. I bought new lights online and was going to change them myself over the weekend, but now—”

Her eyes wandered between the three of them, and she used them with peace of mind. “I’ll leave it to you boys.”

Xiang Nansheng took out a new light. “I just need one more person to help.”

Li Yuan volunteered. “Let me do it, I’ve changed them at home before.”

When Lou Yang heard this, she immediately accepted the lone Pei Yi as her younger brother. “Then Pei Yi will come to the kitchen and help me?”

Pei Yi was completely new to cooking, and gave a confused, “Ah?”

“Ah, what ah? Food isn’t free here.” Lou Yang smiled and grabbed his wrist, ordering like a sister, “Come in, choose a dish for me first.”

Pei Yi entered the kitchen, only to find that Lou Yang had bought a lot of ingredients, and many of them were for difficult dishes that required cooking skills.

“Sister Yang, why did you buy so much?”

“With the three of you together, how can your appetites be small?” Lou Yang handed some vegetables to Pei Yi and demonstrated for him. “Can you do it?”

Pei Yi nodded. “I can.”

Lou Yang entrusted him with this simple task, and picked up shrimp non-stop, skillfully cleaning them. 

Pei Yi asked curiously as he helped, “Sister Yang, who did you learn to cook from, an uncle or aunt?”

“No.”

Lou Yang shook her head, and a flash of recollection passed through her eyes. “I was studying abroad at the time. I ate fried food and fast food every day, and was admitted to the hospital.”

“My……ex-boyfriend blamed himself and thought he didn’t take good care of me, so he started to study recipes from then on, and made many kinds of delicious food for me every day after class.” 

Love was mutual, and it should never be a one-sided effort.

“I was afraid that it would be hard on him to cook alone for a long time, so I followed suit and learned to cook. Later, the two of us turned from complete novices into chefs who could cook a table of dishes.”

Lou Yang returned to reality, and said with confidence, “You will understand when you try my cooking skills tonight.”

Hearing Lou Yang’s story, Pei Yi turned his head unconsciously to look.

He remembered the other party saying that the reason she was willing to resign from a high-paying foreign job and return to China was firstly to accompany her parents, and secondly because she needed a change of environment after breaking up with her ex.

“Sister Yang, you and your ex……” Pei Yi swallowed his words.

“If you want to ask, just ask. I have nothing to say.” Lou Yang chuckled and took the lead to share.

Lou Yang met her ex when she was studying abroad. The two walked from campus to work, learning together and progressing together.

“He and I were together almost nine years, from our early twenties to our early thirties.” Lou Yang stopped what she was doing and sighed. “Looking back now, it was really a long period of youth.”

“…….”

Pei Yi nodded, but his mind inevitably made a subtle connection—

Almost nine years?

That was longer than his fathers had been together.

Pei Yi asked cautiously, “Sister Yang, why did you break up?”

Lou Yang didn’t reveal any great sadness. “Because we had known each other for so long, not only in life, but also in work, and we had almost no time apart all year round.”

Pei Yi was not very clear. “Love turned into familial affection?”

“Maybe it wasn’t love from the start,” Lou Yang said bluntly, and began to deal with the fresh shrimp in her hands again.

“I discussed this issue with him. Back then, we were the only two foreign students from China in our school major.”

It was like two people huddling for warmth in an unfamiliar environment, and they felt it suitable to become partners.

It happened that both of them had mature and rational personalities, and the usual quarrels between lovers rarely happened between them.

Pei Yi thought of his Father Yan and Father Rong again, and lamented, “Sister Yang, will all feelings disappear in the end, and either disappear or turn into reluctance?”

Lou Yang heard the pessimism in Pei Yi’s tone and frowned slightly. “Why do you think so?”

Pei Yi dodged the question. “I don’t, I’m just asking.”

Lou Yang soaked the processed shrimp in water and answered seriously, “You, ah, don’t think that love is impossible just because I broke up after being in my past relationship for so long.”

“You have to know that everyone has different needs when it comes to love. Some people prefer it to be dynamic, while some like to go little by little. Some people lower their standards for money, while others become excellent for love.”

“I needed stable companionship at the beginning when I was studying abroad, but now I want to take care of my career and my parents. My ex had a different life plan than me, so it was normal for us to go our separate ways.”

Being unsuitable and separating was better than wasting time.

Lou Yang and her ex broke up peacefully. Of course, the withdrawal after breaking up was painful and unavoidable.

“Whether a relationship is good or bad depends on what you need, and whether your partner can give it to you and keep pace with you. You have to believe that there is love that truly fits without compromise in this world.”

Pei Yi nodded thoughtfully, understanding the general idea.

Seeing his cute confused appearance, Lou Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Yi, I don’t understand the rules of wealthy families like you do, but have you and Bo Yueming always been lovers?”

Pei Yi’s hand stopped picking vegetables. “N-no.”

Lou Yang had an intuition. “That means he’s pursuing you, but you haven’t agreed. Right?”

“…….”

Pei Yi got stuck. He had truly underestimated the accuracy of Lou Yang’s sixth sense.

Lou Yang saw through his embarrassment, and continued easily, “I think Mr. Bo is pretty good. Why don’t you agree to try it, because his eyes are bad?”

Pei Yi heard the second half of the sentence, and immediately retorted, “Of course not.”

He would never think of staying away because of Bo Yueming’s physical inconvenience. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to the marriage in the first place, not to mention that his eyes were always going to be fine.

Seeing Pei Yi’s reaction, Lou Yang remembered his argument about love just now, and suddenly understood something. “Xiao Yi, in fact, very few lovers can predict their entire lives from the beginning. Only by grasping the present can they create their future step by step.”

“If you don’t choose to start, if you don’t try, then how can you know the result?”

“You won’t know the result unless you start?”

Pei Yi’s mind shifted slightly, and Bo Yueming’s figure appeared uncontrollably in his mind.

Lou Yang affirmed, “Of course, love is not a pre-set game program. It is more interesting to break through the level without knowing the ending. My last relationship was at worst a failure to break through the level, but I am still willing to learn from experience and make persistent efforts.”

“Maybe the next person to accompany me through the level will be a little wolf dog.”

Pei Yi laughed when he heard the expectation in that last part. “Little wolf dog? Sister, you also like this type?”

Lou Yang glanced at him and teased jokingly, “What, mature sisters aren’t allowed to like younger people, ah?”

Pei Yi handed over the chosen cabbage. “Not allowed, ah? With our Sister Yang’s charm, she can find anyone.”

“Okay, stop talking!” Lou Yang looked at the time and urged, “We need to hurry up, otherwise dinner will become supper.”

“Okay.”

. . . . . . .

After Xiang Nansheng and Li Yuan installed the new lights, they also hastened to the kitchen to help. The four of them worked together for a while, and finally made six dishes and one soup before seven o’clock. They ate to their heart’s content.

Faced with Lou Yang and Li Yuan’s repeated invitations, Pei Yi, who knew his own drinking capacity, only dared to take a couple of sips.

It was strange.

When Pei Yi stayed at home, even if he knew there was a risk of being discovered by Bo Yueming, he dared to drink a glass and half a bottle. But tonight, when he had a legitimate reason to drink, he learned to restrain and limit himself.

The four of them chatted about everything from game projects to life, and dinner ended at nearly ten o’clock.

Pei Yi was enjoying himself, and picked up the phone after not looking at it for a long time, only to find that Bo Yueming had sent him a WeChat message an hour ago—

“Are you done eating? Drink less alcohol.”

Pei Yi hurriedly typed a reply. “I just finished eating, and didn’t drink. I’m coming home.”

Not long after the message was sent, Bo Yueming returned a message—

“Okay, I’m waiting for you downstairs.”

After he got off work, Pei Yi had told Lao Fu to secretly send An Yang home, and only later did he send Lou Yang’s home address. It wasn’t surprising that Bo Yueming knew the address.

Pei Yi took a tight breath. He didn’t expect that Bo Yueming would rush over in person. “When did you come? Have you been waiting long?”

Wouldn’t it have been when he sent the first message? Had he been waiting for an hour?

Bo Yueming sent back again, “Not long, don’t worry.”

Pei Yi stared at this line of text, and suddenly remembered Lou Yang’s “family” remark that evening. His fingertips moved faster than his rational thinking: “I’m in the second room on the fifth floor. Do you want to come up?”

Almost simultaneously, Bo Yueming on the other side asked tacitly, “Do you want me to come pick you up?”

Two WeChat messages with the same intention collided, and the replies came at the same time again—

“En.”

“Okay.”

Pei Yi couldn’t shift his eyes away from the phone screen for a moment, as if he could taste the honey on it.

“Little Mister Li, who are you chatting with? The corners of your mouth are almost reaching the sky.”

Lou Yang’s teasing sounded.

Pei Yi was caught, and quickly put away his phone in a panic. “Ah? What did you just say?”

Li Yuan smiled and tossed an unopened courier box over. “Take it, it’s a pin gift designed by Sister Yang herself, one for each of us.”

Lou Yang changed her topic of speech to the gift. “I designed it when the studio was first established, but I haven’t been able to give it to you until now. I haven’t even opened the express box.”

“Although it seems casual, the intention is serious.”

“Thank you, Sister Yang.” Pei Yi hadn’t received an earnest gift for a long time, and was looking forward to it. He asked, “Can I open it now?”

Lou Yang nodded. “Of course.”

The sealing tape on the package was attached so firmly that it was difficult for Pei Yi to tear it off with his bare hands.

Witnessing his clumsy appearance, Lou Yang casually took out a utility knife from a drawer. “Here, use this.”

—Shing.

The blade extended from the metal handle.

The common, soft sound fell into Pei Yi’s ears, but it sounded particularly sharp!

He caught a glimpse of the slanted blade that was handed over, and the memory buried deep in his heart was brutally sliced open by the keen edge. The layered sound of a blade piercing through clothing and skin echoed in his ears.

“…….”

Pei Yi’s expression froze, and the package in his hands fell to the floor.

Unseen fear clenched his heart tightly.

Pei Yi’s breathing suddenly became rapid, and he subconsciously grabbed the sharp utility knife. “I, I don’t need it.”

A bloody slit was cut into his fingertip.

The three present witnessed this scene and simultaneously realized that something was wrong.

“Pei Yi?”

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Yi tossed away the utility knife in his hand, picked up the package, and did everything he could not to tremble. “Sorry, I’m going to go to the bathroom first.”

The doorbell rang just then, but Pei Yi paid it no mind.

He cast about the room aimlessly, and ran into the bathroom next to the living room with the last sliver of reasoning he had left.

—Shaaa.

The water rushed out suddenly.

Pei Yi couldn’t seem to feel the pain, constantly rinsing the bleeding wound. The blood smeared in large swaths through the water, almost staining his eyes red as his face paled.

Fragmented images emerged in his mind, and hoarse commands echoed in his ears—

“Xiao Yi, remember my lesson!”

“It’s all fake! It’s all a lie!”

“I want to make him regret, I want to make him regret for a lifetime!”

—Bang!

The bathroom door was forcefully opened. “Pei Yi?!”

The familiar, urgent voice broke through the layers of images, bringing back Pei Yi’s sense of reason. He raised his head cautiously and looked at the person behind him through the mirror.

As if unsure, he said, “Er-ge?”

This simple sentence was enough to make Bo Yueming, who had rushed over, extremely distressed.

At this moment, Pei Yi’s face was pale, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his reddened eyes revealed fragility, tension, and fear that had never been seen before.

Bo Yueming strode up and took Pei Yi into his arms.

He carefully avoided the other party’s injured and bleeding ring finger, and comforted him in a low voice, “I’m here, it’s okay.”

“…….”

The familiar scent brought with it the sense of stability that Pei Yi needed most, and the emotions that he held back in front of outsiders burst out. He buried himself in Bo Yueming’s arms with all his strength and did his best to hold back, but still let out a sob.

“Bo, Bo Yueming.”

“I’m here, I’m right here.”

Bo Yueming stroked the back of Pei Yi’s neck again and again, and gave him the firmest promise with the gentlest force, “It’s okay. With me here, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Only under such reassurance did Pei Yi’s rapid and shaky breathing finally ease.

“Er-ge, I want to go home.”

“Okay, I’ll take you home.”

---

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Chapter Sixty-One <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-Three

T/N: Thank you to Coldsnowman for the Kofi donation! Here’s an update and a bonus chapter!

Pei Yi brainstormed rapidly, his eyes shifting back and forth for several seconds.

He had never revealed anything about his work to Bo Yueming, and with the other party’s conduct, he would never open his private computer and secretly look at his information, so how could he know?

Could it be that he revealed his secret when he was drunk some time ago? No, there would be no need to wait until today to ask about it, right?

Bo Yueming was ten percent uncertain at first, but Pei Yi’s attitude right now was enough to explain everything—

The other party was the rookie architect in the gaming circle, Will.

Bo Yueming’s curiosity only rose. “Pei Yi, what’s wrong?”

Pei Yi couldn’t help but break the jar that was already cracked, and asked, “H-how did you know? When did you find out?”

“Last night.”

“Last night?”

Bo Yueming didn’t go around in circles with him or play charades. “You paid so much attention to Li Yuan last night. That kind of friendship couldn’t exist after just meeting two or three times, and you even called him “Pear Garden” when you were anxious.”

“……”

Pei Yi got stuck, apparently not expecting the fault to be because of an external address.

But then again, just based on this address, Bo Yueming surmised that he had a very close relationship with Li Yuan and was able to dig out his working identity. It was a bit too much.

Unresigned, Pei Yi continued to ask for details, “And then?”

“Li Yuan has partnered with GM. Our company did a full investigation on the relevant basic information about him in the gaming circle in the early stages of investment and always kept a copy.”

Bo Yueming found out that on the largest game forum in China, Youtu, Li Yuan’s ID was the “Pear Garden” that Pei Yi called out.

At the bidding meeting four months ago, his team’s Lou Yang revealed her ID as “Dehydration,” and said that there was another core member behind her and Li Yuan, who was the chief architect of the game “The Last Fog.”

“Dehydration and Pear Garden had two common friends on their Youtu watch list, and one was Southern Mountain.” Bo Yueming paused and looked at Pei Yi. “The other was Will.”

The abbreviated English word sounded different, and pleasant to the ears.

Pei Yi let out a muffled cough and took a drink of water.

Bo Yueming did a little research and discovered that the “Southern Mountain” ID user was Xiang Nansheng, who had participated in the bidding that day, but Will had no clear identity.

“It was originally not so easy to find out, but Lin Zhong reminded me that most game creators would have a corresponding Weibo account.”

When the four-character prefix “King of Alcohol Capacity” appeared before his eyes, Pei Yi’s drunken little red face automatically appeared in Bo Yueming’s mind, and all the dots floating on the surface and hidden in the dark were connected by lines.

As for the final blow of confirmation, Pei Yi had done that himself.

Pei Yi murmured unwillingly, “I clearly hid it very carefully.”

“Yes, it was well-hidden.”

Bo Yueming took the initiative to smooth the cat’s fur, and then brought up another matter. “I couldn’t figure it out at the beginning. You stayed at home well, so why did you use the lame reason of ‘playing games’ to follow me to GM?”

At that time, Bo Yueming was still jealous and suspicious — Pei Yi had become interested in his good friend Yan Cen, and deliberately wanted to go to the company for that reason.

Pei Yi remembered his reason for ‘playing the fool’ at that time, and twirled the water glass in embarrassment. He immediately adopted a resolute expression. “I didn’t intend to go through the back door. Our studio relies on pure capability!”

Naturally, Bo Yueming wouldn’t doubt this. He only asked, “You often lock the door and hide in your room just to work on the game?”

Pei Yi nodded, a hint of stubbornness accompanying his guilty conscience. “Because my identity is inconvenient, I haven’t shown up. If it wasn’t for what happened with Li Yuan last night, I definitely would have been able to continue hiding.”

Hearing this rhetoric, Bo Yueming’s deep desire to explore became stronger—

As everyone knew, the little young master of the Pei family had been a fool since he was ten years old, and often went crazy. But what about Pei Yi?

He knew wine, etiquette, and had principles, and now he had his own secret career.

This was very different from the little young master Pei in the eyes of outsiders!

As early as when Bo Yueming saw through Pei Yi’s “playing the fool,” Bo Yueming secretly suspected that Pei Yi was never that “Little Young Master Pei,” but that the family hired him to replace him in order to complete this commercial marriage.

But he denied this idea in the blink of an eye, because it was impossible for a person’s appearance to change that drastically, and based on previous contacts, the relationship between Pei Yi and the Pei family was indeed bad!

With Pei Yi’s personality and way of doing things, how could he be controlled by others? Would he “impersonate” someone for no reason to complete this commercial marriage that didn’t give him any benefits in the first place?

His speculations and desire to explore mixed into a ball.

Bo Yueming had never encountered anything more difficult to figure out than this, but Pei Yi didn’t want to say it, and he never thought about forcing the other party to explain everything.

In any case, Bo Yueming could definitely confirm—

From acquaintance to heartfelt affection, from living together to formally meeting, from acknowledgement to sincere liking, who he was facing was Pei Yi himself, not the rumored “Little Young Master Pei.”

Seeing that Bo Yueming hadn’t spoken for a long time, Pei Yi felt a little uneasy. “Er-ge?”

“En?”

“I, I was afraid of my identity being exposed at first, but after I got stable, I felt that there was no reason to speak up.” Pei Yi sighed and apologized. “I know it was wrong to hide it from you, but I just wanted to have my own career.”

Pei Yi met Bo Yueming’s gaze, and stated his point earnestly and briefly. “We have a marriage relationship. From outsiders’ point of view, I can enjoy the protection of you and Old Mrs. Bo with peace of mind.”

It was a beautiful day when you had someone to take care of you and not have to worry about three meals a day. Just drifting along, eating and waiting to die, was very good.

Pei Yi understood this, but didn’t need it. “I don’t want to depend on anyone to live. Only when I earn enough money by myself can I feel secure.”

Pei Yi knew that his words and opinions were very worldly, but it was the truth—

He had tried the experience of having no money when he was young, when even a piece of poor-quality dessert could cause crying and countless fights.

He had also tried the experience of being attached to others, and using other people’s families as his own shelter from the wind. However,  he finally understood that other people’s money and protection could bring him temporary stability, but in the end, there would be a day when it vanished like smoke into thin air.

No matter which world or environment he was in, living strong by himself was of the highest importance.

Pei Yi’s Adam’s apple rolled. “Do you understand what I mean?”

Bo Yueming’s lips curved up, and he gave timely affirmation and encouragement. “Pei Yi, you are outstanding.”

Those five simple words were worth a thousand of them.

Pei Yi met Bo Yueming’s admiring eyes, and his heart palpitated continuously. “You aren’t angry, ah? If you didn’t find out, I, I didn’t intend to tell you.”

Bo Yueming chuckled and asked back, “I guessed it myself, so you aren’t going to be angry, right?”

Pei Yi nodded. “Of course not.”

His secret identity was leaked by himself, and he couldn’t hide it. Naturally, he couldn’t blame the other party for being able to figure it out by following the clues.

It became clear to Bo Yueming that he hadn’t touched Pei Yi’s bottom line, and his heartstrings slightly loosened. “Pei Yi, everyone has their own secrets and has the right to choose whether they tell them or not. I said that I wouldn’t force you.”

Bo Yueming promised again and again, and said with magnanimous expectation, “However, I hope that one day in the future, you will take the initiative to share them with me.”

“…….”

A rush of impulse surged up in Pei Yi’s heart, and he almost wanted to nod and say yes. “Er-ge, let me tell you something else.”

“What is it?”

“Starting tomorrow, I need to go in to the studio.”

According to the plot of the original next, both the Pei family and An Yang should go to Li Yuan again. Pei Yi was afraid that these people would affect his friend’s mood to work, so he wanted to take the initiative to share some of the burden with the other party.

In addition, the upcoming “The Last Fog 1.0” also required his more comprehensive supervision.

Bo Yueming knew that Pei Yi was discussing this with him, not asking for his consent. “Of course you can, but aren’t you afraid of revealing your secret in front of others?”

Pei Yi had considered this issue. “Li Yuan and Sister Yang are trustworthy, and the other employees should not know the situation in the wealthy circle. I’ll wear a mask and hat when I go out. I just need to hand out the key points to the head of the department, and it should be stable for a while.”

“Okay, then I’ll have Lao Fu pick you up from work and drop you off.”

“En!”

Pei Yi’s smile widened. Compared with the initial depression of “losing his vest,” he felt a kind of secret kind of joy in his heart—

Because Bo Yueming appreciated him, understood him, and respected all of his decisions!

. . . . . . .

The next morning, a tightly concealed Pei Yi stepped through the seventh floor door.

On the wall behind the front desk were the strong, vigorous characters, “Dawn Games.” It was said that Xiao Li wrote them himself, and now there was a cute cat icon under the signboard—

YWY Studios.

Although the studio had been established for nearly four months, this was Pei Yi’s first time here. The corners of his mouth underneath the mas raised up, and he had the wonderful feeling that “his career before and after transmigrating” had connected together.

The receptionist said politely, “Hello, Sir. Who are you looking for?”

Pei Yi stepped forward. “I’m looking for your Mr. Li.”

Before the lingering sound fell, another voice came over. “Will, over here!”

Li Yuan unlocked the access door of the front lobby with his fingerprint and waved to his friend. “What are you doing here so early?”

When the receptionist heard this, her eyes widened in surprise. “Teacher Will?”

“En, hello.”

Pei Yi tapped the front desk and smiled at the receptionist, then approached his friend without haste.

The two entered the company together.

Pei Yi’s voice was weakened through the barrier of the mask. “I thought you would call me Pei Yi in public.”

Li Yuan replied, “Didn’t you ask me to keep it secret?”

Pei Yi remembered his vest falling off unexpectedly last night, and stopped talking for the sake of face.

He took the opportunity to look around the entire layout of Dawn Games, which was a two-story structure like a building within a building.

The art team and technical team were on the first floor, and the copywriting team was on the second floor, with other break rooms and conference rooms scattered on both sides.

It was still early for work, and other than the technical development staff, the employees in other positions had not yet all arrived.

Li Yuan lightly patted Pei Yi’s shoulder, saying, “Let’s go to the second floor first.”

“By the way, if you don’t mind, will you share an office with me temporarily? Later, after Sister Yang and Brother Xiang come to work, shall I bring them alone to meet you?”

Pei Yi thought that Li Yuan was acting the same as usual, and was relieved. “Yes, I’ll follow your arrangements.”

Half an hour later, the office door opened again.

Li Yuan entered first, followed by two figures. Sister Yang, Brother Xiang, this is Will.”

Pei YI saw familiar faces he hadn’t seen in a long time. Setting aside the operation for the upcoming reveal plan, he took the initiative to get up and take off the mask and peaked cap.

“Sister Yang, Director Xiang, long time no see.”

“…….”

The second Xiang Nansheng saw Pei Yi’s true face, he exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Li, you say it’s……him?”

“Brother Nan, he is one of the partners of our studio, the core architect of The Last Fog, Will.”

Li Yuan gave the introduction he had prepared, and didn’t forget to add, “This is the little young master we met at the bidding, Pei Yi.”

Pei Yi trusted Lou Yang and Xiang Nansheng a lot, and was very willing to let Li Yuan be honest on his behalf. “Director Xiang, can you react?”

Xiang Nansheng’s lips curved. “Barely.”

It must be known that Pei Yi’s “playing the fool” was very vivid at the bidding scene that time, and it was very difficult to overlap those images at this time.

Pei Yi glanced at Lou Yang next to him and greeted her with a smile, “Sister Yang.”

He hadn’t seen her in nearly four months. Lou Yang’s hair had grown a lot, and she used a large clip to hold it all behind her head, looking as capable as ever. 

Facing Pei Yi’s voluntary appearance, Lou Yang was unreasonably calm.

Li Yuan was curious. “Sister Yang, why aren’t you surprised at all?”

Lou Yang took a sip of the coffee in her hand. “Of course I’m not surprised, I guessed it long ago.”

“……”

When these words were spoken, the three men present were simultaneously stunned.

Pei Yi was uncertain. “Sister Yang, you’d already guessed it?”

Li Yuan said, “Right, ah, how did you guess that?”

He had been in contact with Pei Yi four or five times, and had also been “acted for” by the other party until he knew the truth yesterday morning.

Lou Yang glanced at Xiang Nansheng. “The last night when the bidding ended, Will told us he offered an olive branch to Xiang Nansheng.”

Pei Yi didn’t say a word, but vaguely recalled one thing—

At that time, he had said that he had an acquaintance within the GM investment department and thought that he had evaded Lou Yang’s questioning, but never expected that the other party didn’t believe it at all.

“I recalled all the people at the bidding scene that night, and then eliminated them one by one. My intuition pointed to Pei Yi, because his appearance with the identity of ‘Little Young Master Pei’ was the strangest.”

“……”

There was a trace of reasonableness in the absurdity.

Sure enough, was this a woman’s innate sixth sense? It was terribly accurate!

“Of course, due to Pei Yi’s ‘foolish’ reaction, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure at the time, until……” Lou Yang looked around, deliberately fishing.

Xiang Nansheng was the first to take the bait. “Until what?”

Lou Yang smiled back. “Weibo and Youtu both have account IP location. Whoever traveled back and forth between the Imperial Capital and Wencheng during that period was it.”

Pei Yi was silent under the heavy blow. He used to think that his vest was well-protected—

As a result, he bumped into Bo Yueming last night, and ran into Lou Yang again today.

En, it was a crushing defeat.

“I guessed that you would tell us one day, and even though I knew, I wouldn’t reveal it to others. 

Lou Yang saw Pei Yi’s small bit of melancholy, and teased him like a sister, “Okay, la, welcome back to the team, Little Mr. Yi?”

Pei Yi followed suit with a smile. “Sister Yang, Pear Garden is the little one, I don’t use childhood nicknames.”

Li Yuan scoffed coldly. “Okay, Little Mr Yi.”

. . . . . . .

Both Lou Yang and Xiang Nansheng were reliable people who didn’t meddle in other people’s business. Even though they knew Pei Yi’s identity behind his vest, neither of them asked too much about his previous “playing the fool.”

The four of them quickly reached an agreement on work and dedicated themselves to the project.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to leave work. 

Lou Yang, who had always adhered to the idea of “leaving work on time,” knocked on the office door. “Xiao Yi, Pear Garden, are you free tonight? Do you want to come to my house for dinner?”

It was rare for the four of them to meet together offline, and they weren’t completely absorbed in work.

Li Yuan thought of everything he was suffering now, and agreed as if looking for a safe haven. “Okay, ah.”

Pei Yi nodded. “Sure, no problem.”

Having received positive replies from the two, Lou Yang said, “Then I’ll take Nansheng’s car to buy ingredients first. Li Yuan, you know where I live, so how about going later with Xiao Yi?”

“All right.”

Lou Yang suddenly remembered something, and teased Pei Yi before leaving, “By the way, family members are allowed at this dinner.”

Family members?

Bo Yueming?

Pei Yi’s ears felt hot.

Lou Yang turned to leave, and in the next second, a phone vibrated.

Li Yuan saw the caller ID on the phone and his expression froze slightly. “Pei Yi, I’ll go downstairs first. Can we meet up in the parking lot in ten minutes?”

Pei Yi sensed that something was wrong. “Are you okay?”

Li Yuan clenched the phone tightly and said in a low voice, “It’s fine, I can handle it.”

Pei Yi nodded. “Okay. Tell me if you have any trouble, don’t put on a brave face.”

“All right.”

Li Yuan seemed calm, but there was still a bit of haste in his departing footsteps.

Pei Yi picked up his long-neglected phone and decided to send a WeChat message to Bo Yueming to report in. After all, when he didn’t come home on time on the first day of work, he feared that the other party would be worried.

. . . . . .

Ten minutes later, the freshly dressed Pei Yi arrived at the parking lot.

Driver Lao Fu recognized his figure and approached to say in a whisper, “Little Sir, I saw Li Yuan enter the access door on that side, being pulled by a middle-aged woman. It seemed that the interaction was not very pleasant.”

Middle-aged woman?

Was it An Yang or Deng Xiuya?

Pei Yi didn’t have a clear answer, but was still afraid that Li Yuan would be bullied. “Lao Fu, wait here for a while, I’ll go over and check it out.”

Lao Fu nodded.

Pei Yi slowed down as he approached the access door, and when he reached it, he heard Li Yuan’s plea—

“Mom, I beg you, just leave me alone for a while, okay? Whatever the result of the paternity test is, that doesn’t matter to me.”

“Not important? Xiao An, how could it not be important?”

Pei Yi recognized An Yang’s voice, and heard the other party apologize, “Mom knows she was sick a few days ago, and couldn’t help saying a lot of things that shouldn’t be said, which indirectly hurt your feelings.”

“I’m sorry, Mom didn’t mean to.”

“…….”

“But it happened, and we’ve got to figure it out, don’t we?” An Yang painstakingly explained, “Now that the Pei family knows about it, they want to invite you to cooperate for a paternity test, as long as……”

Li Yuan retorted at once, “I don’t want to!”

Maybe it was the suddenly raised voice that frightened An Yang, but she grew a little bit tearful. “Xiao An?”

Li Yuan took a deep breath, and said with pain and powerlessness, “Mom, why do you have to force me and the Pei family to take a paternity test? So what if the results come out?”

Did she want him to stay in this family, or push him back to the Pei family, who had no feelings for him?

There was a tremor in Li Yuan’s voice. “These two days, I really couldn’t figure out—”

“What am I to you? If, I mean if, the condition for Pei Huan to come back to you is to drive me away, would you agree?”

An Yang sidestepped the question. “Xiao An, from beginning to end, I’m doing things for your own good. Mom doesn’t want to keep watching you work so hard, understand?”

Outside the access door, Pei Yi heard this rhetoric and pushed open the door, unable to endure it.

—Bang!

Li Yuan and An Yang were startled by the opening of the door, and both glanced over.

Pei Yi didn’t feel guilty about interrupting the mother-and-child conversation, and calmly stepped in front of his friend. “Sorry, Madam An, I really can’t let this go on.”

“Who are you?”

An Yang didn’t recognize the “fully equipped” Pei Yi for a moment, but on the verge of losing control of her emotions, she was very dissatisfied with the interruption of a stranger.

“You don’t need to intervene in matters between a mother and child.”

Mother and child?

Pei Yi caught the key word and asked disapprovingly, “Ever since you got the paternity test report, have you ever regarded him as your own child?”

An Yang was self-righteous, and unhappy at being questioned. “Of course! I have raised him for more than twenty years! How could I not?”

“Yes, ah, a family relationship formed over twenty years of nurturing and spending time together can’t be broken overnight.”

As an outsider, Pei Yi saw it more clearly.

He couldn’t bear for his friend to continue living in such “family bondage,” so he put the bloody facts on the table for him.

“But you’ll secretly blame him for not being your own, and because the bone marrow wasn’t a match? Then do you still think that if Pei Huan was the one who did the bone marrow transplant, the results would be different?”

Thinking about it every day, asking about it every night, this relationship began to sour.

“You are unwilling to accept President Li’s death. Gradually, you’ve developed uncontrollable resentment for this series of misfortunes, and even attached this emotion to Yuan.”

And An Yang’s schizophrenia was the best breeding ground for this resentment.

An Yang shook her head, and denied shakily, “No, I didn’t!”

A trace of loss appeared in Li Yuan’s eyes, and the fog in his heart dispersed along with his friend’s words.

Pei Yi was indifferent to An Yang’s tears, and questioned on his friend’s behalf, “Madam An, you keep saying that it’s for Yuan’s good? Why didn’t you go directly to the Pei family to clarify? Why not let the two of them switch back?”

“You let Pei Huan continue to stay at the Pei residence and live the life of a young master without telling anyone, but Yuan, who really should have been enjoying all of that, had to support Dawn Games for you when it was about to go bankrupt!”

“You obviously wanted to recognize Pei Huan, but you were afraid that he would suffer with you. Did Yuan deserve all that injustice? May I ask if you have noticed his filial piety, forbearance, and grievances?”

The affection of upbringing was important, and the bond of blood was deep, but it should never have been handled this way!

Facing Pei Yi’s loud and repeated questioning, An Yang could only shake her head persistently, “No, that’s not the case!”

She suddenly lost control and pushed Pei Yi away, holding Li Yuan’s shoulders firmly with both hands. “Xiao An, you have to believe me, Mom has never been partial. I miss Pei Huan, but I also hate to part with you, ah!”

Li Yuan looked at An Yang with tears in his eyes, but he had to acknowledge in his heart that what Pei Yi said was something he had never dared to admit.

“Never been partial? Mom, let me ask you—”

“The investment competition plan in my sophomore year, was it Pei Huan who wanted to buy it? Or did you take the initiative to give it to him?”

Li Yuan ignored the gradual loosening of the grip on his shoulders, with the last gleam of extravagant hope hidden deep in his eyes. “Tell me, even if just a word of truth.”

A spreading silence engulfed them, and everything was quiet.

Li Yuan saw through everything, and shook off An Yang’s hands in abject despair. “I won’t do the paternity test, and I won’t recognize the Pei family. Go find your precious son and give him everything. I don’t need it anymore.”

An Yang was stunned in place, and instantly paled.

Li Yuan no longer cared like before, and left without saying a word.

He would be in pain, but he would no longer torture himself.

From today on, he would have his own career and his own friends. He would no longer be so foolish as to live for his dead father and a mother who didn’t love him!

Seeing his friend’s resolute back, Pei Yis heartstrings loosened slightly.

He looked at An Yang, who was unable to respond, and ruthlessly exposed her selfish nature. “Madam An, ever since you decided to give Pei Huan those plans, you should have expected such a day to come.”

If you use family affection as a bargaining chip, you should expect to lose everything!

---

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Chapter Sixty <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-Two

The next day, Luo Ran saw that the Star Network and the official media……had exploded.

Yuan Han, the secretary of First Prince Zhou Mingyu, had gone to court to sue his boss.

The content of the lawsuit was also astonishing, and could be said to have surprised everyone.

In Yuan Han’s lawsuit, it was said that First Prince Zhou Mingyu had violated and raped him for some time, and forced him to complete countless temporary marks. If not for the fact that he would rather die than submit, he would have also been permanently marked.

With Zhou Mingyu’s status, using his position as a superior to use unspoken rules on his subordinate was enough to draw people’s attention, not to mention accusations of adultery.

According to Yuan Han’s words, after Zhou Mingyu went back the day before, he carried out violent and inhumane sex with him, even worse than before. He couldn’t bear it anymore, so he decided to take a stand and confront Zhou Mingyu.

Yuan Han went directly to the hospital for lab tests, which also revealed the wounds on his body.

The test results showed that it was, in fact, Zhou Mingyu, and the wounds were horrifying, fresh cuts and bruises along with older scars.

Upon seeing the news, Luo Ran was stunned.

Others might not have such associations, but Luo Ran was the one who was actually confessed to by Zhou Mingyu, and knew what happened the day before.

Lucas was presently in good condition after taking a nap, and was sharing official documents with Luo Ran at this moment when he also heard the news.

“Fuck,” Lucas said angrily. “How can a dignified prince be so cheap? How cowardly and incapable is he to bully an Omega? Pei.”

Lucas didn’t think he was being framed, and neither did Luo Ran.

Up to this point, they had been unable to grasp any solid evidence that the First Prince and the star pirates were in collusion, but in fact, they had already made a judgment in their hearts. Yuan Han’s situation was similar.

“The First Prince and public relations are suppressing the matter in order to prevent the case from being established.” Luo Ran said with a sigh, “According to the news, Yuan Han resigned and went to the psychiatric ward in the hospital to recuperate.”

An Alpha’s coercion and abuse would definitely bring mental harm to an Omega, not to mention forced temporary marks.

After a while, another piece of news broke.

“Lu Bei also resigned.” Luo Ran frowned. “It doesn’t explain the reason.”

Although the reason had not been made public, everyone could guess.

If what Yuan Han said was true, then Lu Bei would naturally resign.

Yuan Han was the First Prince’s chief secretary, and Lu Bei was the image representative of the royal family. The two of them socialized a lot during their daily business, and they were both Omegas, so they naturally became friends.

Lu Bei could either resign and support his friend, or continue to work to suppress public opinion and the lawsuit for the royal family and the First Prince.

Clearly he had made a choice.

There was even more discussion on the Starnet

XXXX: God, ah..…I didn’t expect His Royal Highness to be such a person. So disappointing and disgusting…..!

XXXX: Can an Omega be bullied like this? Is the Royal Family able to do whatever they want?! Do the laws about Omegas on the Starnet not apply to the Royal Family? They’re still thinking about suppressing the storm, pei! We don’t want such a leader, we don’t want such an Imperial master! He can’t even respect others, how can he talk about working for the people and the Empire?

XXXX: Join the #Yuan Han litigation topic to protect the rights of Omegas together! Is that solid evidence not enough? The hospital report, hotel room records, and surveillance clips are all there. Yuan Han has bravely taken a stand regardless of face. All we can do is refuse to allow this to become a trivial matter!

XXXX: Mr. Lu is really honorable! For the sake of his principles and his friend, he voluntarily gave up such a high-paying and high-ranking job! Support! 

XXXX: Even Mr. Lu gave up his position, isn’t that enough to explain everything?

XXXX: No…..those who are filled with righteous indignation are the usual double standard O-supporters, right? You’re so excited to take down an Alpha? Yuck.

XXXX: The First Prince doesn’t look like that kind of person. He usually does a lot. There’s no need to rush to a conclusion and forget everything he’s done in the past because of a false accusation with insufficient evidence!

XXXX: This…..the old king is nearly dead, and there is more than one prince in the royal family. Do you get what I’m saying? What if someone framed him?

The people’s opinions were divided into two factions, each with its own judgments.

But no matter what, cracks had appeared in the First Prince’s image.

Perhaps the First Prince himself didn’t expect that after maintaining such a good public image, he would have a problem with Yuan Han, a commoner who he humiliated and trampled over.

“What are you doing?” Lucas pinched Luo Ran’s cheek. “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

He noticed that Luo Ran seemed to be in a bit of a low mood.

“Admiral.” Luo Ran hesitated, and said in a low voice: “I feel it could be…..”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.” Luo Ran told himself that it was better for Lucas not to know, otherwise he would be very angry. He changed the subject: “With Yuan Han’s lawsuit, we can look for loopholes and take the opportunity to check the accounts of the First Prince.”

“Luo Ran,” Lucas snapped, “Don’t change the subject!”

“…….”

“Admiral, I……”

“Talk!” Lucas said coldly: “Tell me.”

“…….” Luo Ran said with some embarrassment: “It’s really nothing.”

Lucas paused, then decided to change his strategy.

According to his keen observation and battle analysis, Luo Ran could be coaxed but not coerced. 

“You didn’t think about me as your boyfriend before, but now that I’ve taken the position and become a full-time employee, why are you refusing to talk to me?” Lucas pursed his lips and said a little stiffly: “You don’t think of me as your boyfriend.”

“……..”

“He.” Lucas scoffed. “You don’t tell me anything, you just feel that I’m unreliable and untrustworthy.”

Luo Ran thought to himself, what Lucas said……was it correct?

Since they were partners, they should help one another. He could also try to learn to accept Lucas’s help.

Luo Ran paused, then said in a whisper: “The First Prince……confessed his love to me yesterday.”

“…….?”

“He’s approached me before, but I didn’t think much of it. I also rejected his confession yesterday and thought it was a trivial matter. But Yuan Han……you know, Yuan Han and I look very similar.”

“…….Fuck.” Lucas’s expression promptly darkened.

He couldn’t even think about it. It made him sick.

“……That bastard!” Lucas slapped the bed violently, then got up and said: “I’m going to find him!”

“Admiral…..!”

Luo Ran was startled, and quickly held him down.

“Don’t you feel sick?!” Lucas shouted under his breath, “This theory makes sense, isn’t he going too far?”

“That won’t work……will he just directly admit it if the Admiral goes to him?” Luo Ran said with a frown: “Besides, it’s not necessarily true.”

“…….”

Lucas sat down again with a fierce expression, as if he wanted to eat people.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Lucas bared his teeth and grabbed Luo Ran’s sleeve, saying: “If something happens again and you keep it from me, just see how I’ll deal with you.”

“All right.” Luo Ran lowered his eyes and smiled.

At the moment, Lucas was sitting and Luo Ran was standing.

Lucas grabbed Luo Ran’s collar and pulled him down, and Luo Ran grabbed Lucas’s tie and pulled him up.

“You want to beat me up?”

“I now have a new way of beating people.” Lucas raised an eyebrow and directly pulled Luo Ran in, kissing his lips somewhat roughly.

Luo Ran closed his eyes slightly, exchanging breaths and pheromones with Lucas. 

Lucas held the back of Luo Ran’s head and said with a smile: “There are others besides this, specially learned in order to beat you.”

“…….” Luo Ran’s ears were slightly red, and he smiled as he said: “Admiral, I still have official documents to read.”

This matter could be regarded as something of the past.

But Lucas kept it in his heart. This account would not be easy to pass.

In the afternoon, the Second Prince’s secretary contacted Luo Ran, saying that the Second Prince wanted to discuss some “official matters” with him quietly.

After some thought, Luo Ran and Lucas moved back to the office from the battleship.

Now that Lucas’s situation had stabilized and his susceptibility period had passed, even if spiritual problems occurred, they could at least be controlled.

Therefore, although the battleship was a private space and the equipment was sufficient, Lucas had not appeared since the bombing of Te City, which had already stirred up panic.

Now that Lucas could deal with the outside world and control the hostility of his pheromones toward other Alphas, the two planned to go back.

. . . . . . 

The aircraft landed, and when Luo Ran and Lucas entered the office, there were many eyes observing him along the way, and everyone was relieved to see that Lucas was no different from usual.

This could pretty much dispel the rumors.

Luo Ran was holding a stack of documents, and seeing everyone looking at them, he smiled back at them one by one.

The two stepped into the elevator. Now was the time everyone was getting to work, and it was a little crowded.

Lucas automatically wrapped his arms around Luo Ran’s waist, hugging him protectively into his arms.

There were mirrors on all sides of the elevator, and the eyes of everyone inside lit up as they gasped one after another.

Luo Ran: “……”

His smile stiffened immediately.

He had almost forgotten, he and Lucas were now……

Different.

The two of them had either been in private or on Luobing.

But now he and Lucas had been together for some time, and they were back in the office…..

Luo Ran felt a little embarrassed and out of sorts at the moment.

But at the same time, there was a sense of novelty.

Lucas was now……his boyfriend.

Luo Ran smiled and let Lucas hold him.

Lucas lowered his head and asked: “What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s something.” Lucas bared his teeth. “What is it?”

Luo Ran chuckled, but didn’t speak.

The pink bubbles around the two spread out in this small space, so strong it nearly made the others faint.

After exiting, everyone took out their phones in unison.

Celebrate!

And when Luo Ran went upstairs, people from the secretary’s office immediately crowded up.

“Secretary Luo…..!!”

“Woooo, Secretary Luo is back!”

“Secretary Luo, we missed you so much, wuwuwu……”

“The Admiral is here too…..! We couldn’t get used to you not being here!”

Having returned to a familiar environment, and encountering all these familiar people and calls, Luo Ran also felt very happy. He said with a smile: “En, the military department was so busy before, so I stayed there with the Admiral.”

It was only then that Luo Ran discovered something.

He…..seemed to be so familiar with the office floor and Lucas’s spaces that he regarded them as another home.

During this period of time, he didn’t miss his small apartment, which was clearly the home he had saved up to buy. Luo Ran felt that he wanted to take good care of this home. It was clean and neat, and also provided a sense of security. Habit was one thing, but there was not much yearning and nostalgia.

What he missed was the office with the wisterias in the window, where he used to spend the night.

Luo Ran smiled, sat in his seat, and opened the official documents.

Later, Luo Ran not only received a lot of official communication requests, but Wang Zitong also called him.

Luo Ran had been wholeheartedly with Lucas before, so he didn’t communicate much with the outside world, and only reported regularly to his family that he was safe.

Wang Zitong and Luo Cheng had presumably heard the news, and were naturally very worried about Luo Ran.

“Ranran.” Wang Zitong’s voice was a little anxious at the moment. “Where are you? Are you okay? We heard……”

“It’s okay.” Luo Ran said with a smile: “Everything’s fine. I’ll come back for dinner this week.”

“Good, that’s good…..the Admiral, he……?”

“The Admiral is also fine, it’s all rumors.”

After exchanging a few words with Wang Zitong, Luo Ran was in a daze when he hung up.

He hadn’t told his family yet.

It seemed that Wang Zitong and Luo Cheng……didn’t quite approve of him being with Lucas?

After all, Luo Cheng and Wang Zitong were different from other people, who saw Lucas through the filter of a hero. Because of Luo Ran’s relationship, they only considered Lucas’s qualities as a partner.

Luo Ran scratched his cheek.

Lu Cheng especially, as an instructor, used to warn him not to fall in love. At present, they also had……opinions on Lucas.

After all, the blind dates that Lu Cheng and Wang Zitong found before were all well-behaved, engaged in civil work, refined and gentle, and seemed like the type that would be obedient to their partners.

Lucas seemed……

Luo Ran was a little distressed.

Did he need to inoculate his parents slowly and bring Lucas home for dinner later?

Luo Ran had confidence that, although Lucas was difficult to get along with at first glance, as long as they knew more about him, they would like him.

Soon afterwards, the Second Prince came.

The Second Prince got straight to the point, saying that he was also looking into the First Prince’s construction project on Apollo and planned to exchange information with the military.

As a member of the Royal Family, he had the right to muster the core data, and combined with Luo Ran’s piecemeal data, they finally made some connections.

So that day, following Yuan Han’s accusations, the First Prince Zhou Mingyu was sued again.

—This time by the military department. Lucas directly sued the First Prince for embezzlement of public funds and corruption.

Lucas submitted some evidence, and therefore, the First Prince who had planned to suppress public opinion could not do so at all. Lucas was not like Yuan Han, a commoner who had originally planned to attempt the impossible. He had the faith of the people.

After accusations from two parties, there was finally no choice — a case was formally filed.

---

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Chapter Seventy << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Two

T/N: Thank you to Sanji for the Kofi donation! Here’s an update plus an extra chapter!

“I also want it.”

Lucas’s voice was low and hoarse. The warm air he exhaled hit Luo Ran’s earlobe, making him feel a little hot, and the pheromones made his mind even more chaotic.

Although Luo ran was an Omega, he was also a man. Lucas had tough and handsome facial features, and his body was muscular. At this moment, with the fruits on his upper body saying yes……Luo Ran naturally couldn’t resist.

Luo Ran was still held tightly by Lucas with his head resting on the other’s shoulder, and his voice was also a little hoarse with a tinge of desire.

“What do you want…..”

Lucas didn’t speak, and just grabbed Luo Ran’s wrist to put his hand on it.

Luo Ran felt that it was novel, but what he was thinking at this time was…..although it was worthy of pride, it was fortunately not as exaggerated as thirty-eight centimeters.

After all, Luo Ran once suspected that he was going to die on the first night.

Lucas breathed heavily and said, “Are you going to do it? Hurry up.”

. . . . . . .

It took Lucas a long time, especially when he looked at Luo Ran and imagined his pale hands. When it was over, Lucas’s hair was almost dry.

“Ranran.” Lucas squeezed Luo Ran’s chin and kissed his lips, exchanging breaths.

The two hugged and kissed in the water for a while, and finally the hot spring timer in the bathroom issued a notification sound to interrupt Luo Ran. He turned his head and said: “Admiral, let’s get up and dry off.”

“En.”

Luo Ran wiped his hair to the side and Lucas quickly washed the suds off his head and body.

After getting up from the bath, Luo Ran immediately stepped forward to wrap Lucas in a towel, followed by clothes.

Lucas lowered his head and looked at Luo Ran, who was buttoning him up, and couldn’t help but squeeze Luo Ran’s chin and kiss him again.

“Wu……”

Luo Ran gently pushed Lucas away, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He said: “Don’t make trouble.”

He was also too clingy.

“I want to eat you.” Lucas bit Luo Ran’s ear and said: “You’re really delicious.”

Give an inch and he would take a mile. Luo Ran shrank all over, a little unaccustomed to such intimacy.

After Luo Ran straightened Lucas’s collar, he turned around and tried to walk away, but just as he stepped forward, Lucas snatched him back with one hand.

Lucas hugged Luo Ran’s waist and said with bared teeth: “What are you hiding from? I’m your boyfriend, you can’t hide.”

“Admiral……” Luo Ran pressed his hands against Lucas’s chest and said helplessly, “I’m not, I just have an appointment, and some official documents to read.”

“An appointment? With who?” Lucas said to him: “I want to go too.”

“……Yu Han.”

“……”

“It’s not for a blind date….!” Luo Ran pressed Lucas’s hand that was pinching his waist, and said exasperatedly: “It’s for official business. I want him to help me get some financial information on the First Prince and the planet Apollo.”

“There are so many people in the government treasury department, why must it be him!”

Luo Ran poked Lucas’s nose and said: “Admiral, you’re acting clingy.”

“……”

Lucas thought of the fact that he had mistakenly thought Luo Ran liked him, thinking that Luo Ran was clingy.

Now Luo Ran actually used this word on him.

Lucas was somewhat ashamed into anger. He hugged this person and said: “I want to go with you.”

Luo Ran had originally planned to have dinner with Yu Han outside, but now because of special circumstances, Luo Ran asked Yu Han to come to the battleship to meet and talk with him. Thus, Yu Han saw Lucas and Luo Ran coming in together.

Yu Han saw that Lucas was still a bit frustrated, and got up to greet them: “Good afternoon, Admiral……”

“Mr. Yu, I’m sorry to trouble you.” Luo Ran nodded and said: “I’ll owe you a favor this time.”

“It’s fine, it isn’t any trouble, just a trivial matter. I’m honored to be able to help Secretary Luo.” Yu Han smiled.

The three took their seats. Lucas didn’t make trouble and just sat to the side, looking at Luo Ran with eagle eyes.

A veritable surveillance monitor.

Luo Ran and Yu Han exchanged a few words before Luo Ran got to the point, saying: “The First Prince has recently started a construction project on Apollo.”

“En, that’s right.” Yu Han said: “I also participated in the cost calculation of this project, and it is said to be a military base.”

Luo Ran said: “Then I’ll be straightforward. Can I ask you for data and reports?”

“Ah…..?” Yu Han paused, and cautiously said: “It’s like this, there is a lot of information that I can’t disclose……although Secretary Luo has his position, the relationship between the royal family and the military has always been sensitive, so I have to be more cautious when it comes to finances.”

“It’s okay, I understand.” Luo Ran smiled and said: “It doesn’t matter how much you can give me, I just want to take a look.”

“Okay.”

Afterwards, Yu Han also talked to Luo Ran about the previous threats.

“There were two people who came, and they looked like thugs hired off the black market. They gave me a lot of money and told me not to look for Secretary Luo in the future.”

Yu Han subconsciously glanced at Lucas.

Lucas said coldly: “Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it.”

If it were him, he would have carried Luo Ran home.

“Then can Mr. Yu describe the characteristics of the two thugs?”

“Okay.” 

After speaking for a while, Yu Han tactfully said his goodbyes.

“Admiral, go back to your room and rest,” Luo Ran said with a smile. “I have urgent paperwork and must go to the institute in person, but I will be back after signing it. It will take about half an hour.”

“Fine.” Lucas knew that his spiritual state was not suitable for going out, let alone coming into contact with other Alphas, so he agreed with some sorrow.

Luo Ran then went to the research institute, but at the gate, he met Yuan Han, the secretary of the First Prince Zhou Mingyu.

Yuan Han, who looked very similar to him.

“Secretary Yuan.” Luo Ran greeted him with a smile, but Yuan Han ignored him, and even looked away with a cold expression.

Luo Ran was taken aback for a moment, naturally not expecting this.

The last time they met, Yuan Han was warm and friendly to him, and had a cheerful personality.

But at this moment, Yuan Han’s eyes bore dark circles. He looked a little haggard, his eyes full of negative emotions.

Luo Ran frowned slightly.

What was this……?

“Secretary Luo?”

First Prince Zhou Mingyu also came out, and handed over official documents to Yuan Han.

The two of them got along and looked at each other……without a problem?

“Your Highness.” Luo Ran nodded slightly.

“Secretary Luo, since we’ve met, shall we talk?” Zhou Mingyu said softly: “I have something to tell you, and we seem to have had too many misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?” Lou Ran said, neither humble nor overbearing: “Your Highness is worrying too much.”

“Let’s talk.” Zhou Mingyu patted Yuan Han on the shoulder and said: “You can go back first. I’ll talk to Secretary Luo.”

“All right.”

Yuan Han was a little cold toward Luo Ran at first, but his attitude changed after Zhou Mingyu extended the invitation, and he seemed a little hesitant to speak.

It was a very subtle look.

Zhou Mingyu smiled and said: “Secretary Luo, let’s meet in the lounge room. There have been so many things going on recently, and I want to speak with you.”

Luo Ran raised an eyebrow.

He wanted to see what Zhou Mingyu had to say. It would be good to have more clues.

“Okay, I’ll come as soon as I hand over my paperwork.”

Yuan Han’s expression became even more subtle.

Zhou Mingyu left then, but Luo Ran was stopped by Yuan Han before going upstairs.

“You…..beware of him,” Yuan Han said. “Be careful.”

“What…..?” Luo Ran frowned slightly.

Yuan Han seemed to want to say something, but didn’t dare to. After a pause, he turned around and strode away.

Luo Ran thought to himself, it is natural to be wary. The relationship between him and the First Prince was too delicate now.

But why did Yuan Han say that? He was Zhou Mingyu’s secretary.

Perhaps…..Yuan Han had something he couldn’t say.

Luo Ran pushed open the door of the private room and saw Zhou Mingyu standing on the edge of the balcony. The sun shone on his brilliant blond hair, and the expensive clothing on his body made him look even more dignified.

Luo Ran thought to himself, if Zhou Mingyu hadn’t been involved in so many things recently and repeatedly targeted Lucas, he would really think that Zhou Mingyu was handsome.

The military department couldn’t confirm whether Zhou Mingyu had colluded with star pirates, but there must at least be some connection.

At this thought, Luo Ran felt a little more uncomfortable and nauseated.

“Secretary Luo is here.” Holding a goblet in his hand, Zhou Mingyu pointed at the low table with a smile. “Join me, Secretary.”

“No need, I’m busy with work and must return to military headquarters.” Luo Ran smiled and said: “What is it, Your Highness?”

“I…..I don’t know how to tell you, but because the admiral acted recklessly before, it seems that I was aggressive.” Zhou Mingyu shook his head and said: “I didn’t intend to target you. As I said, you can ask me for help if you need anything. Naturally, I won’t harm you.”

“Your Highness didn’t harm me. If this is the issue, please don’t worry about it, Your Highness.”

Luo Ran blocked Zhou Mingyu’s words with extreme politeness. Zhou Mingyu paused, then said with a frown: “Does Secretary Luo feel any resentment…..?”

“I really don’t.”

Luo Ran was indeed not angry at all.

He would be angry if Lucas did something he didn’t like, but Zhou Mingyu……how could it be possible to be angry or upset because of him? For Luo Ran, he was just something that had to be faced at work, one of the people he had to deal with in his daily business. It would be strange if he got angry.

Luo Ran would only be angry because of the ambiguity between Zhou Mingyu and the star pirates.

With such a reaction from Luo Ran, the keen Zhou Mingyu could immediately understand what was going on.

“Secretary Luo, I thought that since we’ve talked so many times, you would give me a place too, at least as a friend.” Zhou Mingyu lowered his eyes.

“Your Highness’s words……are a bit surprising.” Luo Ran said with a smile: “The human heart is not a stone, and we can naturally feel other people’s emotions more or less. But His Highness did not give me a place as a friend, so I judged that His Highness only regards me as an ordinary work associate.”

If Zhou Mingyu cared about him, even an ordinary friend would not neglect his spirit and body, and insist on making him melt UNK when he was mentally unstable.

Zhou Mingyu paused, then slightly tilted his head.

Luo Ran couldn’t see his expression clearly, but felt that the aura around Zhou Mingyu was a little low, and for a rare instant, he couldn’t maintain a smiling expression.

“Secretary Luo, I actually called you here today……I want to speak with you.” Zhou Mingyu raised his head and clutched the goblet tightly, his joints faintly red. “I want to confess my love to you. I’m sorry that I can’t give you a romantic confession. It’s really because you have been too difficult to date recently, so I can only say it here.”

“It is of no concern.” Luo Ran glanced at the sky and said with a smile: “I’m really too busy, and can’t breathe under the pressure of my official duties. The Admiral has been quite clingy recently. He’s a troublesome lover.”

This was a more euphemistic, but very clear rejection.

Zhou Mingyu was taken aback.

After a long pause, just when Luo Ran thought that Zhou Mingyu, with his back turned to him, was about to get angry, he suddenly turned around and smiled.

Zhou Mingyu looked at Luo Ran with that big smile and said: “Congratulations, ah.”

“Thank you.”

After Luo Ran left the room, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was uncomfortable to be in the same space as Zhou Mingyu, let alone that he……

Luo Ran rubbed his temples.

In the end, Zhou Mingyu was a person who put his personal interests first, and confessing to him was only for the power of the military.

Luo Ran didn’t much care about Zhou Mingyu’s feelings.

He cared more about Yuan Han, who was behaving strangely, and planned to go back and have the investigation department look into it.

. . . . . . .

That night, the investigation department had an answer.

It wasn’t about Yuan Han, but the thugs described by Yu Han.

They had quickly found these two people according to their characteristics. After all, the two were thugs, and would always show some signs. 

They were given money and asked to do a job. All customer information was fake, but it didn’t matter as long as the money was sufficient. 

Although it took a lot of money, they were hired in the end, and the person who hired them was one of Yuan Han’s subordinates.

In other words, it really was the First Prince who interfered.

Luo Ran recalled the First Prince’s unspoken confession.

This was even more of a headache.

To be honest, he didn’t like such sneaky little tricks.

“This was just a small episode, and it won’t affect what we need to investigate.” Luo Ran sighed, saying to the captain: “Don’t tell the Admiral.”

“Yes!” The captain paused and said: “As for Secretary Yuan….sorry, we haven’t found anything so far. Everything seems to be normal.”

Luo Ran nodded. This was standard. After all, he was the secretary next to the First Prince.

After a while, Lucas finished his rehab and returned from the fitness room.

“Admiral, you go to bed first.” Luo Ran smiled and said: “I’ll be there right away.”

The two had already shared the same bed, but Lucas slept very deeply at night, and Luo Ran felt that there was no difference.

“En.” Lucas may have been tired, because he didn’t make a fuss. He turned around and went to bed.

Luo Ran left just the desk lamp on, and planned on reading two or three more documents before going to sleep.

Bang—

Luo Ran looked out the battleship window toward the thunder.

Then it started to rain.

Lucas’s breathing was a little rushed, and he couldn’t sleep well. 

He woke up after a while, rubbed his hair, and said irritably: “It’s too noisy.”

Luo Ran was no stranger to such a situation.

When he first became a secretary, he was at a loss, but later Shen Shiluo explained it to him in detail.

This was the aftermath of Lucas being on the battlefield. To be precise, it was post-traumatic stress syndrome, and also the impact of a 3S Alpha being in a fighting environment all year round.

However, Lucas was very capable and had good self-control, so he suppressed it abruptly before it could get too serious. Only occasionally, in special cases, he would still have nightmares, insomnia, and mental disturbances including irritability and hypervigilance.

Luo Ran went forward to hug Lucas and said: “Sorry.”

“So noisy.” Lucas rubbed his temples moodily and whispered: “Damnit.”

Luo Ran sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Lucas to lie down.

Lucas pillowed his head on Luo Ran’s leg as Luo Ran gently rubbed his temples.

“Admiral, don’t think too much. Let your thoughts go.”

Lucas’s breathing was rapid. He held the sheets and tried to get up, looking a little anxious.

“Admiral.”

Luo Ran held him down again and bent over to embrace him, saying: “Where is the Admiral going?”

Lucas didn’t speak, mainly because he didn’t want to lose his temper with Luo Ran.

Luo Ran kissed Lucas’s forehead in this position so that Lucas could feel his pheromones better. Together with the incense in the room, the scent of white tea was mild and elegant.

Luo Ran thought to himself, Lucas said that before or now, he must rush to fight for the dead as well. This mattered little. Everyone was moving forward.

But…..how could he not care, and not be sad?

“Admiral, may I sing for you?” Luo Ran smiled and said: “I sing very well.”

Lucas didn’t answer. He turned around and hugged Luo Ran’s waist, adjusting his position, as if trying to fall asleep again.

Luo Ran sang softly.

Lucas vaguely felt that the melody was familiar, but couldn’t tell why.

Then, perhaps because of the pheromones, Lucas really fell asleep in confusion.

---

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Chapter Sixty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-One

The room was silent. Only a short candle flame danced with the breeze, jumping an inch high.

Liu Xian’an set down the empty cup in his hand and went to the cupboard to find a lampshade. It looked old, but was still a rare commodity. Talented scholars and beauties were portrayed in detail on it, and the two layer lampshade wobbled and turned when it was scorched by the heat. In a small river floated a lotus lantern with mandarin ducks and handkerchiefs. Liu Xian’an said: “There is a similar night parade in Baihe City, with lights floating all over the river. A-Ning and I went once.”

Thus the already crowded night parade became even more crowded as everyone stood on their tiptoes to see Second Young Master Liu, and they stopped putting handkerchiefs into the river, simply grasping them in their hands and throwing them at him. As a result, many “talented scholars” who had written poems had no girls willing to read them, and were very dissatisfied. When they returned home, they immediately wrote many sour poems to scold him.

“But my elder brother scolded them all back for me, “Liu Xian’an said.

Although Liu Xianche always used the ruler to teach his younger brother lessons, and couldn’t stand how a Liu family child could be so ignorant, once he heard outsiders chattering, and especially because his younger brother hadn’t done anything wrong and had just gone out for a bit of activity, he became immediately dissatisfied at the yammering and personally led disciples to find the homes of those sour scholars, then sat down directly in the front halls and asked for an explanation.

And The First Young Master Liu’s prestige in Baihe City was almost equal to that of Master Liu. He was even more terrifying when he was unsmiling, and those who had written poetry dared not see him at all, so it was mostly their parents who came to apologize. Liu Xianche treated them all the same, and only then did he grudgingly get up and leave. When the family was eating, he still said, it’s really unreasonable, my little brother  finally went out for a walk, how could he meet those idiots?

Liu Xian’an said: “It seems that other than my mom and dad, everyone in Baihe City is afraid of my elder brother.”

Liang Shu said: “Then the next time we go to Baihe City, I’ll treat him to a drink.”

“Elder Brother doesn’t drink much, but one or two drinks should be fine,” Liu Xian’an said. “He even wrote a letter a while ago, telling me to stay by the prince’s side with peace of mind, and whether I go south or north, in any case, I don’t need to rush home.”

Liang Shu’s opinion of this future brother-in-law was immediately elevated: “All right, then you can always stay and be at ease.”

The word “always” could be replaced by “for a lifetime,” because “always” meant continuously, constantly, and without end. Holding an empty teacup, Liu Xian’an felt that it sounded like a promise, but it was also a little weightless. He asked in a roundabout way: “The Emperor, what sort of brother is he?”

“Emperor Brother is serious in speech and manner, but is always kind in front of me,” Liang Shu said. “My mother concubine passed away very early, so my father entrusted my care to the Empress. She came from a family of military officials and seemed to be cold-spoken, but was in fact soft and kind-hearted, and Emperor Brother also treated me very well.”

Liu Xian’an asked: “Is that all?”

Liang Shu smiled: “That is all. There is no rivalry between brothers, and no calamities in the Imperial City. Brother Emperor has cared about the common people’s affairs since childhood, and has compassion for every plant and tree in Dayan territory. But I am different, I am lazy by nature and have no ambition. I simply want to keep the surrounding land safe and secure, and after it is stable, just find a tranquil place and return to the fields, and live the life of a hermit amongst the peach blossoms and flowing water.”

Born lazy, without ambition. Liu Xian’an thought, it turns out that the prince’s estimation of himself is so inaccurate.

But the life of a hermit amongst peach blossoms and flowing water could be lived together. He suggested that there was a big mountain outside Baihe City with many small villages upon it. There were streams and seas of flowers, and according to A-Ning, it was very beautiful. The prince might as well live there in the future.

Liang Shu asked: “Then what about you?”

Liu Xian’an said: “I can also go with you.”

Liang Shu looked at him: “That will be many, many years from now.”

But Liu Xian’an thought, how many years can there be, the world is only for a moment.

Liang Shu stretched out his fingers, wanting to touch that cheek that looked so soft under the candlelight, but there was a sudden, stabbing pain in his heart. In recent days, he had been spinning around endlessly day and night without a good rest, and the old injury that was not serious awoke at this time. He reached up to press his forehead and leaned forward almost imperceptibly so that the hard edge of the table was against his chest, trying to suppress the pain. But Liu Xian’an had already noticed his abnormality: “The prince is not feeling well?”

Liang Shu said: “It’s nothing.”

Liu Xian’an grasped his wrist and read it for a while, then frowned: “It is still the old injury?”

Liang Shu nodded.

“It is because you’re too tired.” Liu Xian’an released his hand. “You need much more rest.”

Liang Shu said: “I can’t sleep well. I always have dreams when I sleep.”

As for the specific dreams, he feared that if he said them, he would be treated as a scoundrel by A-Ning and be reported to the officials. But Liu Xian’an didn’t ask closely. He took his wrist and tugged him to the side of the bed. “The prince should lie down for a while, ba. I have some soothing medicated oil here, which is very useful.”

The pillow was familiar, and the quilt was also familiar, but there was a new medicinal fragrance on them. Lying on the bed, Liang Shu didn’t know why he was unable to suppress his obscene thoughts when an old injury had just recurred. Thinking that his quilt had once wrapped around his sweetheart, a wicked fire burned in his chest. Liu Xian’an, who was vigorously procuring the medicine, was also taken aback and leaned over to press the back of his hand to his forehead: “The prince has a fever? Wearing such thin underthings in such cold weather, the prince likely caught a cold.”

Liang Shu said: “I don’t have a fever.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t listen, and placed a cool handkerchief on his forehead first. He sat on the edge of the bed again and helped to untie his belt, then massaged slowly with his hands dipped in cooling medicated oil. His fingertips were soft and strong, like pieces of cool, delicate jade, very comfortable when they fell on his hot body. Liang Shu was in a daze. He put the back of his hand on his forehead and asked belatedly: “I really have a fever?”

Liu Xian’an grabbed his hand: “En, put it down, don’t move around.”

Liang Shu sighed resignedly: “This illness really picked its time.”

Under the effects of the medicated massage and the oil, the tingling pain in Liang Shu’s heart dissipated by a lot, and he stretched out. Liu Xian’an looked at the intertwined scars on his body and said: “I’ll make some scar-removing medicine another day. The prescription my elder brother developed is very useful.” 

Liang Shu asked: “They don’t look good?”

Liu Xian’an: “En.”

Liang Shu choked, and stretched out a hand to tug his hair band: “At this sort of time, shouldn’t you say a few nice words about family and country?”

“I can say something nice, but it still doesn’t look good.” Liu Xian’an wiped his hands. “I’ll ask A-Ning to cook some medicine to reduce fever and calm the nerves.”

After he went out, Liang Shu opened his clothes and looked at the criss-crossed scars on his chest. Gao Lin returned in a daze from examining the files and met Second Young Master Liu downstairs talking with A-Ning. When he went upstairs, he heard that the prince was in the next room, so he knocked on the unlocked door and stuck his head in. Before he could say “Your Highness,” he lost his words. Wasn’t this picture too strange in the middle of the night? 

With his elbows propping him up and his clothes disheveled, he turned his head to look toward the door: “Are you coveting me or something, and can’t bear to leave?”

Gao Lin’s heart crumpled. He closed the door behind his back, and his tone was like that of a thief: “Why is the prince lying on Second Young Master Liu’s bed without proper clothes?”

Liang Shu folded his hands and lay back down: “Because this lord is sick and can’t walk.”

Of course Lieutenant General Gao would not believe this sort of nonsense. After all, if his prince only had one breath left, he would still be able to kill the enemy with sword and horse. Sick and unable to walk, this was losing one’s head over lust.

Liang Shu asked: “What did you find out?”

“While the file for Wan Yuan’s case was detailed, the writing was messy and contradictory, and there were many loopholes in the logic.” Gao Lin saw that his prince had managed with difficulty to crawl into the bed of Second Young Master Liu, so he tried to keep the story short. “In short, eighty percent of the dossier was fabricated by Li Liang or someone else. There is also the information on those missing persons, which was all a mess and not up to standards.”

Compared to this, the three-page military report that he squeezed out with all his brains could be called an eloquent, eternal manuscript.

Gao Lin sighed with feeling: “It is also on this trip that I discovered I not only possess material arts strategy, but also a trace of literary talent.”

Liang Shu: “……Where can that be seen?”

There were footsteps on the stairs, and Gao Lin immediately shut up: “The prince should continue to be ill first. Don’t worry, even if the sky falls tonight, I’ll stand guard for you!”

Loyal and faithful, worth giving a raise.

Liu Xian’an carried the medicine into the room, lowering his head to stir it as he walked. He was lithe and slender, wearing white robes and walking like an immortal. As a result, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s condition worsened on the spot, and he couldn’t even lift his hands. “I have no strength.”

After Liu Xian’an stuffed his usual back pillow behind him, he spooned up the liquid medicine to feed him, and Liang Shu said: “Too hot.”

He had too many faults to count, he was pretentious, and he was just looking for trouble. In an ordinary family, it was likely that his father would have already picked up the broom and beat him. But Second Young Master Liu had a very good temper, and just lowered his head to blow on it since it was hot, coaxing this violent and fearsome demon of Dayan to such an extent that he became conceited and arrogant. Liu Xian’an felt that the other party was very well-behaved — he had seen his cousin give medicine to his little nephew, and he cried tragically. Spoons and bowls flew everywhere, and he almost got his head smashed just walking by.

Liang Shu asked: “What are you so happy about?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “Because the prince drank his medicine so nicely.”

Liang Shu was puzzled: “Hm?”

Liu Xian’an smiled and pushed him back to lie down: “I’ll burn a good-smelling incense. The prince can sleep peacefully and recover by tomorrow.”

Liang Shu held his wrist: “No need.” Then he moved his fingers up wrongly and tugged the other person’s forearm, dragging him to sit on the edge of the bed. “The scent of medicine on your sleeves smells very good.”

Liu Xian’an had never felt that there was a fragrance on his body. He thought, perhaps it had soaked in after years in Baihe Mountain Village.

He leaned down slightly, letting his sleeves spread beside the other person’s pillow. He felt tired after a while, so he just sat there on a step stool and continued to watch over the feverish person in a trance.

Liang Shu fell asleep quickly, perhaps because of the effect of the medicine. However, he had always slept lightly, and even in such a quiet and peaceful environment, he woke up in just two hours. He turned his head and saw that there was still a person lying on his stomach beside the bed, so he picked him up.

Liu Xian’an made a semi-conscious questioning sound.

“It’s nothing.” Liang Shu wrapped him in the quilt and pulled the other’s slightly cool body into his arms to warm him up. “Don’t wake up, keep sleeping.”

Thus, Liu Xian’an really didn’t wake up.

The scent of sandalwood spread throughout his dreams.

---

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Chapter Fifty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifty-Nine

Lucas’s mood was fluctuating greatly at the moment, and Luo Ran was also affected after making a spiritual connection with him.

Luo Ran also felt the pain. He struggled subconsciously, and vaguely saw Shen Xiluo holding him down.

“So impulsive.” Shen Xiluo frowned and said: “How can you make a spiritual connection at this time?”

Luo Ran felt medicine being injected into his wrist, and then fell into a deep sleep.

. . . . . . 

When Luo Ran woke up again, he saw Lucas…..using him as a pillow in his arms.

Luo Ran stared down at Lucas’s messy hair in a daze.

Lucas noticed the movement and looked up at Luo Ran.

He had been awake for a long time, but his mental state wasn’t good, and he would occasionally wake up and lose consciousness again.

However, at least because of the spiritual connection, Lucas didn’t continue to have a headache and go crazy, and Luo Ran’s pheromones had indeed relieved him a lot.

Lucas looked at Luo Ran for a moment, and was taken aback.

“Why are you crying?” Lucas’s voice was hoarse, and he stretched out his hand to gently cover Luo Ran’s eyes.

Luo Ran didn’t speak, and just shook his head.

Lucas recalled Shen Xiluo’s display, felt his physical condition again, and said seriously: “I feel like I’ll live a long time, don’t worry.”

Luo Ran took Lucas’s hand away and turned around. He didn’t want Lucas to see him right now.

When he turned around, Lucas could see the gauze bandages on his back.

According to Shen Xiluo, he bit too much last night, and the glands were injured and inflamed. Luo Ran’s wrists were also wrapped in bandages.

They were all minor flesh wounds, but Lucas was naturally distressed.

He couldn’t always control his strength, let alone during the situation the night before.

“Stupid Ranran.” Lucas knew that Luo Ran had forcibly made a spiritual connection with him last night, and after some thought, he understood what was going on.

During an Alpha’s susceptible period, they were a walking disaster, and only an Omega’s marking, spiritual connection, or physical pheromones could relieve them. But Lucas’s susceptible period, in addition to a spiritual collapse disorder, was really not suitable for the above activities, because it was easy to influence and affect the Omega.

But Luo Ran did it anyway.

Lucas wrapped his arms around Luo Ran’s waist from behind and leaned his head on the other’s shoulder, saying: “I’m fine. That was all long ago.”

Lucas rubbed the top of Luo Ran’s hair and said: “It’s okay.”

“En,” Luo Ran said nasally. “Now I’m here.”

Lucas’s heart thumped.

Luo Ran turned back around, put his arms around Lucas again, and said: “Sleep, Admiral. I’ll watch over you.”

For a lifetime.

He would protect him, cherish him, and do everything possible to keep Lucas from being hurt again.

“En.” Lucas leaned into Luo Ran’s arms, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Luo Ran hugged the big lion hard. He was firm and heavy.

But his sleeping appearance…..was very docile.

Luo Ran lightly tapped the tip of Lucas’s nose with his fingertip.

No response. He was deeply asleep.

Luo Ran paused, then lowered his head to press a kiss to Lucas’s forehead.

After that, Lucas continued to sleep for two days. He woke up and fell back asleep many times, but still had the strength to attend to daily life, and even eat by himself without Luo Ran’s help.

Luo Ran moved a table beside the bed to edit official documents and continued to deal with the handover and military affairs.

When Lucas wasn’t on leave, he had a lot of work, and now that Lucas was on leave, he had even more work.

In addition to his regular work, Luo Ran had to deal with online public relations.

After the incident in Te City broke out, the Empire and Luobing were in a bleak state, and everyone’s morale was extremely low.

The people of Luobing were naturally forlorn. After all, it was their society and city that was destroyed, and so many people had died—one hundred and thirteen.

This was only a piece of data, and didn’t sound like much, but each one was a person with a name and a life.

For many years, Lucas had led the army to victory and had never been defeated.

Although this time was not a failure, but a deliberate demonstration by the star pirates rather than a battle. No matter how strong the Empire and Lucas were, they would not be able to do anything. However……

The losses were too heavy, and the incident was too tragic. It was like a hard fist slamming into the defensive line of the military headquarters and the Empire.

As for the people of the Empire, even though the people of Luobing’s Te City were not their own comrades, they died under a Meteor Shower.

A Meteor Shower was the weapon that had killed Admiral Alton and 185 other elite soldiers in the Ravine.

Of course, Admiral Alton exerted his spiritual strength at that time, and at the last moment before abandoning the mecha, he shot down the aircraft of Huntsman’s father, the leader of the star pirates, and took him to die together.

In any case, the loss of Alton and the elites around him was a painful past event, and now that the star pirates had successfully made such a weapon, no one could be happy.

Every page of the Starnet had turned gray and were full of mourning and praying posts.

XXXX: Admiral Alton died with the former leader of the star pirates, and now there is a tug-of-war between Admiral Lucas and Huntsman. Admiral Alton died under a Meteor Shower back then, and now the Meteor Shower is back in action…..could it be…..it was pre-arranged? When I think about it, I feel such despair.

XXXX: Forget about it, I’m also in despair. Upstairs, do you know that there is an organization in the Empire that specializes in research and development and encourages the cultivation of offspring, and strives to cultivate excellent genes? One of them is Dr. Shen, who followed Admiral Alton back then, and now the biggest goal of their team is the Admiral’s offspring.

XXXX: Wu…..I hope the Admiral will have offspring soon. I hope the Admiral’s end will come at 100 years old and in his own bed.

XXXX: I don’t understand, I really don’t understand. For the sake of the peace of the entire galaxy, even though the Empire has the ability to use such a weapon, they won’t do it. This is understandable, but why are the star pirates capable of doing it? How much money and resources does this require, ah? The star pirates were beaten silent by Admiral Lucas, right? After a losing streak of so many years, why do they still have the ability?

XXXX: I also don’t understand…..Meteor Showers not only consume a lot of money and resources, but they take several years to make, right? Doesn’t it take a long time? How come the star pirates have gold mines and wormholes in their stronghold? Do they have a mountain of diamonds?

XXXX: I heard there’s insider information that Admiral Lucas was injured……that’s why he didn’t show up.

XXXX: I heard he was seriously injured!

Some took the opportunity to make trouble, some had malicious intentions, and some were speaking on hearsay evidence, quietly spreading news about Lucas.

Some even said that Lucas was in peril and his life would not be long. Although the articles were quickly deleted, they were still seen by many people.

The atmosphere was not very good. Sky lanterns had been sent up for many days, and Luo Ran had to ask the military department and several military leaders to come out and speak to stabilize the people’s hearts.

The First Prince also gave several speeches to encourage everyone and say that the Empire would definitely overcome this difficulty.

“These are the recent movements of the two princes.”

The head of the investigation team handed Luo Ran a document.

Luo Ran sat on the desk beside the bed and took the file, reading it over.

The Second Prince, Zhou Mingjing, had actually been traveling quietly between Luobing and the Empire for a while. After this incident, he immediately left for Luobing to accompany Mu Yuan.

Mu Yuan was good at fighting, but his mind was not very flexible in other aspects. Zhou Mingjing had helped him a lot in the past, and could meticulously take care of every detail.

“It turns out to be like this. No wonder the capital seems to be controlled exclusively by the First Prince these days.” Luo Ran shook his head.

In the past few days, the First Prince’s inspirational speeches and stage skills had been perfect, and he won a lot of people’s hearts, but the Second Prince remained silent.

Luo Ran smiled helplessly at the irony.

At this time, the First Prince was doing superficial work everywhere, but actually contributed nothing but chicken soup for the soul.

And the Second Prince personally went to the front lines to help rebuild Te City, appease the families of the victims, and contribute money and effort.

But the former was more profitable and brought in more rewards.

“Continue to investigate the First Prince, mainly focusing on his finances.” Luo Ran said with a smile: “Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s not difficult.” The captain glanced at Luo Ran and frowned, saying: “Secretary Luo, I may be stepping over the line, but……I suggest that you also find a time to rest.”

Lucas was not in good condition, and Luo Ran was on guard almost twenty-four hours a day, not to mention the occasional spiritual connection and pheromone blending. Coupled with his official duties, it was indeed too much of a physical load for one person.

Luo Ran’s eyes were all bruised and purple, and he looked haggard.

“It’s fine, this doesn’t happen often.” Luo Ran laughed and said: “It’s only a matter of a few days. I’ll just read a few more documents and be done.”

“Yes……”

—XXX—

This continued for another two days. For Luo Ran, nothing much seemed to change, other than Lucas having a little more time to sleep and rest.

It was like having a large pet.

And now it seemed even more so.

“Scram!”

Lucas stood in the bathroom of the suite and looked at Luo Ran, who was about to come in. He bared his teeth: “I can do it myself.”

Luo Ran coaxed: “I’ll help the Admiral wash his hair and scrub his back. It’s no problem.”

“Fuck, I’m spiritually unwell, not disabled.” Lucas pressed on the door panel and said: “I don’t need your help.”

Lucas was stubborn, and Luo Ran was even more stubborn.

Luo Ran blocked the door and said earnestly: “Admiral, don’t hold onto your tenuous masculine dignity at a time like this.”

“…….” Lucas sneered: “Are you courting death?”

Luo Ran continued to dance on the edge of danger, saying: “Admiral, you’re not a cat, so don’t resist taking a bath.”

“……” Lucas said fiercely: “Don’t try to divert my attention, I’m not resisting taking a bath.”

Luo Ran was really worried. After all, Lucas was in a bad spiritual state now, and if he fainted or had an attack while bathing, it wouldn’t be good.

Luo Ran paused, and could only say: “……That.”

Seeing that it was hopeless, he could only go on recklessly.

Luo Ran closed his eyes and said: “Doesn’t the Admiral want to bathe with me?”

“……”

Five minutes later.

The bathroom was foggy, and Lucas was sitting on a stool in a pair of pants, feeling like something was wrong.

Luo Ran sat behind him on a relatively high chair, washing his hair with his head bowed.

Lucas: “…….”

He had to say, it was quite comfortable.

Luo Ran lowered his head and concentrated. His ten fingers rubbed through Lucas’s hair, his fingertips massaging his scalp with just the right strength.

Lucas frowned and said: “You learned how to do this?”

“En.”

“Why did you learn it?”

“To massage my father’s shoulders and feet before.”

“Have you ever massaged anyone else?”

“……Of course not.”

“En.”

Lucas became more comfortable and grudgingly forgave Luo Ran for his evil deeds.

But although he was very comfortable, Lucas still felt a little awkward. “Okay, stop rubbing, there’s no need to be so coquettish. You go out.”

“Admiral, I’ll wash off the suds for you.”

“…….”

Lucas was getting goosebumps all over his body.

Fuck.

“Admiral, please be good.” Luo Ran was helpless.

Why was it so troublesome to bathe?

It was as troublesome as getting him to eat.

“Do you think I’m a cat or a dog?” Lucas bared his teeth.

Luo Ran stood on tiptoe and reached out to lightly pat the top of Lucas’s head. He said softly with a smile: “Meow.”

“…….”

—Bang.

Luo Ran was shocked.

Because the next moment, he was directly thrown down by Lucas.

The two fell into the bathtub. Luo Ran was wearing a thin white shirt, which was immediately soaked through by water.

Lucas looked at Luo Ran, who was passed beneath him with half his body in the water, and his breathing gradually became heavy.

Luo Ran’s hair was wet, and the white cloth was plastered to his fair skin, collarbones, chest……and the two berries, then down to his tight waist.

Luo Ran was also looking at Lucas.

The impact on Lucas was even greater. After all, Lucas wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body. Luo Ran could clearly see the drops of water rolling down his Adam’s apple, flowing down Lucas’s firm chest and hard eight-pack abs.

Lucas’s complexion was a healthy wheat color, and the large and small scars covering him made him look very fierce.

Everything made a person’s heart race.

Luo Ran swore that he didn’t mean to, but he saw Lucas pressing him down, making this extremely aggressive and sexy gesture, and his gaze moved upward……

And he saw the suds on Lucas’s head that hadn’t been washed off, bubbling like a big cabbage flower.

Luo Ran’s heartbeat became faster and his ears turned red, but he suddenly couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Pfft!”

Lucas: “…….”

Lucas scoffed and plunged into the water, shaking his head around. When he got up again, the suds were nearly re-applied, and his dripping wet black hair stuck to his cheeks.

Before Luo Ran could react, he watched Lucas put his palm on his chest.

Luo Ran froze, staring at Lucas in disbelief.

“Don’t twist it…..” Luo Ran groaned in pain, and helplessly grabbed Lucas’s shoulder.

Lucas embraced the man, both of them half soaked in water.

Under the water, one could vaguely see the devil’s claws resting on Luo Ran’s leather belt.

“Wait, Admiral……” Luo Ran hugged Lucas and was shackled by Lucas’s other hand. “Admiral, I’ll go out. I won’t wash you anymore, you bathe yourself, I won’t bother you……”

“Secretary Luo, why don’t you keep your word?” Lucas started to move his hand, and kissed Luo Ran’s ear. “Aren’t you saying one thing while meaning another? Look at this, you’re standing upright.”

Lucas thought to himself, the study materials of that guy Shen Xiluo were really useful.

Luo Ran’s ears were flushed, and Lucas’s pheromones were presently making his mind more and more confused.

Lucas sneered: “Don’t you like meowing very much? Why don’t you meow a few times for me to hear now?”

“…….” Luo Ran buried his face in Lucas’s neck.

Lucas’s hand was mostly mechanical, and the feeling when rubbing was very indescribable.

Luo Ran thoroughly understood what it meant to shoot himself in the foot, and the risk of dancing on the edge of death.

When it was finally over, Lucas didn’t need to wash his hands, as the water in the bathtub washed it away.

Lucas bit Luo Ran’s ear, very much like a child right now.

“I also want it.”

---

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Chapter Sixty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy

T/N: Thank you to the nameless Kofi supporter for the donation! Here is the regular chapter and an extra.

Lu Cheng swiftly and silently led Shen Xiluo around the military headquarters pathways.

Wang Qiuyang remained calm and stood guard nearby, not letting anyone approach.

The medical equipment and pharmaceuticals on the battleship were abundant, and Lucas was not in need of more major equipment, so Shen Xiluo only brought along a small medical bag.

Luo Ran stood by the bed, looking down at Lucas.

The big, tall man was lying unconscious at this moment, seeming no different from usual.

If someone else hadn’t mentioned it, he would not have noticed that Lucas was injured.

Luo Ran lowered his eyes and said: “What happened?”

Freeman, who had been traveling with Lucas, whispered: “We……didn’t fight at all in Te City in the Southeast. There was no win or loss. The star pirates took hostages and didn’t intend to negotiate with us at all.”

“Then the hostages held by the star pirates are……?”

“It was a declaration of war. A demonstration.”

Two days had passed, and Freeman still gritted his teeth when he spoke of it: “They directly……blew up Te City with a Meteor Shower when we arrived.”

Luo Ran was stunned.

The Meteor Shower was the star pirates’ ultimate weapon, and it was not frequently used.

— It was artillery.

Its power was such that the entire sky was covered by artillery fire after launch, as if a meteor shower was falling, and it was enough to destroy a small city.

It was only that it took a terrible amount of money, material, and time to construct such a weapon.

Luo Ran did not expect that the star pirates would use it here. This was not an important battle.

As it turned out, this wasn’t their only Meteor Shower.

Could it be……a test of its strength?

And while testing it, it could also serve as a warning to the Empire and Luobing?

Luo Ran’s palms were a little clammy.

“The Admiral had already half-entered the susceptibility period, but during the battle, Lion One was affected by the artillery fire. Lion One and the Admiral are fine, but the Admiral has a spiritual illness……”

“Te City was half-destroyed, and all the hostages were left with wreckage and broken bones. This matter…..has affected everyone’s moods and morale very much, so the matter of the Admiral’s fall must be kept secret. After two days, the Luobing unit will officially return and pretend that the Admiral came back with them.”

Freeman spoke in a clear and orderly manner, but there was still an uncontrollable waver in his tone.

For soldiers, no matter how strong their hearts were, seeing hundreds of people being blown up before their eyes, there was still……

Terror, disgust, anger, sadness……and even more powerlessness and self-blame.

And Lucas, as the Admiral who charged forward and took the lead, naturally saw this most clearly from the frontlines.

It was an Admiral’s failure to predict this catastrophe.

Luo Ran paused for a long time, then said in a low voice, “Adjutant Freeman.”

“En?”

“When was the last time a Meteor Shower appeared?”

Freeman said: “It was the Ravine Operation, and also……”

Freeman was taken aback.

It was also at the first battle of Admiral Alton’s unfortunate campaign.

“That……that……” Freeman stared at Lucas blankly.

“It’s okay, I’ll stay with him. You just got back, so go home and have a good few days’ rest.” Luo Ran stepped forward and gently patted Freeman’s shoulder. “Have the soldiers who participated in this battle go home and rest well. You can help me deal with that, can’t you?”

“Yes!”

Shen Xiluo stood to the side and injected Lucas with medicine while inspecting the equipment.

An Alpha’s rut could be relieved by an Omega of the same level or higher, but spiritual breakdowns also required medication.

Luo Ran kept out of the way, not daring to disturb him.

Shen Xiluo sent Luo Ran a glance and said: “The accompanying doctor did a good job. Since there was some uncertainty involved, he directly put the Admiral into a deep coma so that his body and mind could repair themselves.”

“That…….”

Shen Xiluo said in a calm tone: “It’s fine, if you use your pheromones and the Admiral regularly injects medicine, it will pass in a few weeks, similar to your previous situation. Both you and the Admiral are spiritually wounded people, so there is naturally more risk for injury, but at the same time, your bodies are used to it and know how to repair themselves.”

“Okay.”

Shen Xiluo said: “I’ll be staying in the next room. If something is wrong, don’t panic, just come to me.”

“Okay,” Luo Ran said gratefully. “Thank you.”

Shen Xiluo hesitated, then said: “I learned a little bit about the situation from Adjutant Freeman. Did the star pirates really create a Meteor Shower again?”

“Yes.”

“En.” Shen Xiluo said nothing more, and turned around to leave.

Luo Ran was subtly aware of Shen Xiluo’s low mood.

But Luo Ran had no mind to pay attention to Shen Xiluo. He only sat on the bed and gently held Lucas’s hand. 

Lucas’s hand was half flesh, half hard machinery.

Half warm and half cold.

Now that he had returned to the capital, Shen Xiluo was also there, so Lucas was not injected with sleeping medication and woke up in the middle of the night.

Luo Ran was sitting on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed, resting and still holding Lucas’s hand. He opened his eyes immediately after noticing movement.

Lucas looked at Luo Ran with a slight frown.

“The Admiral is awake……”

“Get out.”

Luo Ran was startled.

Lucas said hoarsely: “Ranran, get out.”

Lucas had a headache. It was extremely painful, and his mind wasn’t completely clear at the moment.

A spiritual disorder was different for an Alpha than for an Omega. Although it hurt the same, an Omega would experience hallucinations and weakness, while an Alpha would have an endless desire to destroy, attack, and go wild.

Luo Ran asked: “Why?”

“I said, get out,” Lucas said. “Believe it or not, I’ll do beastly things.”

“How beastly?” Luo Ran smiled and promptly climbed onto the bed, laid down beside Lucas, and hugged him gently. 

Lucas felt himself being tenderly enveloped in white tea pheromones, which relieved much of the pain and agitation that was driving him out of his mind.

“You can’t imagine.” Lucas gave a light gasp, not daring to move.

“Then don’t think about it. Just have a good rest, Admiral. The Admiral can’t beat me at the moment anyway, don’t worry.” Luo Ran looped his arms around Lucas’s neck, letting him lean against his chest.

“Luo Ran.” Lucas’s eyes were red, as if he was desperately enduring the howling anger and destructive desire. “You don’t know how much strength and out-of-control Alpha has.”

Lucas felt like a monster was living inside his body, clamoring to come out and destroy everything around him, and bully Luo Ran fiercely.

It was the ugliest possessive desire in his heart, stealing away his breath.

He felt like he was going insane.

“I understand.” Luo Ran said seriously, “Now that I’m here, and preparations have been made, the Admiral doesn’t have to endure.”

Luo Ran couldn’t imagine how painful a rut must be for an Alpha. He hadn’t experienced it, but he thought, at least his presence could ease Lucas’s pain and help him get better sooner.

“You bastard.” Lucas’s eyes went completely red, and he pressed Luo Ran down directly, then bit his gland.

It was so sudden.

“Ah…….!” Luo Ran trembled all over, physical tears dripping from his eyes because of the pain.

Lucas was indeed much stronger than usual at the moment. When he bit the back of Luo Ran’s neck, Luo Ran had the illusion that his neck was about to be bitten off.

The hands that grabbed his wrists were also very firm, the pain turning his fingers numb.

Luo Ran lay on the bed and bit the pillow to endure the pain, allowing Lucas to bite his neck as he suppressed his subconscious instinct to resist.

It really hurt.

Behind him, Lucas bit his gland and injected his own pheromones, while also frantically absorbing Luo Ran’s.

Like there was poison in his mouth, and he was absorbing the only antidote that could relieve his chaotic spiritual realm.

Luo Ran cooperated with Lucas, attempting to establish a spiritual connection with him.

Just like in the mecha before.

Firelight.

At the moment of spiritual connection, Luo Ran saw flames in the sky.

They were just like the images he saw when he occasionally had hallucinations before, and presumably completed a haphazard spiritual connection during the intimate pheromone blending.

Luo Ran’s pheromones made Lucas increasingly satisfied, and the restlessness and rage in his body lessened. After completing the temporary mark, Lucas took a few breaths and then bit Luo Ran’s ear again.

Lucas turned Luo Ran over and bit down on his lip.

“Ranran…..”

“En.” Luo Ran’s hand was injured, and he couldn’t move for the time being. He just raised his head slightly in cooperation.

Luo Ran’s cooperation satisfied the lion inside him even more, and Luo Ran said faintly: “Admiral……make a spiritual connection with me.”

As long as the spirit was temporarily bound to an Omega, the Alpha in his susceptible period could get more relief.

It was unknown if Lucas heard him or not, but he was indeed controlling his spiritual power, trying to combine it with Luo Ran’s.

The Alpha’s door was wide open, and the Omega could easily find the way.

The lights in the room were not turned on. Lucas felt around in the dark and held Luo Ran’s cheeks, pressing him down to deepen the kiss.

“Mm……hah…….”

Luo Ran could feel that the spiritual connection was complete, and their pheromones in the air became more intense, as if they had been fused together.

Perhaps it was because Lucas’s thoughts were confused now, but Luo Ran felt he had even gone a little overboard.

Luo Ran was shaking all over.

He saw the flames, he saw the wreckage, he saw……

Admiral Alton.

. . . . . .

Seven years ago, the Ravine.

“Advance! Continue to advance!”

A tall and stalwart man piloted the mecha and led his troops to rush forward through the narrow ravine.

There were stone walls on both sides, and light only spilled down through a small area above.

Lucas squeezed the communication device in the mecha and shouted: “Admiral, the enemy is only six hundred meters away from us!”

They had fallen into a trap.

They had originally wanted to go around the ravine and surprise the star pirate headquarters, which they had finally located, but their movement was noticed by the star pirates, and then they were forced into this place where it was easy to attack and hard to defend…..or in other words, they could only passively endure the attacks.

There was no geographical advantage at all.

“Advance! We can only advance! We can’t fight here!” Alton snapped, “Advance to victory!”

Large and small artillery fire fell from the sky, testing the control of the mecha and aircraft.

Lucas twisted the control level vigorously, dodging the fireballs coming from the front left.

All eyes were fixed on the opening of the canyon in front of them, a place shining with sunlight.

Boom!

At this moment, a Meteor Shower suddenly fell from the sky.

“Abandon the mechas!” Alton could tell at a glance that the mechas could not withstand such a bombardment.

Everyone abandoned the mechas and had them cover the ships underneath.

Bang—

As expected, the mechas were blown into pieces. If anyone was inside of them, they would surely be dead.

Alton shouted hoarsely: “Continue to advance out!”

“Everything but the feet on that mecha is gone!”

But at this moment, an unusual light once again came from overhead.

The Second Meteor shower rained down, larger and more violent.

. . . . . .

When the army brought Shen Xiluo, Xia Zhi, and their medical team to the scene, no one could speak.

Mecha wreckage and human limbs were strewn everywhere in the ravine, small mountains of corpses everywhere, and the ravine was soaked in blood.

The military officer steadied his emotions and voice, giving an order, “Search……search to see if anyone survived……try…….”

“Try to splice the severed limbs together to verify identities.”

. . . . . .

“I found the Admiral and the Junior Admiral!” 

In the foremost mountain of corpses, the ‘people’ whose flesh, organs, and bones were fused together were pushed aside to reveal Admiral Alton.

Perhaps because so many soldiers had been piled on top of him, although the state of his body was horrifying and his facial features could not be seen clearly, he still had breath.

In Alton’s arms was his little nephew Lucas, who had been well protected by him.

Lucas didn’t have too many injuries except for his exposed hand, which was covered in blood.

It was…..a miracle.

When the Meteor Shower landed, this layer upon layer of protection was a miracle.

“Doctor Shen, Doctor Xia…..hurry up! Hurry!”

“The Admiral and the Junior Admiral are still alive!”

The doctors carefully pulled them out.

Lucas grabbed Xia Zhi’s sleeve with his few remaining fingers.

“Doctor Xia……”

The pale-faced Xia Zhi nodded and said: “En.”

“The Admiral……”

“En, don’t worry. We will do our best to save Admiral Alton.”

“En.” Having received this promise, Lucas seemed to have reached his limit, and lost consciousness.

. . . . . .

The hospital.

Lucas stood outside the glass isolation window. Alton was lying on the hospital bed inside, his body covered in wounds and gouges. His facial features were indistinguishable, and not half of his former grandeur and appearance could be seen.

Lucas’s hand was wrapped in thick bandages, and his quiet demeanor was in sharp contrast to the noisy dispute between the two doctors not far away.

“Euthanasia is the only way now.” Shen Xiluo pushed up the frame of his glasses and said: “This will quickly end Admiral Alton’s suffering.”

“Why not try surgery to save him?” Xia Zhi almost collapsed, and said with red eyes: “We can try again!”

“There’s no need, this will only prolong the pain.”

“We can still try, we really can try again…..I did a test report and checked it, it’s really okay…..”

“It’s not necessary.” Shen Xiluo said: “It really doesn’t make sense to try to bring him back.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense?!”

Xia Zhi couldn’t hold back his tears anymore, and shouted: “Are you emotionless? Do you have no feelings?!”

“Xia Zhi, Doctor Xia, as a partner and direct supervisor, I warn you, please do not let emotions affect your good judgment.”

Xia Zhi was stunned.

He just stared at Shen Xiluo in a daze.

“In the end…..” Xia Zhi said shakily: “Even if I object, it won’t work, right?”

“Yes.”

Xia Zhi was trembling all over.

He had promised Lucas.

He was a doctor.

Doctors were there to save lives.

That was Alton, the admiral who had been with them through thick and thin.

The boss who promoted him, who protected him as a doctor on the battlefield, the comrade who drank with him.

Why couldn’t they try again?

“Stop arguing.” Lucas had been listening without their knowledge. “Euthanize him.”

He knew his own uncle.

Xia Zhi stared blankly at him.

Lucas lowered his eyes and said: “I’ll do it.”

. . . . . .

Xia Zhi was emotionally broken. He had already lost the professional qualities a doctor should have, and was taken away by Shen Xiluo.

Inside the ward, Lucas stood beside the bed and took the needle from Shen Xiluo.

Shen Xiluo maintained a perpetually calm appearance, and as Xia Zhi had said, he didn’t show the slightest emotion.

Lucas inadvertently touched Shen Xiluo’s hand when he took the needle.

He withdrew his hand subconsciously and turned his head, wanting to vomit.

He couldn’t bear to be touched by others.

Shen Xiluo was taken aback.

He remembered how Lucas was pulled out of the sea of corpses—covered in the flesh and blood of his comrades and uncle.

It took the medical staff a long time to wash it all off. Even so, there was still some filth that couldn’t be removed. Lucas had still had a strong smell.

Lucas took the needle and looked at Alton.

Alton noticed something, and raised his eyelids with difficulty.

Then Alton gave Lucas a smile.

Of course, this was mostly in Lucas’s imagination, as all he could see was flesh being pulled.

Then Lucas took Alton’s hand.

Two hands were clasped together, one bloody and one mutilated.

“Lucas.” Alton spoke in a breathy voice.

Lucas bowed his head to listen, he faintly heard something.

“Proud.”

“Don’t fall.”

—I’m proud of you.

—Don’t fall down, go forward bravely.

Lucas nodded solemnly, said “En,” and injected the needle into Alton’s wrist.

Shen Xiluo turned around and left, leaving space for the two of them. Those guarding outside the ward could see that his footsteps were disordered, as if he had lost his direction and senses.

The peaks and dips of the heart monitor eventually trended to a straight line.

Lucas stood in front of the hospital bed and gave a firm military salute.

---

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Chapter Sixty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-Nine