《Second Marriage with the Alliance Marshal》 CH 1 Xu Xinghe learned the news of his divorce from a colleague. Year 329 of the Milky Way calendar, the first day of summer. There was still more than half an hour before the lunch break. Team Leader Xu has already replied to all the work emails in advance, as well as routine inspection and maintenance of the B16 area of ??the mainframe. Bright sunlight poured into the Ark through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, adding a touch of amber to his black eyes and black hair. It should have been a perfect day, if only his coffee machine hadn¡¯t crashed. Xu Xinghe stretched his waist under the artificial sun, picked up the cup and walked towards the coffee room. Then he heard everything at the door of the pantry- ¡°Breaking news! General Mu just announced his divorce!¡± ¡°Which General Mu?¡± ¡°Which one is there? Major General Mu Qingyun! Xu Xinghe is his spouse!¡± ¡°No way! Let me see- What¡¯s going on? Haven¡¯t they only been married for a year?¡± ¡°Of course, General Mu filed for divorce right after the one-year marriage protection period.¡± ¡°So decisive?!¡± ¡°How can this be the end? Think about Xu Xinghe¡¯s usual arrogant appearance, which alpha would like him? General Mu must have had enough of him this past year!¡± ¡°Yeah, Xu Xinghe is an omega, being in the limelight at work every day, what kind of character is this?¡± At this time, a girl in the corner whispered: ¡°Eh? I think Team Leader Xu is not bad. He helped me before¡­¡± Someone immediately refuted her: ¡°You just came here, how many times have you met him? Let me tell you, this person¡¯s personality is not ordinary! Otherwise, why can¡¯t he keep the general¡¯s heart after a year?¡± The little girl in the corner lowered her head, and remained silent. ¡°It¡¯s not just that he has a personality problem. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if his physiology as an omega is still healthy¡ª¡± The speaker pointed to the gland on the back of his neck and made a ¡°you know¡± look. ¡°No one has ever smelled his pheromone, and I don¡¯t usually see him using blockers and inhibitors.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Poor General Mu wasted a year on such a person. To be honest, if I were an alpha, I would definitely rather pay the fine than marry him.¡± In the interstellar era, the omega fertility rate dropped to a historical freezing point. For the continuation of the human race, the Alliance began to implement the ¡°Matched Marriage Law¡±, whereby the mastermind system1 designates marriages based on the degree of genetic matching between unmarried alphas and omegas with the premise of maximizing the fertility rate. If the matched object does not obey the mastermind¡¯s arrangements, he must pay a huge fine. And government officials or active-duty members of the Alliance will be subject to additional penalties if they refuse to marry. ¡°T Club broke the news that General Mu originally had a lover, and the divorce now is to get back with his old lover.¡± ¡°Yes! It is said that they both started talking about marriage a year ago, but things were messed up by the mastermind¡¯s matching.¡± ¡°Ah? Then why did General Mu agree to marry Xu Xinghe in the first place? For someone of his rank, if he really wants to escape the mastermind match, it¡¯s not completely impossible, right? Why wait for a year?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the sake of having children? A big family like the Mu family needs an heir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Xu Xinghe¡¯s stomach is unsatisfactory, and he didn¡¯t get pregnant in a year¡­ it should be difficult too in the future?¡± According to the mastermind¡¯s matching algorithm, omegas approaching estrus will be given matching priority. Therefore, more than 65% of couples will become pregnant in the first year of marriage, and omegas who do not become pregnant within a year have a high probability of not becoming pregnant in the future. ¡°I think Xu Xinghe came to work as usual today. I don¡¯t know whether to admire him or sympathize with him.¡± ¡°Hmph, there¡¯s no need to sympathize with him. I worked with him for a while when I participated in the Young Eagle Project. That guy is competitive, eccentric, and arrogant. What is the use of this kind of omega working? Can¡¯t arouse an alpha¡¯s desire for protection, and will only be annoying!¡± Just as the voice fell, someone called out: ¡°Team Leader Xu, good day.¡± Everyone in the room: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe, who was eating his own melons2 outside the door: ¡°¡­¡± Team Leader Xu paused for two seconds, then put one hand in his pocket and casually kicked open the door of the pantry with his toes while holding a blue starry sky coffee cup in his free hand. The room was suddenly silent. Xu Xinghe looked around and took a sip of coffee. There are 4 people in the pantry at present. Three women and one man, and based on their uniforms, they all work in the logistics department. Xu Xinghe, who works in the technical department, is not very familiar with them. Ark¡¯s rest areas are divided according to ABO3 attributes, not by department, which makes it difficult for him to meet acquaintances from the same department in the omega exclusive rest area. Among the hundreds of people across Ark¡¯s entire technical department, the number of omegas can be counted on one hand. And an omega like Xu Xinghe, who was promoted to the leader of the sixth group right after his first year, is even more unprecedented. Therefore, he became a ¡°competitive and pushy¡± outlier in the eyes of everyone. Xu Xinghe turned his gaze to the male omega whose voice was the loudest, and said lightly: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just passed by and heard someone say that they participated in the ¡®Young Eagle Project¡¯ with me, so I wanted to come in and say hello. But¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him from top to bottom, and said quietly, ¡°Who are you?¡± Dong Yue¡¯s face stiffened. The ¡°Young Eagle Project¡± is Ark¡¯s cultivation plan for the outstanding employees who have just joined the company. It is divided into several rounds and layers of screening. The final people who can stay are the key cultivation targets, and most of them will be entrusted with important tasks in the future. Although Dong Yue was selected that year, he was screened out in the first round. After that, he could only see Xinghe from a distance. The two never spoke at all, so it was normal for Xu Xinghe not to know him. But the problem is that he boasted that he was part of the Ark¡¯s ¡°Young Eagle Project¡± and was a key training target. Wasn¡¯t Xu Xinghe saying he didn¡¯t know him a direct slap in the face? The corners of Dong Yue¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said without a smile: ¡°There are not many people who can enter Team Leader Xu¡¯s eyes. Of course you don¡¯t remember me¡­ By the way, has Team Leader Xu watched today¡¯s news?¡± ¡°News?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head. ¡°No, of course, I didn¡¯t. There are still more than ten minutes before lunch break. It¡¯s working time right now. All employees are unable to use their devices for non-work related matters, and violators will be fined 500 union coins per violation. Isn¡¯t this expressly stipulated in the ¡°Ark Rules and Regulations¡±? Are you breaking rules in private?¡± Dong Yue¡¯s face turned even darker. The other omega beside him silently put her hands behind her back and turned off the electronic smartphone on her wrist. Most companies will have similar rules, and Ark is no exception. But these days, everyone basically turns on their personal devices in their spare time to chat with family and friends, or read news. The related regulations have long since become empty words; how can anyone comply with them in private? Xu Xinghe seemed to see through what they were thinking, and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s because I strictly abide by the Ark rules and regulations, coupled with my strong work ability and high efficiency, that I won the Outstanding Employee Award in the first year of my arrival. All of you work hard. If you follow the rules, you will have a chance to win this honor next year.¡± The faces of the people in the pantry turned darker, but they couldn¡¯t refute him. No matter how cynical they were behind his back, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that Xu Xinghe indeed had outstanding ability. Xu Xinghe filled up his coffee and left. The moment he turned around, everyone could clearly see that there was a dark red, pinky-length old scar on the back of his fair and slender neck. It wasn¡¯t until he was sure that he was far away that Dong Yue gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Just look at him¡­ wait for him to die alone!¡± ¡°Where did Team Leader Xu¡¯s gland injury come from? It looks quite serious. Is it because of this that his pheromone smell is missing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how it came about, but it shouldn¡¯t affect his physiological function, right? Otherwise, his rating will definitely drop to E. How could the mastermind match him to General Mu?¡± Dong Yue said with a sneer: ¡°Such a long scar in a sensitive place, what¡¯s the difference between being disfigured? It¡¯s no wonder that General Mu looks down on him; even an alpha will find it distasteful! It¡¯s ridiculous that he still acts arrogant all the time. Don¡¯t know where that confidence comes from. Does he think he can find a better partner than General Mu in the future?¡± ¡°How is that possible! General Mu is ranked second among the top ten single alphas as determined by the Capital EntertainmenT Club. Isn¡¯t there no one better among unmarried alphas?¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s number one. That one¡­¡± As soon as the speaker stopped, there was a brief silence in the pantry. Immediately, a burst of laughter broke out. ¡°Hahahaha! You mean Marshal Ling? That¡¯s even more impossible! ¡± ¡°Yeah, Marshal Ling has never been on the matching list for decades. Everyone suspects that he has been removed by the mastermind!¡± ¡± ¡°Actually, top alphas like the marshal should have been matched first. Don¡¯t know why he hasn¡¯t been matched yet¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because Marshal Ling is so good, that no omega is worthy of him?¡± ¡°That is, if Xu Xinghe can marry him in the second marriage, I will eat my keyboard!¡± ¡ª¨C After the lunch break, Xu Xinghe could feel the subtle changes in the eyes of many colleagues around him. Some were sympathetic, some were worried, and some were gloating about misfortune. However, everyone in the technical department still had some basic self-cultivation. They all pretended that nothing happened, and wore polite smiles. Speaking of this, Xu Xinghe was a little depressed. Mu Qingyun, that bastard! Don¡¯t even know to talk to him in advance about the divorce. Hello? If he hadn¡¯t just heard them talking in the pantry, he¡¯d still be in the dark. This isn¡¯t the most annoying thing. The most annoying thing is- He didn¡¯t wash his hair before going out today! Xu Xinghe quietly took a sip of coffee feeling the gazes staring at him from all directions. Inner thoughts: F*ck, why! A person like himself who takes baths eight times a week on average, didn¡¯t take a bath one day yesterday. Why on earth did it have to happen now?! At this moment, the electronic smartphone on his wrist vibrated. Xu Xinghe looked down and saw that it was a call from his ¡°future ex-husband¡±. Sneering inwardly, he pressed the power off button expressionlessly, and then devoted himself to the afternoon¡¯s work. ¡°Ethan, are there any errors in the 2210-2830 section?¡± ¡°Xiao Zhou, check the operation of the server in B16.¡± ¡°Ruisi4 reported the M-M system bug three days ago, why hasn¡¯t there been a response yet?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s attitude is very serious regarding work. During this period, countless pairs of eyes swept over him, but he turned a blind eye and did his own work. Careful and worried members of the sixth group found that their just-divorced leader Xu, seemed to be in a good mood instead of showing the slightest bit of emotional sadness?? This is not an illusion, Xu Xinghe figured it out after a brief depression- Early divorce and early relief! Even if Mu Qingyun made a play, at least the ending was happy. He can immediately return to the relaxed single state of the past, and no longer has to watch Mu Qingyun and his little lover show off their affection! Is there anything more gratifying than this? At six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Xu Xinghe changed his clothes and was about to leave work, but he was stopped as soon as he left the locker room. ¡°That, Team Leader Xu¡­¡± He bumped into the skinny little girl he met in the rest area. The girl had changed back to a pale yellow plaid skirt, and was waiting for him with her fingers pinched. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the thing at noon. I really didn¡¯t want to speak ill of you, but¡­¡± Xu Xinghe gave her a strange look. ¡°You didn¡¯t speak ill of me again, no need to apologize. I¡¯m off work, and will go first. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait a minute! Team Leader Xu!¡± The girl followed and asked cautiously, ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ angry?¡± Xu Xinghe said lazily: ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? They aren¡¯t spreading rumors, well, apart from Dong Yue. Since when have I worked with him? He was kicked out the first day he entered the Young Eagle Project.¡± The girl blinked. ¡°Huh? So you know him?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I know. The ¡®genius¡¯ who turned a closing statement into a loop, how can I not know? For this reason, all of us had to work overtime to clean up the garbage in the system. We were so angry that our supervisor¡¯s nose was crooked, and he scolded and pointed at him for ten minutes, after which he was kicked out of the Young Eagle Project immediately.¡± The girl laughed. As Xu Xinghe walked out of the building, he turned his head and glanced at her: ¡°But I don¡¯t have any impression of you. You said I helped you before?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ but you shouldn¡¯t have seen me at the time, so you don¡¯t have an impression.¡± The girl lowered her head. She blushed a little, and then gathered up her courage and said, ¡°My name is Jennifer, if you have time, can I invite you to a meal?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have an appointment today.¡± Xu Xinghe walked out of the building and waved to the girl behind him. ¡°If you encounter any problems in the future, you can come find me. Bye bye.¡± After leaving the Ark building, Xu Xinghe turned on his electronic smartphone again. Mu Qingyun actually made two more phone calls in the afternoon. Xu Xinghe laughed. They were married for a year, and Mu Qingyun made no more than 5 calls to him. Every time he had a conflict with his little lover, he called to stand up for his little lover. It¡¯s rare to see him so proactive this time. Did he finally remember to ask him to sign the divorce agreement? Apart from this, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t think of any other reason for General Mu to call him. The ¡°Matching Marriage Law¡± stipulates that once the one-year marriage protection period expires, if both parties agree to divorce, the divorce will take effect immediately after signing. If one party refuses to sign, the other party needs to go to court to apply for a divorce, which may take one month to six months. So Mu Qingyun can¡¯t even wait to marry his sweetheart? What are you doing so early? Xu Xinghe looked at the three missed calls and did not call back. He sent a simple voice message to Mu Qingyun in a cold tone: ¡°Send the divorce agreement and I will sign it.¡± A minute later, Mu Qingyun replied: ¡°Okay.¡± Sure enough. Xu Xinghe snorted, put down his arms, looked up at the golden red sunset on the horizon, and suddenly felt an unprecedented ease. In fact, even if Mu Qingyun didn¡¯t call, he would definitely sign the divorce agreement as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t want to go back to the lifeless Mu family to be looked down upon¡­ Now that the matched marriage has come to an end, everything can start again. Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe was suddenly refreshed. He didn¡¯t actually have an appointment tonight. He just planned to go home and have a good sleep. But at this moment Xu Xinghe changed his mind. At least have a big meal to celebrate? While thinking about the major issue of what to eat tonight, Team Leader Xu walked towards the parking lot humming a little song. Before reaching the entrance of the parking lot, he saw a blond man wearing sunglasses in the distance. The huge sunglasses covered half of the man¡¯s face, but they couldn¡¯t hide his delicate chin and perfect lips. Clearly he¡¯s a little beauty. ¨CMiles, Mu Qingyun¡¯s little lover. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Turning around, Miles saw him and immediately strode towards Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows lightly: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Miles quickly took off his sunglasses, revealing his angry blue eyes, and walked over. ¡°Do you think that if you don¡¯t answer the phone and don¡¯t sign, you won¡¯t get divorced?¡± CH 2 Xu Xinghe never expected that missing a few calls from Mu Qingyun would lead to Miles blocking the door. Can it be said that the two communicated in time or not? Xu Xinghe rubbed his temples and said, ¡°I have already agreed to sign it just a few minutes ago. If you really want me to get a divorce soon, go back and urge Mu Qingyun to send the divorce agreement over.¡± As if he hadn¡¯t heard his words, Miles continued to question: ¡°The one-year marriage protection period has passed, and you haven¡¯t given birth to a child for the Mu family. You still have face to stay in the Mu family! No matter how you delay, in the end, the court will also sentence you to divorce!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This is the familiar feeling of a chicken talking to a duck.1 Xu Xinghe looked up at the sky. ¡°Why is it so hard to communicate with you?¡± Sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Mu Qingyun believed his life was too smooth, which is why he found such a little lover. Miles¡¯s face darkened. However, even if he has a black face, he is still beautiful. Other off-duty Ark staff passing by threw some surprising glances their way. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to hear any more messy rumors, so he raised his eyelids and said, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going to dinner.¡± Miles didn¡¯t move. ¡°I advise you to sign quickly. The one who¡¯ll be embarrassed if this drags on will be you!¡± Xu Xinghe sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I want to be single more than Mu Qingyun. If I had his family background, I would have paid the fine for refusing marriage in the first place. How could there be so much trouble later?¡± Miles sneered. ¡°Your words are so high-sounding now, so why didn¡¯t you sign the Mu family¡¯s prenuptial agreement? Why do you want joint custody of the child? Don¡¯t you just want to tie him up with the child! Changing your words now, do you think no one knows your ambitions?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head, turned on the smartphone on his left wrist, and typed some information on the projection keyboard without raising his eyelids. ¡°I can understand your anger, but don¡¯t direct it at me, okay? Am I not the victim of this marriage? Mu Qingyun didn¡¯t tell me about your existence before marriage. Besides, I just graduated not long ago. A college student can¡¯t afford to pay the fine; what else could I do apart from obeying? Instead of blocking me here, you might as well go back and ask Mu Qingyun why he agreed to this marriage in the first place. He has more options than me.¡± Miles seemed to have been stabbed in a sore spot. His body stiffened, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Qingyun he¡­he did it for the Mu family! You don¡¯t need to provoke our relationship¡­¡± Xu Xinghe sighed. After saying so much, he¡¯s still playing the piano to a cow.2 After sending out a text, he raised his head and looked at Miles again. Miles had been dealing with him for a year, and knew it was nothing good when he saw his look. He couldn¡¯t help panicking, and quietly took a step back. ¡°What? This is the Ark¡¯s jurisdiction, do you still dare play tricks?¡± ¡°You also know that this is the Ark? I just contacted the people at the security office.¡± Xu Xinghe shook the smartphone on his wrist, ¡°Even if it¡¯s the parking lot, it¡¯s still not open to the outside world, right? I don¡¯t know how you got in, but I hope you have a valid reason, otherwise you¡¯ll have to trouble Mu Qingyun to fetch you in person.¡± The Ark is the location of the mastermind¡¯s server, which stores the information of tens of billions of people in the Gamma galaxy. Security guards are all armed with guns, and there are armed police patrolling the main building. The consequences of trespassing without authorization are very serious. Miles¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You dare! Qingyun will not let you go¡­¡± Xu Xinghe shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I already did. Save your words for the security department. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After saying that, he walked around him and walked into the parking lot. Miles originally wanted to chase him, but he didn¡¯t dare. Although he was used to being pampered, he still knew where the Ark was. Moreover, this time he came without Mu Qingyun¡¯s knowledge, and didn¡¯t bring bodyguards. It would be very troublesome if he was caught. Thinking of this, Miles had no choice but to stomp his feet and call someone for help. There was the sound of an aircraft starting not far away. As soon as Miles looked up, he saw Xu Xinghe driving a Phantom S-86 away, and was so angry that he almost bit his silver teeth. The blue car left a long blue streak in the air, heading towards the streets above the sky. Inside the car, after setting up autopilot, Xu Xinghe turned on his favorite radio station. Melodious music began to reverberate in the car. Although there was an unpleasant episode just now, it didn¡¯t affect his good mood. He leaned back on his seat comfortably with his hands on his back, and started thinking about what to eat tonight. At this time, his smartphone rang. A group named ¡°Capital University F4¡± flashed on the screen. Xu Xinghe¡¯s lips curled and he clicked on the holographic projection to see his three good classmates from Capital University who invited him to have dinner together. This group was established in his freshman year to sign up for a robot creativity competition. In addition to him, there is a female alpha Cheryl Brown, a male Beta Lin Qi, and a male alpha Vincent Cohen. The four of them are all top students in the Department of Computer Science, and together they formed the famous F4 in the school. Xu Xinghe replied: ¡°Sure, it¡¯s Brother Xu¡¯s treat today. You can choose the place.¡± Cheryl immediately sent a restaurant address. Xu Xinghe glanced at it, and said in a lazy voice, ¡°Huh, typically I invite you out, but I¡¯ll be invited out instead?¡± This Georges Grolet restaurant in Nebula City was sent by Cheryl, and had a military background. It¡¯s a high-end restaurant not open to the public, and requires one to be brought by members. In this kind of place, the till is generally registered, and he can¡¯t swipe his card if he goes. If the three of them wanted to spend money here, the bill could only be placed in the name of Cheryl¡¯s father, Colonel Brown. Lin Qi: ¡°Old rules, want to eat Georges Grolet¡¯s, type 1. Those who don¡¯t, 2.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°1¡± Cheryl: ¡°1¡± Vincent: ¡°1¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Three to one. Brother Xu, please invite us another day.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Why, is this restaurant so delicious that you¡¯re all obsessed?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°The key point is that this place is not somewhere you can eat if you want.¡± Vincent: ¡°It just so happened that Cheryl took her dad¡¯s card today.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°It just so happens that today is the big day that you¡¯re single again.¡± Vincent: ¡°I¡¯ve been eyeing this place for a long time.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll go right now.¡± The blue speeder turned at the next intersection and headed automatically towards the new destination. ¡ª¨C The Georges Grolet is built on a hillside with a beautiful environment in the western suburbs and looks like a gorgeous manor from a distance. The guards with guns stood outside the manor, adding a mysterious and solemn atmosphere to the place. Compared with the Nebula city district, which is full of electronics and metal products, the greenery here is extravagant. Xu Xinghe got out of the car and couldn¡¯t help taking a deep breath of the fresh air. At the entrance to the manor stood a young female alpha in a red leather jacket, talking to two other men. Xu Xinghe saw Cheryl¡¯s iconic red leather jacket at a glance, and waved. ¡°Cheryl! Lin Qi! Vincent!¡± ¡°Damn! You¡¯re finally here. We were waiting.¡± Lin Qi rushed over and hooked Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulder with one hand, patting his chest with the other hand. ¡°Did your newly purchased Phantom S-86 fail on the road?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Take your claws3 off¡­ Z-084 in the western suburbs is restricted currently, with a checkpoint. Did you not encounter it when you came?¡± Vincent was a little surprised: ¡°It was fine when we came. Isn¡¯t Z-08 the way to this place? Was there any restriction?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and glanced at the splendid restaurant. Suddenly thinking of something, he snorted coldly. ¡°Maybe some big man came, so it¡¯s temporarily restricted.¡± CH 3 The waiter led the four to a small box on the second floor of the restaurant. The top and east side of the box are made of special bullet-proof glass. One can enjoy the bright night sky and stars when looking up, and to the east, are the lights of thousands of homes in the city. The glass is one-way, and people on the outside can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on inside. ¡°Xinghe, can you give a speech at this moment?¡± In the box, Cheryl held her chin in one hand and shook the goblet in the other. Xu Xinghe gracefully put a piece of crayfish into his mouth, and said leisurely under the gazes of the other three: ¡°This crayfish is not as delicious as the one I make. Although it is crispy and tender, it is a little greasy with sturgeon caviar and black truffle cheese. I¡¯ll make a green apple jelly crayfish for you to try next time.¡± Cheryl: ¡°¡­¡± She looked at Xu Xinghe helplessly. ¡°You know that¡¯s not that I meant.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about divorce.¡± Xu Xinghe stretched out his body like a lazy little leopard. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything but relief. I feel like I¡¯ve finally recovered my freedom.¡± His previous title of ¡°Mrs. General¡± brought many restrictions on his life and travel. Others only need to fill out a form online to travel across the galaxy, but he has to go through layers of paperwork and approval; the procedures are so troublesome that he simply gave up. Now that this identity is gone, these restrictions naturally disappear. Vincent: ¡°Then what are your plans for this weekend? Let¡¯s find a place to relax?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans, but isn¡¯t Cheryl going to take the second-level mecha engineer certificate? She should be busy now. And this guy¡ª¡± He pointed to Lin Qi, who was scarfing food beside him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you complaining about the heavy tasks assigned by your tutor a few days ago? Do you have time on the weekend?¡± Lin Qi made an ¡°OK¡± gesture at his words with bulging cheeks and said vaguely: ¡°I have no problem.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled: ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who was crying for mom and dad¡¯s help in the group? Didn¡¯t dad1 have to write a few pages of code for you himself? How is everything alright now?¡± After two seconds, he said lazily: ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Just do your own work first. Let me go home and sleep peacefully this weekend.¡± Lin Qi put down the food in his hand, and wiped his mouth. ¡°Well, instead of sleeping at home, why don¡¯t you come to the school laboratory and help me?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Go away!¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t stay at home by yourself. It¡¯s better if you¡¯re not bored and do something2.¡± Xu Xinghe said strangely: ¡°Why do you think I will do things?¡± Lin Qi looked at him, and asked tentatively, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± The confused Xu Xinghe: ¡°What anger? I haven¡¯t had time to be happy over the divorce yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­ aren¡¯t you angry about those messy reports online?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe was at a loss. ¡°What reports? About me?¡± Lin Qi was surprised: ¡°Is the internet disconnected in your Ark? You don¡¯t even know?¡± Xu Xinghe rolled his eyes. ¡°Why should I search for my own gossip online? Do I have nothing better to do¡­ What do the reports say?¡± Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to know, I¡¯m afraid you will directly hack them out of anger.¡± Vincent followed suit and said: ¡°Yes, you¡¯re now an official Ark employee after all. If you¡¯re found hacking, you will suffer.¡± Xu Xinghe asked with a question mark on his face: ¡°How can you speak as if I¡¯m really going to do it?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it because you have a criminal record.¡± Xu Xinghe put his hands behind his head and leaned back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dad has already washed my hands3 for many years. Besides, how can a media website know it¡¯s me with their rotten skills? Just tell me, what¡¯s being spread?¡± The other three looked at each other, knowing that this kind of thing could not be hidden, so they winked at each other, and decided to tell the truth. Lin Qidao: ¡°Actually, the infamous T Club is talking nonsense. What you are so in love with Major General Mu that you insist on refusing to sign the divorce agreement¡­ Uh, they even made up a dog-blood love triangle for you.¡± Vincent: ¡°You also know that these unscrupulous media want traffic, just try to ignore it.¡± Cheryl: ¡°Of course, if you are really angry, we can also provide a little technical support. Why don¡¯t we turn the official website of T company into an ¡õ¡õ4 website?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Who was the person who was afraid he would hack their server? He knows this notorious T Club, whose full name is Tidbits. It is a news media specializing in reporting Alliance entertainment news. Their content is not limited to entertainment stars, but also occasionally involves gossip from military, political, and business circles. In short, whatever explosive topic the public likes to watch. There is never a shortage of traffic. But the T Club has some background ¨C several lawsuits were filed in the past, and were all retracted. Xu Xinghe picked up a wine glass and took a sip. ¡°Did the report still say that I was stalking Mu Qingyun, trying to tie him up with a child or something?¡± Lin Qi was shocked: ¡°So you read that report?!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t that what Miles just said? Cheryl tapped her glass. ¡°Forget it, why should we bring up such a bad topic on the big day? Come, come, let¡¯s toast ! Congratulations to Brother Xu for regaining his singleness!¡± ¡°Drink!¡± ¡°Happy singleness!¡± Xu Xinghe smiled, raising his glass as well. ¡°Happy singleness.¡± ¡ª¡ª When he left, Xu Xinghe was a little high from drinking. Although he was not drunk to the point of unconsciousness, he was clearly in high spirits and talked more. ¡°Huh! What¡¯s so good about that surnamed Mu? Is he worth my stalking? Bah!¡± Lin Qi and Vincent walked to the parking lot with Xu Xinghe on the left and right, and followed his words: ¡°Yes, yes, yes, it¡¯s because he¡¯s not good, and you¡¯re not angry.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not angry! What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m free today! I don¡¯t need to be matched to any bastard again!¡± ¡°Okay, congratulations! ¡± Lin Qi and Xu Xinghe have been college roommates for four years, and knows that once he¡¯s slightly drunk, the tyrannical spirit in his bones will begin to dissipate, and he will shoot his mouth indiscriminately. It¡¯s best to follow him at this time, otherwise¡­ All the way from the restaurant to the parking lot, Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stop. Even when he was stuffed into the car, he was still shouting: ¡°So what about the general? Is he amazing? I tell you, even if matched to the Alliance Marshal, it¡¯s nothing special!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­¡± This guy seems to be a little crazy drunk. It wasn¡¯t until the door was closed that the entire parking lot finally quieted down. The jet engine started slowly, carrying the Capital University F4 alumnus into the vast starry sky. After they left, a burst of laughter suddenly came from the VIP entrance on the right side of the parking lot. ¡°Hahahaha, I say , Lord Marshal, you also said that you don¡¯t like to be matched by the system. Look, that omega doesn¡¯t even care to be matched to you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Changfeng! How many years has it been since our Class 3 met? You¡¯re the only one single from beginning to end, making us embarrassed to bring our families. Now the war has come to an end, and you¡¯ve been in the capital for about a year now. It should be time to think about your own life-long events, right?¡± Five or six people walked out of the VIP channel, each of them tall and strong, exuding a high-ranking atmosphere from top to bottom. Top grade S-class alpha! Because it was a private dinner, none of them wore military uniforms, and their tone was relaxed and casual. But even so, it is not difficult to see their military identities from their tall, straight stature and neat movements. Among the standing alphas, in the words of the Marshal¡¯s adjutant, Major General Qin Yuan: ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t go to the military academy, he wouldn¡¯t starve to death with that face.¡± The man walking in front had a pair of Persian cat-like pupils. The left eye is golden and the right eye is blue. He didn¡¯t turn sideways, continuing to walk forward with a cold face, ignoring the ridicule of his former classmates behind him. ¡ªHe is Ling Changfeng, the famous Alliance god of war in the Gamma galaxy. Suddenly, Marshal Ling¡¯s feet stopped. Qin Yuan, who was chatting with others, immediately turned his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s nose moved slightly: ¡°Did you smell anything?¡± Qin Yuan stepped forward and looked around vigilantly, but found nothing unusual. ¡°No, what did you smell?¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips and looked in the direction of the young voice just now with a. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He smelled a very fragrant and sweet smell. Like flowers blooming in the desert. Lonely, beautiful, flamboyant. His intuition as an alpha told him that this was a pheromone from an omega. Such a charming smell is enough to evoke the most instinctive possessiveness in any alpha¡¯s heart. Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes. His adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C A/N: Marshal OS: He is really fragrant Mastermind: Arrange! CH 4 The next day was sunny. Light poured through the skylight into the bedroom, casting a dappled golden glow on the wooden floor. Xu Xinghe turned over in the soft and fluffy light blue quilt. There was the sound of the door being pushed open, and then the head of the bed sank. A fluffy touch swept across his neck, leaving a tingling itch. Xu Xinghe opened his bleary eyes. ¡°Are you hungry, Xiaoqi?¡± A round and lovely milky white cat caught his eye. She has a pair of big sapphire blue eyes, smooth and sleek fur, with slightly darker fur on her feet and the tips of her ears. Xiaoqi lowered her head and arched against Xu Xinghe affectionately. ¡°Meow~¡± And then she licked his mouth. Xiaoqi has a very good temper, so much so that no one thinks she¡¯s like a ragdoll cat. Xu Xinghe raised her like his own daughter, and got out of bed with resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll go make you something to eat¡­ How about salmon cake?¡± ¡°Meow!¡± Xiaoqi¡¯s two front paws stepped on him, expressing great expectation. Xu Xinghe smiled and rubbed her furry head. He raised his hand to look at the time, and was stunned. A missed call from his ex-husband lit up on the screen. There is also an unread text message: ¡°Reply after waking up.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Why did Mu Qingyun call him again? Could it be because of Miles? Miles blocked him in the Ark yesterday. Does Mu Qingyun still have face to question him? Xu Xinghe frowned slightly and called back. ¡°Hello?¡± The phone was connected, and Mu Qingyun¡¯s low voice came from the opposite side. Xu Xinghe: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Has the divorce agreement been sent?¡± Mu Qingyun didn¡¯t expect him to ask so directly, and after a pause, he replied: ¡°The divorce agreement has been handed over to the lawyers to draft. I wanted to ask you, what compensation do you need?¡± Although they have no relationship, with an alpha¡¯s pride, pride, and self-esteem, Mu Qingyun felt that he should give him a little compensation. After all, he did not cause him any trouble during marriage, nor did he stalk him after the divorce. From that standpoint, he deserves a certain reward. ¡°No need.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tone was light. ¡°Neither of us owe each other, that¡¯s it.¡± Mu Qingyun: ¡°¡­¡± This is a reaction he did not expect at all. In his impression, Xu Xinghe is an ambitious and calculating person. Because when he signed the prenuptial agreement, he did not want any property, but only joint custody of children in the future. Mu Qingyun naturally did not have a good impression of such an omega. On the first night Xu Xinghe married into the Mu family, he said to him: ¡°After a year, whether we have children or not, I will file for divorce. In addition, I have a lover. Marrying you is just to deal with the elders in the family. I won¡¯t touch you unless you are in estrus naturally.¡± In the past year, Xu Xinghe has never even been in estrus, let alone become pregnant. And as Mu Qingyun said that night, he never touched him. Now that the two are about to get divorced, is he willing to give up the last chance to make a fortune from the Mu family? Mu Qingyun almost suspected he was playing hard-to-get. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any compensation?¡± Mu Qingyun asked again. ¡°Yes. Is there anything else?¡± Xu Xinghe said with the tone of ¡®otherwise I¡¯ll hang up.¡¯ Mu Qingyun was silent. The man¡¯s cold voice was like a clear spring passing his ears, instantly extinguishing the flame in his heart. He suddenly discovered that in fact, after they got married, Xu Xinghe never asked for anything from him. On the contrary, he has avoided him, whether consciously or not. During the rare occasions they have to attend together, he is unusually quiet. However, the people around him kept saying that Xu Xinghe was difficult and restless. Over time, he felt the same way. Seeing him not speak, Xu Xinghe decided to hang up the phone. ¡°I still have something to do, goodbye.¡± Mu Qingyun opened his mouth, but the call ended before he could say anything. Looking at the call log on the screen, Mu Qingyun suddenly recalled the wedding night a year ago. At that time, Xu Xinghe had just graduated. He had a clean and simple student temperament, sitting quietly and well-behaved across from him. When he said ¡°I won¡¯t touch you¡± to Xu Xinghe, the young omega who he regarded as deliberately wanting to climb the tree just lowered his long eyelashes and replied ¡°Oh¡± lightly. Thinking about it now, that attitude is clearly not flattering or self-humiliating, with an air of indifference. ¡ª¡ª Early the next morning, Xu Xinghe received the divorce agreement from Mu Qingyun. It also came with a huge check. Xu Xinghe sighed and signed the divorce agreement with a wave of his pen, but did not accept the check. For him, it was a blessing to be able to get a divorce as soon as possible. He¡¯s not short of money, and doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Mu family anymore. Xu Xinghe was in a good mood after sending away the messenger from the Mu family. He made a hearty lunch for himself and Xiaoqi, went downstairs to do aerobic exercise for an hour, then took a shower, lay back in bed and started to enjoy the leisure time of being single, and browsed the community forum for a while. This content doesn¡¯t matter, but he somehow managed to bump into gossip about himself and Mu Qingyun- [Warmly celebrating General Mu¡¯s return to being single! Do I have hope again?] [Come on, General Mu¡¯s ex-husband is still a college student at Capital University. He couldn¡¯t even get into General Mu¡¯s eyes, which shows how high General Mu¡¯s vision is!] [It is said that this school grass loves General Mu miserably, and didn¡¯t want any dowry before marriage, but only wants joint custody of the child] [Then his heart must be broken now. The bamboo basket is empty, and he¡¯s also quite pitiful¡­] [People are poor because there¡¯s something to hate. I don¡¯t like this kind of overly ambitious omega either.] [Hey, who can clearly explain something like feelings? Besides, with such an excellent alpha General Mu, which omega can support it? To be able to be husband and wife with him for a year, I am willing to be heartbroken in the end! ] [Don¡¯t think about it, T Club broke news that General Mu has a lover!] [Oh! A lover hidden in a golden house?] [Woo woo I envy General Mu¡¯s lover¡­] Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He suddenly understood why Lin Qi persuaded himself not to read the gossip. What kind of messed up storyline is this? They even made a dog blood love triangle! Really burns the eyes. However, it is difficult to clarify these kinds of rumors. Because love itself is a very subjective matter. Even if each party understands their own feelings, they cannot prove their feelings to the outside world. That will take a long time to prove. Xu Xinghe turned off his smartphone speechlessly. When he opened my eyes again, it was almost evening. The young man woke up in a daze when the sun was setting. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the smartphone on his wrist flashing. Xu Xinghe was startled. He actually received an official email marked in red by the system. Reaching out to open the mailbox- His pupils shrank dramatically in the next second! The familiar subject line made him fall into a trance, as if he had traveled back a year ago. Xu Xinghe stared at the unread email in disbelief, his mind blank. He took a deep breath. Close eyes. Open eyes again. The mail was still there. It¡¯s not a dream. Xu Xinghe lay on the bed in a daze, unable to accept the fact in front of him- He actually received a matching notification from the mastermind again! It was a bolt from the blue for Xu Xinghe, who was glad he was finally free last night. He lay in bed in a daze, and then suddenly remembered something and swiped the email. He clicked on the attachment called ¡°Match Information¡±. The first thing that caught his eye was the photo of the other party. That man had a straight and handsome face, with deep facial features and a dignified aura. But he doesn¡¯t seem to like to smile. He had a smile in his ID photo, but the other party¡¯s thin lips were pursed. His expression was cold, and he seemed to be very difficult to speak to. But these were not the most obvious characteristics. Staring blankly at the photo, Xu Xinghe found that this man actually had a pair of gold and blue pupils. This feature reminded him of a certain famous person in the Gamma galaxy. He looked away stiffly and looked at the person¡¯s basic information profile. Name: Ling Changfeng Attribute: Alpha Gender: Male Age: 52 Birthday: [Confidential] Height: [Confidential] Weight: [Confidential] Genetic Level : [Confidential] Health Status: [Confidential] Disease History: [Confidential] Occupation: Soldier, Military Rank: Marshal Position: Commander-in-chief of the First Army Group of the Gamma Galaxy, commander-in-chief of the Eastern Battlefield ¡­ A/N:1 The average age of the people of the Gamma Galaxy Alliance is 200+, so don¡¯t think that our Marshal is an old man of 50 years old. =w= He still looks very young and handsome!! CH 5 This sudden match notification not only completely disrupted Xu Xinghe¡¯s future life plans, but also caused an uproar across the Alliance. All major media outlets to the smallest marketing accounts scrambled to report the news. ¡°Shocking news! For the first time in 50 years! Marshal Ling Changfeng is on the Mastermind Match List!¡± ¡°Marshal Ling is about to get married? The spouse is actually him!¡± ¡­ ¡°At present, the spokesperson of the Marshal¡¯s Office confirmed that Marshal Ling Changfeng has indeed received the mastermind match notice yesterday. But when asked whether the Marshal would fulfill the marriage contract in accordance with the law, the other party said that he had no comment.¡± As the news spread, Rose Forum, one of the largest gossip forums in the galaxy, was also filled with speculation regarding this incident. For a time, a large number of discussion threads appeared on the homepage of the forum. Subject post: [F*ck!!! The mastermind finally assigned an object to Marshal Ling!] 2nd floor: [It¡¯s terrible¡­ Even Marshal Ling is about to get married, but I¡¯m still single TAT] 29th floor: [I seem to have found something- Marshal Ling¡¯s match is General Mu¡¯s ex-husband!!!] 31st floor: [Reply to 29th floor: Oh my god ¡Ño¡Ñ! I thought this name was a little familiar. Is it the school grass of Capital University?] 52nd floor: [How could the mastermind assign a divorced omega to the marshal? Is it revenge on Marshal Ling for always saying that it¡¯s ¡®no need to for a match¡¯? = =] 53rd floor: [Hey, I suddenly feel that Marshal Ling is a bit pitiful This old man has never even had a scandal for decades, and this time he was directly matched with a divorced partner. I don¡¯t know how Marshal Ling feels now¡­] 55th floor: [Ummmm¡­. Although it may not be a good thing to say, is Marshal Ling really willing to ¡®wear broken shoes¡¯ ¨C -? He probably won¡¯t agree to this marriage¡­] 57th floor: [Reply to the 55th floor: Actually, I think so too, I vote they won¡¯t get married!] 60th floor: [The mastermind really loves the school grass of the Capital University, right? Each object he matches is better than the other, I¡¯m a little sour1re: jealous QAQ] 69th floor: [Reply to 60th floor: What sour? He divorced General Mu, and Marshal Ling probably won¡¯t accept him] 73rd floor: [I think Marshal Ling will directly choose to refuse the marriage. Isn¡¯t he anti-marriage? Besides, the match this time is a second-hand one¡­] Floor 74: [Reply to Floor 73: The one upstairs, I see your profile clearly shows that you are also an omega, why do you care about others? So much omega resentment? Even if one¡¯s a second-hand product, is your life only worth getting married and having children?] ¡­ While the people eating melons argued about this match, the one in the center of the public opinion whirlpool lay on the bed, staring at the skylight with his eyes open, and expressed the same emotion as netizens. ¡°Xiaoqi, Marshal Ling won¡¯t sign, right?¡± Xiaoqi knew nothing about the outside world, but she was keenly aware of her master¡¯s depression, so she obediently stuck to Xu Xinghe¡¯s side and rubbed his neck soothingly. ¡°Meow~¡± Xu Xinghe really didn¡¯t want to be matched to any big man, and have his hands and feet for a year. It stands to reason that people who have been matched once have a very low probability of receiving a second match. But this ¡°luck¡± fell on him, and he himself did not have the capital to refuse. However, Marshal Ling did. Xu Xinghe saw a video while searching for the other party¡¯s information. When asked by the media ¡°when are you going to get married¡±, Marshal Ling Changfeng replied indifferently: ¡°What¡¯s so good about getting married? A waste of time.¡± Due to his obvious negative attitude towards marriage and the fact that he had no scandalous object ever, the news that Marshal Ling is anti-marriage gradually spread. Xu Xinghe can only hope that the other party will take the initiative to reject this marriage. Although he knew that this would make some people ridiculing online even worse, this marriage didn¡¯t only hurt one¡¯s face, but also the heart. After weighing the two, Xu Xinghe would rather choose the former. It¡¯s a pity that god didn¡¯t listen. Early the next morning, he received a new notification from the mastermind¡ª Marshal Ling, actually, agreed! This time, not only was Xu Xinghe dumbfounded, but everyone in the Alliance was also dumbfounded. Public opinion exploded once more. The rumors about Xu Xinghe evolved dramatically in an instant ¨C Netizen A: ¡°Retweet Xu Xinghe, and you can also be matched to the top alpha!¡± Netizen B: ¡°Let me break the news! My friend also works at Ark, and is Xu Xinghe¡¯s colleague. He said that Xu Xinghe is eager for quick success and behaves poorly. He was quickly promoted within Ark by taking credit from his colleagues. Most people hate him! And his glands are injured! This kind of person is really not worthy of being a marshal¡¯s wife!!¡± Netizen C: ¡°I think Marshal Ling agreed to this marriage because he didn¡¯t want to violate the rules and provoke criticism, etc. After one year, when the marriage protection period expires, he will definitely divorce.¡± Netizen D: ¡°I heard that this omega has always been obsessed with General Mu, and is still begging for reconciliation at this time. Don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll do after finding a better golden turtle.¡± Netizen E: ¡°There is definitely something fishy! What do you think is the probability of an omega with a normal background being matched to a general and a marshal one after another? And this prospective marshal¡¯s wife happens to be an Ark employee? Did he use his power to operate in the background? If this is the case, it is too unfair to ordinary people who are waiting for the mastermind to match them, Ark must investigate this matter thoroughly!!¡± For a while, all sorts of rumors floated about. And Xu Xinghe, who was surrounded by rumors, had no time to pay attention to these criticisms. Thanks to Marshal Ling¡¯s approval, this marriage was a sure thing. What followed was a series of cumbersome procedures, as well as inspections, audits, and inquiries from all parties. Fortunately, Xu Xinghe has already experienced it once. After more than half a month, he finally arrived at the Marshal¡¯s mansion on a grey, cloudy afternoon. According to Alliance custom, the alpha would personally greet the omega home on the wedding day, even if it was just a mastermind marriage. Because of the influence of pheromone on both parties after marriage, the probability of developing good feelings and getting together is relatively high, so most matched pairs will treat the matched object as their future partner. Even if they are not familiar with one another at the beginning, they will treat each other with respect. The jet black military brand vehicles drove past the empty track and lined up in front of Xu Xinghe¡¯s courtyard. A tall and strong alpha got off the headed car, but it was not Marshal Ling himself. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Andrew Lewis, the captain of the guard for Marshal Ling Changfeng. The marshal has something urgent to deal with today, so he ordered us to pick you up.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Soldiers need to be on standby 24 hours a day, please understand.¡±2he¡¯s seeking forgiveness from XXH for LCF not being there The red-haired Colonel Lewis stood in front of Xu Xinghe, quietly observing the marshal¡¯s legal spouse. There have been endless negative rumors about him on the Internet these days. Xu Xinghe was rumored to be arrogant, rude, and unscrupulous, which led to Major General Mu Qingyun filing for divorce just over a year later. There are more serious allegations. Some people questioned whether he tampered with the mastermind for personal gain, and suspected him of violating the law. Even though Colonel Lewis and the others possess the ability to think and judge independently, and will not blindly follow what others say, it is undeniable that those rumors will affect their initial impression of Xu Xinghe to a certain extent. Therefore, on the way over, Colonel Lewis was still worriedly discussing with his team members what to do if the other party became angry and did something outrageous after learning that the marshal could not come to greet him in person. After all, for many omegas, the fact that the alpha didn¡¯t come to meet them on the wedding day is as absurd as the groom saying that he can¡¯t be there because of a temporary event on the wedding day. This sends a certain message to those sensitive omegas- The other party doesn¡¯t value them at all, and they don¡¯t value this marriage at all. Unexpectedly, the young man in front of him was unusually calm. He was neither angry nor disappointed, as if he had no expectations for this marriage from the start to finish. He just nodded lightly: ¡°I see, please lead the way.¡± A trace of imperceptible surprise flashed in Colonel Lewis¡¯ eyes. Retreating back a step, he turned sideways and personally helped Xu Xinghe open the car door. ¡°Please.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Colonel Lewis was stunned, and then re-examined the young ¡°Marshal¡¯s wife¡± in front of him. Different from the arrogant and scheming image in rumors, Xu Xinghe himself is very handsome, and he has a very clean temperament. This kind of temperament is especially conspicuous when he lifts his eyes and smiles. Colonel Lewis pursed his lips, thinking to himself, this marshal¡¯s wife seems to be different from the rumors¡­ Xu Xinghe is actually not surprised that his spouse did not come to pick him up on the wedding day. A year ago, on the day of his first wedding, the guards in the Mu residence had said similar things. Later, he learned that Mu Qingyun had nothing to do that night. He just went to comfort the emotionally unstable Miles and accompany his lover to a candlelight dinner. He waited until the middle of the night before Mu Qingyun arrived and made a declaration that he wanted to draw a clear line with him. It was only then that Xu Xinghe discovered that his new husband had already had a lover. Now, everything seems to be happening all over again. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Marshal Ling was hiding someone in a golden house. But he was so good at hiding it, which is why it wasn¡¯t been picked up by the media, right? Perhaps it was because he had already set his expectations to the lowest level, but Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t feel anything in his heart. He carried a travel bag on his back and hugged his beloved cat, like a tourist going on a short trip, and set foot on the road to the Marshal¡¯s mansion as usual. Marshal Ling¡¯s mansion is located in a residential area for senior officers in the east of Nebula City. It is a large single-family villa with its own courtyard. There are no full-time nanny servants in the mansion, only a team of orderlies who are responsible for taking care of Marshal Ling¡¯s daily life and guards who are responsible for protecting the safety of the Marshal. Most of them are betas, neat in manners and well-trained. Xu Xinghe went through two security checks and walked across the wide and tidy lawn before finally stepping into the gate of the mansion. Marshal Ling was not in the mansion, but He Han, the steward, received him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m He Han, the steward of the mansion. Please allow me to welcome you on behalf of the Marshal¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°If you have any needs in the future, you can tell me at any time, and we will try our best to meet your requirements within reason¡­¡± The steward was very young, courteous and well-mannered. His tone was unmistakably respectful, but when he spoke, his eyes did not stop on Xu Xinghe, which made this speech seem a bit businesslike and perfunctory. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t mind this perfunctory behavior. Because he has consciously placed himself in the position of a ¡°one-year passerby¡±. In his opinion, this year, everyone has their own plans. It is the best ending if they can get together and leave at that time; there is no need for too much involvement. So he comforted Xiaoqi, who was a little uneasy in his arms because she was in a new environment, and listened to He Han finish his long speech. Then he raised his head and smiled. ¡°Can you take me to my room? I¡¯m a little tired and want to rest early.¡± He Han was taken aback. The ¡°marshal¡¯s wife¡± who just arrived wants to rest without asking when the marshal will come back? He was silent for a while, raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation. ¡°Please come with me, I will send someone to bring your luggage later¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped. Only then did He Han realize that Xu Xinghe only carried one bag. As the ¡°new owner¡± of the Marshal¡¯s mansion, he had too little luggage. It didn¡¯t look like he was going to move in for a long time. Why? Does he think the Marshal¡¯s mansion will prepare everything for him? Or¡­ is he not planning to stay here for a long time at all? The young steward forced himself to halt these thoughts that went beyond his formal duties. Turning around, he led the way to Xu Xinghe¡¯s new room. They¡¯ll meet next chappie!!! Consider supporting SMM and get faster updates by buying me a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 6 T/N: Thank you CattyCoopster and YaGirl for sponsoring the first extra release of SMM! -komorebi Xu Xinghe¡¯s new room, a large suite with its¡¯ own facilities, is located on the east side of the second floor. After putting down his luggage and settling the cat, he lay down on the sofa and opened the group chat that had been ringing for a while. Lin Qi: ¡°How is it, Brother Xu? Did the marriage go smoothly? What¡¯s Marshal Ling like?¡± Vincent: ¡°He should have reached the Marshal¡¯s mansion by this point.¡± Vincent: ¡°How¡¯s the new environment? @Xu Xinghe¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Can you help me ask Marshal Ling for an autograph, Brother Xu?¡± Vincent: ¡°? If it was Cheryl who asked, I could still understand. Why do you want Marshal Ling¡¯s signature?¡± Cheryl: ¡°?? Why do I want Marshal Ling¡¯s signature?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°My supervisor is urging me to hand in my thesis. I¡¯ll take out the marshal¡¯s signature next time and say that I have a secret project for the military that needs to be completed first, and my thesis will still need some time.¡± Vincent: ¡°¡­How can you always come up with so many strange things? What a lame reason.¡± Vincent: ¡°This is more unreliable than the last time you said that your computer was taken away by a dog.¡± Cheryl: ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, the marshal¡¯s signature will not be given to anyone. Be careful of getting yourself put into military court.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­Sorry!!¡± Vincent: ¡°Speaking of which, why didn¡¯t Xinghe reply yet?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Too happy and forgot?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°It¡¯s still daytime. It can¡¯t be that they already entered the bridal chamber??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Lin Qi.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Why did you suddenly call me by my full name?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°F*ck I¡¯m panicking¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I think you, a graduate student, don¡¯t want to graduate on time.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°These words don¡¯t faze me anymore. I¡¯m already prepared to extend my graduation.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Oh?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Oh, I suddenly found that Professor Neumann is still in my address book.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­Brother, I¡¯m wrong.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother, please show mercy!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°How is it with you, brother? Is the real Marshal Ling more handsome than that grandson, Mu Qingyun?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t seen him yet.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Ah?! Why haven¡¯t you??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I don¡¯t know, why should I care?¡± Cheryl: ¡°He¡¯s a marshal. It¡¯s inevitable to have many duties in a day.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Who cares about him, I¡¯m going to wash and sleep first.¡± Vincent: ¡°Brother Xu¡­ It¡¯s only after four o¡¯clock in the afternoon¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°So? I¡¯ve been smiling for a day, and my face is almost stiff. Better to rest for a while¡± Lin Qi: ¡°You still smile?? Why don¡¯t you ever smile at me?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Because you¡¯re not worth it¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Xinghe, it¡¯s easy for you to lose me like this¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­I¡¯ve set the alerts for this group to do not disturb, bye bye¡± Xu Xinghe turned off his smartphone and stared at the white ceiling for a while. He didn¡¯t really plan to go to sleep. Instead he lay down on the sofa for a while, and then got up to unpack his meager luggage. At half past six in the evening, he had dinner alone in the house. After dinner, he went out for a walk for an hour. After playing with Xiaoqi for another hour, he decided to wash and go to bed. As expected, Marshal Ling still did not appear. And this time, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. Unfortunately, just as Team Leader Xu stepped into the bathroom humming a little song, the sound of the bell rang outside the door. ¡°Mr. Xu, the marshal is back, please come over.¡± ¡ª¨C Carrying an important document in hand, he was led to the door of Ling Changfeng¡¯s study. Marshal Ling seemed to have just returned from an important occasion. Wearing a neat military uniform, he sat behind a large desk, looking down at a blue paper document. This is the first time Xu Xinghe has seen the ¡°Black God of War¡± of the five galaxies in the Alliance. Rows of dazzling medals were pinned to the man¡¯s chest, confirming the marshal¡¯s past achievements and glory. Paired with that stern profile, it¡¯s difficult to move one¡¯s eyes off. The servant stood at the door and saluted, ¡°Reporting to the marshal, Mr. Xu is here.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his head at the movement. His sight collided with Xu Xinghe. The moment their eyes met, Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart jumped. Contained in those dual-colored pupils was a sharp edge that can kill, and kill decisively, like a sharp arrow. Such sharp eyes made Xu Xinghe, who grew up in the capital, a little uncomfortable. He lowered his eyes subconsciously, avoiding the gaze. Therefore, the sensitive and dull young man did not notice the sharpness being quickly restrained in those dual-colored pupils after seeing him. He only heard Marshal Ling say to the servant: ¡°You go down first.¡± His voice was cold, but sonorous and powerful. Now only Ling Changfeng and Xu Xinghe remained in the room. The two of them, one sitting and one standing, didn¡¯t say a word, and the atmosphere cooled. It was unlike a wedding night for a newlywed couple. After a long silence, Ling Changfeng spoke first: ¡°I originally planned to pick you up by myself today, but I had to deal with an emergency and couldn¡¯t leave.¡± Taken by surprise, Xu Xinghe raised his head to look at him. ¡°The matter has been dealt with now.¡± Ling Changfeng closed the folder in his hand, and raised his eyes. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xu Xinghe froze. His big black eyes blinked, as he stood at the door without moving. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept over the folder in Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand, and said lightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you prepare a file for me? Bring it over.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief, and walked over. Perhaps because he is used to giving orders all the year round, Marshal Ling¡¯s words were very authoritative. However, Xu Xinghe also understood. In his eyes, Ling Changfeng is still the commander-in-chief of the Alliance. The two of them are simply two strangers with different identities bound together by the mastermind. Xu Xinghe stepped forward and laid the prepared documents out on the large desk. Ling Changfeng glanced at it and asked blankly, ¡°What is this?¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°As you can see, this is a divorce agreement. I have already signed it, and I¡¯m just waiting for the marriage protection period. Once it¡¯s over, the initiative is in your hands ¨C when you want to divorce, just sign it.¡± Frankly speaking, Xu Xinghe has some respect for this hero of the Alliance with great achievements in front of him, so he used honorifics when speaking. Hearing this, Ling Changfeng hummed noncommittally. His slender fingers slowly tapped the desk, with an expression of mixed joy and anger. Xu Xinghe was stunned. Some kind of magical intuition told him that Marshal Ling wasn¡¯t very happy now. He hesitated for a moment and felt that his bargaining chip was not enough, so he continued: ¡°After the divorce, I don¡¯t need any compensation from you, nor will I do anything in your name to cause you trouble.¡± ¡°What about the conditions?¡± Marshal Ling glanced at the documents, his tone still indifferent. Xu Xinghe bit his lower inner lip lightly: ¡°If¡­ I mean, if we have a child in the future, I hope to get joint custody of the child.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his head. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his eyes swept across Xu Xinghe. Even though the other party tried his best to appear calm, the battle-hardened Marshal Ling could read the nervousness and anxiety from his slightly trembling eyelashes and white fingers. The dual-colored pupils scanned Xu Xinghe, and finally landed on the bitten light pink lips. His eyes flashed. The omega in front of him just came of age two years ago and is still going through the transformation from a teenager to a youth. Compared to the seasoned Marshal Ling, he is very young and immature. Fragile as a human cub. In this way, he obviously looks like a child.1as in lack of life experience; young age. Not physically, more so mentally And why make such a request? Ling Changfeng withdrew his almost sharp gaze and asked in a light tone, ¡°Why?¡± He knew that Xu Xinghe had also made this request to Mu Qingyun. But he doesn¡¯t believe it¡¯s because of the reasons rumored online. He still remembered that night when they first met, when the seemingly quiet little guy was brandishing his claws and clamoring about like a small beast¡­ Why is he obsessed with joint custody of the child? Xu Xinghe fell silent at Marshal Ling¡¯s question. Then he suddenly smiled softly, and asked in an almost provocative tone: ¡°As a child¡¯s father, is it really difficult to understand that I don¡¯t want to give up custody of my own flesh and blood in the future?? Just because I am an ordinary person and you are the marshal, so even this is considered a luxury?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s fingertips, who were tapping on the table, suddenly paused. He raised his head to look at Xu Xinghe, with surprise hidden in his eyes. This time, the pair of black eyes on the opposite side did not dodge, and met his gaze directly. The corner of Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth raised a self-deprecating arc. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I probably won¡¯t be able to conceive. After you sign the divorce agreement in a year, you should have no worries in this regard.¡± After speaking, without waiting for Ling Changfeng¡¯s reply, he ended the conversation on his own. ¡°You must be tired after a busy day. You should rest early, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± He left the study decisively. Marshal Ling, who was left behind: ¡°¡­¡± No one has spoken to him in such a tone for a long time. He hadn¡¯t figured out how to respond yet, and his little spouse ran away and disappeared. Staring in the direction Xu Xinghe left, Ling Changfeng was suddenly reminded of an animal ¨C a little hedgehog. That kind of small hedgehog whose outer shell is hard and thorny, but the inside is soft, and you can hold it in the palm of your hand and touch its belly. But now, this little hedgehog seems a little unhappy? Thinking of this, Ling Changfeng frowned slightly. Why? He did not refuse his request. After a moment of contemplation, Ling Changfeng reopened the blue paper document he was reading when Xu Xinghe entered. This is the wedding notice prepared for him by his adjutant, Major General Qin Yuan, who calls himself an ¡°omega¡¯s friend¡±. The eight-page A4 report was full, but he hadn¡¯t had time to read it because there were a lot of things to do today. With a serious attitude like reading a military report, Marshal Ling read the notices for newlyweds from beginning to end, trying to find a solution to the problem of ¡°what to do if your spouse is unhappy¡±. Unfortunately not. Only a handwritten tip from Qin Yuan is attached to the last page of the document¡ª [For the sake of your future marriage happiness, I recommend you to complete the following work on the wedding day as an old classmate: (1) Explain to your spouse why you did not pick him up, and emphasize that your absence is for a reason, so as not to cause the other party any misunderstanding; (2) Give each other enough patience and companionship on the wedding night, and do your due diligence between husband and wife. Believe me, this will definitely promote the relationship between the two of you to a great extent; (3) In view of the fact that you have been absent from the first important ceremony in marriage, it is recommended that you provide corresponding compensation in time to let the other party feel that he is valued. For example, give some gifts as he likes, and invite him to have a candlelight dinner on another day. Note: I hope you are always aware that the other person is your legal spouse and do not speak to him in the tone of a subordinate. Finally, I sincerely wish you a happy wedding!] Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± What a mess. He snapped the file shut. After a few seconds, it opened again. His eyes fell on the words. Is it because his tone was too stiff just now? But this kind of problem fell into Marshal Ling¡¯s blind spot, and he had no choice but to trust his adjutant once. So he pulled out a pen and put a tick behind the first tip. The explanation was completed just now. Next¡­ Ling Changfeng put away the divorce agreement on the table and stuffed it into the bottom drawer of the desk. Then he got up, brushed the corners of his clothes, and headed towards Xu Xinghe¡¯s room. Anyone else find the ML¡¯s confusion humorous? If only the MC wasn¡¯t scarred by those MQY/Mu family bastards. Consider supporting this translation (SMM) and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 7 Xu Xinghe went straight to the bathroom after returning to his room. After washing his face with water, he gradually calmed down. He patted his face dully, a little annoyed. Was he too sensitive just now? When Marshal Ling asked him why he wanted joint custody of the child just then, his temper suddenly flared up. But after thinking about it carefully, Marshal Ling actually didn¡¯t say anything excessive. It was different from Mu Qingyun back then¡­ Xu Xinghe sighed silently and thought to himself: ¡°Forget it, just let it be.¡± Although the first meeting between the two was a bit unhappy, going forward, they¡¯ll walk on their own sides of the road, which is better for everyone. He took a quick shower and came out of the bathroom steaming in a bathrobe. Then the bell sounded. Xu Xinghe thought it was the servant who came to deliver something again, and said casually, ¡°Please come in.¡± The electronic door opened in response¡ª He never expected that it was Marshal Ling who came in! This shock was really a bit big. Xu Xinghe¡¯s feet stumbled and he tripped over the too long bathrobe. The edge of the bathrobe was violently stepped on, and a large section was instantly torn off, revealing a large area of ??smooth and tight skin on his chest. Marshal Ling, who had just stepped into the door, and bumped into such a picture¡ª Since he had just taken a bath, Xu Xinghe¡¯s originally fair skin was dyed a light pink, with hot vapor wafting off, like a small shrimp that had just been peeled. A few small drops of water fell down the ends of his hair, rolling across his chest and over his flat abdomen, and then dripped down into the half of the bathrobe he grabbed in time¡­ Ling Changfeng stopped. His calm eyes rolled down with the drop of water. A light flickered in the eyes. At this moment, Xu Xinghe had only one thought in his heart: ¡°F*ck! So embarrassing!¡± He lifted his bathrobe angrily, wrapped himself up tightly, and tightened the belt. The silky bathrobe and belt only outlined his slender waist. The one-size bathrobe enveloped him. Like a child stealing an adult¡¯s clothes, he looked funny and cute. Also surprisingly attractive. After he quickly tidied the bathrobe, Xu Xinghe raised his head and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s expression had already returned to his usual indifference by then. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to send you some suitable clothes later.¡± Then he added: ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you ¨C yes.¡± Xu Xinghe was confused. ¡°Yes, what?¡± Ling Changfeng looked into his eyes and said, ¡°Joint custody of future children. If you want, of course you can.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s pupils shrank. He never thought that after experiencing countless questions, ridicule, and abuse, just as he began to doubt himself, and question whether his insistence was really as unreasonable as people said, he actually got such a reply. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t reply to him with a ¡°you¡¯re dreaming¡± like the Mu family did, but told him that ¡±if you want, of course you can.¡±1The Mu family dismissed his question as if he was dreaming/thinking wishfully Xu Xinghe¡¯s nose suddenly felt a little sour. The black eyes warmed from the shower became even wetter. He turned his face away quickly. Still unable to believe it, he lowered his eyes and asked again: ¡°For such a big matter, don¡¯t you need to discuss it with the people around you before making a decision?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it, wanting to slap his big mouth. The other party has agreed, why does he have to ask so much! What if he regrets it? Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe immediately raised his head and looked at Ling Changfeng eagerly, for fear that the other party would say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll think about it again¡±. Marshal Ling¡¯s heart was a little itchy when he saw the watery deer-like eyes of the other party. In his opinion, the way his newlywed partner stared at him was like an animal cub intently staring at its beloved stuffed toy. Such focused and hopeful eyes will undoubtedly make any alpha happy and satisfied from the bottom of their heart. The evil desire and hope imprinted in his bones were also ready to pounce. Ling Changfeng¡¯s throat bobbed. Looking away, he calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of my own affairs. Who do I need to discuss it with?¡± Xu Xinghe felt relieved. Even Marshal Ling¡¯s iceberg face felt much milder in his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted up involuntarily, and he smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± A sweet little dimple appeared on his left cheek. Whether intentional or unintentional, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes glanced at the small dimple and were stuck. Xu Xinghe, who¡¯s mind was relieved of this matter, relaxed, and he released a large yawn. Since receiving notice of this second matching, he hasn¡¯t slept very well and even had a little insomnia. It¡¯s rare to be so sleepy. He wanted to climb into bed and get a good night¡¯s rest. But Marshal Ling was still standing in the room, without any intention to leave. And his expression is serious, as if there is something important to explain. Xu Xinghe tentatively asked: ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Marshal Ling looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to use honorifics when you talk to me in the future.¡± ¡°Ah??¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. He originally thought that the two would not have much interaction in the future, and it didn¡¯t matter what appellation he used. But on second thought, even if they¡¯re only superficial husband and wife, using honorifics at home is really strange. So he nodded politely. ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Changfeng continued in a serious tone. ¡°I will try my best to pay attention to my tone in the future. If there is something that makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me directly¡ª¡± After a while, he added indifferently: ¡°I can change.¡± If Marshal Ling¡¯s adjutant, Major General Qin Yuan, was present, his mouth would have become a large O by now. As early as when he was in the military academy, Qin Yuan once commented on Ling Changfeng with his comrades in class: ¡°You said that he ¡®doesn¡¯t turn back when hitting the south wall¡¯? You¡¯re wrong, he is the kind of person who will break the south wall.¡±2as in he always does what he thinks/plans, and will forge his own path forward instead of turning around when encountering something unexpected In a blink of an eye, more than 30 years have passed, and Marshal Ling has broken through many south walls, still continuing in his own way. And Qin Yuan has never heard the words ¡°I can change¡± from his mouth. It is a pity that this unprecedented sincere statement, coupled with Marshal Ling¡¯s iceberg face that has remained unchanged for thousands of years, and a tone that is so serious as if he is blackmailing someone, makes the listener feel he¡¯s not being very sincere. Xu Xinghe even felt that the other party¡¯s ¡°I can change¡±, was really ¡°It is impossible to change. If there are any problems in the future, you should be more understanding.¡± So Xu Xinghe had no choice but to shake his head with a black face. ¡°No, nothing, it¡¯s fine now.¡± Marshal Ling followed with an ¡°en¡±.3En = sound of agreement, approval, or equal to yes.4 But he still didn¡¯t leave. Xu Xinghe could only tighten his words and hint further: ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You¡­you¡­¡± Just as he was thinking about how to euphemistically remind the other party that it was time to leave, Marshal Ling automatically took over: ¡°You want to rest?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded quickly, not noticing the other party¡¯s deepening gaze. Marshal Ling pondered for a while: ¡°Let¡¯s rest then.¡± After speaking, he walked further inside Xu Xinghe¡¯s bedroom with his hands behind his back. Anyone feel like it¡¯s a chicken talking to a duck? LCF is 100% genuine and honest, but his blunt manner of speaking, low EQ with emotional matters, and XXH¡¯s past experiences make everything flip flop 180 degrees. Consider supporting this translation for SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 8 T/N: Thank you Aer for sponsoring another release of SMM! -komorebi Xu Xinghe watched helplessly as Marshal Ling stepped into his bedroom and walked to his bed, studying the surrounding environment with a critical look, before turning to ask him, ¡°Sleeping here tonight?¡± Xu Xinghe thought to himself, ¡°What does it have to do with you old man where I sleep? Did you come to my room to inspect the work??¡± But in front of Marshal Ling, he still nodded obediently: ¡°Yeah.¡± Marshal Ling stood in front of the bed, looked at the bed, looked at Xu Xinghe, but still didn¡¯t leave. Xu Xinghe stared at him anxiously, and subconsciously wrapped the bathrobe a little tighter. With this action, he realized that he was still wearing a baggy bathrobe, and the ends of his hair were dripping with water¡­ Appearing in front of an outsider in such a disheveled manner, and being stared at, no wonder he was uncomfortable. Xu Xinghe silently closed the neckline of the bathrobe and raised his head. ¡°Would you like to go back to rest earlier?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling was stunned for two seconds before he realized that his little spouse was actually pushing him away on their wedding night. Why? Is he still angry? But didn¡¯t he smile just now¡­? Ling Changfeng pursed his lips and said nothing. He, who was calm and composed in the face of a mighty army, felt he faced a long-lost dilemma at this moment. He pondered for a moment, raised his head and asked quite seriously, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to stay with you?¡± ¡°Ah??¡± This time it was Xu Xinghe¡¯s turn to be shocked. Where did such a terrible idea come from?! Ling Changfeng could see the shock and panic in the eyes of the little deer. It seems like his little partner really doesn¡¯t need him to accompany him. However¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the relevant regulations of the Matching Marriage Law before marrying?¡± Ling Changfeng asked. Xu Xinghe blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve read it, what¡¯s wrong?¡± When he married Mu Qingyun a year ago, he really carefully turned over the relevant documents. However, he didn¡¯t review it before this second marriage, and some details were almost forgotten. He didn¡¯t violate the rules unknowingly, did he?? Ling Changfeng was silent for a while. Just when he raised his hand and was about to send Xu Xinghe an electronic copy of the ¡°Matching Marriage Law¡±, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the other party¡¯s body. The young and handsome face turned from pink to red, then from red to blue¡­ It seemed that he remembered it. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart collapsed at this moment. After a year, with his current husband¡¯s reminder, he finally recalled a certain rule that was ignored by both Mu Qingyun and himself- ¡°In the first month after the wedding (apart from during statutory holidays), unless there are special circumstances, matched couples must share the same room every night.¡± Go to hell you damn rules!! No wonder Marshal Ling stayed and didn¡¯t leave. Did he really plan to stay in the same room?? Xu Xinghe¡¯s brain stopped for a moment, and he stuttered: ¡°Although that¡¯s in the rules and regulations, but I¡­I haven¡¯t entered estrus! You can¡¯t¡­that, that¡­¡± Ling Changfeng was startled, not quite understanding the logic of this statement. Can husband and wife not be in the same bed if they are not in heat? This is not at all what a married person should say. Or is the other party just rejecting him with such a clumsy reason? Thinking of some online remarks he read, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes sank, and he asked in a light tone, ¡°Why?¡± If Xu Xinghe did not forget his old feelings as rumored, he would not force him either. But in any case, he still wanted to get an answer from the other side. When Xu Xinghe heard he wanted to get to the bottom of it, he became even more nervous: ¡°Because, because if I¡¯m not in estrus, even if we do it, we won¡¯t be able to conceive a new life!¡± F*ck!!! What the hell is he saying?! When it comes to such sensitive and private topics, Xu Xinghe is usually a very nervous person. His cheeks couldn¡¯t help heating up after speaking. A touch of pink slowly climbed up to his earlobes. Suddenly, Marshal Ling¡¯s nose twitched. He smelled a familiar, incomparably sweet aroma. Just like that night. There was originally just a faint sweetness in the air, which spread with the man¡¯s shyness. Like flowers blooming one after another, the small world was full of flowers in a few breaths. The strange fragrance surrounded him, entangling him in flower branches¡­ In the overwhelming sweet smell, Ling Changfeng suddenly took a step forward, walking towards the source of the fragrance. He knew that it was a sweetness belonging to this person alone. Seeing the other party walking towards him, Xu Xinghe suddenly froze and retreated several steps like a frightened rabbit until he was forced to the corner, and his back was stuck against a cold white wall. ¡°You, you¡­what are you doing?!¡± Ling Changfeng suddenly returned to his senses and stopped. At this moment, he was only one step away from Xu Xinghe. The pheromones seemed to have an indescribable magic power. Drawing him closer. Ling Changfeng calmed down and looked up at Xu Xinghe. From such a close distance, he could clearly see the young man¡¯s pale face, and trembling fingers tugging at the neck of the bathrobe. Ling Changfeng blurted out, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± His tone held some gentleness, unlike his usual self. Then he fell silent. Although Xu Xinghe had already shrunk to the corner, when he heard those words, he still clenched his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Ling Changfeng was almost amused by his dead duck¡¯s mouth.1dead duck¡¯s mouth= denial in the face of the obvious Looking at Xu Xinghe blankly, he thought with great interest that if the omega in front of him was really a little hedgehog, he must have instinctively shrunk himself into a ball at this moment. Marshal Ling turned around, took a step back, and walked towards the big bed in the center of the bedroom: ¡°Come and rest.¡± Seeing his back, Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Sleeping where?¡± Ling Changfeng replied without turning back: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sleep here, you can sleep in my room.¡± After a while, he said lightly: ¡°But my bed is very hard, you may not be used to it.¡± Who cares if your bed is hard or not! Xu Xinghe huddled in the corner and refused to come out. ¡°That¡­ I sleep very badly! I like to kick and snore in the middle of the night! You are an old man who has a lot to deal with, won¡¯t it be bad if your rest was affected by me?¡± Ling Changfeng turned around and glanced at him. ¡°You will be fined for breaking the rules. You are still a staff member of Ark¡ª¡± Thin lips parted, and spit out four words: ¡°Each violation is heavier.¡±2as in each time he violates the law, he¡¯ll be penalized worse than a normal person because he works at the Ark2 Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The reason why the mastermind asks two parties to share the same room is to stimulate the secretion of each other¡¯s pheromones, so that omegas will enter estrus faster.¡± Ling Changfeng said without any fluctuation in his tone. It was so calm as if the matter had nothing to do with him. ¡°As someone who¡¯s married again, don¡¯t you understand this truth?¡± Xu Xinghe thought to himself: ¡°Are you questioning my professionalism?? Insufferable!¡± So he began to present the facts and reason: ¡°Of course I understand what you said. According to the mastermind¡¯s analysis, the probability of being matched with an omega who did not get pregnant in the first year is less than 12.8%, which means that even if we do something, chances are that we¡¯re doing something useless. And your so-called stimulation is also limited to¡­¡± Marshal Ling didn¡¯t seem to want to hear his pop science, and interrupted him, ¡°Have you decided to pay the fine?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That is to say?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°That is to say, we do not need to do much ¨C the mastermind can¡¯t monitor it.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°Just sleep on one bed.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Huh?¡± Why does he still want to sleep on the same bed if he can¡¯t be monitored?? Although the logic of this statement was strange, seeing Marshal Ling¡¯s impatient expression, Xu Xinghe was afraid he would add an additional sentence, ¡°Then you should pay the fine¡±, so he compromised. ¡°Okay.¡± So, in the end, the two slept in the same bed. The literal meaning. Two people, two pillows, two quilts. Well water didn¡¯t intrude river water4idiom for they didn¡¯t interfere with each other, they just slept on the same bed. Xu Xinghe lay stiffly on the bed, wrapping himself tightly with the quilt, not even showing his fingers. Recently, he had mild insomnia, but after being tossed like this, it directly became severe. In the darkness, he stared at the ceiling in a daze with his big dark eyes. After an unknown period of time, a low and magnetic male voice suddenly came from his ear: ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Xu Xinghe immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Ling Changfeng: ¡°You¡¯re breathing heavily.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Team Leader Xu turned over, turned his back to his titular husband, and made a soft hum. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, I¡¯m not used to sleeping with others.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°I¡¯m not used to it either.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Then why did you ask for this?? Silence spread between them. After a long time, Xu Xinghe suddenly said, ¡°Are you afraid of the light? Can I turn on a small light? I¡¯m used to sleeping with the light on.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his brain twitch. Why did he tell Marshal Ling about this? There¡¯s an 80% chance he¡¯ll feel he¡¯s complaining too much¡­ As expected, the person behind him did not make a sound. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know if he was still awake. After waiting for a while, he finally laughed internally at himself, closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. He always had to slowly adapt to the darkness. The night grew darker, and sleepiness and exhaustion came in waves. However, even though Xu Xinghe¡¯s two eyelids were already fighting to close, he still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. In the quiet late night, some bad memories came up again. After an unknown period of time, Xu Xinghe wondered if he would toss and turn like this until dawn, when Ling Changfeng suddenly sat up beside him. Xu Xinghe froze. Fortunately, the person behind him did not approach him, but sat up leaning against the headboard. The next moment, a warm orange light came from behind. Xu Xinghe was stunned, then turned to look at his new husband. Ling Changfeng was wearing a single shirt, leaning on the head of the bed and flipping through the electronic files in his hands. Feeling Xu Xinghe¡¯s gaze, he didn¡¯t raise his eyes, just whispered: ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have something to deal with. You go to bed first.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his hand and looked at the time on the electronic clock- it was 3:27 in the morning. This work attitude really puts him to shame. Maybe it¡¯s because he was really tired, or maybe it¡¯s because there is finally a light¡­ Xu Xinghe actually gradually fell asleep under the faint warm light. Hearing his breathing grow longer, Ling Changfeng put down the irrelevant documents in his hand and looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s back. His little spouse wrapped himself in the quilt, huddled into a small ball motionless. How is his sleep posture bad? He was much more well-behaved than when he was awake, and was as quiet as a porcelain doll. ¡°Little liar.¡± A murmur sounded in the silent night. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes began to look at Xu Xinghe without abandon in the weak light. Suddenly, his eyes stopped. There was a finger-length dark red scar on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck. As rumored, a scar runs across his glands. Strangely, he didn¡¯t find the scar as ugly as it was rumored. There was a strange and charming association in his mind as he looked at the scar ¨C If he touched such a sensitive place with his slightly calloused fingers, his little spouse would definitely tremble all over. Then, pink clouds would climb up his ears and smudge his cheeks. And then, that sweet scent will spread in the air¡­ Ling Changfeng thought so, and subconsciously stretched out his hand¡­ Fortunately, reason pulled him back in time. Looking at Xu Xinghe, who was sleeping ignorantly, Marshal Ling sighed silently. Does this guy know how dangerous is it for an omega to turn his back to an alpha at such a close distance, exposing the sensitive and fragile glands on the back of his neck to the other party¡¯s eyes? Ling Changfeng forced himself to look away and looked down at the document again. The pages didn¡¯t turn for a long time. To all readers ¨C LCF may have low EQ, but he¡¯s not blind or deaf! He¡¯s just a marshal who wants to get close to the hdgehog. Consider supporting this translation for SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 9 At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, Xu Xinghe woke up from the bed in a daze. It was a sound sleep untouched by dreams. He didn¡¯t get up directly, but held his breath, opened his eyes a little, and quietly looked to his side. His new husband has disappeared. Instead, Xiaoqi was lying on the bed where Marshal Ling lay last night and gave him a sweet ¡°meow¡±. Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief, turned over, and sat up: ¡°Morning, Xiaoqi, did you rest well last night?¡± ¡°Meow~¡± Xiaoqi stretched and looked in a good mood. ¡°Oh right! Did I forget to add cat food last night?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly remembered this important matter, jumped out of bed quickly, and rushed to the cat food bowl. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me? What if you get hungry¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly widened. The cat food bowl is full! Looking back at Xiaoqi, the latter followed behind him calmly, wagging her tail leisurely, as if she was satisfied and full. Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± When taking a bath last night, he thought of getting cat food for Xiaoqi, but Marshal Ling¡¯s unexpected visit made him forget all about it. Xu Xinghe looked down at the full food bowl, and asked Xiaoqi blankly, ¡°Who filled your bowl?¡± It couldn¡¯t be Marshal Ling, right?? That old man is such a busy person, and even gets up at 3:00 in the morning to read documents. Does he still have the time to help feed the cat? His only answer was the meowing of Ms. Xiaoqi. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not hungry.¡± Xu Xinghe mumbled a few words. Pushing the question out of his mind, he went to wash up. He is now on wedding holiday, and does not have to go to work, and has a lot of leisure time. ¡°What to do today¡­¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head to watch Xiaoqi while brushing his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been able to cook for a while, why don¡¯t I go to the kitchen for a while? I¡¯ll make you some cat biscuits along the way.¡± ¡°Meow~!¡± Hearing her beloved cat biscuits mentioned, Xiaoqi¡¯s big blue eyes were shining. Stepping forward to rub Xu Xinghe¡¯s legs, she raised her head and licked her mouth expectantly. Cooking food is one of Xu Xinghe¡¯s hobbies. When he lived alone, he often cooked for himself and his friends. He also collected some precious ancient recipes to reproduce, and his cooking skills were widely praised. It wasn¡¯t until he went to Mu¡¯s house a year ago that he had to put this interest on hold. Don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s convenient to cook in the Marshal¡¯s mansion or not¡­ Xu Xinghe walked out of the bedroom and stopped a passing servant. ¡°Hello, where is the kitchen?¡± ¡°Morning, Mr. Xu.¡± The servant stopped, ¡°Do you want to have breakfast? Please wait a moment, we will bring it to your room.¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand. ¡°No, no, I want to make something to eat by myself. Can you take me to the kitchen if it is convenient?¡± The servant was stunned. Do it yourself? In the interstellar era, with the popularity of nutritional supplements and housekeeping robots, few people can cook food by themselves. The marshal¡¯s young wife said he wanted to cook by himself? He hesitated for a moment, and went to ask the steward. Although the latter was a little surprised, he felt that there was no need to reject the marshal¡¯s new partner for this trivial matter, and had the servant take him over. Xu Xinghe was led to the kitchen on the first floor of the mansion. What he didn¡¯t expect was that the back kitchen of the entire mansion was empty. Although it was fully equipped, no fresh ingredients were seen on the countertops. While some common kitchen utensils can be found in the corners, the housekeeping robot was even covered with a layer of dust. ¡°Does the marshal usually not eat at the mansion?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. The servant replied: ¡°Our marshal relies on nutritional supplements for three meals a day, and seldom eats natural food, so there is no full-time chef in the house. But if you need, we can ask professional chefs to take care of your diet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand. ¡°I can make it myself when I want to eat.¡± The servant smiled: ¡°There used to be no one in our kitchen, and now we have restarted operations to welcome you. Someone will send fresh ingredients over later. You can also use the ingredients in the freezer and the kitchen and housekeeping robot, or tell us what you want to eat at any time, and we will try our best to satisfy it.¡± ¡°Thank you, there¡¯s really no need.¡± Xu Xinghe was a little flattered by his words. This treatment was really different than in the Mu family. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. The young servant opposite was stunned: ¡°My name is Langdon.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled at him: ¡°Landon, go do your own business first, just leave things to me here.¡± After that, he turned and walked into the kitchen freezer. Originally, he didn¡¯t have much hope for the ingredients in the freezer. He just wanted to see if there was anything Xiaoqi could eat, and was pleasantly surprised to find that there were several shelves full of all kinds of meat inside. There was not only beef, venison, rabbit, and other frozen meat, but also seafood such as mussels, cod, salmon, blue lobster, and so on. Didn¡¯t he say that the marshal only eats nutrients? Why is there so much seafood and raw meat in the freezer? Xu Xinghe was not polite, and picked out a few boxes of meat and seafood and went out. As soon as I walked out of the freezer, I heard a conversation between two young men outside the door: ¡°Is he going to feed the marshal?¡± ¡°This is not nonsense, but it¡¯s a pity that this flattery slapped a horse¡¯s leg.1as in failed The marshal is not interested in food at all.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not preparing a share for your marshal. He looked up and saw two young men in uniforms walking over chatting and laughing, followed by a 1-meter tall cargo robot carrying a basket full of various ingredients. The two of them were unaware that someone was in the kitchen, and continued chatting. ¡°I don¡¯t know if his cooking is good or not.¡± ¡°How can a science and engineering man be good at cooking? The food he makes must not taste very good.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± How did a science and engineering man offend you?! ¡°I heard that the marshal left his room early this morning, and stayed in the study until now. The marshal just got married and he doesn¡¯t want to accompany him. Won¡¯t they be strangers in the future? Oh? Xu Xinghe pricked up his ears and ate melon, thinking to himself, ¡°Then I thank him.¡±2eating melons = enjoying listening to gossip. ¡°It was said on the Internet that he¡¯s still thinking about his ex-husband, but as a result, he started cooking for the marshal. It seems that he is not sincere to General Mu either, and is just greedy for power.¡± ¡°Keep your voice down, York! Did you forget what the steward ordered? Don¡¯t say such things in the house in the future.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? The marshal is such a good alpha, how could he be assigned such an omega by the mastermind¡­¡± The voice suddenly stopped. The two came to the door of the kitchen and saw Xu Xinghe as soon as they looked up. The scene was very embarrassing. One of the servants gave Xu Xinghe a stiff smile, pretending that nothing happened: ¡°Good morning Mr. Xu.¡± The other servant named York turned his head away and stopped talking. Casually leaning on the edge of the cabinets, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes swept over the two of them. Langdon¡¯s enthusiasm just now made him almost forget, this is the norm. The conditions of those who can enter the Marshal¡¯s mansion at a young age can¡¯t be too bad. Some of the Mu family¡¯s servants had eyes above the top, not to mention the Marshal¡¯s mansion.3as in very haughty/prideful, and dismissive of people who attempt to climb the ladder In the eyes of these people, he¡¯s just a lucky one who was selected by the mastermind with the right to reside in the Marshal¡¯s mansion for one year, and will lose this luck in a year. Therefore, they don¡¯t treat him as the ¡°Marshal¡¯s partner¡± at all. Coincidentally, Xu Xinghe also did not put himself in the position of ¡°Marshal¡¯s partner¡±. The difference is that he did not regard this matching marriage as ¡°lucky¡± at all, but felt that he was an unlucky person who was tricked by the mastermind and forced to stay here for a year. ¡°Leave the things, you go down first.¡± Xu Xinghe had nothing to say to them. His eyes quickly shifted to the ingredients, and lit up. The ingredients basket is divided into several layers, full of top-quality steaks and seafood, special fresh fruits and vegetables, and dozens of condiments on the bottom¡­ Xu Xinghe¡¯s idea of ??¡±making something to eat¡± instantly changed. He walked around the two of them to the cargo robot without a word, reached out, and swiped on the list screen. Premium filet mignon, prosciutto, black truffle, mushrooms¡­ As these ingredients came into view, Xu Xinghe suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Recalling a recipe he had seen before, he decided to give it a try. He first took out the filet mignon, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, and then heated a pan with olive oil, frying each side until browned. Melted butter was saut¨¦d minced onions and mushrooms until fragrant, then add black truffle and brandy, puree in a blender to make a savory, rich sauce to spread on the surface of the steak. Use a few slices of prosciutto to roll up the sauced steak and tender foie gras, wrap with cotton thread to hold in place, and put in the fridge to set. Finally, flour, eggs, butter and other materials are mixed to make puff pastry, which is wrapped on the outermost layer of the steak, brushed with egg wash, and scored slightly¡­ A ¡°beef wellington¡± is basically done. Xu Xinghe put his masterpiece satisfactorily into the oven and set the time and heat. Looking at the watch, it was almost twelve o¡¯clock noon. He was so focused on cooking that he didn¡¯t even know when the two servants left. ¡°Next is Ms. Xiaoqi¡¯s cat biscuits¡­¡± The production process of cat biscuits is relatively simple. Use a meat grinder to mix all kinds of beef, rabbit, fish, shrimp, eggs and other ingredients into paste, squeeze into the shape of small fish, and then bake in the oven. When Xu Xinghe carefully squeezed out rows of small fish cakes on the baking sheet and put them in the oven, the beef wellington on the side was almost cooked. The moment the steak comes out of the oven, the meaty aroma of beef, the fresh aroma of ham, the sweet aroma of pastry, and the umami of truffles and mushrooms instantly filled the kitchen. The tantalizing taste instantly provoked one to drool and salivate. Even Xu Xinghe himself felt hungry. At this moment, a strange cat meow came from behind him¡ª ¡°Meow.¡± Not Xiaoqi¡¯s voice. Xu Xinghe turned his head in surprise- To see a Persian cat with soft white fur squatting at the door of the kitchen, staring intently at him. This Persian cat has a pair of beautiful eyes. Gold left eye, blue right eye. Exactly the same as Marshal Ling. Guess who this second kitty is? Also, I want a beef wellington now¡­ never had one, always wanted to try, and then translating this¡­ Consider supporting this translation for SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 10 The Persian cat in front of him had a noble, dignified manner, with smooth, almost reflective fur gleaming in the sunlight. A golden cat tag hung around its neck, indicating that it has an owner. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while. The Marshal¡¯s mansion still raises cats? As a shit shoveling officer who has raised a cat for many years, Xu Xinghe showed a rare enthusiasm for the beautiful and fluffy creature in front of him. Crouching down, he beckoned to it. ¡°Mimi, do you want to eat fish biscuits?¡± The Persian cat was unmoved, and stayed where it was with a cold expression, staring at Xu Xinghe wordlessly. Xu Xinghe thought it was afraid, so after the fish biscuits were baked, he took a piece and put it on the ground, and then took a few steps back: ¡°Try it, one of Xiaoqi¡¯s favorites. I believe you¡¯ll like it too.¡± The Persian cat squinted, looked at Xu Xinghe, and then at the cat biscuit, but still didn¡¯t move. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t force it, he turned around and continued to do his own thing. After a few minutes, there was no movement behind him. Xu Xinghe looked back and saw that the Persian cat had disappeared. The little fish biscuit that he had placed on the ground also disappeared. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It was like a dream. He cut the beef wellington and placed it on a plate. He was about to bring it back to his room to have lunch with Xiaoqi when the voice of a cargo robot came from outside the door again. The servants in the mansion could smell the aroma of the steak from afar, and they had long been talking outside. ¡°It¡¯s so fragrant¡­ York, didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s hard to cook?¡± ¡°Tsk! Who knows whether he made it himself or used AI?¡± ¡°But the dishes made by AI are not so delicious¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°How do I know?¡± ¡°Go and see!¡± Out of curiosity, coupled with the encouragement of his companions, York brought a household robot to go and find out. While pretending to instruct the robot to start cleaning up the kitchen, he secretly aimed at the food on Xu Xinghe¡¯s plate. The steak wrapped in puff pastry is tender and juicy, and the tempting aroma can be smelled across the corridor. It smells really good. But well¡­ York snorted inwardly, what¡¯s the use of making it delicious? It can¡¯t be delivered to the marshal.. ¡°Marshal Ling owns a cat?¡± Just as York was complaining silently in his heart, Xu Xinghe, who was beside him, took the initiative to speak. He was still curious about where the cat just now came from. York was stunned for a moment and looked back at him: ¡°Have you seen Aaron?¡± ¡°Aaron?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head. ¡°Just now a white Persian cat came and took a small fish biscuit from me¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± York was startled and interrupted him. ¡°You, you¡­ how dare you feed it?! Didn¡¯t it scratch you? No, it actually accepted what you fed?!¡± York¡¯s whole being was messed up, and for a while he couldn¡¯t tell which of the two things shocked him more. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t expect his reaction to be so big. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± York said anxiously: ¡°That¡¯s the marshal¡¯s cat! How dare you feed it indiscriminately? Can you be responsible for feeding it? And Aaron never eats anything fed by people other than the marshal! Did you add bait to the cat biscuits? No, I have to contact the vet as soon as possible¡­¡± The more York spoke, the more determined he was that this omega was planning to start with the marshal¡¯s cat in order to seduce the marshal! So terrifying, so scheming! Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Having his actions distorted and treated suspiciously for no reason, his friendly expression also faded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as the ingredients in your Marshal¡¯s mansion are okay, these cat biscuits are not bad for cats.¡± As he spoke, he put his hands down on the ring-shaped cupboard, and accidentally bumped into the baking pan that was just taken out of the oven! ¡°Ah-!!¡± The hot baking pan instantly scalded his palms. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This person is unlucky ¨C he will choke if he drinks cold water, and he will be scalded after cooking. He shook his hand and said to York without looking back: ¡°You can go to the vet now, and help me get a medical kit by the way, thank you.¡± After saying that, he turned to lower the water temperature, and started to rinse with cold water. York: ¡°???¡± This guy actually ¡°commanded¡± himself! Does he really think he¡¯s the marshal¡¯s wife?? He was about to sneer, but when he saw Xu Xinghe frowning slightly, his eyelashes seemed to be shaking slightly, as if he was really burned¡­ York opened his mouth, but in the end he didn¡¯t say anything, and turned to walk away. Xu Xinghe turned off the water, looked at his red palm, and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Hope it won¡¯t blister later¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the Persian cat¡¯s meow sounded from behind again- ¡°Meow.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled, then turned around with a smile. ¡°What, a small fish cake is not enough? I couldn¡¯t tell that you are still a greedy little¡­ cat¡­¡± The smile suddenly froze on his face. Marshal Ling, wearing a neat uniform, appeared at the door of the kitchen at some point. Noble and dignified, standing straight. With a Persian cat with multi-colored pupils squatting at his feet, wagging its tail slowly. Xu Xinghe¡¯s first reaction was that this picture was quite pleasing to the eye. Second reaction: What are you doing in the kitchen ¡°condescendingly¡±?? Marshal Ling, who had just finished his morning¡¯s tasks and was inexplicably drawn in by his cat¡¯s actions, also saw his little spouse. At this moment, Xu Xinghe was wearing a light blue apron carrying delicious food. The golden sunlight shone on his fair skin and soft hair, and looked as if he was emitting a circle of soft light. The newlywed pair unexpectedly met in the kitchen. Even though the two have ¡°slept¡± together, neither of them had anything to say when they met again. One is because he is naturally taciturn, and the other is because he really has nothing to say. The atmosphere was silent. Fortunately, there was a third party unafraid of the silence. The Persian cat walked forward with light and elegant steps, looked at the cat biscuit in Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand, and said proudly: ¡°Meow.¡± It is not like Xiaoqi, who will beg for food by acting like a spoiled child. Instead, it will sit in front of you, raise its head, and wait for you to offer it food. Xu Xinghe looked down at the cold-looking cat, and then raised his head to look at Marshal Ling with his naturally indifferent face, and suddenly wanted to laugh. Marshal Ling actually kept a cat that was exactly the same as himself. At this moment, two pairs of different pupils, one big and one small, looked over together, colliding with an indescribable sense of humor. It made Xu Xinghe suddenly feel that the ¡°Black God of War¡±, who was famous across the major galaxies, wasn¡¯t as serious and terrifying as he imagined. Ling Changfeng saw Aaron¡¯s actions in his eyes. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, but his tone was as calm and indifferent as always: ¡°Did you just feed it?¡± Aaron is famous in the house. He¡¯s not only picky about food, but also picky about the feeder. As his real owner, whether he accepts food still depends on his mood. But now he actually took the initiative to walk to Xu Xinghe¡¯s feet for food? Xu Xinghe stopped smiling when he heard the words. With York¡¯s question lingering in his ears, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that Marshal Ling was also chasing the crime. He lowered his eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry about feeding your cat. If it has a bad stomach, you can just ask me to settle things.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°?¡± He looked at Xu Xinghe wordlessly, as if seeing soft thorns standing up from behind him. This little guy¡­ is really a hedgehog, right? Marshal Ling stood blankly on the spot and began to think about how he had provoked this little hedgehog again. At this moment, he heard a conversation coming from outside the door- ¡°Why do you need a medical kit? How could he be injured while cooking?¡± ¡°Got burned! This guy is clumsy, and he insists on cooking for our marshal. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s looking for fault?¡± CH 12 ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a pity that his work is going to be wasted, the marshal won¡¯t eat¡­¡± The voice came to an abrupt end. The two chatting servants finally saw who the tall figure was at the door of the kitchen. Their complexion quickly turned from red to white. York shivered: ¡°Mar, Marshal?!¡± He was assigned to the backyard after being transferred to the Marshal¡¯s mansion, and had never had the chance to see the Marshal at all. This time, he finally had a close encounter, but was so scared that it took him a long time to remember to salute. Marshal Ling didn¡¯t respond, and simply glanced at him. This glance alone made him feel what is called ¡°an awn on the back, a sharp blade seals the throat¡±. York froze in place, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. In fact, an alpha does not need to release pheromones to suppress the other side, often one look can make the weather party instinctively fear for their lives. Ling Changfeng ignored the two servants, and turned to look at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Where is the injury?¡± ¡°Uh¡­it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not serious.¡± Xu Xinghe replied perfunctorily. His eyes peeked at Aaron on his feet, thinking, this cat is so well-bred, the fur is sleek and smooth, and must feel super good when petted. From Ling Changfeng¡¯s point of view, his little partner is drooping his head at the moment. His thick eyelashes are hanging down softly, like two small brushes, trembling slightly. He seems a bit wronged, and a bit distracted. ¡°Give me the medical kit, you all go down.¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s cold voice sounded in the kitchen. The two servants who were granted amnesty, handed the medical kit over, and left. A shadow entered his line of sight, and Xu Xinghe looked up to see that Marshal Ling had walked in front of him. Xu Xinghe leaned against the edge of the cupboard and had no choice but to ask with wide eyes, ¡°You, you¡­ why?¡± Marshal Ling looked at him calmly. ¡°Are you prone to stuttering when you¡¯re nervous? ¡° Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Who¡¯s nervous!¡± If you have something to say, please stay away from me! Ling Changfeng: ¡°I¡¯ll ask He Han to take you to the treatment cabin in a moment.¡± ¡°Ah? No need! This kind of minor injury still needs the treatment cabin?¡±1he¡¯s asking a rhetorical question Treatment cabins are high-end medical devices. They can heal wounds quickly, but the cost of each device and for each use are also extremely high. Generally, they are only used by patients with severe trauma. Lying down in a treatment cabin for this type of small injury is as embarrassing as calling an ambulance to go to the hospital for three stitches. Marshal Ling lowered his eyes, and his eyes swept across Xu Xinghe¡¯s red palm. ¡°Just here¡¯s burned? Is there any other injury?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He suddenly realized that he had been tricked. The other party just changed a method to ask where he¡¯s hurt! What made him speechless was still behind. Ling Changfeng suddenly stretched out his hand and grasped his fingertips, flipped it back and forth, and then commented lightly without changing his face: ¡°It¡¯s not serious ¨C a light burn, there won¡¯t be blisters.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He quickly withdrew his paws like a furious kitten, and slipped sideways several meters away. His fingertips were still slightly hot. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t hold back either, letting the other person¡¯s little finger run across his palm, leaving a tingling itch. His hand froze for two seconds, then lowered as if nothing had happened. Marshal Ling unhurriedly opened the medicine box, taking out a disinfectant cotton swab with his long and powerful fingers, then waved at Xu Xinghe without looking back. ¡°Come here, the wound still needs to be disinfected.¡± It was impossible for Xu Xinghe to throw himself into the trap, and his head shook like a rattle: ¡°I won¡¯t bother you with such trivial matters, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Hearing his words, Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and glanced at him. He didn¡¯t force it, and just faintly nodded: ¡°Well, remember to go back and use medicine.¡± Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief. Before leaving, he did not forget to pick up two cat biscuits and fed Aaron, who had been waiting for a long time with an impatient face. Then he picked up his steak and Xiaoqi¡¯s rations again, and planned to go back inside for lunch. Unexpectedly, Marshal Ling raised his wrist and looked at his watch, and suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± Xu Xinghe, who was about to escape, turned his head stiffly. ¡°Ah?¡± Ling Changfeng repeated: ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s mentality instantly collapsed. Excuse me??? This lunch took him over an hour to make! He was planning to eat alone! What¡¯s more, doesn¡¯t he not eat food? Why did he suddenly get interested? Sure enough, the legends are all lies! But no matter how reluctant he was, after all, the ingredients and kitchen both belonged to someone else. Xu Xinghe took two seconds to think for a moment. In order to continue using the kitchen in the future, he still agreed to use food first to ¡°bribe¡± the master of the Marshal¡¯s mansion in front of him. So he smiled awkwardly: ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± In the blink of an eye, the news that Marshal Ling was going to eat lunch spread throughout the Marshal¡¯s mansion, causing a thousand waves. ¡°F*ck!! Marshal is not taking nutritional supplements today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true! The steward has already sent someone to set up the dining room!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, since the Marshal returned to Capital Star this year, I¡¯ve never seen him eat natural food once in the mansion!¡± ¡°I almost forgot that there is a dining room in the house¡­¡± ¡°Why did our marshal suddenly change? Is it because Mr. Xu cooked it himself?¡± ¡±The aroma can be smelled across the hall, of course the marshal is moved!¡± ¡°Please, what does this have to do with cooking skills? Isn¡¯t the food at the state banquet delicious? Our marshal was still not interested. In the end, it¡¯s still loving one¡¯s house and those inside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really hard to see, but this omega is really good!¡± ¡°Hey! Be careful what you say! I just heard that the steward went to talk to York. It seems that he was whispering and was heard by the marshal. Don¡¯t know what the punishment is¡­¡± Although everyone outside was chatting hotly, the atmosphere in the dining room was quite silent. Xu Xinghe sat at the dining table and savored the fruits of his labor, while Marshal Ling read electronic documents quietly at the other end of the long table, and from time to time he picked up a knife and fork to cut a piece of steak into his mouth. It looked rather perfunctory. Xu Xinghe was a little depressed. He doubted whether Ling Changfeng had damaged taste buds, or had a sense of taste at all. Any chef wants his food to be taken seriously. Even if Xu Xinghe is just a half-baked chef. If he were eating with his friends as usual, he would have started commenting long ago. It¡¯s a pity that the man in front of him is not his friend, but an Alliance marshal who gallops across the five galaxies, so Chef Xu can only change the way he spoke: ¡°That¡­ working while eating is not good for the digestive system.¡± The man on the opposite side of the table moved. Putting down the document, he looked over with a pair of multi-colored pupils that were glowed with cold light. Xu Xinghe suddenly felt a little regret. He stopped talking, lowered his head and began to silently eat. At the same time, he sullenly thought to himself: ¡°Never eat with this person again!¡± Just as the thought came to his mind, he suddenly heard a voice from the other side: ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head to see Ling Changfeng turn off the electronic screen and began to concentrate on eating lunch. Marshal Ling quickly cleared the steak on the plate at the speed of cleaning the battlefield, then put down his knife and fork, and finally commented with four words: ¡°It tastes pretty good.¡± At this time, Chef Xu didn¡¯t know that even the highest-level state banquet had never been evaluated by Marshal Ling as ¡°tasting good¡±. However, this did not prevent Xu Xinghe from reciprocating with a big smile. Ling Changfeng was slightly startled and lowered his eyes. He didn¡¯t know that this smile only came from the joy of a person who loves cooking after hearing diners compliment his cooking skills. He was taken aback by that bright smile. The contented young man put his complaints behind him, and turned to look at the master of the Marshal¡¯s mansion with a little anticipation: ¡°Then I can always use the kitchen here in the future?¡± Four eyes faced each other, and Ling Changfeng looked at the pair of bright black eyes on the opposite side speechlessly for a while. After a long while, he said, ¡°Okay.¡± After a while, he added, ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to buy more ingredients.¡± He wanted to say more, but the smartphone on his wrist rang at this time. Ling Changfeng glanced at it, didn¡¯t answer, but wiped his mouth, got up and said, ¡°I have to go out for something, and can only come back at night.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded in confusion, not understanding why the marshal had to explain things to him. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say any more, turned around and went out. As an Alliance marshal, he has no marriage leave. A special vehicle had been waiting outside for a long time when he stepped out of the gate of the mansion. Marshal Ling returned Qin Yuan¡¯s call. The moment he connected, Major General Qin Yuan began to bombard wildly: ¡°Old man, you¡¯re finally willing to answer my call? You¡¯re almost late for the meeting! Don¡¯t you usually come to meetings early??¡± Although Qin Yuan knew better than anyone that Marshal was not late for his old age, and the meeting wouldn¡¯t start until he arrived, but because Marshal Ling usually has a strong sense of time, his subordinates followed suit and were very punctual. Marshal Ling leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t even bother lifting his eyelids at his adjutant¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s time.¡± Qin Yuan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I know there¡¯s time ¡ª I contacted the Air Orbit Bureau to open an emergency passage on S-02 for you. Please fly over as soon as possible¡­ eh? Did anything good happen today?¡± Major General Qin suddenly changed the subject and looked at Marshal Ling at the other end of the video in shock. Ling Changfeng said blankly: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Major General Qin continued to be shocked: ¡°But you seem to be in a good mood¡­¡± Marshal Ling replied blankly: ¡°You are wrong.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­ ¡° Major General Qin opened his mouth and suddenly realized something. His anxious tone quickly morphed into a hippie smile. ¡°I almost forgot that you are a man with a family now. How is it? The wedding night, last night did you¡­¡± Ling Changfeng opened his eyes, and simply turned off the video. Hahaha, everyone (MC, Qin Yuan¡­) eyes are popping out at LCF¡¯s antics. Consider supporting this translation for SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 13 Having the big bed to himself last night, Xu Xinghe finally thought he could get a good night¡¯s sleep. Unexpectedly, he had a nightmare in the middle of the night. When he opened his eyes the next morning, his head was dizzy and heavy, and the scar on the back of the neck gland was aching. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t return all night yesterday, which made him very depressed- He vaguely realized he was completely fooled on his wedding night! ¡®Newlyweds must share the same bed every night.¡¯ These nonsense regulations from the marriage matching laws indeed do not apply to Ling Changfeng! He was deceived! Chef Xu did not cook due to his mood, and asked the servants to bring a ready-made breakfast. As a result, He Han actually came in person, not only bringing breakfast, but also an red invitation letter embossed with gold. ¡°Uh¡­ the marshal wants to invite me to dinner?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s head hurt even more as he stared blankly at the invitation letter in his hand. He turned his head and asked He Han, ¡°Why?¡± The young steward was at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t understand what was the point of asking ¡°why¡± when a new husband invites his spouse to a candlelight dinner. This was the first time He Han has seen the marshal invite others to dinner personally. From this point of view, the marshal is not unconcerned about his spouse. But as a newlywed husband, not only did he fail to pick up his partner on the day of the wedding, he didn¡¯t even go home at night on the second day of the wedding¡­ He Han couldn¡¯t figure out what the marshal was thinking, so he could only make something up. ¡°This may be one of the marshal¡¯s little ideas.¡± Xu Xinghe said worriedly: ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m a little uncomfortable, can I not go?¡± He Han: ¡°¡­¡± The young steward was once again surprised. It was strange enough for Marshal Ling to invite people to a candlelight dinner, but the person invited didn¡¯t want to go?? The perfunctory remarks of ¡°a little uncomfortable¡± were automatically attributed by He Han as an excuse for not wanting to go, and he replied with some embarrassment: ¡°If you have other arrangements tonight and cannot attend the appointment, it is best to explain to the marshal in person. Just a moment.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°There are no arrangements. I¡¯m just not very comfortable¡­¡± He Han asked, ¡°Do you need me to call a doctor for you?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, it may be that I¡¯m tired during this time and need to rest more.¡± Sitting in front of the dining table, Xu Xinghe was in a daze and didn¡¯t have much of an appetite as he randomly grabbed something. He suddenly remembered another thing: ¡°By the way, tomorrow weekend, I want to return and live at home by myself.¡± He Han: ¡°???¡± Xu Xinghe explained: ¡°It was like this when I was at the Mu house. From Monday to Friday, I will live in my partner¡¯s house in accordance with the matching marriage law, but weekends are legal holidays, and also my free time. I want to go back to my own house, is that okay?¡± He Han: ¡°¡­¡± This question is seriously out of line. He didn¡¯t even dare to convey this directly to the marshal. Isn¡¯t this a clear way to tell the other party, ¡°I am willing to live with you because the mastermind matched us, and I had to¡±? He Han lowered his head and said, ¡°About this issue¡­ you¡¯d better go and tell the marshal in person.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe rubbed the invitation letter with his fingers, looked at the familiar restaurant name on the paper, and struggled for a moment. He and finally said: ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and talk to him at night.¡± ¡ª¡ª Lin Qi: ¡°Is it hot pot tonight? @everyone¡± At half past five in the evening, when Xu Xinghe got into the car to go to Yundu Garden for the appointment, he saw Lin Qi start a group message. He instantly regretted it a little¡ª if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to Yundu Garden with Marshal Ling. Friday night is time to sing, drink, and eat hot pot with friends! Vincent: ¡°Outrageous, you were telling me three hours ago that the code can¡¯t work and you¡¯re going to crash¡± Cheryl: ¡°I have an exam on the weekend, let¡¯s meet after the exam¡± exam¡± Lin Qi: ¡°The crash is real, but after I collapsed, I realized a truth¡ªlife is all about having fun in the moment!¡± Cheryl: ¡°Makes sense, where to eat?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I have an appointment tonight¡­ let¡¯s go to another day.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°? On Friday night, apart from the few of us, who else would dare to ask you out during your wedding holiday and honeymoon period?¡± Xu Xinghe was forced to type: ¡°Marshal Ling.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°???¡± Vincent: ¡°???¡± Cheryl: ¡°???¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°What the hell?!¡± Vincent: ¡°Is this a date?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­not a date¡± Cheryl: ¡°I say, there must be a reason why Marshal Ling didn¡¯t pick you up yesterday! This is to make up for the candlelight dinner, right?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a date.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s me who doesn¡¯t have eyes.¡± Vincent: ¡°Hurry up and shut up! Don¡¯t disturb my brother Xu¡¯s date!¡± Cheryl: ¡°I wish you happiness!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, put down your smartphone! Pay attention when you are on a date! Don¡¯t reply to messages!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°This group is about to be blocked by me¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I¡¯m offline, I ¡¯m writing my thesis¡± Vincent: ¡°I¡¯m offline, I¡¯m walking the dog.¡± Cheryl: ¡°I¡¯m offline, I¡¯m going to review.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He raised his head in confusion and looked at his own reflection in the car window. Because he was going to a high-end restaurant, he put on a suit and tie prepared for him by the Marshal¡¯s mansion, wore a pocket scarf, and fastened his cufflinks¡­ It looked like he was going on a date. Five fifty in the evening. The black military vehicle slowly landed on the VIP parking lot of Yundu Garden. Yundu Garden is a famous high-end restaurant in Nebula City. As a half-baked chef, Xu Xinghe has always been keen to check in the major restaurants on Capital Star. And Yundu Garden belonged to the kind that he couldn¡¯t afford when he was in school and didn¡¯t have time to try after beginning work. Coincidentally, on the night that he and Mu Qingyun got married, Mu Qingyun brought Miles to eat at this restaurant. Afterwards, Miles arrogantly ran to show off, making him very upset for a while, so he even blocked Yundu Garden from his mind. After thinking about it later, good food is still good food; giving it up for those 2 bastards wasn¡¯t worth it. It happened that Marshal Ling invited him here today, so he could finally taste the delicacies of Yundu. When Xu Xinghe got out of the car, the waiter had been waiting there for a long time. Under the guidance of the waiter, he walked through the glass corridor and took the elevator to the reserved VIP box. ¡°Ding¡ª¡± ¡°The third floor is here.¡± The elevator door opened with a sound. Suddenly, a clear and sweet voice came from the other side of the corridor ¨C ¡°Qingyun, shall we go to the movies after dinner?¡± Xu Xinghe stepped out of the elevator door and paused. As soon as he looked up, two familiar figures suddenly came into view. It¡¯s really a narrow road. Xu Xinghe thought blankly: ¡°This is bad.¡± The two people on the opposite side obviously saw him. The conversation stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet for a moment. Not only Xu Xinghe, but also Miles felt unlucky. Holding Mu Qingyun¡¯s arm, he turned his head and was about to withdraw, but found that Xu Xinghe was alone, so he couldn¡¯t help raising his spirits. ¡°What a coincidence, coming alone?¡± ¡°Miles!¡± Mu Qingyun frowned and lowered his eyes, urging his lover to stop. He eagerly ended the marriage, so the divorce was very simple and decisive. But this does not mean that, as an alpha, he was willing to see his former omega being matched to others by the mastermind in such a short period of time. In particular, this ¡°match¡± is still his own superior. Every alpha has some possessiveness carved in their bones, similar to an innate desire to be emotionally clean. It has nothing to do with whether they are in a susceptible period, but is their nature. Therefore, when he heard that Marshal Ling was absent from the ceremony on the wedding day and did not pick up Xu Xinghe in person, he was strangely relieved. Ling Changfeng obviously did not take this marriage seriously. He didn¡¯t take a newly divorced, ruthless omega to heart. So he won¡¯t touch him. So he won¡¯t tag him. So a year later, he will end this marriage perfunctorily and decisively ¨C Like himself. Before that, Mu Qingyun didn¡¯t want anything to do with Xu Xinghe. It would make him feel irritable for no reason. It¡¯s a pity that god isn¡¯t merciful, and two people who don¡¯t want to meet each other again met again on such a narrow path. And at this moment, Xu Xinghe is still Marshal Ling¡¯s nominal spouse. Mu Qingyun could no longer allow Miles to quarrel with him openly. He could only stop it himself, lest his lover make more radical behaviors. Hearing this, Miles turned his head and glared at him, but he obediently shut his mouth. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t acknowledge them and turned his head to ask the waiter, ¡°Which box did Marshal Ling book?¡± The smile on Miles¡¯ mouth stiffened. Only then did the waiter recover from the stiff atmosphere, and hurriedly lowered his head to say, ¡°Please come with me.¡± Leading him towards the box. The moment he walked passed Mu Qingyun, Xu Xinghe felt a glance pass over him. It was an uncomfortable, alpha¡¯s look. ¡ª¡ª 6pm, the agreed upon time. Xu Xinghe sat bored in the box, always feeling strange. The box is decorated with rose petals and golden candles, creating a charming and romantic atmosphere. Is this a candlelit dinner?? However, Ling Changfeng did not appear on time. At half past six in the evening, Xu Xinghe felt hungry. Because he was not feeling well and had a poor appetite, he actually hadn¡¯t eaten much during the day. At this moment, he finally felt hungry, but I was told that the main food would have to wait until Ling Changfeng came. Thinking about it, this was the other party¡¯s treat, so Xu Xinghe waited. This wait lasted until half past seven in the evening. Xu Xinghe¡¯s head began to hurt again. His body felt hot and cold, and his breathing began to quicken. When the smart terminal measured his temperature, it was 38.2¡ãC.1100F+ He has a fever. Ling Changfeng still had not appeared. He sat there until 8p.m. when the candle went out. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. He needs to go back and have a good rest. Getting up, he tidied his suit, and walked out. In the end, he actually met Mu Qingyun and Miles at the door again after they had finished eating. When Miles saw him coming and going alone, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then it turned into an unabashed mockery. This time he didn¡¯t say anything, just tightened his grip on Mu Qingyun¡¯s arm. Xu Xinghe seemed to be unaware of everything around him. He walked forward without looking sideways, and left Yundu Garden without looking back. The guard at the Marshal¡¯s mansion who was standing at the door saw him coming out, so he didn¡¯t dare to persuade him, and explained bravely: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Xu, the Marshal may have something urgent to deal with. I¡¯ll bring you back to the mansion first.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯m going back to my own house to sleep. Take care of the cat for me.¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t maintain his mood, and didn¡¯t bother feigning anything. He started to call for a car without a word. The guards looked at each other. It¡¯s over! Madam is angry, what should we do now? He looks very angry. We can¡¯t forcibly tie people back to the Marshal¡¯s mansion, right? Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t care what they were thinking. He had a headache, and just wanted to go home and get some sleep. After a while, the taxi came. The guards winked at each other, but no one dared to step forward to stop him. In their opinion, the lady must be very angry now that he was flaked on his first date! No one wants to touch him at such a time and get burned. So they could only watch Xu Xinghe open the door, get in the car, and drive away. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Follow! If something happens to Mrs., nothing good will happen to us!¡± ¡°And you, hurry up and report ¨C Mrs. ran away from home!¡± Chapter title refers to fact that enemies (Milo, MQY) are unavoidable. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 14 Xu Xinghe went home, took a shower, and fell asleep without blowing his hair dry. He slept till dawn. He opened his eyes in a daze, realizing that something was wrong- Sore throat, headache, body ache. Even without taking his temperature, he knew that the fever hadn¡¯t subsided, and had gotten worse. Xu Xinghe has had a strong body since childhood and rarely gets sick. He¡¯ll catch the occasional cold, but mostly relies on ¡°drinking more water and resting¡± to recover. But this omnipotent solution failed this time. Xu Xinghe lay on the bed for a while, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Xiao K, help me make an appointment with Dr. Tom.¡± Xiao K is his smart housekeeper system, which is connected to his housekeeping robot and various smart devices. Three minutes later, Xiao K¡¯s prompt sounded: ¡°Doctor Tom can come over at 2:30 in the afternoon at the earliest. Do you need me to help you make an appointment?¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at the time and said weakly: ¡°Okay. Is there still fever medicine at home? I¡¯ll take some first.¡± Xiao K: ¡°Your antipyretic medicine expired half a year ago, it is recommended to throw it in the trash can.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao K continued to ask thoughtfully: ¡°I need to help you get rid of Do you want to order new antipyretics online?¡± Xu Xinghe said while sending a text message: ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll ask Aunt Sophia to bring some¡­¡± Because of the severe nausea, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t eat anything, so he lay back down after drinking some nutritional supplements. But the fever grew worse, and he even began to wonder if he could last until Dr. Tom came. Just then, the doorbell rang. Aunt Sophia arrived so soon? Lying on the bed with his brows furrowed and eyes closed, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t look carefully at who was on the monitor screen. He directly said, ¡°Please come in.¡± He took a deep breath, stood up and leaned on the bed. Licking his dry lips, he said to the housekeeping robot in a daze: ¡°Xiao K, help me get a glass of water.¡± ¡ª¡ª Colonel Lewis personally drove a pure black military bulletproof vehicle through the 031 complex in District 5, and arrived at Xu Xinghe¡¯s small courtyard. The speeding car slowly landed, and Major General Qin Yuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly sighed: ¡°Sir, although I can understand your mood right now, but after such a chaotic night, I still advise you to go to the hospital first to¡­¡± ¡°You guys wait for me in the car.¡± As soon as the vehicle landed, the person sitting in the back seat left a hurried sentence, disregarding what other people said, and quickly got out to ring the doorbell. The camera flashed, and then the door opened automatically. Ling Changfeng raised his foot and walked in. At 9:10 in the morning, artificial sunlight filled the floor through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows with light gold. Xu Xinghe¡¯s two-storey villa has a simple and modern style with white as the main color. It was full of artistic flavor, and electronic paintings on the walls were replaced with warm colors when guests came. Mismatched eyes looked around. They landed on the flourishing plants in the living room, obviously well taken care of. It seems that Xu Xinghe does come back often. So what about the person himself? ¡°Aunt Sophia?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice suddenly came from the second floor, sounding a little weak and hoarse. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes moved, and he walked up the stairs quickly. As soon as he arrived on the second floor, he heard the sound of glass breaking from the room on the east. ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe leaned weakly on the head of the bed, his throat was on fire, and he had a splitting headache. He stretched out his hand to take the warm water brought by Xiao K, but unexpectedly his hands trembled and the cup fell. He subconsciously wanted to catch it, but as a result, his body leaned forward, his center of gravity was offset, and he tumbled off the bed together with the quilt. So when Ling Changfeng pushed the door and entered, he saw such a messy scene¨C Xu Xinghe was still wrapped in half the quilt, with his whole body on the ground rolled up in the quilt. His cheeks were flushed, and there was shattered glass and a puddle of water by his hand. Sucking on his wounded index finger that was probably scratched by the broken glass. Xu Xinghe raised his head at the sound and was almost scared to death.¡± It¡¯s you? Where¡¯s Aunt Sophia?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him and frowned slightly. ¡°Sick?¡± If Xu Xinghe was still thinking clearly, he might have noticed that Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was more hoarse than usual. But he was dizzy, and could only weakly answer: ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s a small problem.¡± Marshal Ling stopped talking. After placing his coat on the sofa, he turned and walked towards Xu Xinghe. The alarm in Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart rang out, and those eyes reddened from the fever widened. ¡°Why are you here¡­ ah!¡± The moment his feet left the ground, the sense of weightlessness made him subconsciously wrap his hands around anything that could be wrapped¨C Such as Ling Changfeng¡¯s neck. Xu Xinghe instantly froze into stone. His brain and body shut down together. It wasn¡¯t until Ling Changfeng brought him back to the bed that he reacted to what happened¨C Ling Changfeng! Actually! Hugged! Him! Fortunately, Ling Changfeng¡¯s movements were fast enough, and this awkward hug lasted only a few seconds. Still panicking as he was placed back on the bed, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t notice the moment he hooked Ling Changfeng¡¯s neck, the arms hugging him were also stiff. When Xu Xinghe came back to his senses, Ling Changfeng was already tidying up his sleeves casually. Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°You, you¡­how did you break into the house?¡± ¡°I rang the doorbell, and you said ¡®please come in¡¯.¡± Ling Changfeng pulled down his sleeve, raised his eyes and asked back: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡± ¡°Did you call?¡± Xu Xinghe used his dizzy brain to think slowly for two seconds. ¡°Uh¡­Did we not exchange contact information yet?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him, his thin lips pursed slightly, and he did not answer. Xu Xinghe was a little uncomfortable seeing him like this, so he turned his head sideways to avoid looking. ¡°I set Do Not Disturb for all unfamiliar numbers. It¡¯s not on purpose.¡± Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re in my address book.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Ah?¡± He was stunned for two seconds, and raised his hand with difficulty: ¡°I¡¯ll add you¡ª what¡¯s your number?¡± Ling Changfeng fell silent for a while. When he spoke again, he changed the subject: ¡°Last night, there was an accident on my way to the restaurant. It happened too suddenly, and I didn¡¯t have time to tell you¡­ When the matter was over, your phone was no longer available.¡± Xu Xinghe finally remembered that Marshal Ling did not show last night. Although he didn¡¯t have any expectations for this dinner at first, the behavior of releasing pigeons1no show on an appointment is too annoying! So that little guilt just now turned into a sense of self-righteousness. Xu Xinghe turned around, covered himself with the small blanket, turned his back to Ling Changfeng, closed his eyes, and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave.¡± The house suddenly became quiet. Ling Changfeng stood in front of the bed for a while without saying a word, then leaned over and picked up the broken glass on the ground. Then he turned and left the bedroom. Gone? Xu Xinghe listened to the sound of the footsteps getting farther away, heaved a sigh of relief, and gradually relaxed. His head was still dizzy. In a daze, he thought to himself, the fever seems to be a little severe. Should he go to the hospital later? Having said that, why did Ling Changfeng come?? ¡ª¨C Marshal Ling has not done any housework for more than ten years. After he cleaned up the glass on the ground, he thought about pouring a new glass of water, but he didn¡¯t know which button to press to dispense water from the newer water purifier models. After tossing in the kitchen for a while, he returned to the bedroom on the second floor with a full glass of water. Xu Xinghe fell asleep again. Ling Changfeng stood in front of the bed, looking at the fluffy back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s head, speechless. Is this guy a pig, so able to sleep? He put the water glass on the bedside table and gently lifted a corner of the quilt. The glass really scratched Xu Xinghe¡¯s index finger, but fortunately, it was only a shallow wound, and the bleeding had stopped. Thinking of this, Ling Changfeng glanced at his left arm. After confirming that there was no trace, he put down his hand. He re-covered the quilt for him, then pressed the earphone and said softly: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Colonel Lewis¡¯s, the captain of the guard, came from the earphone: ¡°Reporting, sir! There is a lady named Sophia outside the door, claiming to be Mr. Xu¡¯s friend. She¡¯s the vice president of the Capital Seventh Welfare Institute, and was entrusted by Mr. Xu to deliver medicine. Do you want to let her in?¡± Ling Changfeng turned to look at his sleeping young spouse. ¡°Tell her Xu Xinghe is resting, and to come back next time.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡ª¡± Before he hung up, Marshal Ling suddenly thought of something. ¡°Vice president of the Seventh Welfare Institute?¡± Before getting married, he hurriedly glanced through Xu Xinghe¡¯s information, and knew that he was raised in the Seventh Welfare Institute. Ling Changfeng changed his mind. ¡°Invite her in.¡± After that, he gently closed the bedroom door and walked down the stairs. Sophia is sixty-eight years old this year. In an era where the average life expectancy is more than 200 years, she¡¯s still considered in her prime. Even if it was the first time she saw a bigshot like the Marshal of the Alliance, she wasn¡¯t frightened, and greeted him with a smile and nod. ¡°Marshal Ling, I¡¯ve admired you for a long time, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded as he entered the living room, and stretched out his hand to gesture. ¡°Sit down.¡± Sophia asked, ¡°Is Xinghe okay now?¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°He said there was nothing wrong, and he fell asleep again.¡± Sophia looked at him in surprise. Just as she was about to say something, Ling Changfeng had already asked, ¡°How long have you been working in the capital¡¯s welfare institute?¡± Sophia replied, ¡°This year happens to be the 40th year.¡± Ling Changfeng asked again: ¡°Did Xinghe grow up in your welfare home?¡± Sophia said with a smile: ¡°Yes, he is a very special existence in our welfare home. He has been smart, kind, and strong since he was a child. Although he can be a little stubborn sometimes, which causes headaches for the teacher, but he¡¯s really a good kid at heart.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°I have a question to ask, you can choose to answer or not to answer.¡± He used the word ¡°ask¡±, which was already rarely courteous of him. Sophia said: ¡°Ask. If I know, I will try to answer you.¡± ¡°On our wedding day, he told me that if there is a child in the future, he wants joint custody of the child.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his head and said with a low voice: ¡°You watched him grow up, do you know why?¡± T/N: LCF and the Mu family¡¯s question and surprise why XXH insists on joint custody is in part due to the settings of SMM ¨C omegas don¡¯t normally get them / they¡¯re normally more like Miles in personality. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 15 Sophia¡¯s eyes fell in a momentary trance. From surprise to puzzlement to sadness, they finally returned to calm. She said softly, ¡°If you want to know the answer to this kind of thing, shouldn¡¯t you ask him directly?¡± Ling Changfeng seemed to expect such a response. He didn¡¯t ask any further questions, and nodded lightly: ¡°I know, I will wait for a suitable time to ask him.¡± He got up and walked to the second floor: ¡°He is still resting, you should go back first.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Sophia stopped him. Ling Changfeng turned around. His dual-colored pupils carried a natural sense of oppression that made people dare not look him in the eyes directly. Sophia lowered her head and smiled bitterly: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s easy to understand¡­ Xinghe has no sense of security in marriage. If he becomes pregnant during the protection period, the custody of the child after a divorce will naturally be a big problem. It¡¯s no problem if you¡¯re an ordinary person, because even if it goes to court, the child will still be assigned to him in the end. But you are the Marshal of the Alliance, and he can¡¯t compete, so how can he feel at ease?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at her and was silent for a while. He knew that what she said was the truth, but it still felt like there was something more. ¡°As you said, I watched Xinghe grow up.¡± Sophia¡¯s light blue eyes seemed to be shining. ¡°Can I take the liberty to ask, why do you want to know this answer? Or, why does it matter to you why he wants custody of the child?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter what his reasons are, I have already promised him.¡± Ling Changfeng replied. ¡°What¡¯s more, this is all based on the premise that we will divorce after the child is born.¡± Sophia suddenly raised her head and looked at him in surprise. Marshal Ling¡¯s implication is¡­ they won¡¯t divorce in a year? ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious, he obviously still looks like a child.¡± Ling Changfeng said calmly, ¡°If you think I¡¯ll offend him by asking this, you don¡¯t have to answer me.¡± Sophia cast her pale blue eyes out of the window. After a long silence, she slowly opened her mouth and said: ¡°Xinghe¡­ is different from other children. He was not sent here because he had no father or mother. He was sent here by his father himself.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly. Sophia continued: ¡°Under the matching marriage system, there will always be some unwilling parents forced to pair up. But they are not forced to raise the children. If both husband and wife give up custody of the children, sending the child to a local welfare institution within six months of birth is not considered abandonment.¡± Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°Does his mother not want him?¡± Sophia shook her head: ¡°Xinghe was sent to welfare when he was just four months old. At the time, his father was the sole guardian, which meant his mother had already given up custody. I heard at the time that his father was a small-time businessman, and gave his mother a lot of money to leave after his birth. But within a few months, he found a new partner, who was very concerned that he had a child, so he sent the child to the orphanage¡­ Of course, there is no way to verify these rumors. But whether they are true or false, these words eventually reached Xinghe¡¯s ears.¡± One gold and one blue eyes flashed with complex emotions. ¡°When he was at the orphanage, how was he?¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes showed a hint of sadness: ¡°Xinghe is very good. He is smart, stubborn, and strong. These are all good qualities in alpha, but he is an omega¡­ You know, most people like omegas as docile and soft as dodder flowers. Xinghe is regarded as an outlier in their eyes.¡± Sophia took a deep breath and continued: ¡°I transferred to their class when Xinghe was in second grade. At that time, I was just a lecturer. Before I transferred, I heard that there was a thorn in the class with a bad temper. A very bad omega. But the first day I saw Xinghe, I found that he was thin and small, with wounds on his face and obvious bruises on his arms.¡± Ling Changfeng closed his eyes. Sophia stood on the spot, hesitating to speak, and finally did not say any more. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the medicine here. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first. ¡°By the way, there is one more thing¡­¡± Before leaving, Sophia thought of something and turned around. ¡°Xinghe may say he¡¯s okay. But he wouldn¡¯t have asked me to bring medicine if his fever wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± She left after leaving such a sentence. Ling Changfeng was slightly startled, then suddenly turned around and walked back to Xu Xinghe¡¯s room. Xu Xinghe was still sleeping, but his cheeks were abnormally red. Ling Changfeng went around to the bed and reached out to his forehead ¨C it was really hot. ¡°David, take his temperature.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the electronic smartphone on Ling Changfeng¡¯s left wrist lit up. ¡°Di-¡° ¡°39.1¡æ1102.3 F, high fever, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyelids jumped. This guy¡­ this is also called okay?! ¡°Wake up.¡± Ling Changfeng patted Xu Xinghe¡¯s exposed head. ¡°Get up and follow me to the hospital.¡± His movements and voices were soft, but his tone brooked no refusal. Xu Xinghe who finally fell asleep was woken up again. However, he was dizzy and had no energy to fight back. He could only play dead. Ling Changfeng glanced at him, pressed the earphone and dialed his secretary. ¡°Contact the Third Hospital of the Military Department to arrange a ward, I have a patient number here, high fever¡­ An ambulance is not needed, I will bring him over in a bit.¡± Hearing those arrangements made for him, Xu Xinghe grew angrier. Burying his head in the pillow, he said weakly: ¡°Not going.¡± Ling Changfeng hung up the phone and looked down at him. ¡°Are you going to change your clothes?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This person is so annoying! Talking made his throat hurt, so he simply stopped talking and expressed his refusal with practical actions. Ling Changfeng waited for a while, but seeing no movement from Xu Xinghe, he retrieved his coat. Turning around, he briskly removed the blanket on Xu Xinghe¡¯s body, wrapped the little patient who was unable to resist in his jacket, picking him up, and left. As the saying goes, the whole process was smooth and unobstructed. Xu Xinghe was taken out of the bed before he could react. ¡°Ling Changfeng, let me go!!¡± Xu Xinghe never thought that the first time he called Grand Marshal Ling¡¯s name directly would be on such an occasion. He finally had the heart to scold people. Xu Xinghe¡¯s body was like a fierce little beast, struggling frantically, twisting around in midair. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at the restless little hedgehog in his arms, and said solemnly, ¡°Be careful I drop you.¡± Actually, given Marshal Ling¡¯s strength, he could carry three Xu Xinghe¡¯s easily. But now, firstly, his arm was injured a bit, and secondly¡­ He found that when Xu Xinghe was agitated, the pheromones on his body would become stronger. A sweet and fragrant fragrance swept through. It was distracting. Ling Changfeng tightened his embrace, enclosing the person even tighter. After Xu Xinghe heard his words, he finally stopped struggling. Although he hated having things arranged for him at an emotional level, rationality told him he should go to the hospital. ¡°You let me down, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± Xu Xinghe said hoarsely. Ling Changfeng looked down at him. This little hedgehog is really strong, and stubbornly insistent. However¡­ He put him down. But his eyes have been firmly locked on Xu Xinghe. If his pheromone could be visualized, Ling Changfeng thought¡­ It should be a bud that blooms amidst withering. The moment the flower blooms, it will be unbelievably beautiful. Marshal Ling followed Xu Xinghe without making a sound, keeping his eyes on as he walked downstairs with the help of the staircase. There were three military vehicles parked in the yard, and there seemed to be a few more outside the yard. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know why Ling Changfeng had to bring such a large entourage with him. He was just about to ask himself which car to get into when he saw Ling Changfeng walk to one of the cars and open the rear door. ¡°Come up and lie down for a while.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the two of them. The members of the escort secretly exclaimed: ¡°I usually only see others pulling the door for the marshal. This is the first time I see the marshal opening the door for others!¡± Colonel Lewis, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, thought: ¡°Is there enough space in the back seat? Where will the marshal sit? Will he get in another car?¡± Major General Qin Yuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, thought even more. He instantly imagined up 18 postures2sex positions for two people to squeeze the back seat together, thinking with relief that after so many years, this guy Changfeng finally came to his senses. But before he could put away the relieved smile on his face, he saw Ling Changfeng walk to the co-pilot side and knock on his window: ¡°You come down.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°Ah?¡± Using his best face, he winked at Ling Changfeng and complained: ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not going to take the opportunity to fall in love? You should squeeze the back seat! Let him rest on your lap!!¡± Unfortunately, Ling Changfeng completely ignored his wink. Seeing him not moving, his expression began to show a hint of impatience. Qin Yuan had to grit his teeth and say, ¡°Subordinate has something to report later, so I¡¯d better take a car with you.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned, knowing that he would not work in front of Xu Xinghe, but in the end he didn¡¯t pursue it. ¡°Then you go to the driver¡¯s seat.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Colonel Lewis gave up the driver¡¯s seat with ¡°winking¡± when he heard the words, turned and walked towards the car behind. Qin Yuan had to bite the bullet and change seats. ¡°Go to the Third Hospital of the Military Department.¡± The military vehicles passed through the shadows of the building and sped quickly on the empty track. The car was silent. Qin Yuan endured it for a long time, and finally couldn¡¯t help but whisper: ¡°Boss, it¡¯s not me, but you have no future in falling in love like this.¡± Eyes closed, Ling Changfeng interrupted him without batting an eyelid. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, he fell asleep.¡± Qin Yuan pointed to the back seat, and judged Xu Xinghe¡¯s current state from the sound of his breathing. Distressed, he continued to say, ¡°The chemical reaction between an alpha and omega relies on prolonged contact¡­¡± Ling Changfeng opened his eyes and turned his unfriendly gaze to the driver. ¡°You disturbed him.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Gotta love that back and forth between LCF and QY. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 16 Xu Xinghe was finally brought away by Ling Changfeng. Dead asleep, he quietly shrank in Ling Changfeng¡¯s arms. The moment they arrived, and he was taken out, his head unconsciously rubbed against the latter¡¯s chest. Ling Changfeng froze for a moment, paused for two seconds, and then walked forward as if nothing had happened. Lu Sen, the director of the Third Military Hospital, stood in front of a group of doctors and nurses waiting at the door for them. Everyone saw Ling Changfeng walking towards here from a distance, holding a person in his arms, and their chins almost dropped to the ground. You must know that Marshal Ling is the legendary iceman who¡¯s been single for more than 50 years! Although he was matched with a previously divorced omega by the mastermind not long ago, it was said that Marshal Ling disdained that omega and didn¡¯t even greet him. How can he suddenly be carrying the beauty in his embrace all of a sudden now? As an old acquaintance of Marshal Ling, Dr. Lu Sen has already considered Ling Changfeng half a monk in his heart. So when he saw the other party hold a small omega in front of him, Lu Sen¡¯s mouth opened into an O shape, feeling that he was smashed by a tsunami. Regardless how surprised he was, Lu Sen quickly instructed the medical staff to send Xu Xinghe into the VIP ward, and began treatment. Inside the VIP ward. Xu Xinghe was lying on the hospital bed, as if he was sleeping deeply. His breathing was still a little labored, but his cheeks were not as flushed as they had been when he came in. Surrounded by various monitoring equipment, two nurses were recording data on the display. The older head nurse¡¯s face was calm, but the younger nurse couldn¡¯t help her curiosity and secretly glanced at the person on the hospital bed- This was the rumored ¡°Major General Mu¡¯s ex-wife¡± ¨C Marshal Ling¡¯s current spouse? Didn¡¯t they all say Marshal Ling hated this match very much, and would get divorced after a year? Why did he bring him over himself? Perhaps because the look in her eyes were too explicit, the head nurse on the opposite side coughed lightly and gave her a warning look. Only then did the little nurse remember that there was a big man in the room. She quickly retracted her gaze, and continued to carry out her work with due diligence. This is the Third Hospital of the Military Ministry, a first-class hospital directly under Capital Star¡¯s Military Department. Everyone who works here has signed a non-disclosure agreement, and everything that happens here will not be passed on to the outside world. Ling Changfeng sat on the sofa not far away, looking down at an electronic document, as if he didn¡¯t care about everything around him. Qin Yuan knocked on the door and walked in: ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say a word, but the head nurse replied, ¡°The patient¡¯s body temperature has dropped. Except for his lymphocyte and monocyte count that are still high, his other indicators are normal. He just needs to rest.¡± Qin Yuan nodded. ¡°Thank you for the hard work, you go down first.¡± After hearing this, the nurses looked back at Marshal Ling. When they saw the other party¡¯s acquiescence, they turned and left. After everyone left, Qin Yuan sat next to Ling Changfeng, lowered his voice and said, ¡°You¡¯re already here, do you want to get a checkup?¡± Ling Changfeng lifted his eyelids to look at him, but Qin Yuan persisted. ¡°It¡¯s all our people on our side here. The one from your family is still asleep¡­ Why don¡¯t you go to rest for a while? You haven¡¯t closed your eyes since last night.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all outer trauma; the medical device has already dealt with it.¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted him. ¡°Remember what I said last night, this time, don¡¯t make any noise. Just pretend that nothing happened, and wait for their next move. The initiative is in our hands now. The calmer we are, the more irritated the other party will be, and the more desperately they¡¯ll take risks and reveal their true colors.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Qin Yuan sighed, and his expression gradually became serious. ¡°But Changfeng, anxious rabbits will also bite people. Using such low-level means now, means that they should be at the end of their ropes. Such people are the most dangerous, you must be careful.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and put down the terminal in his hand, and turned to look out the window at the blue sky. Qin Yuan inadvertently glanced at the text on the brain, and his expression suddenly became very intrigued: ¡°What is this??¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, and locked the screen: ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Qin Yuan suddenly burst out laughing. His tone returned to that casual joking tone after a minute. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it matter? Isn¡¯t this what this subordinate worked so hard to sort out for you? Old man, you didn¡¯t read it before marriage, why are you suddenly starting catch up lessons now??¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him: ¡°Are you too relaxed at work?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes and knew that there was nothing wrong, so he quickly stood up and walked away: ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have some work to do. I¡¯ll leave first, bye bye!¡± As if someone smeared oil on his feet, he rushed out the door in three or two steps. Just as his hand landed on the door button, he put it down again: ¡°By the way, since you are now interested in his life and past, there is one more thing I need to tell you about the scar on his gland-¡° Ling Changfeng raised his head. Qin Yuan turned around and glanced at the monitoring equipment beside Xu Xinghe. After confirming that he was still asleep, he said, ¡°I have seen his health file. It¡¯s very strange that the injury on the back of his neck has not been recorded in any medical records.¡± Qin Yuan continued sternly: ¡°This injury was entered into his records for the first time during a normal checkup. Such a deep wound at such a sensitive position can never be cured by a home therapy device, but there is no record. Therefore, it is still unknown how this wound came about.¡± Qin Yuan paused and asked, ¡°Do I need to check it out?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent, and his mismatched eyes paused on Xu Xinghe on the hospital bed. After a long time, he slowly said, ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Qin Yuan made an ¡°OK¡± gesture, and then tilted his head, ¡°I thought you wanted to know.¡± ¡°I really want to know.¡± Ling Changfeng replied. ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t say the answer himself, and I dug it out¡­ I¡¯m afraid it will hurt him again.¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. He was stunned for two seconds, and then he smiled: ¡°I see.¡± In fact, the moment Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, he understood his intention. People always have their own secrets. Thinking about it from the other party¡¯s perspective, if the past one doesn¡¯t want to mention is dug up by others, how will you feel? ¡°Then I will retire first. In addition, there is something I want to say to you again¡ª¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s tone was still cynical, but his eyes were very sincere. ¡°Happy wedding.¡± He opened the door, turned around, and left. For a moment, he wanted to tell his superior and friend ¨C He hadn¡¯t heard the word ¡°worry¡± from his mouth for a long time.1 These subtle changes may not even have been noticed by the party himself. But so what? Worry born from love will eventually be resolved by love. Just go with the flow. ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe finally woke up in a daze. Although he was conscious in a trance, he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. His body hurts all over. He heard a familiar and deep voice ask, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the fever gone down yet?¡± Another young female voice replied, ¡°The fever will go down soon after taking medicine.¡± At this moment, a hand covered his forehead. The pain in his body seemed to ease a little. He vaguely smelled a strange yet familiar fragrance. It reminded him of serenity, depth, and boundlessness; As well as vitality, tolerance, and surging¡­ It reminded him of the sparkling waves under the scorching sun, and the mysterious dreams under the moonlight- Like the sea. Not exactly the sea. In that faint fragrance, his frown gradually loosened, and he fell into a deep sleep again. When he opened his eyes again, the sun was shining outside the window. Xu Xinghe felt that he had almost recovered. Anyway, his head doesn¡¯t hurt, his muscles aren¡¯t sore, and he doesn¡¯t have any problem breathing. Just a little hungry. However, the nurse smiled and refused to accept his request for food and drink, and kindly brought him liquid food and nutritional supplements, saying that they were nourishing for the stomach. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± After he finished the liquid food, he raised his hand and started contacting friends to make a hot pot appointment. Xu Xinghe: ¡°Tonight at 6:30, see @everyone at the hot pot restaurant at the gate of the school¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Damn you, Brother Xu!!! You finally showed up!!!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°You¡¯ve been out of contact for more than 24 hours! I was ready to call the cops to find you!!!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He looked at the unread 99+ messages in the group chat, and scrolled upwards- The day before yesterday, 20:18 Lin Qi: ¡°Did the date go well? @Xu Xinghe¡± The day before yesterday, 22:09 Lin Qi: ¡°Have you finished eating yet? @Xu Xinghe¡± The day before yesterday, 23:51 Lin Qi: ¡°If you don¡¯t reply to the news, I will suspect that you are doing other things after dinner?!! @Xu Xinghe¡± Vincent: ¡°Don¡¯t you have to write a paper?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°No heart to write, I am too curious about what they¡¯re doing now!¡± Vincent: ¡°Treasure life, don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask¡± Lin Qi: ¡°?¡± Yesterday, 10:03 Lin Qi: ¡°The first day Xinghe disappeared, miss him¡± Yesterday, 12:37 Lin Qi : ¡°It ¡®s not right¡± Vincent: ¡°It¡¯s not right¡± Cheryl: ¡°It¡¯s not right¡± Vincent: ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the exam? @Cheryl¡± Cheryl: ¡°I just came out after the exam, thinking about what they did last night while taking the exam¡­ But Brother Xu has disappeared for too long, right? It¡¯s really not right, I hope I can see his news after the exam this afternoon.¡± Yesterday, 13:11 Lin Qi: ¡°Even if there was too much indulgence last night, it¡¯s time to get up by now¡± Vincent: ¡°You can call him directly¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I dare not¡± Vincent: ¡°?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I¡¯m afraid he is still in bed, or is¡­¡± ¡­ Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and spoke directly to the group.2 Xu Xinghe: ¡°Lin! Qi!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°It¡¯s good, just type, your tone is very scary.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°When we meet again tonight, have you thought about how to face me?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard footsteps from outside the door. It should be the doctor who came, so Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t care too much. Lin Qi: ¡°???¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Isn¡¯t this my line? Why did you lose contact for so long? We are really worried about what happened to you¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± His heart softened by three points seeing the words on the screen, and his tone softened: ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s hard to say, let¡¯s talk about it when we meet for dinner.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Can you come out now?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Of course I can come out. I just got married, and I will leave after a year. It¡¯s not like I signed a permanent contract¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, Xu Xinghe suddenly felt the surrounding air pressure drop suddenly, and his voice unconsciously trailed off. As soon as he looked up, the doctor and staff who came to the room had already assembled into two rows at the door. And every face is wonderful. Except for one person. His face was covered with ice and snow that had accumulated for thousands of years, in stark contrast to the crowd of people with varying expressions around him. A pair of indifferent eyes like a Persian cat turned towards him. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± CH 17 The huge VIP ward fell into a strange silence. The group of people stood at the door, some looking at the sky and some at the ground, but none dared look at Marshal Ling¡¯s face. Who was the marshal¡¯s wife chatting with just now? Not only chatting, but also making an appointment for dinner? Not only for dinner, but also to asking the other party ¡°how to face me¡± tonight?? He even said that he wanted to divorce Marshal Ling??! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Marshal Ling was here and was too calm and indifferent, they would almost suspect that they had heard of a marital affair! Everyone in the Third Military Hospital originally thought that Marshal Ling hated this matching marriage and would definitely leave after a year. But after witnessing him bring his young spouse to the hospital in person, they felt this marriage might have taken a U-turn. But now, Xu Xinghe¡¯s remarks once again proved that they were really just a superficial couple who will divorce after a year. What¡¯s with these two? Are they going to divorce? Feeling the numerous pairs of eyes at the door, the corners of Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth twitched awkwardly. ¡°Morning.¡± Ling Changfeng said lightly: ¡°It¡¯s not morning.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at the strange faces of everyone at the door, always feeling that they misunderstood something. But thinking about it carefully, he hadn¡¯t said anything he couldn¡¯t say to Lin Qi just now. Isn¡¯t it a well-known matter of course that he and Marshal Ling will divorce in a year? Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Come in and sit?¡± Ling Changfeng walked in first, came to the hospital bed, and swept over Xu Xinghe with his eyes. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°A lot better. I should be able to leave the hospital. That¡­¡± ¡°The doctor has the final say on when you can leave.¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Countless ellipses floated through his heart, as he thought to himself, ¡°Who provoked this old man so early in the day?¡± Even so, he finished the two words that had just been cut off: ¡°That¡­ thank you.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyebrows raised ever so slightly. Xu Xinghe added: ¡°Thank you for taking me to the hospital.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Thank you for helping me arrange a ward.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t know what else to say, so he could continue the topic from earlier. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ll let the doctor check and see if I can be discharged from the hospital later today.¡± Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°Have an appointment tonight?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Yes, with friends.¡± Ling Changfeng said blankly: ¡°You have a weak stomach, and can¡¯t go out to eat now.¡± Saying that, his slender fingers pointed at the nutritional supplements on the tray. ¡°Just eat this.¡± Xu Xinghe was unconvinced and muttered in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve only been out for a day, not a week¡­¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°You can lie down for a week if you want.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± Is it a threat? It¡¯s a threat! A a dignified Alliance Marshal, how can you do this! Xu Xinghe fired back: ¡°Your words don¡¯t count!¡± As soon as the words came out, the entire ward was silent. Everyone¡¯s eyes zoomed in on Xu Xinghe, and the ward fell into a dead silence again. The entourage behind Marshal Ling all had wide eyes, staring at Xu Xinghe on the hospital bed in disbelief, and marveled at how bold he was. This is the Third Hospital of the Military Department, the exclusive hospital of the First Army of the Gamma Galaxy. Ling Changfeng is also the commander-in-chief of the First Army. Even if the dean, Dr. Lu Sen, is present, everything depends on Ling Changfeng¡¯s face. How could anyone dare say to Marshal Ling, ¡°your words don¡¯t count¡± on the First Army¡¯s site?! Ling Changfeng was also taken aback. However, when he looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s unconvinced pout, he didn¡¯t feel offended. Instead, there was a flash of novelty and laughter in his eyes. However, the smile quickly disappeared in those calm and deep eyes as he peered down at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Do you want to see your friend so much?¡± Xu Xinghe probably realized from the shocked eyes of the people around him that he was now in a hospital directly under the military. So in line with the principle of being a principled man who doesn¡¯t mind a few losses, he explained kindly, ¡°I don¡¯t have to go to see them, but I was unconscious for a day and didn¡¯t say anything. They are very worried and want to know whether I¡¯m safe.¡± Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°They?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Not alone?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°There are four of them, including me. All college classmates¡­ Why are you asking this?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t answer, just nodded slightly and said, ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He was confused, but some kind of magical intuition told him that Ling Changfeng¡¯s aura wasn¡¯t as cold as it was a moment ago. His eyes even looked a bit relaxed. So hope rekindled, and he tried again: ¡°They are all old acquaintances, and among them is my college roommate, who I¡¯ve even shared a pair of pants with before. It is absolutely safe! So I can be discharged from the hospital, right?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He restrained the barely visible smile in his eyes, and said lightly: ¡°If you want to report your safety, a video will do.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Ah?¡± No, how can this person¡¯s face change faster than flipping pages in a book? ¡°But, but¡­ I still want to eat hot pot!¡± Xu Xinghe continued to struggle. ¡°Doctor.¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t answer him, and looked back at the doctors standing in a row at the door of the ward. ¡°Can he eat hot pot now?¡± The answer must be no. After all, Marshal Ling was still present. Even if he could say yes, he could only answer, ¡°no.¡± Moreover, the advice about Xu Xinghe having a ¡°weak stomach¡±, ¡°needing to rest quietly¡±, and ¡°pay attention to a light diet¡± ¨C were all given by the doctors after carefully examining his physical condition. Xu Xinghe was depressed. But in the end, he decided to follow the doctor¡¯s advice and rest for a few days. After all, it was really uncomfortable being sick. Getting an upset stomach after eating hotpot is really not worth it. He opened their F4 group chat and wanted to answer truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m sick, let¡¯s make time another day.¡± But after thinking about it, I changed the first few words. Xu Xinghe: ¡°I¡¯m busy today, let¡¯s make time another day.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°???¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, do you have other friends outside?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The chatty Lin Qi was too annoying, so he simply replied: ¡°Brother is married, understand?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­I seem to understand, but I don¡¯t fully understand.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Ten minutes ago weren¡¯t you still talking about divorcing?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Ah, a man¡¯s mouth, what a liar¡± Vincent: ¡°? Don¡¯t shoot blindly, it¡¯s easy to accidentally hurt a good man like me¡±1 he¡¯s referring to Cheryl Vincent: ¡°I also seem to understand. But don¡¯t understand, why was I scolded so badly back then for pigeoning2abandoning friends over love everyone?? Everyone has such a day, can¡¯t we be understanding towards each other in the future?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Got it, I wish you happiness! @Xu Xinghe¡± Cheryl: ¡°Pigeoning four generations, are you human? @Vincent¡± Vincent: ¡°¡­Why are you targeting me??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°You guys know sh*t!¡± Seeing that the interpretation was turning more and more crooked, he simply retracted the sentence ¡°Brother is married, understand?¡± he had posted a minute ago. Lin Qi: ¡°Trying to cover it up¡± Cheryl: ¡°Covering your ears to steal the bell¡± Vincent: ¡°Deceiving yourself¡±3all 3 of them are using idioms that roughly mean, we all know you¡¯re trying to hide/deceive us Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Suddenly, a low male voice came from overhead. He raised his head suddenly, only to see Ling Changfeng¡¯s deep and handsome face in front of him. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Damn! This face looks pretty handsome up close? ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Xu Xinghe stuttered. The room suddenly became so quiet, so he thought everyone was gone. What was Ling Changfeng still doing here? Marshal Ling looked down at him, and there seemed to be a light flickering in his eyes, softening his originally cold brows. He whispered: ¡°If you want to eat hot pot, I¡¯ll go with you when you are discharged from the hospital.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­no need.¡± Hearing Ling Changfeng invite him to dinner again, he only remembered that he didn¡¯t show up before. After the unlucky thing with his ex-husband, he doesn¡¯t know what will happen the next time they make a dinner date! Ling Changfeng looked at him carefully: ¡°Still angry?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head: ¡°No.¡± ¡°No next time.¡± Ling Changfeng looked into his eyes and said, ¡°No matter what happens, I will come. I tried my best to make the appointment.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This firm and persistent gaze, this serious tone¡­ Please big brother, it¡¯s just for an appointment, how can you look like you¡¯re going to die?? Xu Xinghe shrank back silently, but still said, ¡°No need.¡± There is no next time! Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, but said nothing. So the room fell silent again. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Qin Yuan walked in. As soon as the keen adjutant came in, he found that the atmosphere here was a bit cold. He looked at Ling Changfeng and Xu Xinghe, and immediately put on a smile, and said to the latter: ¡°Meeting for the first time, I am Marshal Ling¡¯s adjutant, Qin Yuan.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked, and nodded. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Xu Xinghe.¡± It¡¯s not their first time meeting, but indeed the first time they¡¯ve spoken. It¡¯s also Xu Xinghe¡¯s first time taking a close look at the marshal¡¯s adjutant. Different from Ling Changfeng¡¯s icy cold temperament, Qin Yuan feels a bi like a spring breeze, making people feel very comfortable and relaxed. Qin Yuan asked him: ¡°How are you feeling now? Are you feeling better?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Much better, thank you.¡± Qin Yuan glanced at the dinner plate on the bed: ¡°Is this for lunch? Does it suit your appetite?¡± Xu Xinghe felt that he finally heard a human sentence. ¡°To be honest, it doesn¡¯t suit me well.¡± Then he added in a low voice: ¡°But the marshal said that I can only eat this now.¡± Marshal: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°Why??¡± He turned his head to look at his boss in surprise. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t know why he was surprised, so he could only frown and explain: ¡°The doctor said that he has a weak stomach and needs a light diet.¡± ¡°A light diet doesn¡¯t mean that you can only eat this.¡± Qin Yuan shook his head helplessly. ¡°Not everyone is like you, eating nutritional supplements three meals a day, sir. You can find a five-star chef to make some porridge, light noodles, or something?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°Patients need special care and love, do you know that?¡± Qin Yuan said to Ling Changfeng earnestly. Then he turned to look at Xu Xinghe, and put on a big smile again: ¡°You can recuperate here in peace, and when your illness is cured, there will be a surprise waiting for you.¡± LCF¡¯s mental circuits around food do need some upgrades. XXH is a foodie, and making him eat nutritional supplements is a black mark in his books! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 18 Xu Xinghe stayed in the Third Military Hospital for two days until his physical indicators returned to normal. On the afternoon of the third day, he finally got his wish and was discharged from the hospital. Because he still had a meeting, Ling Changfeng sent Qin Yuan over to escort him out. ¡°Do you want to go directly back to the Marshal¡¯s mansion?¡± Qin Yuan was surprised by Xu Xinghe¡¯s nod. ¡°I thought you were going to find friends for hot pot.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head. ¡°They have other things today. I¡¯ll go back and see Xiaoqi first.¡± Qin Yuan asked, ¡°Xiaoqi?¡± ¡°My cat.¡± Xu Xinghe explained, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for three days. I miss her and am a little worried, so I have to go back and take a look.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He never thought it was for this reason. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you home first.¡± Qin Yuan chatted with Xu Xinghe while instructing the driver. ¡°I¡¯ll say, when I saw another long-haired cat hair on the marshal yesterday, I asked him if he had another cat, and he replied ¡°en¡± to me.¡±1En = sound of agreement ¡°What?¡± Xu Xinghe was alarmed. ¡°That¡¯s my cat! How¡¯d it become him raising it?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the point, the point is that he raised a cat for you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°So why did he raise my cat?¡± Qin Yuan looked at him with a complicated expression. ¡°Are you worrying that he wants your cat?¡± Xu Xinghe curled his lips: ¡°It¡¯s useless just to want it, will he rob it? Besides, doesn¡¯t Marshal Ling have a cat already? Aaron is so good-looking, what is he not satisfied with?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± In a sense, the brain circuits of these two people are quite matching. Qin Yuan didn¡¯t say anything, and happily sent Xu Xinghe back. Back at the Marshal¡¯s mansion, Xu Xinghe went straight to his room on the second floor. But Xiaoqi was not there. ¡°Where¡¯s my cat?¡± he asked the servant beside him. He Han, the steward, came over and said, ¡°Your cat is in the cat room on the east side of the third floor.¡± Qin Yuan heard this and asked in surprise, ¡°Are you raising it with Aaron?¡± He Han nodded: ¡°They are together, but¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart jumped. Qin Yuan also frowned. Cats are solitary animals with strong territorial awareness. It¡¯s easy for two cats to fight when they meet for the first time. Therefore, if two cats are raised in the same space, they should be isolated for a period of time, and they can only meet after a gradual familiarization process. What¡¯s more, Aaron is not very good-tempered. He likes to use his claws when he¡¯s unhappy. When he brought his Labrador to visit the Marshal¡¯s mansion before, it was almost disfigured. How can two cats be raised directly together? The people in the Marshal¡¯s mansion can¡¯t be so haphazard, right? He Han was speechless for a while, and his expression distorted inexplicably. ¡°This, you should see for yourself, they¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Xu Xinghe had already disappeared with a ¡®whoosh¡¯. Qin Yuan blinked behind him, hooked his two little fingers together, and asked He Han, ¡°Is it what I thought?¡± He Han nodded. ¡°Wow~¡± Qin Yuan whistled and walked slowly towards the third floor. Xu Xinghe trotted all the way to the third floor and pushed open the door of the cat room. At a glance, I saw the fluffy Miss Xiaoqi, lying comfortably on the ground, holding a small dried fish in her paws. In front of Xiaoqi, all kinds of cat snacks piled up into a hill. Not far away, Aaron came over with his beloved dried fish in his mouth, and silently placed the dried fish gently in front of Xiaoqi. He didn¡¯t eat it himself, and quietly watched Xiaoqi eat. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This didn¡¯t make him speechless. The most speechless thing is that the tails of these two cats actually hooked together! Major General Qin Yuan, who followed along to watch the fun, was also dumbfounded. Is this still the cat raised by Changfeng who doesn¡¯t lose in a fight against dogs and protects food better than dogs?! After meeting a little female cat, it¡¯s personality changes like this?? Xu Xinghe bit his back molars and asked, ¡°When did it start?¡± He Han lowered his head in embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t know. At first we were worried that the two cats would meet and fight, so we fed them separately. Until yesterday morning, someone saw Aaron holding his favorite dried fish at the door of Xiaoqi¡¯s room, and started scratching the door¡­¡± Xu Xinghe said with a gloomy expression: ¡°You guys¡­ Has the marshal¡¯s cat been neutered?¡± He Han was stunned. ¡°No, Aaron is an extremely rare breed, so it¡¯s rare to consider sterilization.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He ran over and hugged Xiaoqi. ¡°Meow?¡± Xiaoqi¡¯s sapphire-like eyes lit up when she saw her master come back. Immediately forsaking the fish biscuits, her two claws hooked Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck, and rubbed against his neck affectionately. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He originally wanted to tell Xiaoqi to stay away from the male cat and not be blinded by the food. But he couldn¡¯t say anything with Xiaoqi softly attached to his chest. Qin Yuan sighed aside: ¡°Your cat has such a good temper.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his chin: ¡°Of course, my Xiaoqi has the best temper in the world!¡± So it must not be easily humiliated! Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe looked down at Aaron again. The Persian cat with mismatched pupils squatted upright on the spot. A pair of mismatched feline eyes with blue and gold like Marshal Ling stared intently at¡­ Xiaoqi in his arms. Xiaoqi seemed to sense his gaze, and shyly covered her face with her fluffy tail. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Hehe, he¡¯s not smiling. Originally, he looked at Aaron from the perspective of a cat lover. He felt that he was good everywhere. His fur was smooth and smooth, and his limbs were strong and powerful. But seeing the Persian cat now, he only feels that it has a dangerous aura all over it. Xiaoqi is soft and cowardly, what if she is bullied by him? ¡°I¡¯ll take Xiaoqi back to my room.¡± Xu Xinghe said to He Han. He thought that Ling Changfeng was rushing to raise him because he had a crush on Xiaoqi. But in reality, he wanted to get a wife for his cat? Dream on! After returning to the room with Xiaoqi, it was time for dinner in a blink of an eye. Xu Xinghe asked Qin Yuan: ¡°Are you staying for dinner?¡± Qin Yuan waved his hand. ¡°No, the marshal¡¯s meeting is about to finish, so I have to go back. You have just been discharged from the hospital, so you should rest early after eating.¡± Xinghe nodded and remembered another thing. ¡°By the way, what was that ¡®surprise¡¯ you said in the hospital last time?¡± ¡°Tsk, I wanted to tell you a few days later, since you asked directly¡ª¡± Qin Yuan smiled mysteriously. ¡°Gamma Galaxy¡¯s Union Day is coming soon, and the annual state banquet will be held at Capital Star again.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°State banquet?¡± It is a tradition to hold a state banquet on Union Day. Every year, Gamma Galaxy will invite important people from all walks of life, as well as people who have made outstanding contributions to the Alliance, to a banquet and entertain them in the capital¡¯s Prosperity Palace.2term was rich & prosperous palace, so I picked one that sounded nicer With hundreds of people gathering together, the scene is quite grand and extraordinary. This state banquet has gradually evolved from an initial reception dinner into a grand ceremony that lasts several hours, and even includes a red carpet and dance party. All media are eager to report about this annual event. ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Qin Yuan replied: ¡°Marshal Ling used to be fighting on the eastern battlefield, so he directly rejected the invitations for state banquets. But this year is different. This year he returned to the capital, so it¡¯s best for him to show face on such important occasions.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Xu Xinghe was still confused. Qin Yuan said: ¡°So, you have to attend too.¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Why me?¡± Qin Yuan took a deep breath and smiled, ¡°Because you are the legal spouse of the marshal. According to the regulations, he has to bring his family to attend.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Falling speechless, Xu Xinghe could only ask with a tangled heart, ¡°This, can I not go?¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s expression was even more troubled than his: ¡°Why? That¡¯s a state banquet!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I¡¯m not from that circle, don¡¯t know anyone, and don¡¯t want to socialize. Why should I go?¡± ¡°Just because of this? Are there any other concerns?¡± Qin Yuan asked. Xu Xinghe thought for a while, and replied, ¡°There aren¡¯t any worries, I just don¡¯t want to go. Why, will it cause any trouble to you guys?¡± Qin Yuan sighed: ¡°To be honest, a little bit. But your needs come first. If you really don¡¯t want to go, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s just Changfeng¡­¡± Qin Yuan paused and didn¡¯t say any more, but changed the topic: ¡°The media¡¯s interpretation may be a little troublesome at that time, and rumors will fly all over the sky again.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s words are true. It reminded him that Mu Qingyun was also invited to and attended last year¡¯s state banquet ¨C alone. Obviously, General Mu¡¯s face is not thick enough to dare to take Miles to the state banquet while they were married, but he didn¡¯t bring him either. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how the Mu family explained it. He only remembered that he seemed to be working overtime in Ark that night. If he doesn¡¯t attend this time, the media will probably flood the web with inconspicuous reports¡­ He is not afraid of being gossiped about, but it¡¯ll be annoying if there are too many wagging tongues around him. Xu Xinghe thought for a while and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t go, so what preparations should I make?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s alright as long as you go.¡± Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his agreement. He clasped his fists together and thanked him. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, I¡¯ll leave our marshal to you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± ¡°By the way, do you know how to ballroom dance?¡± Qin Yuan asked. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while, then shook his head. ¡°No, is dancing a requirement at the banquet?¡± Qin Yuan said, ¡°What if someone invites you?¡± Xu Xinghe asked back, ¡°Who would invite me?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at Xu Xinghe silently, with a ¡°who do you think¡± expression on his face. Only then did Xu Xinghe remembered that he still had a legal husband, but¡ª ¡°Marshal Ling? How is that possible!¡± This option was kicked out of his mind instinctively. He had goosebumps just thinking about it! Qin Yuan said: ¡°Why is it impossible? Yesterday when I inquired about getting a dance teacher to teach some basic movements, he didn¡¯t refuse ¨C but clearly the documents to be approved have already piled into a mountain!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yuan waved his hand: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this for now. As long as you are willing to attend, these are all small issues. Then let¡¯s settle this first? I¡¯ll find someone to measure your size and make clothes for you in a few days, and arrange a dance teacher. Is this okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to measure my size, but do I really need to learn how to dance? Will the marshal really invite me to dance?¡± Xu Xinghe was deeply skeptical. ¡°And¡­¡± He finally realized with hindsight, ¡°You call this a ¡®surprise¡¯??¡± Qin Yuan said: ¡°Otherwise? Going to a state banquet! You can brag for a lifetime!¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s skeptical face disagreed. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, look forward to it.¡± Qin Yuan winked at him and smiled. ¡°Maybe there will be a real surprise that day.¡± Flags, so many flags being planted! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 20 As a super-large data center with an area of ??115,000 square meters and nearly 10,000 employees, Ark has thousands of employees who come to work every morning. As cars continued to land in the P2 parking lot, Marshal Ling¡¯s black military vehicle with license plate number AA000011The S in the license plate changed to AA in the raw¡­ Just treat them interchangeably? became the absolute focus of everyone¡¯s eyes from the moment it landed. Of course, people didn¡¯t form a circle to watch, but slowed down their pace quietly when passing by, and cast glances at it intentionally or unintentionally. Gradually, more people gathered around. ¡°Look! It starts with the letter A, is it a military car?¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, AA is the car of the Military Commission Headquarters. There must be some bigshot sitting in a vehicle with this kind of license plate number.¡± ¡°Then why is it stopping here? P2 is the employee parking lot.¡± ¡°Wait and see who comes down.¡± The first person to get out of the car was an armed guard in military uniform. After getting out of the car, he quickly walked to the back row and opened the back seat door. A tall and thin figure walked down. For a time, the audience burst into uproar. ¡°What the hell! What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°Did I see right? Is that Xu Xinghe?¡± ¡°My god, it seems that he and Marshal Ling get along pretty well?¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voice down¡­ ¡° Dong Yue saw people gathered in front of him from a distance and asked, ¡°What are you all doing? Why haven¡¯t you left?¡± Vera also stretched her neck out. ¡°It seems that there is a special car parked in the parking lot. Is there a leader coming for inspection?¡± When the two approached with curiosity, the expression on their faces suddenly became very exciting. Dong Yue¡¯s face changed from white to green, and then from green to purple. The so-called ¡°leader¡± who came here is none other than Xu Xinghe! He stood in front of a black military vehicle talking to two guards. Dong Yue grabbed a colleague he didn¡¯t know, gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The person glanced at him inexplicably and replied, ¡°What¡¯s going on, his husband sent someone to bring him to work, duh.¡± Another person interjected: ¡°It seems that the online rumors are not accurate at all. Didn¡¯t they say Marshal Ling was not satisfied with this marriage?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s satisfied after meeting face to face? There must be a reason for the mastermind to match them. Their pheromone compatibility should be very high.¡± ¡°Then, will they separate after a year?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°Then he will be promoted again.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with this? When he was promoted before, his previous marriage with General Mu did not affect his promotion. I heard from the technical department that Xu Xinghe still has some tricks up his sleeve; the boss of their department likes him very much.¡± ¡°Yes, but I saw someone who claimed to be from Ark broke news that Xu Xinghe was promoted quickly and robbed him. He also attached some small details that seem like he did work with us.¡± ¡°How many of these online leaks are reliable? The cleaning auntie also knows a lot of details, but what does she know?¡± After a while, he said, ¡°But there may be people around him who are jealous. After all, he has risen too much this year¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard someone chewing their tongues2gossiping in the pantry a while ago, and their tone was sour¡­ That look of righteous indignation is also quite funny, I wish I was the one who was matched.¡± The chatting pair didn¡¯t pay attention to Dong Yue¡¯s face, which was getting greener and greener behind them. Who knew he was a member of that army of whistleblowers. And early morning the day before, he posted that they would divorce in a year! Over the past few days, he has spent a lot of time ¡°breaking news¡± on the Internet every day. He doesn¡¯t get enough sleep, comes to work in a bad mood during the day, and is scolded by the leaders for making mistakes. In his mind, he was doing the right thing. He wanted to expose Xu Xinghe¡¯s true face, wanted to see him criticized, and see him laughed at. In the end, the joke turned out to be himself! Dong Yue looked at the tall and thin figure in the distance, his hands trembling with anger. How can such a person be so blessed by god?? But no matter how dissatisfied he was, he didn¡¯t dare do anything in reality. He could only angrily throw the coffee cup in his hand into the trash can, then turned around and left. Xu Xinghe on the other side also had a headache. As more and more people gathered, his desire to quickly escape from this place escalated. But when the guards, who had originally planned to leave after dropping him off, saw this, their radar suddenly rang. He wanted to continue escorting Xu Xinghe to the office, but was strongly rejected by Xu Xinghe. What a joke! If he¡¯s sent directly to the office, the mouths of his team members will be endless for this week and the next! No, he has to talk to Ling Changfeng after going back, and drive himself to work in the future. Xu Xinghe finally persuaded the guards to retreat, and walked quickly into the T-area office building under the gazes from all directions. ¡°Team leader! Welcome back!¡± As soon as he entered the office, Xu Xinghe was ¡°attacked¡± by his group¡¯s cheers. Colorful dots of light surrounded him, fluttering in the air like fireworks. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at the electronic gifts, flowers, and confetti in the four pairs of hands, and asked, ¡°Can this thing pass the security check?¡± Due to the particularity of the Ark, employees have to go through daily security checks. Apart from electronic smartphones which are recorded, they are not allowed to bring other electronic devices into the building. Ajia blinked, leaned over and said in a low voice, ¡°It wasn¡¯t possible at first, but we asked Xiao Zhou to help with some modifications, so it wasn¡¯t detected in the bag.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m sorry I shouldn¡¯t have asked. He turned his head with a heavy face, and said to the shy boy in the corner: ¡°Xiao Zhou, promise me, next time they make such unreasonable demands, tell them to roll, okay?¡± Xiao Zhou quietly smiled at him and nodded. Ajia said: ¡°How is this being unreasonable? Shouldn¡¯t we celebrate the return of the team leader?¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and said, ¡°What? Do you really have so much free time when I¡¯m away?¡± Ryan leapt over, and hugged Xu Xinghe¡¯s arm: ¡°I¡¯m not free! Team leader, save me! After you left, we worked under Team Leader Joseph for half a month. It¡¯s not a life for people!¡± Ethan clicked his tongue on the side. ¡°Team leader, he didn¡¯t say that yesterday¡­¡± Ryan hurriedly interrupted him: ¡°Ethan, do you want coffee? I¡¯ll treat you to a cup, just grab it downstairs.¡± ¡°After I¡¯m back, why do you need to treat people?¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at his watch, there was still a quarter of an hour before work officially began. ¡°What would you like to drink? I¡¯ll order it, you can go downstairs to pick it up.¡± Even though he was gone for half a month, Xu Xinghe quickly resumed his normal work efficiency. But he found that other colleagues outside his group suddenly became very enthusiastic. Although everyone wasn¡¯t indifferent before, they were just ordinary colleagues who work together politely, have meetings to discuss problems, chat when there is nothing to do, exchange technical problems, and greet each other on and off work¡­ Before, very few people took the initiative to ask him to have lunch together. Occasionally, when everyone is very busy or when several groups are ¡°rushing to meet deadlines¡± there will be no response to questions or after submitting documents, and so on. But today was different. There were three waves of people who asked him if he wanted to eat with them at noon. Fortunately, he booked a table for five with his team in advance, so he justifiably turned down these invitations. After returning from the lunch break, even a department leader came by to celebrate his return to work and invited everyone to a team building dinner. Xu Xinghe refused inwardly, but he wasn¡¯t someone who didn¡¯t understand the world at all. He couldn¡¯t refuse the leader so straightforwardly in front of so many people, so he deliberately showed a bit of embarrassment: ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry Director Feng, I have an appointment tonight.¡± Seeing this, Director Feng suddenly realized: ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think about it carefully, it was me who didn¡¯t think carefully, Xiao Xu is newly married after all¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°? Director Feng is joking.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make an appointment another day, or choose a tie at noon, and we canl go out to eat nearby.¡± After Director Feng left, Ryan and Ajia immediately surrounded him. ¡°An appointment? What appointment? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Dine? Watch a movie? Or something else??¡± Xu Xinghe was sending emails on his terminal, and didn¡¯t bat an eye at his team¡¯s words. ¡°Although it¡¯s lunch break now, if you have nothing to do, you can deal with the remaining work emails.¡± Ajia said: ¡°No! The meaning of lunch break is to gossip! And team leader, I heard that Marshal Ling personally came to send you to work this morning?!¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head with a question mark on his face: ¡°Huh??¡± This morning¡¯s events became so outrageous? ¡°It¡¯s nothing, the guard sent me here.¡± Xu Xinghe locked the screen. ¡°There is no appointment, I don¡¯t know if he will come back tonight.¡± He glanced back at his watch. ¡°But seeing he hasn¡¯t sent anything, he should be back tonight.¡± Ajia: ¡°Wow, Marshal Ling reports his itinerary to you?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He pushed Ajia¡¯s big head away. ¡°It¡¯s time for work, go back to work.¡± As Xu Xinghe expected, as soon as he stepped into the gate of the mansion after work, he saw Marshal Ling, who he hadn¡¯t seen for two days. Ling Changfeng had just returned to the mansion, still wearing a neat military uniform. The whole person stood in the same place like a cedar tree, which was quite chilling. But when he saw Xu Xinghe, the cold wind in his eyes turned into a gentle breeze. He asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Did you go to work today?¡± ¡°En.¡± Since today¡¯s work was surprisingly smooth, Team Leader Xu was in a surprisingly good mood today. And because he was in a good mood, there seemed to be little stars shining in his eyes. He even asked Ling Changfeng uncharacteristically, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll cook tonight.¡± While speaking, a small dimple appeared on his smiling face inadvertently. It really tickled the heart. Ling Changfeng looked at him carefully. At this moment, he finally seemed to understand what ¡°radiant¡± looks like. Bright, shining. And of course he made some associations. ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow morning.¡± Marshal Ling suddenly said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to work?¡± XXH¡¯s internal scream: No, please don¡¯t take me to work!!! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 21 Xu Xinghe was stunned. He originally planned to discuss this matter with Ling Changfeng at dinner, with the goal that he would go to work himself in the future. As a result, he wanted to send him in person?? Xu Xinghe stammered and asked, ¡°Why, why?¡± After a while, he said, ¡°You already work so hard, no need to send me. It¡¯s just wasting time!¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flashed a trace of imperceptible light. ¡°It¡¯s not hard work, I¡¯ll go straight to the military after sending you off. It¡¯s on the way.¡± Xu Xinghe became even more desperate when he heard it was on the way. Do they have to go to work together in the future then? While struggling, he heard Ling Changfeng add: ¡°It¡¯s faster to go to work in my car; you can sleep a little more in the morning.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Damn, he¡¯s moved! In the end, he decided to succumb to the temptation of an extra half hour of sleep in the morning. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll trouble you to give me a ride.¡± The rumors have already become like this, so it probably won¡¯t make any difference whether he sends him or not. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go upstairs to wash my hands and change my clothes first.¡± Xu Xinghe said as he walked towards the second floor. Halfway there, he turned back and stuck his head out of the stairway: ¡°So, what do you want to eat tonight? ¡° Ling Changfeng raised his eyes, looked all the way up, and finally settled on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face. The young man¡¯s eyes were bright as he looked at him from a distance. The smile pulled out the small dimple on his left cheek, making him want to poke it. So cute. He thought contentedly. And he is now my spouse. Ling Changfeng looked back and replied, ¡°You can make whatever you want.¡± He wasn¡¯t originally interested in eating, but he suddenly began looking forward to dinner tonight. And every dinner with him from now on. The next morning. Xu Xinghe and Ling Changfeng went out together. In the car, Xu Xinghe made a strong suggestion: ¡°First thing¡¯s first, you can send me to the Ark, but don¡¯t get out of the car!¡± After thinking about it again, it¡¯s better for Ling Changfeng not to show up. After all, so many people come to the Ark every morning. He doesn¡¯t want to be surrounded by people again. Ling Changfeng nodded. From a safety point of view, he really wanted to avoid casually appearing in public without fully armed guards. However, he still said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Ark¡¯s defenses are top-notch in interstellar space, and is relatively safe.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He felt that Ling Changfeng misunderstood something. But after all, the two reached an agreement on ¡°not getting out of the car¡±, so he did not explain more. When the AA00001 military vehicle appeared in the Ark parking lot again, the reaction was no longer as intense as it was yesterday. No one stopped to watch, but many cast curious, inquisitive, envious, envious, or amazed eyes over. ¡°Look! The marshal¡¯s men sent Xu Xinghe to work again today.¡± ¡°Will they come every day from now on?¡± ¡°He and Marshal Ling should have a very good relationship.¡± However, attentive people found that this time, the guards did not come out to help Xu Xinghe open the door. Instead, Xu Xinghe carefully opened the car door by himself, got out of the car sideways, and closed the door furtively¡­ as if there was a hidden little wife in the car. After Xu Xinghe got out of the car, he glanced at the people around him out of the corner of his eyes. Seeing that everyone was only peeking at him and should not have noticed Ling Changfeng, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Disregarding the incoming gazes, he straightened his clothes, and walked towards the office building without looking back. After taking two steps, he suddenly saw the faces of the people around him change. The varying complex gazes uniformly transformed into shock. The whispering stopped, and the huge parking lot was suddenly so silent that a needle dropping could be heard. Only the sound of someone gasping for air could be vaguely heard. Just when he was wondering what was going on, a voice came from behind him ¨C ¡°Xinghe.¡± Xu Xinghe froze. He turned around abruptly, and saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s highly recognizable face, because of his mismatched eyes, from behind the lowered car window. ¡°What time do you get off work tonight? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± F*ck! Didn¡¯t you say you won¡¯t get out of the car? Xu Xinghe was about to explode when he suddenly thought that Ling Changfeng did not get out of the car¡­ Taking a deep breath, the corners of his mouth twitched as he said, ¡°No, I¡¯m working overtime tonight. You should go to work too, bye!¡± After saying this, Team Leader Xu Xinghe seemed to run away. He trotted all the way into the office building, and only after arriving did he realize Ling Changfeng just called him ¡°Xinghe¡±? ¡ª¡ª After Ling Changfeng finished sending Xu Xinghe, the vehicle turned around and flew to the Military and Political Building in the center of Nebula City. The flying car landed from the top floor, and Marshal Ling took his exclusive elevator to the 88th floor. ¡°Morning, sir.¡± Qin Yuan had already arrived at his post. When he saw Ling Changfeng, he asked casually, ¡°Did anything good happen this morning?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at Qin Yuan. After a series of events, he had to admit that this guy has some skills and experience in understanding omegas and how to get along with them. ¡°When he went back last night, he was very happy.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°Why is he happy if I send him to and from work?¡± Qin Yuan raised his eyebrows at the words ¨C oh, he¡¯s starting to get enlightened. Now he wants to know more than how, but why. Qin Yuan thought for a while. ¡°To be honest, based on what I know about Xu Xinghe, he shouldn¡¯t be happy because you picked him up; at least it¡¯s not the direct reason. The reason I suggested you send him to and from work is the same as suggesting that you date and chat more. Firstly, this will help your relationship warm up, and secondly, you must let him and the people around him feel that he is valued. If he becomes happier than usual It means that our plan has been implemented well, and the direction is generally correct.¡± Qin Yuan looked at Ling Changfeng¡¯s thoughtful expression and asked, ¡°Why do you think he is happy?¡± Ling Changfeng thought for a moment, and finally shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But he looks good when he smiles¡­ and smells good.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°???¡± Ling Changfeng raised the pair of eyes and said seriously: ¡°I want him to keep smiling like this.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± After that, he felt that his boss was really hooked. ¡°You can smell his pheromone?¡± Mr. Adjutant finally noticed a point and said in disbelief: ¡°During the earlier investigation, everyone around him reported that his pheromone had no smell.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Ling Changfeng let out a very soft, nasal sound that seemed disdainful and proud¡ª ¡°He is very fragrant.¡± ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe felt that he was a moving target all morning, and was attacked with stares everywhere he went. Colleagues who knew him came over enthusiastically to ask if he needed any help. Colleagues he didn¡¯t know tried looping him into conversations when he passed by, and watched him secretly. When he went to the deputy department leader¡¯s office to drop off a document, he actually stood up and greeted him! It made him feel uncomfortable. Today, he also pushed off a bunch of lunch invitations, and secretly decided that he would bring his own meals from now on, so no one would come send invitations every day. ¡°Team Leader!!!¡± After lunch, Ajia suddenly rushed in excitedly. ¡°Do you know what I heard in the pantry just now? It¡¯s about you!¡± Taking a sip of coffee, Xu Xinghe stared at the screen, and said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t they all say he dropped me off yesterday? What? Are there more outrageous rumors today?¡± ¡°They said you were pregnant!¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe spit out all his coffee. What?!! What freaking pregnancy?! ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, don¡¯t get excited!¡± Ajia asked with big eyes while taking a napkin to help clean the table, ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Real my ass!¡± Xu Xinghe put down the put with a loud clunk. ¡°Aren¡¯t I coming to work each day? What are you thinking about every day with your big head.¡± Due to the low fertility rate, the Alliance¡¯s policy for omegas and newborns during pregnancy is quite strict. Omegas¡¯ benefits during pregnancy are very good, with up to one year paid leave. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ajia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a beta, and I¡¯m not as aware about the rules¡­¡± ¡°Team Leader!!!¡± Just as he was talking, Ryan rushed in. ¡°What?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head irritably and gritted his teeth. ¡°If you dare to say that I am pregnant, you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Pregnant?!¡± Ryan¡¯s small eyes widened instantly, ¡°My god, team leader, you¡¯re pregnant??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, and then said in Ryan¡¯s shocked eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Ryan shrank his neck, feeling the team leader¡¯s tone was a bit scary: ¡°I heard that Marshal Ling sent you to work in person this morning¡­Is it true?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was silent for a while and said: ¡°Your news is really lagging behind.¡± Ryan: ¡°???¡± In the next few days, Xu Xinghe gradually got used to the fact that Ling Changfeng would drop him off work when he was free in the morning. The passion for returning to work and the smooth sailing at work also kept him in a good mood for several days. Until this morning- ¡°The state banquet is tomorrow.¡± Ling Changfeng said suddenly while eating breakfast. The fork and knife in Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands froze as he recalled the dance that he had practiced so badly: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I asked Qin Yuan to tell your leaders. You can leave work early tomorrow night, and I will send someone to send you to the venue directly.¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback: ¡°Which of our leaders did you greet?¡± He had an ominous premonition in his heart. Sure enough, Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°The person in charge of the Ark.¡± ¡°The person in charge?¡± Xu Xinghe continued to struggle. Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and looked at him: ¡°Who else is in charge of the Ark?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± God knows he has been working at Ark for a year, and he only saw their Ark¡¯s chief executive speak on stage from a distance on the day of his onboarding. The other party shouldn¡¯t know him at all, but Ling Changfeng actually asked him for leave! This is like when one can¡¯t go to school one day. The normal process should be to ask the head teacher for leave, instead of calling the principal¡¯s office and asking the principal to talk to the head teacher! Xu Xinghe numbly forked a piece of shrimp and put it in his mouth, thinking, forget it, the jar¡¯s broken and that¡¯s it. Instead of worrying about this, it¡¯s better to worry about tomorrow¡¯s state banquet¡­ Ling Changfeng wouldn¡¯t really invite him to dance on stage, would he? If I had to create a snapshot of this chapter, it¡¯d be LCF trying to stick to XXH, who¡¯s trying to run away. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 22 Xu Xinghe woke up feeling uncomfortable. He¡¯s not that uncomfortable, but it feels like he¡¯s in a daze, and there is an inexplicable sense of heart palpitations and dizziness. But his temperature is normal and there is no pain. He didn¡¯t care too much. Attributing the discomfort to not having a good rest last night, he went to work as usual after having breakfast. Today is Gamma Galaxy¡¯s Union Day, and the annual state banquet will be held at the Prosperity Palace at 6:30 p.m. In the early morning, all media outlets began reporting the event, introducing important attendees. Among them, news of Marshal Ling¡¯s participation spread like wildfire, and suddenly became the focus of public opinion. Ark¡¯s lounge became lively again. ¡°Have you heard? Marshal Ling is sure to attend tonight¡¯s state banquet!¡± ¡°Then will Xu Xinghe go with him? It didn¡¯t say on the news.¡± ¡°Not necessarily, I met him in the parking lot today. The expression on his face is not very good ¨C if he¡¯s going to the state banquet, why is he still coming to work today?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯ll go. Don¡¯t they have a good relationship? There¡¯s no reason for them not to attend this important occasion together.¡± ¡°Because this is an important occasion and Xu Xinghe¡¯s marriage to Marshal Ling is after his divorce, understand? Besides, General Mu will also be there. Isn¡¯t it embarrassing if they meet?¡± ¡°There are hundreds of people, the venue is so big, they may not be able to meet even if they go. How can there be so many things? And if they do meet, it¡¯s not for sure who¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, isn¡¯t General Mu engaged to his little lover? Will he bring his fianc¨¦ to the state banquet?¡± ¡°Who knows, let¡¯s wait to watch the live broadcast.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s expression was really uneasy. His spine is sore and numb, and his limbs were very weak. He didn¡¯t have energy and didn¡¯t eat much for lunch. But when he took his temperature and had a quick checkup at the Ark¡¯s infirmary during the lunch break, there were no problems found. ¡°Team leader, are you alright?¡± Ethan paused slightly when he passed by, and pushed up his glasses. ¡°Are you feeling okay? Why don¡¯t you go back and rest for a while. There¡¯s not much work anyway. Just leave it to me, Xiao Zhou, and the others.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xu Xinghe rubbed his temples and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the infirmary, and the doctor said it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± At half past three, Team Leader Xu replied to the last work email. Seeing that the time was almost up, he turned off his terminal and prepared to leave. Just as he got up and put on his coat, he heard a commotion outside the door. As soon as he looked up, the chief secretary appeared at the door and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Please come with me.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng only said that he would send someone to pick him up, but he didn¡¯t tell himself who it was! Under the everyone¡¯s thoughtful gazes, Evelyn swiped the card and led him to the VIP elevator, taking it straight up to the top floor of the building. There is a dedicated parking lot, which is specially prepared to welcome VIPs. ¡°Please wait a moment, the person who will pick you up will be here soon.¡± Evelyn said to Xu Xinghe gently. Sure enough, after waiting for less than two minutes, a familiar black military vehicle appeared in their field of vision. A tall man with red hair stepped down from the passenger seat. Xu Xinghe was startled. He didn¡¯t expect Ling Changfeng to send Colonel Lewis to pick him up. He was always by Ling Changfeng¡¯s side. Colonel Lewis nodded at him and said, ¡°Mr. Xu good afternoon, please get in the car first.¡± Then he opened the back seat door for him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head and was about to get in the car, but when the door opened, he saw Ling Changfeng wearing a solemn and gorgeous military dress, sitting upright in his seat. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Since getting married, this is the second time he has seen Ling Changfeng dressed so formally. The first time seemed to be on the wedding night. At that time, he didn¡¯t actually look carefully at what Ling Changfeng wore. He only remembered the rows of dazzling medals on his chest. Just like now. Ling Changfeng was startled when he saw Xu Xinghe. There was a sweet pheromone unique to his little spouse. But it didn¡¯t seem to be the same as usual, and he couldn¡¯t say what the difference was. ¡°Come up.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°Qin Yuan has arranged a place, I will accompany you to change your outfit first.¡± ¡ª¡ª At five o¡¯clock in the evening, the door of the Prosperity Palace opened. A 100-meter red carpet spread all the way from the drop-off point to the banquet hall. Dozens of media outside the door already set up cameras, rushing to report this annual event. The guests invited to the state banquet began to enter the venue one after another. Powerful politicians, illustrious generals, well-known scientists, wealthy chaebols¡­ Elites from all walks of life gathered here to participate in the feast. 5:00 to 6:00 is the admission time. The media waited for wave after wave of VIP guests. Seeing that it was 5:50, and most of the invited guests had already entered the venue, everyone finally realized a problem¡ª What about Marshal Ling?? The last time Ling Changfeng attended the state banquet was more than ten years ago. Therefore, as soon as the news came out, the media and masses were eagerly looking forward to it. But the entrance ceremony was about to end, and Ling Changfeng was still nowhere to be seen. The media stationed outside the door looked at each other and began to discuss in low voices¡­ Finally, 5:57 in the evening. Just when everyone was about to see through the autumn waters, a pure black vehicle with the AA00001 plate pulled up. As soon as Ling Changfeng¡¯s car arrived, the scene immediately boiled. Countless media aimed their cameras at the car door for the first time, for fear of missing any frame of Ling Changfeng. The door opened, and Marshal Ling came out in uniform. But after getting off the car, Ling Changfeng did not walk towards the banquet hall, but went around to the other side of the car. Under the attention of everyone, he opened the car door in person, bent down gently, and offered his hand. The person in the car hesitated for a while, but finally took the hand and got out of the car. There was a moment of silence in the noisy scene. Even the click of the camera stopped for a moment. Xu Xinghe was wearing a well-cut black suit, which made his wide shoulders, thin waist, narrow hips, and long legs more stylish. And more delicate than his dress is his appearance. Xu Xinghe¡¯s facial features were originally handsome and upright, with a small face and a high nose bridge, and a pair of smart deer eyes. Appearing in front of the crowd in a suit and leather shoes, he looked dignified and extraordinary. Xu Xinghe was actually a little speechless. At first, he naively thought that it was a simple change of clothes. As a result, when he got out of the car he found that he was greeted by a whole styling team. Although Xu Xinghe only made one request from the beginning to the end¡ªeverything should be kept simple, the entire makeup and hair styling process lasted for more than an hour. In the meantime, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t rush it. He just sat quietly reading documents, and waited until Xu Xinghe was done before leaving. The moment when the styling was finished and he saw himself in the mirror, Xu Xinghe had to admit that the words ¡°clothes make the man¡± made sense. Xu Xinghe considered himself thick-skinned, but he was a little uncomfortable facing so many cameras for the first time. He tugged at Ling Changfeng¡¯s cuff and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Ling Changfeng paused, glancing at the hand hooked on his forearm, and his adam¡¯s apple rolled. ¡°Okay.¡± After a few seconds, the media finally woke up and resumed work. For a time, lights flashed wildly, illuminating the scene as if it were daytime. Xu Xinghe pulled Ling Changfeng and walked straight towards the banquet hall. Of course, in his own opinion, it is ¡°pulling¡±, but in the eyes of the media, the entire picture is of the marshal¡¯s wife ¡°pulling¡± Marshal Ling harmoniously! Use it on the front page of the news tomorrow! The banquet hall was brightly lit and full of people. Marshal Ling¡¯s seat was in the front row, so he had to walk for a while after entering the hall. Along the way, people kept coming up to say hello, but Ling Changfeng just nodded lightly in return, and never stopped. Xu Xinghe had already put down his hand and walked quietly beside him. Suddenly he heard Ling Changfeng ask: ¡°Are you feeling uncomfortable today?¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He was not feeling well at first, but since seeing Ling Changfeng in the afternoon, the situation seems to be much better now. It wasn¡¯t unbearable. ¡°Tell me if there¡¯s anything.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, we can go back early.¡± At half past six in the evening, the state banquet started on time. After the speaker made a speech, it was finally time for the meal that Xu Xinghe was looking forward to. God knows that one of the reasons why he is willing to come to the state banquet is that as a half-ass chef, he wants to experience the highest standard banquet in the Gamma Galaxy. And the food of the state banquet did not disappoint him ¨C Shark fin soup, asparagus and abalone, dry-aged rib-eye steak, black truffle wild mushroom soup¡­ From the ingredients to the cooking, Chef Xu admitted he was humbled. The result was¡­ Xu Xinghe ate too much. He poked Ling Changfeng next to him with his elbow, and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bathroom.¡± Ling Changfeng slowly cut the steak with his hands. He didn¡¯t know why, but today¡¯s Xu Xinghe made him have a special feeling- He didn¡¯t want to let him out of his sight. But no matter what, he can¡¯t follow him everywhere. Ling Changfeng put down his knife and fork and said, ¡°Okay, come back soon.¡± Xu Xinghe was not in a hurry to go back so soon. But what made him confused was that just after he left Ling Changfeng for a while, the uncomfortable feeling came back. Soreness, dizziness, and a little feverish¡­ But when Xu Xinghe took his temperature, it was 36.8¡ãC, and there was still nothing abnormal. In the bathroom, Xu Xinghe dazedly washed his face with cold water, ignoring the light makeup on his face. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work, the dizziness was still there. So Xu Xinghe decided to go back to find Ling Changfeng. He instinctively felt that it was safer to be around him. As soon as he walked out of the bathroom door, Xu Xinghe was stunned. Mu Qingyun, who was also in a military uniform, stood at the door watching him with a pair of pure black eyes¡­ Mu Qingyun had just come to the bathroom. But when he was about to leave, he smelled a faint scent at the door. Although it was very faint, the aroma seemed to entangle his brain at once, causing him to stop involuntarily. He always thought that Miles was the existence that best matched his pheromone. He likes his pheromones. The smell made him feel relaxed and happy¡­ But the mastermind gave him a Xu Xinghe, a Xu Xinghe whose pheromone had no smell. He couldn¡¯t understand and couldn¡¯t agree with the mastermind, so he decided to file for divorce a year later. Until this moment, he saw Xu Xinghe walking out from behind the door. A faint omega pheromone emanated from him. Very faint, but enough to be obsessed¡­ And maddening. When Xu Xinghe saw Mu Qingyun, he smeared oil on his feet and turned around and left. After walking for two steps, his body suddenly froze. ¡°Mu Qingyun, what are you doing?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head in disbelief. ¡ª¡ªMu Qingyun released his own alpha pheromone. Xu Xinghe has always been less sensitive to alpha¡¯s pheromones. Mu Qingyun is one of the few alphas that he can perceive, but this perception does not make him feel comfortable. For example, at this moment, under Mu Qingyun¡¯s pheromone attack, his dizziness increased. Dizzy, just want to get out of here. And Mu Qingyun¡¯s black eyes stared straight at him, which made him a little scared. Xu Xinghe clenched his right hand into a fist, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Go away with your unpleasant pheromones! Don¡¯t go crazy in front of me¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Mu Qingyun walking towards him. ¡°Stop for me!¡± Xu Xinghe subconsciously took two steps back¡­ Bumping into a broad chest. A deep and gentle aura like the sea surrounded him. The dizziness slowly receded, as if a hot spring was flowing through the limbs. He could feel the tolerance, warmth, acceptance of the sea¡­ and the turbulent anger under the calmness. As soon as Xu Xinghe turned his head, Ling Changfeng stood behind him and put one hand on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here.¡± After that, he looked up like Mu Qingyun. In an instant, a sense of fear that made Mu Qingyun¡¯s hair stand up and his scalp tingle went straight to his brain. As if a tsunami slammed onto the shore in the darkness. And he was so small, so weak in front of this black tsunami that was hundreds of meters high¡­ in the blink of an eye, he was about to be engulfed by the tsunami. Although they belong to different camps, Mu Qingyun has seen Ling Changfeng many times. In his impression, the Marshal is always calm and composed. It is like a dead sea, without waves. It has never been like this moment, mountain torrents, tsunamis, and thousands of miles of ice- As if someone coveted the most precious treasure. LCF: XXH is mine! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 23 Mu Qingyun never doubted that he was a top alpha. He has strong family genes, and is a young general who has a bright future¡­ His high self-esteem and pride are innate, and reasonable. Putting aside the status gap because of social status, as a top alpha, he has never been afraid of anyone. Until this moment ¨C Ling Changfeng stood there, unscrupulously releasing his pheromones. The powerful pressure made him breathless. Cold sweat slid down his side face, and he froze in place, unable to move. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone could do this with pheromones alone. It caused him to instinctively fear, and his soul shuddered. As soon as Ling Changfeng¡¯s pheromone came out, a majestic aura spread within 100 meters. Too powerful and too aggressive. Almost half of the banquet hall¡¯s alphas were affected to varying degrees. ¡°Changfeng? What happened? Stop!¡± An exclamation came from not far away. Xu Xinghe turned his head and saw that it was a man of the same age as Ling Changfeng, wearing a blue military uniform. His epaulets, chest insignia and rank badge roughly indicate who he is- a vice admiral. Ling Changfeng glanced at the person who came, patted Xu Xinghe on the shoulder lightly, and then walked towards Mu Qingyun. As soon as the pheromone pressure was withdrawn, Mu Qingyun immediately fell down without any strength. Breathing heavily, his body still shaking slightly. A pair of shiny military boots appeared in front of him. Mu Qingyun raised his cold sweaty black eyes and looked up at the man with a pair of mismatched pupils. ¡°Releasing pheromones at my people, what are you trying to do?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at Mu Qingyun condescendingly. ¡°You obviously don¡¯t have the discipline, endurance, and self-control that soldiers need.¡± Mu Qingyun¡¯s pupils shrank. ¡°I will tell Marshal Ouyang that Capital Star is not suitable for you. You can take advantage of the next few days to think about where you want to go among the remaining eleven planets in the galaxy.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips parted lightly, said coldly: ¡°Now, get out.¡± Mu Qingyun stood up tremblingly and stumbled away. Ling Changfeng then turned around to his old classmate. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°What do you think? Your pheromones almost overflowed from the banquet hall!¡± General Walker Waite admonished as he walked over. ¡°How are you going to explain it?¡± ¡°No need to explain.¡± Ling Changfeng lightly brushed the corner of his clothes and walked back to Xu Xinghe. In the blink of an eye, the turbulent waves seemed to turn into a babbling stream again. ¡°Go back, the dance is about to start.¡± General Weite also knew his temperament, and could only sigh helplessly. ¡°Forget it, remember to say hello for me to Lao Qin later.¡± After speaking, he turned his eyes to Xu Xinghe. Looking at the other party¡¯s smooth and delicate skin and youthful face, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. What a young omega¡­ Ling Changfeng is quite lucky. ¡°Tsk, thanks to the class reunion that day. We were still worried about your life-long affairs.¡± Waite smiled at Ling Changfeng, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the mastermind to treat you so kindly ¨C this is almost like old cows eating young grass.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He hurriedly raised his hands and surrendered. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m not going to say anything else. Big brother, please don¡¯t, otherwise that guy Qin Yuan will call and scold me later.¡± General Waite said, and walked over to Xu Xinghe and greeted him. ¡°Introduce myself, I¡¯m Walker Waite. Changfeng¡¯s classmate from First Military Academy.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Xu Xinghe recovered from what had just happened, and stretched out his hand ignorantly to shake hands. ¡°Nice to meet you¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, a big hand suddenly stretched out from behind and shook the other party¡¯s hand. Waite: ¡°¡­¡± No need, really no need.1as in there¡¯s no need for LCF to shake his hand He felt that something was wrong with Ling Changfeng tonight. In fact, not only General Waite, but even Marshal Ling himself felt that something was wrong with himself tonight. He suddenly became unable to tolerate other alphas having physical contact with Xu Xinghe. Not even a single touch. Even if this person is a comrade-in-arms and classmate who he¡¯s known for many years. Ling Changfeng slowly inhaled, and then slowly exhaled, trying to relieve the inexplicable restlessness in his heart. Then calmly said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go back together.¡± Waite followed, and said to Ling Changfeng: ¡°Parrish and the rest will be in the V1 box on the second floor later.¡± Ling Changfeng refused. ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± When the few of them reserve a box, they usually chat and catch up, and also discuss things. Confidential topics are inevitably brought up, so in principle, they cannot bring their family members along. Waite said in amazement: ¡°Then why are you here today? Are you really here for dinner? Parrish just came back a few days ago, and we haven¡¯t seen him yet.¡± Ling Changfeng originally wanted to meet his old friend, But the problem is, right now, he doesn¡¯t want Xu Xinghe to leave his side for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s make an appointment in a few days. Say hello to them for me later.¡± After speaking, he glanced at Xu Xinghe beside him intentionally or unintentionally, and continued: ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today, so I might leave early.¡± When the two returned to their seats together, the banquet had come to an end, and desserts were being served. Xu Xinghe turned his head and asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°Why are you uncomfortable?¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just an excuse.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at the fennel lemon jelly in front of Ling Changfeng, and then looked at the chestnut rum meringue in front of him.¡± Why are our desserts different?¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°I don¡¯t like sweets.¡± ¡°This is sour, why don¡¯t you eat it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Then what do you like to eat?¡± Ling Changfeng gave him a thoughtful look, but did not answer. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This person is very picky. Thinking it was a waste, Chef Xu opened his mouth earnestly: ¡°It¡¯s too wasteful if you don¡¯t eat. This seems to be the specialty of a dessert master. I read it in an online book before, it uses lime jelly, served with fennel milk foam and black tapenade¡­¡± Chef Xu began to talk about topics of interest. Seeing him staring at his dessert cup, Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°Want to eat?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s not what he meant, but¡ª ¡°You can have a bite.¡± Ling Changfeng stretched out two slender fingers and pushed the small cup over. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Xu Xinghe was not polite, and stretched out his spoon in satisfaction¡­ When the distinguished guests of the state banquet saw this, their eyes popped open. They actually saw Xu Xinghe pick up the spoon and dive straight into Marshal Ling¡¯s bowl! And Marshal Ling wasn¡¯t angry, but also pushed it towards him! It¡¯s really too cute! After dinner, the next stage is the dance party. Under the gorgeous crystal chandeliers, in the center of the splendid stage, people with matching feelings danced to the melodious symphony, painting the most beautiful and hotly discussed image. ¡°Look at Speaker William and his wife. Dancing together every year, it¡¯s such a good feeling.¡± ¡°Who is that who danced with President Worcester?¡± ¡°It seems to be the chief consultant of Fit Technology Group.¡± ¡°You say, will Marshal Ling invite his partner to dance with him tonight?¡± The people around looked at each other, and fell into a collective silence. It took a few seconds before someone said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Marshal Ling dance yet, it¡¯s a little hard to imagine such a scene¡­¡± ¡°Marshal Ling has been single for so long, he shouldn¡¯t have danced with anyone, right?¡± ¡°I heard that Marshal Ling and his wife have a good relationship. We might see it in a while.¡± ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t it rumored before that that omega had a crush on General Mu and wanted to remarry him? How did he get along with Marshal Ling so quickly?¡± ¡°How does Mu Qingyun compare to Marshal Ling? Who would you choose?¡± ¡°I heard that Mu Qingyun came alone today, and he didn¡¯t bring his fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°As an unmarried person, this occasion is really not right.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why haven¡¯t you seen General Mu? It¡¯s not to avoid suspicion, right?¡± After Mu Qingyun cleaned up in the bathroom, the dance started, so he left the banquet hall quietly while everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the stage. There were dark clouds in his eyes. All kinds of dark emotions smashed into a ball, filling with more jealousy than hatred. After walking not far, I heard the crowd exclaiming from behind: ¡°Look! Marshal Ling invited that omega to dance!¡± ¡°Where, where? ¡­ what ¡®that omega¡¯, isn¡¯t that his spouse? I almost thought Marshal Ling had invited another omega.¡± Mu Qingyun stiffened. At a distance, he could see Ling Changfeng facing Xu Xinghe in the center of the stage, stretching out his hand under lights. He couldn¡¯t believe it. These two people still have the heart to dance? As if unaware of what was going to happen. If they don¡¯t want things to turn ugly, they should at least inject inhibitors now, otherwise¡­ Mu Qingyun¡¯s eyes flashed, turned around, and continued to walk out. Yes, no one realized what was about to happen. Neither Xu Xinghe nor Ling Changfeng had any experience in this area. And those with experience, they can¡¯t smell it. So no one reminded the people on stage how dangerous their current situation is. He was the only one who knew exactly what was going on. Mu Qingyun was a little smug as he thought about the current situation. That person said that he did not have the self-control as a soldier? He really wanted to stay and see what kind of self-control Ling Changfeng had, and how he resisted the first wave of thunder and tsunami in fifty years? Will it get out of control? Will he go crazy? Will¡­ he rip him apart? Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t stay. Mu Qingyun walked out of the gate of Prosperity Palace without looking back. He was afraid that he¡¯d lose control. Xu Xinghe was shocked. But under the watchful eyes, he still chose to take Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand. He followed him to the center of the stage. Then he gritted his teeth and said in a voice that only two people could hear: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Tell what in advance?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°If you want to dance, you should have told me sooner, so I can practice hard!¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him strangely. ¡°Then why do you think I invited a dance teacher for you?¡± After a while, he asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you want to dance?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his face away and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, my dancing¡­ very average?¡± Ling Changfeng finally understood what he cared about. Unable to stop the smile, he whispered, ¡°Then let me see how average it is.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and glared at him. It seems that there is a little shyness in the anger. A little cute. Ling Changfeng pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s all simple movements, just dance with my rhythm.¡± Then he calmly returned to his normal volume. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter how your dancing is, no one will dare say anything.¡± As soon as his voice fell, the music started. The people on the dance floor began to dance, and Xu Xinghe had to start moving with Ling Changfeng¡¯s rhythm. Then Ling Changfeng realized how modest the so-called ¡°average¡± was. Because Xu Xinghe had already stepped on his feet after only a few steps¡­ At that moment, Ling Changfeng suspected that his little spouse was deliberately taking revenge on him. He was silent for a while, then looked down at the little hedgehog in front of him who wanted to bury his head in his chest. ¡°You seem to have very coordinated limbs.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± I thank you. When he was nervous, he stepped on Marshal Ling again in front of the crowd. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± This is not the most terrible thing, the most terrible thing is that Xu Xinghe was nervous, and the dizziness that had finally disappeared came back. And this time, it came more violently. He felt that his feet were weak, his body was numb, and his breathing became quicker. ¡°Ling Changfeng.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly clenched his hand that was just on the opponent¡¯s palm, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I seem to have a fever again.¡± But Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t hear what he said. He put one hand on Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist and held his hand with the other. This dance posture made him very close to his glands. As soon as he lowered his head, he could see the white neck, and watched helplessly as a peach red quickly spread there. An incomparably strong, incomparably seductive, incomparable aroma exploded. The next moment, an electric current rushed straight to Ling Changfeng¡¯s brain. Some mysterious and primitive power began to rush and scream in the body. It made him want to possess, conquer, invade¡­ This was a feeling he had never felt in fifty years. The whole world has lost its color in this strange fragrance, leaving only the most primitive instinct. So Ling Changfeng stopped, followed his instinct, lowered his head ¨C Dropping a kiss on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck. This time, the crazy person became Xu Xinghe. An indescribable tingling sensation exploded from the glands, along his spine, all the way to his tailbone. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. In his more than 20 years of life, he had never been through such an unbearable moment. Like a flower that has been in bud for twenty years. After twenty years of careful cultivation and irrigation, it finally ushered in full bloom. The originally hidden aroma finally began to show recklessly¡­ This time, all the alphas present could smell it. The entire banquet hall immediately exploded! Cliffy~ Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 25 Ling Changfeng was having blood drawn in the testing room. Dr. Lu Sen who was accompanying him explained: ¡°The matching degree of alpha and omega pairs is dynamic. In a natural matching, it will also change with the age, health status, and whether they are in estrus. Right after a marking, the marking value will be at its highest.¡± After the last tube of blood was drawn, Ling Changfeng raised his hand and pulled down his sleeves. The necessary items have been done, and the sharp wounds on his palms have been treated. He put on his coat and got up to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll have some things to do, the rest will be on you.¡± Dr. Lu Sen looked down at the time. It was past ten o¡¯clock at night, but it wasn¡¯t too late. Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. He raised his head to observe Ling Changfeng¡¯s face. Once the abnormal red tide faded, the originally bronze skin was a little pale, and his lips were a little paler than usual. Other than that, there was no abnormality. He really is a hard worker, unfazed by tiredness or pain. Dr. Lu Sen sighed silently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you know when the results come out.¡± Ling Changfeng got up, walked to the door and stopped. ¡°We¡¯ve delayed your rest.¡± The corners of Lu Sen¡¯s mouth twitched as he smiled in reply. ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t I have to abide by medical ethics?¡± ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe slept soundly that night, and lay in bed until dawn the next day. When he opened my eyes, he felt as if someone had cleaned his ren and du meridians, and his whole body was refreshed. But when he recalled what happened last night, his entire being petrified. He vaguely remembered that he entered estrus at the dance. His brain was a mess, and he couldn¡¯t remember many things that happened after that. But he still remembered that in that closed environment, under the dim light of the car, he rolled and shivered like a dying fish, until that sea-like pheromone entered his glands- Ling Changfeng should have temporarily marked him. The attending nurse saw he was awake, and hurriedly called the doctor. The empty VIP ward suddenly became lively. After a careful inspection, Xu Xinghe¡¯s physical indicators were deemed stable and his estrus period had passed safely. After a while, Ling Changfeng also appeared. Xu Xinghe lowered his head and swirled the porridge in the bowl, unwilling to face him. Last night was too embarrassing! ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head to see the familiar scene of Ling Changfeng standing in front of the hospital bed. When he opened his mouth to reply, Xu Xinghe suddenly found that this person was pleasing to the eye. Seeing the nose and pair of eyes that hadn¡¯t changed, he seemed more attractive than usual. When he realized that he might be under the influence of pheromones, he secretly snorted and told himself to calm down, stay rational, and stop being ¡°controlled¡± by pheromones. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xu Xinghe coughed twice, trying to make his voice sound the same as usual. ¡°What about you? Were you affected?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ward fell silent for a while. This question asked by omega who had just passed estrus was quite provocative. It¡¯s like asking ¡°Did you respond?¡± or ¡°Can you do it?¡± Dean Lu Sen, who came with him, chuckled silently, thinking to himself, this grumpy alpha is going to grab his little omega and mark him again. Ling Changfeng was silent for a while, and said as usual, ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him and blinked: ¡°Are you tired?¡± Not long did Ling Changfeng seem more pleasing to the eye, he also seems to be able to detect his emotional state. Xu Xinghe hesitated for a moment, and then added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and rest for a while.¡± Lu Sen has suggested this to Ling Changfeng eight times, if not ten times, today. He guessed that Ling Changfeng would still answer like this ¨C ¡°not tired.¡± Midthought, he saw Ling Changfeng nod his head in a kind-hearted manner. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Sen: ¡°¡­¡± Hehe, this dog alpha. Although Ling Changfeng nodded, he did not leave immediately, but picked up his medical report and looked at it. Xu Xinghe waited for a while, and then tried to tactfully evict the guest. ¡°Do you want to stay here to rest?¡± Hearing his words, Ling Changfeng turned to Xu Xinghe unhurriedly, and asked: ¡°Is that okay?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Of course not! There is only one bed! Ling Changfeng put down the report in his hand and waved the others out. All of a sudden, he and Xu Xinghe were the only two left in the ward. Ling Changfeng said, ¡°You last night¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s nerves tightened again. ¡°Seemed very scared.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°Can I ask why?¡± His little spouse was afraid of being marked. This is not a normal reaction that an omega should have in heat. ¡°Oh?¡± Xu Xinghe resolutely denied: ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe picked up the apple in the fruit bowl and bit down. ¡°You remembered wrong.¡± Another stubborn refusal. Ling Changfeng did not expose him. Instead he thought with relief that it seemed that there was nothing wrong. The beautiful and fragile Xu Xinghe last night not only made him happy, but also made him fear he would break at any time. Lke holding a precious and fragile glass, loving it requires the utmost care. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t. You are very strong, and survived the estrus period alone.¡± Ling Changfeng said. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Although Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t intend to expose him, he still asked tentatively, ¡°Do you remember what happened last night?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and thought for a while. There were a few fragmented memories, but they were incomplete. Those that he could remember were humiliating, so he simply stopped thinking about them. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± That¡¯s fine. Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes. ¡°Then you have a good rest.¡± After he was about to leave, Qin Yuan walked in. It can be seen that Mr. Adjutant didn¡¯t sleep well last night. After staying up all night, he had dark circles under his eyes. ¡°You know that the more than 500 people who attended the state banquet were from all walks of life, and are all elites!¡± As soon as Qin Yuan came in, he started going off, resembling a violent lion more than Ling Changfeng when he was in the susceptible period. ¡°People from the military and political circles are fine, but people from other industries, and then the many media outside the palace¡­ I haven¡¯t stopped calling since last night! Even the frontier battlefield doesn¡¯t have so many trivial matters!¡± Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°How is the situation now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s under control for now.¡± Qin Yuan put the emphasis on the words ¡°for now¡±. ¡°But don¡¯t be too happy. Paper can¡¯t contain fire, this matter will be leaked sooner or later, and can¡¯t be suppressed. People¡¯s mouths are unreliable, and this matter will become entertainment gossip sooner or later.¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°I think¡­¡± ¡°I think you should both go and make up physiology class!¡± Qin Yuan suddenly interrupted his boss with a loud voice, and slapped the stack of documents in his arms on the table with a blank face. ¡°How can you not realize the problem? If you guys had used inhibitors a quarter of an hour earlier, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The other two people in the ward were speechless. It was the first time that Xu Xinghe saw Qin Yuan lose his temper, and he asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qin Yuan took a deep breath. Ling Changfeng turned his head to look at him. Major General Qin was unable to continue under the gaze of mismatched pupils. He sighed, lowered his volume, and said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s all right, you rest well.¡± Then he raised his head to meet Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze: ¡°You too.¡± Qin Yuan walked out of the ward, and followed Ling Changfeng all the way to the temporary conference room. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Yuan asked as soon as he entered the room. ¡°I remember you mentioned the scar on his gland before¡ª¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said the scar was there before his first marriage?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s unclear where it came from.¡± Ling Changfeng looked out the window and said slowly, ¡°Go find out.¡± Qin Yuan was a little surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­¡± ¡°I did say I want to wait for him to tell me. The premise is that the past has passed.¡± Ling Changfeng stood with his back to him, making people unable to see his expression. ¡°If it didn¡¯t affect him now, I wouldn¡¯t dig deeper. But if¡­¡± If it was because someone had hurt him¡­ Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes, hiding the violent emotions in his eyes. ¡°I understand, but it may take a while.¡± Qin Yuan said, glaring at him angrily. ¡°Thanks to you, the recent workload will be heavy, and there is a shortage of manpower.¡± Marshal Ling acknowledged his statement, and nodded. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Qin Yuan snorted softly. ¡°No, this is my job¡­ Go and rest.¡± In any case, this turmoil passed without danger. As for the temporary mark, Xu Xinghe quickly convinced himself that it was only temporary. It was a last resort. His estrus is like an indefinite time bomb. It¡¯s better to detonate it earlier. So he took a two-day break and returned to work at the Ark as usual. One morning in August, Xu Xinghe, who was sitting at the dining table eating breakfast, received a calendar reminder. He opened the group chat software, and the news of ¡°Capital University F4¡± flashed again. Cheryl: ¡°I say, isn¡¯t tomorrow Qi Zi¡¯s1nickname for Lin Qi birthday? Why is no one talking in the group?¡± Vincent: ¡°Where is the birthday star going to treat guests? @Lin Qi¡± Lin Qi: ¡°How are preparations for your father¡¯s birthday gifts going?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Ah, why am I being devastated by a paper the day before my birthday¡­ Can someone help me write the code?¡± Five minutes passed. Lin Qi: ¡°Where is everyone??? Are you still people?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°It¡¯s your fault for killing the sky.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m drunk today, and will worry about tomorrow tomorrow¡± Vincent: ¡°So?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Tomorrow night at six o¡¯clock, Yunwei Pavilion. If you don¡¯t get drunk, you can¡¯t go home!¡± ¡°Did something good happen?¡± The person sitting across from the dining table suddenly said. Before Xu Xinghe could put away his smile, he raised his head and said to Ling Changfeng, ¡°It¡¯s my friend¡¯s birthday, I won¡¯t come back to eat tomorrow night.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across the small dimple on his left cheek, nodded and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll have someone take you there tomorrow night.¡± ¡°No need, no need to send me. We don¡¯t know when it will end.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°Don¡¯t drink.¡± He reminded again, ¡°You have just been discharged from the hospital, pay more attention.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Xu Xinghe agreed obediently. Then he replied in the group, ¡°If you don¡¯t get drunk, you can¡¯t go home!¡± Hahahahaha. Of course, XXH ignored LCF¡¯s words like a bear child. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 26 ¡°Team Leader, can I ask a question?¡± During Ark¡¯s lunch break, Ajia moved a small stool and propped her cheeks beside Xu Xinghe¡¯s desk, contemplatively. ¡°No.¡± Xu Xinghe refused her righteously. Ajia wailed: ¡°Why? I haven¡¯t said what the question is!¡± Xu Xinghe replied without raising his head: ¡°Is there any difference? You won¡¯t ask work questions during the lunch break anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still Brother Xu who knows me well!¡± Ajia smiled, and moved the small bench forward again. ¡°It¡¯s really not a work problem ¨C what should I get for a first date?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head to look at her. ¡°Are you talking about a friend?¡± Ajia shyly covered her face with her hands, but her happy smile could still be seen. ¡°It¡¯s not that far yet, we¡¯re still getting to know each other!¡± ¡°Yo.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows, turned the swivel chair 180 degrees, and turned to face Ajia. ¡°Which boy is so lucky? Are they from our department? ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ We¡¯re going to movies together this weekend, what should I give?¡± Ajia looked at him eagerly. Xu Xinghe spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Why ask me this kind of question?¡± ¡°Who else can I ask? Ryan and the others are all bachelors! You¡¯re the only one with experience in love.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Black lines hung from Team Leader Xu¡¯s face. ¡°Where did my love experience come from?¡± Ajia didn¡¯t understand: ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe crossed his arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only ever been married, never in a relationship.¡± Ajia: ¡°¡­¡± It seemed to make sense. ¡°However, I can help you ask.¡± As she was the only solitary seedling in the group, Xu Xinghe kindly turned on his smartphone and clicked into the Capital University F4 group chat. Although they all graduated from the Department of Computer Science, unlike the bachelors in his team, the other three in the group have relatively rich experience in love, and currently only Lin Qi is single. However, the three did not engage in degree-related careers. It can only be said that it¡¯s true that programmers find it hard to find romantic partners. Xu Xinghe: ¡°What is the best gift to give each other on a first date?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°What day is today?¡± Vincent: ¡°Your birthday¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Don¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t bear the word date. Since we¡¯re going to meet tonight, isn¡¯t it a bit late to ask what gifts to give now?¡± Cheryl: ¡°What are you thinking, the gift is definitely not for you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Focus on answering my question, don¡¯t waste my precious lunch time :)¡± Cheryl: ¡°Marshal Ling is not short of anything, I suggest you send some handmade products, the key is to show your heart¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Thank you, it¡¯s not me. I asked for my colleague, she is 21 this year, female, beta¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What kind of gifts did you guys give when you were dating?¡± Cheryl: ¡°I just gave Joseph a bottle of men¡¯s perfume two days ago, but soldiers are not allowed to spray perfume. Is incense at home okay?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Again, I¡¯m not the one sending it :)¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I used code to draw a pink heart for her on our first date¡± Vincent: ¡°Then you broke up after a while¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­¡± Vincent: ¡°I sent her a red envelope of 5,2001520 is meme homonym for I love you coins¡± Lin Qi: ¡°So vulgar!¡± Xu Xinghe felt that he might have asked the wrong people. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and use a search engine.¡± He closed the group chat and said to Ajia, ¡°It¡¯s more reliable than asking me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ajia made an ¡°OK¡± gesture and turned to tap at her smartphone. ¡°But team leader, are you and Marshal Ling really not dating?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at her strangely. ¡°Where did such a terrible idea come from?¡± ¡°Because Marshal Ling often comes to pick you up.¡± ¡°You think too much, it¡¯s just going to work.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his chair back and looked at the light screen. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple matching marriage with eleven months left.¡± Ajia raised her head and blinked. ¡°Marshal Ling¡¯s office should be in the Double Star Building, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the Alliance Military Office.¡± ¡°Team Leader.¡± Ajia said weakly. ¡°If you have a little understanding of the geography of Nebula City, you¡¯ll know that the Double Star Building is in the east, and we¡¯re in the west¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°And team leader, didn¡¯t you realize that recently you¡ª¡± Ajia thought about it, and said, ¡°look like you¡¯re experiencing a new spring.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was furious, and reached out and knocked her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re the one with a new spring!¡± Ajia hugged her head and said, ¡°But you never used to look at your smartphone during work hours! Now you sometimes not only look at it, but also look silly when staring at the screen!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Lately, he does look at his private mailbox from time to time. But what does this have to do with spring heart rippling?! It seems that this temporary mark is really harmful. I don¡¯t know how long it will take to metabolize it, Xu Xinghe thought distractedly. ¡ª¡ª 6 p.m., Yunwei Pavilion. ¡°Qi Zi, how¡¯s your thesis going?¡± ¡°Can you stop talking about such an unfortunate topic on my birthday?¡± ¡°Fine¡­ I gave up the opportunity to watch a midnight movie with my girlfriend tonight to eat with you, isn¡¯t this heartfelt enough?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t brag! Your image as a guy who cares about sex more than friends has been deeply rooted in my heart, and will be difficult to change in the short term¡­ unless you help me change a few lines of code!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to change the subject?¡± When Xu Xinghe arrived, the other three were already chatting in the box. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Xu Xinghe threw a wrapped gift to Lin Qi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, I got off work a little late today.¡± Lin Qi grabbed the gift and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re late. Old rules, remember to punish yourself with three cups¡­ What¡¯s wrapped in here?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out once you go back and take it apart.¡± Xu Xinghe sat down. ¡°Where¡¯s the wine?¡± Lin Qi quickly waved his hand after hearing his words. ¡°No, I was joking. I¡¯m waiting to watch you drink later!¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you being so polite to your father? Didn¡¯t you say we can¡¯t go home without being drunk?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go back to the Marshal¡¯s mansion?¡± Lin Qi winked at him. ¡°Brother, do you know what you¡¯re like when drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He actually didn¡¯t know much. Because every time he¡¯s drunk, he¡¯s so drunk he doesn¡¯t remember what happens afterwards. He only knew from the descriptions of his friends that he¡¯s not too good after being drunk. Their descriptions are always hesitant and evasive. Therefore, Xu Xinghe still doesn¡¯t know what kind of ¡°bad drunk¡± he is. However, he knew that when he was slightly drunk, he would be in a more excited state. His mind would still be clear, but his tongue would become looser. So he guessed that it was the same when he was completely drunk, it was just drunken bravado¡­ Isn¡¯t that what everyone is like when they are drunk? So he graciously waved his hand: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I won¡¯t be going back tonight.¡± In the box, wine continued to flow, and cups were clinked. The four of them haven¡¯t gone drinking for a long time. Although they¡¯ve met for hotpot plenty since graduating, they dare to drink to the fullest. Taking advantage of Lin Qi¡¯s birthday, the four of them loosened their restrictions, opening chatting of the past from being unconvinced and secretly competing with each other when they just entered the school, and working together to create brilliance in the school¡¯s robot competition together. The more they chatted, the more they got excited, and the more they drank. Lin Qi, who claimed to keep going, was the first to get drunk. However, it is normal for him to be like this, matching the image of a drunk. ¡°F*ck graduate study! I don¡¯t want this degree anymore!¡± Lin Qi stood up in his chair yelling passionately. ¡°I won¡¯t write! Isn¡¯t it just that I can¡¯t graduate?? The capital losing a talent like me is their loss!¡± Both Cheryl and Vincent can drink, especially Cheryl. Xu Xinghe and the others have never seen her drunk. She reminded Vincent with experience: ¡°Help Lin Qi to deactivate his terminal first, so he won¡¯t send a message to his supervisor and have to send his will to the group the next day.¡± Vincent nodded. Pulling Lin Qi off the chair, he forced him back into the seat, and pressed the gadget on his wrist a few times, then raised his head and asked Cheryl, ¡°Should we send Xinghe back first? What if he¡¯s drunk too? We¡¯re both alphas¡­will be silenced by Marshal Ling.¡± As he spoke, he exchanged a ¡°you know¡± look with Cheryl. The two turned to look at Xu Xinghe together. At present, Xu Xinghe has not yet reached that level of drunkness, and is only slightly intoxicated. ¡°Who is drunk? I am not drunk! Bring the wine! Your father can fight another 300 rounds!¡± At ten o¡¯clock in the evening, the Marshal¡¯s mansion. The lights in the study were still on, but the air pressure inside was a little low. From nine o¡¯clock to now, Ling Changfeng has sent Xu Xinghe three messages, but he has not replied. His call also went unanswered. He Han asked, ¡°Would you like to send someone to pick him up?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at his watch: ¡°Wait.¡± Eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. Ling Changfeng finally couldn¡¯t sit still. A meal can¡¯t take this long. 80% chance they¡¯re still drinking. He remembered the night when he first met Xu Xinghe. The drunk young man showed his teeth and claws, and the unforgettable sweet fragrance of flowers under the moonlight¡­ At the thought of exposing his appearance to others, Marshal Ling couldn¡¯t hold back the irritability in his heart. At this moment, the servant reported that Xu Xinghe had returned. Ling Changfeng put on his coat and went downstairs. Before reaching the first floor, there was an intoxicating fragrance of flowers. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Not only is it very fragrant, but it also makes one¡¯s teeth itch with anger. Xu Xinghe stood at the door, looking blank, not like he was drunk. But¡­the smell of alcohol can be smelled from far away. Ling Changfeng frowned, he remembered that the smell of alcohol on Xu Xinghe¡¯s body smell wasn¡¯t that strong before, but he had already begun to make trouble. So why is he quiet with such a strong alcohol smell? Drunk XXH takes the stage! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 27 ¡°Did you drink?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was slightly low, and he walked down from the second floor with a low pressure. He looked at Xu Xinghe, who looked innocent and seemed to be ignorant of everything, and wanted to pull this little guy over and ask ¡ª do you know that your estrus just ended and your body has not fully recovered? Do you know what you look like now? Makes people want to bully¡­ Thinking of Xu Xinghe¡¯s promise not to drink alcohol before going out in the morning, Marshal Ling felt that he needed to exercise an alpha¡¯s privileges and educate his little spouse. However, as soon as the words fell, Xu Xinghe suddenly raised his eyes to look at him. ¡ª His eyes were sticky and wet, like a small animal that was drenched by heavy rain, and was restlessly seeking shelter. Any alpha who is given a few more glances by such eyes will probably seek the stars and the moon if asked. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He heard the strong beating of his heart. Plop ¨C plop ¨C Eyes involuntarily turned to the man¡¯s neck¡­ Tonight¡¯s pheromones are unusually sweet. Ling Changfeng stared for a few seconds, then suddenly forced himself to look away. Beckoning a servant to get the hangover medicine, he lowered his eyes and said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°Go to sleep after you take the medicine, and wait for the rest tomorrow¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he caught sight of Xu Xinghe stumbling towards him. Ling Changfeng was born with a sense of distance. The psychological safety distance of a normal person is about one meter, and his distance is about two to three meters. Once this distance is breached, intruders will be repulsed by instinct. But Xu Xinghe broke through this safe distance just now. Not only was he not rejected, but every step tested his concentration. Ling Changfeng stood there and didn¡¯t move. He watched him walk in front of him, and opened his arms- Hugging him amid the exclamations that the surrounding servants were trying to suppress. ¡°Smells so good.¡± Xu Xinghe showed a sweet smile. Then he said in a soft and glutinous voice: ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go to bed.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± There was a bang, as if it was the first thunder of spring, in his ear. At that moment, the blood in his whole body boiled. His surroundings were filled with the unique sweetness of this person¡¯s pheromone. The aroma wrapped around his lungs and filled his chest. Turning iron bones into a soft mess. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s throat rolled, his voice slightly hoarse. In the past, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t understand why he couldn¡¯t get a definite answer every time he asked him what state he was in after being drunk. His friends always had an indescribable expression on their faces, fumbling to fool past¡ª Because the drunk Xu Xinghe will become particularly clingy. Especially like an omega. First, he¡¯ll slowly stop talking nonsense and become quiet.. Then he becomes very sensitive to everything around him, very uneasy¡­ At this time, once he smells a familiar breath, he will jump on it desperately and grab it. Like now. The young man hugged the mass of pheromones that made him feel more comfortable, then stood on tiptoe and rubbed the man¡¯s neck with satisfaction. Ling Changfeng let out an inexplicable breath. The man¡¯s soft hair brushed against his skin, and the warm breath sprayed on the back of his neck. Itchy and numb. Ling Changfeng knew that Xu Xinghe was drunk and wanted to push him away. But before he could put his thoughts into action, he heard his own voice say, ¡°Okay.¡± The brain answered before reason. So Xu Xinghe happily hugged Ling Changfeng¡¯s arm and went upstairs. He dragged Ling Changfeng all the way to the front of the bed in the bedroom, as if he was hugging a big beloved toy, and was always reluctant to let go. ¡°Sleep, sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe took Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand and was about to lie down on the bed, but stopped just before going to bed. ¡°No.¡± Team Leader Xu, who loves cleanliness, said, ¡°I have to take a shower first.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He took a deep breath, and in the end, reason prevailed. ¡°Go wash, I¡¯ll go first.¡± He quickly withdrew his hand, preparing to leave this place of right and wrong quickly. But the person behind him grabbed the corner of his shirt. ¡°Accompany me.¡± As soon as Ling Changfeng turned around, Xu Xinghe looked at him with those little deer eyes, and tugged at the corner of his clothes. ¡°Accompany me.¡± It was terrible. It took Ling Changfeng a lot of effort to pull out half of the corner of his clothes from Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand, and lowered his head and said, ¡°No, I still have something to deal with. You wash up and go to bed early.¡± After speaking, he stretched out his hand and touched Xu Xinghe¡¯s fluffy head, ¡°Be good.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded in disappointment. Just as Ling Changfeng was about to leave, he heard Xu Xinghe say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll find someone else to accompany me.¡± Ling Changfeng walked back again. Looking at the other party, Marshal Ling asked, ¡°Can you go to bed now?¡± ¡°No, I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Then you can wash yourself.¡± ¡°No, I want someone to accompany me.¡± After communicating with him for a long time, Ling Changfeng finally discovered this guy is an unreasonable drunk. Soft is not good, he can only try hard.1as in XXH doesn¡¯t take to coaxing, and has to be dealt with using forceful methods But just as he pressed Xu Xinghe back to the bed, he met those watery eyes. Like he¡¯s going to cry. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Drunken fluff~ Y¡¯all will have to wait until next week for more. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 28 T/N: Thank you Sl?ket for sponsoring an extra release of SMM! End of the drunken revelry, and folks will finally learn XXH¡¯s reaction. Ling Changfeng never knew that Xu Xinghe could be so clingy. Need to hold when walking. Need to accompany when sitting. Ling Changfeng, who was pulled into the bathroom, turned his back against the glass door of the bathroom. ¡°Hurry up and wash up, and go to bed after washing.¡± His voice sounded calm, but it seemed to be holding back something. ¡°Come over.¡± Behind him, Xu Xinghe¡¯s soft, sticky voice sounded along with the sound of water from the shower. ¡°Come over more.¡± Fortunately, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t ask him to take off his clothes and take a shower. He just wants someone by his side, and can¡¯t let them leave for a moment. Ling Changfeng could feel the gaze behind him watching him cautiously and uneasily. Sensitive and agile, yet full of attachment. He doesn¡¯t like someone staring at him all the time. But it¡¯s different now. Those savage and evil natures engraved in his alpha¡¯s blood are ready to move. Let him be content with being tied down, needed, and demanded¡­ Ling Changfeng knew that it wasn¡¯t good, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything to Xu Xinghe when he was drunk. But his primal urges as an alpha were at work. The sound of water behind him was messy, and crashing into his heart like a hurricane, smashing the originally well-ordered courtyard into chaos. Ling Changfeng felt that he needed a cold shower. Fortunately, Xu Xinghe showered fast enough, and did not let him endure for too long. But when he walked out of the bath, Ling Changfeng realized that this guy was not wearing a bathrobe. He only tied a large bath towel around his waist, blocking the key parts. A large area of ??smooth and elastic back muscles and an unobstructed view of sensitive glands were exposed in front of him¡­ Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t bear it, and tore off the bathrobe hanging on the side, and wrapped his whole body. But he was very careful to avoid touching his skin, as if afraid of being burned. ¡°Sit down.¡± Ling Changfeng called a housekeeping robot to blow his hair. Xu Xinghe nodded and sat obediently in front of the mirror, but his dishonest hand grabbed Ling Changfeng¡¯s sleeve. He glanced at the hand, but didn¡¯t move, and let him hold on. When his hair was dry, Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice rarely revealed a kind of softness like coaxing a child: ¡°I¡¯ve accompanied you to wash, now go to sleep.¡± The drunk Xu Xinghe looked younger and immature than usual as he raised his flushed cheeks: ¡°Need someone to accompany me to sleep.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He carried Xu Xinghe onto the bed and covered him with a quilt. He sat on the side of the bed and looked at him: ¡°I will accompany you, you can sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe was not satisfied, and lifted a corner of his quilt to generously invite him in. ¡°You also come in.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very honest when I sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe said to him with wide eyes. ¡°Will it affect you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No, but he may be done on the spot. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t understand. He clearly wanted to refuse, and obviously had the strength to refuse, but Xu Xinghe somehow dragged him to bed in the end. He lay down on his back, leaning against Xu Xinghe, not looking at him. But the little guy, who doesn¡¯t know the heights of the sky, constantly rubbed against him. It was like there¡¯s a fire burning all over their body. Sweet and hot breath sprayed in his ear, and Ling Changfeng suddenly turned around to face Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe also faced him, his eyes were gentle and dignified. The atmosphere heated up instantly. The concentration that has been cultivated in fifty years seemed unable to resist such temptation¡­ Just when Ling Changfeng felt that he might have to do something, Xu Xinghe suddenly smiled sweetly and said happily: ¡°Xiaoqi, you¡¯ve grown up.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Even if Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t sober up after the shower, he never imagined he would get more drunk. Miss Xiaoqi, who suddenly heard her owner call her name in the cat litter, raised her head. ¡°Meow~?¡± ¡°¡­Sleep.¡± Ling Changfeng closed his eyes. His little spouse has already started talking in his sleep, and he really can¡¯t take advantage of others¡¯ danger at such a time. ¡°No, you are not Xiaoqi.¡± As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the person on the other side continue: ¡°Xiaoqi doesn¡¯t smell as good as you¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe wrinkled his nose and murmured: ¡°You are a sweet smelling big cat.¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t understand why Xu Xinghe had to compare him to a cat. Before that, he had only been described by people as ¡°lion¡±, ¡°eagle¡±, and other animals. Ling Changfeng: ¡°Sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Big cat.¡± Marshal Ling was speechless. They are now separated by a distance of two fists. How can he be confused with an animal? ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, talk to me¡­¡± Xu Xinghe wrapped himself in the quilt, revealing only a fluffy head. Ling Changfeng opened his eyes. The drunk Xu Xinghe blushed, looking dumb and cute. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°Why do you smell so good?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t answer this kind of question at all. But now, looking at Xu Xinghe, who was clearly drunk and unconscious with bright eyes, he could only slowly say, ¡°I also want to ask this question.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You are also very sweet.¡± Ling Changfeng said uncharacteristically. ¡°I have never smelled such a good smell on others.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Xu Xinghe stretched out a hand from under the quilt and sniffed carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t smell it, you can¡¯t smell it yourself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t smell myself either.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xu Xinghe retracted his hand again, ¡°We both smell good anyway.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng replied softly. After a while, he suddenly asked: ¡°Do others smell good too?¡± Xu Xinghe brain took a moment to register the question. ¡°What?¡± Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°Do others smell good to you too?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a moment seriously, then shook his head and said, ¡°Occasionally, I can meet people who smell good, but they don¡¯t smell like you.¡± Ling Changfeng was satisfied. He let out a slow sigh of relief. Every pore on his body seemed to reveal a sense of ease and joy. Although his tone was still low, his tone was unprecedentedly gentle as he looked at Xu Xinghe: ¡°En, sleep.¡± ¡°Is there anything else to talk about?¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t close his eyes, just blinked at him, not seeming sleepy at all. The drunk Xu Xinghe, without the thorns that protected him, was soft and defenseless. Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart suddenly moved. ¡°I have one more question to ask you ¡ª it doesn¡¯t matter if you answer or not, but don¡¯t lie, okay?¡± ¡°Well, you can ask.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, looking like he could talk. Ling Changfeng looked at him and said slowly, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want to be marked, do you?¡± Under the moonlight, Xu Xinghe¡¯s face turned pale. His body began to tremble slightly, and his breath became disordered. The flower pheromone that was concentrated and diffused seemed to be disturbed by a group of beasts, and scattered in the air. Ling Changfeng also panicked. He seemed to have accidentally broken his treasure, and he was a little overwhelmed. Recovering from the abrupt stiffness, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulders: ¡°I won¡¯t ask, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xu Xinghe buried his head in his chest and breathed in the other¡¯s pheromone. It seemed that only his smell could make him feel at ease. After a long while, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be marked by people I don¡¯t like.¡± Ling Changfeng looked down at him, forbearing again and again, but in the end he couldn¡¯t hold back: ¡°Then am I someone you don¡¯t like?¡± Xu Xinghe was quiet. He shrank in his arms and didn¡¯t answer. Ling Changfeng thought he was asleep. Until the dead of night, the hairy head slowly shook his head in his arms. At that moment, Ling Changfeng felt that his life was complete. But before he could rejoice, he heard Xu Xinghe add: ¡°But I don¡¯t like you very much.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe struggled out of his arms: ¡°You abandoned me on our wedding day, and also on the first date¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him hesitantly, and then suddenly asked: ¡°Who am I?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, looked at him carefully for a moment, tilted his head and said: ¡°Big cat.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± The stars and the moon are shining together, and the night is dark. This night, the army was in chaos, but it was also accompanied by warmth. The next day, Xu Xinghe woke up drowsily when the bright sun shone on the earth. The wind is warm and the sun is bright, and everything is quiet¡­ Bullshit! As soon as Xu Xinghe opened his eyes, he felt that he had been hit by 10,000 critical hits ¨C A deep and cold face magnified and appeared in front of him. The two people completely achieved zero distance and stuck closely together. What¡¯s even more speechless is that he was still holding Ling Changfeng¡¯s arm!!!! Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Can he move? He doesn¡¯t dare. He felt his head hurt in an instant, not knowing how to deal with the big speechless incident in front of him. Maybe he should let go. But as soon as he moves, someone like Ling Changfeng who was alert and had a light sleep would definitely wake up. At that time, the scene will only get more embarrassing¡­ But if he doesn¡¯t let go, holding on like this isn¡¯t a solution either. Team Leader Xu was in a dilemma, and seemed to have a headache as if he was facing concurrent errors of counterless mastermind systems. But soon, he didn¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Even though he froze on the spot, Ling Changfeng still felt the tiny movement, and slowly opened his eyes¡­ Their eyes met. Xu Xinghe, who was holding Ling Changfeng¡¯s arm: ¡°¡­morning.¡± Ling Changfeng, who was almost nose-to-nose: ¡°Morning.¡± Hehehe, XXH¡¯s awake. He¡¯s awake! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 29 Xu Xinghe had never experienced a more embarrassing moment than this since he could remember. The embarrassment of the problem is that it is not Ling Changfeng holding him, but him holding his arm. If it was the former, Team Leader Xu can openly withdraw his hand, and then righteously and loudly ask Ling Changfeng what he did when he was drunk last night. But the current situation is the latter. So what has he done?? Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t remember at all. Fortunately, Ling Changfeng withdrew his hand calmly, and then sat up as usual, as if nothing had happened. Good, that¡¯s it! It was just a dream, nothing happened! Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, but when he saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s movement, he turned back with a calm expression. That resolute and handsome face was getting closer and closer to him¡­ Then he leaned over and gently dropped a kiss on his forehead. ¡°Good morning.¡± Ling Changfeng said. Xu Xinghe was petrified. This time, he was sure that Ling Changfeng moved his hand first, no, he moved his mouth. So he¡¯s able to righteously and loudly question¡ª As if! Xu Xinghe¡¯s face turned red as an apple. His brain also shut down, the kind that was emitting green smoke. After a while, he raised his hand tremblingly, pointed at Ling Changfeng and asked, ¡°You, you¡­what are you doing?¡± Ling Changfeng stood up to tidy his clothes, and looked at him sideways: ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Xu Xinghe had a ghostly expression on his face. ¡°Remember what??¡± ¡°You said last night that you wanted a good morning kiss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s worldview collapsed. ¡°Impossible!¡± He decided to struggle again. However, the faltering and unspeakable expressions of his friends suddenly appeared in his mind¡­ Everything seemed to be explained. It was difficult for him to accept it, and he began to make up for it: ¡°I don¡¯t recall what happened when I¡¯m drunk.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened after drinking.¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡°Even if I really said it¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s arrogance weakened for a moment, and then immediately ignited back, ¡°Why do you believe the nonsense I say when I¡¯m drunk??¡± Ling Changfeng brushed his clothes, and his tone was light as he said a little casually: ¡°Don¡¯t all say ¡®alcohol makes one tell the truth¡¯?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He tried his best to calm down. ¡°People, once drunk, may do some irrational things and say some things that go against their heart.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, ¡°So you saying that my pheromone smells good, but others don¡¯t smell my good, is this also against your heart?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s too late. This isn¡¯t really a disrespect. In the past, he couldn¡¯t smell Ling Changfeng¡¯s pheromone. It may be because Ling Changfeng¡¯s self-control was too strong and controls his pheromones too tightly, or it might¡¯ve been because he is naturally less sensitive to alpha pheromones. But since he was temporarily marked, he could smell Ling Changfeng from time to time. Ling Changfeng¡¯s pheromone can¡¯t be described as just a scent. It just smells so good, extremely good, and is very, very appealing to him. ¡ªBut how can he say these words directly to the other party?! Xu Xinghe tried his best to straighten his back and said solemnly: ¡°I get irrational after drinking. You cannot equate the rational me with the irrational me. We should let go of the past and embrace the new future.¡± There was a flash of laughter in those dual-colored pupils. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, let¡¯s have breakfast.¡± They should let go of the past and go to meet the new future together. After Xu Xinghe got out of bed, he was still immersed in his painful experience of drinking and ¡°sex¡±, and drifted to the dining room like a wandering ghost¡­ Until he looked up and saw Ling Changfeng sitting at the other end of the long table, he finally regained his wits. Why did you follow me to breakfast? The atmosphere suddenly became awkward again. Team Leader Xu numbly began to put something in his mouth. Then he comforted himself and thought that even if he said humiliating words after being drunk, it should be fine. Everyone is in this state when they are drunk. It¡¯s just a matter of talking¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have made a move myself, right?? After remembering the terrifying scene of waking up this morning¡­ He fell into deep thought again. Damn! He may have made a move too. Xu Xinghe finished the breakfast like a storm, then quickly fled back to the bedroom and opened the F4 group chat. Xu Xinghe: ¡°@Everyone¡± Vincent: ¡°? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Are you sober? How are you feeling? Lin Qi doesn¡¯t seem to be awake yet¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What am I like when drunk?¡± Vincent : ¡°¡­¡± Cheryl: ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the two rows of ellipses on the screen, Xu Xinghe instantly became irritable: ¡°Come on! What is it?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to know, don¡¯t ask.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­F*ck!¡± He said with grief and anger, ¡°Are you guys human?? I got drunk and went crazy after drinking, but you still sent me back to the Marshal¡¯s mansion??¡± Isn¡¯t this a sheep entering a tiger¡¯s den! Vincent: ¡°Seeing you drunk like that, where else can you go if not to your husband? Isn¡¯t the Marshal¡¯s house your home?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Go away¡± Vincent: ¡°And you said last night, you want to go home to find Marshal Ling¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Really, I can testify¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore¡± What the hell is his drunken self? Xu Xinghe: ¡°You can¡¯t see the essence through the phenomenon??¡± Cheryl: ¡°What is the phenomenon, and what is the essence?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°The phenomenon is that I started talking nonsense after drinking, and the essence is that I was drunk and say things against my heart!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Let¡¯s break up, you don¡¯t know the real me at all.¡± Vincent: ¡°When you¡¯re awake, it seems easier to say things against your heart = =¡± Cheryl: ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you still prepare gifts for Marshal Ling two days ago? What¡¯s the matter now, did Marshal Ling go too far last night?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s over. Cheryl: ¡°Actually, your behavior after getting drunk is a little different this time.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What is the difference?¡± Cheryl: ¡°When you were drunk before, you would hug an acquaintance.¡± Vincent: ¡°Yes, We¡¯ve all been subjected to this vicious hand.¡± Cheryl: ¡°But you were very honest yesterday, and you said you wanted to go back. We were even lamenting that your personality changed after marriage.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! Why can¡¯t he have stayed like that! What¡¯s with coming back? Lin Qi: ¡°I¡¯m awake!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, what happened? Why did you suddenly start caring about your drunkenness?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He closed the chat software in distress, and lay down on the bed with his limbs spread out. He secretly decided never to drink again! Just then, there was a knock on the door. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart tensed. He didn¡¯t say anything directly, but glanced at the display screen¡­ It¡¯s indeed Ling Changfeng! The person at the door waited for a while, but when there was no response, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. Xu Xinghe turned over and sat up, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Ling Changfeng walked in with a bright face. Yes, although in the eyes of others, Marshal Ling still has an unsmiling iceberg face, which is no different from usual, but Xu Xinghe can feel that this guy is in a good mood! Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I forgot to tell you just now¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng walked over to him, and his eyes swept over. ¡°You should drink less alcohol in the future, especially don¡¯t get drunk outside.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± You don¡¯t need to say that, I know it! Xu Xinghe thought to himself, he didn¡¯t know what the hell he looked like when he was drunk, but now he knows, how can such a shameful thing happen again?! But when these words came out of Ling Changfeng¡¯s mouth, Team Leader Xu¡¯s rebellious mentality suddenly came up. He said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ling Changfeng narrowed his eyes, took another step forward, and came to his side. Xu Xinghe¡¯s inner alarm bell rang loudly, and he moved to the side of the bed: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ling Changfeng said lightly: ¡°Next time if you get drunk outside again¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe stalked his neck and said, ¡°How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you will do to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Maybe not only hug me, ask me to take a bath, not let me leave, and insist on sleeping together¡­¡± Ling Changfeng said these words lightly, and Xu Xinghe listened. A faint smile flashed in the pair of mismatched eyes: ¡°In case you do something more outrageous¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Brother, I beg you, please stop talking. Ling Changfeng scrutinized the expression on his face, and asked unhurriedly, ¡°Do you still want to get drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll kill the next person who asks me to drink! ¡°I see.¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to do? Can you leave?¡± Really. Marshal Ling reluctantly said goodbye: ¡°I¡¯ll go to the military headquarters and come back before dinner.¡± Who cares when you come back! It doesn¡¯t matter if you spend the night there! Xu Xinghe: ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡ª¡ª Double Star Building, the Alliance Military Office. ¡°Morning, sir.¡± Qin Yuan who hurriedly passed Ling Changfeng with documents, suddenly stopped and doubled back. He felt that his superior was a little different today. ¡°Did something good happen?¡± He didn¡¯t need to use pheromones to tell. After knowing Ling Changfeng for many years, he could clearly see that the other party was full of the spring breeze at this moment. Not only the spring breeze, but his entire temperament seemed to have undergone some subtle changes. Kind of like the days when he just finished temporary marking. The difference is that now he does not have the restlessness of a susceptible period, but is like a vegetarian who¡¯s just tried meat after not eating meat for many years. The adjutant had a bold idea in his heart, so he asked: ¡°How is Xinghe recently?¡± Ling Changfeng gave him a sideways look. ¡°Do you have a good relationship with him?¡± Major General Qin: ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Why call him Xinghe?¡± ¡°???¡± The old man in love is starting to become unreasonable! Qin Yuan shook his head inwardly, and then changed his face kindly: ¡°I mean, your legal spouse, Xu Xinghe, who matches your pheromone as high as 99%, has been temporarily marked by you recently. Is he ok?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his chin slightly: ¡°He¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± It makes me laugh as a reader, but I feel for QY. Such a hard job with a boss like that. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 30 ¡°Xiaoqi, you should have seen me drunk¡­is it really that scary?¡± After Ling Changfeng left, Xu Xinghe slumped on the sofa in the small living room and nuzzled his cat. While sighing and complaining that alcohol is harmful, he was simultaneously puzzled at how much he could change after being drunk. Miss Xiaoqi lay comfortably in his arms, turned her belly over, and let Xu Xinghe scratch her chin lightly, stroking her snow-white and soft fur. The ragdoll narrowed its eyes and made a contented purr. ¡°Could it be that these few people joined forces to frame me? Maybe I¡¯m a quiet drunk¡­¡± Xu Xinghe tried to escape the problem by deceiving himself. As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaoqi suddenly turned over, jumped out of his arms, and ran to the door. Fluffy little paws scratched at the door, then turned to look at him again. Xu Xinghe glanced at the surveillance cameras at the door, and there was no one there. Looking at Xiaoqi¡¯s flashing blue eyes and the big tail swinging back and forth, Xu Xinghe suddenly realized something, and refused with black lines on his head. ¡°No! You are not allowed to go.¡± ¡°Meow¡­¡± Hearing his words, Xiaoqi¡¯s fluffy body immediately shrunk by half, and the tail hung down in despair. Then she ran to his feet and rubbed back and forth. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked down at Xiaoqi who looked at him pitifully, as if he was an evil mother-in-law who broke up the little couple. ¡°Stop rubbing, go ahead.¡± Xu Xinghe sighed, ¡°Open the door.¡± The door moved in response, and as soon as the crack opened, Xiaoqi slipped out happily. Aaron was waiting at the door. Unlike Xiaoqi, who is often covered in flowers and grasses, Aaron is a cat who stands and sits properly, and pays great attention to his personal image. At this moment, it was standing outside the door in a proper manner. When the door opened, it did not come in. Instead, it turned its eyes to Xu Xinghe and opened its mouth to meow at him. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He already had a headache when he saw Xiaoqi jumping out, but when he saw Aaron¡¯s blue and gold cat eyes, he thought of its owner, and his head hurt even more! Does he have a natural conflict with creatures with different pupils?? Xiaoqi happily circled around Aaron, the two cats touched the tip of their noses. They quickly disappeared from Xu Xinghe¡¯s sight, not knowing which lawn they went to play on. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s true that daughters leave the house after growing up. After Xiaoqi left, Xu Xinghe was the only one left in the huge room. He watched TV boredly for a while, but still felt that a good weekend couldn¡¯t be wasted, so he got up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen on the first floor. Since he said two days ago that he wanted to eat something like scallops, the mansion prepared a new batch of fresh seafood today. Xu Xinghe looked at the various seafood in the basket and felt that it should not be wasted. He asked York to find two large iron pans, and took out the abalone, meat crab, scallops, scallops, shrimp, squid, razor clams, etc., planning to make a stir-fried hodgepodge in a while. One with garlic, and the other spicy. From cleaning all kinds of seafood to cooking in the pot is a big project. It¡¯s not enough for York to do it. He found Langdon to help, while he oversaw the work. ¡°Langdon, please cut the onion, ginger, and garlic into sections, and take out the peppercorns, hemp, millet, and pepper, and put them aside for later use.¡± ¡°York, shellfish and seafood are prone to sand, so you need to wash them carefully.¡± ¡°Help me prepare some ingredients later.¡± ¡°¡­¡± York sat on the small bench while washing and asked, ¡°Then what are you doing??¡± Xu Xinghe nibbled on melon seeds and replied, ¡°The chef is the last to appear. I¡¯m in charge.¡± Over the past few days, York has become more and more skilled in cooking under his training. Xu Xinghe commented: ¡°You can learn from me. If you don¡¯t work in the Marshal¡¯s mansion in the future, you¡¯ll still be able to become a cook.¡± York: ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± When they were almost done preparing, Xu Xinghe finally got up, rolled up his sleeves and started work. Add onion, ginger and garlic to the frying pan and saute until fragrant, add all kinds of chili, spices, hemp seasoning, stir fry together with seafood, then pour in the sauce blended with oil consumption, light soy sauce, sugar, etc. Add beer and cooking wine and simmer for 15 minutes. A spicy seafood platter came out. He fried a garlic-flavored platter next. There were still some raw ingredients left, some to make tomato-flavored seafood baked rice, and some to directly feed to Xiaoqi. The whole process took more than three hours. At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, everything was finally done. But even with two helpers, it was impossible for 3 people to finish the two big pots of seafood. Xu Xinghe thought for a while, and called He Han over. ¡°Take this to the table and share it with everyone.¡± He Han was stunned: ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Too much will be wasted.¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand. ¡°Remember to eat while it¡¯s hot, it won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡± Although He Han knew that Xu Xinghe was a hard-mouthed, soft-hearted person, he never thought that this second master of the Marshal¡¯s mansion would also give them food he had cooked himself. After a few symbolic polite remarks, He Han finally left with a bowl full of seafood. On the way to distribute the food, he quietly picked a scallop from the bowl and quickly put it in his mouth ¨C it was delicious. Xu Xinghe shared the fruits of his labor contentedly, washed his hands, and returned to the house with Xiaoqi¡¯s share of seafood. A group of servants gathered at a small table in the side hall on the first floor, feasting around a bowl of seafood, flushing with contentment. ¡°This is too delicious!¡± ¡°Leave some for me! Save some for me!¡± ¡°Looking at yourself, what are you grabbing?¡± ¡°F*ck! What are you doing, why did you take three of them? Give me some face!¡± ¡°Wuwuwu Mr. Xu is such a nice person, he cooks deliciously and has a good personality. No wonder our marshal likes him.¡± Chef Xu, who happened to pass by: ¡°¡­¡± Sigh, I didn¡¯t really want to hear this kind of compliment. ¡ª¡ª As soon as Ling Changfeng stepped through the doors of his mansion, he knew his little spouse had made something delicious again. The air is fragrant, full of spicy and garlic flavors that can stimulate people¡¯s appetite. Although Marshal Ling had no appetite, when he thought that it was something Xu Xinghe cooked, he decided to save face and have dinner with his little spouse. ¡°Don¡¯t rob, don¡¯t rob, everyone has a share.¡± A familiar voice came from the side hall. Ling Changfeng turned his head, only to see a group of burly servants gathered around, blocking Xu Xinghe firmly. He could only hear sounds coming from behind the human wall. Ling Changfeng paused and walked over. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The deep voice sounded from behind, and the next moment, everyone froze as if someone pressed the pause button. Those who were still shouting a second ago, those who had half a shrimp hanging from their mouths, and those who were still shelling shrimp¡­ all stopped moving. Xu Xinghe stuck his head out from behind the stiff figures of the crowd. ¡°Why did you come back so early?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across the crowd, and finally settled on Xu Xinghe. ¡°I said I¡¯d be back before dinnertime¡­ you cooked?¡± ¡°Yeah, seafood platter, spicy and garlic flavors, and seafood baked rice. Everyone said it¡¯s delicious.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tone was a little smug as he referenced his highly praised cooking skills, as if he had completely forgotten the embarrassing morning. ¡°Oh.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze swept over the servants behind him indifferently. Everyone shivered at the sudden pressure. Mom, the Marshal¡¯s eyes are too scary! Fortunately, Ling Changfeng quickly retracted his gaze, and then casually asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Where¡¯s my share?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Ah??¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone have a share??¡± Xu Xinghe looked at the seafood bowl on the table that had just been emptied by everyone. Remembering this was the last piece of seafood, he turned to look at Ling Changfeng. ¡°Well, do you want to eat spicy or garlic? ¡° Ling Changfeng: ¡°Either¡¯s fine.¡± Xu Xinghe tried his best to make his tone sound sincere: ¡°I¡¯ll go grab you both flavors of nutritional supplements now.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He thought that Xu Xinghe¡¯s emotions from this morning might not have subsided. Turning his gaze to the bowl in his hand, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe bit his lip and replied, ¡°Xiaoqi¡¯s dinner. But this grade of salmon can also be eaten raw, why don¡¯t I divide some for you?¡± Hahaha, LCF shot himself in the foot with that nutritional supplement habit. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 31 Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± The scene was very embarrassing for a while. The servants¡¯ eyes widened when they heard Xu Xinghe¡¯s bold suggestion. While shocked, they couldn¡¯t help but admire his bizarre and outrageous idea. Ling Changfeng kept a straight face and did not speak. But that expression was clearly asking ¡°why don¡¯t I have a share¡±. Xu Xinghe felt the low air pressure vaguely surrounding him, and shrank back with some guilt. But after thinking about it ¨C he didn¡¯t promise to prepare dinner for Ling Changfeng! What¡¯s the point of feeling guilty? So he straightened my chest and planned to fight. ¡°You didn¡¯t say you planned to come back for dinner. And even if you did, I didn¡¯t promise to cook for you!¡± Xu Xinghe said confidently. Hearing these words, Ling Changfeng looked at him, and looked at the servants behind him. Ice-spring-like cold gazes swept across the servants in turn, making several people shudder. In the end, his eyes fell back to Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe pondered for a while, feeling as if he understood his emotions: ¡°Are you trying to ask why they all had a portion but you don¡¯t?¡± The servants behind him: ¡°???¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He denied this statement: ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s true that Marshal Ling felt this way, but it¡¯s absolutely impossible for him to admit it. The servants came back to their senses as if they had just woken up from a dream, and all felt like their lives were in danger. Don¡¯t dare next time! Let us go! Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe and said blankly, ¡°I was thinking, although you use my kitchen, my ingredients, and my people, you didn¡¯t leave me a share.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Damn! Isn¡¯t it just some dried scallops, scallops, mussels, abalone, squid, and salmon! As an alpha, how can you be so pretentious?? But after all, he can¡¯t say he didn¡¯t eat it. Xu Xinghe finally decided to take two steps back to ease the situation. ¡°You didn¡¯t say when you¡¯re coming back. This kind of seafood will not taste good when it¡¯s cold, so I shared it with everyone first. ¡­besides, you¡¯ve never been interested in food?¡± Unfortunately, Ling Changfeng refused to step down. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he slowly asked: ¡°When did I ever say I¡¯m not interested in eating?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Are you starting to speak nonsense with your eyes open? In order to eat one bite, you don¡¯t even need face??1rhetorical questions he wants to ask LCF¡¯s who¡¯s speaking inexplicable words Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you take nutritional supplements three times a day?¡± Ling Changfeng said lightly, ¡°That was the past.¡± Xu Xinghe sneered: ¡°Then when did you start changing your taste?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Today.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He felt that even if he entangled with Ling Changfeng longer, there still wouldn¡¯t be any result. But then again, why did Marshal Ling suddenly hold a grudge just for a bite? Xu Xinghe thought about it, and attributed it to an alpha¡¯s self-esteem. After all, his subordinates ate some, but he didn¡¯t. Isn¡¯t this shameful? So Chef Xu showed his kindness and decided to protect Marshal Ling¡¯s face in a small way. He patted his chest generously: ¡°Then next time I cook, I¡¯ll save a portion for you.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°What about tomorrow, will you be at home tomorrow night?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng, who was silent for two seconds, replied, ¡°I have something tomorrow night, and can¡¯t come back.¡± Xu Xinghe could only spread his hands in resignation. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll make some for you tomorrow and leave it in the refrigerator.¡± His tone was relaxed, and didn¡¯t care much. Ling Changfeng was very concerned. He is not obsessed with mountain delicacies2as in rare or good food, or even Xu Xinghe¡¯s cooking skills. He just wanted to have dinner with his little spouse. From this point of view, cold food stored in the refrigerator is actually no different from his usual nutritional supplements. For the first time in history, Marshal Ling began to wonder if his schedule was too full. Even for a moment, he subtly realized a dilemma that one cannot balance family and career. But he didn¡¯t feel distressed facing this dilemma, but felt some joy in this pain ¨C He¡¯s now a married person. ¡°Next time. I¡¯ll be at home next time.¡± After Ling Changfeng finished speaking, he turned around and planned to go back upstairs to change his clothes. Just after walking two steps, he suddenly stopped at his feet, turned around to face Xu Xinghe, and asked, ¡°Are you tired from making so much food?¡± Tired! That is quite tiring! Although Chef Xu instructed others to complete the preparatory work, he cooked the two large pots of seafood himself. It took a lot of effort to cook so many ingredients. He even suspected that his arms would be sore when he woke up tomorrow. Xu Xinghe described in detail the efforts he made to cook. Marshal Ling nodded after listening, and then said to him earnestly: ¡°Since you¡¯re so tired, don¡¯t make so much next time. Just make two person¡¯s worth, okay?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± That night, Xu Xinghe took a comfortable bath in the jacuzzi and enjoyed the automatic massage. When he came out of the bathroom, thinking that he had finally ended the busy day and could have a good rest, the bedroom doorbell rang. As soon as Xu Xinghe saw the surveillance camera, his whole body felt bad. Why is Ling Changfeng here?! Ever since the fact that Ling Changfeng could evade the mastermind¡¯s monitoring and they don¡¯t have to share a bed was exposed, they hadn¡¯t shared a bed for a while. ¡ªExcept for the extreme case of being drunk last night. Therefore, he hadn¡¯t seen Ling Changfeng outside his room for a long time. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t really want to open the door. He stepped forward and asked into the monitoring microphone. ¡°It¡¯s so late, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The person outside the door paused and said lightly, ¡°You open the door first, and I¡¯ll tell you when I go in.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly became more alert. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ve changed clothes and am about to rest. Why don¡¯t you talk here?¡± Ling Changfeng took a step back unhurriedly, looked at the camera, and said, ¡°Are you sure you want me to say it here?¡± Even through the screen, Xu Xinghe felt a little numb at the mismatched gaze: ¡°Just say it here!¡± ¡°After you got drunk last night, hugged my arm saying you want to sleep with me every night from now on¡­¡± Before he could finish the words, the door was manually pulled open, and a supple, white arm stretched out, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him inside. Actually, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t pull him with his strength, but Marshal Ling didn¡¯t resist at all and let Xu Xinghe pull him inside. Inside the house, Xu Xinghe¡¯s face was a little red. He didn¡¯t know whether it was because he had just taken a shower or something else. ¡°How can you say something like this at the door!¡± He exploded the thorns all over his body like a surly little hedgehog. ¨C Full of pink thorns. Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes swirled around Xu Xinghe inadvertently. His little spouse is tall and thin, seeming quite unassuming. At this moment, the thin arms and wrists were exposed from the loose bathrobe, swaying, and the originally fair skin was steamed into a faint peach pink. Ling Changfeng admired it for a few seconds, then lowered his eyes lightly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to speak at the door?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This guy definitely did it on purpose! ¡°What I said last night, no matter what it is, doesn¡¯t count! Don¡¯t mention it again in the future!¡± Xu Xinghe said angrily. Ling Changfeng looked at his blushing face, and his nose suddenly moved slightly. It was as if I saw a fragrant flower trembling on the branches. He took time to ask: ¡°Why?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why are you asking?! Of course it¡¯s because it¡¯s too damn embarrassing! ¡°Anyway, this matter is finished!¡± Ling Changfeng stood still in the center of the house, looking both strict and calm. A pair of mismatched pupils looked at him. A faint smile seemed to flash in those eyes, but the tone was still calm: ¡°Just because you say it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over?¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°What else do you want?¡± Ling Changfeng thought for a moment, then suddenly took two steps forward and said to Xu Xinghe in a low voice: ¡°Where¡¯s my hush money?¡± The continuation of XXH¡¯s drunken actions. I almost feel secondhand embarrassment for the poor guy. P.S. This and the next are separate chapters in the original; just titled the same. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 32 Xu Xinghe was startled by Ling Changfeng¡¯s sudden approach. He subconsciously took a few steps back, like a frightened little animal. Then he turned to vigilantly watch the intruder in front of him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he was hallucinating. ¡°Hush money.¡± Seeing this, Ling Changfeng did not bully him again, but stood in place with his hands behind his back, following his little spouse¡¯s movements with his eyes. Then he repeated those words again without hesitation. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t believe Marshal Ling¡¯s words. He has no idea what Ling Changfeng has experienced in the past half month. Although he still has an unmelting iceberg face that has remained unchanged for thousands of years, and a pair of calm mismatched eyes¡­ But! The whole person suddenly became shameless! There were some small signs after that state banquet, but recently the signs aren¡¯t small. If things continue like this, what should he do?! Xu Xinghe felt like this could not continue to happen; he had to fight the evil forces to the end. So he stuck his neck and said, ¡°No hush money! If you don¡¯t feel embarrassed about last night, just go and talk about it!¡± ¡°What am I embarrassed about?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s face was expressionless, but his tone was slow. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to anyone, and I didn¡¯t pull anyone to sleep with me.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why can¡¯t I get through this! ¡°I¡¯m also a victim of alcohol! Besides, even if I¡¯m drunk, why don¡¯t you resist? Why did you let me succeed?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tone was cool, with a bit of righteousness, as if he was asking ¡°did you do it on purpose?¡±. Ling Changfeng pondered for a moment, as if he was recalling something, and then replied thoughtfully: ¡°I wanted to resist at first, but when I moved, you became teary-eyed and looked ready to cry.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± He looked at Ling Changfeng with a complicated expression. ¡°To be honest, do you think that I don¡¯t know the true face of my drunkenness, and can only believe whatever you say, so you dare say this?¡± There was a flash of indifference in the different pupils, but the emotions quickly disappeared in the deep ocean of different colors. Ling Changfeng stood on the spot and said noncommittally, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try getting drunk again. I¡¯ll help you record your drunken state and show you what it looks like.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± No more, he really felt a momentary impulse to agree. But the cost of doing so is too great ¨C if he really looks like this when drunk, isn¡¯t he just pitting himself? How can leave evidence of his social death? Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to lose face for the second time so soon¡­ Just when Xu Xinghe was in a dilemma, Ling Changfeng spoke again: ¡°In the end, I am also a victim of alcohol.¡± Xu Xinghe heart was ashes as he thought, ¡°You a victim? Bullsh*t!¡± But he lost his wits, didn¡¯t hide his thoughts, and blurted those words out. The bedroom suddenly fell silent. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! How can he speak his mind? Ling Changfeng said blankly: ¡°I was manipulated by someone who was drunk last night. How can I not be a victim of alcohol?¡± Xu Xinghe fell silent for a while, feeling that Ling Changfeng was completely shameless. He can¡¯t speak eye to eye with such shameless people, otherwise the more one talks, the more they will suffer. He raised his head and asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°How much do you want?¡± This time it was Marshal Ling¡¯s turn to think he had hallucinated: ¡°What?¡± Xu Xinghe repeated: ¡°Hush fee, how much do you want??¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes became very complicated, looking at Xu Xinghe, he was speechless for a long time. He was confused about the brain circuit of his little spouse, being able to think to ask about hush money in such a way. But he did not directly refute, but said unceremoniously: ¡°One hundred million, do you give it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was shocked by his shamelessness. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rob the bank if you¡¯re so short of money?!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m short of money?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was slightly lower. ¡°No, I think you don¡¯t lack anything.¡± Xu Xinghe changed his tune and looked at him sincerely, but said in his heart: What hush money do you want?! ¡°Hush money doesn¡¯t mean money.¡± Ling Changfeng sighed inaudibly when he saw his little spouse¡¯s ignorant appearance, and began to persuade him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you show some sincerity if you don¡¯t want me to reveal this matter?¡± When Xu Xinghe heard it, he had an indescribable expression on his face¡ª You came to my room in the middle of the night to extort money?? He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What do you want as a hush money?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across Xu Xinghe inch by inch, and said word by word, ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! An extortion that still requires the victim to think for themselves! Can¡¯t I just wait on you, damn it?! ¡°Speak whatever you¡¯d like. I¡¯m going to bed, please turn right to go out and walk slowly.¡± Ling Changfeng stood motionless and didn¡¯t move. Xu Xinghe looked at him suspiciously. Ling Changfeng suddenly said, ¡°We¡¯ve violated the ¡°Matching Marriage Law¡± for too long.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± Did the topic change too quickly? He looked at Ling Changfeng with horror in his eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ling Changfeng said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a long time, and my conscience is a little heavy.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°Conscience? It¡¯s heavy?¡± What¡¯s wrong with you? Doesn¡¯t your conscience hurt to come to me in the middle of the night and ask for a hush fee?! ¡°After all, I have always been a law-abiding citizen.¡± Ling Changfeng said. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s the same as saying that he is not abiding by the law¡­ Well, although to a certain extent, their behavior of evading the mastermind¡¯s monitoring by sleeping in different beds for more than half a month is indeed illegal. But it didn¡¯t seem to be long since the last time. He was just marked a few days ago, and last night¡­they obviously slept together more than once or twice. Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were a little dodgy: ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him casually, and said in a casual tone: ¡°Tonight, let¡¯s continue to sleep together.¡± So the two of them entered into the familiar ¡°same bed but not sleeping together¡± routine again once more. In fact, Xu Xinghe did not particularly resist this routine. After all, the two of them could sleep in the same bed as if they were sleeping on separate beds. Two people, two quilts, wrapped themselves tightly and did not invade each other¡¯s space. Furthermore, he quite believed that with Ling Changfeng¡¯s character and determination, he would not do anything to himself. After all, he survived the estrus period before¡­ But Ling Changfeng has become weird recently. This made Xu Xinghe feel an indescribable feeling in his heart. It wasn¡¯t unease, but more like a sense of helplessness when facing the unknown. He was lying on the bed in a daze, obviously already sleepy, but he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. In the end, he took the rare initiative to speak, intending to chat with him for a while. ¡°Have you encountered anything recently? ¨C Stop pretending, I know you haven¡¯t slept.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his back to him, didn¡¯t open his eyes, but said slowly, ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°I feel that something is not right with you recently¡­¡± Xu Xinghe yawned. Although he couldn¡¯t sleep, the sleepiness was already eroding his brain. ¡°Maybe.¡± Ling Changfeng said in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just experience your¡ª¡± The voice stopped abruptly, and he changed his words: ¡°My susceptibility period.¡± ¡°Oh, so it is.¡± Xu Xinghe was already a little confused. He wasn¡¯t as defensive in this nighttime sleepy state as when he was awake during the day, and looked much easier to talk to. He asked softly, ¡°So, you were affected by pheromones?¡± The person behind him was silent and did not answer. There was a small lamp on the head of the bed, and the warm orange light spread on the two of them. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been influenced a bit by pheromones recently¡­¡± Xu Xinghe also turned his back to him and slowly closed his eyes. But his mouth didn¡¯t stop, but he kindly helped him analyze: ¡°Although this is also human nature, but now it¡¯s 329 years in the Galaxy Calendar, we can¡¯t just be emotional animals. We must learn to analyze problems rationally¡­ You see, from our identity, to age, to personality, we¡¯re not suitable anywhere. Only the matching degree of our pheromone is relatively high¡­¡± He was drowsily delivering a long speech, completely unaware that every time he said a word, the mismatched pupils turned a shade darker. Ling Changfeng opened his eyes at some point, turned around, and stared at Xu Xinghe without saying a word. Xu Xinghe felt a little cold, so he stretched out his claws in a daze and wrapped the quilt around him even tighter. After a while, Ling Changfeng looked away and turned to look at the night skies outside the window. It was a night without wind and moon, quiet and lonely. It¡¯s just that the dark clouds cover the moon, making the whole starry sky bleak. Ling Changfeng sighed in his heart and closed his eyes again. At this moment, he heard Xu Xinghe say ¨C ¡°But I can understand you¡­because I also seem to be affected a little¡­¡± Ling Changfeng suddenly opened his eyes. Under the moonlight, the dual-colored pupils flickered slightly. He looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s back, lowered his voice, and cautiously confirmed: ¡°How are you affected?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s mind was already blurred, and he replied, ¡°Pheromones¡­ Do your pheromones smell like the sea? I have been to the seaside in the summer vacation, and the sea breeze is salty, obviously not as good as yours¡­¡± Outside the window, the dark clouds dissipated, and the bright moonlight shone on the earth again. The moonlight shone for thousands of miles, and the stars and rivers twinkled. The first breeze of the night lifted the treetops with a rustling sound. The night is just right, making one look forward to the next dawn. After Xu Xinghe said these words, there was no more sound, as if he had finally fallen asleep. Ling Changfeng suddenly half stood up: ¡°Xinghe?¡± The person opposite did not respond. Only uniform breathing sounded. Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s sleeping profile. His eyes swept from the man¡¯s thick eyelashes and closed eyebrows to his pale pink lips¡­ Finally, it landed on the sensitive glands in the back of his neck. A faint scar lay there, a bit dazzling, and infinitely affectionate. After an unknown period of time, Ling Changfeng suddenly leaned over slowly- And engraved a long kiss on his ear. Under the moonlight, Ling Changfeng said in a low voice ¨C ¡°Idiot, this is called hush money.¡± Guess this is considered their first kiss? Or is it? Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 33 The early morning sun shone into the room, Xu Xinghe slowly opened his eyes¡­ And froze. He remembered that he and Ling Changfeng had clearly slept back to back last night, but when they woke up, they were face to face. Fortunately, the two of them were still properly covered in separate quilts, nor did they share a quilt and tangle their arms like yesterday morning. Xu Xinghe lay in bed squinting for another half a minute, and finally decided to get up and get out of bed. Originally, he could stay in bed until noon on weekends, but it felt strange to lie down with one other person by his side. Although he got up as gently as possible, Ling Changfeng woke up immediately as soon as he moved. Seeing the pair of mismatched pupils glance at him, Xu Xinghe froze again. Ling Changfeng, who had just woken up, lacked the usual sharpness in his eyes. There was even a hint of confusion that was not easily noticed. However, this confusion only lasted for a second or two before he returned to his usual indifference and clarity. Marshal Ling rolled over and sat up as if nothing had happened, and his voice was lower than usual when he woke up: ¡°Morning.¡± Xu Xinghe stared at him for a few seconds, making sure that he did not intend to launch a ¡°good morning kiss¡± again, and then relaxed. Ling Changfeng was stared at for a long time by him for no reason, and suddenly turned to ask him: ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°You got up so late?¡± He remembered that Ling Changfeng always got up very early. Usually by the time he washed up and went to the dining room, Ling Changfeng had already finished his morning exercise and was reading the morning paper in his seat. Ling Changfeng, who was about to change his clothes, paused slightly when he heard the question. He also found this problem. Previously, his biological clock would always wake him up at six o¡¯clock in the morning. But when he slept with Xu Xinghe recently, he always slept soundly. He woke up at eight o¡¯clock in the past two days, which was almost impossible in the past. However, Marshal Ling did not answer the question truthfully, but instead said with a light expression: ¡°I remember someone said that staying in bed is the greatest respect for the weekend ¨C why aren¡¯t you sleeping in this weekend?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t it all because of you! Team Leader Xu was about to say something, but suddenly saw Ling Changfeng unbutton his pajamas, took off his shirt in front of him without hesitation, and started changing. The sturdy physique and sculpted muscles were unreservedly exposed in front of his eyes. Ling Changfeng¡¯s figure was perfect, with wide shoulders and narrow waist, and a perfect inverted triangle. And his biceps, deltoid muscles¡­ Every muscle is full of strength, like a sculpture carefully created by a master craftsman. However, the appearance of several scars broke this beauty. Old wounds of different shapes were distributed on his back. The longest scar extended directly from the shoulder blades to his waistline, almost splitting his whole body in half. Xu Xinghe was stunned, and even forgot to turn around to avoid it. In a trance, he remembered the feeling of a sharp weapon piercing his skin. It hurt to death. He shivered uncontrollably. Ling Changfeng changed his shirt in front of him as if no one else was beside him. While buttoning his shirt with one hand, he glanced at Xu Xinghe. He discovered something was wrong with this glance, and Xu Xinghe¡¯s face had turned pale. He originally thought that his little spouse would turn around like a blushing little hedgehog, and then his fragrant pheromones would begin to wildly flow in the air. But it wasn¡¯t. Hands pausing, Marshal Ling carefully observed Xu Xinghe¡¯s face, and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xu Xinghe turned around and lowered his head silently, making it difficult to see his expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, what are you doing in the daytime¡­¡± ¡°Changing clothes, I have to go out later.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice was muffled, and after a while he suddenly asked, ¡°Does your injury hurt?¡± Ling Changfeng was stunned for a moment, and then he realized what he was asking about. ¡°It¡¯s from a long time ago.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt very much at the time.¡± Xu Xinghe drooped his head, appearing a little sad. Ling Changfeng suddenly regretted it. It was only then that he realized that his little mate was a little hedgehog who had just grown up and had never been out of the capital city. Even if there were seemingly tough barbs on his body, the thorns were still tender and soft. ¡°Sorry, did I scare you?¡± Ling Changfeng asked. As he spoke, he lowered his eyes and did not look at Xu Xinghe again. Is his little spouse worried, is he be afraid? Does he think¡­the scars on his back are ugly and scary? ¡°No, no.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head quickly. He seemed to feel something, and suddenly raised his head to look at Ling Changfeng. ¡°It¡¯s quite handsome, these scars¡ª¡± After thinking about it, he said, ¡°It¡¯s like your merit.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyelids and looked back at him. This time, what greeted him was a pair of black doe-like eyes gently gazing back. Ling Changfeng¡¯s throat rolled slightly. He turned his back, fastened the buttons without saying a word, and tidied up his appearance. Even after finishing, his heart was still beating fast. Xu Xinghe looked at his back and decided to change to a more relaxed topic: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be in such good shape at your age. How do you exercise? How about I exercise with you in the future?¡± Ling Changfeng : ¡°¡­¡± He knew that Xu Xinghe deliberately changed the topic to adjust the atmosphere because he had clearly felt the depression from the other party¡¯s emotions just now. However, he still cared a little ¨C what is this ¡°your age¡±? Thinking of the bedtime remarks Xu Xinghe dazedly made last night, Ling Changfeng felt that he had to clarify a little. He turned around and said solemnly, ¡°According to the most recent census, the average age of Alliance citizens is 215 years, and the longest life expectancy was 309 years.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while. He thought that he had changed the topic bluntly enough, but he didn¡¯t expect Ling Changfeng to be superior. Why did he suddenly bring up the census? Ling Changfeng continued: ¡°Marshal Alex is 180 and still hasn¡¯t retired. ¡° Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t quite understand what he wanted to express, but he still followed his topic ignorantly: ¡°Doesn¡¯t Marshal Alex have great-great-great-grandsons¡­ so?¡± Ling Changfeng said with an expressionless face: ¡°So, my state can be maintained for about a hundred years. ¡° Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He said inexplicably: ¡°If you are referring to muscle state, when the average person reaches 100, their muscles will start to loosen. After 150, they will slowly atrophy¡­ So why are we talking about something that will happen 100 years from now?¡± Xu Xinghe thought, who knows where he and Ling Changfeng will be 100 years from now. At this moment, Xiaoqi dashed into the bedroom, interrupting their embarrassing chat. She came to Xu Xinghe with a big fluffy tail and raised her head with a meow. ¡°Good morning, Xiaoqi, are you hungry? Seeing his cat come over, Xu Xinghe smiled slightly, squatted down to scratch Xiaoqi¡¯s head. But Xiaoqi uncharacteristically did not lie down near his feet, nor rub against his feet, but raised her head and meowed. Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Then, he reacted. Looking at the time with a dark face, he raised his head and said to Ling Changfeng: ¡°Why is your cat coming earlier and earlier?¡± It¡¯s too much! It¡¯s only after eight o¡¯clock in the morning. But if this goes on like this, Xiaoqi will be the one waking him up. Ling Changfeng was also taken aback, and glanced at the door. ¡°Aaron?¡± Although he knew that his Persian cat had a good time with Xiaoqi recently, but since Aaron used to run around all day long, and none of the servants dared to report the love story of the two cats to him, he really didn¡¯t know how good the relationship between the two cats was now. He thought they were just ordinary friends. Xu Xinghe squatted on the spot, held Ms. Xiaoqi¡¯s two fluffy front paws, and said to her with a serious face: ¡°It¡¯s okay to play together, but you have to protect yourself and don¡¯t overplay! I always feel that Aaron has no good intentions. If he dares to bite the back of your neck, scratch him to death!¡± Xiaoqi wagged her tail innocently. ¡°Meow?¡± Marshal Ling, who was listening silently: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not possible.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s face was a bit weird, but he still helped his cat clarify: ¡°Aaron is a very principled and well-behaved cat. Although his temper may not be very good, he never bullies other things¡­¡± After he finished speaking, he thought of something, and added: ¡°At most, he¡¯ll fight with dogs.¡± Xu Xinghe finally beckoned the door to open in response to Xiaoqi¡¯s anxious meowing. Aaron had been waiting at the door for a long time, and the whole cat looked very imposing. Seeing the door opened, the Persian cat squatted on the spot without moving, but turned his eyes to the bedroom¡ª Feline eyes swept across Ling Changfeng lightly, then directly ignoring his master, Aaron turned to greet Xiaoqi, who ran towards him. ¡°Meow.¡± Ling Changfeng was used to Aaron¡¯s temper, and took the initiative to walk up, planning to touch its fur. But just after walking two steps, his footsteps stopped. He saw his ¡°principled, well-behaved, but not very good-tempered¡± Aaron stretched out his two front paws, gently embraced Xiaoqi who lay down, and then licked her fur very stickily. Seeing this, Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice seemed to come out of his throat: ¡°You¡­ can you not be so flirty under my nose?¡± Really spicy! The two cats looked back at him in unison, then ran away happily. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He felt that Aaron might be scratched in the future. At breakfast time, the two of them sat at both ends of the long table. Today¡¯s breakfast is Xu Xinghe¡¯s homemade avocado and shrimp sandwiches, Caesar salad, and mocha coffee. Ling Changfeng who was eating, suddenly raised his head and asked, ¡°Do you really want to exercise with me in the future?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s previous question was originally very casually asked, but after listening to him, he nodded after thinking about it. ¡°Yes.¡± There¡¯s no harm in exercising. Besides, what male doesn¡¯t want to have a good figure? To be honest, he¡¯s still a little envious about Ling Changfeng¡¯s figure. Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°How do you usually exercise?¡± Ling Changfeng asked him back, ¡°Is it okay to get up at six o¡¯clock every morning?¡± Xu Xinghe seemed to choke, and he replied a little wearily: ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not possible. I think exercising after dinner every day is also good?¡± Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, about to bring out some old sayings that ¡°a day¡¯s plan is in the morning¡±, when Xu Xinghe continued: ¡°Sleeping late and getting up late is more in line with us young people¡¯s work and rest schedule.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He changed his words: ¡°I can¡¯t come back every night.¡± Xu Xinghe thought to himself, isn¡¯t this better? He didn¡¯t really want to exercise every night. He took a sip of coffee slowly. ¡°Then we will exercise together while you are here.¡± After breakfast, Ling Changfeng went out, and Xu Xinghe also returned to his room. The master was away, and the two servants on duty started chatting in the side hall. Servant A: ¡°What happened to the marshal recently? I saw him standing in front of the mirror for a long time in the morning.¡± Servant B: ¡°Speaking of which, I seem to have seen Brother He go get the shaving foam¡­ Didn¡¯t the mashal not use these things before?¡± He Han, the steward, happened to pass by. When he heard the conversation between the two, he trained them with a stern face, and thought to himself that the marshal was a little strange recently. He asked for shaving foam this morning, as if he thought the razor was not clean. But the marshal had never cared about these details before. Why did he suddenly start caring about his image now? XXH fell into the exercise trap himself! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 34 Early Monday morning, Xu Xinghe went to work at the Ark as usual. As soon as she arrived at the office, Ajia came up mysteriously. ¡°Team leader!¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows: ¡°How is it? Did you still have a successful date last weekend?¡± Ajia was stunned: ¡°It was quite successful, he invited me to dinner after watching the movie¡­etc. Wait a minute, this isn¡¯t what I wanted to say! Have you read the news this morning?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ajia winked at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Mu Qingyun transferred out Capital Star! Going to Volga Star¡ªalthough his rank hasn¡¯t changed, it is considered a demotion.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe responded calmly and asked, ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Your scumbag ex-husband! Isn¡¯t it very pleasing for him to pack up and leave?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Can you be less gossipy?¡± Mu Qingyun¡¯s departure is indeed a refreshing thing. But they are ex-husbands, so why would he care what happened? He patted Ajia¡¯s head: ¡°Stop gossiping, go back to your seat.¡± ¡°Team Leader!!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Ryan rushed in excitedly. ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe rubbed his temples with a headache, and said without looking at him, ¡°I know, Mu Qingyun has been transferred, so don¡¯t report to me again. Can you please return to your own seat?¡± ¡°Mu Qingyun transferred away??¡± Ryan asked with a bewildered face, ¡°Where did he transfer to?¡± ¡°¡­Go and read the news yourself.¡± Team leader Xu had three black lines on his head, and immediately put on a ¡°I¡¯m very impatient¡± expression, ¡°Then what were you going to say?¡± Ryan said, ¡°I heard our technical department is going to have a new intern!¡± ¡°Intern?!¡± Ajia turned around in surprise. Xu Xinghe finally lifted his eyelids to look back at the words, and asked strangely: ¡°Isn¡¯t our department not recruiting interns?¡± Ryan leaned over and whispered: ¡°A special recruit came in. I heard that they¡¯re someone¡¯s relative.¡± ¡°Oh. ¡°Xu Xinghe nodded, lost interest in an instant, and sent the two of them: ¡°Work is about to start, hurry up. We can talk about this later.¡± ¡ª¡ª Inside the Commander¡¯s Office on the first floor. Major General Qin Yuan leaned in front of Marshal Ling¡¯s desk, touched his chin and fell into contemplation: ¡°Do you mean the material aspect, or the spiritual aspect?¡± Ling Changfeng sat behind the large desk, his index finger gently tapping the table as he said solemnly: ¡°Both.¡± His whole person looked calm, serious and indifferent, as if he was making some important decision with his adjutant. ¡ª¡ªIt was impossible to guess the question he asked was actually ¡°what do young people like today?¡±. Qin Yuan looked at his superior with a ¡°really difficult to serve¡± expression on his face, but still answered seriously: ¡°In terms of material things, luxury cars, famous watches, fine wine¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that, these are things all grown-up men have liked forever. It has nothing to do with young or old.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him blankly: ¡°Why are you so vulgar?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I make such a long list of gifts for you before?¡± Qin Yuan gestured. ¡°Limited-edition sneakers that boys like, basketballs, jerseys signed by stars, or high-quality audio equipment, rare first edition books¡­ Tell me the truth, have you read the list that I have worked so hard to make?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­I glanced at it.¡± But he thought it was all a mess at the time. He wouldn¡¯t be giving any of it anyway, so he didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Alternatively, you can also give him a mini version of a super optical brain, with a pair of electrostatic capacitance keyboards that feels super good. After all, he graduated from the department of computer science and should be very interested in electronic equipment¡­¡± The more he spoke, the more Qin Yuan felt he wasn¡¯t being paid enough. Now he not only has to work hard in his job, but also act as Ling Changfeng¡¯s emotional advisor, and do his best for his boss¡¯s private affairs. Ling Changfeng pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and asked again, ¡°What about the spiritual1spiritual as in what one enjoys, or gets satisfaction from mentally aspect?¡± ¡°Spiritual aspect¡­¡± Qin Yuan thought for a while, then shrugged, ¡°This is more difficult to satisfy, I suggest you get to know your spouse first. His hobbies and dreams, and then do whatever you want.¡± Ling Changfeng looked up at his adjutant, and remained silent. Qin Yuan groaned in his heart: ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! Is it possible that I also want to understand this?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent for a moment, then suddenly changed the topic: ¡°I read in the book that hugs, kisses, and love between lovers are also It can achieve spiritual satisfaction.¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Yuan swayed, with an expression on his face that the end of the world was coming. ¡°What book did you read? No, why did you read this kind of book??¡± The moment his voice fell he saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flicker, and a low pressure began emanating from his body, proclaiming that no strangers should enter. Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± What did he say something wrong again?? ¡°Answer my question first.¡± Ling Changfeng said indifferently Qin Yuan shivered and carefully considered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, although you are already married, but¡­ you may not be considered a couple for the time being, so some methods that are applicable between lovers, aren¡¯t applicable yet¡­ But don¡¯t worry, the situation is stable and improving! I believe it won¡¯t take long before you can apply what you¡¯ve learned.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned and remained silent. Thinking he had fooled him, Qin Yuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when he heard his superior say, ¡°I want a detailed plan on how to ¡®apply what I¡¯ve learned¡¯.¡± After Ling Changfeng finished speaking, he got up to go to the meeting. When passing by the stiff and petrified Qin Yuan, he casually added: ¡°Give it to me within three days.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Damn! He dug a hole for himself again. ¡ª¡ª On Monday morning, Xu Xinghe spent most of his time in meetings. During the lunch break, he routinely rejected the invitation of several colleagues to go to the cafeteria for lunch, claiming that he had brought his own lunch¡ªhe had indeed brought his own lunch since last week, but he had forgotten it this morning. Xu Xinghe glanced at the time, and it was too late to order takeout now. As for the cafeteria ¨C it would be embarrassing to run into the colleagues he had just rejected. He turned off his terminal, and got up after deciding to go buy something to eat from the convenience store outside the Ark. There¡¯s a large convenience store about 200 meters from the north gate of the Ark. There are all kinds of bento in there, and the price is good. At lunch time, there are a lot of people in the dining area, but it is cleaner than the Ark canteen. Xu Xinghe bought a lunch box with cheese and pork chop omelette. As soon as he sat down, he heard a familiar voice behind him: ¡°Team Leader!!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He turned back reluctantly and asked Ajia: ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°In order to learn more, I didn¡¯t catch up with the canteen rush, so I simply came here.¡± Ajia said, she consciously took her own lunch, and walked forward to sit across from him, ¡°Exclusive gossip about the intern in our department! Would you like to hear it?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°No.¡± Ajia: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is also work-related gossip!¡± Ajia preached once more, and couldn¡¯t help spilling the beans. ¡°The intern who is about to come in seems to be a male beta, a master¡¯s student of your Capital University. I heard that their skills are terrible and they¡¯re very arrogant, and indeed came in through a relationship.¡± Xu Xinghe had just finished eating a mouthful of omelette rice, when he heard the words. He swallowed the meal slowly, and then corrected her: ¡°Your words contradict one another. Bow can graduate students from Capital University be so bad? Computers is our ace major, and notoriously difficult to get into. Even if he is related to someone, his skills shouldn¡¯t be that bad?¡± Ajia: ¡°Who said he majored in computer science? He seems to have a master¡¯s degree in finance.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He raised his head incredulously. ¡°Why study finance and enter the Ark Technology Department?¡± Ajia spread her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe they¡¯re curious. We¡¯ll know after asking. But he also seems to have a few computer certificates, and isn¡¯t a complete novice¡­ But this is not the key thing. The key is that he can enter if he wants to, which means his backstage is very strong.¡± Ajia leaned closer and whispered: ¡°I heard that it is the son of Director Wang¡¯s uncle¡¯s family.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Is this just made up?? He shook his head: ¡°You guys are really ¡®well-informed¡¯, so you can even figure it out?¡± ¡°There are no secrets in the pantry,¡± Ajia replied. ¡°The pantry?¡± Xu Xinghe asked abruptly, ¡°Is that the place where I was rumored to be pregnant?¡± Ajia: ¡°¡­¡± Because Xu Xinghe was deeply disturbed by rumors, he did not believe in these rumors, nor did he want to participate in any gossip, so he said lightly: ¡°Be kind to the new colleagues, don¡¯t let the rumors fly heedlessly.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ajia seemed to understand, so she closed her mouth obediently: ¡°Then I won¡¯t gossip anymore.¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at her: ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t have a good meal. He always felt that there was an unknown line of sight behind him, watching him from a corner. Looking around, there are many people in the dining area, so maybe someone recognized him. Team Leader Xu sighed silently, quickly settled the lunch box, and left with Ajia. After they left, a young man in glasses and a plaid shirt looked up from a table 2 tables over. The man is very tall and handsome. He wears rimless glasses and looks gentle and friendly. He sat alone in the dining area to eat, during which a little girl approached him, and he smiled and chatted with her in a gentle tone. When Xu Xinghe left, the man looked at his back, pushed his glasses, and cast a playful glance. This chapter title ¨C The intern ¨C feels kind of ominous. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates with ko-fis~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 35 Xu Xinghe felt that his luck was a little unlucky today. Forgot to bring lunch, the server in the 540-1611 area suddenly went down in the afternoon, and the ZZ system collapsed on a large scale. The entire technical department entered a heightened state to perform an emergency investigation and repair. Hundreds of people worked hard all afternoon and the crash was finally repaired after 5:00 in the afternoon. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief ¨C it seems that there is no need to work overtime. Xu Xinghe raised his head from behind his head, stretched his waist, got up and moved his muscles and bones, then put the coffee cup under the coffee machine and pressed the ¡°cappuccino¡± mode button. The next second, there was a ¡°drip drip¡± sound from the coffee machine, and then with a bang, the switch went off. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why does even the coffee machine stop working?? He slapped the machine irritably, but it stubbornly continued to strike. Helpless, Xu Xinghe struggled for two more seconds, and finally picked up the cup and walked towards the tea room. Fortunately, now is not break time and no one else was in the tea room. As soon as Xu Xinghe got his coffee, his work communication rang again. Ethan: ¡°Team leader, A64 has reported an error again, come and see¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± What happened today? Team leader Xu hurried back with the coffee cup that was just filled. Just as he ran to the corner, a figure suddenly flashed in front of him. ¡°Well¨C!¡± The two bumped into each other at the corner. The dark blue coffee cup tipped, and almost all the hot coffee spilled onto the other party¡¯s plaid shirt. Xu Xinghe almost fell to the ground, and when he stood up against the wall, he quickly apologized: ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± As soon as he looked up, he saw the other party¡¯s steaming green plaid shirt, and in a hurry, he stretched out his hand and tried to peel it off. ¡°Hurry up and take your coat off! Don¡¯t get burned¡­¡± The young man who was splashed took a light breath. After blocking Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands, he grabbed the part of the clothes that had been drenched in coffee and shook it out, preventing the hot cloth from sticking to his skin. His breathing was a little unsteady, but when he opened his mouth, his voice did not reveal the slightest pain. Instead he said calmly: ¡°Team Leader Xu is very polite, but this is not a coat ¨C I am wearing this shirt today. After taking it off, there¡¯s no more.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, stopped what he was doing, and looked up. And discovered he did not know the person in front of him. Although he didn¡¯t know him, he saw the frown on the other¡¯s brows. Seeing the clothes that were still steaming¡­ Xu Xinghe felt he was scalded. The freshly brewed coffee from the machine has occasionally scalded his hand when spilled, not to mention a whole cup dumped onto one¡¯s body. Xu Xinghe felt guilty all of a sudden, and he didn¡¯t care whether he knew him or not. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, shall I accompany you to the infirmary? Let the doctor take a look.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a small problem, I¡¯ll just go home and deal with it. The young man looked up at him and said with a smile, ¡°There are a lot of things at work today. Team Leader Xu, I¡¯ll go first.¡± The young man was handsome and sunny. At first glance, he was a little taller than him, and although his clothes were messy, his smile was very gentle. Xu Xinghe searched around in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t recall whether there was such a person in the technical department. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°My name is Gu Nai.¡± The young man pushed the rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose. He continued to laugh and said, ¡°Team Leader Xu doesn¡¯t recognize me, but I recognize you.¡± ¡°?¡± Xu Xinghe felt that the young man¡¯s words were strange. Just as he was about to speak, the work communication rang again. Gu Nai¡¯s eyes swept over the screen and said to him again: ¡°Leader Xu, work calls.¡± Xu Xinghe really should go back to work, but he felt that leaving after throwing hot coffee on him wasn¡¯t very polite. ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it when I get home, it¡¯s fine.¡± Gu Nai naturally picked up on his words, as if he knew what he was going to say. Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first. Where is your seat? I¡¯ll stop by tomorrow to apologize.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you invite me to dinner?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This change came a little too suddenly. However, he glanced at the light green plaid shirt of the other party, and the large brownish stain. Even if it was washed, 80% chance the shirt is scrapped. He felt that it was also appropriate to invite people to dinner. ¡°No problem, but I have an appointment tonight, can I do tomorrow night?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. He actually didn¡¯t have an appointment tonight, he just suddenly remembered that before going out this morning, when Ling Changfeng asked him ¡°do you want to go home for dinner?¡±, he said ¡°go home¡±. ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s settled.¡± Gu Nai smiled at him, then turned and left. Xu Xinghe pressed behind him and asked, ¡°Uh¡­what do you want to eat? Where can I find you tomorrow?¡± In the afterglow of the setting sun, Gu Nai waved to Xu Xinghe without looking back, ¡°I will come to you tomorrow. Team Leader Xu, see you tomorrow night.¡± Due to the numerous emergencies today, Team Leader Xu was forced to work overtime. When he returned to the Marshal¡¯s mansion, it was already past seven o¡¯clock in the evening. He took the time to send Ling Changfeng an email at 5:30, telling him, ¡°I may be going back later tonight, you have dinner first.¡± After the email was sent, Xu Xinghe stared at the screen, suddenly dazed. A month ago, he ate and lived alone, but now there¡¯s a sense of someone waiting for him at home. Xu Xinghe went straight to the dining room after washing his hands. As soon as he entered the door of the dining room, he was stunned: ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ling Changfeng was sitting at the other end of the long table, looking down at the evening newspaper. The tableware in front of him looked as if it had not been touched. The food on the table was still steaming. ¡°I had something today, so I came back late.¡± Ling Changfeng put down the newspaper, raised his head and looked at his little spouse calmly. ¡°Was work busy today?¡± ¡°Too busy.¡± Xu Xinghe was already hungry. Stomach growling, he didn¡¯t say much and sat down to eat. Ling Changfeng glanced at him and started silently. Midway through the meal when Xu Xinghe had basically filled his stomach, he remembered that he still had something to say. ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Right¡ª¡± Two different voices sounded at the same time. Ling Changfeng raised his eyes: ¡°You speak first.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I have an appointment with my colleague for dinner tomorrow night, so I won¡¯t come back for dinner.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned: ¡°Colleague?¡± ¡°I poured coffee over him, so I plan to invite him to have a meal near my work to apologize.¡± Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°Why do you want to treat a guest?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Otherwise? How do you usually apologize? You can¡¯t give money directly, right?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°I don¡¯t usually apologize to people.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, a courtesy is still needed. Gifts are troublesome, so it¡¯s better to go out for a meal.¡± After Xu Xinghe finished speaking, he decided to change the topic: ¡°What did you want to say just now?¡± Ling Changfeng continued persistently: ¡°If you apologize, I have a list of gifts for reference¡ª¡± After speaking, he asked casually, ¡°What gender is he?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head: ¡°I only know that he is a man. I don¡¯t know him well, or what ABO gender he is; only that I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Marshal Ling was satisfied. Xu Xinghe suddenly asked: ¡°Why do you have a gift list?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He was silent for two seconds, and began to answer Xu Xinghe¡¯s previous question: ¡°I just wanted to ask, what are your hobbies?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± His face was a little strange: ¡°Why do you ask this all of a sudden?¡± Ling Changfeng paused slightly. ¡°Curious.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He thought for a while: ¡°I really don¡¯t have any special hobbies.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°Then tell me after you finish eating tomorrow. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡± After a pause, ¡°Don¡¯t drink,¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve quit drinking.¡± ¡ª¡ª At half past six in the evening, Gu Nai returned to his bachelor pad. It¡¯s said to be a single apartment, but its actually a dilapidated rental house of thirty or forty square meters. The house is very old from the outside, and the walls are slightly moldy. The geographical location is also biased. It takes about an hour to reach the Ark, and it is a little closer to the Capital University. Although the apartment is small and crowded, it has a kitchen, bedroom, and private bathroom. There is a large table in the bedroom, on which are three terminals of different shapes, as well as half a piece of bread that he didn¡¯t finish last night. This is where he has lived for many years. Gu Nai came to the mirror in the bathroom, unbuttoned the button, and took off the plaid shirt- From the left arm to the front chest, a large swath of red covered his body. It wasn¡¯t as severe as expected, but the burnt part was still burning hot. There was no therapeutic device at home, so Gu Nai simply took a cold shower under the shower for 20 minutes, then changed into clean clothes and went out to buy medicine, and feed the stray cats. After buying medicine and applying it, he broke out in a cold sweat again. Gu Nai raised his head, looked at himself in the mirror, and suddenly smiled. It¡¯s a good start¡­ In the bedroom, a photo of a person flashed on the light-brained screen ¨C Xu Xinghe smiling sweetly in the sun. What a fake accidental collision. Baby hedgehog, you¡¯d better be more wary! Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 36 Tuesday morning at half past eight. The black military brand speed car galloped on the express air track. Ling Changfeng was in the back seat of the military vehicle, closing his eyes and resting. Xu Xinghe was sitting beside him, but he had already started replying to work emails. Xu Xinghe: ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Weren¡¯t all bugs in the Z system repaired yesterday?¡± Ethan: ¡°An error was reported again early this morning. Fortunately, it was only a small-scale system crash, otherwise Mr. Liang would definitely call you to work overtime.¡± Ryan : ¡°You¡¯re wrong Ethan, I don¡¯t think President Liang will call our team leader in the middle of the night even if he rushes to Ark to work overtime himself.¡± Ethan: ¡°?¡± Ryan: ¡°What if he disturbs Marshal Ling¡¯s rest? Then the problem is serious!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Seeing that you are so busy, I will leave the investigation work to you today @Ryan¡± Ryan: ¡°What investigation? A comprehensive investigation of the system crash?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Yes¡± Ryan: ¡°Me alone?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Bingo, work hard¡± Ryan wailed: ¡°How can this be done!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I don¡¯t care, you can do it yourself¡± Ryan: ¡°¡­Team leader, Brother Xu, Dad Xu¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Hey, eldest son, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ryan: ¡°I was wrong. I didn¡¯t know you would be shy. I won¡¯t talk about the private affairs between you and Marshal Ling again. Don¡¯t remember this villain. Let me go this time.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Focus on your own happiness. If you can¡¯t finish the investigation before you get off work, you¡¯re finished :)¡± Xiao Zhou: ¡°Team leader, where have you been? The main program of the Z server has just been attacked by hackers. Mr. Liang asked the team leaders to come to the A1 meeting room on time at 9:00.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°? Hackers are getting up so early now.¡± Ajia: ¡°Is this the point = = The point is that today¡¯s hackers are too uncivilized, and do something like this! I¡¯m busy again today.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­I¡¯m almost there, there are still ten minutes left.¡± ¡°Are you busy with work today?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head at the male voice, only to see Ling Changfeng still in his seat with his eyes closed. He probably heard the sound of typing. ¡°I¡¯m very busy. There¡¯s a lot of things going on in the Ark recently that require my attention this morning.¡± Xu Xinghe said. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ling Changfeng responded lightly and asked, ¡°Why did you still bring medicine?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Xu Xinghe pointed to the medical bag He Han had prepared before going out in the morning. But seeing that Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t open his eyes, he put down his hand and explained, ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention to you last night that I accidentally spilled hot coffee on a colleague? A little burn medicine.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and commented: ¡°You care about your colleagues very much.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Uh, thank you for the compliment?¡± Is he complimenting him? Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He opened his eyes and turned his attention to Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe blinked at his inexplicable expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t caring and helping each other courtesy among colleagues?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him, speechless for a while, and after a while he said: ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± ¡°Do you have time this weekend?¡± Ling Changfeng asked. Xu Xinghe nodded and said, ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There is a party.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°At six o¡¯clock on Saturday night, you can come with me.¡± Xu Xinghe asked curiously, ¡°What party?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t look like someone who would go to a party. Marshal Ling replied, ¡°School reunion.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled: ¡°Your military academy¡¯s school reunion?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°Then why are you asking me?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Ling Changfeng glanced at him and replied indifferently: ¡°Everyone brings their family members.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He repeated the word ¡°family¡± in his throat, as if it had a different feel. Xu Xinghe continued to ask: ¡°What do you usually do at parties? Chat and drink? Discuss military affairs?¡± He remembered that the military department had relevant confidentiality regulations. Even Mu Qingyun would not discuss important military and political matters even in front of Miles. ¡°Chatting, no drinking.¡± Ling Changfeng replied. ¡°We won¡¯t talk about confidential matters.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s just chatting?¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°But I don¡¯t have anything to talk about¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, they have topics.¡± Ling Changfeng added, ¡°Qin Yuan will be there.¡± Xu Xinghe whispered in a low voice, ¡°Can you allow me to think about it again?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him. ¡°Taking care of each other and helping each other ¨C this is also courtesy between spouses.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t understand Ling Changfeng¡¯s meaning. Going to the class reunion helps him? ¡°In exchange¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng spoke again, with a light tone. ¡°You can call me if you have any gatherings in the future. If I have time, I can try to help.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± There¡¯s no need. This is not an equivalent exchange project, okay? While they were talking, the car they were riding already entered the Ark. Xu Xinghe thought for a while, and waved to Ling Changfeng before getting out of the car: ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you out. Let¡¯s go together on the weekend.¡± As expected by Team Leader Xu, work was extremely busy all day. From the meeting in the morning, to the decision to conduct a comprehensive investigation and repair of the system, to assigning to various departments¡­ Xu Xinghe is the kind of person who will devote himself fully to his work when busy. After the meeting, he simply stayed in front of the terminal, and even lunch was eaten casually at the desk. He was so busy till 6:50pm. Xu Xinghe moved his sore shoulders, and finally got up and closed the terminal. Then he saw the medical bag he put in the corner, and couldn¡¯t help but secretly sighed deeply. How could he forget he promised to invite someone to dinner tonight! But he also said he¡¯d look for him, so why didn¡¯t he see anyone? Was he also working overtime? Just when Xu Xinghe was wondering whether to wait any longer, there was a knock on the door of the office. Xu Xinghe: ¡°Please come in.¡± The door was slowly pushed open, and a young man with rimless glasses walked in. Xu Xinghe was taken aback: ¡°Gu Nai?¡± Today, Gu Nai changed into a light pink plaid shirt, was wearing a pair of white washed jeans, and was carrying a computer bag, fitting into people¡¯s stereotype of programmers. With his thin and fair complexion, height, and thick black hair, he looked a bit like a student. ¡°Team Leader Xu.¡± Gu Nai nodded at him with a smile. ¡°I saw you were busy earlier, so I didn¡¯t dare come to disturb you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all over, let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Xinghe picked up his jacket and draped it on his shoulder. ¡°Have you decided where to eat?¡± Gu Nai said, ¡°There is a hot pot restaurant nearby. Do you like hot pot?¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I like it quite a bit.¡± Then he said slowly. ¡°Okay. But that store seems to be very popular, so let¡¯s go here¡­¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I made an appointment in advance.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°OK , then let¡¯s go. Oh, by the way, this is for you¡ª¡± He handed the medical bag to Gu Nai. Gu Nai was slightly startled: ¡°This is?¡± ¡°The medical bag contains burn medicine.¡± Team Leader Xu touched his nose. ¡°Are you okay? What about the spot that was scalded yesterday?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Nai looked at him, a smile slowly formed on his lips. ¡°Thank you.¡± Hahahaha ¨C LCF: Why are you helping him? XXH: Courtesy among colleagues LCF: ¡­ LCF: Come to my class reunion XXH: Why? LCF: Courtesy and helping one¡¯s spouse XXH: ¡­ Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 37 At 7:30 in the evening, in the Yanyan hot pot restaurant. Wrapped in a small apron1apron for food; to prevent scents/stainsXu Xinghe sat face to face with Gu Nai in front of the yuanyang2hotpot with 2 flavors2 pot, and began to cook a third plate of meat. ¡°Come, you try this too!¡± Xu Xinghe saw that Gu Nai moved his chopsticks infrequently, and only put a few dishes into the mushroom soup pot. Thinking that he was being polite3as in polite and not wanting to spend another person¡¯s money, he generously scooped a large spoonful of meat and handed it to him. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thank you, no need.¡± Gu Nai smiled and shook his head, explaining, ¡°I have a bad stomach, so I can¡¯t eat spicy food very well.¡± Xu Xinghe had happily ordered a plate of perverted spicy dishes. Team Leader Xu was stunned for a while, and took the spoon back: ¡°Then you should¡¯ve said so earlier. We didn¡¯t need to come eat hotpot. There are also other tasty restaurants nearby.¡± Gu Nai said gently: ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can still eat mushroom pot and tomato pot.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head and looked at him with regret. ¡°Hot pot that is not spicy lacks soul. After your stomach is better, let¡¯s have another meal.¡± Gu Nai smiled and nodded: ¡°Okay, then I will treat you next time.¡± Xu Xinghe was naturally polite, and thought that Gu Nai was also polite, so he didn¡¯t really care. Nodding his head, he continued to deal with the remaining plates of meat: ¡°Then you can put more in the mushroom pot, the crab roe and fish roe balls are also delicious.¡± The two of them worked together to solve the first wave of meat in less than 20 minutes. Xu Xinghe put down his chopsticks, leaned on the sofa, and planned to take a break to digest. Gu Neisi gently picked up the square towel and wiped his mouth. He asked in a warm voice, ¡°The Ark doesn¡¯t seem very peaceful recently. Do you usually work overtime?¡± Xu Xinghe replied casually, ¡°Actually, it ¡®s not bad. It was common to work overtime until 11 or 2 when I first entered the Ark. This year¡¯s much better, we once achieved 9 to 5.¡± Team Leader Xu patted his stomach, re-scanned the menu, and planned to order a drink to help cut the greasiness. ¡°The workload has been more than usual recently, but it¡¯s good. The problem was solved in time, otherwise we might not be able to eat dinner today¡­ What would you like to drink? Is sour plum juice okay?¡± Gu Nai asked: ¡°Is there dark beer?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and looked at him, ¡°You still drink?¡± Gu Nai asked with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t look like someone who can drink?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Not like that. He looked at the beer options on the menu, struggled for two seconds, raised his head and persuaded Gu Nai with a serious face: ¡°People with a bad stomach should not drink; drinking will hurt their health. I don¡¯t even drink often with my appetite. There¡¯s some corn juice, why don¡¯t we give it a shot?¡± Gu Nai looked at him for two seconds and smiled: ¡°Listen to you then.¡± Then he continued the topic just now: ¡°That¡¯s right, the Ark is the largest in the Gamma galaxy after all. There are thousands of hackers staring at the data center every day, and this wave is nothing.¡± ¡°Why? Do you still want a bigger wave?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It can¡¯t be said to be a small mess. This time the hackers had some skills. You know, 99.9% who try to invade will be intercepted by the Ark defense system, but this time they actually found a loophole¡­ However, I heard that it was also because the old team from the second group violated the rules and opened an external email, which gave the virus an opportunity. He is already a long-time employee, so who knows how he made such a low-level mistake. I¡¯m afraid he will be punished this time.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, which department do you work in? Front-end R&D department?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Gu Nai replied: ¡°No, I am also engaged in system maintenance, and am in the third group.¡± Xu Xinghe asked curiously: ¡°Then why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± Gu Nai smiled and pushed his glasses up. ¡°It means Team leader Xu doesn¡¯t care much about new colleagues.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Oh, are you newly recruited this year?¡± The third group is a large group with more than 20 people from top to bottom. They also added two new heads in this year¡¯s spring recruiting wave. It¡¯s normal for Xu Xinghe not to know everyone. Gu Nai said: ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly remembered something: ¡°Is that new intern also assigned to your group?¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°It seems that Team Leader Xu indeed doesn¡¯t care much about these things ¨C the intern came to report yesterday.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­So it is.¡± Since he showed no interest in the gossip of his colleagues, Ajia and the others seldom mention it in front of him. Even the news that the intern was going to join the third group was only because he overheard other colleagues chatting about it during his lunch break. Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Then he really studied finance?¡± Gu Nai replied, ¡°He studied a double major in finance and computer science.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°Well, that¡¯s not too outrageous. I heard he studied finance.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°But our department didn¡¯t recruit interns before, so it¡¯s quite a surprise for him to come in.¡± Gu Nai smiled and looked at him without saying a word. Xu Xinghe suddenly sighed: ¡°I almost took a double major in mathematics and computer science when I was in college, but then I became lazy and thought I would major in computer science, so it didn¡¯t happen. I should¡¯ve continued.¡± Gu Nai asked, ¡°Leader Xu wants to keep improving, so why didn¡¯t you continue to read? With your grades at the time, isn¡¯t it okay to earn a postgraduate degree or a PhD?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly froze. Silence spread between the two. After a long while, Xu Xinghe took a sip of the corn juice on the table, and then whispered: ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Gu Nai carefully looked at his face, and suddenly said: ¡°It¡¯s okay, there is no end to learning. There¡¯s still a chance if you want to. When I was in high school, I had to drop out of school at one point, and then I read it all the way to the present.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and asked curiously, ¡°Why did you drop out?¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°My family is poor. I can¡¯t pay the tuition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t tell if Gu Nai was joking. ¡°How could this be? Doesn¡¯t Capital Star already fully cover compulsory education?¡± He grew up in the Welfare Institute, and even went to university. With Capital Star¡¯s current education policy, there should be no such thing as dropping out of high school because of a poor family? Gu Nai replied with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t grow up in Capital Star.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled, speechless. Gu Nai looked at him, and suddenly said, ¡°You can start making vermicelli.¡± Only then did Xu Xinghe come back to his senses: ¡°Ah yes.¡± The two began to eat the second wave of hot pot. It was almost nine o¡¯clock in the evening when Xu Xinghe received an email from Ling Changfeng, asking if he needed to send someone to pick him up now. Xu Xinghe thought for a while, then raised his head and said to Gu Nai, ¡°How about we stop here today?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Nai nodded, his eyes swept over the electronic device on Xu Xinghe¡¯s wrist intentionally or unintentionally, and asked with a smile: ¡°Your family?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Considering that no one in the entire Ark wouldn¡¯t know who his ¡°family¡± was, Xu Xinghe answered truthfully: ¡°It¡¯s not a reminder, it¡¯s just too late, so he asked if I needed a ride.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Gu Nai said with a smile. ¡°Team Leader Xu¡¯s married life is really enviable.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback. Although he admitted that he had a great time eating the hot pot tonight and chatted a lot with Gu Nai, after all, the two of them only met yesterday. Talking about his married life so soon made him feel strange. What¡¯s more, what envy over his married life?? It¡¯s common for Ling Changfeng to not go home for two or three days. Xu Xinghe complained in his heart like this, but he opened his mouth and said: ¡°Uh¡­ I guess I won the prize.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make an appointment next time.¡± ¡°Next time.¡± Xu Xinghe settled the bill and walked out of the hot pot restaurant with Gu Nai. ¡°Go back first, I¡¯ll wait for my ride.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Gu Nai nodded and waved at him: ¡°See you next time.¡± The back quickly disappeared into the night. Xu Xinghe waited for about four or five minutes when a low-key pure black car came slowly and stopped at the door of the hot pot restaurant. Without a military license plate, it looks like an ordinary black commercial vehicle. However, Xu Xinghe recognized at a glance that it was the vehicle of the Marshal¡¯s mansion, so he opened the rear door to get in the car. As a result, the hand just touched the door handle, and the door opened from the inside. Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say send someone to pick me up?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at Marshal Ling who suddenly appeared in the back seat, a little surprised. Why did he come? Ling Changfeng turned his head to look at him: ¡°You come up first.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe knew that it was not safe to open the door like this, so he quickly got into the car, closed the door, and waited for Ling Changfeng¡¯s reply after he was seated. ¡°I¡¯m out for a ride.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± ¡°Why did you use this far? No one is following?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. In his impression, whenever Ling Changfeng is out, no matter how flamboyant it is, a marshal¡¯s safety must be guaranteed. Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°Someone is following, but you can¡¯t see it.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Ling Changfeng asked him, ¡°How was your meal tonight?¡± ¡°Not bad. What about you?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Nutrients.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± His question was superfluous. After a few seconds of silence, Ling Changfeng suddenly said: ¡°You seem to like hot pot.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°Yes, hot pot is one of my favorite foods.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°You said earlier you have no hobbies.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He really couldn¡¯t keep up with Ling Changfeng¡¯s thinking. ¡°Is hotpot also a hobby?¡± Well, if you have to say it, it is also a ¡°hobby¡±. ¡°Anyway, I really like it. Not to mention that hot pot is delicious, it also has a good atmosphere. It can bring you both physical and mental happiness.¡± Xu Xinghe interest roused at the mention of his favorite food, and he happily described the experience. ¡°Especially eating hot pot with friends. A few people getting together to chat and drink¡­ uh, tea, is very satisfying.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at his high-spirited appearance, and suddenly said: ¡°Then next time, let¡¯s eat it together.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Okay, can you eat spicy food?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Then you¡¯re lucky. My colleague had a bad stomach and couldn¡¯t eat spicy food. He ate plain soup today, but spicy hot pot tastes better. I let him nourish his stomach, and next time I will take him to experience the deliciousness of a spicy pot.¡± At his words, Ling Changfeng¡¯s mismatched pupils slowly slanted over: ¡°Next time?¡± Xu Xinghe shrugged: ¡°That said, his stomach is not good, so who knows when the next time will be.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips pursed slightly: ¡°Why is there another time?¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s normal to have hot pot appointments between colleagues.¡± Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°You used to have dinner appointments with your colleagues?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°It¡¯s not very often, but once or twice a month. Adding the appointments with my classmates, basically one meal a week.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± For a moment, Marshal Ling wanted to ask why he never received such an invitation. However, the words passed around his mouth for a while, and finally turned into a light-toned exhortation: ¡°Eating too much hotpot is not good for the stomach.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He found that Ling Changfeng can be quite fickle sometimes. ¡°Then let¡¯s make a hotpot appointment later?¡± Xu Xinghe was a little confused about what Ling Changfeng meant. Ling Changfeng: ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The black car sped through at high speed on the sky rail, passing through the bustling city center. Xu Xinghe looked at the scenery outside the window for a while, and suddenly remembered another thing: ¡°By the way, how many people will attend the class reunion you mentioned earlier?¡± Ling Changfeng replied: ¡°Tentatively five with plus ones, so there are nine people in total.¡± ¡°Huh? Who isn¡¯t bringing anyone?¡± ¡°Qin Yuan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He is currently single.¡± ¡°Ah??¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Major Qin is single?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him sideways: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xu Xinghe felt a little incredible: ¡°How can he be single?¡± Ling Changfeng asked back: ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because he is very careful and knows how to take care of people, is humorous and talkative, but also has a lot of flowery rhetoric¡­ Doesn¡¯t he call himself an omega¡¯s friend? He should be very liked by omegas, right?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He pursed his lips and said indifferently: ¡°He¡¯s too flowery.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± ¡°He¡¯s had many girlfriends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The news revealed more than five.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do all omegas like this?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly, ¡°Delicate mind, humorous and talkative, and flowery rhetoric?¡± ¡°Not all of them, but this kind of character is quite good to fall in love with. It has nothing to do with ABO attributes.¡± Xu Xinghe commented. ¡°You¡¯ll get a good sense of being cared for when dating Qin Yuan.¡± Marshal Ling felt that the air in the car was a little stuffy. He lowered his eyes, his eyes dimmed slightly. After a few seconds, he heard Xu Xinghe add: ¡°But the marriage experience may not be so good. After all, when one has too much dating experience, it will make their spouse feel uneasy, right?¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng looked up. Staring at his little spouse for two seconds, he replied lightly, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Speaking of which¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly realized something, and asked him in a low voice, ¡°Discussing Major General Qin¡¯s emotional experience behind the scenes isn¡¯t too good, right?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can talk face-to-face on the weekend.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There will be a group of people who will talk with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s face was a little strange. ¡°What do you guys usually talk about at gatherings?¡± Ling Changfeng paused slightly, as if he didn¡¯t want to continue the topic, so he simply replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go.¡± XXH and LCF¡¯s conversations are very fun. One of my fav scenes is coming up ¨C the dinner XXH has with LCF¡¯s colleagues. It¡¯s a few chapters long, and a fun read. Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 39 T/N: Thank you Tash and CattyCoopster for sponsoring 2 extra releases of SMM this week! Lots of excitement with the dinner party coming up. Rays of the setting sun streaked across the sky from the west. The pure black AA00001 galloped at high speed in the afterglow of the sunset. Inside the car, Xu Xinghe sat by the window, admiring the scenery of the golden sunset for a while, then turned around and asked Ling Changfeng, ¡°Where is your class reunion?¡± Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°A private club in the eastern suburbs.¡± ¡°It still sounds like a very high-end place.¡± Xu Xinghe looked down at his denim jacket and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this kind of high-end club require formal attire?¡± Some high-end restaurants also require diners to abide by a dress code in order to enter. Ling Changfeng thought for a while: ¡°It seems that there is such a request.¡± ¡°Ah?!!¡± ??Xu Xinghe sat up straight, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ling Changfeng said lightly. ¡°They didn¡¯t ask, you can wear whatever you want.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe leaned back on his seat and continued to ask, ¡°A total of nine people with us included?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°En.¡± ¡°What do you usually do at a party?¡± ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°And what else?¡± ¡°Chat.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It sounds a little boring. ¡°No other entertainment?¡± he asked. Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone paused slightly: ¡°They do.¡± ¡°They? What about you?¡± Xu Xinghe blinked curiously. Ling Changfeng replied without squinting: ¡°I don¡¯t participate.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Although it sounds outrageous, this is reasonable given Ling Changfeng¡¯s style. He wanted to ask more, when he heard Ling Changfeng say, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The pure black flying car slowly landed on the blue-gray stone steps. Through the cloister and the gate is a secluded and far-reaching courtyard in front. The courtyard is full of greenery. The carefully tended plants and viewing rocks adorned the courtyard just right, seeming elegant and generous. There are also two red and white koi in the pond in the center of the courtyard, each of which is more than one meter long, swimming flexibly in the pond. There was a fresh fragrance of grass and trees in the air, Xu Xinghe took a deep breath, and could not help sighing. ¡°It¡¯s a great environment here.¡± The staff in charge of the reception smiled and nodded to the two of them, and then led them inside. In the echoing silence as they walked, Xu Xinghe wondered why the reunion was held here. It¡¯s not that this place is bad, on the contrary, the environment here is very good, and this kind of quiet courtyard is definitely an excellent choice for peace of mind. But holding a noisy class reunion here¡­ even the fish in the pond will be shocked. Could it be that Ling Changfeng and his classmates were just gathering for a quiet meal without making any noise or fuss? Xu Xinghe thought about it, and suddenly several pictures of Ling Changfeng sitting and eating with people suddenly appeared in his mind. As if surrounded by several icebergs, it can instantly lower the surrounding temperature by more than ten degrees. It wasn¡¯t until he stepped into the room that Xu Xinghe realized that he thought too much. As soon as the door of the outermost suite opened, the sound of noise rushed towards him. Across the small box door that was hidden in front, one could hear Qin Yuan angrily yelling: ¡°Are you done yet?¡± ¡°Not finished, we are really curious about this matter ¨C you were the first among us to start dating, so why are you the last single?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, don¡¯t just talk nonsense, Lin Ting. Introduce another one to Lao Qin.¡± ¡°How many have I introduced to him? I¡¯ve become a love agency.¡± ¡°Boo! I don¡¯t need your introduction!¡± Xu Xinghe outside the door: ¡°¡­¡± Sure enough, the atmosphere of everyone¡¯s class reunion was similar. He looked back at the door he had just entered. The outermost wall here must be built with special sound insulation materials, and the sound in the room is completely isolated. Ordinary buildings can¡¯t achieve this quality of sound insulation. The banter in the box continued. ¡°Having said that, Lao Qin, it¡¯s not the most outrageous thing that you are single. The most outrageous thing is that Changfeng is married and you are still single.¡± ¡°Yeah, I used to think that Changfeng would be the one who might not even get married, let alone married late. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any worldly desire at all.¡± ¡°Changfeng¡¯s spouse is given by the mastermind, can it be the same?¡± ¡°Why is it different? This marriage was possible because he nodded and agreed. Didn¡¯t the mastermind assign someone to Lao Qin? As a result, after seeing the other party¡¯s information, this guy felt that their personalities were not suitable. In the end, he gave up trying to find someone and deleted his name from the matching list.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why did Changfeng agree? He and his spouse should not have met before then, right? With his character, how could he accept a matching marriage?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me? Who do I ask?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you his adjutant? A roundworm in his stomach.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, I don¡¯t dare to take this title. I asked this question on the first day he agreed, but there was no result. If you still want to know, you can ask him again in a bit. But don¡¯t ask so bluntly, after all, Xinghe is still there.¡± Outside the door, Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment. He turned his head to look at Ling Changfeng, who was still standing there like a pine tree with an expressionless face. It turns out that they really have a choice about matched marriages. So, why did Ling Changfeng agree in the first place? While Xu Xinghe was in a daze, he suddenly felt that Ling Changfeng get a little closer to him, and the back of his hand also touched the back of his own. The touched left hand shrank slightly. Before he could move away, Ling Changfeng suddenly grasped his hand. The man¡¯s palm was so hot that he shivered. Xu Xinghe¡¯s body froze, and he stayed on the spot motionless, and asked in a daze: ¡°What are you, what are you doing?¡± Incomprehension flashed across his face as he was unable to react. But he did not hide. Ling Changfeng glanced at him and said without changing his face: ¡°Go in.¡± After speaking, he pushed open the door and led Xu Xinghe into the box. ¡°I don¡¯t know how their love life is going after they get married, but I heard that they get along very well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Our middle-aged Marshal Ling is enlightened. Now instead of one, it¡¯s a set. It¡¯s set.¡± Qin Yuan was leaning on the sofa and chatting leisurely, but when he turned his head, he bumped into those odd-colored eyes that were one gold and one blue. Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± The box suddenly became quiet. Those who were chatting, drinking tea, and eating snacks a second ago all stopped at this moment and looked at the two who suddenly appeared. Everyone¡¯s eyes shifted from the faces of the two to the hands they held together, and they fell silent in shock. Xu Xinghe was a little embarrassed to see it, so he gently pulled his left hand back. ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t hold on, and actually let the little hand slip away from his palm. So his expression darkened, and he glanced at everyone in the room with a stern face. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Everyone: ¡°???¡± At this moment, in addition to Ling Changfeng and Xu Xinghe who had just entered, there were a total of five people sitting in the box. Besides Qin Yuan, there are two men and two women. Xu Xinghe had met one of them previously at the state banquet, Rear Admiral Walker Waite. Sitting next to him should be his wife, a woman who looks gentle and dignified. The woman looks very young on the outside, only about 20 or 30 years old, but her temperament is calm and elegant, not like a person in her 20s or 30s, probably well-maintained. There are also two new faces, who seem easy-going, capable, and easy to get along with. Qin Yuan stood up first and said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°Come on, let me introduce you. This is Walker Waite and his wife Elizabeth Taylor. I heard from Walker that you¡¯ve met before.¡± General Waite said with a deep smile: ¡°We¡¯ve met, I remember you.¡± Then he turned to his wife and said, ¡°This is Xu Xinghe, the young man who saved our Lao Ling from the predicament of being single for fifty years.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t dare.¡± Xu Xinghe twitched his mouth and smiled stiffly: ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Qin Yuan continued to introduce: ¡°This is Colonel Lin Ting and his wife Su Lan. By the way, Su Lan is also engaged in technology. Now she is the technical team leader of the Capital Special Action Team. She is also a graduate of our No. 1 Military Academy, and is two grades younger than me.¡± He hugged his wife and laughed very shyly: ¡°The famous flower has its owner¡­ Hey, Lan Lan, why are you pinching me?¡± Then he turned to Xu Xinghe and said, ¡°I¡¯m Lin Ting, this is my wife. Su Lan, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Xu Xinghe continued to smile: ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡± Then he turned to look at Su Lan. The latter has short, refined brown hair, beautiful and sassy, ??and waved to him with a smile. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m also from the technical department. I heard that you are the little genius of Ark. We can talk when we have time.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, and he laughed out of his dimples: ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t we exchange contact info later?¡± After a round of introductions, everyone sat down together. Waite asked, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Parrish arrived yet? He has to drink two drinks later.¡± Lin Ting said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he drinks or not, isn¡¯t this guy¡¯s wife strict? This time, he told us not to talk nonsense at the dinner table a week in advance.¡± Qin Yuan glanced at Ling Changfeng intentionally or unintentionally when he heard this, and smiled slightly. Then he commented very sharply: ¡°I¡¯m not saying that, although Parrish claims to have a strict wife, he himself looks more like that ¡®wife¡¯.¡± Just as he was talking, the door of the box was pushed open again. Brigadier General Parrish finally arrived belatedly with his spouse. Xu Xinghe looked at the door in surprise¡ª The two who came in were men. And both of them are tall and strong, strong and beautiful. For a while, he couldn¡¯t tell which one was the ¡°Parrish¡± in their mouths. Generally speaking, omega and beta¡¯s physiques are naturally smaller than an alpha¡¯s, and due to the influence of hormones, training muscles is also more difficult. From this point of view, the two people who just entered the door seem to be both alphas. One of them spoke first: ¡°Sorry, I had an emergency operation this afternoon, which took some time.¡± Lin Ting, who had just said that he would ¡°fine him two cups¡±, quickly changed his words after hearing this. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s hard work. A doctor¡¯s first priority is to save the dying and help the wounded. We understand.¡± The other man next to the doctor smiled and said to the doctor, ¡°Don¡¯t look at how nice this guy Lin Ting is now. He must be trying to trick me into drinking.¡± Lin Ting: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at his old classmate with a complicated expression. ¡°Parrish, do you know that you look like a little wife who is angry outside and goes home to complain?¡± With a slight smile, Parrish turned his head and said to Su Lan, ¡°Xiao Su, I want to confess a mistake to you. When you made a routine check last Friday, didn¡¯t you ask me if Lin Ting was with me¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Lin Ting looked at him in shock. ¡°How can you do this? This is a suicide attack, injuring one thousand enemies and yourself eight hundred!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Su Lan turned her head to look at her husband with a smile. ¡°Tell me, where did you guys go last Friday?¡± ¡°We went to dinner, don¡¯t look at me like that, we really just went for dinner! Just like tonight!¡± Lin Ting denied it, and then quickly changed the subject, ¡°Come on, let me introduce again, Xinghe, these two are Brigadier General Parrish and Dr. Lu Zimo.¡± Then he turned to Dr. Lu and said, ¡°Zimo, this is Xu Xinghe, Changfeng¡¯s partner. Are you all hungry? Let¡¯s all sit down and eat. What wine do you want to drink?¡± After greeting Brigadier General Parrish¡¯s family, Xu Xinghe approached Ling Changfeng, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t drink at class reunions?¡± Ling Changfeng said indifferently: ¡°I don¡¯t drink, they sometimes drink.¡± Saying that, dual-colored pupils slanted towards Xu Xinghe and added: ¡°But don¡¯t get drunk.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­I don¡¯t drink, I won¡¯t drink at all!¡± Just kidding, if he gets drunk again, it¡¯ll really be his social death scene. He can say goodbye to this world then! After hearing his words, Ling Changfeng studied Xu Xinghe for a long moment. He suddenly said: ¡°You can take a sip. Anyway, I am here today.¡± To drink or not to drink, ¡¯tis is the question. Hehe~ Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 40 Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at Ling Changfeng ¡°kindly persuaded¡± him and thought, isn¡¯t it more dangerous because of you?? He remembered the horrific scene after he sobered up that day, of him holding Ling Changfeng in the same bed¡­ Hehe, I never wanted to recall this in life. The corners of his mouth twitched as he replied: ¡°No need. Drinking hurts the liver, kidneys, and brain, so I should quit.¡± Hearing his words, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flashed faintly, but he didn¡¯t say any more. Instead he picked up chopsticks. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He moved his chopsticks, and everyone finally followed suit. Dinner officially started. Appetizers include foie gras with figs, king crab tartar, black truffle caviar, and sea urchin pudding. Delicious and mellow tastes burst in the mouth, making Chef Xu sigh at the perfect fusion of top-notch ingredients and cooking. Everyone started chatting while eating again. The focus of the topic was mainly on the newlyweds Ling Changfeng and Xu Xinghe, and Qin Yuan the bachelor- ¡°Where are you going for your honeymoon? Are there any arrangements?¡± Lin Ting asked. Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, but he did not answer. He didn¡¯t even raise his eyelids, and continued to pick up a piece of pan-fried foie gras with a light expression. Lin Ting also knew his temper. He didn¡¯t expect him to answer, and instead turned his attention to Xu Xinghe. The latter was slightly startled, and swallowed the food in his mouth before asking, ¡°Honeymoon??¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t newlyweds go on a honeymoon?¡± Parrish also asked, ¡°Do you have a favorite place? For example, a place with a long history, or a beautiful and quiet island, or a city in the sky full of flowers?¡± Xu Xinghe said embarrassedly: ¡°Thank you, but we don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°After a while.¡± Ling Changfeng, who was eating silently beside him, suddenly spoke up, interrupting Xu Xinghe¡¯s words. Xu Xinghe was taken aback and turned to look at him. Ling Changfeng said without changing his face: ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy recently, and I¡¯ll make up for it when I¡¯m done.¡± Unfortunately, this statement immediately ushered in a wave of complaints ¨C ¡°Ah?? What have you been busy with recently?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve both been married for more than a month, why is it still ¡®after a while¡¯? It¡¯s just that Xinghe has a good temper and can bear with you. Most people would¡¯ve complained by now.¡± ¡°Yeah Changfeng, can you still¡­¡± Waite originally wanted to ask ¡°can you still do it?¡±, but didn¡¯t dare to say it, so he changed his words abruptly. ¡°You just got married, how can you even delay the honeymoon? You can¡¯t keep delaying these things until you¡¯re an old couple, got it?¡± ¡°Even if you were busy with work before and couldn¡¯t make it, you should at least start planning from now on, and push unimportant things back, to make time.¡± Everyone complained about Ling Changfeng before turning their heads towards Qin Yuan. ¡°Old Qin, you can¡¯t do this either. How can you keep your boss so busy that he doesn¡¯t have time for his honeymoon?¡± Qin Yuan, who was shot inexplicably: ¡°???¡± This uncle1He¡¯s slandering LCF as being an old uncle never said he wanted to go on a honeymoon! Adjutant Qin felt bitter in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t expose his own boss in public, so he had to bear the blame, and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s my fault, I¡¯ll make arrangements when I go back.¡± After speaking, he turned his head and winked at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Is that okay?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The honeymoon came too suddenly. However, thanks to the Ark, there are still two weeks of honeymoon leave. It¡¯s a bit of a loss to not use it. He thought about it and nodded silently. After the appetizers were finished, the main course was served. Xu Xinghe¡¯s favorite is the bluefin tuna in the sashimi platter. Charcoal-grilled wagyu beef with special teriyaki sauce is also the best in the world. Major General Waite picked up the chopsticks and gave his wife a piece of beef. Then he asked, ¡°What else do you want to eat?¡± Lin Ting took a piece of salmon sashimi and looked at Su Lan. ¡°Can you eat this?¡± Su Lan shook her head and said softly. ¡°You can eat it yourself, I¡¯m allergic. It should be okay, but to be on the safe side, I¡¯d better avoid it for two more days.¡± Dr. Lu Zimo directly blocked Brigadier Parrish¡¯s chopsticks from holding the sashimi with his chopsticks, and instead gave him a piece of braised crocodile tail. ¡°Hasn¡¯t your stomach been feeling uncomfortable recently? Eat less seafood, and get them to bring you a bowl of congee later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Parrish nodded with a smile, and then ¡°returned¡± a piece of wagyu to his spouse. ¡°This is delicious, you can try it.¡± As the only single dog in the audience, Major General Qin Yuan Qin finally spoke up in the unbearable loving atmosphere of everyone feeding ¡°you give me a spoonful, I feed you a chopsticks.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you have your own hands? Can¡¯t you clip food normally??¡± Hearing his words, everyone cast sympathetic glances. Except for Ling Changfeng, who was still eating seriously without saying a word, everyone else¡¯s eyes seemed to say, ¡°Look at this sour man, so pitiful¡±. Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! How can this group of people be so crooked?? At this moment, he finally felt that his boss was the best, and decided not to complain about Ling Changfeng again. What¡¯s the matter? It is a good habit to eat without talking or sleep without a word, and it also helps digestion! ¡°Why can¡¯t you learn from other people¡¯s actions¡­¡± Adjutant Qin was about to preach when he saw Ling Changfeng, the eating role model in his mind, stretch out his hand and picked up the last piece of big bluefin tuna in the sashimi platter¡ª Put it firmly into the small dish in front of Xu Xinghe. Then he said lightly in the shocked eyes of everyone: ¡°I remember that you like to eat this, try it.¡± The box was quiet again. This time, not only Marshal Ling¡¯s old classmates were shocked, but Xu Xinghe, one of the parties involved, was also shocked. He looked down blankly at the tuna meat on the plate, first raised his head and stammered, ¡°Thank, thank you.¡± Then he wondered, why did Ling Changfeng suddenly give him food? Should he learn to ¡°return the favor¡±? Xu Xinghe hesitated for a moment, and finally, clipped a piece of abalone for Ling Changfeng, and whispered: ¡°This also tastes good.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°??? ¡° What¡¯s the situation? After not seeing these two for a few days, they¡¯ve progressed so fast?! By the time the meal was over, everyone was half full, so naturally they started drinking. General Waite said, ¡°I brought a bottle of wine from my house that I have kept for 70 years. It was produced by the Romany Manor in the year 259. Come and try it together?¡± Colonel Lin Ting was immediately interested. ¡°Open it. Open! A 70 year old wine is older than us, so we must try it!¡± Xu Xinghe was sucking the red crab matsutake noodles in the bowl, and also raised his head at the words. 70 year old wine? The best wine he¡¯s ever had before was only a fifteen-year-old bottle, and it was brought by a guest invited by Vincent, a rich second generation, on his birthday. No matter how expensive food is, there is always a price. Even if this meal costs tens of thousands, he can still afford it with his high salary in Ark. But good wine can be said to be priceless. A bottle of top vintage wine is several million, and are often in short supply, meaning he¡¯ll never get the chance to drink. Xu Xinghe was suddenly moved. While calling the waiter over, General Waite turned his head and said to his wife: ¡°We all drink voluntarily and according to our ability. Don¡¯t worry, we will never drink too much!¡± Mrs. Elizabeth smiled softly and her voice was also gentle. ¡°It¡¯s alright, if you drink too much, you can sleep here tonight.¡± Waite: ¡°¡­¡± He patted his chest and assured: ¡°Absolutely not drunk!¡± Lin Ting smiled and gloated. The waiter stepped forward and opened the wine cautiously. The moment the lid was pulled out, a rich and mellow wine aroma suddenly filled the entire box. The waiter picked up the bottle and began to pour wine for the crowd with graceful movements. Walking over to Ling Changfeng¡¯s side, before he could stop, he heard Marshal Ling say indifferently, ¡°No need.¡± Xu Xinghe silently waited for the waiter to come to him, thinking: As long as the other party asks, I will say ¡°OK thanks¡±. As a result, the waiter just opened his mouth, and before he even made a sound, he heard Ling Changfeng say again: ¡°He doesn¡¯t need it either.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Team leader Xu was indignant: Why did you say no for me?! With Marshal Ling¡¯s order, he could only helplessly watch the wine that had been stored in the cellar for 70 years move farther away. Ling Changfeng looked him in the eyes, and asked casually, ¡°Want to drink?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He struggled for two seconds, and finally, eager to overcome his face, whispered sophistry: ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink, but want to taste what it¡¯s like.¡± There¡¯s no way. After today, he may never be able to drink such a precious wine again. It¡¯d be a pity to miss out. Seeing him try to defend himself, a long-lost smile flashed in the dual-colored pupils. Ling Changfeng raised his head and said to the waiter in a low voice, ¡°Give him some to taste.¡± Xu Xinghe was satisfied. He watched the sweet and mellow wine slowly pouring into his glass, and suddenly thought of something. Turning sideways, he whispered to Ling Changfeng: ¡°You don¡¯t drink at all?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°No. ¡° Xu Xinghe asked curiously: ¡°Why? Are you bad at drinking?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Generally, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Qin Yuan who was sitting next to Ling Changfeng and heard their conversation couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter. ¡°The two over there, what are you talking about?¡± General Waite, who was sitting opposite, saw that Xu Xinghe had been whispering to Ling Changfeng, and couldn¡¯t help asking. Then he turned his head and said to Qin Yuan: ¡°What did you hear that was so funny? Say it, let¡¯s have fun together!¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips, his expression was cold, and he didn¡¯t say a word. Xu Xinghe replied: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just want to know how he is drinking and why he doesn¡¯t drink.¡± After speaking, he pointed to Ling Changfeng beside him. The crowd fell silent for the third time. But this time, Xu Xinghe could see that the rest of them were struggling to hold back their laughter. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across the crowd coldly, and asked blankly, ¡°It¡¯s funny?¡± ¡°Pfft, hahahaha¡­¡± Lin Ting couldn¡¯t help it any longer, and said while laughing, ¡°It¡¯s not funny, is it? It¡¯s funny, it¡¯s not funny at all.¡± Dual-colored pupils narrowed slightly. ¡°If it¡¯s not funny, what are you laughing at?¡± ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m laughing at this dish! Hahahaha, this dish looks so funny!¡± Lin Ting smiled. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°??¡± Seeing everyone¡¯s reaction, Xu Xinghe was even more curious. Black eyes looked at Ling Changfeng inquiringly for a moment, and he suddenly teased: ¡°From my experience, a person who says his alcohol intake is ¡®average¡¯ means that his alcohol intake is either very good or bad to the extreme, there¡¯s no such thing as ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯. Hearing them, you¡¯re a poor drinker?¡± Xu Xinghe smiled a little maliciously, and leaned forward to ask, ¡°How bad is it? A bottle or two of beer is enough?¡± After a pause, he asked again, ¡°What happens when you¡¯re drunk? It won¡¯t be the same as me, will it?¡± He suddenly thought, if Ling Changfeng is a crazy drunk, would he still be embarrassed to talk about himself?? Ling Changfeng squinted at Xu Xinghe. His eyes swept across his pale pink lips, and for a moment, he suddenly had the urge to shut up this little hedgehog in a special way. But in front of so many acquaintances, he finally suppressed this urge. Marshal Ling lowered his eyes, thinking to himself, he can¡¯t scare him either. Gotta take it slow. Qin Yuan put his ears open to hear this, and became curious again. He probed, bypassed Ling Changfeng and asked Xu Xinghe: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him being drunk, what are you like when drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Forget it, let¡¯s not continue this topic of being drunk or not. Xu Xinghe picked up the wine glass, shook it gently, then took a small sip in his mouth. A floral sweetness lingered on the tip of his tongue, with hidden fruity acidity on the sides, and finally at the base of his tongue was a slightly bitter taste. When it finally entered his stomach, it was mellow and smooth. Xu Xinghe let out a satisfied sigh: ¡°Good wine, really good wine.¡± Although he is not very good at tasting wine, he can still manage the basics. So he couldn¡¯t help taking another sip, and asked, ¡°How many degrees is this wine?¡± General Waite said, ¡°13%, not high.¡± Xu Xinghe was relieved. Not high, he can continue drinking! He also asked Ling Changfeng again: ¡°You really don¡¯t want to drink this wine with a low alcohol content?¡± Marshal Ling carried out his amazing self-control to the end. ¡°Not drinking.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Xu Xinghe likes to drink when eating, he won¡¯t insist on it. After hearing Ling Changfeng¡¯s repeated rejections, he thought he hated drinking, so he didn¡¯t mention it, and started drinking again. Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s blushing face, hesitating for a while between ¡°stop¡± and ¡°slow down¡±, and finally reminded him: ¡°Drink less.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Xu Xinghe gave him an ¡°OK¡± gesture. Then took another sip. So XXH did drink¡­ Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add¡¯l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page. CH 41 Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe speechlessly for a while. Even though his little spouse promised not to drink much, he poured one cup of wine after another into his mouth¡ªit was no longer a matter of yang versus yin1, it was totally yang versus yang. Although thinking about it carefully, if Xu Xinghe really gets drunk, then he¡¯s the one who will benefit. However, when he recalled that not long ago Xu Xinghe also agreed to not drink, and finally came home drunk¡­ Ling Changfeng calmly licked the tips of his teeth. Tapping his finger on the table lightly, he asked: ¡±Are you done tasting?¡± Xu Xinghe was just getting started drinking and had become more talkative, so he didn¡¯t realize the tone wasn¡¯t quite right. ¡°I¡¯ve tasted it! Compared with ordinary wines, this wine has a richer aroma and a fragrant fruity aroma. The taste is delicate and smooth, slightly sour and slightly bitter, but not astringent ¨C in short, it¡¯s a good wine. It¡¯s just that the degree is too low, and not strong enough.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± When General Waite heard this, he explained in his rough voice: ¡°How can wine be that strong? You¡¯re pretty good, this wine is only 13 degrees, you have quite a lot of stamina! Take it easy, don¡¯t get drunk.¡± Xu Xinghe started to get excited, and he said, ¡°Who¡¯s kidding, how can I get drunk with this kind of weak wine. Back on campus, I was the leader of the wine table.¡± ¡°So powerful?¡± Parrish looked at this young omega curiously. ¡°Then you must be very good at drinking?¡± ¡­and are completely two extremes with Changfeng.2 Xu Xinghe said firmly: ¡°Of course!¡± Hearing this, Ling Changfeng glanced at him lightly, but did not expose him in person. He felt that Xu Xinghe¡¯s drinking capacity wasn¡¯t too good. Because he saw him drunk twice, he felt like it was quite easy for Xu Xinghe to get drunk. But he didn¡¯t know how much Xu Xinghe drank to become like that before. That is to say, he didn¡¯t have a very precise understanding of Xu Xinghe¡¯s alcohol consumption. Lin Ting¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Ah, I¡¯m also the wine table leader of our First Military Academy, why don¡¯t we have a drink?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°Drink! But it¡¯s a waste to use this wine.¡± So he turned his head and asked the waiter, ¡°Do you have any other wine?¡± Lin Ting patted the table and said, ¡°Cheer up! If we want to drink it, drink something strong!¡± Then he turned to the waiter and said, ¡°Two bottles of crystal vodka!¡± Xu Xinghe knew that they were about to start drinking and hesitated, but felt that a real man wouldn¡¯t admit defeat at such a time. No, still gotta drink! When fighting with wine, the first thing to do is to overwhelm the opponent, so Team Leader Xu turned on his taunting skill. ¡°I have a friend whose last name is also Lin, and he can drink as much as he can eat. I don¡¯t know how many shots and bottles Colonel Lin can handle?¡± Lin Ting, who can drink thousands of glasses without getting drunk, smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s useless to talk. Drinking can only be determined on the field, won¡¯t we know if we drink?¡± Everyone booed. Only Qin Yuan noticed that something was wrong, so he silently stepped back, and started to eat the truffle eel rice in the bowl. Sure enough, the next moment, Marshal Ling spoke up. He raised his eyes and looked at Lin Ting, his tone was slightly cold: ¡°Did you get drunk before drinking?¡± Then he turned to look at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Is this what you mean by not drink too much¡¯?¡± Feeling the sudden chill, the smile in Lin Ting¡¯s face froze, and he couldn¡¯t help shivering. Seeing this, his wife Su Lan also patted him and persuaded: ¡°You, ah, you¡¯re already in your fifties, what kind of drinking are you doing with children in their twenties? Winning is shameful, losing is even more shameful, isn¡¯t it enough?¡±¡± After a pause, she threatened again, ¡°If you really get drunk here tonight, you don¡¯t have to come home.¡± Although the atmosphere at the wine table was a bit rowdy, Lin Ting himself was completely sober. Sensing that something was wrong, he hurriedly called the waiter who was going to open the vodka, and waved him away. However, Xu Xinghe, who was drunk, was not fully sober. He looked at Ling Changfeng for a moment, and then began to joke: ¡°When did I say ¡®not drink too much¡¯?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at his little spouse with a bit of anger and humor, but his tone was still indifferent: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to taste the wine? Now that you¡¯ve tasted it, can¡¯t you stop it?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him fearlessly: ¡°I haven¡¯t tasted enough yet! To be honest, are you feeling bad for wasting this good wine? So you¡¯re reluctant to give it to me?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He took a deep breath, his voice still calm and said: ¡°Yes, I feel bad for wasting the wine, one bottle less is one bottle less, so can you drink less?¡± Unexpectedly, General Waite suddenly added, ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad! I still have two bottles of this wine at home. If you like it, I will send it back to you¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his wife gently nudged her with her elbow. Qin Yuan silently supported his forehead by the side, thinking ¡®he can really speak.¡¯ Sure enough, before Xu Xinghe could say anything, Ling Changfeng cast a cold gaze again: ¡°Are you drunk too?¡± Waite: ¡°¡­¡± He was stared at by those cold and stern eyes for two seconds. Shivering involuntarily, he immediately changed his tone, ¡°Shall I send you a wine chocolate?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°??¡± From wine worth millions of dollars to hundred dollar wine chocolates, this gap is too big. Too big. Ling Changfeng turned his head and said to Xu Xinghe with a blank expression: ¡°This should be enough, you¡¯ve drank too much.¡± Xu Xinghe was probably the only person present who didn¡¯t panic in the face of Ling Changfeng¡¯s cold face. However, his attitude suddenly took a 180-degree turn, and he smiled at Ling Changfeng and said, ¡°You can¡¯t waste fine wine. Since you¡¯re not drinking, then of course I have to drink your share..¡± After speaking, he naturally hooked Ling Changfeng¡¯s wine glass in front of himself. ¡°I want to drink double.¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips slightly when he heard the words, and his eyes flashed as he looked at his little spouse. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t realize it, but his words ¡°your share¡± easily pleased the Alliance Marshal who was originally slightly dissatisfied ¨C In his words, he and Ling Changfeng were automatically divided into the same camp, as if they were a family. Ling Changfeng thought quietly that they were indeed a family. He nodded and replied in his usual low voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Then the conversation changed: ¡°But you have to control the amount yourself, if you dare get drunk¡­¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand and interrupted him: ¡°No way! ¡° Ling Changfeng looked at the brazen little hedgehog and asked blankly, ¡°What if you¡¯re drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while, then asked tentatively, ¡°Then you won¡¯t let me go home?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± There was another burst of laughter at the dinner table. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Changfeng? If you have this ability, let¡¯s see if you dare shut your wife out?¡± ¡°Plus one!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this, if your wife¡¯s drunk there¡¯s even less of a reason to let them stay outside alone.¡± Ling Changfeng ignored everyone¡¯s jokes and taunts, and turned his head to stare at Xu Xinghe intently. His eyes gradually became darker. Feeling the gaze, Xu Xinghe turned his head to meet a pair of dual-colored pupils. His whole body was slightly stunned, as if there was a subtle current rising from the spine. Although the alcohol has begun to affect him, it didn¡¯t not prevent him from feeling some of Ling Changfeng¡¯s strong emotions. For example, now¡­ Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes seemed to be devouring him. Xu Xinghe had a subtle premonition in his heart, and the next moment, he saw Ling Changfeng leaning forward and leaning towards him. ¡°What, what are you doing? ¡°Xu Xinghe blinked, watching the stern face getting closer and closer to him, but he didn¡¯t hide, and asked dumbly. Ling Changfeng continued to approach until he was next to Xu Xinghe¡¯s face. His thin lips approached Xu Xinghe¡¯s earlobe, and he let out a hot breath. In his ear, he whispered in a voice that only two people could hear: ¡°If you get drunk again this time, I will record your drunken state and play it on a loop.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! What beastly behavior is this?! Xu Xinghe was instantly frightened. His remaining rationality made him unable to even care about the fine wine as hurriedly pushed the glass forward, and raised his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking anymore!¡± Ling Changfeng straightened up with a blank face, and the two returned to a normal safe distance. He lowered his eyes and snorted softly: ¡°En.¡± His blue and gold eyes were half-covered by his eyelids and long eyelashes, making it difficult to see his emotions. At that moment, he almost blurted out ¨C ¡°If you get drunk again this time, something might really happen to us.¡± Ling Changfeng remembered the strange, fascinating scent of flowers that night. As soon as Xu Xinghe was drunk, the world smelled so good. And he wasn¡¯t sure if he had such a good concentration all the time that he could resist falling prey to an alpha¡¯s innate desire. ¡ª¡ªIf he gets drunk again, he¡¯s afraid that he will do something. The drunk flower put away the thorns to protect itself, and suddenly became docile and clingy. The buds that bloomed in the middle of the night exuded bursts of fascinating fragrance, gently entwining in his heart, and every petal was dyed with a fascinating smell. This smell gave him ulterior motives and made him selfish. ¡ª¡ªIf he gets drunk again, he wants to do something. Ling Changfeng picked up the cup and took a sip of the cold tea. He suppressed the conflicting feelings in his heart. The hiccup was over, and everyone started chatting lively again. Lin Ting likes to drink. Since he can¡¯t drink with Xu Xinghe, he asked Waite to drink with him. Parrish used to be able to drink very well, but his stomach isn¡¯t very good anymore, and with his spouse, a doctor, watching, he didn¡¯t dare to be too presumptuous, so he just took a few sips symbolically. Xu Xinghe was already 80% full, and couldn¡¯t drink anymore. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bored sitting in the seat, so he could only silently start on dessert. Ling Changfeng suddenly asked, ¡°Did you drink a lot when you were in college?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded without realizing it, and even bragged proudly, ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t I mention that I often go out to dinner parties? Of course one has to drink at a dinner party.¡± Ling Changfeng tapped the table lightly, and asked casually, ¡°How many times have you been drunk outside?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°Not much, although I didn¡¯t know what I looked like when I¡¯m drunk before, but I more or less knew my limits, so I didn¡¯t get drunk when drinking with people I don¡¯t know well.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him. ¡°You are quite self-conscious.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head: ¡°Of course.¡± After speaking, he subconsciously wanted to pick up the wine glass and take another sip, but the moment he touched the goblet, his fingers paused, and he finally picked up the water glass beside it. After being warned by Ling Changfeng just now, Xu Xinghe actually planned to stop. Unfortunately, he was late. He was deceived by the low alcohol percentage of the wine and underestimated the wine¡¯s staying power. Waite and Lin Ting, who were drinking heavily, were yelling at each other for some reason, and began bickering with each other: ¡°You have no right talking about this, just listen to me.¡± Lin Ting refused to accept: ¡°Whoever can drink at the wine table is who I listen to!¡± Xu Xinghe, who was sitting on the side, suddenly raised his head, and slapped the table: ¡°I can drink! Listen to me!¡± Everyone in the conversation stopped their movements and turned their heads together to look at Xu Xinghe. Ling Changfeng frowned, stretched out his hand and waved in front of him. Xu Xinghe looked at him and said loudly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°Drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe replied confidently, ¡°Not drunk!¡± Ling Changfeng originally wanted to ask ¡°Who am I?¡± but he was afraid that his spouse had entered the stage where there is no distinction between humans and animals, and will make some earth-shattering remarks like last time. So, he tentatively stretched out three fingers and asked, ¡°How many is this?¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly dissatisfied. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Three!¡± Ling Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°Then who am I?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him for a while. Ling Changfeng suddenly had an ominous premonition. ¡°Big cat?¡± CH 42 Ling Changfeng¡¯s temple throbbed twice. A strange silence fell on the dinner table again. However, the silence this time was different from the previous ones. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were no longer pure shock, fear, or forced smiles. Rather, it is a diverse expression of shock, fear, and forbearance of laughter. General Waite, who was already a little drunk, widened his eyes, and opened his mouth to ask: ¡°What did he just say? What cat?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head and repeated loudly: ¡°I said, this is my big ca¡­ uh! Uuuuuu!¡± This time, Ling Changfeng made a quick move the moment he opened his mouth, and covered Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth. Unfortunately, he was still half a beat too late. Everyone finally heard and finally dared to be sure that what Xu Xinghe was talking about was a big cat, and it was their majestic Marshal Ling himself. The pot exploded. The atmosphere, from the silent silence just a moment ago, suddenly turned into a volcanic eruption-like uproar. ¡°Pfft, hahahaha, big cat? Help! What¡¯s with this description??¡± ¡°Xiao Xu awesome! So brave!¡± ¡°Hahaha I can¡¯t anymore! How do you feel now, Lao Ling1? Did he call you that before??¡± ¡°Is this some kind of special thing between you?¡± ¡°Hahaha, who though of it?¡± Like his friends who had never seen Xu Xinghe drunk before, Ling Changfeng and them had only heard people describe him as ¡°lion¡±, ¡°tiger¡±, ¡°eagle¡± and other animals. Across the entire Gamma galaxy, or even the entire Alliance, no one would associate this ¡°Black God of War¡± with a soft and arrogant plush creature like a cat. Lin Ting was out of breath from laughing. He stopped drinking alcohol, and stopped arguing with Waite. Instead, he hooked Waite¡¯s shoulder and smiled, ¡°Hahaha Changfeng, you have a new nickname! Let me prophesize ¨C this nickname will appear at your annual class reunion in the future, and it will take at least ten years to forget! Oh no, maybe it will follow me to the grave! Hahaha¡­¡± Ling Changfeng, who was the center of discussion, did not speak. He didn¡¯t even look at his old classmates. The pair of different pupils stared at Xu Xinghe wholeheartedly from beginning to end. Before he could cover the little mouth of this guy, he vaguely heard ¡°mine¡±- My big cat. With this prefix, it seems that even this embarrassing and absurd name can be accepted in an instant. The only person who was unhappy at the table was Xu Xinghe. ¡°Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu!¡± He struggled to escape from Ling Changfeng¡¯s claws, but the opponent was so much stronger than him that he couldn¡¯t break free. Seeing that it was too difficult, Xu Xinghe suddenly became quiet. Raising a pair of black eyes of the deer, he looked at Ling Changfeng eagerly. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Facing that gaze, he can only be soft-hearted. He looked away and wondered if this guy would continue to speak amazingly after letting go of his hand. However, before Marshal Ling could finish thinking, the next moment, his fingertips suddenly trembled, and he pulled back his hand like an electric shock¡ª Xu Xinghe licked his palm. The slippery and soft touch suddenly exploded in the palm of his hand. Itchy, ticklish. Ling Changfeng looked up to see Xu Xinghe who had successfully counterattacked smirking. Inadvertently, he gently licked his pale pink lips, like a cat who had succeeded in stealing fish, smiling very proudly. Completely unaware that he was fanning the flames. His lips were full and charming with a natural smile. The mismatched pupils fixed on these pink lips, and the light in the eyes flickered dimly. An invisible storm surged in his eyes. Xu Xinghe finally broke free from the devil¡¯s claws, and after a while, he suddenly realized something again, widened his eyes, turned his head and began to question Ling Changfeng: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me talk just now?¡± ¡°Hahaha yeah, Changfeng, why? Don¡¯t let people talk? He didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Parrish smiled and gloated beside him. When Xu Xinghe heard that someone was supporting him, he became even more confident: ¡°Look! The obedient Parrish2also said that I was right!¡± Parrish: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe silently. Although the other party has already started his drunk talk, he has not yet entered the stage of hugging. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take for his little spouse to become the same as last time ¨C Fragile, soft, lovely. Can¡¯t wait to be by his side all the time. That person¡¯s eyes were full of attachment that night. Even today, whenever he recalls that evening, his heartbeat still slows by half a beat. Ling Changfeng thought for three seconds and decided to evacuate in time. He didn¡¯t want others to see Xu Xinghe¡¯s real appearance after being drunk. No one can. Not even a moment. Unexpectedly, as soon as the evacuation plan was announced, it was opposed by many of his old classmates and Xu Xinghe himself. ¡°Why did you leave so quickly? Didn¡¯t we just start?¡± ¡°Yeah, we just finished eating, and the second half hasn¡¯t started yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early, let¡¯s talk for a while before leaving.¡± Waite suddenly said, ¡°Yeah, eat and drink enough, and we can also go to the box upstairs to sing a song? By the way, call a few more¡ª¡± This time, Parrish quickly covered his mouth with his hands and stopped his next rant: ¡°Brother, if you have enough food and drink, can you please shut up?¡± Waite also finally realized that this party was different from usual. He also came with his wife. He turned his head, looked at his wife beside him stiffly, and began to add: ¡°That is, what song do I sing with a tone-deaf person! Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go.¡± Dr. Lu Zimo¡¯s ears moved, and he turned to Parrish with eyebrows raised. ¡°Call a few more what?¡± ¡°Call a few more snacks, food.¡± Parrish smiled awkwardly. Dr. Lu¡¯s eyes were a little playful and a little probing making Parrish¡¯s scalp tingle. He asked softly, ¡°When you met before, you didn¡¯t ask for a special service before, right?¡± Su Lan laughed as she looked at her husband Lin Ting, who suddenly became alert and winked at his remaining classmates, and snorted: ¡°No wonder everyone was so nervous before coming here.¡± There was no sound at the dinner table. Everyone tacitly decided to go home to come up with an explanation for the impending cross-examination on this issue. In the silence, only Xu Xinghe asked curiously: ¡°Special service? What special service? Is it a callgirl?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Others: ¡°¡­¡± Even if he knew Xu Xinghe would not remember what happened when he was drunk, Marshal Ling explained to the person in front of him, ¡°No.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± He wasn¡¯t finished yet, and continued to explain: ¡°As I said before, I don¡¯t take part in any entertainment activities.¡± If it weren¡¯t for his lack of courage, Parrish would almost want to cover Ling Changfeng¡¯s mouth. He hurriedly turned his head and explained to his own family¡¯s Dr. Lu: ¡°Singing ah, it¡¯s just singing. With so many people together, can we do anything out of the ordinary? Don¡¯t worry, I will never do anything to wrong you!¡± Dr. Lu gave him a leisurely look: ¡°Have a thief¡¯s heart but no thief guts, right?¡± Then he left five words: ¡°Go back home and talk.¡± Everyone stopped making a fuss now, and began to explain to their partners. Ling Changfeng turned to Xu Xinghe again and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Xu Xinghe still shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Ling Changfeng asked him, ¡°Why are you staying?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°I can have two more drinks!¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him with a calm expression and said nothing. Xu Xinghe shrank his neck when he saw it, and couldn¡¯t help but change his words: ¡°I¡¯ll stay and sleep?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­You¡¯re very self-conscious.¡± He got up and took the initiative to pick up Xu Xinghe¡¯s denim jacket, then bid farewell to his friends. ¡°Xinghe is drunk. I¡¯ll take him back first, and we¡¯ll meet again next time.¡± Hearing his words, Xu Xinghe refused: ¡°Who said I¡¯m drunk?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°I said.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Why do you say I¡¯m drunk? A marshal can slander people at will?¡± Ling Changfeng paused for a moment, and suddenly suspected that Xu Xinghe did it on purpose just now. He asked blankly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that I¡¯m a cat?¡± He kept his eyes fixed on Xu Xinghe while speaking. ¡°Who the hell am I?¡± He actually wanted another answer in his mouth than ¡°my big cat¡±. Xu Xinghe was stunned. He tilted his head and looked at Ling Changfeng for a long time, his eyes gradually blurred: ¡°You are¡­¡± Ling Changfeng saw that he was beginning to fall into a daze, and his heart moved. He shook off his coat. He put a hand on Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulder, then wrapped one hand over his shoulder, and said in a low voice, ¡°Go home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± This time, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t fight back. His tone and volume also softened by a couple of notches. Seeing this, everyone present didn¡¯t stop them anymore. After promising to meet again in the near future, they also got up to send the two to the door. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t say a word the whole time, and followed Ling Changfeng closely. And Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand was always on his shoulder, as he took his person all the way into the car. in the car. Xu Xinghe sat quietly by the window, silent, just staring at the night outside the window in a daze. Ling Changfeng has already started to think, how to face the next storm. He informed He Han to prepare hangover medicine, and planned to have Xu Xinghe drink it after getting back. But when he turned his head, he saw Xu Xinghe¡¯s dazed and well-behaved appearance, as well as his pink cheeks due to drunkenness. He had to admit¡ª Actually, he had some expectations. Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes, held back for a moment, and suddenly turned his head to look out the window on the other side. He didn¡¯t dare think about it, or even look back. The two of them started looking at the scenery from left to right. The inside of the car was unusually quiet. After a while, Ling Changfeng suddenly felt the person move towards him. His heartstrings tightened slightly, but he didn¡¯t move. Pretend not to know and keep looking at the scenery. Seeing this, Xu Xinghe moved again. Get closer, get closer¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ling Changfeng finally spoke, but he still didn¡¯t look back. His mind was no longer on the outside scenery, but his eyes still drifted out of the car window. He could feel that Xu Xinghe was very close to him, and he was about to touch him. Xu Xinghe, who was asked, did not answer, and was still approaching Ling Changfeng little by little. Just as Ling Changfeng was about to speak again, his voice suddenly fell back into his throat. His hand hanging by his side was moved twice by a few nimble fingers. As Xu Xinghe lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you ignoring me?¡± CH 43.1 T/N: Check out my new modern day, entertainment BL project here! The first chapter was posted this week. -K Thump- Thump- Ling Changfeng could clearly hear his own heartbeat. The voice was sticky and soft, flowing lightly into his ears, wrapping around his heart a few times. The speeding car zoomed on the empty track, ignoring the street lamps floating in the night sky. The mismatched pupils reflecting the lights of thousands of homes in the sky flickering on and off with the passing scenery. Even Ling Changfeng, who had superior concentration and willpower, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer at this moment. He abruptly withdrew his hand and grabbed the restless paw in his palm. Ling Changfeng turned his head, Xu Xinghe was less than twenty centimeters away from him, and his big black eyes stared at him without blinking. The small hand held in the palm was cold, and it was quietly curled up in his palm. The Adam¡¯s apple rolled, Ling Changfeng opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡± His voice was already slightly hoarse. Xu Xinghe blinked and asked, ¡°Why are your hands so hot?¡± Ling Changfeng suddenly realized¨C It was not Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands that were cold, but that his own body temperature was rising. A stream of heat rose from his spine and quickly flowed through his limbs. Heating his body up all over. However, Xu Xinghe still leaned forward again without fear of life, and pasted half his body next to him. The car was filled with the unique sweetness of that person¡¯s pheromone. Filled with joy and haunting dreams. Ling Changfeng asked in his slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Xu Xinghe sniffed around him, like a puppy looking for food, and gave a nonsense answer, ¡°You really smell nice.¡± His fluffy hair followed his movements and gently brushed across Ling Changfeng¡¯s sensitive neck. The latter¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and an indescribable emotion flashed across his eyes. This is a closed and private little world. Marshal Ling¡¯s car today has a front and rear fully partitioned design, and the cockpit and the inner cabin do not communicate with each other, so the people sitting in the driver¡¯s seat and the co-pilot can¡¯t hear anything that happens in the back seat. The car glass is also one-way visible, not to mention that there is no one on the special track tonight. So at this moment, in such a confined space, they seem to be able to do whatever they want. Ling Changfeng stretched out his free right hand and gently brushed the soft broken hair in front of Xu Xinghe¡¯s forehead. ¡°Those intimate behaviors after marriage¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng asked in a hoarse voice: ¡°Are they acceptable?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him: ¡°For example, stomach rubs, brushing hair?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the little spouse who still treats himself as a cat after being drunk, he wondered if he should stop those unspeakable thoughts of his this time. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Ling Changfeng was silent for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s those between spouses, intimate acts.¡± Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°For example?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him for a while, then suddenly stretched out his hand and tapped the glands on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck gently. The calloused index and middle fingers touched the small scar. Gently rub it. Xu Xinghe shivered. That sensitive and fragile skin, especially can¡¯t stand provocation. However, Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand seemed to be glued, and he stayed there and didn¡¯t leave. Some techniques are self-taught. As an alpha, Ling Changfeng seemed to have a natural knowledge of how to mark, how to ask an omega, and how to satisfy the other party. Xu Xinghe¡¯s breathing became a little faster. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this¡ª¡± He frowned and shrank back, as if a layer of fog rose in his eyes, and his voice trembled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes changed, looking at Xu Xinghe¡¯s with unbridled and unconcealed desire. He clearly saw that Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were flushed light red, and even a little teary. At this time, the dodginess of prey is a kind of false refusal and welcome temptation for a hunter. ¡°It¡¯ll be comfortable in a while,¡± he said in a low voice. His voice seemed softer than ever. There were storms in his eyes, the sky was falling apart, and it was difficult to control himself. Ling Changfeng put his palm on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck, supported his head with his five fingers, and sent others to him. The distance between the two was getting closer and closer, and the scorching breath rushed to the face. The two lips were getting closer and closer, as if a kiss was about to happen. The next moment, Ling Changfeng suddenly stopped. Under the pale moonlight and the warm street lamps, he saw something rolling down from the corner of Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes. Leaving a bright trace. Ling Changfeng¡¯s movements froze instantly. He silently observed the redness at the end of the man¡¯s eyes¡ª Wet eyes. It wasn¡¯t because of what I thought. Xu Xinghe seemed to be really crying. Like being bullied. Such undisguised grievances can arouse a person¡¯s reason more than words. The pearl-like tears fell silently, like a switch, instantly cutting off all distractions and impulses in his heart. Ling Changfeng let out a long sigh and let go of the hand on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck. He felt that Xu Xinghe was probably sent by god to restrain himself. He could easily provoke his enthusiasm, making it difficult for him to control himself, and could easily stop this enthusiasm and rein him in. Xu Xinghe, who had lost restraint, did not move, and still looked at him with a pair of wet eyes. He resembled a small stone sculpture, motionless. Tears streamed down the corners of his mouth, carving a long tear on the left side of his face. Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze remained on his lips for a moment, and he suddenly thought that if Xu Xinghe was smiling now, there would have been a small dimple here. He raised his hand again and wiped the tear from his left cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t mess with you, don¡¯t cry.¡± His voice was still hoarse, his blood was still hot, but his mind had calmed down. He didn¡¯t ask anything, didn¡¯t say anything, but said in a gentle voice as if coaxing a child: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Go home and take hangover medicine first, then go to sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine.¡± He thought to himself, Xu Xinghe will still have to drink less alcohol in the future. Now that it¡¯s like this, it can be regarded as self-inflicted. Xu Xinghe stayed motionless for a while, and then started to get restless again. After being drunk, he was always uneasy and clingy. Always want to hold onto something, or find a safe harbor to lean on. He stared at Ling Changfeng for a moment, as if he had forgotten what the other party had just done in the blink of an eye. Then he stuck next to his big cat again, tilted his head, and leaned down on Ling Changfeng¡¯s shoulder. Ling Changfeng¡¯s body froze slightly. This is the first time Xu Xinghe has put his pillow on his shoulder. His whole head was buried in the socket of his neck, unreserved and full of dependence. He shouldered countless responsibilities and expectations on his shoulders, but at this moment, facing Xu Xinghe¡¯s reliance, he suddenly panicked. Freezing in place, not daring to move. Afraid he¡¯ll be uncomfortable. The simple action that had nothing to do with any lust sealed Marshal Ling right up. But the right hand holding Xu Xinghe never let go. Ling Changfeng silently took a few deep breaths to calm his voice. Then he asked Xu Xinghe: ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Xu Xinghe rolled his head, found a more comfortable place to lean on his neck, and replied in a soft voice: ¡°A little scared.¡± ¡°Scared? Of what?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No answer. ¡°Can you turn on a light?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly said softly, ¡°It¡¯s so dark in the car.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s right body didn¡¯t move, and he stretched out his left hand to turn on the small headlight above. He knew that Xu Xinghe had something buried in his heart. He wanted to explore it, but he didn¡¯t dare to delve into it. He¡¯s afraid of self-defeat. If he¡¯s not careful, he will break the defense line carefully built by the other party. So contradictory, so careful, so restrained. In the dark night, the two cuddled together. The street scene outside the window faded away, and the bustling silence of the city was no more. Ling Changfeng was in a trance-like illusion, as if the two of them could keep leaning on like this until the sea was drained, the rocks turned to dust, and the world withered. When he returned to the Marshal¡¯s mansion, He Han was already waiting in the hall with hangover medicine. Suuuurre, Marshal Ling. We all know you reeeallly want to avoid the baby hedgehog¡­ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 43.2 T/N: Thank you Rii and Cocole for the ko-fis and sponsoring 2 more releases of SMM this week! After the previous experience of drunk Xu Xinghe hugging Ling Changfeng in front of a large audience, the housekeeper was very ¡°considerate¡± this time and asked everyone else to avoid the main areas, leaving only himself on standby. The situation this time was much better than He Han expected. The two walked in holding hands, like an ordinary couple¡­ Well, not completely ordinary. He Han stared at his own marshal¡¯s hand, was stunned for two seconds, and then came forward to deliver the medicine as if he had just woken up from a dream. Then, Xu Xinghe started to make trouble. ¡°What is this? I won¡¯t drink.¡± He said, and ducked back. He was pulled back by Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s hangover medicine.¡± Marshal Ling personally took the pills and water cup from the steward, and said to Xu Xinghe in a warm voice: ¡°Be good, go to bed after taking it.¡± Xu Xinghe still insisted: ¡°I won¡¯t take it.¡± Ling Changfeng continued persistently: ¡°You¡¯ll be comfortable after.¡± He Han was stunned as he watched the two confront each other for a few back and forth. On one hand, he was amazed and wondering when the marshal became so gentle, patient and good-tempered, and on the other, he silently backed away as the two masters of the mansion continued to confront each other. Xu Xinghe pursed his mouth and shook his head in the face of Ling Changfeng¡¯s offensive, expressing strong rejection. Ling Changfeng saw that Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t take well to soft persuasion, so he planned to use the hard route.1as in gentle doesn¡¯t work, so force it¡¯ll have to be He pulled Xu Xinghe in front of him. The plan was solid. The first step was to pinch his chin, let him open his mouth, and then thrust the pills into the depths of his mouth and throat with lightning speed. Then lift his chin, and the medicine would naturally be swallowed by him, even water. Unfortunately, before the plan was implemented, Xu Xinghe moved his other hand up. Grabbing Ling Changfeng¡¯s right hand with both hands, he shook it gently, his tone was soft and glutinous: ¡°I won¡¯t drink, don¡¯t feed me¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± The plan immediately sunk. It was difficult for him to say ¡°no¡± to Xu Xinghe like this. ¡°Are you really not taking it? It will make you feel better afterwards.¡± Ling Changfeng asked, but he had already put down the water glass and put away the medicine. Xu Xinghe still shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m not uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Well, then you should go to bed early.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, but did not let go. He looked at Ling Changfeng. It was still those two words: ¡°Accompany me.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t speak, Xu Xinghe lowered his long eyelashes and looked pitiful: ¡°I want to find someone to talk to with me.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s adam¡¯s apple rolled. He could do nothing to his young spouse, and after a few seconds he was defeated: ¡°Okay.¡± So he stepped into Xu Xinghe¡¯s bedroom again at night. He was pulled in by Xu Xinghe himself. The drunk Xu Xinghe obviously didn¡¯t realize how this was an act of bringing a wolf into the room. He even changed his clothes in front of Ling Changfeng. The clean and flat white shirt on his body has become wrinkled after some tossing in the car. The buttons on the neckline were also open two, messily open. The suet jade-like skin and the thin and pronounced collarbone fell into Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. Ling Changfeng stared straight at it for a few seconds, and finally turned his back before he unbuttoned the last button. Take two deep breaths. Xu Xinghe must take a bath before going to bed. This is an iron rule that will not change whether he is drunk or sober. Ling Changfeng turned his back to him, listened to him press open the bathroom door, and suddenly asked, ¡°Do you need me to accompany you?¡± He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. Don¡¯t know if it was because the estrus period had completely passed, but after getting drunk this time, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t seem to be so dependent on his pheromones. At least he didn¡¯t ask him to take a bath with him. He can¡¯t eat or drink now2re: sex, so isn¡¯t he just looking for trouble asking more questions? It¡¯s a pity that once asked, you can¡¯t unask it. At this moment, Xu Xinghe certainly would not refuse his proposal: ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng froze for a moment. Xu Xinghe walked into the bathroom first, and a voice came from inside¨C ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in?¡± When Xu Xinghe urged him for the third time, Ling Changfeng finally walked into the bathroom. The sound of water crashed on the marble tiles, and the water vapor in the bathroom was hazy. On the inside of the glass, Xu Xinghe¡¯s slender pale body was fully reflected in his eyes, and it caught him off guard. Ling Changfeng¡¯s breath stagnated, he turned his head quickly, and lowered his eyes. His voice was hoarse again: ¡°Hurry up and wash.¡± After speaking, he worried that his tone was too stiff, which would make the little guy unhappy, so he quickly added: ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Xu Xinghe was obedient and finished washing in less than six or seven minutes. He wrapped his bathrobe consciously and walked out of the bath. Ling Changfeng heard the footsteps behind him getting closer, and his back stiffened slightly. The next moment, two warm paws put on his shoulders and pushed him out of the bathroom. Ling Changfeng was pushed by Xu Xinghe to the side of the bed. Seeing that he opened the quilt and was about to dig in, he couldn¡¯t help but reach out and hook the collar of his bathrobe: ¡°Go blow your hair first, be careful of catching a cold.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s bathrobe was not fastened tightly, so a large piece of his chest was exposed the moment he tugged on it. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He quickly let go, and silently called the housekeeping robot. Xu Xinghe sat obediently in the chair, while enjoying the hair blowing service of the housekeeping robot, while staring at Ling Changfeng: ¡°You are not allowed to go.¡± Ling Changfeng stayed by his side, nodding calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± When his hair was dry and everything was over, Xu Xinghe finally got his wish and lay down on the big soft bed. He covered his little quilt, only showing his head, and smiled at Ling Changfeng generously: ¡°You come in too.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at the other party¡¯s calm smiling face, and sighed in his heart. Here he goes again. Xu Xinghe faced him: ¡°Let¡¯s chat now.¡± Ling Changfeng also looked at him. ¡°You spent so much time to find someone to chat with?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°I¡¯m afraid and want to find someone to accompany me.¡± At night when drunk, he is always very insecure, and needs to find someone to spend this long night with him. But if he doesn¡¯t have the right person by your side¡­ That¡¯s okay. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were sparkling: ¡°Thank you.¡± His tone was cute and sincere, but it only made Ling Changfeng sigh in his heart. It wasn¡¯t something to be thankful for. He asked him: ¡°Anyone can do it?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°If it¡¯s an acquaintance.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes, he knew that Xu Xinghe had many acquaintances. Classmates, colleagues, they¡¯re all acquaintances. They may have all seen Xu Xinghe¡¯s clingy appearance after being drunk. Thinking of this, Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart flashed a trace of uncontrollable irritability. ¡°Any acquaintance?¡± he asked again. Xu Xinghe said: ¡°It¡¯s better if it¡¯s you.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Because I smell good?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes darkened: ¡°Well, go to sleep.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Xu Xinghe shaking his head: ¡°It¡¯s also because you are a big cat.¡± He added: ¡°I like big cats.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± In the middle of the night, he looked into Xu Xinghe¡¯s bright eyes, and suddenly said, ¡°¡­ Meow.¡± ¡­ I double, triple checked. LCF¡¯s sudden meow at the end made me doubt life, but it¡¯s there. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 44.1 This night was extremely difficult for Ling Changfeng. More difficult than last time. He didn¡¯t know whether it was because Xu Xinghe was too tired or sleepy, but he fell asleep quickly. This time, Xu Xinghe was in good spirits. With those big black and bright eyes open, he talked from literary poetry to the philosophy of life, from his childhood to his ideal retirement life. In short, he didn¡¯t sleep. ¡°There were several big bad guys in the orphanage. One of them is a very annoying alpha, who always robs my things. I still remember him.¡± Xu Xinghe said with a small face. ¡°But there are also good people. When I first entered the welfare institute¡¯s primary school, there was a good brother who helped me to grab seats at mealtime. Later, he was adopted by a family and went to another planet with them.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes became extraordinarily gentle at this point. ¡°Aunt Sophia is also very kind to me and takes good care of me. When I got sick several times, she took me to see the doctor. So after I graduated, I bought a house in the neighborhood next to her. This way when she¡¯s old, I can also help take care of her.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes moved, thinking of the vice president of the Seventh Welfare Institute who came to deliver medicine last time, vaguely remembering the kind-hearted woman. He asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Am I good to you?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, thought for a moment, and nodded. ¡°Then¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him, his voice was low, but his tone was very soft, ¡°Have you ever thought about growing old with me?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. He looked at Ling Changfeng carefully, then said bluntly, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to need me to support you.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± There is no need. Xu Xinghe thought for a while, and finally frowned and said: ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, anyway, I will definitely raise Xiaoqi until she¡¯s old.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± His little spouse seems to have misunderstood what he asked. ¡°Speaking of life in old age¨C¡± Xu Xinghe said here, and suddenly became interested, wrapped in the quilt and moved forward, almost in front of Ling Changfeng, ¡°I want to retire and go to the western suburbs. There is a small restaurant on the shore of Lake Baikal. It is open every other day, depending on my mood. When there are customers, I will cook them something to eat. When there are no customers, I will make a cup of coffee, bask in the sun by the lake, maybe read a book¡­¡± Marshal Ling was silent for a moment, then moved back calmly ¨C he can¡¯t get too close to Xu Xinghe now, otherwise he really won¡¯t be able to resist. Then he said unhurriedly: ¡°Then your restaurant may not make much money.¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t care much about it. ¡°It¡¯s okay, after working at Ark until I retire, I should have a considerable savings. Enough for the rest of my life.¡± His tone was a little smug, nodding his head unconsciously. After fidgeting, he began to mutter to himself: ¡°However, if there are really no guests, being the boss will be boring.¡± After a pause, he continued to mutter to himself: ¡°There won¡¯t be no guests. Qi Zi1Lin Qi and them, and Ajia and them¡­ must be my guests.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s brows moved slightly. Looking at Xu Xinghe with dissatisfaction, his tone was low and unpredictable when he spoke: ¡°What about me?¡± Xu Xinghe blinked at him: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to open the shop with me? You¡¯re my big cat.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him expectantly, waited for a long time, but didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted. Mouth shriveling, his eye darkened a little as if wronged: ¡°You¡¯re not with me?¡± He asked again, with a hint of apprehension in his tone. Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t refuse at all: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled contentedly. A cute little dimple appeared on the left cheek. The two were like this, chatting for a long time in the bed. This time Xu Xinghe talked a lot more than before when he was drunk. Most of the time, Ling Changfeng just listened to his speech silently, and then answered a few questions. Occasionally asking questions is mostly trying to tease him. Seeing him frowning and thinking is very cute. He enjoyed the quiet night by Xu Xinghe¡¯s side, and the unreserved trust and attachment of his spouse. But the problem is, after a long time, the evil fire that was finally suppressed came back again. So weird. Such a time, such a place, such a posture ¨C In the dead of night, two people lay on the bed, looking at each other and embracing each other, as if they could turn anything into a serious topic and discuss it. Even if he doesn¡¯t say anything, doesn¡¯t do anything, and simply listens to Xu Xinghe¡¯s soft and glutinous voice, feel the heat in his ears, it¡¯s enough to make him unable to bear. It¡¯s like there¡¯s a piece of tender and plump meat in front of him, dangling in front of his mouth. He can smell it and touch it, but he can¡¯t eat it. However, this piece of fresh meat still exudes an attractive and wonderful taste, constantly testing his willpower. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t remember when he and Xu Xinghe fell asleep. In the impression, he closed his eyes several times and moved back several times, but Xu Xinghe pushed back little by little. Before falling asleep, he was forced to the side of the bed for a time, unable to retreat, and finally stretched out a finger and stuck to Xu Xinghe¡¯s constantly moving mouth. ¡°Shh¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng whispered, ¡°Sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe finally felt sleepy, and nodded dazedly: ¡°Okay, no talking, go to sleep.¡± When he opened his mouth to speak, Ling Changfeng¡¯s index finger was still pressed beside his mouth, on his lips. As he spoke, his soft and pliant lips brushed against Ling Changfeng¡¯s finger, leaving a tingling sensation. Ling Changfeng quickly withdrew his hand. All of a sudden, he¡¯s not sleepy anymore¡­ So, in the end, it Xu Xinghe fell asleep earlier. That night, after getting drunk, Xu Xinghe slept very peacefully in the company of the faint ocean pheromones. This stability lasted until the morning of the second day, when he woke comfortably in the bright midday sun. Xu Xinghe, who had just woken up, moved his eyelids, but instead of opening his eyes immediately, he planned to squint on the bed for a while. But when he wanted to turn over and stretch his body, he unexpectedly ¡°hit a wall¡±. There seemed to be a wall in front of him, and he subconsciously raised a finger and poked it. The touch was warm, firm, elastic¡­ It felt very good, and it smelled good. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but poke again. The next moment, a deep, forbearing, intriguing nasal sound exploded in his ears. Xu Xinghe petrified on the spot. What¡¯s the situation?? He woke up instantly, and finally realized where the good smell was coming from. He stiffly maintained the position just now, and began to close his eyes to recall everything that happened last night: the bottle of wine that had been preserved for 70 years, and the guarantee that he would ¡°never get drunk¡±. The more he recalled, the more exhausted he was, and the more frightened he became. And after that? He doesn¡¯t remember. He only knew that when he woke up, he and Ling Changfeng slept on the same bed again. Although he was awake, Xu Xinghe squeezed his eyes shut, as if ¡°out of sight¡± would make him ¡°not upset¡±, so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the subsequent mess. Unfortunately, the person opposite did not give him this opportunity to escape from reality, when he said lightly: ¡°Awake?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He had to open his eyes and start to face his bleak life. A pair of mismatched pupils are looking at him faintly, with a bit of laziness after waking up. Under the sunlight, the pair of eyes showed a gem-like blue and amber-like gold, as if they were drawn by the ingenious pen of the creator. Ling Changfeng originally thought that after a tormented night like last night, his mental state after getting up this morning would not be very good. Instead, it turned out that he embraced his little spouse and slept through the night. He woke up full of energy, and his eyes were also filled with a rare sense of contentment. Ling Changfeng spoke calmly, his voice was flat and gentle: ¡°Morning.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s face was dull. ¡°¡­Morning.¡± His head hurt, unsure how to deal with things. And Ling Changfeng, who was just a stone¡¯s throw away from him, looked at him at ease and didn¡¯t even plan to get up and get out of bed. How¡¯s XXH gonna react? Dun, dun, dun¡­ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 44.2 After examining his situation, Xu Xinghe decided to preemptively: ¡°Do you mind if I ask a few questions?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°But won¡¯t you consider letting go first?¡± Xu Xinghe looked down stiffly. One of his hands was in the same position just now, touching Ling Changfeng¡¯s lower abdomen. The other hand held onto Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand, clasping his fingers tightly. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Hehe, this time at least he didn¡¯t hold Ling Changfeng¡¯s whole arm in his arms, it¡¯s considered an improvement¡­ That¡¯s weird! Holding hands or something seems more embarrassing! Xu Xinghe released his claws suddenly, as if he had just caught a hot potato. And Ling Changfeng¡¯s fingertips moved, as if he was still nostalgic for the warmth. He lowered his eyes slightly, suddenly a little regretful for reminding him. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t get up in a hurry, so he said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°What questions, ask.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°The first question ¨C I was drunk again last night?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent. After a while, he replied, ¡°This should be obvious and easy to see.¡± Before Xu Xinghe could open his mouth again, he asked softly, ¡°Or, do you think the current situation is something you can imagine happening when you¡¯re sober?¡± When he said this, there was no expression on his face, but there seemed to be a faint smile in his eyes. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Never. He knew he was asking a question he knew the answer to, but he couldn¡¯t help wanting to make one final struggle. Who knew that he can get drunk on 13% alcohol?! No matter how strong the drink is in the future, he won¡¯t touch alcohol ever again! Xu Xinghe took a deep breath: ¡°Okay, next question¡ª¡± He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It seemed a little hard to say. After struggling for a while, he finally raised those big black eyes, stared at Ling Changfeng and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t really record me when I¡¯m drunk, right?¡± Ling Changfeng was almost amused. Xu Xinghe¡¯s current expression was nervous and gritted his teeth, as if saying: ¡®If you really dared record it, I will kill you and destroy your corpse.¡¯ Interesting and cute. Ling Changfeng asked him calmly, ¡°What if it was recorded, and what if it wasn¡¯t recorded?¡± When Xu Xinghe heard his reply, he exploded, his voice increasing by several decibels: ¡°You better not have recorded it! If you recorded it, destroy it! No copies, no rumors, just destroy the master video!¡± Xu Xinghe stared at him angrily, his eyes full of nervous resentment, as if the other party had some shady handle in his hands. Ling Changfeng teased him lightly: ¡°Really destroy it? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to watch it before?¡± Xu Xinghe flatly denied it. ¡°Who said I want to watch it? I was just suspecting your previous words were exaggerations!¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see your real state after being drunk?¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to! In short, if you recorded it, quickly destroy it!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone was a little careless. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Yes, it was Ling Changfeng who caught him in his embarrassing drunken state, and it was Ling Changfeng who had his handle. Why should he listen to him? Realizing that he didn¡¯t seem to have any leverage on the opponent, Xu Xinghe was a little discouraged, and said in a muffled voice, ¡°If you refuse, then you refuse.¡± Then he sat up, rolled over, and got out of bed. As soon as his feet landed, he heard Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice behind him: ¡°I listen to my lover.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± His back instantly stiffened. That¡¯s not true, nor is it untrue. The five light-hearted words spoken by Ling Changfeng were something more unstoppable than the embarrassment of being recorded. Ling Changfeng had a panoramic view of his every movement and every demeanor, and suddenly sighed silently: ¡°I won¡¯t tease you, I didn¡¯t record it.¡± If he continues teasing, Xu Xinghe will probably really lose his hair. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes lit up, and he turned his head and said, ¡°Really?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and sat up, ¡°Really.¡± Of course he didn¡¯t record it. In the situation last night, all his thoughts were on Xu Xinghe. How could he still have time and energy to do this? Xu Xinghe first breathed a sigh of relief, and then he was still a little uneasy, and cautiously probed: ¡°You didn¡¯t deliberately let me relax my vigilance, so you can take advantage in the future, right?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at him with some amusement: ¡°Tell me, how would I use it to take advantage in the future?¡± Xu Xinghe thought about it. True, he didn¡¯t have anything to blackmail Ling Changfeng with either. Snorting softly, he was relieved and whispered: ¡°If there¡¯s none, that¡¯s best. I¡¯m afraid you will take advantage of me.¡± Ling Changfeng heard this, and suddenly fell silent. When Xu Xinghe turned his head, he met eyes full of exploration and scrutiny, as if probing for a price. He groaned for no reason in his heart: ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes circled around him several times. As if inspired by something, he began to have all kinds of restless fantasies. However, his face was still calm, and his tone was serious: ¡°If I want to take advantage of you¡ª¡± He deliberately paused for a while before continuing slowly: ¡°It would¡¯ve already been done last night.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­ ¡± There seems to be some truth in that. He cursed inwardly ¡°alcohol harms people¡±, then turned around and ran into the bathroom to wash up. Ling Changfeng also got out of bed, followed Xu Xinghe unhurriedly, and asked, ¡°What do you want for breakfast?¡± Xu Xinghe brushed his teeth and said vaguely, ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s getting late, just eat lunch.¡± ¡°What do you want for lunch?¡± They woke up together in the bright sunshine, and went to wash, chat and eat together. Like a pair of the most ordinary couples, enjoy the quiet time of two people. With such a satisfying opening, Ling Changfeng was in a very good mood for the rest of the day. Except for the unpleasant episode when he was working in the afternoon from home. At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, when Marshal Ling was looking for a certain document in his study, he inadvertently saw a black folder in the bottom drawer of the desk. Immediately, he frowned slightly, and reached out and pulled it out. The folder was opened, and inside was the divorce agreement signed by Xu Xinghe on their wedding night. Ling Changfeng looked at the few pages of thin paper in black and white, and the expression between his eyebrows tightened a little. After sitting for a while, he suddenly moved and took the agreement out of the folder¡­ When He Han came to the study to deliver tea, the moment he entered the room, he couldn¡¯t help but stop. There was a strange smell in the study, like a faint burnt smell left after something was burned. He Han frowned, looked up at Ling Changfeng, but saw that the other party was calm, as if nothing had happened. He Han respectfully put down the tea. He wanted to leave, but as a steward, he still couldn¡¯t help but speak before exiting the room: ¡°Marshal, do you smell anything? Do I need to start up the ventilation system?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ling Changfeng looked down at the documents without raising his eyelids, saying lightly, ¡°You arrange it as you please.¡± The marshal burns the divorce agreement! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 45 Today¡¯s dinner was cooked by Xu Xinghe himself. He made a delicious whole fish feast. Grape fish is sweet and sour, the crucian carp soup is smooth and tender, and the cuttlefish cake is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside¡­ Chef Xu looked at the fruits of his labor with satisfaction, raised his hand to take a few photos, and then asked a servant to call Ling Changfeng downstairs to eat. Ling Changfeng quickly appeared in the dining room. At this time, Xu Xinghe had just come out of the kitchen, he undid the apron tied around his waist, and handed it to the servant beside him. As a result, a large hand with well-defined knuckles and five slender fingers cut it off halfway. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while. He turned his head to see that Ling Changfeng had come over at some point to take the apron from him, and then handed it over to the servant in person. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why bother with this? He straightened his clothes and asked casually, ¡°Do you have a lot of work on weekends?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m finished.¡± Ling Changfeng replied as he sat down. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you at night.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s not what it meant. He just wanted to reply ¡°It¡¯s not necessary¡±, but when he looked up, he saw that Ling Changfeng had already taken a seat, so he took the words back and decided to sit down and eat first. After all, he can¡¯t waste delicious food. The two sat at both ends of the long table and started today¡¯s dinner. Xu Xinghe felt that tonight¡¯s Ling Changfeng was a bit strange. During the meal, he always looked up at himself from time to time, as if he was hesitant to say something. He rarely saw such an expression on Ling Changfeng¡¯s face. This man with dual-colored pupils has always been straightforward and has no taboos. What is it today? Finally, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but speak when Ling Changfeng cast an unidentified look for the nth time: ¡°Why do you keep looking at me?¡± Ling Changfeng was speechless. The divorce agreement in his hand was burnt, but what about his little spouse who signed the agreement? At this moment, he didn¡¯t know whether to bring the old thing up again. If he didn¡¯t mention it, it would be a hidden danger that stuck in his throat. But if he mentioned it¡­ He was not sure whether he could get his ideal answer. If the response is positive, that¡¯s fine. But if not, it will be difficult to whitewash and forget once such a problem is exposed early. Frankly speaking, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t really want to break the hard-won harmonious atmosphere. He was silent for a moment, and decided not to press the topic directly, but asked in a roundabout manner: ¡°When you sign contracts, do you usually keep a copy?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, a little surprised at why Ling Changfeng would suddenly ask this kind of question. But he still answered seriously: ¡°If there is a contract between the two parties, there will be. Two identical contracts are signed and sealed, and Party A and Party B will each keep one copy.¡± Ling Changfeng forcefully took a bite of the cuttlefish cake. His tone was so flat as if the other party was a colleague, ¡°What if one party goes reneges?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him with a puzzled face: ¡°How can you unilaterally go back on the contract between the two parties? Wanting to break the contract written in black and white, that¡¯s impossible.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes: ¡°En.¡± ¡°But take a step back¡ª Xu Xinghe thought for a while, then continued his answer: ¡°Contracts are dead, people are alive, and any problem can be resolved through negotiation. If one party compromises, it doesn¡¯t have to go to the stage of a lawsuit¡­ Asking this all of a sudden, what are you trying to do?¡± Ling Changfeng said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He intuited that there was something in Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart, but he didn¡¯t intend to go into it. Taking a sip of the crucian carp soup, he said leisurely: ¡°What? Could it be that you¡¯ve signed some unequal agreement and want to unilaterally break the contract? You don¡¯t have to worry, I don¡¯t think anyone will dare sue you.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He realized he was an idiot after hearing Xu Xinghe¡¯s words. He had been tangled for a long time because of this kind of problem, but he ignored a very important detail- It doesn¡¯t matter if Xu Xinghe has another divorce agreement in his hand, he1LCF never signed it at all! Without his signature, it¡¯s basically a dud. As for a year from now¡­ Who wants to get a divorce after a year? Marshal Ling suddenly became enlightened. The subtle burrs in the heart were suddenly smoothed out, and his whole person suddenly felt comfortable. After dinner, Xu Xinghe got up, went to the kitchen to get Xiaoqi¡¯s exclusive fish cake, and then walked towards the cat house on the third floor. Unexpectedly, Ling Changfeng also followed. Follow him to get up, go to the kitchen together, and go to the third floor together¡­ Xu Xinghe asked him: ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Accompany you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Don¡¯t follow and accompany have the same meaning? He said without changing his face: ¡°Don¡¯t accompany me, I¡¯ll go feed the cat.¡± Ling Changfeng said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m going to feed the cat too.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Only then did he remember that at this time, the two cats should be stuck together¡­ really annoying! Pushing open the door of the cat house, the situation was as expected by Xu Xinghe ¨C ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Inside the house, Aaron took Xiaoqi¡¯s paw in his arms and was licking it very diligently. And Xiaoqi also seemed to enjoy this service very much. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He took a deep breath and looked away without looking away, and still stepped forward to put down the small bowl full of cat cakes. Seeing this, Xiaoqi rolled over flexibly, ran over, and started eating. Finding nothing in his embrace, Aaron wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He got up naturally and walked to Xiaoqi¡¯s side, quietly guarding her. Ling Changfeng looked at the two cats seriously, and asked, ¡°Why are they progressing so fast?¡± Xu Xinghe said angrily, ¡°Aaron is always doing his best to tempt Xiaoqi with dried fish. Xiaoqi clearly likes this, and thinks anyone who feeds her is good. Now these two are always together when they have something to do, how can the progress not be fast!¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°So it¡¯s due to doing what they want, plus perseverance?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at Xiaoqi¡¯s happy appearance with her tail wagging, and felt his blood pressure soar. He didn¡¯t have the heart to listen to Ling Changfeng¡¯s summary, and said sadly: ¡°I should consider whether to spay Xiaoqi¡­ Otherwise, at this rate, there maybe be a kitten one day.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyebrows were stained with a faint smile, and he asked in a low voice: ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? After you retire, don¡¯t open a small restaurant, but open a cat cafe.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned when he heard the words, and turned to ask Ling Changfeng, ¡°I told you that I want to open a restaurant after I retire?¡± In his impression, he didn¡¯t even tell his colleagues about his plan after retirement. Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°You said it last night.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Team Leader Xu swallowed and asked a little uneasily, ¡°What did I say last night?¡± He was a little worried that he might¡¯ve said more private things. Seeing his nervous little appearance, Ling Changfeng deliberately slowed down his tone and dragged his words casually: ¡°You said a lot, from childhood to adulthood.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s scalp tightened: ¡°For example¡­?¡± ¡°For example, the incident where your candy was robbed and you cried as a kid in kindergarten, and when you were in middle school, you watched a horror movie for the first time, and was so scared that you couldn¡¯t sleep in the middle of the night¡­¡± Xu Xinghe said numbly: ¡°Okay, don¡¯t say anymore.¡± Shit! How can he say such things when drunk? Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°Do you like watching movies?¡± Xu Xinghe said perfunctorily: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I liked it when I was in college.¡± He even dared say such things from long ago, imagine how many embarrassing things he exposed last night. So he simply got up to escape reality: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯m going to bed. Good night.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He glanced down at the time, it was 7:20 in the evening. He followed Xu Xinghe with his hands unhurriedly, and an interesting glint appeared in his eyes: ¡°En, good night.¡± ¡ª¡ª Xinghe happily returned to the Ark and went to work. But he forgot to bring food. He struggled for a few seconds at his desk, and finally decided not to bother the people from the Marshal¡¯s mansion to deliver a meal; after all, it¡¯s not good to be too ostentatious. So when it was time for lunch, Team Leader Xu put away his things and set off for the convenience store outside the north gate of the Ark. This time he bought pork chop rice with tomato sauce. After warming it up and pouring tomato sauce over the rice, before he could move his chopsticks, he heard a voice behind him: ¡°Team Leader Xu, long time no see.¡± Hearing the voice of an acquaintance, Xu Xinghe looked back to see Gu Nai, who was wearing a black and white plaid shirt, walk towards him with a freshly heated bento in his hand. Gu Nai stopped in front of Xu Xinghe, pushed his glasses, and asked with a smile, ¡°Does Team Leader Xu mind if I sit here?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He actually prefers being alone quietly, but the other party was already in front of him, so he couldn¡¯t refuse directly, ¡°Sit down, why did you come over to eat?¡± Gu Nai sat down opposite him, and replied casually, ¡°Today¡¯s cafeteria food doesn¡¯t really appeal to me.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°En, I forgot to bring my lunch.¡± He looked at the black pepper beef rice ordered by Gu Nai and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say last time that you can¡¯t eat spicy food? This is a bit spicy.¡± Gu Nai smiled. ¡°I know, I heard people say that eating spicy food is like drinking alcohol. Eight points depend on talent, and two points depend on training, so I¡¯ve been training myself lately.¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback at his words. His chopsticks paused for a bit, and then he resumed picking up the food as if nothing had happened. Gu Naiyu asked mildly, ¡°How was Team Leader Xu¡¯s week?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Thinking of what happened this past weekend, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help reaching out and rubbing his temples. ¡°Lots of troubling things, but also many things to be happy about.¡± Gu Nai carefully observed his face, and smiled. ¡°It seems like it went well.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and mixed the rice. ¡°By the way¡ª¡± Gu Nai suddenly spoke, dragged the end, and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head: ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter?¡± As soon as his words were uttered, there was a sudden ¡°ding¡± sound. He raised his hand to see that it was an email from Ling Changfeng. From the point of view of security, Ling Changfeng never used Feixun, LINK, or other social communication tools to send messages to him, and only communicated in the form of email. So these days, his mailbox has almost become the software he uses the most. [Are you free tonight? ] Ling Changfeng asked almost the same question as Gu Nai in the email. Xu Xinghe simply replied: [Yes. ] Then he raised his head and said to Gu Nai, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have an appointment tonight.¡± Gu Nai nodded, but there was no other emotion on his face except a smile. His mailbox rang again. Ling Changfeng: [I¡¯ll pick you up tonight. ] Xu Xinghe: [Okay, then I¡¯ll send you an email before I get off work] Then he asked: [What for?] After a while, Ling Changfengshen replied mysteriously: [You will know when we get there] Where do you think he¡¯s inviting him? Also, this title shares a chapter title in English to a previous chapter, but the Chinese subtlety is slightly different which is why one is ¡°Accompanying you¡± and this is ¡°Accompany you¡±. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 46 Xu Xinghe looked at the reply sent by Ling Changfeng, and was a little surprised to see that this guy had learned some tricks. He turned off the email and stopped guessing, deciding to wait until work ended to see for himself what Marshal Ling had planned. ¡°Did something good happen?¡± Gu Nai, who was sitting opposite, asked all of a sudden after seeing Xu Xinghe¡¯s expression. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that the corners of his mouth seemed to curl up involuntarily. He restrained his smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s eat.¡± The two sat facing each other, while eating, chatting one sentence after another. Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Is your team busy these days?¡± Gu Nai said, ¡°It¡¯s been fine recently, but I was busy a while ago.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and asked again, ¡°By the way, has the intern in your department left?¡± Gu Nai: ¡°¡­¡± He pushed on his glasses and smiled at Xu Xinghe: ¡°No, it¡¯s still early. He has to wait until at least¡­ things are done before leaving.¡± His voice became softer and softer, and his final words were barely audible. However, Xu Xinghe was concentrating on eating and didn¡¯t care too much. After lunch, Team Leader Xu stretched his waist, got up and said to Gu Nai who had also just finished eating, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After that, he threw the lunch box into the dining trash can next to him, and left with Gu Nai. After the two left, a figure came out from the corner. Dong Yue stared gloomily at the two people¡¯s backs, suddenly raised his hand, and quietly took a photo¡­ Xu Xinghe was a little absent-minded from time to time in the afternoon. As soon as he was free, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Ling Changfeng was looking for him tonight. This mental state continued until it was time to get off work. At six o¡¯clock in the evening, Xu Xinghe turned off his terminal on time, picked up his jacket, and walked out. Ryan stopped him suddenly: ¡°Team leader! We, Ethan, Xiao Zhou, and I, are going to go to the movies tonight. Do you want to go together? We are booking tickets.¡± ¡°No, I have an appointment tonight.¡± Xu Xinghe paused his motion of walking out to put on his coat, and asked, ¡°What are you going to see?¡± Ryan replied, ¡°Ethan and I want to see ¡®Twenty Love Story¡¯, and Xiao Zhou wants to watch ¡®Another World: Awakening of Fire¡¯. He lost two to one.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows: ¡°I suggest you watch ¡®Awakening of Fire¡¯.¡± Ryan asked: ¡°Why??¡± ¡°The average age of the three of you is fast approaching 30. What are you bachelors doing watching ¡®Twenty Love Story¡¯? Isn¡¯t it embarrassing in a movie theater full of young couples?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing, what¡¯s so embarrassing?¡± Ryan said in a plausible manner. ¡°Although we are single, we must go feel the sour atmosphere of love!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­then go feel it, I wish you all the best.¡± After that, he waved goodbye to them: ¡°Goodbye, I have plans.¡± ¡°Ah??¡± Ajia, who was holding a makeup mirror and applying lipstick, raised her head when she heard the words: ¡°Team leader, are you going on a date too?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It always feels weird to call it a date. He shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not a date.¡± Ajia curiously asked, ¡°What are you going for?¡± Xu Xinghe shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you were going out with Marshal Ling.¡± When Ajia heard that he was not going on a date, she lost interest in gossiping, and turned around to continue touching up her makeup. Xu Xinghe said dryly: ¡°You¡¯re right in thinking so ¨C I¡¯m with him, but not on a date.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, several people in the office raised their heads almost at the same time and looked at him intently. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Facing the inexplicable stares of his team, he could only ask, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Ryan: ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand. Going out with one¡¯s husband at night, what else can it be aside from a date?¡± Ajia nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, you still say it¡¯s not a date??¡± Ethan: ¡°Maybe you¡¯re going to a high-end restaurant for a candlelight dinner and to drink a little wine under the moon and blooming flowers¡­¡± Ajia: ¡°Isn¡¯t that a date?¡± When Xu Xinghe heard ¡°drink a little wine under the moon and blooming flowers¡±, he suddenly thought of something. His expression turned subtle, and his voice was stained with a hint of anger: ¡°What do you guys think about all day long? Can¡¯t you think of something pure?¡± After speaking, he walked out of the door without looking back. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, see you tomorrow.¡± The remaining four members of the group looked at each other- ¡°Did we just say something impure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, we just said isn¡¯t it a date?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with dating? Isn¡¯t dating already the purest behavior between partners? What else does he want to do??¡± ¡°Could it be that he still wants to¡­¡± ¡°Shh! Aren¡¯t you worried the team leader will come back to silence you?¡± The autumn air in September is crisp, and the evening breeze at the top of the building is cool. This time Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t let his little partner wait. When Xu Xinghe swiped his card through the gates and arrived at the special landing pad, the vehicles of the Marshal¡¯s mansion had been parked there waiting for a long time. When the captain of the guard, Colonel Lewis, saw him coming, he quickly got out of the passenger seat and opened the rear door for him. A high-end men¡¯s fragrance blows. Xu Xinghe was slightly startled. Ling Changfeng wore a black suit today. The well-cut, well-fitted, and ironed black shirt with black straight-leg pants brought out his natural golden ratio and good figure sculpted by years of exercise. It was only then that he remembered that he had said that he would work out with Ling Changfeng, but since he couldn¡¯t get up at six in the morning, it still hadn¡¯t been implemented. Although today¡¯s outfit is quite casual for Ling Changfeng, seeing him sitting there meticulously with his back straight and his extremely upright posture still makes one feel that he is going to attend some important meeting, rather than relaxing. Ling Changfeng turned his head to look at him: ¡°Why don¡¯t you get in the car?¡± Xu Xinghe stepped up, sat on the seat, fastened his seat belt, and asked curiously, ¡°What are we doing tonight?¡± The car that came to pick him up today is a medium-sized commercial vehicle with front and rear partitions. There is a small bar in the back of the car, and the evening news played silently on the touchscreen in the middle of the bar. Ling Changfeng looked at the news pictures flashing back and forth on the screen, and replied casually, ¡°Go to the movies.¡± His expression was light, but his tone sounded a little tense. Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°Huh?¡± Even the movement of buckling his seat belt stopped. Ling Changfeng turned to squint at his face. Seeing Xu Xinghe¡¯s blank expression, as if he wasn¡¯t as surprised as he thought, he asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t like it?¡± His tone was naturally low, but at this moment, his soft voice concealed the imperceptible uneasiness in his words. ¡°No, I quite like watching movies.¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°However, why did you suddenly think of going to the movies?¡± Ling Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief and said without blinking, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just want to see it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and said nothing. The surroundings became quiet. This quiet, the smell in the cabin is even stronger. Xu Xinghe wrinkled his nose, turned to look at Ling Changfeng, and asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you wearing men¡¯s perfume?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He denied it without changing his face: ¡°It¡¯s not me. ¡° Xu Xinghe: ¡°Then this taste¡­¡± Ling Changfeng said decisively: ¡°It¡¯s Qin Yuan.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Marshal Ling said solemnly, ¡°He¡¯s going on a date tonight, and his perfume got sprayed on me.¡± After that, he patted his shoulder, seeming to be a little disgusted. ¡°I said it¡¯s choking, but he refused to listen.¡± He wasn¡¯t talking nonsense at all. The perfume was indeed brought by Qin Yuan, but the object to be sprayed was originally Marshal Ling himself. Ling Changfeng asked Qin Yuan to spray him twice in disbelief at the sound of Qin Yuan¡¯s sworn assurance. When he realized that the smell was too heavy and wanted to change his clothes again, it was too late. In order not to be late again, he could only go out smelling like a perfumed bag. ¡°It¡¯s not too choking. It smells good, but this smell¡­¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while, ¡°It¡¯s quite in line with Major General Qin.¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s a little provocative, and a little bit debauched. The fragrance is reminiscent of a gentleman dancing gracefully in a banquet hall, or a charming boy holding a rein on a horse, or even a male peacock shaking off his gorgeous tail feathers during courtship¡­ Xu Xinghe turned his head and looked beside him motionless Ling Changfeng. There is really no way to associate this taste with the marshal though. ¡°By the way.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly remembered something, ¡°Adjutant Qin found a girlfriend? Why did he spray perfume all of a sudden?¡± Wasn¡¯t he still single when they had dinner together the night before? Why is there a date today?? Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± As the saying goes, when you tell a lie, you must use a hundred lies to make up for it. He had to continue making things up: ¡°No, he just asked someone to go to the movies.¡± Fortunately, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t continue asking. Simply nodding, he lowered his seat to lie down in a relaxed manner, and asked with a little anticipation, ¡°What movie are we going to watch?¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°Huh? Haven¡¯t booked tickets yet?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°En, wait for you to choose.¡± Finally landed in front of a special dome-shaped building. Only then did Xu Xinghe realize that what Ling Changfeng brought him to was not the VIP auditorium of the cinema as he had imagined, but a private cinema that was not open to the public. Apart from them, there are no guests in the venue, and all the service staff were focused on serving the two of them. It can be described as a completely reserved venue. ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s eat whatever you want first.¡± Ling Changfeng said to Xu Xinghe. A variety of snacks, desserts, drinks and beautifully carved fruit platters are placed on the mobile table in the private cinema. Like a small buffet. Xu Xinghe took a salmon avocado tart and a truffle egg sandwich, and asked the waiter to mix him a non-alcoholic mojito, then leaned comfortably into the leather seat of the theater and began to choose movies while eating. He asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°Do you have any favorite types of movies? Sci-fi blockbusters, suspenseful reasoning¡­ or horror movies? Light comedies?¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head: ¡°No, I rarely watch movies. You decide.¡± Ling Changfeng really seldom watched movies, but it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t do his homework completely before he came. He asked his emotional adviser, Adjutant Qin, ¡°what kind of movies should you watch on the first date between partners¡±, but the answer he got was: ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide what to watch? Ask Xinghe! What he wants to watch, just pick that.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick what I like.¡± Xu Xinghe began to swipe across the screen. Fingertips snapped slightly when slid to the horror unit. Ling Changfeng caught a glimpse of his pause, but he got the wrong idea and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe scratched his neck and said, ¡°Who is afraid of this?!¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him, did not speak. But those eyes were clearly asking, who was the person who said to him the night before last, ¡°After watching a horror movie for the first time in middle school, I was so scared that I couldn¡¯t sleep in the middle of the night¡±? Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He also remembered this. After hesitating for a long time, he still felt that he needed to take the opportunity to rectify his image. So he pointed to a recent popular horror film and said, ¡°The Devil¡¯s Labyrinth, that¡¯s it! Let¡¯s watch it!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, and asked noncommittally, ¡°After middle school have you seen any horror movies?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I¡¯ve seen shit!1as in none Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart was a little jumpy, but he still patted his chest in assurance upon facing those eyes full of scrutiny. ¡°I¡¯ve seen countless films over the years, and I¡¯ve figured out all the tricks of horror films. You on the other hand, don¡¯t be fooled for a while if it¡¯s scary.¡± When he said this, Ling Changfeng no longer hesitated, and nodded. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s watch it.¡± XXH should really stop digging so many pits for himself. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 47 Xu Xinghe selected ¡°Devil¡¯s Labyrinth¡± and pressed the play button. At the beginning of the movie, a girl with dead eyes and an ashen face stood on the rooftop, staring blankly at the sky. The heavy soundtrack sounded. Combined with the gloomy sky and dark clouds, the atmosphere of a horror movie came all of a sudden. Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly. The lady jumped down from the teaching building¡­ Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart tightened, and he shrank his shoulders subconsciously. Fortunately, the scene changed, and the brisk opening song sounded. Thirteen years later, a group of young people took a cruise ship to go to the island for vacation. As soon as the melodious holiday music sounded, Xu Xinghe knew that the next section would be easier, so he relaxed and started chatting with Ling Changfeng: ¡°This is the latest masterpiece of the horror master Galis, but word of mouth is that the film is quite polarized. Some say it is exciting and scary enough, and some say its plot is clich¨¦ and lackluster.¡± Because it is a private theater with only two people, he doesn¡¯t have to worry about affecting other people by talking, so can say what he wants to say. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t know anything about this, but after hearing that Xu Xinghe could even say the director¡¯s name, he couldn¡¯t help taking a glance at him. ¡°Are you interested in this type of movie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite interested¡­ What? Don¡¯t believe me? I said I¡¯m not afraid of this.¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand and raised his chin. ¡°I have guts now.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him with suspicion. But he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Instead he turned his head to look at the big screen calmly. In fact, Xu Xinghe has never watched a horror movie on the big screen for many years since he was frightened by one in middle school. However, he belongs to the kind of moviegoer that, although he doesn¡¯t dare to watch horror movies himself, he is quite interested in this type of movies, and likes to read movie explanations online when he has nothing to do. Therefore, he has an understanding of the general routine of horror films and some well-known horror directors. This movie is supposed to be one of those quintessential island survival horror movies. A group of college classmates go to a class reunion on a weekend after 13 years of graduation. The location is chosen on a mysterious and quiet island. The tour guide who took them to the island reminded them that there is a maze on the north side of the island. The maze has been left unattended for many years and overgrown with weeds. It is easy to get lost in it, and they reminded the group not to set foot there. Seeing this, Xu Xinghe turned to his side and complained to Ling Changfeng: ¡°It¡¯s started, I bet tonight there will be cannon fodder who¡¯ll go seek death. Guess who¡¯s dead first?¡± Ling Changfeng casually said: ¡°The one with red hair and blue eyes?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°How¡¯s that possible! That¡¯s the male lead! The protagonist must live to the end.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He stared at the screen intently, but was somewhat absent-minded. Ling Changfeng remembered some of Qin Yuan¡¯s suggestions and exhortations before he came- ¡°On a first date, if you¡¯re alone in the same room, or in such a quiet and private environment as a movie theater, you should seize the opportunity to perform well. When the atmosphere of the movie arrives, you can take the opportunity to hold hands or hug.¡± Marshal Ling frowned slightly. His expression was serious, as if he was discussing some major national affairs with his adjutant. ¡°How to take advantage of this opportunity? When will the atmosphere be right?¡± Qin Yuan replied in a clich¨¦d tone: ¡°Wait until the male and female leads are in love. When it¡¯s thick with romantic background music, and the atmosphere is almost here, when the main characters hold hands, hug or kiss on the big screen, then you can almost hold small hands quietly.¡± Ling Changfeng still frowned and asked: ¡°What if they don¡¯t do anything?¡± Qin Yuan looked at him speechlessly. ¡°How is that possible! Do you think everyone is like you? Now, as long as it¡¯s a commercial film, how can the main characters have no emotional connection? Unless Xinghe chooses a military film or a documentary. But I don¡¯t think this is something he will do, it¡¯s more like something you¡¯d do. In short, when a love song or a romantic melody sounds in the movie, you should approach him quietly¡­¡± When Adjutant Qin said this, he probably didn¡¯t expect that a horror movie would be picked for his superior¡¯s first movie date. Ling Changfeng looked at the various young men and women in the movie and fell silent. He felt that he probably can¡¯t wait for the leads to hold hands. There are more than a dozen people in the villa. The relationship between the characters is quite complicated, and it seems that there is such a love-hate relationship between everyone, so he couldn¡¯t tell who the leads were. Hearing Xu Xinghe¡¯s complaints at this time, he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head and ask: ¡°The red-haired man is the male lead, so who¡¯s the female lead?¡± Xu Xinghe stretched out his hand and pointed, ¡°It should be the girl with blond hair and sunglasses. That¡¯s her, the one who took off the sunglasses.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned: ¡°But they aren¡¯t a couple¡­will they hold hands?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at him in surprise. ¡°Do you mean the male and female lead? Well¡­although they¡¯re currently single, it seems they dated as students. I don¡¯t know what conflicts led to the breakup, but after experiencing this kind of deserted island survival, they should be able to reunite soon.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, and decided to wait. Sure enough, as Xu Xinghe predicted, on the night they arrived on the island, after everyone finished dinner, there was a rich second generation who went out for a walk with his girlfriend and went to the labyrinth to seek excitement. On a cloudy night, skin-crawling background music sounded. Behind the maze wall composed of vines, there was a sudden rustling. Although he knew that this thrilling atmosphere was deliberately created for the movie, Xu Xinghe¡¯s nerves tensed involuntarily. Suddenly, a sharp black claw suddenly stretched out of the vines, covered the mouth of the rich second generation, and dragged him into the boundless darkness¡­ Ling Changfeng watched blankly. The sporadic blood stains and white bones that faintly flashed behind the dense vines on screen made him a little bored. When will the male and female leads hold hands? And where¡¯s the romantic background music? He began to wonder if these elements would ever appear in the film. Ling Changfeng turned his head to look at Xu Xinghe, but saw his little spouse huddled in the large leather seat motionless, holding a drink with a pale face. He carefully observed Xu Xinghe¡¯s face and asked softly, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Hearing a sudden voice against his ear, Xu Xinghe shivered, and the motion caused his alcohol-free mojito to spill out. Ling Changfeng saw it in his eyes and passed his handkerchief silently. ¡°Thank you,¡± Xu Xinghe whispered, and began to lower his head to wipe off the spills. While wiping the stains, he began to complain: ¡°This mojito is too cold, causing my hand to shake¡­¡± Ling Changfeng got up. Xu Xinghe suddenly panicked, raised his head suddenly, and stared at Ling Changfeng like a limp little animal. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He didn¡¯t want to stay in the dark cinema alone! At this moment, Xu Xinghe regretted choosing this damn unlucky movie. Team Leader Xu, who thought that he was immune to horror scenes after seeing so many horror movie commentaries, didn¡¯t expect that this thrilling background music would make him nervous. The moment that big black hand stretched out of the thick, Xu Xinghe was about to break out in cold sweat and goosebumps. And this was just the first cannon fodder. Ling Changfeng looked back at Xu Xinghe and said, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Then he walked to the mobile dining table, grabbed a cup of hot cocoa, and walked back with it. He took the handkerchief out of Xu Xinghe¡¯s cold little hand, and put the hot cocoa in his hand instead: ¡°Drink something warm.¡± Then he asked Xu Xinghe: ¡°Do you still want to watch this?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­ ¡° If Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t ask, he might have gone down the stairs himself. But when Ling Changfeng asked such a question, Xu Xinghe felt that it was too embarrassing to be scared by the film at such a time, and refused to admit it. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, do you still want to watch it?¡± Xu Xinghe asked Ling Changfeng, pretending not to care. Seeing him like this, Ling Changfeng suddenly had a vicious and playful interest in his heart. He wants to see how long this little hedgehog can remain stubborn. After a while, will its thorns soften? So he nodded casually: ¡°Then let¡¯s continue watching.¡± Their internal thoughts: XXH: AHHHHH!!!!! LCF: When I can hold his hands¡­ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 50 Xu Xinghe¡¯s head was rocked with thunder. He could only stammeringly ask Ling Changfeng: ¡°You, you¡­ you asked for leave from Ark for me?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded with great interest. He looked at the splendid expressions on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face, and then asked calmly: ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Xu Xinghe thought: ¡°There are too many problems!¡± How to start? He could only pour out all the questions in his mouth: ¡°When did you ask for leave for me? How did you ask for it? Who did you ask for? Sick leave or personal leave? Did you take the initiative to call, or did they? Did you answer the call for me? You didn¡¯t directly say that I overslept, right?¡± Ling Changfeng stood there, listening to him finish his questions, and then replied one by one: ¡°This morning, past nine o¡¯clock, I asked Qin Yuan to ask for leave for you. As for who was asked, or what kind of leave¡­¡± His long eyes squinted, ¡°Is it important?¡± ¡°Of course it is!¡± Xu Xinghe said sadly. ¡°Yes! If I ask for personal leave, my bonus will be deducted. It will also affect my winning the Outstanding Employee Award at the end of the year!¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Slight surprise and confusion flashed through his eyes, and when Xu Xinghe saw it, his heart ached even more. Obviously, Marshal Ling, who has been in a high position for a long time, does not understand the suffering of ordinary social animals. Ling Changfeng was silent for a while, and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Qin Yuan. But don¡¯t worry, he has always done things well, and there shouldn¡¯t be a situation where your bonus will be deducted.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ thank you.¡± Xu Xinghe touched his nose upon realizing his tone was a little anxious. After all, as an excellent employee of Ark who never missed one day of attendance last year, this was the first time he overslept during the working day, so he was a little flustered, a little guilty, and felt it was somewhat novel. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to blame you either. Anyway, thank you for asking for leave for me¡­ Otherwise, if I missed work without any reason, it will be directly counted as absenteeism, and the problem will be even more serious¡­¡± Xu Xinghe stared at the small corner of the room, his tone Involuntarily softened by three points. Quickly confirming the details of the leave request with Qin Yuan over email, Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°Qin Yuan said, he called your Director Wang and helped you ask for leave, but said nothing else. Your boss didn¡¯t ask anything, he just replied ¡®Okay I know¡¯. As for the bonus issue, he told you not to worry, the person in charge shouldn¡¯t-¡± Ling Changfeng looked at the screen¡¯s ¡°make an issue¡±, and felt it was a bit rude, so he changed it to, ¡°be so rigid.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± Team Leader Xu, who had just calmed down, was flabbergasted when he heard the marshal¡¯s words. ¡°Ah, ah, didn¡¯t I say it last time? Don¡¯t harass our Director Wang any more with this kind of small question asking for leave in the future! He¡¯s very busy managing everything and doing research!¡± Ark¡¯s current general manager Wang Yunze, a top expert in the field of artificial intelligence, who also served as the vice president of Capital University for more than 30 years, is a person Xu Xinghe admires and respects very much. Even some textbooks he read in university were edited by Director Wang. When Ling Changfeng heard him say this, his sword eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Why is he so busy?¡± Xu Xinghe said with puffed cheeks: ¡°What do you think! Managing a data center the size of Ark, while also needing to do scientific research. Even the person in charge of our department has to make an appointment in advance when calling him!¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him: ¡°I usually make an appointment in advance for the calls I make.¡± Then he thought about it, ¡°Your director¡¯s level, I may not be able to make an appointment.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to pay attention to Ling Changfeng at all. Unfortunately, after less than three seconds of stalemate, his stomach made a very disappointing sound. ¡°Gululu¡ª¡± It was especially obvious in the quiet room. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± A faint smile flashed in his eyes, Ling Changfeng said leisurely: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go eat first.¡± Xu Xinghe walked towards the dining room with his head down. Ling Changfeng followed him with his hands behind him, and suddenly remembered something: ¡°By the way, at nine o¡¯clock in the morning, you had a phone call.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe Looking back at him, suddenly vigilant. Ling Changfeng continued: ¡°Your left hand was pressing on my chest at that time, and I accidentally answered it when I moved.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s footsteps stalled. He had no time to care about the problem of why his hand was pressing on Ling Changfeng¡¯s chest, and quickly opened his call log. Sure enough, he saw the name of Liang Shilei, the head of their technical department, in the ¡°Calls Connected¡±. Xu Xinghe turned his head stiffly and asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°Mr., Mr. Liang, what did he say on the phone? No¡­what did you tell him?!¡± Ling Changfeng replied patiently: ¡°After answering the call, he asked you who I was, and I said you were going to take a leave of absence, but he didn¡¯t reply, so I hung up the phone.¡± After that, he commented seriously: ¡°This call happened 3 minutes after I asked Qin Yuan to ask for leave for you. I can only say that the efficiency of information communication from top to bottom needs to be improved.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ah, just when he thought it was embarrassing enough for Ling Changfeng to ask Director Wang for leave, something even more embarrassing happened. Boss Liang called him this morning and the call was actually picked up by Ling Changfeng himself! He couldn¡¯t imagine what Mr. Liang¡¯s expression looked like when he heard Marshal Ling¡¯s voice on the phone¡­ What ¡®s more, he had to report to Mr. Liang tomorrow! After eating lunch absentmindedly, Xu Xinghe always felt his heart was pounding like a drum. Thinking about it carefully, this is the first time he¡¯s taken leave for more than a year. He was a little annoyed and frustrated. Why did he sleep so deeply last night? It seems that by Ling Changfeng¡¯s side, he can always sleep soundly. After eating, while waiting for food to digest, Xu Xinghe clicked on the group chat again, and was surprised to find that in the short time he finished eating, more than 99+ unread messages were waiting for him. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart tightened, and he opened the chat record with a slightly ominous foreboding ¨C Ajia: ¡°Team Leader!! How are you now, Team Leader? Are you feeling okay? Have you started to react?¡± Ryan: ¡°F*ck team leader, I admire you so much¡­ What time did you meet last night? Can you still get up?? Will you come to work tomorrow?¡± Ajia: ¡°What do you say? Our leader is welcoming his once in a one-and-a-half-year vacation!¡± Ajia: ¡°Hey, team leader, will you come see us before your official vacation? If I knew, I would¡¯ve said goodbye to you last night. @Xu Xinghe¡± Ethan: ¡°Wait a minute. Wait¡­what are you talking about? Did we hear the same news at lunchtime?¡± Xiao Zhou: ¡°Obviously not¡± Ajia: ¡°You guys are too late¡± Ryan: ¡°When you say this, I feel that my news is a little behind, wait for me to inquire!¡± ¡­ Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Team leader Xu looked at the screen of unpredictable and unintelligible messages, and typed a question mark. Ryan: ¡°The team leader has appeared!!¡± Ajia: ¡°Ahhhh, Brother Xu, how are you feeling now?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What, aren¡¯t I talking to you now?¡± Ryan: ¡°The team leader should avoid contact with electronic equipment in the future! There is radiation!¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°¡­How can you, a person in the technical department, say such nonsense that electronic products have radiation??¡± Having to ask for leave because he watched a horror movie last night, and was too frightened he couldn¡¯t fall asleep until after 3 a.m. in the morning¡­ it¡¯s really difficult to explain, and unreasonable. Xu Xinghe hesitated for a moment, then secretly made up a plausible excuse: ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so I took a day off and will go to work tomorrow as usual¡± Ryan: ¡°?!¡± Ajia: ¡°?!¡± Ethan: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Zhou: ¡°Okay¡± Xu Xinghe looked at their replies, and his ominous premonition became heavier and heavier: ¡°Wait a minute, what do you think happened to me?¡± Ryan: ¡°¡­nothing.¡± Ajia: ¡°Team leader, can you really come to work tomorrow??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± When he saw that these guys in the group suddenly faltered and pretended to be deaf and dumb, he instantly became a little irritable. What the hell is going on? Could it be that Boss Liang said something in the morning? Xu Xinghe wasn¡¯t naive enough to hope that Mr. Liang couldn¡¯t tell it was Ling Changfeng who answered the phone this morning, but Mr. Liang isn¡¯t a gossip, so it stands to reason that he wouldn¡¯t spread it around. Xu Xinghe asked tentatively, ¡°What did Mr. Liang say at the meeting this morning?¡± Ajia: ¡°He just talked about the work arrangements, nothing major. Team leader, if you are not feeling well, take a rest first. We¡¯ll talk about it when you come to work tomorrow.¡± Ryan: ¡°Speaking of Boss Liang, do you think his face didn¡¯t look very well this morning?¡± Ethan: ¡°Ah, a little bit, he wasn¡¯t in the right state in this morning¡¯s meeting. The documents were reversed at the beginning.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He remembered the appearance of Boss Liang¡¯s white temples, and inexplicably felt a sense of guilt. Xu Xinghe: ¡°That¡¯s all? He didn¡¯t say anything else¡­about me?¡± Ryan: ¡°I told you, he said you were on sick leave.¡± Ethan: ¡°There¡¯s something in the team leader¡¯s words, what do you think Mr. Liang said?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Hehe, I thought he would ask about the progress of 3A-Z¡¯s investigation, and praise you as wastes.¡± Team leader Xu said this, but he was silently relieved. Listening to this situation, Mr. Liang should not have leaked anything. So what are these people talking about? Xu Xinghe: ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. What outrageous news did you hear? Leniency for those who confess, resistance is a dead end!¡± Seeing the silence in the group for a while, he continued to attack their psychological defenses with words: ¡°If I find out you¡¯ve spread rumors after coming to work tomorrow, you¡¯re all finished. Tomorrow, if the 3A-Z investigation is not finished, no one should leave work :)¡± When everyone heard this, they began to confess ¨C Ajia: ¡°I declare in advance that I have not spread rumors, I just heard that you were pregnant, and asked Director Wang for parental leave this morning¡­¡± Ryan: ¡°I declare in advance that I have not spread rumors, I just heard that you exercised last night, and immediately asked for leave this morning¡­ Later, I heard that you were in that period, and it seems that you were marked¡­¡± Ethan: ¡°What I heard is relatively normal, I just heard that our Team Leader Xiao Xu1Adding the xiao before his name is like calling him ¡°little boss¡± was a little uncomfortable after being tossed last night.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He licked his back teeth, smiled and began to turn his face and refused to recognize anyone: ¡°I changed my mind. The 3A-Z investigation work, I think it¡¯s better for you all to finish it today :)¡± After saying that, he ignored the group full of mourning and turned off the smartphone. Out of sight, out of mind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng, who was sitting across from the long table, looked towards him at some point, as if he had been observing him for a while. Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m talking about work.¡± In the end, he was too naive, thinking that as long as Boss Liang didn¡¯t talk about the phone call in the morning, no one would think about it. But he forgot that in that broken place in the Ark ¨C the pantry ¨C rumors of him being pregnant could be spread every day in the afternoon! Even if he really took sick leave, after half a day, all sorts of rumors would definitely spawn. What¡¯s more, this is the first time he¡¯s asked for leave; it¡¯s not strange for those gossip mongers to get excited. Ling Changfeng looked at his face and asked, ¡°Have you encountered any problems at work?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head: ¡°No, it¡¯s just that as soon as I didn¡¯t go to work, some nonsense started to spread in the pantry¡­ However, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± He thought about it. This kind of thing really doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, rumors like pregnancy will be self-defeating as long as he goes to work as usual. After hearing this, Ling Changfeng frowned: ¡°Nonsense? What did they say?¡± The pair of pupils were originally cold, but at this moment, the brows were wrinkled, and the end of his eyes showed a sharp coldness for no reason. But then, Ling Changfeng discovered that the situation was not what he imagined. His little spouse didn¡¯t seem to be angry at these rumors, but hesitantly said, ¡°Nothing¡­ what can they spread? It¡¯s all rumors anyway! Don¡¯t pay attention!¡± At the end, he was a little out of breath. Then he lowered his head and picked up a piece of cake, pretending to eat it. A trace of confusion flashed in his eyes. But when he saw Xu Xinghe¡¯s slightly flushed ears the next moment, he suddenly became enlightened. He could probably guess what kind of rumors they were. Ling Changfeng put away the coldness in his eyes, but still said solemnly: ¡°No, how can rumors be ignored?¡± After speaking, he changed the topic quietly: ¡°Unless this rumor will come true in the future.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He rubbed against the ground and stood up: ¡°I¡¯m going to feed the cat.¡± After saying that, he rubbed oil on his feet and slipped away without looking back. What a joke! Want the rumors to come true? Wait until his next life! That Ark¡­ it¡¯s like an entertainment circle for nerds. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 51.1 Early on Wednesday morning, Xu Xinghe rejected Ling Changfeng¡¯s offer to send him to work. Instead he got in his royal blue Phantom S-86 after a long absence, and drove himself to Ark to work. When he landed in the parking lot, he deliberately chose an inconspicuous corner to park, then got out of the car wearing a black sun hat, and walked quickly into the building without looking sideways. Even though he acted as low-key as possible and didn¡¯t want to attract attention, from the moment he entered the elevator, he could still feel all kinds of gazes around him falling on him one after another. When stepping into the main hall of science and technology on the 36th floor, the hall was quiet for a moment. As Xu Xinghe walked straight across the hall and into his office, people began to whisper again. ¡°Why did Team Leader Xu come here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that he wasn¡¯t pregnant? Of course he has to come to work if he¡¯s not pregnant.¡± ¡°Then why did he ask for leave yesterday? He worked full-time last year and didn¡¯t ask for a day off!¡± ¡°Sick leave, isn¡¯t it normal for people to get sick?¡± ¡°But¡­ Judging from the way Team Leader Xu just walked with the wind behind him, it doesn¡¯t look like he is sick.¡± As soon as Xu Xinghe entered the office, before he had time to take off his coat, there was a squeaking sound from behind- ¡°Team Leader!!¡± ¡°Team Leader, you¡¯re here!¡± Ajia and Ryan rushed into the office one after the other. Xu Xinghe¡¯s temple jumped up suddenly, put his coat on the hanger, then pointed at the door, and said without turning his head, ¡°Go out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Ajia moved closer and looked at Xu Xinghe with two big eyes without blinking. ¡°How are you feeling now? Are you any better?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xinghe wanted to say ¡°I was fine in the first place,¡± but after thinking about it, the matter of asking for sick leave yesterday won¡¯t make sense then, so he vaguely said: ¡°It¡¯s much better.¡± Ryan on the side asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, team leader? Hasn¡¯t your body been strong all the time? Why did you suddenly get sick?¡± Caught in the moment, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how to come up with an explanation to shut their curious and nonchalant questions, so he feigned irritation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being sick? Haven¡¯t seen anyone sick? You guys should get the hell out now!¡± Then, as if he suddenly thought of something, his black eyes slanted: ¡°How did the investigation go yesterday?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°On it now!¡± After the two left in despair, Xu Xinghe¡¯s office finally quieted down. He sat on the large office chair, poured a cup of coffee, and began to deal with the work that had piled up yesterday. At 10:15 in the morning, the pre-ordered notification rang. Only then did Xu Xinghe remember that it was time to report to Boss Liang. Liang Shilei, the head of the technology department of Ark, is 67 years old this year. He is a Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science of Capital University. In their department, he¡¯s nicknamed President Liang or Boss Liang by the employees. Since Xu Xinghe entered the Ark, he has received a lot of care and appreciation from Liang Shilei. At the beginning of this year, Liang Shilei defied all disapproval and promoted Xu Xinghe to be the leader of the Sixth Group. Therefore, Xu Xinghe felt both gratitude and respect for him. Because of this, when he thought of Ling Changfeng hanging up the phone on him yesterday morning, his whole body felt bad. After struggling for a while, he finally had to get up from his seat and walked towards Mr. Liang¡¯s office with documents in his arms. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. ¡°Please come in.¡± Boss Liang¡¯s voice came from inside. Although he is nearly 70 years old, Mr. Liang still looks energetic, but at this moment, he is sitting behind his desk and looking at Xu Xinghe with a complicated expression. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Liang Shilei asked. Xu Xinghe touched his nose, nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Mr. Liang was silent for a while, and said, ¡°I have no intention to inquire about your personal affairs, but from the perspective of personnel transfer and work arrangement, I still want to ask¡­ Xinghe, are you planning to get pregnant in the near future?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Stunned, it took him a while to stammer out a response: ¡°No, no, of course not! Why do you think so?¡± Mr. Liang¡¯s sharp eyebrows and eyes said: ¡°First of all, let me explain that I have no intention of objecting to your pregnancy by asking this question. On the contrary, if you¡­¡± ¡°No if!¡± To Mr. Liang¡¯s astonishment, Xu Xinghe directly interrupted him. The tips of ears were slightly red as he explained once again, ¡°If there is no if, I can¡¯t be pregnant.¡± He and Ling Changfeng have done their spousal responsibilities. There¡¯s a ghost at work if he can conceive! However, it is difficult for him to explain such a clear violation of the rules of the mastermind. He can only express his stance in front of President Liang: ¡°I am currently focusing on work, and I have no other plans for the time being.¡± Mr. Liang glanced at Xu Xinghe earnestly and said warmly: ¡°Young people, you can¡¯t just have work in your mind. And this¡­ This kind of thing is usually not under one¡¯s control¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He never imagined that Mr. Liang, who was always concise and neat in his actions, would be so naggy one day. After pulling him to chat about some life things, it took a while before finally getting to the point and discussing work. When he finally came out of Mr. Liang¡¯s office, it was already half past eleven, half an hour later than expected. After a busy morning, it was time for lunch. Xu Xinghe went back to his office, took out the bento he brought, put on the tablecloth, and started lunch. Halfway through the meal, there was a knock on the office door. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, then raised his head with emotion: ¡°Please come in.¡± The door was pushed open, and it was Gu Nai who came in. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± The young man wearing a light blue plaid shirt entered with a smile on his face. The dark brown eyes behind the lens quietly surveyed Xu Xinghe, before he said softly: ¡°Why is Team Leader Xu eating so late today? Why don¡¯t I come back later, so I won¡¯t disturb you for lunch.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m almost done eating.¡± Xu Xinghe said so, but his chopsticks didn¡¯t stop. While cleaning up the food, he raised his hand towards Gu Nai and said, ¡°Sit down, why are you here?¡± Gu Nai sat down across from him and asked, ¡°How is Team Leader Xu?¡± There were already countless people this morning who¡¯ve asked Xu Xinghe this question. He replied while eating, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Gu Nai said with a light smile, ¡°I heard that Team Leader Xu was on sick leave, so I stopped by to visit. What¡¯s wrong with Team Leader Xu all of a sudden?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He was at a loss for words, and then said casually: ¡°I have a fever, it¡¯s not a big deal. As you can see, I¡¯m at work now.¡± Gu Nai nodded: ¡°That¡¯s good, did you take medicine?¡± ¡°No, I usually don¡¯t take medicine for minor illnesses, and just need sleep.¡± ¡°Well, if you have a cold, drink plenty of water and rest.¡± Gu Nai said, glancing at Xu Xinghe¡¯s bento. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much oil, it¡¯s easy to get indigestion.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It was a little awkward hearing Gu Nai care of him. Gu Nai¡¯s behavior can¡¯t be considered too friendly, but if it¡¯s just concern among colleagues, it¡¯s a bit too warm. It wasn¡¯t long since the two knew each other, and now he¡¯s telling him to drink more water and rest¡­how strange. Xu Xinghe fell silent for a while, put down the chopsticks in his hand, and wiped his mouth. But before he could say anything, Gu Nai, who had been watching him all the time, suddenly smiled, and stood up first. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just dropping by to see Team Leader Xu. There¡¯s been a lot of work in the Third Group recently, so I¡¯ll go first. See you next time. ¡° Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while, and couldn¡¯t say anything more, so he stood up to walk him out. ¡°Go slowly. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± At the door, Gu Nai suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Team Leader Conrad mentioned this morning that the Third Group¡¯s recent Thunder Engine Project may require the assistance of your Sixth Group. He may go and find President Liang this afternoon. ¡° ¡°Oh, did you encounter any problems with the development of the thunder engine?¡± Xu Xinghe also heard a little about the big project that the group was responsible for recently. Gu Nai shrugged: ¡°There are no big problems, there are many small problems, mainly because the Lanton Star government plans to update their city¡¯s system before the end of the year, so research and development of the first-generation thunder engine is imminent. Recently, even after working overtime, the Third Group is too busy. However, Mr. Liang said that as long as the work can be completed before the deadline, he will give us three days off. ¡° Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°That¡¯s not a loss, I¡¯ll wait for the official notice from President Liang.¡± Capitalizing the Thunder Engine or not gave me a headache, so forgive me for any inconsistencies there. The project name is a proper noun, but the engine itself shouldn¡¯t be? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 51.2 In the afternoon, the Sixth Group received notice, asking them to assist the Third Group to complete the development of the thunder engine. A large number of new tasks smashed down at once, making Xu Xinghe busy and at the same time feel excited at this kind of hard work. As a result, he worked overtime in one breath and didn¡¯t go home until after eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. It happened that Ling Changfeng had something to do as well, and sent an email in advance to say that he would not come back. So after Xu Xinghe went home, he took a shower and fell asleep. That ¡®s it. The next morning, when he stepped into the office building again, he inadvertently made eye contact with a few colleagues, and he always felt that the way some people looked at him had changed again. It was very subtle. Xu Xinghe walked into his office with an inexplicable look on his face. While pouring coffee, Ajia walked in diligently, and when she saw Xu Xinghe, she hesitated. Xu Xinghe poured the coffee, leaned back on the seat, looked at Ajia and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ajia struggled again and again, but still whispered, ¡°Team leader, there¡¯s a trivial and ridiculous little thing that I don¡¯t know if I should let you know¡­ I¡¯m afraid it will affect your mood if I say it, but I¡¯m afraid if I don¡¯t tell you, things will ferment.¡± Xu Xinghe took a sip of coffee and raised his head, ¡°Tell me.¡± Ajia thoughtfully said: ¡°On our internal Xingzhou forum, a post suddenly appeared last night, saying that you and the Third Group¡¯s new intern¡­ got very close.¡± Xingzhou Forum is an anonymous forum for employees inside Ark. It is for everyone to be able to speak freely and to freely report unreasonable happenings in the department or problems in their work, so things are kept anonymous. Because of this, over time, some unscrupulous gossip posts will inevitably be generated. After hearing this, Team Leader Xu was at a loss. ¡°What? That intern from the Third Group? Who¡¯s kidding, I haven¡¯t seen him before.¡± ¡±Although I know there must be no problem between the two of you, it was the 24K pure idiot poster who spread rumors¡­ But you should have seen him.¡± Xu Xinghe frowned: ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Ajia opened the Xingzhou forum, and clicked on the post floating on the homepage, and said bravely: ¡°There are photos.¡± When the photo was clicked, it was a picture of two big heads coming together. The two were at the desk, not knowing what they were discussing, and their heads were almost pressed together. At first glance, they seemed to be intimate. Xu Xinghe was stunned, staring at another young man in a plaid shirt in disbelief. The voice was a bit dry: ¡°He¡ª¡± He pointed at Gu Nai in the photo, ¡°He¡¯s the Third Group¡¯s new intern?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ajia nodded, ¡°His name is Gu Nai, the one with the legendary relationship.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He put down the coffee and said blankly. ¡°This is a photo of me going to the Third Group yesterday afternoon to discuss I/O acceleration.¡± It¡¯s ridiculous. Even in a small meeting between colleagues, there may be times when they whissper, let alone, when they discuss issues attentively. Such getting close is called ¡°intimate contact¡±? Xu Xinghe glanced at the content of the poster¡¯s remarks, and grabbed the screen to read more. In short, it implied he had put a green hat on Ling Changfeng. He scrolled down, and there were not only photos of him and Gu Nai talking yesterday afternoon, but also photos of the two people meeting in a convenience store. In the photo, the two backs were walking side by side. Depicted in a similarly intimate fashion. ¡°Who took this picture? Paying so much attention to me, his father.¡± Xu Xinghe clicked his tongue, and then scrolled down to read the replies ¨C 3rd floor: [What can you tell from these two pictures? The landlord is really afraid that the world will not be chaotic] ? 4th floor: [Impossible, who would dare to pry the corner of Marshal Ling? Even if the intern is a related household, the relationship won¡¯t be bigger than Marshal Ling.] 6th floor: [Yes, doesn¡¯t Marshal Ling and Team Leader Xu have a good relationship? Yesterday, he personally helped to ask for leave.] 7th floor: [But I heard that the intern once applied for a change to the Sixth Group, and then I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t change it again] 13th floor: [What the hell? Instead of going to a large group like the Third Group, he wants to go to the Sixth Group??] 15th floor: [Speaking of which, I seem to have seen Gu Nai walking out of the office of Team Leader Xu the other day¡­] 18th floor: [eat melon eat melon] Xu Xinghe saw this, his fingertips froze, Gu Nai has also applied for a group change? 27th floor: [It seems that our Team Leader Xu is not only capable of technical skills, but also has some psychological means] 35th floor: [Although¡­ did anyone find out that the landlord took pictures secretly??] 36th floor: [Yes, the landlord is terrible, I hope there are no such colleagues around me] 50th floor: [It¡¯s all gone, what is there to discuss about this kind of chasing after the wind?] 58th floor: [Please, what¡¯s wrong with colleagues getting together to discuss an issue?? How did this get put on the forum? Does the landlord1OP ¨C original poster have a mental illness? Or are they just lazy? In addition, have you forgotten that photography is not allowed inside the Ark! I reported this post! Good luck!] Xu Xinghe took a cursory glance, and there were some posts in the post who complained of injustice for him, scolding the landlord for making trouble, and took the opportunity to ridicule them. Xu Xinghe chuckled, looked up and asked Ajia: ¡°Is this the 58th poster you?¡± Ajia leaned over to take a look. ¡°This should be Ryan, the one who scolds the landlord for writing a novel is me!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He glanced at Ajia¡¯s posting time and raised his eyebrows: ¡°At twelve o¡¯clock in the middle of the night, why are you scolding people in the forum and not sleeping?¡± Ajia said angrily, ¡°Because some people are just hateful! I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t even dare fart in front of you, which is why they¡¯re talking nonsense on the anonymous forum.¡± After speaking, she raised her head and glanced at Xu Xinghe who was calm. ¡°Team leader, aren¡¯t you angry? ¡°What¡¯s the use?¡± Xu Xinghe touched his chin, looked at the picture in the post thoughtfully, then raised his hand and patted Ajia¡¯s head, got up and said, ¡°You go to work, I¡¯ll go to Mr. Liang.¡± It¡¯s not time to go to work yet, but Mr. Liang always comes early. When Xu Xinghe knocked on the door, he was sitting at the table, frowning at his smartphone. Seeing Xu Xinghe coming to him at this time, he couldn¡¯t help being surprised. He closed the screen and said, ¡°Xinghe, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Xu Xinghe stood in front of Mr. Liang¡¯s desk and asked straight to the point, ¡°Mr. Liang, this time, the development of the thunder engine, isn¡¯t it an S-class confidential project?¡± Liang Shilei nodded: ¡°Of course, you just signed a non-disclosure agreement yesterday, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Leader Xu went straight to the topic: ¡°When I was in the Third Group yesterday afternoon to discuss the core performance of IOPS, I was secretly photographed. The table was full of classified materials, and the person who secretly photographed is suspected of leaking secrets at the first level.¡± After a pause, he said calmly, ¡°It is recommended to investigate who¡¯s responsible.¡± Who do you think leaked the project information? Comment below. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 52 When Xu Xinghe walked out of Mr. Liang¡¯s office, the clock had just reached nine in the morning. He returned to his office as usual, then took the materials and coffee and went to the Third Group to continue the work that was unfinished yesterday. Gu Nai didn¡¯t come to work today. When someone in the same group said that he had taken sick leave, a hint of surprise flashed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes, and then he nodded calmly: ¡°I see, let¡¯s go to the meeting.¡± Time has turned into autumn, and the light of the artificial sun spreads into the Ark, revealing a bit of bleak warmth. It should have been an ordinary morning at work, but no one expected that a sudden emergency investigation was quietly staged inside the Ark, breaking the original tranquility. The reason was a post that appeared in the Xingzhou forum last night. Due to the confidential project involved, the investigation was not carried out with great fanfare. However, because the post involved multiple parties, even some people who left replies were called up, so things inevitably leaked. Undercurrents surged all morning. After hearing the news, some people who relied on anonymity to speak nonsense, went online to delete their replies with a guilty conscience, for fear of getting burned. However, Xu Xinghe, who was concentrating on the meeting, was unaware of this. For the whole morning, he spent the whole morning in the conference hall with the Third Group¡¯s Team Leader, Conrad Alva, and other team members to study how to solve the problem of inter-planet network communication delay and how to reduce the loss when transferring data. The fierce debate and in-depth meeting lasted for more than three hours. Team Leader Conrad, who had been in this position for more than 10 years, was both helpless and gratified to find that Xu Xinghe at work was really as serious and stubborn as the rumors, as well as highly professional and reliable. When an initial solution was finally formed, everyone finally hurriedly broke up for lunch. Xu Xinghe returned to his office and turned on the electronic smartphone on his wrist. Originally, he wanted to see if Ling Changfeng had sent any emails, but unexpectedly, he saw an unfamiliar account requesting to add him as a friend on LINK. Postscript: ¡°I¡¯m Gu Nai.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled and clicked to agree to the application. Gu Nai: ¡°Sorry.¡± Almost as soon as the application was approved, Gu Nai sent these two words. Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± The other side was silent for a while, and suddenly a word came out ¨C Gu Nai: ¡°I saw the post. The person who posted the candid photo in the Ark Building obviously made a serious violation. I¡¯ve already contacted Mr. Liang and reported the situation. He said he would deal with it. I just went to the forum to check, and the post has been deleted. I just hope this matter doesn¡¯t affect you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He was a little surprised to find that some of Gu Nai¡¯s ideas are quite consistent with his. Xu Xinghe replied unhurriedly: ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Gu Nai: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I already told Mr. Liang.¡± After a while, he continued: ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal at first. Is this why you asked for sick leave?¡± Gu Nai: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe teased him: ¡°With the Third Group so busy, it¡¯s not very kind for you to skip work.¡± As soon as the words were sent out, he remembered that he had also taken sick leave the day before yesterday. Losing the confidence to scold others, he simply stopped the previous topic, and just typed: ¡°No one should say anything after today, you can come to work tomorrow.¡± After a while, a word came from the opposite side: ¡°Okay.¡± At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Xu Xinghe was writing code with the Third Group when he was called to the office by Mr. Liang. ¡°Do you know this person?¡± Liang Shilei stretched out his hand, and a picture of a young man appeared on the screen. Xu Xinghe looked at the image, feeling he looked similar. Tilting his head, he frowned and said, ¡°Dong Yue?¡± Mr. Liang nodded: ¡°Well, Dong Yue from the logistics department is the one who secretly photographed you yesterday. His behavior seriously violated the regulations of Ark, and has been officially dismissed after approval from HR. As for whether he violated the rules and leaked secrets, the results can only be obtained after the investigation. The specific situation has also been reported to public security, if convicted, he may face 3 to 5 years of prison time¡­¡± After speaking, he raised his head and glanced at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Do you think this is okay?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, Boss Liang, it¡¯s not what I want him to do. It doesn¡¯t matter if he causes himself to be fired or goes to prison. You can deal with it according to the regulations. You don¡¯t need to notify me.¡± Xu Xinghe shrugged, but then his expression slowly faded. ¡°I¡¯m just curious, this isn¡¯t the first time this guy has lied about me behind his back. I have no grievances with him, so why does he have such malice towards me?¡± Liang Shilei opened his mouth. but did not speak. He hasn¡¯t been completely deaf to the criticism surrounding Xu Xinghe over the past year either. After a long silence, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°There is a saying in the ancient books ¨C when one is above others, they will definitely be slandered. This is an unavoidable thing. But Xinghe, you have to believe that as you climb higher and higher, as you go further and further, these gossips, like those who talk about you behind your back, will be left behind by you sooner or later.¡± Xu Xinghe listened, and smiled without a sound. ¡°Then it seems that I have to speed up my pace¡­ I¡¯m going back to work now, Mr. Liang, and will endeavor to have the thunder engine¡¯s trial operation start this week.¡± After turning around, he walked out of Mr. Liang¡¯s office as usual. The news that Dong Yue was expelled and taken away by the security department for investigation soon spread inside the Ark. After an afternoon of fermentation, Xu Xinghe clearly felt that some of his colleagues looked at him differently. Some people became very enthusiastic, while some people evaded and shrunk back, as if they had done something wrong and were afraid of being held accountable. Xu Xinghe also knows the reason for this change, but by now, he has learned to ignore all kinds of eyes around him. He doesn¡¯t have any time or energy to think about it either given the huge workload. He just continued his work calmly. At 6 o¡¯clock in the evening, when he should have gotten off work, Team Leader Xu still had a lot of work and had to stay and work overtime. At about half past six, he received an email from Ling Changfeng: [Are you still working overtime today?] Xu Xinghe: [Yes] Ling Changfeng: [When do you get off work? I¡¯ll pick you up] Xu Xinghe: [No, I don¡¯t know what time I¡¯ll work until, you go back to eat first] After a while, Ling Changfeng replied: [Tell me before leaving work] Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He stared at the email for two seconds, then closed the mailbox, and threw himself into work wholeheartedly. But unknowingly, he quickened his movements. It wasn¡¯t until after nine o¡¯clock in the evening that Team Leader Xu finally rubbed his sore shoulders and got up to move his limbs. Then he reopened his mailbox and sent an email to Ling Changfeng saying: [I¡¯m getting off work] Within five seconds, I received a reply from Ling Changfeng: [I am in the T0 parking lot] Xu Xinghe: [? Have you arrived?] Ling Changfeng: [Arrived] Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, then he quickly closed his terminal, pulled his jacket and went out. Seeing two other people in the group on their computers, he said to them as he walked, ¡°Ethan, Ryan, I¡¯ll leave first. You guys should go back as soon as possible, it¡¯s not too late to finish the rest tomorrow.¡± Then he disappeared like a gust of wind at the door. Ryan raised his head and asked Ethan, who was on the opposite side, dumbfounded. ¡°What did the team leader just say? It¡¯s not too late to finish the rest tomorrow??¡± Ethan put down the work in his hand, got up and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s listen to our Team Leader Xiao Xu, get off work.¡± Ryan suddenly said: ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, is this the team leader I know? Didn¡¯t he always say that his head can break, blood can flow, but the work must be completed?¡± Ethan shrugged: ¡°He¡¯s not what he used to be. In the past, we couldn¡¯t urge the team leader to stop working overtime. Now¡­¡± Ethan dragged his sentence out, then looked at Ryan and shook his head. ¡°If you have someone to pick you up every day, you must also want to leave work early.¡± Xu Xinghe walked through the gates and quickly came to the T0 special parking lot. Ling Changfeng¡¯s car was already waiting in his dedicated parking space. Xu Xinghe got into the car, and while wearing his seat belt, he asked, ¡°How did you get here so fast? What time did you arrive?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes glued to Xu Xinghe for a moment before he said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything after work, and got here early.¡± He didn¡¯t go home last night, and he hasn¡¯t met Xu Xinghe for more than 36 hours. I miss him. Ling Changfeng looked back leisurely and asked, ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± Xu Xinghe leaned on his seat and said casually, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s half past nine. If I don¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll starve to death¡­ How about you? What did you have for dinner?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he was asking too much. Sure enough, Ling Changfeng replied with an expression unchanged for thousands of years: ¡°Nutritional supplement.¡± Xu Xinghe changed to a more comfortable position and began to close his eyes to rest his mind. ¡°I pretty much had the same. I didn¡¯t have time to go to the cafeteria for dinner, so I just ate a light meal with my colleagues in the office.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard on you.¡± Ling Changfeng turned to look at his face. Seeing that his little spouse was indeed tired, he didn¡¯t say that he originally planned to take him out for supper, and silently adjusted the route back to the mansion. ¡°How long will your project last?¡± Ling Changfeng asked. ¡°Next Wednesday at the latest, there may be an extra day on the weekend.¡± Xu Xinghe said, yawned, stretched out his body, and relaxed without defense. ¡°But fortunately, there are three extra days of vacation after the project is completed.¡± A faint smile flashed in the mismatched eyes. Ling Changfeng had a plan in his heart, but on the surface he still asked calmly, ¡°What do you want to do on vacation?¡± Speaking of this, Xu Xinghe regained his spirit and opened his eyes. ¡°Maybe the two groups will go out to build a tour group together. Our President Liang said that as long as we can get things done by next Wednesday, all the expenses for the group tour will be reimbursed!¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± With a twinkle in his eyes, Ling Changfeng asked with an expressionless face: ¡°Oh, is three days enough for you?¡± ¡°Five days with the weekend!¡± ¡°Going out of town?¡± ¡°En, though we haven¡¯t decided on a destination yet. We¡¯ll talk about it when we¡¯re done with the project.¡± Ling Changfeng observed the expression on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face. There was a little excitement and joy in his eyebrows. He obviously looked forward to this vacation trip. So Marshal Ling opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. It was just his heart was irritated for no reason at the thought of not seeing his little spouse for five days. Xu Xinghe felt sleepy, yawning, but stopped abruptly mid-yawn. He blinked at Ling Changfeng, and immediately leaned over to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unhappy?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flickered, and the fluffy dark chestnut head had rubbed against himself. He wants to rub it. He was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized that even if he was not in the susceptible period, his emotions would be more and more easily perceived in front of Xu Xinghe. He lowered his eyes, pursed his thin lips, and said in a low voice: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe leaned back on his seat and raised his chin with a smile. ¡°Why? Envying me for having a vacation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng shot him a slightly salty look. ¡°En, I¡¯m very envious.¡± After that, he suddenly thought of something: ¡°Do you have any other vacations that you haven¡¯t used?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Honeymoon leave.¡± In the dimly lit car, Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice came in a low and soft voice, ¡°Ark has a two-week honeymoon leave, when are you going to use it?¡± CH 53.1 The inside of the car suddenly fell into silence. Only the evening breeze and the faint roar of the engine came from outside the window. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, and suddenly asked from a clear angle: ¡°How come you even know that the Ark has two weeks of marriage leave?¡± Ling Changfeng paused and pushed his adjutant out in a hurry. ¡°Qin Yuan said so. He¡¯s urging me to use up this vacation early.¡± Xu Xinghe said curiously, ¡°You also have¡­ honeymoon leave?¡± Marshal Ling looked sideways, silently looking at his little spouse, He actually didn¡¯t have that much vacation, but this did not prevent him from nodding his face without changing his face. ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe asked again: ¡°How long?¡± Ling Changfeng continued: ¡°It¡¯s also two weeks.¡± Xu Xinghe tangled: ¡°Our marriage is fake, right? Isn¡¯t it okay to let it go?¡± Of course it¡¯s a good thing to have a vacation, but going out for a honeymoon with Ling Changfeng?? It feels weird¡­ Ling Changfeng heard the words, his pupils slanted, and his tone was a little indifferent: ¡°Well it¡¯s okay to let it go. But the whole two weeks of paid leave, isn¡¯t it a loss to not go?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s a huge loss! Ling Changfeng made persistent efforts and continued to seduce him calmly: ¡°If you go with me, you can choose the place, and the whole trip can be reimbursed.¡± Xu Xinghe was moved. He thought for a moment, then raised his head: ¡°Why don¡¯t I wait until I finish the work at hand¡­¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Then wait for me to use up the vacation for this team building¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him blankly, as if he didn¡¯t quite understand why his little spouse felt that it was okay to let the honeymoon vacation go, but he refused to miss this kind of team building opportunity. He learned the tone of Xu Xinghe just now, and asked neither lightly nor seriously: ¡°Is it possible to not go on this kind of team building trip?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± This time Xu Xinghe was stunned and stammered, ¡°But, but these five days off, it¡¯s a big loss if you don¡¯t have to take it away.¡± Then he continued to add: ¡°Ark¡¯s team building is generally very good. And everyone has definitely been working hard on this project this time. Okay?¡± Xu Xinghe may not have realized it himself, but his black eyes were bright, with a little anticipation for the upcoming trip. Seeing those surging emotions, Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t refuse at all. ¡°En.¡± The light in his eyes softened a bit, but Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone remained the same. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to come back.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled, and comfortably lay back in his seat. ¡°OK, then when everything is over, we can discuss the two weeks of honeymoon leave.¡± Him saying that was basically an agreement, and Marshal Ling nodded contentedly. ¡°Good.¡± In the next few days, Xu Xinghe worked overtime as the norm, and he would not be home until after nine o¡¯clock almost every night. Because of this, Ling Changfeng lost his desire to go home early, and simply copied him to work overtime. This made Adjutant Qin Yuan very depressed. At first, Major General Qin didn¡¯t know about Xu Xinghe¡¯s overtime work, and he was still wondering why his own boss was suddenly not in a hurry to go home. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ling Changfeng seemed to be in a good mood, and his expression was the same as usual, he would have suspected that the two of them were in conflict, and deliberately avoiding each other in a cold war. However, on Friday night, when Ling Changfeng was about to stay in the Double Star Building again and rely on nutritional supplements for dinner, Qin Yuan finally couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Sir, as your most loyal and reliable deputy, do you mind if I ask what happened in your private life recently?¡± Ling Changfeng lifted his eyelids and glanced at him with his naturally indifferent eyes. ¡°You have an appointment tonight? If you have something to do, go back first.¡± Qin Yuan immediately clasped his fists and said: ¡°Thanks a lot, then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After walking a few steps, he turned back. Ling Changfeng looked up at him. Qin Yuan spread his hands and said frankly: ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really have anything to do tonight, I just want to go home early¡­ But I thought about it, even if I go back early, the root cause isn¡¯t treated. I still have to be concerned about why you suddenly changed ¨C didn¡¯t you say a while ago that you must leave work at six o¡¯clock every day barring any emergencies?¡± Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, just wanted to say ¡°you don¡¯t need to care about this¡±, but he didn¡¯t say anything, and suddenly thought of something else. ¡°Honeymoon¡ª¡± He raised his eyes calmly, locking onto his adjutant, and said calmly, ¡°My honeymoon vacation, how did you arrange it?¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s mouth instantly opened into a large O shape: ¡°Huh??¡± He stared at his own boss for two seconds in shock. ¡°Do you have such a thing as a honeymoon leave?¡± ¡°There is now.¡± Ling Changfeng said indifferently, his tone irrefutable. Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He wanted to say something else, but Ling Changfeng was one step ahead of him: ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree at the gathering a while back?¡± Qin Yuan swallowed hard under the gaze of his commanding officer. He scratched his head and said, ¡°How can the words at the dining table be taken seriously? And I didn¡¯t say no to helping, but this period of time hasn¡¯t been very peaceful¡­¡± The mismatched pupils narrowed slightly. Qin Yuan suddenly lost his voice, and raised his hand in surrender. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange it! When are you going to go on your honeymoon?¡± Then he started flipping through the electronic itinerary. ¡°Then you have to work harder during this time. A lot of work can¡¯t be postponed, and can only be handled in advance.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded slightly. ¡°You arrange it.¡± Then his slender fingertips tapped on the table a few times, and asked again: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You have a suitable honeymoon location to recommend?¡± Qin Yuan thought for a while. ¡°This also depends on your personal preferences. Do you want to go to a lively and bustling scenic spot, or a quiet and secret private island?¡± He stretched out another finger and added: ¡°From a safety point of view, I recommend the latter. Because some famous scenic spots are crowded with people, and it is difficult to control traffic¡­ However, if Xinghe really wants to go, it is not impossible. At worst, we¡¯ll have to strengthen deployment of the surrounding security force. There¡¯s always ways to solve this. You should go back and ask him for his opinion.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°So why are you leaving work so late these days? Because Xinghe is also late?¡± Qin Yuan finally realized the problem. ¡°En, he has been working overtime recently.¡± There was a trace of emotion in Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice. Qin Yuan leaned sideways to the desk of his boss, turned his head, and smiled with a bit of ridicule. ¡°Now that the house is deserted, it¡¯s boring to go back alone, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him with no expression on his face. ¡°So I don¡¯t quite understand, why are you so active in leaving work every day?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He straightened up, tidied up his collar, and then walked away solemnly: ¡°This subordinate will leave first.¡± ¡ª¡ª There is a small forest on the south side of the Ark for employees to relax and unwind. In the midst of autumn, the cobblestones are paved with maple leaves. The Third and Sixth Groups worked overtime on the Thunder Engine Project and finally completed the plan before the deadline. The test was successful and the program ran smoothly. That night, Mr. Liang invited guests and set up a few tables to celebrate in a high-end restaurant next to the Ark. The members of the two groups, plus a few department heads, a total of about 30 people attended the banquet. The crowd gathered together, and the scene was very lively. The original promise not to drink alcohol became empty talk. However, because they had to go to work the next day, most of them restrained themselves. In the end, only a few people drank. Xu Xinghe even used fruit juice instead of wine from start to finish. He didn¡¯t drink a drop of alcohol, and was ridiculed by his colleagues for being good all of a sudden. XXH finally learns not to drink! Probably lingering phobia given his past experiences with drinking. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 53.2 After returning home that night, Xu Xinghe was suddenly pulled into a chat group called ¡°9.26 Team Building¡±. There were members of the Third Group and the Sixth Group inside. A total of 26 people. Conrad, the leader of the Third Group: ¡°Our project vacation has been approved! From Wednesday to Friday, including the weekend, there are five days in total. We can travel to any city on the planet. Where do you want to go? Do you have any good suggestions? Just speak up @everyone¡± The group suddenly cheered. Excitedly chatting and discussing. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t really want to go anywhere, so he just lay on the bed and watched them chat with each other. ¡°I want to go to Isabelle¡¯s Sky Garden!¡± ¡°I just went to this place during the summer vacation¡­ There are so many people! It doesn¡¯t feel suitable for group activities QAQ¡± ¡°What about the seaside resort in the Blue Star Islands?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it winter over there? How can you go to the beach in winter, why don¡¯t you go to see a serious snow scene.¡± ¡°Has anyone been to Nanga City in the north? It seems to be very popular in the past two years. It is said that the snow is very beautiful. Are you interested in the natural wonder of the golden dome of sunshine on Nanga Mountain?¡± Xu Xinghe swiped his fingertips on the screen slightly. The person who made the suggestion was Gu Nai. Since the last forum turmoil, he could clearly feel that Gu Nai was avoiding him intentionally or unintentionally. While communication at work is still inevitable, there were no extra words in private. At the celebration dinner just now, the eyes of the two inadvertently collided, and Gu Nai just smiled and nodded to him. However, Xu Xinghe was happy to see it happen. Between colleagues, one can¡¯t be too rigid, and one shouldn¡¯t be too enthusiastic. Everyone works hard and solves problems together during working hours. After getting off work, they can choose whether to have a meal, sing a song, or enrich their free time. In his opinion, this is the perfect relationship between colleagues. ¡°This is ok! Nanga is also a new celebrity attraction these past two years. I have always wanted to go and haven¡¯t made it.¡± ¡°It is said that there are not many people here, so it won¡¯t be very crowded¡± ¡°I searched for photos online. This place is so beautiful!¡± ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t we go here?¡± Gu Nai¡¯s suggestion was quickly echoed by many people. After deciding, they checked with the two team leaders: ¡°Is this place okay? @Conrad @Xu Xinghe¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°I have no opinion¡± Conrad: ¡°Same, then I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Liang tomorrow.¡± That night, Xu Xinghe told Ling Changfeng the news in the form of an email. Marshal Ling¡¯s recent work meetings also suddenly increased, and he didn¡¯t know what he was rushing around for. He often worked overtime until late at night, so the two saw each other less, while their online chatting time increased. In the next few days, the minds of the members of the Third and Sixth Groups were basically not at work. First, they just finished a big project, and there are only some final touches left to make. Second, there are no new projects for the time being, so the work pressure is much less. Third, the five-day long holiday is just around the corner. Everyone¡¯s mind has long drifted to the trip, discussing during the break and at mealtime. In such an atmosphere of anticipation, Wednesday arrived in the blink of an eye. That night, Ling Changfeng left work early for once, and went to the Ark to pick up Xu Xinghe. The two went to a five-star restaurant in the city center for dinner together. After returning home, Xu Xinghe hurriedly ran back to his room to pack his luggage. Xiaoqi wandered around him curiously, occasionally tugging at the suitcase with her claws, or simply got into his suitcase and shrank herself into a stuffed ball. Xu Xinghe was helpless and had to carry Ms. Xiaoqi out again and again. After a while, the doorbell rang again. ¡°Please come in.¡± Xu Xinghe saw that Ling Changfeng was on the screen, and let him in without thinking, while continuing to pack. As soon as Ling Changfeng entered the room, he saw all kinds of clothes and daily necessities spread evenly on the floor, which was a mess. He couldn¡¯t help but pause, raised his head and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°How many days are you gone for?¡± Xu Xinghe answered while cleaning up, ¡°Five days¡­ It¡¯s actually four and a half days, and I¡¯ll be back at noon on the fifth day.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s 32-inch giant suitcase. ¡°Five days, so many things to bring?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and looked at his suitcase. ¡°Is this a lot?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± While speaking, Xiaoqi flicked her tail again and flexibly jumped into the suitcase. Only then did Xu Xinghe remember one thing, so he stopped what he was doing, stood up, turned his head, and looked at Ling Changfeng solemnly. ¡°By the way, while I¡¯m away these days, I have an urgent matter to ask you¨C ¡° Ling Changfeng looked back indifferently. ¡°I will help you feed Xiaoqi.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This person has actually learned how to answer! He nodded: ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll leave Xiaoqi to you.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head: ¡°No, I¡¯ll be back in five days anyway.¡± After that, he continued to pack. Ling Changfeng silently looked at his little spouse with an unpredictable expression on his face. Although there will be a beautiful two-week honeymoon vacation waiting for them in the future, Marshal Ling was inexplicably depressed thinking of the next four or five days of separation. Especially when he discovered his little spouse didn¡¯t share his mood at all, and was still packing in high spirits. Marshal Ling was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: ¡°You have to leave for five days¡­¡± Xu Xinghe waited for him to continue, but he didn¡¯t wait for a long time, so he raised his head again. ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng asked indifferently: ¡°What do I do if I miss you?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s movements froze, and his eyes widened immediately. ¡°What?¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes, and his mismatched eyes lightly swept across Xiaoqi in the box. ¡°I mean the cat.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± He gently hugged his cat out, then folded the clothes in his hands neatly and put them in the suitcase. Ling Changfeng repeated it again: ¡°What if the cat misses you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled, and looked down at Ms. Xiaoqi, who was still wandering around the suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a business trip before, and Xiaoqi didn¡¯t seem to have much reaction. If she¡¯s accompanied by Aaron, she shouldn¡¯t be bored? Besides, I¡¯ll be back soon, there will be no problem.¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips noncommittally: ¡°Cats love their masters very much, they will miss them after a long time.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head blankly, his expression became a bit complicated. ¡°Perhaps¡­the creature you¡¯re talking about is called a dog?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling was silent for two seconds, and said without changing his expression. ¡°But Xiaoqi sticks to you very much.¡± Xu Xinghe was also a little confused when he saw his serious appearance. Thinking about it carefully, although he¡¯s traveled for business before, since he started raising Xiaoqi, he has never gone away for more than 3 days. ¡°Then what to do¡­¡± Xu Xinghe murmured. ¡°How about¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes passed over Xu Xinghe, and he quietly suggested: ¡°Let¡¯s have a video call every night?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°With Xiaoqi?¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes: ¡°En, otherwise, the cat will miss you.¡± Yes, the ¡°cat¡± Meow, says the Marshal. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 54 Xiaoqi was adopted by Xu Xinghe in his junior year. In the past two years, she¡¯s accompanied him rushing to complete his thesis, multiple New Years, witnessed his graduation, him starting work, and marriage. They¡¯ve spent countless lonely nights together. As a beautiful and sticky ragdoll cat, Xiaoqi easily captured her owner¡¯s heart and became an important ¡°family member¡± in Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes. So when Ling Changfeng said that the cat would miss him, Xu Xinghe was really soft-hearted and reluctant to part. He looked down at Xiaoqi, who was shaking her big furry tail and rubbing against his feet, as if unaware of the fact that her master was about to leave. She raised her head and said ¡°meow¡± obediently. Xu Xinghe squatted down, and seriously considered Ling Changfeng¡¯s proposal while smoothing out Xiaoqi¡¯s hair. ¡°Okay, then I will try to have a video with Xiaoqi every night before going to bed. But what should I do? Set up a room camera?¡± He raised his hand and glanced at the time, and said tangled: ¡°But it¡¯s too late, I have to go out again tomorrow morning¡­¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted him lightly: ¡°No, you can video call me.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned and raised his head: ¡°Ah?¡± Marshal Ling explained calmly: ¡°Xiaoqi and Aaron run around the house everyday. It¡¯s useless to install a camera in one room. Why don¡¯t I take it to video call you when I feed the cat every night.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°Will this be too troublesome for you?¡± Ling Changfeng said decisively: ¡°No trouble.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ then thank you.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. Since the other party didn¡¯t mind, he had no reason to refuse. ¡°But, haven¡¯t you been very busy recently?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly remembered something else. ¡°What if you are still working in the military when I call at night?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly, this is true. ¡°If I¡¯m doing important work, I won¡¯t pick up.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He knew that Ling Changfeng said this in order to comply with confidentiality measures. When conducting certain conversations, he can¡¯t answer incoming calls. But he thought about it for a while, since Ling Changfeng is already so busy, it didn¡¯t seem very kind for him to take care of the cat, so he should ask He Han instead. Xu Xinghe: ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget it¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Why don¡¯t I call you¡­¡± The two voices sounded at the same time. Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Ling Changfeng paused, and completed the second half of his sentence as usual, ¡°When I¡¯m free at night.¡± Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, then tentatively opened his mouth: ¡°Otherwise, if this is the case, leave it to He Han? You can just concentrate on your work.¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips and said expressionlessly: ¡°No, once He Han gets close to Xiaoqi, he will be scratched by Aaron.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He asked curiously, ¡°Is Aaron really bad-tempered? Why do I think he¡¯s okay.¡± Everyone said that Aaron was not very good-tempered, but he had never seen Aaron¡¯s claws. In his eyes, Aaron is a very polite, good, and well-mannered cat. Several times he even saw Xiaoqi stick her head into the other cat¡¯s food bowl to eat its food, but he did not see Aaron¡¯s instinctive response to protect his food. This made him feel that Aaron had a good temper. ¡°That¡¯s because its you.¡± Ling Changfeng said slowly. ¡°You can talk to Qin Yuan about Aaron¡¯s usual temperament. He once brought his Alaskan dog to visit¨C¡± He stretched out his hand and gestured, ¡°This big of a dog was scratched, and has refused to come visit since then.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He said with a strange expression: ¡°So, it seems that Aaron is giving me face?¡± Ling Changfeng gave a light ¡°um¡± and said with a double meaning: ¡°After all, love the house and pets.¡± Xu Xinghe decided not to embarrass He Han after hearing this. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to take care of Xiaoqi.¡± He was still a little embarrassed, so he added, ¡°It¡¯s hard work, wait for me to come back and invite you to eat¡ª¡± As soon as he opened his mouth, he suddenly thought that Ling Changfeng was not interested in eating, so he changed his sentence, ¡°Invite you for dinner, watch a movie, or anything else is okay.¡± At the words, Ling Changfeng¡¯s mismatched pupils slowly swept Xu Xinghe back and forth a few times, before he nodded lightly. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Then replied: ¡°Wait when you come back.¡± The last tone of his words rose slightly, mixed with a trace of inexplicable expectation, as if the trip had not yet begun, and he was already looking forward to the tourist¡¯s return. Heart settled, Xu Xinghe returned to packing his luggage. Ling Changfeng watched from the side, and suddenly asked him: ¡°When you go out, pay attention to safety. Qin Yuan has already called the local security department and asked them to be more vigilant¡­¡± ¡°Uh? No need!¡± Hearing the words, Xu Xinghe hurriedly raised his head and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m just hanging out with my colleagues for a few days, it¡¯s not a big deal. I used to travel a lot when I was in school. I know what to do, so I don¡¯t need some special care, otherwise¡­ ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will follow you.¡± Seeing that he had misunderstood, Ling Changfeng interrupted him in a low voice to explain. ¡°He just greeted them. It won¡¯t affect your travel, you should do whatever you do.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± Only then did Xu Xinghe feel relieved. Internally he was thinking if Ling Changfeng really sent someone to protect him, how could he have fun? Ling Changfeng saw his expression in his eyes and asked, ¡°Do you like going out to play?¡± Xu Xinghe kept packing his luggage and replied casually, ¡°I can¡¯t say I love it, but I do like going out. Yes, didn¡¯t I often go out to play with my classmates and friends before?¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his thin lips. ¡°But sometimes when I ask you out, you say it¡¯s rare to have a vacation, and you want to lie at home.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­ ¡°Well, that¡¯s what he used to say. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem to be contradictory that I love playing and being lazy?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while. ¡°I want to go home and lie down after playing too much, and I want to go out to play after lying down for a long time. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve left Nebula City, and I¡¯ve never been to Nanga, so I want to take a look. It is said that the snow scene there is very beautiful, and I will take a few pictures for you to see.¡± When he mentioned things he was interested in, his eyes were always bright. Ling Changfeng was trapped by such eyes, and his mood seemed to improve. So he thought: ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s only four and a half days, not to mention they will video call every night, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Just thinking about this, he saw Xu Xinghe put toiletries casually in a small bag, and then put it away. He muttered: ¡°I don¡¯t know if the hotel is a single room. If it is a double room, washing may be inconvenient.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Double room?¡± Marshal Ling repeated the words, and his voice dropped unconsciously. ¡°They will arrange a double room for you?¡± Xu Xinghe was still concentrating on packing, completely unaware of the key point, and replied without looking up. ¡°Not necessarily, I haven¡¯t asked yet.¡± After Ling Changfeng heard his reply, he stood there and looked at him without saying a word. After being watched for such a long time, Xu Xinghe finally raised his head, feeling something was off. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Marshal Ling replied with a blank face: ¡°It¡¯s not very convenient to video call in a double room.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°True¡­then I¡¯ll talk to them and ask for a single room.¡± After that, he resumed packing, as if such a small issue was not worth mentioning at all. Although he got his promise, Marshal Ling didn¡¯t get any happier because of it. Still staring at Xu Xinghe thoughtfully. Xu Xinghe also felt the low air pressure around him, and raised his head again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ling Changfeng looked away. ¡°Nothing.¡± It¡¯s nothing. Although his little spouse was not sad at being separated for five days, although he felt that it didn¡¯t matter to sleep in a double room with others, and although he tried to hand over the work of making video calls every night to He Han, each of these things alone might be trivial. It¡¯s just that these little things piled up together, causing Marshal Ling to be slightly unhappy. Xu Xinghe always felt that Ling Changfeng was weird tonight. He can sense the other party¡¯s emotions to a certain extent, but he doesn¡¯t know where this emotion comes from. He thought about it for a while, and asked cautiously: ¡°Have you been under a lot of work pressure recently?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He was about to deny it, but he suddenly thought of something, and indifferently asked: ¡°When you are under a lot of pressure at work, how do you usually deal with it?¡± Hearing this, Xu Xinghe strengthened his guess even more, so he stopped packing. Standing up, he picked up Xiaoqi, sat on the sofa, and very kindly began to share his decompression experience. ¡°When I am stressed, usually, I¡¯ll go to eat something delicious by myself, or hide at home and play with my cat, read books and watch movies¡­ Why are you standing there? Come and sit.¡± After that, he moved to the edge of the sofa to make room.. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept over the empty seat lightly, his eyes flashed, and he sat down. After sitting down, he sighed softly, not too loudly, just enough for Xu Xinghe to hear. On the treacherous and ever-changing battlefield, calmly analyzing the battle situation and then adopting the appropriate and best combat plan is the basic quality that a commander must possess. Therefore, Ling Changfeng has gradually realized that under his little spouse¡¯s seemingly hard and prickly hedgehog shell, the inside is actually a mess of softness. Kind, honest, and compassionate. Vulnerable to soft grinding, but not force. Ling Changfeng sat down beside him like a pine tree, and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored when you destress by yourself?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not boring. When I¡¯m happy, I like more people around. When I¡¯m unhappy, I just want to be alone. It¡¯s best that no one comes to bother me¡­ By the way, when I¡¯m stressed, I may go back to the playground of Capital University to run, run lap after lap, until I¡¯m tired. You can also try this exercise destress method. Let yourself sweat a little, and you will relax a lot after going out.¡± Ling Changfeng watched Xu Xinghe earnestly sharing his experience and trying to enlighten him. He wanted to smile at his cuteness. Although his young spouse came from a rough background, he grew up in the greenhouse of Capital Star. So he didn¡¯t know that when a person is really surrounded by huge pressure, he has no time to go running. However, Marshal Ling still accepted his proposal seriously. ¡°Okay.¡± Then he took the opportunity to revisit an old issue. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that you want to get up early to exercise with me?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He wanted to say it¡¯s cold outside and to talk about it in the spring of next year. But when he turned his head and saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s long eyelashes hanging slightly, he seemed to hear a light sigh in his ear. He suddenly felt that Ling Changfeng¡¯s work pressure is very high. It¡¯s not easy for him to help take care of his cat. So as soon as the words came out, it became: ¡°Wait for me to come back, we will exercise together after I return.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes: ¡°Really?¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth: ¡°Really!¡± Marshal Ling made a soft ¡°en¡± sound. He feels better again. While the two of them were talking, Xiaoqi had already jumped out of the owner¡¯s arms, and jumped into the suitcase for the nth time. Xu Xinghe also remembered that he had not finished packing, so he got up and continued. He looked at Xiaoqi helplessly and lovingly, and took her out without hesitation. ¡°Xiaoqi, I¡¯ll pack my stuff first, and I¡¯ll play with you when I pack it up.¡± When he said this, his voice was soft and gentle. His movements picking up Xiaoqi were also very gentle. Ling Changfeng stood there, looking at Xu Xinghe¡¯s smiling face, and suddenly asked, ¡°Why do you like Xiaoqi so much?¡± He originally wanted to ask why he was so gentle to Xiaoqi, but he thought it was a bit strange to ask. Because he changed his question, it turned out quite strange. ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe, who was playing with the cat, was slightly startled. He raised his head and looked at Ling Changfeng strangely. ¡°Don¡¯t you like Aaron?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­I like him too.¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and said, ¡°Of course I like the cat I raised, not to mention that Xiaoqi has been with me for a long time.¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng pondered for a while, ¡°So, you actually like the¡­ cat that has accompanied you for a longer time, right?¡± Xu Xinghe was puzzled by his question, so he blinked dryly: ¡°You can say this.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°I see.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± What does he mean?? ¡°When you come back, we can start discussing the two-week vacation.¡± Ling Changfeng reminded casually. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while. Thinking of the two-week ¡°honeymoon¡±, his heart moved inexplicably. He was busy and lowered his head to continue packing, and then whispered, ¡°Yeah.¡± That night, the two chatted intermittently like this until after midnight, before saying goodnight to each other. Xu Xinghe also slept late because of this, but this did not affect him going out in good spirits early the next morning. Before going out, Ling Changfeng instructed him: ¡°Be careful on the road, pay attention to safety, and contact me in time if you encounter an accident.¡± ¡°I know, you said this several times last night.¡± Xu Xinghe pushed the huge suitcase and waved at him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, bye.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across his dimpled left cheek, and paused slightly. He knew that the travel time was set, but he still said: ¡°Come back early, your cat is waiting for you at home.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°En, I will video call you.¡± After a pause, he changed his words, ¡°I¡¯ll pick up your video call.¡± With a faint smile in his eyes, Ling Changfeng said quietly while sending him out: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can video call me whenever you want. As long as I can pick up, I¡¯ll definitely pick up.¡± LCF: ¡°your cat is waiting for you at home¡± Aka me! XXH: Oh, he means Xiaoqi. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call.¡± Us: Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 55 As a modern metropolis glowing with metallic colors, the division of the four seasons in Nebula City is not particularly obvious. However, in the golden autumn season, one can smell the faint fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus when strolling through the park. In this large-scale group building trip of the Ark Science and Technology Department, a total of 27 people from the third and sixth groups participated. Except for two colleagues who were unable to come, all others assembled in the hall of Nebula East Station, and then set off for Nanga in a mighty manner. Everyone laughed, talked, and boarded the light-speed suspension train, just like a group of elementary school students going for a field trip. Mr. Liang was also very generous this time. He directly reserved a carriage for them, so everyone had no scruples after getting on the train. Eating snacks, playing cards and games, and binging dramas. This made Conrad¡¯s, the leader of the third group, head swell. ¡°Is everyone a kid? Sit down! Look at you all!¡± ¡°Team leader, we¡¯re playing bridge and still lack a player. Do you want in?¡± The team members waved at him and then pointed at Xu Xinghe next to him, ¡°Team leader Xiao Xu is welcome too!¡± Conrad: ¡°¡­¡± Although Xu Xinghe was also one of the group leaders in the tour group, he is still the youngest among them. At this moment, his heart¡¯s desire to play was also excited. He patted the seat next to him: ¡°Come, play!¡± Conrad was defeated, and finally sighed helplessly, and sat down amid the roar of the crowd: ¡°Who am I on a team with?¡± After flying in the air for an hour and a half, the broadcasted movie reached the climax, and the train had already arrived at Nanga City on the other side of the planet. The train stopped slowly, and someone exclaimed, ¡°Look! It¡¯s snowing outside!¡± Team Leader Conrad instructed while holding the suitcase, ¡°Everyone put on your down jackets and get off the bus. It¡¯s minus five degrees1-5 Celcius ~ 23F outside.¡± In September, winter had long since arrived the northern Nanga City. The hatch opened, and cold wind blew in. The world was wrapped in silvery white as far as the eyes could see. White snow covered the square below, and silver mountains loomed in the distance. Snowflakes fell one after another, Xu Xinghe reached out and caught one, watching it melt in the palm of his hand. Looking up again, he saw all kinds of ice sculptures and colorful lanterns all around the square, lifelike and beautiful. Such a delightful view is always a joy. What¡¯s more, it is difficult to see such a scene of heavy snow in Nebula City. Xu Xinghe raised his hand and couldn¡¯t help taking a few pictures of the snowy scene. Then, while breathing heat into his hands, he sent the photo to the F4 group. Xu Xinghe: ¡°(photo.jpg)¡± Cheryl: ¡°Yo, Brother Xu has gone to Nanga? How about it, the snow scene is beautiful, right?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, but it¡¯s a little cold¡± Cheryl : ¡°Put more on, don¡¯t catch a cold¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Why do you speak like someone?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Huh? Who is that person?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Vincent: ¡°You don¡¯t know who ¡®someone¡¯ is? Give you a chance to quit the group by yourself @Lin Qi¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Of course I guessed it! Can¡¯t you see I asked this on purpose?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Cheryl: ¡°I can¡¯t see that Marshal Ling has such a thoughtful and meticulous side, you know I told you to wear more clothes.¡± Vincent: ¡°Sure enough, older people know how to care for people.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± Lin Qi: ¡°So why send this photo to us? Send it to your husband¡± Vincent : ¡°Why didn¡¯t you post it? Maybe even post a selfie.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, I want to see your selfie too!¡± Cheryl: ¡°Are you someone¡¯s husband? If not, just think about it. Okay¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°? Do you want to experience the feeling of being blocked by me collectively?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Leaving now, see you later.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned off the chat software and mumbled vaguely. . ¡°Team leader!¡± At this moment, Ajia¡¯s voice rang in his ears. ¡°What do you want to drink? There is a milk tea shop there. I¡¯ll go buy a cup of hot milk tea, and bring you one too!¡± Hearing this, Xu Xinghe put down his smartphone, raised his head and smiled softly: ¡°I¡¯ll treat you guys, you go and ask them what they want to drink.¡± ¡°Thank you, team leader!¡± Ajia didn¡¯t refuse. Dressed in fluffy pink, she was like a pink bunny happily running away in the snow. Different from the prosperous scene of high-rise buildings in Nebula City and the overlapping tracks above the sky, Nanga City, a tourist city that has only emerged in recent years, has maintained a relatively intact natural ecological environment. The fog and willows on the riverside and the snowy mountains are famous local natural wonders. Everyone held hot milk tea, chatted, laughed, and got in the car the hotel sent to pick them up, and drove off to the booked five-star hotel. At noon in winter, with sunlight beaming down, the rays bounced off the snow, dazzling viewers. Everyone looked out the window. There were not many pedestrians on the road. Some children ran across the long street with colorful balloons, disturbing the white pigeons leisurely strolling along the road. On both sides of the street, there are a dazzling array of shops and crystal clear ice sculptures. A variety of colors adorn the vast world, adding a bit of romance to the otherwise monotonous snow-white expanse. The hotel they booked is relatively close to the commercial street in the city center and is one of the top five-star hotels in the area. As one of the leaders of the trip, Xu Xinghe, together with Team Leader Conrad, managed the check-in procedures for everyone. In the reception hall, Conrad asked: ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to share a room? All those who have greeted me in advance have been arranged, and those who have not said hello will be randomly assigned by the front desk. Got it?¡± As soon as everyone heard this, they began to talk about it again. ¡°I don¡¯t care, anyway, I can drop by at night.¡± ¡°Xinxin, let¡¯s get a room for the two of us!¡± ¡°Who plays ¡°Dark Alliance¡±? We can team up!¡± Xu Xinghe turned sideways and asked Conrad in a low voice, ¡°Is mine a single room?¡± Conrad team leader heard this, his face was a bit weird: ¡°Of course. ¡° Xu Xinghe nodded and looked back: ¡°Thank you.¡± Conrad looked at him, hesitating to speak, and finally said: ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to say say, and you will definitely be allocated a single room. ¡° Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°Really? But I used to go out in a double room with friends.¡± After all, travel and accommodation costs a lot, and a double room is much cheaper. Conrad was silent for a while, then said, ¡°You were never married.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback: ¡°Even if you are married, it¡¯s okay to live with someone of the same gender, right?¡± Conrad: ¡°Yes, but not necessary.¡± After that, he gave Xu Xinghe a deep look, as if to say, how can the madam of the dignified Alliance marshal share a room with other men? Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± After everyone checked in and put their suitcases in their rooms, it was almost one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Everyone was hungry, so they settled lunch in the banquet hall of the hotel. After lunch, everyone unanimously decided to go back to their rooms to take a nap, rest, and then go to the riverside scenery together in the afternoon. Xu Xinghe slept late last night, and he tossed around for another morning today, so he was quite tired. He went back to the house and changed his clothes, then lay down on the bed and decided to take a nap. But as soon as he closed his eyes, the smartphone on his wrist rang. It is the exclusive notification sound for new incoming mail. Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears moved, opened his eyes, and clicked on the mailbox. Ling Changfeng: [Arrived in Nanga?] Xu Xinghe: [Well, I just finished lunch. I¡¯m in the hotel, I plan to rest for a while, and then go out to play in the afternoon] After posting this sentence, Xu Xinghe¡¯s fingertips paused on the screen. He remembered that he had promised Ling Changfeng to send him some pictures of the snow scene in Nanga before he left. But after those jokes from Lin Qi and the others in the morning, he suddenly felt less inclined. However, this tangle only lasted for less than two seconds. In the end, Xu Xinghe convinced himself: ¡°No matter what they said, people have to do what they promised others.¡± So he clicked ¡°Add picture¡± in the email, and sent Ling Changfeng three pictures he took earlier. [The scenery here is beautiful, let me show you] There was no reply from the other end for a while. Xu Xinghe lay down again, thinking that Ling Changfeng might be busy at this point, so he should take a nap. Unexpectedly, before closing his eyes this time, Marshal Ling suddenly replied: [Is it convenient to answer the phone now?] Xu Xinghe: [?] Ling Changfeng: [Video] Xu Xinghe: [¡­] Shouldn¡¯t video calls be at night?? Nebula City and Nanga City are separated by a time zone. It should be daytime now. Why do we need a video call now? After about ten seconds, a video call request suddenly rang in the quiet room, indicating that the owner of the ringtone would do what he said. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± In his impression, Ling Changfeng rarely made video calls. All previous contact was in the form of text. Therefore, he felt a little discomfited when faced with the sudden video call. After being stunned for a few seconds, he hurriedly got out of bed and walked to a well-lit place by the window, and clicked to answer. The next moment, Marshal Ling¡¯s holographic projection appeared on the small screen. The mismatched pupils scanned the room layout behind Xu Xinghe and asked, ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°Yeah, a big bedroom.¡± Xu Xinghe turned the camera to show him the layout of the room. Ling Changfeng nodded in satisfaction, and the small emotions that had been haunting him all morning finally dissipated. Xu Xinghe also glanced at the room behind Ling Changfeng: ¡°Are you in the office?¡± ¡°The lounge.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy with work today?¡± Ling Changfeng was at a loss for words when he was asked, and he calmly flicked the corner of his clothes, then raised his head and replied, ¡°Just checking how you are.¡± ¡°Uh? Didn¡¯t you send me off five hours ago¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked puzzled. ¡°Nothing will happen in five hours.¡± Ling Changfeng corrected him lightly: ¡°Five and a half hours.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked up at the time, and then quickly ended the topic: ¡°I¡¯m going to a meeting, you should go rest for a while. See you in the evening.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback for a moment. Before he could say anything, the video went black after a beep. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This video call started off guard and ended unexpectedly. So why did Ling Changfeng call?? Moreover, he just wanted to say that he doesn¡¯t need to make two phone calls a day. But on second thought, he hasn¡¯t seen the cat today, so it¡¯s better to talk at night. Big cat misses his ¡®owner¡¯. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 56.1 Xu Xinghe slept for a long time, and when he opened his eyes again, he found that it was dark outside. He turned over suddenly and sat up, wondering why no one came to wake him up. Wen he raised his hand to check the time, he realized it was not yet four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Recalling the fact that Nanga City is in the extreme north, it¡¯s reasonable for the skies to grow dark very early in the day. Xu Xinghe put on the bathrobe, got up, got out of bed, and walked to the window. The sky in the distance is a quiet and deep inky blue, like the night at three o¡¯clock in the morning of Nebula City, clear and secluded, spotless. When the sun set and the moon rose, the snow-white Nanga City instantly entered a world of bright, colorful neon lights. Above the blue night sky, countless colorful lights appeared. The decorative lights in the ice sculptures also lit up, and together with the neon lights on the street, they add a splendid color to the snowy city at night. Xu Xinghe stood alone by the window for a while, then suddenly looked down at the time. He quickly turned back to prepare. After putting on a sweater, a down jacket, a scarf and gloves, he went out tightly wrapped. Everyone agreed to gather at the hotel lobby at 4:15, and then visit the observation deck by the Baisong River, before going to a five-star restaurant in Linjiang for dinner. Xu Xinghe just pushed open the door of his room, and saw a familiar figure walking out from the next room. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± As soon as Gu Nai turned around, he bumped into Xu Xinghe in the corridor. His black eyes flashed behind the lens, and he immediately greeted with a smile: ¡°Team Leader Xu, good afternoon.¡± Xu Xinghe asked: ¡°Do you have a single room too?¡± Gu Nai nodded: ¡°Well, I specially applied for a single room from Team Leader Conrad.¡± He seemed to see Xu Xinghe¡¯s doubts, and explained with a smile, ¡°I snore when I sleep, and fear disturbing my roommate.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Gu Nai asked, ¡°Why, did Team Leader Xu also want a single room?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and asked, ¡°Put it another way, who would I share with?¡± Gu Nai smiled meaningfully, then glanced at him, and deftly changed the topic.¡±It¡¯s almost time to gather, let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at him. With the mindset of someone in charge of this trip and responsible for the safety and health of the group members, he kindly reminded: ¡°You¡¯ll be cold dressed like this.¡± Gu Nai, who was wearing a long dark blue trench coat, glanced at Xu Xinghe, who was wrapped like a ball, and said with a half-smile, ¡°Has Team Leader Xu never been to an extremely cold city? The cold here is different from the cold in Nebula City. In this kind of place, a few degrees below zero is nothing, you will get hot dressed up like that. Xu Xinghe looked at him suspiciously, debating whether to listen or not. He swayed left and right for a while, and finally chose not to listen. Who¡¯s he kidding, with the absolute low temperature, how can it not be cold? But he didn¡¯t plan to continue to convince Gu Nai, and said simply: ¡°Then if you are cold later, you can come back early.¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°If you are hot for a while¡ª¡± He swept his black eyes around him, and answered neither lightly nor seriously: ¡°You can take it off.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The two took the elevator downstairs together, and Gu Nai asked as they walked, ¡°What are the arrangements for the next few days?¡± Xu Xinghe said: ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to climb the snow-capped mountains tomorrow? We have free time the day after tomorrow. I may rest in the hotel, or go to the nearby park. Oh, by the way, Ryan and the others also invited me to play cards.¡± Then he turned his head and asked Gu Nai, ¡°What about you?¡± Gu Nai said, ¡°I¡¯ll just go with the big group. I just want to come back early today to rest, after all, there are many things to do in the next few days.¡± ¡°You have plans the day after tomorrow?¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡°What plans?¡± Gu Nai smiled softly: ¡°Secret.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± When the two came to the lobby, a dozen people had already gathered in the hall. When there are many people, mouths will loosen, and the atmosphere naturally becomes lively. When everyone arrived, they got into the hotel¡¯s car and set off towards the Baisong River. The technological development of Nanga City is far less than that of Nebula City, but it is a little more classically beautiful than Nebula City. Many old ruins have been reconstructed and renovated, and their original appearance is still preserved. There is a curving stone bridge on the river, which leads directly to the pavilion in the heart of the lake. Perhaps it was because winter had just arrived, the river water had not completely frozen. Lotus-shaped colorful lanterns drifted on the still waters, illuminating the pavilions. The fog on the riverside wove a magical forest scene. Crystal clear snow, trees, and ice flowers bloomed all over the ten-mile long embankment. When everyone got out of the car, they started crazily snapping photos. Xu Xinghe followed the main group along the river bank, occasionally stopping to take pictures of the scenery. However, after walking for a while, he was embarrassed to find that Gu Nai was right, he really wore too much. It was obviously several degrees below zero outside1celcius, so below 32F.. In Nebula City, it would be so cold that he couldn¡¯t go out. But now he started to sweat from walking a little.2Its the difference with dry vs. humid cold. Dry cold isn¡¯t that cold, whereas humid cold can be bone-chilling. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t the only one who wore too much. Several people took off their jackets while running around and making trouble. Don¡¯t know who made the first snowball and threw it at the crowd. Although everyone hid quickly and no one was hit, the snowball seemed to be a sign and a signal. Everyone rushed to follow suit, and the situation quickly intensified. In the end, snowballs flew all over the field, and a vigorous snow melee was officially staged. At first, Xu Xinghe planned to pretend to maintain order, but when a certain snowball hit him, he couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. He threw his jacket aside and officially joined the snowball fight. The scene was chaotic for a time, and the snow on the branches was shaken and fell. The elderly team lead Conrad stayed where he was, speechless. He opened his mouth several times, but not a word came out. In the end, he just silently hid to the side so as not to be hurt by his crazy colleagues. As for the scenery, no one cares. The group had a good time before they went to Linjiang Pavilion for dinner. Having just experienced a hearty snowball fight, as soon as everyone sat down, someone started to order wine. Xu Xinghe was also a little tempted, but after hesitating again and again, he finally restrained his little alcohol addiction. Refusing the repeated persuasion of his colleagues to drink, he asked for juice. After all, when going out, basic safety awareness is still necessary. What¡¯s more, if he¡¯s drunk like that again, how can he still work with his colleagues in the future? After dinner, it was snowing heavily outside, but everyone was enthusiastic and wanted to find a place to sing. In the end, it was ruthlessly stopped by Conrad. ¡°Have you all forgotten that we are climbing the Nanga Snow Mountain tomorrow? You¡¯re already crazy this afternoon, but if you guys continue this evening, will you be able to climb tomorrow? Hurry back and have a hot bath then go to bed early. Can¡¯t you go sing karaoke back in Nebula City?¡± So everyone had to give up and take the car back to the hotel obediently. However, even when they returned to the room, the people who were in high spirits had no intention of going to sleep at all. Of course, they won¡¯t sleep early. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 56.2 When Xu Xinghe came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, there were already more than 80 unread messages on his smartphone, and the group chat was still ringing. ¡°Does anyone want to start a game of ¡°Dark Alliance¡±?¡± ¡°I have alcohol here, come to A-519 to pick it up¡± ¡°I have hangover medicine here, come to C-322 to pick it up¡± ¡°Team Leader Conrad, did you quit the group?¡± ¡°From what I know about him, he has already fallen asleep at this point¡± ¡°Then can we¡­?¡± ¡°Take it easy, after all, we have to climb a snowy mountain tomorrow¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep¡± ¡°Can¡¯t sleep +1¡± ¡°I want to play cards!¡± ¡°I also want to, I didn¡¯t have fun playing on the train during the day¡± ¡°Is Team Leader Xu coming? @Xu Xinghe¡± ¡°Whose room should we use?¡± At this time, Ryan was bubbling: ¡°Team leader! Can we go to your room to play? Your room is big! @Xu Xinghe¡± ¡°Team leader Xu won¡¯t sleep either, right?¡± ¡°Probably not, I once sent him an email at two o¡¯clock in the early morning and he replied.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He rarely played cards after graduation, but his desire to play was aroused after playing it on the train earlier. After staring at the screen for two seconds, he finally replied: ¡°Come on. I¡¯m at A-231, we can make two tables of cards and play.¡± The crowd immediately cheered. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Wait for me!¡± ¡°Who wants to drink? I¡¯ll go downstairs and buy a few cans first.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Don¡¯t bring alcohol.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay, okay! We won¡¯t, it¡¯s important to play cards!¡± ¡ª¨C At 8:30 p.m. in Nebula City, Ling Changfeng called Xu Xinghe in the car on his way home. They are now a time zone apart, and it should be half past ten by his little spouse¡¯s side. But unexpectedly, the video call was hung up after less than two seconds. There was silence in the carriage. Marshal Ling, who had not been hung up for more than ten years, stared at the screen for a few seconds. After repeatedly confirming that the signal between himself and the other party was all right, he finally determined that his call request was just hung up by the other party. Marshal Ling, who has always been vigilant, felt tight in his heart. His first reaction was that Xu Xinghe might be in trouble. So he immediately called Qin Yuan and asked him to locate the exact location of Xu Xinghe¡¯s group and confirm Xu Xinghe¡¯s personal safety. Soon, Qin Yuan sent a reply, everything was normal in Nanga. Xu Xinghe and his Ark colleagues had returned to the hotel safely, and they were resting in the hotel at the moment. When Ling Changfeng received the reply, half his heart fell, but the other half still hung in the air. He called Qin Yuan¡¯s phone again, and he asked, ¡°Then why did he hang up on me?¡± Qin Yuan was choked by his question. He fell silent for a moment, and cautiously said: ¡°This question, is it appropriate for you to ask me?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him blankly. Adjutant Qin clearly read the words ¡°I¡¯m not happy¡± from the face that he had seen for more than 20 years. He quickly reacted to the entanglement from the old man, took stock of the many possibilities for Xu Xinghe to hang up the phone, and then picked the most acceptable one. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s taking a shower?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling didn¡¯t know what to think, and his eyes flashed. He pondered for a moment, and said with a light expression: ¡°Then I¡¯ll call him later.¡± ¡ª¨C At this moment, on the other side of the distant planet, Team Leader Xu who was playing cards and was described by Ryan as ¡°drunk before drinking¡± was killing the group at cards. Therefore, when a sudden ring interrupted his play, he hung up without looking. ¡°You start.¡± Ethan, who was just bombed, said, ¡°Who called?¡± Xu Xinghe waved his hand: ¡°I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t matter! After this round, let¡¯s talk about it later¡­ Straight!¡± The three other players shook their heads: ¡°I can¡¯t beat it¡­but what if it was Boss Liang who called?¡± Xu Xinghe replied simply: ¡°Even if it¡¯s from the king, they have to wait until the game is over.¡± ¡°Respect! Team leader, you are becoming more and more like a boss!¡± Ryan bowed his hands to him, ¡°I¡¯ll bomb1a move in a card game similar to using a trump in bridge of pair of jokers in big 2 it too! How many points is it?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Just like that, after several rounds, the game was finally approaching the end. At this moment, the ringtone of Xu Xinghe¡¯s smart wristband rang again. After two consecutive phone calls, Xu Xinghe finally stopped hanging up directly, and raised his hand impatiently. With just one glance, everyone noticed that the face of Team Leader Xu, who was still invincible just now, froze. Then he put down his cards lightly, and said to everyone, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, wait for me.¡± Then he quickly slipped out of the door. Outside the door, Xu Xinghe pressed the accept button. In a flash of light and shadow, Ling Changfeng¡¯s holographic projection appeared in front of him. ¡°Where are you?¡± As soon as the video was connected, Ling Changfeng asked, ¡°Just returned to the room?¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­ how about you?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°I just got home and I¡¯m feeding Xiaoqi.¡± Ling Changfeng said, turning the camera around, Xiaoqi on the screen was happily eating with her tail wagging, while Aaron was guarding her silently. ¡°How¡¯s Xiaoqi?¡± Xu Xinghe felt a little sorry. He got addicted to playing cards and almost forgot his precious Xiaoqi. ¡°Very¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone was stunned, and he changed his tone abruptly, ¡°Just misses you a little.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°How does she miss me? I think she¡¯s eating deliciously.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°It misses you in its heart.¡±2The sounds for ¡®he¡¯, ¡®she¡¯, and ¡®it¡¯ are the same in Chinese, so XXH doesn¡¯t know who LCF is referring to. I used the 3rd party neutral ¡®they¡¯/¡¯it¡¯ here for LCF to keep it abstract[/mfn] Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He looked at Xiaoqi with a bewildered expression, and then heard Ling Changfeng ask: ¡°What are you doing? Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call just now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was at a loss for words. Playing cards wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t talk about. If it was just a missed call, it would be easy to explain, but it was a bit difficult to explain hanging up Ling Changfeng¡¯s call because he was playing cards. Team Leader Xu decided to tell a white lie: ¡°I was just taking a shower.¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded with an expression that he expected such an answer, and then frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you standing in the corridor?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe had no choice but to continue the lies, ¡°After dinner, I went out for a walk.¡± This reason is reasonable, Ling Changfeng nodded and said: ¡°You have been running around for a day, and should rest early after you finish.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Xu Xinghe released a breath, and hurriedly replied. ¡°Work must¡¯ve been hard. You should also go to sleep first. I¡¯ll¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, he suddenly found that Ling Changfeng was looking behind him, his eyes suddenly sharpened. Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He turned his head and found that the door of his room was open, and Ryan stuck his head out of it. Ryan, who originally wanted to call him back to play cards, turned blue and white when he saw the projection of Marshal Ling in the corridor. His lips twitched twice, and he completely froze in place. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere suddenly fell into a strange silence. Ling Changfeng turned his gaze back to his little spouse, and the two stared at each other silently. Ryan didn¡¯t dare to leave, didn¡¯t dare to stay, so he pitifully froze at the door, maintaining the posture of probing outwards, like a statue. Perhaps it was because the three of them were deadlocked for too long, so a voice came out of the room again: ¡°Where¡¯s he? Ryan, why are you at the door? Where¡¯s Boss Xu?¡± After a few seconds, another head came out of Xu Xinghe¡¯s room, and peeked out from behind the door. Then, like Ryan, he put on a ghostly expression, and froze into a petrified statue at the door. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Baby hedgehog is caught red handed! Guess the card game will have to be disbanded! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 57 T/N: Here¡¯s an extra Xmas update for y¡¯all! Enjoy~ The whole corridor was silent and the atmosphere was very awkward. Xu Xinghe looked at the two heads sticking out from behind the door of his room, and then looked at the holographic projection of Ling Changfeng in the video. For a while he didn¡¯t know how to explain the chaotic scene in front of him. Marshal Ling did not show any other reaction. He didn¡¯t say anything, didn¡¯t ask anything, just stood there with his hands behind his back, looking at his little spouse blankly, as if waiting for Xu Xinghe to speak first and take the initiative to explain the ins and outs of this matter. Although he had no doubts that his young spouse would sneak away to play while traveling, Marshal Ling, who was hung up on minutes ago, was very unhappy. It was inevitable for his mind to conjure many bad possibilities. His displeasure was hidden, hidden behind his usual icy face, and hidden in his usual unwavering tone. He will not get angry and seek revenge over a personal matter, nor will he implicate the innocent because of it. However, Xu Xinghe, who had been his spouse for nearly three months, still detected his unhappiness and decided to explain and appease him. Just when Xu Xinghe was about to bite the bullet and say something, more voices came from behind the door one after another ¨C ¡°Ethan, we¡¯ve finished this round, what are you guys doing?¡± ¡°As you can see, we are short three people now.¡± ¡°Where did the three of them go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Team Leader Xu put down his cards and left in a panic. The other two went to him and didn¡¯t come back¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be work, will it? Did Mr. Liang ask us all to go back to work overtime urgently?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make such unlucky jokes in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Did you try calling?¡± ¡°I called, but I didn¡¯t get through¡­¡± The voices came from behind the door one after another. It was probably because the people who had finished playing a round of cards came to the small living room to rest and drink, so their conversation gradually became clearer. Fortunately, no one came out to find them, and they quickly returned to the bedroom. The voices gradually drifted away, letting them avoid escalating the already embarrassing situation. However, Team Leader Xu, who was standing in the corridor, still had a headache. He lowered his head and drew circles on the ground with his toes, thinking to himself, ¡°forget it, just tell the truth.¡± Ling Changfeng heard unfamiliar voices coming from the room one after another, and the expression on his face became more and more calm. From the conversation of the crowd, he easily guessed what they were doing, and he couldn¡¯t help but turn his eyes to his little spouse with anger and amusement. Dual-colored pupils swept Xu Xinghe with his head down, and asked in a light tone: ¡°How many people are in your room now?¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and decided to confess and reduce his punishment: ¡°Seven, eight with me included.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling took a deep breath and thought expressionlessly, ¡°it was nothing. Just seven people squeezed into Xu Xinghe¡¯s room in the middle of the night, playing cards with his recently showered, clean little partner.¡± Xu Xinghe also ¡°just¡± hung up his call because of this. Ling Changfeng continued to ask blankly, ¡°What are you playing?¡± Xu Xinghe replied, ¡°Playing cards, a popular card game from school. The rules are a bit similar to dou dizhu, except that four people work in pairs. Well, we have two groups now, and we¡¯re playing a match in my room¡­¡±1Sounds like they¡¯re playing sheng ji. Its quite popular these days. His tone was upright, but when he inadvertently raised his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Ling Changfeng¡¯s indifferent expression. Team Leader Xu suddenly realized that it was not a wise choice to give a detailed explanation now, so he stopped and said dryly: ¡°Next time¡­¡± He originally wanted to say ¡°I won¡¯t play next time¡±, but then he thought, there seems to be no problem with playing cards with his colleagues. The only thing that can be called a problem is that he hung up Ling Changfeng¡¯s call, so he changed his words and said, ¡°I won¡¯t hang up your call next time.¡± At the reminder, Marshal Ling naturally followed his words and asked with a straight face, ¡°So, why did you hang up on me just now?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He found that once Ling Changfeng straightened his face, his eyes changed, becoming as sharp as a sword, extremely lethal, and deterred people from looking directly. He silently moved his eyes away, avoiding the other party¡¯s gaze, and his voice couldn¡¯t help weakening a bit: ¡°I accidentally pressed hang up, so I didn¡¯t see who was calling at the time¡­¡± After that, he added another sentence: ¡°At that time, my colleague was urging me to play cards.¡± After Ling Changfeng heard this, his eyes swept lightly behind Xu Xinghe again. The two heads behind the door shivered at the same time, and immediately showed an expression like crying, feeling that they were in danger. Ryan wanted to cry but had no tears, and wanted to shout ¡°I¡¯m wronged¡±, but under Marshal Ling¡¯s stern gaze, he couldn¡¯t say a word. The other person was also about to cry. Especially when Marshal Ling¡¯s terrifying and decisive eyes swept towards him, he only felt that someone poured a basin of ice water on his head, and his limbs instantly became cold. Xu Xinghe followed Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze, and finally remembered that there were two poor fellows behind him. So he put his hands behind his back and made a gesture to the two of them, indicating that they should hurry back inside, and not stay in Marshal Ling¡¯s line of sight. However, the two unlucky bastards were already frightened by Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes, and didn¡¯t see his gesture. Xu Xinghe was helpless, so he turned his head and waved at them while mouthing, ¡°You guys hurry back inside.¡± The two of them finally came back to their senses as if they had just woken up from a dream, and slipped away. However, the direction they headed wasn¡¯t right. Xu Xinghe originally meant to let them go back to their respective rooms. As a result, the souls of these two people had not completely returned to their bodies, and because they were still partially still hidden behind the door, they retreated into Xu Xinghe¡¯s room, and closed the door lightly. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng watched the small moves under his own eyes, but didn¡¯t say anything. After the two heads retracted into the room, he asked Xu Xinghe lightly: ¡°You¡¯re still continuing to play?¡± Xu Xinghe immediately shook his head: ¡°No more¡­ They¡¯re probably frightened by you and can¡¯t play anymore.¡± In fact, seeing that these two were colleagues of Xu Xinghe, Marshal Ling had already weakened his gaze. It¡¯s just that his eyes are really not polite to those who pulling his partner to play cards in the middle of the night. But then again, with his identity and qualifications, he wouldn¡¯t vent his dissatisfaction with a group of young citizens. He just looked at Xu Xinghe and said: ¡°You are not a soldier, you don¡¯t need to be on call 24 hours a day, so I don¡¯t need your phone to be kept open at all times. But there is still a difference between not answering and directly hanging up. Next time, you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Ling Changfeng was halfway through speaking, and suddenly realized that he was in a bad mood. His tone was indifferent, as if he had returned back to when they first got along. Qin Yuan reminded him a long time ago that he should not speak in this way when dealing with his little spouse. Marshal Ling¡¯s voice paused, and he felt a little regretful. So after a short pause, he made up and said, ¡°If you hang up directly, I¡¯ll be worried and I¡¯ll think something happened to you.¡± He didn¡¯t tell Xu Xinghe that when he hung up the first video call, one minute later, the security department, the security bureau, and the intelligence department all began to operate. If the safety of the marshal¡¯s wife could not be confirmed in the shortest time, Qin Yuan would even directly call the person in charge of the local military region and ask the other party to bring people for a search and rescue. ¡°I see.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded obediently, and some not-so-distant memories suddenly appeared in his mind. He vaguely remembered that one time, Miles seemed to have hung up on Mu Qingyun¡¯s call out of anger and disappeared. As a result, Mu Qingyun almost turned the world upside down looking for him, and even called him during his search. In Xu Xinghe¡¯s mind flashed a nondescript analogy that came from nowhere ¨C if he suddenly disappeared, would Ling Changfeng also frantically search for him? ¡ª¡ª The duo returned into the room, still in shock. Like two marionettes, they walked into the bedroom silently with both eyes open. Seeing this, the other five people in the house quickly gathered around. ¡°Hey, you guys are back? Where did you just go?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Team Leader Xiao Xu? Why didn¡¯t you come back together?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you talk?¡± ¡°Not playing cards yet?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play. It¡¯s over!¡± Ryan was the first to come back to his senses. After hearing the word ¡°playing cards¡±, he couldn¡¯t help shuddering. ¡°Do you know¡­ who made the call to Team Leader Xu just now?¡± Everyone looked at each other in dismay. ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s not really Boss Liang, right?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The other knowing person swallowed and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s a person many times scarier than Boss Liang, a big man.¡± ¡°Who? It can¡¯t be Director Wang, right? I heard that the secretary of the director¡¯s office called Mr. Liang directly when Team Leader Xu asked for sick leave before!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Feel free to guess.¡± Everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances. After saying all of this, anyone who understands will naturally understand. ¡°Could it be¡­ Marshal Ling?¡± After a moment of silence, someone finally asked directly what everyone was thinking. Ryan nodded with a heavy expression, with a look of more sorrow than death: ¡°Marshal Ling came to check, and the team leader was caught. And Lucas and I, we ran into Marshal Ling as soon as we went out¡­¡± ¡°Wow, then you two are considered to have seen the Marshal now. This wave of blood is worth it!¡±2as in they lost HP when they were caught by LCF ¡°This wave of blood is worth it my ass! If you have the ability, go out and see! If you see Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes, you¡¯ll have a nightmare tonight!¡± ¡°Then what do we do now? Let¡¯s run away?¡± ¡°Wait a minute! They should still be video calling in the corridor now¡­ If we hear something we shouldn¡¯t, we¡¯ll be silenced!¡± XXH gains a bit of awareness! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 58 In the hallway, the video call continued. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t want tonight¡¯s conversation to end with such an awkward atmosphere, so he slowed his tone and tried to find some light topics to chat about. ¡°What did you have for dinner?¡± ¡°Some local specialties at the Linjiang Pavilion. Among the dishes, there is a chicken stew with mushrooms that is particularly delicious. I also studied the recipe, and can make it for you when I go back.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flashed slightly. Although he had never been interested in eating, he was easily satisfied at this moment: ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes moved slightly, and he asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Did you drink?¡± Although his tone was quite calm, and he didn¡¯t mean to seek guilt,, Xu Xinghe immediately denied it: ¡°No!¡± After a while, he added: ¡°They drank, I didn¡¯t.¡± Ling Changfeng lips curled into a faint, fleeting smile, before he opened his mouth to ask, ¡°How was your time in Nanga today? Are you happy?¡± ¡°Happy! It¡¯s hard to see so much snow in Nebula City. We had a snowball fight by the river in the afternoon, and it was very enjoyable.¡± When he mentioned this, Xu Xinghe regained his energy, stretched out his hand and gestured: ¡°I didn¡¯t want to join at first, but the scene became more and more chaotic. I was accidentally hit by someone¡¯s snowball, so I fought with them¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands and feet as he described the snowball fight. All he could imagine is how cute his little spouse is in the snow. Like a little hedgehog rolling around in the snow, he shook his head to shake off the snow. Thinking of these pictures, his eyes involuntarily softened. It was not until Xu Xinghe finished the whole snowball fight vividly that Ling Changfeng nodded and said, ¡°If you like snow, we can often travel to places with snow in the future.¡± Xu Xinghe was chatting happily, but did not notice Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was a little softer than before. He didn¡¯t delve into what the word ¡°later¡± meant, and nodded readily: ¡°Okay!¡± Marshal Ling felt relieved and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, you should rest early.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. ¡°You also rest early.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Before hanging up the video, Ling Changfeng spoke again. His gentle, soft tone was something Xu Xinghe could also perceive. The young man who had been running around for a day restrained a yawn, and then replied after a moment, ¡°Good night.¡± When Xu Xinghe opened the door and entered the room, he vaguely heard faint whispering in the bedroom. But as soon as he entered the bedroom, the chatter inside stopped abruptly. The whole room fell silent. A group of people sat together, keeping their bodies lowered and whispered. As Xu Xinghe pushed in the door, everyone raised their heads suddenly, and looked at him collectively. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He was a little uncomfortable facing the group stares. Swallowing, he asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°Team leader, your video call is over?¡± Ryan asked cautiously. Xu Xinghe touched his nose: ¡°It¡¯s over. What about it? We have to climb the snow-capped mountains tomorrow, everyone should go back to sleep early. We can play cards when we come back tomorrow¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Ryan suddenly reacted, trembling as he shook his head like a rattle. ¡°No more, no more! No more tomorrow!¡± The people around also echoed: ¡°It¡¯s so late, we won¡¯t disturb Team Leader Xu, we will withdraw immediately!¡± They fled faster than rabbits. In the blink of an eye, only Xu Xinghe was left. Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Weren¡¯t you guys the ones who said we¡¯ll fight until dawn tonight? That night, the news about Marshal Ling¡¯s video call quickly spread in various small groups inside the Ark, and many versions were reported. The first version was relatively normal ¨C ¡°I heard that Marshal Ling came to the video to check tonight??¡± ¡°Yes! The six of them said it themselves, they were playing cards at the time, and Marshal Ling made a video call. It shocked everyone.¡± ¡°Their relationship is so good¡­ It¡¯s only been a long time since they separated, and have to video call.¡± ¡°I guess they miss each other. After all, people haven¡¯t been married for a long time, and it¡¯s still the affectionate honeymoon period.¡± Later, the various stories evolved ¨C ¡°I heard that when they were talking on the video, a passing colleague walked by. Now that colleague is very worried that he will be silenced by Marshal Ling¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what are they chatting across the screen?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the tone is greasy? Or the topic of conversation is more unrestrained?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just blowing a kiss on the screen, which is often the case when my husband and I make video calls.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine what Marshal Ling looks like when he does this kind of action¡­ He looks so serious on TV.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that the more serious one is in public, the more unrestrained they are in private!¡± ¡°How come I heard that Marshal Ling went directly to Nanga because he couldn¡¯t help missing the leader Xu?!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not so¡­ If a big man like Marshal Ling visits a city, how can he be so silent?¡± ¡°I heard that Team Leader Xu is sick again and has a bad appetite. This made Marshal Ling feel bad, so he had a cold face and directly contracted the five-star hotel in Linjiang to cook for Team Leader Xu.¡± ¡°Ah? The version I heard is like this¡­¡± Finally, after going around, word of mouth continued, and the topic that had remained unchanged for thousands of years reemerged ¨C ¡°Have you heard? Leader Xu is pregnant!!¡± ¡°No way!! Is it true this time??¡± ¡°I personally heard that because of the pregnancy, Team Leader Xu has already given up drinking completely!¡± ¡°But he still goes out to play while pregnant?¡± ¡°It is said that he was just diagnosed with pregnancy, and has taken the special plane of the Marshal¡¯s mansion to return to Nebula City overnight. He won¡¯t be seen until next year¡­¡± Team Leader Xu, who was ¡°pregnant¡±, was unaware of the gossip rumors from the outside world. On a snowy night in Nanga, he fell into a blissful, deep sleep. This chapter is reallly short. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 59.1 The next morning, when Xu Xinghe went downstairs to the restaurant for a buffet breakfast, he always felt that his colleagues around him were a little strange. He walked to the self-service drink area and wanted to have a cup of iced Americano. As a result, an older colleague kindly asked him to drink less beverages containing caffeine, and it is better to have a cup of hot milk or hot soy milk. Others came to ask him how he was doing today, and whether he could still climb the snow-capped mountains together. Even Team Leader Conrad looked at him more kindly than ever. Xu Xinghe originally thought that when Conrad woke up this morning and saw them discussing the all-night poker conversation in the group chat last night, he would probably be angry. As a result, not only was the other party not angry, but he looked at him a little bit more¡­ kindly?? Yes, kindness. It made Xu Xinghe very confused. After breakfast, on his way back to the house to pack his luggage, he grabbed the well-informed Ajia while no one was around, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Did you guys choreographed something in private again?¡± ¡°Hey, team leader, first of all, this is not called choreography.¡± Ajia smiled shyly and moved away a little. ¡°Secondly, I think everyone mainly wants to express their concern for you, there is nothing malicious.¡± Xu Xinghe heard the words and raised his eyebrows, and continued the topic, ¡°I¡¯m fine, so why did you guys suddenly start caring about me?¡± Ajia tilted her head and looked at him: ¡°Leader, let me ask first, did Marshal Ling video chat with you last night?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He pretended to cough twice, then looked away: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? When I¡¯m out, the cat at home will miss me, so I need to video chat every night.¡± Ajia made a face of ¡®who are you lying to¡¯. Xu Xinghe was a little irritable, and simply admitted: ¡°What if I made a video with him? It¡¯s just a video chat, what rumors started to spread?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just some old-fashioned content-¡± Ajia shrank back again, and whispered, ¡°Some people say you¡¯re trying to get pregnant, and some people say you might already be pregnant.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He suddenly got angry. After gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°It¡¯s outrageous, how can these two things be connected? Besides, didn¡¯t you just have a snowball fight with me yesterday afternoon? Do you think I didn¡¯t fight hard enough? Do you want to continue to experience what it feels like to be taught to be a human being?¡± After a pause, he remembered something, and he was so angry that he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. ¡°Besides, why is even Team Leader Conrad looking at me with that kind of look, as if I¡¯m already pregnant¡­ He believes this too??¡± ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t believe that you are pregnant, and neither do we. We just think that since you are already preparing for pregnancy, it is possible at any time¡­¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth, and cut off her words. ¡°Who said I was preparing for pregnancy??¡± ¡°Then why did you suddenly quit drinking?¡± Ajia asked. ¡°¡­¡± A trace of embarrassment flashed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s black eyes, but he still continued stubbornly: ¡°It¡¯s not safe to drink too much alcohol when you go out. Besides, I can quit if I want, so why is there so much nonsense?¡± Ajia blinked: ¡°But the team leader, take a step back, even if you are not preparing for pregnancy, you are indeed in a period where you may become pregnant at any time¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that, it¡¯s not impossible. You and Marshal Ling have been married for almost three months, and match each other so well. What if one day you suddenly become a father-to-be?¡± Xu Xinghe said word by word: ¡°No, What, If!¡± Ajia asked curiously, ¡°Why are you so sure? I remember before you got married¡­¡± After saying this, she paused in her tone, and then carefully considered: ¡°Team leader, before you got married, you haven¡¯t not considered the problem of having a child?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. The reason why he was sure that he would not get pregnant was because he knew that he and Ling Changfeng had never had sex at all, and naturally it was impossible for him to be pregnant. But Ajia reminded him a little that he had really thought about having a child. Because in his original cognition, once A and O go through the estrus period after marriage, they will naturally combine, and it is possible to give birth to a new life after that. Therefore, after being matched, he had to consider the possibility of this aspect and make plans early. Fortunately, during his first marriage, his estrus period did not come, so Mu Qingyun never touched him, and there was no way to even create a human being. But this time was different. Not only did he go through the estrus period, Ling Changfeng also gave him a temporary mark. Recalling his mood swings after the marking, and his instinctive attachment to the ocean-like pheromone, Xu Xinghe¡¯s face warmed up a bit. He lowered his eyes silently, and an uncontrollable thought suddenly flashed in his mind. If the same thing happens again¡­ If temporary marking continues, the effect will get stronger and the reaction will get bigger. So whether it¡¯s him or Ling Changfeng, can he really spend this year in peace? Really¡­ it can¡¯t be that this ¡°what it¡± happens? ¡°Team leader? Team leader??¡± Ajia¡¯s little hand waving left and right flashed before his eyes, and Xu Xinghe suddenly came back to his senses. He looked at Ajia¡¯s head and slightly worried eyes, and suddenly smiled. Why is he so nervous? Those small-probability events currently only exist in the pantry of the Ark. He doesn¡¯t need to start worrying about it so soon. Why not just take things step by step¡­ He reached out and patted Ajia¡¯s head: ¡°Go, go back to the room and pack up, let¡¯s go climb the Nanga Snow Mountain.¡± At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, the sun in the extreme north had not yet risen, and snow swirled around the city. The sky was a dim, foggy gray-blue, and everyone from the Science and Technology Department got on the hotel shuttle bus and set off for the foot of the mountain The reason why Nanga City is named ¡°Nanga¡± is also because of the Nanga Snow Mountain in the south. Whenever the sun rises and sets, the gilded sunlight passes through the clouds, and shines on the top of the snow-capped mountains. This is the scene of the local famous ¡°sunlight golden mountain¡±. Everyone came to the foot of the mountain, carrying their own big backpacks, talking and laughing up the mountain. In the first half of the road, everyone climbed on foot. When they reached the middle of the mountain, finally some people could not continue and chose to take the cable car up. Xu Xinghe originally wanted to be lazy, but when he saw the caring eyes of his colleagues, he joined the team on foot to the top without looking back. On one hand, because he was busy working overtime, he lacked exercise during this time. On the other hand, he had to bite the bullet and continue. Fortunately, the scenery along the way did not disappoint everyone¡¯s hard work. The sun rose in the east, and the rays of the sun gleamed down. A group of people walked through the beautiful scenery. Time passed by in such a fast way that everyone felt like they were swimming in the mountains and water for three days. The fourth day is a free day. Xu Xinghe slept in the hotel and woke up naturally. When he woke up, he moved his limbs and found that his muscles were still aching. He decided to go back and have a good workout with Ling Changfeng. As for today, let¡¯s have a good rest in the hotel. Just thinking about it, the smartphone on his wrist suddenly rang. Xu Xinghe glanced at Ryan¡¯s call and clicked to answer. ¡°Team leader, what are your plans for today?¡± ¡°No plans.¡± Although Team Leader Xu was awake, he was not in a hurry to get out of bed. He got up and leaned on the bedside, and skillfully ordered room service.¡± ¡°Do you want to play an escape room?¡± Ryan said excitedly., ¡°James came to me just now and said that he wanted to play the horror room. Eight-person room, moderate horror, and we¡¯re still missing three people.¡± A horror room? Xu Xinghe moved his aching limbs and refused: ¡°I will agree if it¡¯s a secret reasoning room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, team leader?¡± The voice on the other end of the phone paused and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He pretended to be relaxed and said: ¡°Of course not afraid, but why do you want to come to Nanga to do an escape room? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go back to Nebula City to play?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different, that room is said to have a good reputation. It¡¯s a large-scale real-life escape room. There are few places like Nebula City where there is such a big room, and the price is cheap!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the last day, we will return to Nebula City tomorrow. Let¡¯s play together, we can¡¯t waste our vacation!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe thought about it, and he didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash and change clothes, what time is the appointment?¡± When the group of eight gathered in the hall, Xu Xinghe realized that Gu Nai was actually here. Ryan leaned over, lowered his voice and said in his ear: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, team leader, I didn¡¯t know he would come too.¡± After the forum turmoil, he could feel that the two were avoiding suspicion, intentionally or not. When they went to climb the mountain the day before yesterday, Gu Nai excused himself that he was not feeling well, and didn¡¯t go with them. As a result, they didn¡¯t communicate about the escape room and things ended up like this. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Xu Xinghe himself was very calm, and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re all colleagues and we can¡¯t not see each other. You can¡¯t just stay away from each other just because of a few rumors.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not embarrassed.¡± Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, and his tone revived: ¡°This room is said to be very scary and exciting! There will be many NPCs pretending to be ghosts to chase you!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He looked at Ryan with a haunted expression: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s ¡®moderate¡¯ horror level?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ryan blinked and said innocently. ¡°Team leader, I said on the phone It¡¯s ¡®severe¡¯.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Sh*t! Is it too late for him to quit now?? Just as he was struggling, another colleague came towards him. When he saw Xu Xinghe, he was stunned: ¡°Why did you call Team Leader Xu here?¡± Ryan asked back, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Our team leader can¡¯t come? ¡° ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, it¡¯s inappropriate¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that the secret room is scary? Team Leader Xu needs to rest well!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at his colleague who wanted to help him directly back to the room. Smiling stiffly, he said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, I¡¯m in good health and I don¡¯t need to rest. I can go to the secret room myself.¡± Ryan looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s expression, approached him and asked in a low voice, ¡°Team leader, you¡¯re not really afraid of ghosts, right?¡± Xu Xinghe was speechless. He refused to admit that he was afraid of ghosts in front of Ling Changfeng, let alone in front of his team members. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Team Leader Xu tried his best to make his voice look contemptuous. ¡°Ghosts are the ones afraid of me!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Nai, who was chatting with a colleague nearby, suddenly turned his head to look at him and smiled lightly. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This person is so annoying! If last chapter was short, this one is looong. P.S. Chapter is titled ¡°Escape room¡±, but the room is more like a secret with some role playing involved. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 59.2 The direction of the horror room started. The car drove for a while, and finally stopped in front of a three-story building in the north of the city. After getting out of the car, Xu Xinghe asked casually, ¡°This place seems to be a little remote?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s big.¡± James explained, ¡°Think of how expensive the rent is for a room in the city center.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and looked up at the three-storey building in front of them. Different from those escape rooms in commercial office buildings in Nebula City, this one has its own special building. The venue is very large; it¡¯s very exciting. A clerk with a friendly smile came over, led the group into the room, explained the general rules, and then asked everyone to draw their character cards. Finally, she reminded: ¡°Intelligent electronics cannot be brought into the venue. Please take them off and hand them over to me for safekeeping. They will be returned to you after the end.¡± Xu Xinghe took off the smart wristband and watched the staff lock them in the safe, but suddenly thought of something: ¡°Wait, if someone calls me later¡­¡± Xu Xinghe struggled, ¡°Just let it ring, and don¡¯t answer.¡± The staff smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will not touch your personal belongings.¡± The background of this horror room takes place in the Middle Ages, revolving around evil spirits and grievances in the castle, as well as the sacrificed boys and girls. The interior of the secret room is exquisite, and the horror atmosphere is well made. Dim flickering lights, blood on the walls, cobwebs everywhere, and spooky music playing every now and then. As soon as Xu Xinghe stepped into this place, he subconsciously followed Ryan and Ethan and reassured them: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there are no ghosts in this world.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Ryan and Ethan looked at each other and both saw the puzzled look in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Team Leader, we are not afraid.¡± As soon as his voice fell, a cold hand suddenly stretched out from under the table, grabbing his ankle with an icy cold grip. The next moment, screams resounded throughout the room. ¡°Ah, ah, what the heck!¡± ¡°Team leader, someone is pulling me!¡± After a short riolent, everyone finally cracked the password contained in a book, and entered the next room. The light in this room was even darker. The music stopped, and the surroundings were silent. In the darkness, someone asked, ¡°What do you want us to do in this room?¡± Suddenly, a bell rang. Then without warning, a few pale-faced evil spirits suddenly crawled out from all directions, crawling towards the crowd. The scene suddenly turned into pure chaos. Xu Xinghe grabbed Ethan¡¯s arm tightly and ran with his eyes closed. If the lights in the room could be brighter, everyone could probably find that Team Leader Xu¡¯s face was not much better than a ghost at the moment. If he was given another chance to choose, Xu Xinghe would rather be rumored to be pregnant again than come to this damn secret room! It¡¯s a pity that he has already entered the wolf¡¯s den, and it is impossible to quit halfway. After a great escape chased by a group of ghosts, a ghost NPC who claimed to want to help them appeared and told everyone that they should start to complete their respective side quests in pairs. The content of the task depends on the character card that each person draws, each teammates¡¯ roles were also determined. Xu Xinghe was still immersed in the last thrilling escape, and his heart was beating non-stop. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice asking: ¡°Who is ¡®Richard¡¯ in the game?¡± He subconsciously raised his hand: ¡°M-me-me!¡± Gu Nai pushed his glasses and smiled softly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the basement together.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t care about embarrassment or shame, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Can we not do this side quest?¡± The basement or something, he doesn¡¯t want to go! ¡°We can.¡± Gu Nai nodded, unexpectedly speaking. ¡°We only need to complete three of the four side missions, get three keys, to get the gate of the castle tol open. In other words, as long as the other three teams win, we can just stay where we are and enjoy success.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Gu Nai kindly reminded him, ¡°Even if we stay where we are, there will still be ghosts coming out to scare us. Also, have you seen that pendulum clock? Every fifteen minutes, a parade of ghosts, just like now, will emerge. So the task must not only be completed, but also as soon as possible.¡± Xu Xinghe struggled for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth: ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Finish early and leave this ghastly place early! On the way to the basement, Xu Xinghe asked Gu Nai, ¡°Do you have guts?¡± Gu Nai smiled a little bit flatly: ¡°My guts, maybe I didn¡¯t grow up like Team Leader Xu, but I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts.¡± Xu Xinghe : ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How do you know that there will be ghosts parading every moment? The NPC just now said nothing except for us to complete the side quests.¡± ¡°I checked the evaluation of this horror room before coming here, and accidentally saw some spoilers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The corridor was dim, and the lights flickered on and off. Xu Xinghe was afraid that something terrifying would suddenly appear in a corner, so he followed closely behind Gu Nai and walked lightly down the corridor. ¡°Before I came to Nanga, I went back to Capital University.¡± Gu Nai didn¡¯t know if he could see his nervousness and started chatting with him casually. ¡°Huh? Why did you go back?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head when he heard the name of his alma mater, and immediately responded: ¡°By the way, you haven¡¯t finished your graduate studies, and have to continue. How long will you be an intern at Ark?¡± Gu Nai looked forward intently, his voice seemed to be lighter than before: ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± After a pause, he said in a very soft voice, ¡°So I went back to have a look.¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t hear what he muttered to himself, and asked, ¡°What do you want to do after graduation? Are you considering working at Ark?¡± Gu Nai turned to look at him, smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it.¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but have some embarrassing associations when he saw him like this. After thinking about it, he still said, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to avoid me specially.¡± With such a beginning, Xu Xinghe simply said, ¡°None of us should be penalized due to gossip. As long as we have a clear conscience, there is no need to avoid each other.¡± Gu Nai smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you, the day we went to climb the snow mountain, I really had something to do, so I asked for leave.¡± Hearing what he said, Xu Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief, and asked casually, ¡°When traveling, what else is there to do besides play?¡± Gu Nai smiled but didn¡¯t answer. The two walked to the basement while talking. Pushing open the rusted door, smoke filled the inside, and the sound of the music box echoed in the empty room. ¡°Why is there smoke in the basement?¡± Xu Xinghe asked quietly. ¡°It may be a tool of convenience for ghosts to suddenly rush out and scare people.¡± Gu Nai smiled, ¡°The fog is a good shield. You know, the scariest things are due to the unknown. If you know the ghost¡¯s next move, you won¡¯t be afraid anymore.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± F*ck! After hearing that, he feels even more nervous. He silently moved closer to Gu Nai. Gu Nai noticed this move, smiled and reassured him and said, ¡°I¡¯m joking, there are no ghosts here, it¡¯s not scary.¡± Xu Xinghe expressed extreme disbelief. However, he was still concerned about the side quest, and asked with trembling teeth: ¡°How do we get the key? It doesn¡¯t seem like there is much to solve here.¡± Gu Nai was silent for a while, then slowly said: ¡°We don¡¯t need to take the key.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Our mission is different from others. Remember what was written in the script? We are the assistants of Lord Earl. When we get to the next room, we¡¯ll find out that we are actually in the same group as the evil spirits in the castle.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, and blinked at the strange music from the music box. ¡°So, our task is to find the lock from the basement, then go through the secret room first, and put the lock on the castle gate. In this way, the remaining six people can be sacrificed and locked in this castle forever.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and gradually accepted this setting: ¡°It¡¯s quite complicated. That is to say, our role has changed from a prey to a hunter?¡± ¡°I hope the ghosts in the castle can distinguish the enemy from me, and stop suddenly rushing out to scare their own people.¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°The hunters also have things to worry about, such as what to do if the prey runs away.¡± Xu Xinghe asked: ¡°That¡¯s what you saw on the Internet?¡± Gu Nai shook his head: ¡°No, the online review wouldn¡¯t be written in such detail, otherwise the spoiler would be a bit wicked.¡± ¡°I also think, how do you know the follow-up plot?¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°Because I introduced this place.¡± Xu Xinghe found a box and sat down. ¡°Huh, do you have relatives working here?¡± ¡°Almost.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it, true or false?¡± ¡°Fake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe felt that something was wrong with Gu Nai. But before he could ask, he suddenly felt a little weak. The music box stopped, and the surrounding smoke gradually dissipated. ¡°You¡­¡± Xu Xinghe wanted to get up, suddenly his feet softened, and he fell straight back. Before he fell, he saw Gu Nai standing opposite him, looking down at him condescendingly. Indifferent black eyes behind the lenses flickered in the dim basement. The scene in front of him gradually darkened, and Xu Xinghe collapsed and fell into a coma¡­ Happy New Year cliffy! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 60.1 Nebula City, Double Star Building. Military Office. When Qin Yuan came to look for Ling Changfeng, his face was a little serious. He stood still in front of the desk, did not speak directly to report, but silently stood at attention, waiting for Ling Changfeng to finish the work at hand. Ling Changfeng looked up at him with emotion, signed the document in his hand and closed it before asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Two things. First, about what you asked me to investigate before, where did the scar on Xu Xinghe¡¯s gland come from. Second, during the investigation of this matter, some unexpected discoveries¡ª¡± Qin Yuan said, stepped forward and spread the folder in front of Ling Changfeng. Ling Changfeng frowned slightly: ¡°What is the conclusion?¡± As soon as Qin Yuan opened his mouth, he felt that something was not right. His adjutant seldom said anything like this. According to the general reporting process, he would directly tell him where the scars came from, not that they are scars. Sure enough, Qin Yuan said with a serious expression: ¡°There is no conclusion. People from the Intelligence Department and the Security Bureau have been investigating for more than a month¡ª¡± Qin Yuan raised his head and said, ¡°Nothing was found.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes narrowed and he repeated, ¡°Nothing?¡± Marshal Ling was obviously dissatisfied with the efficiency of his subordinates, and his tone sank. His index finger tapped on the table, signaling Qin Yuan to start talking. Qin Yuan noticed his officer¡¯s displeasure at the moment, so he put away his hippie smile, and stood at attention to report. ¡°Xu Xinghe¡¯s resume was normal until the third year of his junior year, that is, when he was 21 years old. The wound appeared around the age of 21. During summer vacation of the second half of the semester, there are no records of him spending money. He also rejected all friends¡¯ travel invitations, but the chat was still going on normally, but the frequency of replies was slower. During that time, when someone asked what he¡¯s doing, he replied uniformly that he was in retreat at home to write his thesis. Other than that, there was no other abnormality. All the replies were sent by his own communication device, and the IP address was indeed located at home.¡± Adjutant Qin took a deep breath, then continued: ¡°I have seen his pre-marital health diagnosis report. The wound on the back of his neck was probably caused by a 2.8cm wide diamond-shaped weapon. There is no record of medical treatment or purchase of medicines on the electronic medical card. People from the Intelligence Department and the Security Bureau visited Capital University in plain clothes and asked some of his classmates at the time. Some people said that from Xinghe¡¯s own words, the scar was due to an accident at home when he was bathing. The glass suddenly shattered, and some shards accidentally got into his flesh. However, if it was really just such an accident, there was no need for him not to go to the doctor. And if he was threatened at that time, then instead of calling the police, it is very interesting to use an excuse to cover up the true reason.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned and asked, ¡°Did anyone see him during the summer vacation of his junior year?¡± Qin Yuan nodded: ¡°Yes, in mid-to-late July, he once went to the Capital University laboratory and ran his thesis data on the supercomputer in the laboratory. Since then, for about a month or so, no one has seen him again. All traces of him seem to have been erased. It¡¯s strange because there is nothing. Intuition tells me that this is more serious than we thought¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your intuition, investigate. The fact that there is no result shows the seriousness of the problem.¡± Marshal Ling put his palms together and rested his hands on his chest, and cast a stern gaze from behind the desk. This is the gaze of the marshal. Qin Yuan lowered his head: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Marshal Ling asked. ¡°There is no good plan for now. We can only let the Intelligence Section and the Security Bureau continue to follow up.¡± After saying this, Qin Yuan fell silent. In fact, there is a shortcut in front of him, but he knows that his superior does not want to take this shortcut at the moment. ¡°So, what did you find?¡± Ling Changfeng continued to ask, he knew that if there was no progress at all, Qin Yuan would not come to report to him. ¡°I found something accidentally¡ª¡± Qin Yuan said, stepping forward and flipping the folder to the next pages. A few photos were clipped into the attachment, which immediately attracted Marshal Ling¡¯s attention. His pupil shrank slightly. His eyes quickly swept across the file containing a few lines of personal information and written reports. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his head and looked at Qin Yuan steadily. ¡°As you can see. Because the investigation was unsuccessful, the Intelligence Division has almost looked through the relevant information about people related to Xu Xinghe, and found this¡­¡± Qin Yuan sighed inaudibly. ¡°This is a small matter and a troublesome one. Originally, they may never have any interaction in their lifetime, and you can turn a blind eye and pretend that you don¡¯t know. But now, her situation is very bad. If we let it go, she might die because she didn¡¯t get timely treatment. What should I say¡­ If Xinghe finds out in the future, it may cause some irreversible consequences.¡± Ling Changfeng pondered for a moment and whispered. ¡°I know. When Xinghe comes back, I will tell him. His choice will depend on him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yuan nodded and continued to ask: ¡°Then what about the scar?¡± ¡°Continue to check.¡± Ling Changfeng said, a firm light flashed in his eyes, ¡°Check to the end.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Yuan gave a standard military salute and turned to leave. After Qin Yuan left, Ling Changfeng got up and stood in front of the one-way floor-to-ceiling glass window, overlooking the bustling Nebula City outside the eighty-eighth floor. Suddenly he misses his little spouse. In fact, both he and Qin Yuan are well aware that asking Xu Xinghe himself is the fastest and most direct way to find out. He¡¯s the party involved in the whole thing, and the only one that can be found at the moment. However, Ling Changfeng remembered that night, when asked why Xu Xinghe was afraid of being marked, the other party¡¯s pale face, fearful eyes, and trembling body. He really can¡¯t bear forcing him into such a situation again. Ling Changfeng sighed silently. What is his little spouse doing now? Marshal Ling turned around and took two steps, came to the reception room in the side hall, and called Xu Xinghe. Surprisingly, the call rang for a long time and no one answered. Ling Changfeng frowned slightly and called again, but no one answered. What happened? Played too much? Ling Changfeng looked down at the call log on the screen and pursed his lips. Although Xu Xinghe did not answer his own phone calls before, perhaps because of the conversation just now, his heart felt a little uneasy. He thought for a while, then dialed Qin Yuan¡¯s line again: ¡°Go and check, what¡¯s Xinghe¡¯s team doing? ¡ª¡ª Gu Nai looked at the big truck filled with all kinds of high-tech equipment and signal shielding devices. Inside the modified car, a cigarette was lit. He doesn¡¯t smoke often, but at this moment, he suddenly took a deep breath, and couldn¡¯t help coughing. The others in the car are well-trained burly men with guns around their waists. Seeing this scene, some people laughed at him and said, ¡°Look at you, you are a scholar, don¡¯t drag us down later.¡± Gu Nai was not annoyed after hearing this. Instead, he smiled and nodded: ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a scholar, why should I come wade in this muddy water?¡± Hearing this, a tall man with a scar on his face turned his head to face him and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t complain. Master didn¡¯t save you in order to support you to attend university.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m not complaining.¡± Gu Nai shrugged, ¡°How are preparations? How long until we leave Capital Star? Leave before Ling Changfeng can react, otherwise it will be very difficult to leave once the port is completely blocked.¡± The scarred man in the lead glanced at Gu Nai, and before he could speak, he listened to another man beside him with a sneer. ¡°This is Capital Star, the core planet of the Gamma galaxy. Even if he is Marshal Ling, he can¡¯t block all the ports because his wife lost, right? Otherwise, how much economic loss will be caused in one day. Is he not afraid of impeachment by the military committee?¡± ¡°And I heard that the relationship between Ling Changfeng and his wife is not very good. He may not really care about this match.¡± ¡°After all, of these second matches, 80% will divorce after a year.¡± The drama continues¡­ P.S. The previous ¡°new year¡± release was accidentally early by a day. So y¡¯all gotta wait till next week~ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 60.2 Thank you anon/Somebody for sponsoring 2 extra releases this week! Gu Nai heard the words, frowned slightly, and said solemnly: ¡°The outside world is messy. Ignore those rumors, based on what I¡¯ve learned during this period, Ling Changfeng can¡¯t be said to be indifferent to him. If it is found that Xu Xinghe is missing, even if the port is not blocked, isn¡¯t it still a headache when full-scale martial law comes into practice? Don¡¯t take chances, the first task now is to take him away from Capital Star as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s not your turn to lecture me.¡± The scarred man¡¯s voice also sank. Gu Nai sneered: ¡°You¡¯d better be aware of it. If the task is not completed, the master will blame you, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you.¡± The atmosphere in the car instantly became tense. In the end, a gray-haired man with a short head came out to smooth things out. ¡°Everyone is here for a mission, so let¡¯s all calm down. We are basically safe as long as we get through the AP-543 pass. Someone will come to pick us up from Pelpa star to leave the Gamma system. Once you leave this broken galaxy and enter master¡¯s territory, we will be completely safe, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best case.¡± Gu Nai said, took another puff of cigarette, and then slowly exhaled, ¡°I¡¯ll go see if Xu Xinghe is awake.¡± Before entering the small room, Gu Nai smoked cigarettes after another. In the lingering smoke, he recalled many things from a long time ago. The planet Pelpa, where he was born, is the most barren planet in the Gamma galaxy. There is no comparison. There are few resources there. Violence, starvation, and death are everywhere. There is no medical insurance, no living allowance, and no education allowance. His father died early, and his mother went out early and returned late every day, working hard to earn money for him to study. This kind of life continued until the second year of junior high school, when his mother fell ill. His deskmate with double ponytails is the monitor of their class. The little monitor didn¡¯t know what happened in his home, so she asked him, ¡°Why have you been skipping class lately? Even sleeping in class? Just study hard.¡± Gu Nai nodded and lowered his eyes, ¡°I see.¡± The squad leader was worried: ¡°Tomorrow I will wait for you at the intersection in front of your house, let¡¯s go to school together.¡± Gu Nai said yes with a smile. The next day, he went to a nearby factory to do odd jobs and skipped class again. When I went to school on the fourth day, the small monitor said angrily: ¡°I came to wait for you yesterday, why didn¡¯t you show up? You must come to school tomorrow, the teacher will cover important exam questions. You can¡¯t skip class.¡± Gu Nai agreed. The class leader insisted: ¡°You have such good grades, you must study hard. People like us must study hard to get a way out and leave here.¡± Gu Nai didn¡¯t answer, and turned to look at the spotless clear sky outside the window, numb. Will studying hard really let him leave here? In the end, his mother¡¯s condition worsened and became the last straw that overwhelmed him. He gave up his studies completely, and never saw the little monitor who would wait for him at the intersection to go to school. By chance, he chose a path of no return. A road that has to be taken even if it is repeated countless times. ¡ª¡ª When Xu Xinghe woke up in a daze, he vaguely heard a few people with heavy accents talking. He moved his aching limbs slightly, and found that his hands were tied behind him, and his feet were tied together. With a black cloth covering his eyes, he couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside. ¡°All borders in the northern hemisphere are under martial law! Is Ling Changfeng crazy?¡± ¡°Are we still moving out as planned?¡± ¡°No, now all the freight containers leaving Capital Star have to be unpacked and inspected, and it is difficult to go the commercial route.¡± ¡°Damn! Just one step late! How did they react so quickly?¡± Xu Xinghe recalled what happened before he fell into a coma, and combined with the conversation he just heard, his heart sank completely. He¡¯s¡­ kidnapped? He recalled Gu Nai¡¯s every move since he came into contact with him, and five big words flashed in his mind ¨C planned for a long time. From entering the Ark, to the opportunity for cooperation between the two groups, to the proposal to travel to this place far away from Nebula City¡­ Gu Nai¡¯s actions required long and precise planning. The question is, what¡¯s his purpose? Are they targeting Ling Changfeng? He quickly thought about it, assessing his current situation, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice: ¡°Awake?¡± The next moment, Xu Xinghe was helped up, sat down against the wall, and the blindfold was taken off. Xu Xinghe raised his head, and in front of him was Gu Nai¡¯s familiar and unfamiliar face. He looked around and found himself in a small, dark and bumpy shipping container, surrounded by darkness. There was a baffle in the middle of the container, and with his movement, the sound of the conversation on the other side of the baffle stopped. ¡°He¡¯s awake?¡± A hoarse, low voice came from behind the baffle. ¡°Yeah.¡± Gu Nai nodded, his black eyes always locked on Xu Xinghe. ¡°The plan has changed. Give him a few more sleeping pills and let him sleep again.¡± ¡°Got it, where¡¯s the medicine?¡± Gu Nai asked. ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare too.¡± ¡°You stay and watch.¡± With the sound of the door slamming, a few people left the container, while others stayed, but never showed their faces. Gu Nai sat down on a tin box in front of Xu Xinghe, looked at him calmly. The corner of his mouth hooked up when he spoke, ¡°How is Team Leader Xu feeling now?¡± Xu Xinghe replied blankly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just a little soreness.¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°Muscle soreness should be caused by climbing the mountain, it has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Why did you bind me?¡± Xu Xinghe asked directly. ¡°Kidnapping ah, usually for ransom.¡± Gu Nai shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m too poor, and almost have no money to pay for my tuition.¡± As soon as the voice fell, a sneer suddenly came from behind the shutter. Xu Xinghe knew that Gu Nai was running circles with his mouth at the moment, and would not tell the truth. But he still tried to extract some information from the other party¡¯s mouth: ¡°You are so talented, why are you short of money? You can¡¯t simply find someone to put you inside the Ark with just money, right?¡± Gu Nai smiled silently. Xu Xinghe said: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, which Ark leader¡¯s computer did you hack? Did you steal their naked photos to threaten them?¡± Gu Nai smiled lightly: ¡°Team Leader Xu is still telling jokes at this time? Why, do you think that you are absolutely safe, and we won¡¯t do anything to you?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded calmly when he heard the words: ¡°Going through so much trouble to tie me up, you guys will definitely not harm your meal ticket.¡± Gu Nai sighed: ¡°Leader Xu is still too young. For vicious gangsters like us, there are no absolutes. If the meal ticket is too uncooperative, starving you is a simple matter. Other things are also possible, so don¡¯t do anything stupid, okay?¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Otherwise, even if we don¡¯t tear up our meal ticket, we can still tear two pieces of meat off.¡± Xu Xinghe pursed his lips, and suddenly asked: ¡°You¡¯re indeed a graduate student at Capital University, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Gu Nai nodded, with a very regretful tone, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I won¡¯t be able to get a degree certificate after such a fuss.¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°You should know how difficult is it to be admitted to Capital University for graduate studies better than me. Is doing this worth it to ruin everything?¡± ¡°Does Team Leader Xu still want to turn me against them?¡± Gu Nai smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been on the path of no return for a long time¡± ¡°No, you can still turn back.¡± Xu Xinghe said, looking into his eyes. Gu Nai shook his head: ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say this. If I let you go now, can I still go back to study? The entire Gamma galaxy is Ling Changfeng¡¯s territory. From the moment I decided to tie you up, I didn¡¯t plan to stay any longer.¡± Hearing the meaning of his words, Xu Xinghe¡¯s pupils shrank. ¡°Then who¡¯s territory are you kidnapping me to?¡± ¡°Team Leader Xu has too many questions. Why not take a break first.¡± Gu Nai got up and asked the person behind the baffle, ¡°Where¡¯s the sleeping pills? Why haven¡¯t you brought them?¡± The drama continues¡­ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 61 At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, heavy snow was swirling around the city of Nanga. The sun had set, and the sky was a pale gray. At this moment, nearly three hours have passed since Xu Xinghe lost contact. The northern S48 military airport is more than 90 kilometers away from Nanga City. As soon as the silver-gray hatch opened, Ling Changfeng, wearing a military coat, strode out. A subordinate immediately greeted him and reported as he walked: ¡°Sir, we urgently called the S48 military airport according to your order, and at the same time ordered a temporary martial law at all major gates in the northern hemisphere. All goods leaving Capital Star must be unpacked and inspected, and a temporary ban will take effect for 24 hours. Here are the documents, please sign for approval.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced down and signed as he walked. Then he turned to look at the captain of the local guard, Major Jonathan, who had been waiting for a long time. ¡°Does anyone have any clues?¡± Major Jonathan is a middle-aged officer with no ambition. He was obviously very uneasy about the disappearance of the Marshal¡¯s spouse in his own jurisdiction. Although he tried to straighten his back to answer, his voice still trembled a little: ¡°Report, reporting to the marshal. I¡¯ve urgently dispatched additional staff to the surrounding area. We will investigate at all major gates! In addition, Mr. Xu¡¯s facial recognition and fingerprint information has also been entered into the network-wide monitoring system. Once discovered, we will report it to you immediately!¡± Adjutant Qin followed Ling Changfeng, holding his work terminal and bowing his head to reply to various departments. Upon hearing this, he didn¡¯t feel like it was enough. Sure enough, Ling Changfeng frowned. He snapped, ¡°Answer my question head-on, Major! Am I asking you about your mere solutions?¡± Major Jonathan shuddered: ¡°Report, sir! No clues have been found yet. This subordinate has organized a comprehensive search and rescue to find Mr. Xu as soon as possible!¡± Qin Yuan took two steps forward calmly to stand beside Ling Changfeng. He said in a low voice, ¡°Sir, a confidential line and temporary conference room have been prepared for you. Let¡¯s go in to talk.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his head and gave Jonathan a few words with a cold face, and then followed his adjutant to enter the room. After entering the room, Marshal Ling tore off the military coat on his shoulders, threw it on the chair, raised his head and said to Qin Yuan, ¡°Report the information we have so far.¡± Adjutant Qin stood at attention and said, ¡°The place where Xinghe disappeared is In an escape room on the outskirts of Nanga City. The building was already empty when the guards rushed in, and found a few comatose Ark staff. The one who disappeared with Xinghe is Ark¡¯s new intern, Gu Nai. This person was born in the Gamma galaxy¡¯s Pelpa star, was adopted at the age of fourteen, and went to the Alpha galaxy after that. He did not return to the Gamma galaxy until he took the postgraduate entrance examination to Capital University two years ago. He is currently a graduate student at Capital University. He was recruited as an intern at Ark this summer, and the deputy general manager of the Personnel Department who arranged for him to enter Ark resigned half a month ago and is now missing. The Security Bureau is trying their best to search for his whereabouts.¡± Qin Yuan said this in one breath, paused slightly, and then continued: ¡°Judging from the current situation, the possibility of Xu Xinghe being kidnapped by Gu Nai is much higher than the possibility that the two of them were accidentally kidnapped together. And this Gu Nai must have accomplices. For this group of people to kidnap a living person while avoiding all surveillance along the way, indicates that there must be someone behind them, and this person¡ª¡± Qin Yuan raised his eyes and said solemnly, ¡°This person is most likely targeting you.¡± Ling Changfeng listened, but his expression did not change. From the moment Xu Xinghe could not be reached, his expression had frozen into a piece of ice. He simply said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s not unusual to target me. As long as I stay in this position for a day, there will always be countless pairs of eyes staring around.¡± He got up and commanded: ¡°The main task at present is to find Xinghe as soon as possible, and then think about how to prevent this from happening again in the future. As for the person behind this case, no matter who it is¡­¡± A sharp cold light flashed in Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes as he solemnly vowed: ¡°I will uproot them.¡± Since returning to the capital from the frontier battlefield, Qin Yuan has rarely seen such a look on the faces of his boss. He couldn¡¯t help feeling refreshed. ¡°Yes!¡± Ling Changfeng took two steps inside the room with his hands behind his back, like a grumpy lion. He asked: ¡°How is the investigation on vehicles going?¡± Qin Yuan replied: ¡°People from the Intelligence Department are now tracking and retrieving the whereabouts of all the vehicles that left Nanga in the past three hours, but so far they have not found anything suspicious. Because Nanga is located in the extreme north, with vast land and sparsely populated areas, the suburbs are not fully covered by surveillance, making it difficult to investigate.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned and asked, ¡°Have we received any threats or extortion emails?¡± Qin Yuan sighed and said, ¡°No, we haven¡¯t received any threats or extortion emails so far ¨C this is not good news, it shows that the gangsters are not here for money. If this group of people is here for you, they will definitely reach out at the right time.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°No news at this stage is good news. The more long-term their plan is, the less likely they will hurt him.¡± After this sentence the room fell into silence. Qin Yuan took a deep breath and finally spoke up: ¡°Sir, I have to remind you that your temporary trip this time has not been reported by the Military Commission, and you have only brought about twenty people with you. This is completely inconsistent with the travel safety guidelines of an officer of your level. In addition, you originally had two video conferences this afternoon. I¡¯ve already helped you cancel them, but the meeting with Marshal Ouyang tomorrow afternoon should not be pushed further¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Ling Changfeng had already turned his head and cast unhappy eyes on his adjutant. Qin Yuan raised his head and calmly met the gaze of his boss. ¡°It is my duty as adjutant to help you handle military affairs, and it is also my duty to say some harsh words. I can understand your current mood, but please also believe we have and will do our best to organize search and rescue¡­ It is useless to spend your time here, please return to Nebula City as soon as possible.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°With Xinghe.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips narrowed, and opened again after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I see.¡± Then, when Qin Yuan was about to retire, he said again, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Seeing Gu Nai urging those men to get the sleeping pills, Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart sank. Everything is completely out of his control. He knew that in the next few hours, he would fall asleep inside the container and lose consciousness. But he doesn¡¯t know where he will be or what he¡¯ll face when he opens his eyes again. Will he be on Capital Star, or wake up on a completely unfamiliar planet? Will he be successfully rescued, or will he fall completely into enemy¡¯s hands? Faced with a completely unknown fate, the young person in his twenties was inevitably terrified and flustered. In his panicked state, Ling Changfeng¡¯s face flashed in his mind involuntarily. He was suddenly a little curious, what kind of mood would the man with mismatched pupils, his legal spouse in name, be feeling at this moment? ¡°If you tied me up to threaten Ling Changfeng, then you really tied the wrong person.¡± Xu Xinghe said suddenly, expressionless. ¡°My relationship with him is not that good, at most it can be mutual respect. Trust me, with Ling Changfeng¡¯s indifferent temperament, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t give you what you want.¡± Gu Nai hooked his lips, and a bit of mockery flashed in the black eyes behind the lens. ¡°Such an indifferent person has already ordered martial law across the northern hemisphere. This how is Marshal Ling draws a line between public and personal affairs?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a moment and explained: ¡±In the end, we¡¯re an arranged match. How can kidnapping me on Capital star be considered a personal affair? Even if my spouse is Mu Qingyun, he won¡¯t let such a blatant kidnapping go unnoticed.¡± Gu Nai shook his head after listening, but did not intend to argue with him any more. ¡°Team Leader Xu, I have to say, these are not the words of a smart person. At this time, you should not emphasize Ling Changfeng¡¯s indifference to you. On the contrary, you should reflect on your own value. You know, if a meal ticket has no value, we¡¯d just tear up the meal ticket.¡± After a while, he said, ¡°Besides, who told you that we tied you up for¡­¡± Gu Nai didn¡¯t finish a word, and suddenly trailed off. He hurriedly shut up, and said nothing more. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart moved. What¡¯s the meaning? Didn¡¯t they tie him up to threaten Ling Changfeng? Just as he was about to ask more questions, the door behind the flap was opened. Following a few thumping footsteps, an indifferent man with scars crossed the barrier and walked in front of Xu Xinghe. As soon as Xu Xinghe saw him, he stepped back subconsciously. This scarred man seemed to be filled with a bloody aura, like a desperado in a spy war movie, which made people very uncomfortable. Gu Nai frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you here? Where are the sleeping pills?¡± The scarred man tossed a bottle over. Gu Nai caught it, frowning even tighter: ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Mute medicine, give it to him.¡± The scarred man said solemnly. As soon as the words fell, Gu Nai and Xu Xinghe were stunned. Gu Nai¡¯s face was not very good, and he seemed to have an ominous premonition: ¡°What do you mean? Are we not taking him?¡± ¡°Yes. The plan has changed, and now that the ports are under full martial law, there is no way to ship him out in a box.¡± The scarred man said. ¡°Change into Steven¡¯s clothes, put on eyeglasses, and a fingerprint cover, and let him disguise as Steven to leave the airport with us.¡± When Gu Nai heard the words, his face changed completely. The scarred man continued indifferently: ¡°As for you and Steven, you should stay here first, and the master will find a way to send someone to meet you.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes flashed slightly after hearing this. Who is the ¡°master¡± in this scarred man¡¯s mouth? Also, did he mean to abandon Gu Nai and that unfortunate man named Steven? If they stay at this time, there is a high probability that they will not be able to leave. Xu Xinghe turned his head to look at Gu Nai. The latter¡¯s face was ashen, but he did not refute and instead gritted his teeth to ask, ¡°Is Steven still alive?¡± The scarred man smiled coldly. ¡°Why do you ask so much? You should go accompany him. I asked the master before, and because they cherish you as a talent, they won¡¯t let me do anything to you. As for whether you can escape this disaster by staying here depends on your good luck.¡± Then he ¡°kindly¡± reminded: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the master will send someone to take good care of your mother.¡± Gu Nai was silent for a while, and squeezed out the word ¡°fine¡±. Xu Xinghe lowered his head, thinking about it in his heart. He knew that Gu Nai is now being wanted across the planet, and will not be able to enter or leave the airport freely. As for the man with scars, as long as he does not have a criminal record in the system, he can leave the country freely from the airport as ordinary tourists. They can even make things like fake pupil lenses or fingerprint skins at any time, which means their preparations are perfect. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s too risky to do this. Do these people think that as long as he takes mute medicine and can¡¯t speak, they can take him to the airport and go through security?? If he calls for help then, aren¡¯t they afraid of being caught on the spot? Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe¡¯s nervousness gradually calmed down, and he even saw a glimmer of hope. On the surface, he lowered his head silently, but in his heart he was already thinking about how to call out to the outside world for help. It must not be too obvious, otherwise, once these few desperadoes are anxious, they may really make a move and kill him. However, whenever there is a chance¡­ Just thinking about it, a pair of black leather boots suddenly appeared in front of him. The next moment, Xu Xinghe felt a pain in his scalp, and was suddenly pulled up by the hair, and slammed into the iron wall. Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands and feet were tied, so he couldn¡¯t resist. There was a bang, and a sharp pain on his back. Lights danced in his eyes, feeling as though his body was torn apart. ¡°Nnn¡­¡± Xu Xinghe had almost never been treated so savagely before. He couldn¡¯t help letting out a pained cry, but immediately swallowed it back. But before he could recover, his hair was pulled again, and his head was forcefully raised up. In front of him is the cruel and indifferent face of the scarred man: ¡°As for you, don¡¯t take any chances. I hope you understand that I will be by your side the whole time, but if I find out you¡¯ve made any small actions at the airport, it will be a big deal. Believe me, my knife will be faster than your rescuers.¡± The drama continues¡­ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 62 Xu Xinghe did not expect that the group of kidnappers did not go far, but chose to board a plane in Gilles City, which is less than 200km away from Nanga City, and planned to take the Venus A-701 civilian spacecraft to another planet. There are four people in their group. Apart from him, there is a burly man with scars, a gray-haired man with a buzzcut, and a relatively short man with glasses. And his own situation was even worse than expected- He was disguised as a tourist with disabled legs, sat in a wheelchair, and was pushed all the way into Giles Airport by the scarred man. Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, but there was no sound coming out of his throat. Not only that, half an hour ago, he was also given an unknown drug that disrupted his muscle function. Now his muscles are weak, especially his leg muscles, like a real cripple. Not only was he unable to stand up, he almost blacked out a few times, and could only be pushed away by the scarred man. The three gangsters had given up all prohibited weapons such as guns because they were leaving from a civilian airport. However, Xu Xinghe knew that the scarred man also had a soft blade of special material that was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing hidden in his sleeve. Before getting into the wheelchair, the ice-cold blade threateningly pressed against his neck. The owner of the blade warned him not to make any moves, otherwise he would die. Xu Xinghe¡¯s palm was sweaty. At this moment, the scarred man was behind him, the gray-haired man was on his left, and the glasses man was on his right. The three surrounded him tightly, monitoring his every move. It was as if he was the moon propped up by the stars, but he was actually being held hostage and monitored in all directions. Xu Xinghe has no doubts that if he chose to hug the guard nearby and call for help when going through security, these thugs will really cut his throat with the mentality of killing the fish before the net is broken. So, what to do? He couldn¡¯t really watch himself being pushed into a spaceship to a strange planet, with the fate of his life and death unknown. As expected, the special weapon that the scarred man hid in his sleeve easily escaped the detection at this civilian airport. The group of four went through two security checks, and all the detectors were quiet without alerting any alarms. Xu Xinghe bit his lip and was pushed to the next area. Because it was a cross-planet trip, after they passed the security screening, they had to pass the immigration checkpoint first. It stands to reason that everyone is required to come forward with their own documents individually, then be questioned and have their identity verified before being allowed to pass. But Xu Xinghe, who was disguised as Steven, was pushed through and accompanied by the scarred man because of his disabled legs. Xu Xinghe originally thought that when the security inspector looked at him, he would use his mouth to say something to save his life. Unexpectedly, the scarred man pushed him up, he took half a step forward from behind him, came to his side, then turned his head and stared at himself like a searchlight. The moment Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, the scarred man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. His right hand landed on Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulder, patting him lightly. The indifferent gaze poured down like a basin of ice water, with a faint threat. Xu Xinghe froze, his half-raised hand pointed at his throat, then shook his head, and told the staff at the gate that he was dumb and could not answer routine questions. The scarred man put on a sad smile and explained that his younger brother had damaged vocal cords and disabled legs. After he finished speaking, he scratched his head, like a strong, honest and hard-working man, completely unlike his fierceness a moment ago. Under the watchful eyes of the scarred man, Xu Xinghe really did not dare to risk his life to openly ask for help. The hand that had just been raised was properly placed back on the side of the leg. The index finger of his right hand tapped lightly beside his leg. Unfortunately, the security inspector behind the glass did not notice his move, and only cast a sympathetic look. Next is face recognition, fingerprint recognition, pupil recognition¡­ Three green lights came on, and then the staff raised their hand and stamped documents for the man named ¡®Steven.¡¯¡¯ After walking through the green passage, Xu Xinghe was pushed into the waiting hall by the scarred man, and joined the other two people who were queuing to pass the customs. After going through a series of inspection procedures, everyone finally came to the boarding gate and waited to board. Xu Xinghe¡¯s right index finger was still tapping rhythmically on the side of his leg, hoping that someone would notice him. Unexpectedly, it was not someone he hoped who first discovered this abnormal behavior. A leather jacket suddenly swung over from the side, covering his legs and covering his hands that had been beating on his legs. Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulders trembled, and he turned his head, only to see the gray-haired man on his right side chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s cold, don¡¯t freeze.¡± The smile hung on his face, but the coldness reached the bottom of his heart through the dark gray eyes. Amid the noisy chatter of the surrounding people, the gray-haired man smiled and said in a voice that only a few people around could hear: ¡°If you don¡¯t want your fingers anymore, you can break them off ¡ª one by one.¡± Xu Xinghe bit his inner lip and lowered his eyes at the man¡¯s threatening voice. ¡ª¡ª Giles Airport, surveillance duty room. A sudden command from above to strengthen airport inspections and security checks fell into the ears of on duty guards in charge of monitoring the cameras. But it did not have any substantial impact on their work. At their level, they have no access to secrets, and naturally do not know what happened. They only vaguely heard that all major gates in the northern hemisphere are under martial law, and more than half of the interplanetary flights have been delayed. ¡°Maybe some super criminal is at large.¡± ¡±Well, there was martial law imposed a few years ago, and it seems that because of this, even the local army was dispatched. ¡° An old guard over fifty was sitting in a rocking chair, holding and drinking a cup of hot tea. Beside him, a new guard who had just joined the job revealed a completely different mental outlook. The young man was focused, dutifully staring at the monitoring from all perspectives on the big screen. The old guard clicked his tongue, and half praised and half sarcastically said: ¡°It¡¯s good to be young, and I was so focused on my work when I was young.¡± His voice just fell, when he heard the young man make a small noise of surprise. ¡°Huh.¡± The old guard asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The young guard pointed to a monitor on the big screen and said, ¡°This person in a wheelchair doesn¡¯t seem to have any signs of muscle atrophy in his legs. I worked as a temporary care worker during my school days. Anyone who is in a wheelchair all year round will have atrophied leg muscles¡­¡± The old guard glanced at the screen, then continued to drink tea leisurely. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s recently disabled? No need to fuss about this sort of thing.¡± After hearing the words, the young guard continued to stare at the monitoring screen closely. Until he saw the gray-haired man throwing clothes on Xu Xinghe, the young guard suddenly walked to the monitoring control panel and reversed the screen for a few minutes. . Then slowed down and looked again. ¡°What are you looking at? asked the old guard. ¡°This man¡¯s hand¡­ seems to be knocking something.¡± The young guard replied, staring at the screen intently. He held his breath and stared intently at Xu Xinghe¡¯s right hand on the side of his leg in the surveillance camera. The index finger seemed to be tapping on and off¡ª Tap, tap, tap. Click, click, click. Tap, tap, tap. After about a minute or so, he tapped the same rhythm again¡ª Three shorts, three longs, and three shorts. ¡°That man is calling for help!¡± The young guard stood up suddenly. He quickly reached out and shook the old guard beside him. The latter was slightly taken aback: ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look! That man is knocking the Morse code distress signal!¡± The young guard said excitedly. ¡°And after a few rounds of knocking, the man beside him took his clothes to cover it!¡± The old guard stared at the screen for a while with a tangled expression. He has worked at this airport for more than 20 years, but he has never seen anyone who can use Morse code to knock out a distress signal. After struggling for a while, he still felt that the young man was making a big fuss. ¡°He may just knock his leg casually. Maybe it¡¯s a coincidence? If he really needs help, he doesn¡¯t need to use such an obscure way, right?¡± This is strange. Why would an active and conscious person call for help in this way? ¡°Maybe he¡¯s being threatened? After all, there are three men around him. And the gray-haired man was very rude, not like he was treating a relative or friend.¡± The old guard shrugged and took a sip of tea: ¡°All right, little one, but it¡¯s all just your guess.¡± The guard known as the ¡°child¡± was quite dissatisfied: ¡°Didn¡¯t the chief guard say that any suspicious problems found during the martial law must be reported in time!¡± ¡°Then go and report it.¡± The old guard yawned and then warned. ¡°But don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you, the people above don¡¯t like nosy children. You are increasing their workload by doing this, and may be scolded.¡± ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe heard on the radio that his upcoming interstellar flight was delayed. He felt nervous, but because the imposed martial law also affects airports, many flights are delayed, so this delay did not seem surprising. The three people continued to surround him, and he was not allowed to stare at any one person for a long time. Xu Xinghe lowered his eyes and sat and waited in the waiting hall with all the passengers. During the long and difficult wait, the scarred man gradually became a little impetuous. But in the end, he managed to control his emotions well, exchanged glances with the other two, and then guarded Xu Xinghe even more closely. His hand was on the wheelchair, and it was always within a palm-length of Xu Xinghe¡¯s fair neck. After waiting for about an hour, the boarding gate finally opened. Before boarding the plane, Xu Xinghe was given another pill. The scarred man said to him very gently, ¡°Are you tired? Sleep for a while, and we¡¯ll be there when you wake up.¡± Within five minutes of taking the medicine, Xu Xinghe felt a strong sleepiness. It is a powerful sleeping pill. Xu Xinghe knew that because he was in a wheelchair, after getting on the spacecraft, there was a high probability that there would be a seat for the disabled and not beside the scarred man. That is, they had to be separated for a short period of time during their travels until the spacecraft landed on another planet. This group of kidnappers must have been afraid that they would ask the flight attendants for help during the separation period, so they forcibly fed him sleeping pills, intending to let him sleep. Half awake, Xu Xinghe was pushed onto the spaceship. He vaguely heard the scarred man explain to the flight attendant: ¡°My brother injured his leg in a car accident, so he has a certain psychological barrier and stress response to spaceships. I fed him some sleeping medicine, prescribed by the doctor, before boarding the plane to help him sleep. Please help me take care of my brother.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry.¡± The flight attendant led them to the handicapped section, and took Xu Xinghe from the scarred man with a smile. ¡°We will take good care of him.¡± More drama! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 63 Xu Xinghe slowly closed his eyes. He leaned back on the wheelchair, pretending that the sleeping pills had worked, but pinched his left arm tightly with his right hand covered by his coat, trying to use the pain to keep himself awake and not fall asleep. He told himself to hold on until the scarred man leaves, and hold on until he has time to call the flight attendant alone for help¡­ But the scarred man was obviously afraid that he would do this, so he stood beside the flight attendant and refused to leave. . He observed Xu Xinghe¡¯s sleeping face, but found that the other party¡¯s breathing did not become longer, but more rapid. The scarred man¡¯s face sank. He turned to look at the flight attendant, and in an instant he put on a wry smile: ¡°Sorry, my brother seems to be getting nervous. Can you get me a glass of water? I think he needs to take another pill to survive this interstellar journey.¡± The flight attendant looked worriedly at Xu Xinghe. ¡°Are you sure that your brother can take the spaceship in this state? We need to fly in space for 15 hours to reach Blug Fog Star.¡± The scarred man nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this, the doctor said that his condition is not serious, and he only needs to take a sleeping pill or two.¡± ¡°Then please wait a moment, I will pour water for you. But also please take your seat as soon as possible. The spaceship will take off soon.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Xu Xinghe forced his consciousness awake, barely heard this, and his heart was completely cold. The man with scars could see that he was pretending to be asleep¡­ Sure enough, the next moment, he heard the man with scars¡¯ extremely low and cold voice ringing in his ears: ¡°If you dare to make small moves again, once we get off the spaceship, I¡¯ll make you feel like death.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, but there was no other reaction. ¡°Your water.¡± The flight attendant¡¯s voice came from overhead. Xu Xinghe was really sleepy, and the right hand that was holding his left arm was released softly at some point. He thought that the scarred man actually didn¡¯t need to waste another medicine, because by then, he must have completely fallen asleep. After taking another sleeping pill, the scarred man was a little relieved. At the urging of the flight attendant, he gave Xu Xinghe one last look, then turned back to his seat. After he turned around, the sleeping Xu Xinghe¡¯s right hand that was hanging outside the wheelchair suddenly moved slightly, and fell down. The sharp-scared man seemed to sense something and turned his head sharply. But the flight attendant gently put Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand back into the blanket, and then carefully fastened his seat belt. The scarred man frowned and returned to his seat following the instructions of the flight crew. The moment before he fell into a coma, Xu Xinghe felt a warm hand on his. The hand squeezed back lightly, and immediately put his right hand back under the blanket. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but before he could think about it, he fell into a coma under the influence of two powerful sleeping pills. After the scarred man took his seat, he fastened his seat belt without saying a word, and then nodded to the gray-haired man beside him. The latter looked a little dignified, as if he had something on his mind. When people respond to some emergencies, many reactions are subconscious. Just like just now, the gray-haired man saw that a passenger in front accidentally knocked over the cup, and was caught subconsciously by the passing flight attendant, and then handed it back to him with a smile. There was not a drop of water in it. The gray-haired man suddenly felt uneasy. He looked around again. Some passengers are whispering, some have their eyes closed, and nothing seemed unusual. But, the flight attendant¡¯s movements were a little too sensitive. He turned to look at his other two companions. The cabin door slowly closed, and a voice announcing the journey destination and safety prompts came on. The two companions received the gray-haired man¡¯s unusual eye signal, and cast doubtful glances one after another. There was a thin layer of sweat on the palm of the gray-haired man. He wasn¡¯t sure whether his judgment based on suspicion and intuition was accurate. Success or failure is often only in the blink of an eye, because the choice that determines success or failure is only in the blink of an eye. If it was him who thought too much, then rashly acting at this moment will undoubtedly expose himself and push things to a point of no return. But if the facts are as he expected, then now is the last chance. Once missed, it is difficult to counterattack. The roar of the spaceship engine came on. The gray-haired man suddenly squinted and made a gesture to the other two. The face of the man with scars changed suddenly, and the tacit understanding from hovering on the edge of life and death over the years made him decide to trust the judgment of his companion. So he unfastened his seat belt, and regardless of the exclamations of the surrounding passengers and the dissuasion of the flight attendants, and rushed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s direction! At the same time, the gray-haired man also quietly pinched the sharp soft blade hidden in his sleeve. In case Xu Xinghe is no longer in their control, then at least there are still the hostages of this plane¡­ The next moment, he saw the scarred man suddenly fall straight forward. In that forward-forward posture, the tall and burly body crashed to the ground. Blood flowed out from under him¡­ The gray-haired man¡¯s pupils shrank and he grabbed the passenger on his right. Before he could put the blade on the other person¡¯s neck, he suddenly felt a slight numbness in his neck. Then, the scene in front of him quickly darkened. The third man with glasses was brought down in the same way. Behind them, disguised as ordinary passengers, the Capital¡¯s gold medal agents who sat behind them did not relax after they succeeded, and gave them another shot. In the blink of an eye, everything happened too quickly and ended in seconds. Some unknowing passengers in the cabin finally recovered from the huge shock and began to scream. The chaotic scene only lasted less than half a minute. The hatch of the ship opened again. Soldiers with live ammunition rushed up and quickly began the follow-up work. They took the kidnappers away, evacuated ordinary tourists to a safe area, and finally pushed the sleeping Xu Xinghe off the spaceship and sent him directly to another military helicopter waiting outside¡­ ¡ª¡ª Xu Xinghe was in a dazed sleep. He tried to turn over, but couldn¡¯t. His body seemed to be bound by something and could hardly move. He kicked his legs subconsciously, trying to stretch his slender limbs. Following his movements, several indistinct murmurs floated out of his mouth. There seemed to be something wrapped around him, but Xu Xinghe, who was half asleep, didn¡¯t care. Before he was completely awake, a familiar smell around him had already made him put down all his defenses and felt inexplicably at ease. It was a faint, sea-like breath. Whenever and wherever the smell appears, it seems to mean absolute safety. So Xu Xinghe shrank his body, buried his head in the smell, and decided to continue to sleep. How can I be so sleepy¡­ Is the medicine not over yet? Xu Xinghe thought in a daze. Wait a minute! With this thought, he suddenly realized that something was wrong and suddenly opened his eyes. The terrible experience before the stupor came back. In an instant, his heart seemed to be caught, and cold sweat rushed out. Xu Xinghe raised his eyes in panic. He met a pair of quiet and deep eyes. Unable to breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Ling Changfeng raised his hand, and caressed his eyes with his slightly calloused fingers. His voice was very soft. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s over, you can sleep a little longer.¡± At that moment, Xu Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t describe how he felt. Surprise, fear, a roller of emotions. Relief that he survived such an ordeal, and a sigh towards the impermanence of life. When he was forcibly fed the first sleeping pill, Xu Xinghe imagined where he might wake up. It¡¯s best to wake up in a hospital with the faint smell of disinfectant, because it means that he has a high probability of being rescued. The worst case, he¡¯s transported to a completely unfamiliar planet, and wakes up in a damp, musty, small dark room, facing the wrath of a group of vicious gangsters ¡­ Unexpectedly, he woke up in Ling Changfeng¡¯s arms. Surrounded by the sea-like pheromone breath. So dramatic, so lucky. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes suddenly became sore. His body trembled slightly. Ling Changfeng¡¯s fingers were still in the corner of his eyes, and he naturally caught the teardrop that trickled down. Marshal Ling was slightly startled, looked at him speechlessly for a long time, and suddenly said with a low smile: ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t cry when you were tied up, why are you crying now?¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath: ¡°I didn¡¯t cry.¡± When he opened his mouth, his throat was still uncomfortable, but fortunately he was able to speak. ¡°I just have a cold and my nose is blocked.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him calmly for a moment, then suddenly chuckled lightly. ¡°Where is this? What time is it?¡± Xu Xinghe glanced at the dark sky outside the glass window and asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°This is the Third Military Hospital, you have already returned to Nebula City.¡± Ling Changfeng replied softly. Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief. This time, he didn¡¯t show the embarrassment he had when he woke up drunk to find them sleeping in the same bed. He didn¡¯t even plan to leave this embrace for the time being. ¡±I¡¯m still so sleepy¡­¡± ¡°En, go to sleep.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was light, soft and gentle, which was very different from before. Like he¡¯s holding precious and fragile porcelain, and speaking carefully, for fear that a loud voice will disturb him. He stretched out his hand and tightened the little spouse in his arms. ¡°Go to sleep, when you wake up, I have something to tell you.¡± XXH is safe! What do you think LCF wants to tell him? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 64 T/N: Thank you to 2 anonymous donors for sponsoring another extra release this week! -k P.S. Please add which project you¡¯re sponsoring in the comments for the ko-fi so I can count them appropriately. Xu Xinghe slept for a long time. His eyelids twitched at the feel of a light shining on him, warm and dazzling. He turned over and was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly thought of something, and he froze. Memories of last night slowly emerged, and he quietly reached out and touched his side¡­ There was no one on the bed. Xu Xinghe suddenly did not dare to open his eyes. He remembered that Aunt Sophia once said to him that he was stronger than most of his peers. He dares slap the table when seated with his superiors, and dares send a distress signal under the eyes of his kidnappers. But this doesn¡¯t mean that he can quickly come out of the shadows of being kidnapped and act normal. When he found that there was no one by his side, he panicked for a moment. He was afraid that the conversation with Ling Changfeng last night was actually just a dream. A lucky fantasy. When in fact he hasn¡¯t escaped the danger ¨C the scarred man¡¯s knife is still on his neck, threatening to make him feel that life is worse than death. He took a careful breath. There was no deep sea-like scent, but fortunately, he smelled the smell of disinfectant unique to hospitals. Xu Xinghe was slightly relieved and quietly opened his eyes. It turned out that there were two doctors and two nurses in the room. Maybe it was because he was sleeping soundly, his slight movement didn¡¯t make a single sound. It wasn¡¯t until a nurse saw his eyes open that they hurried forward and called the doctor while checking his physical condition. Although Xu Xinghe slept for a long time, he was still not in good spirits after waking up. And felt his bodily strength lacking. It made sense. He was fed many messy drugs, and hasn¡¯t been able to fully metabolize all of them yet. A large number of people quickly gathered in the VIP ward. The crowd gathered around the hospital bed and examined Xu Xinghe from beginning to end. Xu Xinghe really didn¡¯t have any strength, and was manipulated like a soft puppet at their mercy. After the examination finally ended, the dean, Dr. Lu Sen, smiled and told him to rest well. When Xu Xinghe finally spoke, his voice was slightly hoarse: ¡°Where¡¯s Ling Changfeng?¡± He replied gently, ¡°Marshal Ling was called away by Major General Qin in the morning, saying that he had something urgent to deal with, and he would be back as soon as he was done.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°He said he sent you an email. ¡° As everyone knows, Lu Sen, the president of the Third Military Hospital, is not a good-natured person. Although he sometimes shows a rare gentle side when dealing with patients, he is rarely able to speak so softly as he is at this moment. So much so that those colleagues who got along with him day and night couldn¡¯t help but turn their eyes slightly and secretly click their tongues. ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, his voice muffled. He looked down at his left wrist. The electronic smartphone that was taken away by the kidnappers was updated and replaced with a new one on his wrist at some point. Xu Xinghe took a closer look and found that all the communication software of this new device was encrypted, and equipped with a special early warning system. The firewall is also different from ordinary civilian smartphones. It should be a special device distributed for military use. He opened the mailbox, and sure enough, he saw a message from Ling Changfeng. It explained that he had an important meeting to attend in the afternoon, and that he would come back immediately after the meeting was over. Xu Xinghe read over each of them, and discovered that Ling Changfeng had been asking himself every hour since ten o¡¯clock this morning if he was awake and how he was feeling. Xu Xinghe smiled. After replying to the latest message, he raised his head and said to the nurse, ¡°Is there anything to eat? I¡¯m hungry.¡± After listening, the nurse hurriedly went to prepare lunch for him. The doctor reminded him to rest more, and then left the VIP ward one after another. Dr. Lu Sen did not leave. He knew that for a victim who had just experienced a kidnapping, it was not just physical injuries that needed healing. Xu Xinghe asking where Ling Changfeng was, is a sign he¡¯s still uneasy. Lu Sen waved his hand and let the remaining nurses go out, leaving only two guards at the door of the ward who stood by like door gods1there are 2 ¡®gods¡¯ the horse/bull gods that guard the door to the afterlife or heavens in Chinese folklore ¨C he couldn¡¯t remove them. Ling Changfeng left his own guards here, and ordered that no matter what happened, Xu Xinghe could not be allowed to leave their sight. Lu Sen took two steps forward, walked to Xu Xinghe¡¯s bed, and said to him with a chuckle, ¡°He accompanied you until nine in the morning, and refused to even answer the phone. In the end, an angry Major General Qin was forced to come and arrest someone¡­ You know, he is different from people like us who can take two days of sick leave because he doesn¡¯t want to go to work. No one can grant him leave, and sometimes it means he can¡¯t take leave.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while when he realized who ¡°he¡± referred to. But he didn¡¯t know why Dr. Lu Sen suddenly said this to himself, so could only follow up with: ¡°I know. He¡¯s very busy, and many things are waiting for him to deal with.¡± Speaking of this, he paused, thinking that Dr. Lu Sen might have mistakenly thought that he was unhappy, so he shook his head and added: ¡°I asked where he was, just because¡­ it feels like reality and dreams are a little mixed up.¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while, then said, ¡°I just can¡¯t believe that I was rescued. So if there¡¯s a familiar face around, it will make things feel more realistic, and make me a little more secure¡­¡± Dr. Lu Sen said with a smile, ¡°How about I stay with you? As long as it¡¯s a familiar face, then I¡¯m a familiar face, right?¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and looked at him: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t count.¡± Dr. Lu Sen: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe yawned, his voice sounded tired, and a little careless: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, doctor. I¡¯ll be fine; there¡¯s nothing major¡­ I¡¯ll just have to wait for my body to recover.¡± Dr. Lu Sen didn¡¯t expect him to be so sensitive, so direct, and understand what he was going to say in one look, answering his unanswered question directly. A hint of surprise flashed in his brown eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but re-evaluate the person in front of him. Despite the faint tiredness and confusion on the young face, as if he has not woken up, Lu Sen knew that it was only due to the residual drugs in his body. Because those black eyes are still bright, like stars in the sky. Dr. Lu Sen smiled and nodded: ¡°Then you should rest well. You can rest assured that your body is very healthy, but the side effects of the drug may continue for a few days. Fortunately, there will be no sequelae.¡± When evening rolled around, as the sun set in the west, a blood red hue illuminated the skyline. The sky was full of rays of light, and red clouds enveloped all of Nebula City. When Ling Changfeng finished his day¡¯s work and appeared at the door of the ward, Xu Xinghe was sitting on the hospital bed, chewing his dinner. Since he hasn¡¯t eaten well these days and his stomach is relatively weak, those so-called ¡°stomach-nourishing¡±, liquid food-like nutrients have once again become his staple food. They¡¯re still unpalatable to the point that he felt like there¡¯s no more love in life. Xu Xinghe was like a robot, numbly sending it into his mouth one spoonful at a time. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the ward, and then the door was pushed open with a bang. Xu Xinghe turned his head dazedly, Ling Changfeng was wearing a neat military uniform, and stood there chest heaving slightly, as if he had hurried all the way over. But as soon as he saw Xu Xinghe, all his impatience was instantly appeased. The pair of mismatched pupils became very quiet again, just looking at Xu Xinghe wordlessly. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Ling Changfeng asked. If Dean Lu Sen¡¯s voice was so gentle at noon today that his colleagues looked over, then Marshal Ling¡¯s voice was so gentle at the moment that everyone around him looked at him. Xu Xinghe was still holding the spoon, but when he heard the words, he immediately put the spoon in the bowl, and pushed the unpalatable nutritional supplement far away: ¡°I¡¯m fine, it would be better if I didn¡¯t have to eat this though.¡± The entourage found that his commanding officer who was in a hurry just now finally slowed down. Ling Changfeng took off his jacket unhurriedly, handed it to the secretary behind him, and disinfected his hands at the door of the ward before walking in. Then he waved everyone else out, and told the last person to leave to close the door behind them. He walked to the hospital bed step by step. Glancing at the leftovers on the mobile table, he discovered he ate less than half of it. ¡°Not delicious?¡± Marshal Ling asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Xu Xinghe patted his stomach perfunctorily. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± When facing the full house of doctors and nurses, he was too embarrassed to not eat ¨C he couldn¡¯t let a group of adults take turns persuading him. That would be too embarrassing. But now that the person guarding him has been replaced by Ling Changfeng, Xu Xinghe is very comfortable refusing. Unexpectedly, Ling Changfeng shook his head. Although his voice was much softer than usual, his words were still irrefutable. ¡°How can you do without eating? You can¡¯t just rely on infusions these days¡ª¡± As he spoke, he suddenly stretched out his hand and pinched the flesh on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve lost so much weight, and have to make up for it.¡± The extremely intimate gesture stunned Xu Xinghe who forgot to dodge. When Ling Changfeng saw him shrink back, he didn¡¯t continue chasing. Calmly withdrawing his hand, he continued to coax: ¡°Eat a bowl first. If you don¡¯t like this flavor, we can change it. ¡° After a pause, looking at Xu Xinghe¡¯s indifferent appearance, he said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a reward after eating.¡± Xu Xinghe had never heard such words coaxing him as if he was a child after graduating from elementary school. He leaned back in dissatisfaction, pulled the quilt over him, and refused, ¡°No, I¡¯m tired of eating.¡± A helpless smile flashed in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes: ¡°Tired of eating?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Xu Xinghe leaned on the cushion and raised his hand, looked at his five fingers, and suddenly said, ¡°I still don¡¯t seem to have much strength in my muscles.¡± The smile stopped abruptly. Xu Xinghe seemed to sense something, and subconsciously raised his eyes to look at Ling Changfeng: ¡°I¡¯m talking nonsense, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his hand that was stretched out in the air was suddenly held. Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ling Changfeng held his hand in the palm of his hand, as if he was holding a treasure, and carefully turned it back and forth. Seeing him like this, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t bear to pull his hand away directly. However, after waiting for a while, he realized Ling Changfeng had no intention of letting go. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Are you reading my palm?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Staring speechlessly at his little spouse, he finally let go of his hand. But he made a soft ¡°en¡± sound. Xu Xinghe asked curiously: ¡°Huh? Are you really good at fortune-telling?¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°I can only tell yours.¡± Xu Xinghe was interested: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me what you see.¡± ¡°Your palm says¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, and his mismatched eyes slowly turned to Xu Xinghe. ¡°It looks like you are going to marry me for life. ¡° Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Hearing such words coming out of Ling Changfeng¡¯s mouth is very scary. Weird and scary. Tinged with irrefutability. Xu Xinghe had no choice but to give up with a dry laugh. But before he could take that stiff smile off his face, something even scarier happened. Ling Changfeng actually picked up the spoon in the bowl, and scooped out a spoonful of the nutritional supplement supposedly tasting like tomato and beef. Xu Xinghe frowned and said embarrassedly, ¡°That¡¯s what I ate. If you¡¯re hungry, you can ask them to bring you a new one¡­¡± Then he found the spoon lifted to his mouth. Ling Changfeng: ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He thought the topic of eating was over?? Chapter title says all ¨C kinda. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 65 In Xu Xinghe¡¯s memory, after learning to use a spoon, he had no memory of ever being fed. He grew up in the Alliance Welfare Institute. Although most teachers and nurses in the orphanage are very gentle, it is impossible for one person to take care of more than a dozen children and feed them one by one. As someone who was obedient and strong as a child, Xu Xinghe naturally didn¡¯t need to be fed. At this moment, Xu Xinghe looked down at the spoon that was stretched out in front of him, and then looked up at Ling Changfeng, who had a serious face. There was something strange in his heart. Some behaviors are probably only suitable for a certain age ¨C he has long passed his childhood phase of needing to be cared for. Xu Xinghe swallowed his saliva and stubbornly said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the spoon in front of him was pushed forward again. Ling Changfeng held a spoon in one hand and tapped the bowl with the other. ¡°After eating half a bowl, you¡¯re full?¡± Xu Xinghe said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Ling Changfeng said nothing. Looking at him, Xu Xinghe was inexplicably guilty. Just when Xu Xinghe was about to give up his resistance and convinced himself with ¡°forget it, it¡¯s okay to take a bite¡±, Ling Changfeng suddenly sighed softly and put the spoon back into the bowl. ¡°Forget it, if you don¡¯t want to eat it, don¡¯t eat.¡± Marshal Ling, who has always been unwavering and resolute, discovered helplessly that he really can¡¯t do anything to his little spouse. He sat down beside Xu Xinghe, and said with a gentle tone, ¡°Are you still lacking strength?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head and whispered: ¡°No, it¡¯s much better.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his gaze to the potted orchid beside the bed silently. Suddenly he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you go through all this.¡± Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, I just wanted to thank you.¡± Ling Changfeng looked sideways slightly. ¡°Thank me for what?¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers. ¡°I thought I was going to die in a foreign country, but when I woke up, I came back to Nebula City. Life never felt so valuable.¡± After speaking, under Ling Changfeng¡¯s complicated and unpredictable eyes, he picked up the spoon again without making a sound and quietly finished off the remaining half bowl of nutritional supplements. Then he whispered: ¡°I¡¯m really full this time.¡± Ling Changfeng suddenly felt that his heart softened into a ball. As if seeing the little hedgehog in front of him put away his thorny coat, revealing his soft belly to himself. The words that were brewing this entire time wanted to burst out. Ling Changfeng took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°I have something to tell you¡­¡± ¡°How are the kidnappers?¡± The two of them spoke almost simultaneously, and intertwined voices rang out in the quiet ward. Ling Changfeng was stunned for a moment, and his expression became a little complicated. In the evening, the colorful clouds spread across the sky, and the afterglow of the sunset sprinkled on the two of them like a dream through the glass windows. Such beautiful and romantic scenery should be accompanied with beautiful and romantic things and beautiful and romantic words. Talking about kidnappers at such a time is like a fly suddenly flying under the moon in front the flowers ¨C really unpleasant. However, when Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and met Xu Xinghe¡¯s resolute and implicitly worried gaze, the sentence ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this topic later¡± suddenly couldn¡¯t be said. He knew that his little spouse, as the victim of this incident, needed an explanation. Ling Changfeng sighed in his heart and compromised once more. ¡°Of the three kidnappers at the airport, one was killed on the spot, and two were captured alive. After interrogation, they said they were sent by one of my old enemies¡­ But I don¡¯t think they told the truth, or knew enough.¡± Due to the secrets involved, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say everything. One of his so-called old enemies was the previous commander of Capital Star, Admiral Barron Ives. Eleven months ago, after delivering a great victory on the frontier, Ling Changfeng officially returned to Capital Star, and Admiral Ives was forced to hand over power. But as a local snake and tyrant, he really didn¡¯t want to hand it over. After several struggles, both overt and covert, Ling Changfeng used an iron fist to make a big change in the defense of the Capital¡¯s Star army, forcing Admiral Ives to retreat. Due to Admiral Ives¡¯ long tenure without obvious mistakes, he was helpless and couldn¡¯t find an excuse to forcibly transfer him away from Capital Star. Their forces reached a strange balance in this regard, and peace resumed. After losing contact with Xu Xinghe, Ling Changfeng never considered this possibility. Such blatant kidnapping is really not in line with Admiral Ives¡¯ usual cautious style. Not to mention that the two captured kidnappers confessed so quickly, as if their confessions were prepared preemptively. Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Then how did you find me?¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your perseverance in sending out a distress signal. People from the Security Bureau found the suspected kidnapper¡¯s abandoned car next to the Z-98 national road, and immediately launched a comprehensive search within a radius of 200 kilometers to retrieve any surrounding surveillance. Then I received a suspicious report from Gilles Airport, 50 kilometers away. A young man discovered you were signaling for help; I¡¯ve now transferred him to my personal guard.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°En, I¡¯ll thank him in person after I¡¯m discharged from the hospital.¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips: ¡°His foundation is relatively poor, and he needs some systematic training. You won¡¯t be able to see him for about three months.¡± Xu Xinghe continued to nod his head. He suddenly remembered another thing, and frowned. ¡°Gu Nai¡­ hasn¡¯t been caught yet?¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head: ¡°No. This person may know more, but he is still on the run. I¡¯ve issued a first-level wanted order for him across the planet. Additionally, the deputy general manager who arranged for him to enter the Ark was found dead on the outskirts just yesterday.¡± Xu Xinghe was silent, Gu Nai not being caught makes him always feel that the matter is not over yet. Ling Changfeng looked at his twisted hands, and suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here, and will never let you be kidnapped by anyone again.¡± Taken aback, Xu Xinghe raised his head, and faced a pair of deep and quiet eyes. Even without his pheromones, Ling Changfeng can always give him a sense of security. As if this was his innate ability, without a clear reason why. Xu Xinghe suddenly smiled, leaned back on the soft cushion, and said ¡°en¡± in a nasal voice. Then he asked in a relaxed tone: ¡°What did you want to say?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± For the first time in his life, Marshal Ling found that he was not very courageous. Some emotions require enough emotional precipitation and brewing in order to push through and be revealed. Once interrupted, it is inevitable to be a little discouraged. After all, it was because he had no confidence in a positive answer. Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes drifted out of the window. After the setting sun had already disappeared in the horizon, only the sunset glow reflected the sky. Then he turned to look at Xu Xinghe, who yawned unconsciously. This may not be a good time, Ling Changfeng thought. After all, the sun has set. He calmly sighed in his heart, and covered Xu Xinghe with the quilt again: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, if you¡¯re sleepy, rest early.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him: ¡°What about you? Going back to work?¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°I¡¯m not busy, I¡¯m here to accompany you.¡± In Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes, Ling Changfeng was a little too easy to talk to tonight. He didn¡¯t know if it was because the other party saw his unease. Having just escaped from kidnappers, he was eager to find someone to accompany him, just like after watching a horror movie ¨C just like every time he was drunk. Xu Xinghe slid into the bed and looked at Ling Changfeng, smiling like a little fox: ¡°Do you know how to tell bedtime stories?¡± Marshal Ling was slightly startled. ¡°Bedtime stories?¡± ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe He wrapped himself in a quilt, only showing a fluffy head, and looked at Ling Changfeng with wide eyes. ¡°I want to hear one.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He has lived to this age, and has never been asked to tell a bedtime story. But he couldn¡¯t say ¡°no¡± to the little spouse in front of him. He asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°What kind of story do you want to hear?¡± Xu Xinghe thought about it. It seemed a bit too embarrassing to ask Marshal Ling to tell him fairytales. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk about your own experience.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Ling Changfeng was silent for a while: ¡°There don¡¯t seem to be any interesting stories in my life.¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re the youngest among the four marshals, and everyone says your experience is legendary. ¡° Ling Changfeng smiled without a trace. ¡°Which part do you want to listen to? I can tell you. But you probably won¡¯t like those stories of fighting and killing.¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know your story, but I¡¯ve always been curious. What did you go through to become like this?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flashed slightly, and he looked at him sideways. ¡°Become like what?¡± ¡°Fearless.¡± Xu Xinghe concluded, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid of anything.¡± When Xu Xinghe said this, he lowered his eyes silently, and suddenly said: ¡°When they fed me sleeping pills, I was actually scared. I was afraid that when I woke up, I would be in a completely unfamiliar place and never return to Nebula City, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.¡± Ling Changfeng listened, and fell silent. Xu Xinghe thought he was thinking of something to comfort him, but just as he was about to say ¡°I¡¯m fine now¡±, he suddenly heard Ling Changfeng say, ¡°I also have something I¡¯m afraid of.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s interest was immediately roused. Adjusting to a more comfortable position in the quilt, he looked up at him. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t answer his question directly, but instead asked: ¡°Remember the scar on my back?¡± Xu Xinghe thought of the deep and shallow scars on his back, and suddenly froze for a moment: ¡°I remember that there are¡­ many scars on your back.¡± ¡°The longest one starts from my left shoulder, and continues here.¡± Ling Changfeng pointed to his right waist, and then suddenly told a story, ¡°That was the closest I was to death. I couldn¡¯t hear anything when the bomb exploded, but I could feel my temperature rapidly dropping, and my body was suddenly very cold¡­¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t think of any connection between this and his last question, but he was captured by the perilous experience, holding his breath, and forgot how to speak for a while. ¡°But at that time, I didn¡¯t feel scared.¡± Ling Changfeng said. Xu Xinghe sighed softly and asked Ling Changfeng in a low voice, ¡°So, are you born with a lack of fear?¡± After thinking about it, he refuted himself: ¡°No, didn¡¯t you just say that you also have something to be afraid of? ¡° Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng replied softly, then turned to look out the window. After sunset, the sky is full of bright stars. Nighttime had just begun. Perhaps there is no need to be deliberate; each and every word was sincere. ¡°In the few hours you disappeared, I was very scared.¡± Ling Changfeng said slowly. Xu Xinghe¡¯s brain suddenly froze. After a while, he asked dumbly, ¡°Why were you afraid?¡± Ling Changfeng turned his head to look at him, and remained silent. Xu Xinghe swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous for no reason, and began to spew nonsense: ¡°Are you afraid things will spread and everyone will say those who marry you will have bad luck? Don¡¯t worry, this pot will definitely not be dumped on you¡­¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted him directly: ¡°I am afraid that I will never see you again, and I am afraid of losing you.¡± Xu Xinghe froze and gave up thinking completely, and still stammered, ¡°Why, why?¡± Ling Changfeng looked into his eyes, as if staring at the entire galaxy1Xinghe = galaxy. Author¡¯s doing a play on words: ¡°Because I like you.¡± LCF confessed! Any guesses on how the little hedgehog will respond? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 66 Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart raced. When he participated in the school sports meeting that year, after he won the best 1,000-meter result in his life, his heartbeat didn¡¯t seem to be as fast as it is now. He froze on the bed and moved his lips, but made no sound. Staring at Ling Changfeng with wide open doe-like eyes. Ling Changfeng expected various reactions from Xu Xinghe after receiving his confession. The worst-case scenario he imagined was for Xu Xinghe to simply say no, and then throw him out of the room in a fit of rage. Anyway, their wedding anniversary is over half a year away. Even if he¡¯s rejected now, he still has time to slowly break in. Besides, his little spouse has already promised to go on a honeymoon trip with him, right? However, when his voice fell, Ling Changfeng discovered that what made him more flustered than being directly rejected was that Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t respond at all. Like a little puppet whose soul was drained, he simply froze in place. Ling Changfeng licked his inner lips, a little nervously. He hadn¡¯t felt this kind of ¡°primary school student anxiously waiting for his entrance exam results¡± type of emotion for a long time. It was maddeningly quiet in the ward. Marshal Ling pressed the corners of his mouth in this silent atmosphere, and suddenly felt a little regret¡ª This might indeed not be a good time. His little spouse has just recovered from the shadow of being kidnapped. At the very least, he shouldn¡¯t scare him at this time. Ling Changfeng waited in fear for a long time, and finally lowered his eyes slowly in the silence without echo: ¡°You¡­¡± He originally wanted to say, you should rest well first, and other things can be discussed after waking up. However, in the next moment, a fragrant and charming floral fragrance suddenly exploded in the air. It quickly swept the entire ward like a prairie fire. The little hedgehog on the hospital bed finally recovered from the huge shock. Although he was still frozen in shock, pheromones began to flow everywhere in the air. The sides of Ling Changfeng¡¯s nose flared slightly. Indulging in the intoxicating sweet scent in the air. He seemed to see the buds blooming in front of him one after another, forming a beautiful poem. Ling Changfeng was slightly dizzy from the smell. In a trance he recalled when he first saw Xu Xinghe, and was attracted by this smell. In fact, he didn¡¯t need any equipment to tell him test results. From the first time he saw Xu Xinghe, he knew instinctively that this omega must have a very high degree of matching with himself. But he was still stubbornly unwilling to believe in destiny. Only when the marriage matching arrived on his doorstep did he calmly nod and agree to the marriage. Thinking about it now ¨C it¡¯s a blessing. Outside the window, night fell, and the grand lights of the Nebula City and the stars and moon above the night sky shone together, creating a picture of light and shadow. Ling Changfeng turned his eyes to the person in front of him again. Through the other party¡¯s unique aura, he could smell Xu Xinghe¡¯s panic, anxiety, and confusion right now¡­ ¡­ And a little bit of shyness, as well as a faint quickening to the ignorant little deer¡¯s heartbeat. If Xu Xinghe¡¯s pheromones had a physical appearance, it would be like flower branches with slight thorns, wrapping around his heart again and again. Tender branches and leaves poked softly at the tip of his heart. Slightly itchy, but not painful. A smile slowly climbed into Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. He suddenly stopped waiting for that answer. In a sense, the pheromones in the air have already given him a partial answer ahead of its dull master. Ling Changfeng turned slightly to the side, and asked Xu Xinghe in a leisurely manner: ¡°Do you still want to listen to bedtime stories?¡± Xu Xinghe was still immersed in the huge shock of being confessed to, and his lips trembled when he finally spoke: ¡°What?¡± Ling Changfeng regained his usual tone and said calmly, ¡°Bedtime stories. If you want to hear them, I¡¯ll tell you a few more.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head like a rattle. After hearing such an earth-shattering confession accompanying a bedtime story, his fragile little heart probably couldn¡¯t bear more bedtime stories. But just after shaking his head, he regretted it again. This is clearly a perfect time to change the subject. If he doesn¡¯t listen to a story, won¡¯t he have to turn around and face Ling Changfeng¡¯s confession again? Xu Xinghe raised his eyes and wanted to cry without tears. ¡°Can I change my answer? I want to hear another story now.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him and revealed his intentions: ¡°Don¡¯t want to answer my question, and want to hear a story instead?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Rather than not wanting to answer, it¡¯s better to say that he doesn¡¯t know how to answer. It was only at this moment that Xu Xinghe realized that he had not seriously examined his marriage with Ling Changfeng, nor had he faced the relationship between them seriously. In his mind, his second marriage would last for one year at most, and he was destined to leave after one year. If that¡¯s the case, why bother? But now, Ling Changfeng said that he liked him. So what about himself? Do I like him too? Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know. It stands to reason that like and dislike are clear opposites. But his feelings for Ling Changfeng seem to be a little more complicated. It¡¯s probably not enough to be considered ¡®like¡¯, nor is it insufficient to be considered ¡®dislike¡¯. Team Leader Xu, who has been married twice but has zero love experience, was having a difficult time discerning his feelings from the complex emotions at this moment. He even wanted to numbly wrap all his emotions into a ball of yarn, and throw it into the basket. Out of sight, out of mind. Xu Xinghe lowered his head, trying to temporarily avoid the question. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he felt that those words weren¡¯t good, and left the other party hanging, so he simply gave up and said: ¡°I mean, I think you¡¯re a very good person, and I don¡¯t hate you at all, but we don¡¯t seem to be, that, um¡­ compatible.¡± In the end, he chose a more negative answer. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t seem surprised to hear him say this. Instead, he asked in a persuasive manner: ¡°What do you think is not compatible between us?¡± Xu Xinghe felt relieved. The kind of ease reflected in his words and deeds didn¡¯t seem like someone who just confessed and was rejected. Carefully considering the question, Xu Xinghe answered: ¡°Our identity, age¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°These are relatively easy problems to overcome, and don¡¯t affect a normal relationship, don¡¯t they?¡± Xu Xinghe added: ¡°Our personalities, hobbies, common topics¡­¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°I don¡¯t have any special hobbies. But in the future, I can learn things you are interested in, and will try to understand the topics that interest you.¡± After a while, he added with a serious look, ¡°I can try cooking with you in the future.¡± Xu Xinghe was completely shocked. ¡°No, no need¡­¡± His mind automatically conjured an image of Ling Changfeng wearing an apron in the kitchen, and he suddenly shivered, as if struck by an invisible lightning. However, Ling Changfeng had already compromised to this point, and he really couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with their relationship for a while. In the face of the other party¡¯s attitude, it seemed that any problems can be solved easily. ¡°But, but, there¡¯s no need for you to wrong yourself so much.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and began to move his fingers again. ¡°In your position, as long as you look, you can always find someone more suitable than me,¡± he continued. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to¡­ force yourself.¡± After calming down, Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone returned to his usual calm and indifference, and he slowly asked, ¡°Who said I¡¯m forcing myself?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyes, seeming to sense his change in mood, but didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°If I find someone else after you, then I¡¯ll be forcing myself.¡± Ling Changfeng met the bewildered eyes of the deer, and suddenly lost his temper. Unable to hold back any longer, he reached out and rubbed the fluffy head, and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things again anymore. I like you, and am not forcing myself.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe licked his lips. His brain was a mess, unable to process everything that just happened. Marshal Ling was a little helpless, and started another topic: ¡°You just said that you think I am a good person?¡± The mismatched pupils slanted slightly, and asked reluctantly: ¡°How am I good?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He stiffly turned his head to look at Ling Changfeng, thinking, ¡°I was just saying a polite remark?¡± Team Leader Xu was speechless for a while, but in the face of Ling Changfeng¡¯s questioning and expectant gaze, he still reluctantly restarted his offline brain. After a moment, he bit the bullet and replied: ¡°I think your pheromone smells good.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he was suddenly inspired, and continued: ¡°Look, this is why I said it¡¯s not easy to answer. I think your pheromone smells very good, can this be considered as liking?¡± Unexpectedly, Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°I think so.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He asked again: ¡°I think you are very safe and reliable, can this be considered as liking?¡± Ling Changfeng continued to nod. ¡°I think so.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He felt that this conversation couldn¡¯t continue. Ling Changfeng looked at him with almost gentle eyes. ¡°This at least shows that you don¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Xu Xinghe admitted this point generously. ¡°I really don¡¯t hate you at all.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flashed lightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t reject me¡­¡± After speaking, he further slowed down his voice, ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me an answer now.¡± Facing the silent Xu Xinghe, Ling Changfeng looked out the window again. Flowers and trees outside the window swayed gently in the nighttime autumn breeze. Branches trembled, bringing down the white petals that fell like fine snow. And he knew that no matter how fragrant the falling petals were, they would definitely not be as sweet as one ten thousandth of the fragrance here. ¡°You can take your time thinking, and don¡¯t feel burdened. You are the favored party, so you naturally have the right to choose.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his head, and his voice was serious and calm. There was a little smile in those mismatched pupils, melting the cold eyes that had been frozen for ten thousand years. ¡°You can give me a reply anytime. I¡¯ll always be here, waiting for your answer.¡± Anyone else think XXH is in denial? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 67 After receiving the confession, Xu Xinghe lost sleep. Although he adhered to the shameful but useful turtle-withdrawing-its-head mentality of escapism, and put this issue aside for the time being, he couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing happened. Ling Changfeng¡¯s confession is real. His heart was still thumping. Like endless ripples formed when a stone falls in water, unable to be calmed for a long time. Before going to bed, he rejected Ling Changfeng¡¯s proposal to stay and continue to tell bedtime stories, and sent off the guest tactfully: ¡°That¡­it¡¯s getting late, I have to rest. You should go back and rest early as well.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him, his voice was light and gentle: ¡°Don¡¯t you need me to stay with you?¡± After a while, he added: ¡°Lu Sen told me that you were looking for me after waking up.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Round black eyes rolled back and forth, and finally he landed on the orchid at the head of the bed. Xu Xinghe hesitantly said: ¡°No, no need. I¡¯m fine now, you must be tired after a busy day¡­¡± After speaking, he slipped into the bed and closed his eyes. ¡°Good night.¡± In the dark night, Xu Xinghe seemed to hear a chuckle. The light in the ward dimmed, leaving only a small orange lamp in front of the bed. Ling Changfeng leaned over and whispered in his ear, ¡°Good night.¡± Xu Xinghe could feel the other person¡¯s hot breath spraying between his sensitive ears and neck, blowing a few strands of broken hair, leaving a burst of lingering itchiness behind. The voice was so close to him, as if sharing secrets. Xu Xinghe¡¯s long eyelashes trembled slightly, but he did not open his eyes. Playing dead until the end. It wasn¡¯t until the footsteps faded away, and the door opened and shut, leaving behind a noiseless room, that Xu Xinghe slowly opened his eyes in the dark night. He stretched out his hand from the quilt and touched his ear¡­ The base of his ear was slightly hot. For fear of disturbing the guards at the door and attracting their master1aka LCF over, Xu Xinghe did not toss and turn as he did when he was insomniac, but turned over gently, facing out the window, silently looking at the moon and stars in the night sky. The stars twinkled, and the crescent moon swayed. Silver radiance sprinkled over the earth, and a breeze rustled the flowers. It was a beautiful night. Xu Xinghe stared at the beautiful scenery outside the window and had a dreamless night. Strange to say, he wanted to find someone to accompany him when he first woke up, because as soon as he closed his eyes, the kidnapping ¨C trapped in the car, the cold eyes of the man with scars, and the sharp blade around his neck ¨C would appear in his mind. However, as soon as he closed his eyes¡­ his mind was full of images of Ling Changfeng saying ¡°I like you¡±. Xu Xinghe, who wandered between dreams and wakefulness all night, suddenly realized that Ling Changfeng¡¯s presence, lethality, and deterrence had wiped out the kidnappers in his mind. Just a day or two ago, he felt that being kidnapped would definitely be a major event in his life, or at least one of the most unfortunate encounters in his life. But now the mere kidnapping was nothing compared to Ling Changfeng¡¯s confession. The latter¡¯s influence on him was lasting and powerful. The gold and blue mismatched pupils had the luster of natural amber and sapphire, like a work of art by the creator. In the dead of night, upon recalling that lingering gaze, Xu Xinghe¡¯s heartbeat accelerated for no reason. The next afternoon, Dr. Lu Sen came to the ward as usual. The hand updating the records paused slightly when he saw Xu Xinghe¡¯s dark circles. ¡°Did you sleep well last night?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded numbly and almost blurted out to the doctor, ¡°Give me two sleeping pills.¡± But the words slipped back down. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll just take a nap today.¡± ¡°Did you have a nightmare last night?¡± Dr. Lu Sen asked patiently. Xu Xinghe yawned and shook his head: ¡°I didn¡¯t have any dreams, I just couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Dr. Lu Sen glanced at him, put down the electronic pen and suggested, ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep alone, you can find someone to accompany you.¡± The psychological shadow of being kidnapped cannot be eliminated in a few days. He thought that Xu Xinghe might have nightmares at night, causing him to wake up again and again. At times like this, it¡¯s best to have someone by your side. Thinking of this, Dr. Lu Sen couldn¡¯t help but complain internally that Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t come to accompany him last night, and lost such a legitimate opportunity to enhance their relationship. Unexpectedly, when Xu Xinghe heard the words, he just looked up at the ceiling and said depressedly: ¡°Forget it, I just want to be alone now¡­¡± Dr. Lu Sen tsked. ¡°If you¡¯re too embarrassed, I can help you ask¡­¡± Xu Xinghe hurriedly interrupted his words before he finished speaking. ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Like a fish jumping up from the chopping board, he suddenly straightened up from the bed startling Lu Sen. What happened to these two? Did they fight? Doesn¡¯t look like it, ah. When Ling Changfeng left this morning, he clearly looked in a good mood, which was in stark contrast to Xu Xinghe at the moment. Before he could ask any more questions, there was a sudden noise from the door. The guards on both sides saluted: ¡°Major General Qin.¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s voice came from the corridor. ¡°No need for title. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m not in uniform?¡± Carrying a large fruit basket in his hand, he entered the ward with a smile. ¡°Long time no see, Xinghe. Work¡¯s been crazy lately, and I finally have time to see you now. How do you feel? Are you feeling better?¡± As soon as Adjutant Qin appeared, the dead ward suddenly became alive. Xu Xinghe blinked, and then immediately smiled. ¡°Long time no see, why are you here?¡± Qin Yuan raised the fruit basket in his hand: ¡°I¡¯m here to visit a doctor, and figured I¡¯d drop by to see you too. By the way, I have some bad news, Changfeng is working overtime for a meeting, and may come back very late tonight.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s great. He sincerely suggested: ¡°He¡¯s working very hard, and shouldn¡¯t run around. I won¡¯t mind if he stays over there for the night.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s an exception. These days, he¡¯ll definitely come accompany you no matter how late work wraps up.¡± Qin Yuan looked at Xu Xinghe and smiled pointedly. ¡°However, I will convey to him your concern and love for him.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± What?? Qin Yuan came over and put the fruit basket on the bedside table, murmuring: ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cut it for you. Oh, by the way, I originally ordered a bunch of carnations. Isn¡¯t this standard for when visiting patients? But when Boss Ling saw me ordering flowers for you, his eyes stared at me for a whole morning. So I finally left the flowers in the office.¡± Suuuper short chapter. With so many flags! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 68 T/N: I won¡¯t have access to the computer for the next 1-2 weeks, so no regular or ko-fi releases until Mid-Feb. Updates will resume when I get back. Thank you for your patience! -komorebi The corners of his mouth twitched stiffly. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how to reply to Qin Yuan¡¯s words. He pondered for a moment, and tentatively asked Qin Yuan stupidly, ¡°Then, that¡­you know what happened last night?¡± Qin Yuan stood next to the bed and stared at him for a moment. ¡°Know what?¡± Xinghe turned his eyes to other places, and said hesitantly, ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ He was with me last night.¡± ¡ª¡ªLing Changfeng confessed to him last night. In front of such a large room of people, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t say these words. As if the word ¡°confession¡± would burn his mouth. Besides, he didn¡¯t know if Ling Changfeng had mentioned this to the people around him. If Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say it, then it doesn¡¯t seem very good to say it so rashly. Under the entanglement, Xu Xinghe planned to go in such an ambiguous way, and let Mr. Adjutant figure it out for himself. But he didn¡¯t expect Qin Yuan to misunderstand. He didn¡¯t expect that after leaving out that word, his ears would still burn inexplicably. It was as if something embarrassing happened last night. There was an instant silence in the huge VIP ward. The expressions of everyone in the room suddenly became very strange, very excited, and very shocked¡­ Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes blew wide open. His lips were trembling for a while, before managing to finish a complete sentence: ¡°No, no way, I thought he was¡­ but he did it directly??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He didn¡¯t react for a while, only cast a suspicious look. Qin Yuan shivered suddenly, and immediately shook his head in denial: ¡°No! He said you didn¡¯t promise him that, so why did you do that?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± In the eyes of everyone, he suddenly realized what Qin Yuan said. His face flushed red, and his hair almost exploded on the spot: ¡°It¡¯s not that! Why did your thoughts go in that direction?!¡± After speaking, his face turned even redder. If Ling Changfeng was present, he could probably smell the sweet pheromones in the air at the moment. Seeing Xu Xinghe¡¯s face, Qin Yuan finally understood what was going on. He waved his hand and bade everyone else in the ward to go out. He sat down on the small chair beside the bed, and asked Xu Xinghe with a somewhat teasing expression: ¡°He confessed to you last night?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, then raised his eyelids to look at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know that?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for thinking crookedly¡­¡± Qin Yuan quickly waved his hand under his gaze, shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°Just talking about a confession makes you blush. I thought you guys just took a step forward, and started creating people.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yuan touched his chin: ¡°I was wondering just now, how did Changfeng come to work this morning. After tasting once, how could he be willing to come to work ¨C shouldn¡¯t he have taken time off to accompany you? Tell me the truth, and I will definitely try my best to cooperate. After all, an alpha¡¯s possessiveness will reach a peak after that, and omega will also need comfort afterwards¡­¡± Xu Xinghe interrupted him blankly: ¡°Stop, we really didn¡¯t do that.¡± Qin Yuan tsked twice with a somewhat regretful expression, and then paused and expressed his understanding. ¡°Yes, you still need to rest well now. If he really takes advantage of you this time, he is too much of a beast.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He remembered something Qin Yuan had just said, and suddenly asked, ¡°Did the marshal say¡­ I didn¡¯t agree to his confession?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked him vaguely this morning if his confession was successful. He answered ¡®no¡¯ directly, but I think he was in a good mood early in the morning. It didn¡¯t look like his confession was rejected.¡± Qin Yuan heard the words and turned to look at Xu Xinghe. ¡°Why are you asking me? Did you actually promise him, but he didn¡¯t hear it?¡± Xu Xinghe twitched the corner of his mouth: ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± He felt that he had rejected Ling Changfeng last night, but that didn¡¯t seem to be true. His words of refusal were pushed back by the other party, leaving things undecided and hanging. And that budding emotion continued to float in the skies, swaying in the seas, not knowing where to go. Qin Yuan carefully observed Xu Xinghe¡¯s expression, and suddenly tilted his head and smiled: ¡°Why do I think you¡¯re more entangled than him?¡± Immediately, he began a rhetorical Q&A session. ¡°People who make decisions are often more entangled. He understands, but you don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head to look out the window, his voice muffled: ¡°Are you here to lobby for him?¡± Qin Yuan raised his head and smiled: ¡°He doesn¡¯t need me to lobby for him. I¡¯m here to visit the patient although I¡¯ve heard from the doctor that you¡¯re fine, but it¡¯s more reassuring to come and take a look for myself.¡± After a pause, he sat up straight and said, ¡°We¡¯re all really happy you came back safely. Really.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled, turned his head to look at Qin Yuan, and smiled, revealing two small dimples on his face: ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank you, and no need to be too entangled, you still have a lot of time to process things.¡± Qin Yuan said, ¡°Oh yes, on Ark¡¯s side, we¡¯ve already asked for leave for you. You can recuperate at home in the near future. Of course, if you really think staying at home is boring and want to find something to do, you can also go back to work.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and thanked him again. Qin Yuan waved his hand and stood up: ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Xu Xinghe wanted to get up to see him off, but was stopped by Qin Yuan. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, just rest in bed.¡± Feeling a little helpless, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry: ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have arms and legs. Even if my strength hasn¡¯t recovered, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t get out of bed.¡± Upon speaking, he got up and took two steps. Seeing his neat steps, Qin Yuan nodded. ¡°You¡¯re recovering well, and it seems like you¡¯ll be discharged soon.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled: ¡°I¡¯ve bothered you a lot recently. When I¡¯m discharged, I¡¯ll invite you to eat at home. What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cook at that time.¡± Qin Yuan raised his eyebrows and suddenly asked him, ¡°Whose home?¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled. He didn¡¯t know since when, but he¡¯s long considered the Marshal¡¯s mansion home¡­ Qin Yuan didn¡¯t ask any more questions, and waved goodbye as he walked to the door. ¡°I have no opinion about dinner, but¡­¡± He turned his head and smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t think my dear boss would welcome me to disturb your two-person world. Let¡¯s talk later, see you.¡± ¡ª¡ª Ling Changfeng came earlier than Xu Xinghe expected that night. The bright moon hung in the dark night sky. Xu Xinghe was sitting on the sofa in the ward reading a book when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps nearing the door. It was the sound of military boots stepping on tiles. After all, this is a first-class hospital affiliated with the military, so it¡¯s not unusual to hear such footsteps. Strangely, there was a faint scent of roses. Xu Xinghe was wondering who would bring roses to the hospital, and was stunned when he turned his head. Ling Changfeng, dressed in a military uniform, appeared at the door in a valiant manner. Holding a bouquet of red roses in his hands. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He spent an afternoon doing ideological preparation, reminding himself not to think about the confession all the time, and to get along with Ling Changfeng as usual. That¡¯s the distance and the way that they both feel comfortable with each other. Isn¡¯t maintaining the status quo when you don¡¯t know whether to go forward or backward the best choice? As a result, his state of mind that had finally settled over the course of reading was suddenly disrupted. A stone stirred up a thousand waves. He watched Ling Changfeng walk straight in front of him, stretch out his hand, and hand the flowers over. An aroma of roses wafted in his nostrils. ¡°For you.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was as calm as ever, but there was a clear shimmer in his eyes. God knows that Marshal Ling has never done anything like giving flowers to anyone in his lifetime. Everyone in the Alliance also tacitly agreed that he probably lacks the cells for romance. Therefore, when he walked all the way with flowers in hand, everyone looked at him as if they saw the sun rising in the west. Many were so shocked that they almost couldn¡¯t close their jaws. Xu Xinghe was also surprised. However, in addition to being surprised, he faced an additional problem compared to everyone else- The roses were delivered straight to him. He couldn¡¯t accept, and rejecting wasn¡¯t very good either. If they were carnations, he would probably have accepted them. But roses¡­ Xu Xinghe stared blankly at the roses in front of him, blinked his eyes, and tried to fool him: ¡°Were you inspired by Major General Qin, and finally remembered to send flowers when visiting a patient?¡± He said this, but raised his hand slightly, as if intending to receive the flowers. ¡®Treat it as flowers for visiting a patient, and accept it,¡¯ Xu Xinghe thought to himself. However, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t give him a chance with his question: ¡°Have you ever seen someone send red roses to a patient?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, why did you suddenly send me red roses?¡± Team Leader Xu asked with a knotted tongue. As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. Doesn¡¯t he already know the answer in his heart! But fortunately, Ling Changfeng did not say the words ¡°because I like you¡± or ¡°roses are meant to be given to loved ones¡±, making the situation a little easier to deal with. A smile flashed in his eyes, and Marshal Ling replied in a slightly gentler voice than before: ¡°You can take it as a gift, I think roses suit you well ¨C both have thorns.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He just wanted to ask about the thorns, but before he had time to speak, he heard Ling Changfeng add: ¡°They¡¯re also both very beautiful.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and said: ¡°You¡¯re welcome, please accept them.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± In fact, what Xu Xinghe was half right. Ling Changfeng¡¯s act of sending flowers was indeed inspired by his adjutant. When he heard that Qin Yuan was going to take time to visit Xu Xinghe and ordered a bunch of carnations, Marshal Ling suddenly realized that he had never sent his young spouse any flowers since getting married. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t know what the romance of sending flowers was, but he knew that it was a way for people to express their love. And he wanted his little spouse to feel surrounded by love. That¡¯s all. Although Ling Changfeng¡¯s tone was still calm, his eyes were already firmly locked on Xu Xinghe. When he saw his little spouse put down the book and stretched out his hand to take the bouquet of roses, a sense of relief flowed through his body. He took my flowers. Marshal Ling looked calm on the surface, but was content inside. It¡¯s a small step forward. On the other hand, Xu Xinghe thought to himself, ¡®he gave me a gift¡­ So do I need to send a gift in return?¡¯ LCF: Here you go. XXH: !!! XXH: Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 69.1 T/N: I¡¯m back! And reading through the comments and messages¡­ Anyhow, down to the good stuff. Thank you Lan & an anonymous donor for supporting 1 extra release of SMM this week. (If I¡¯ve forgotten anyone/misattributed their ko-fis, forgive me. Been playing catch up these couple of days.) -k Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how the situation became like this ¨C He and Ling Changfeng just sat on the small sofa in the ward, one reading a book and the other reading documents, doing their own work and not disturbing each other. Fortunately, books are a kind of existence that can quickly calm people¡¯s hearts. Xu Xinghe gently turned over a page and read quietly under the soft light without feeling embarrassed. The newly received roses were divided into two bunches, one was placed on the low table in front of them, and the other was placed in a vase by the bed. The whole room was filled with the faint scent of roses. The bright moon shone outside the window, illuminating the dark sky full of stars. Xu Xinghe was reading a science fiction novel. The plot is full of ups and downs, and fascinating him so much that he forgot about the time. Amidst his fascination, Xu Xinghe suddenly felt a little thirsty, so he casually said to the nurse beside him, ¡°Can you pour me a glass of water? Thank you.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly froze¡ª He forgot there were no doctors or nurses in the room. Team Leader Xu raised his head stiffly, facing Marshal Ling¡¯s gold and blue eyes, and immediately said with a knotted tongue: ¡°No, no, I mean¡­¡± He searched hard in his mind, trying to figure out how to finish his words, but he couldn¡¯t find the right words. In the end, he stood up, planning to pour himself a cup and demonstrate that he did not mean to bother Grand Marshal Ling with the request. Ling Changfeng glanced at him, and a smile flashed in his eyes: ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe looked back and thought he had something to say, so he sat back obediently. Then, he saw Ling Changfeng put down the portable optical brain in his hand, got up and walked towards the side hall. After a while, he came back with two glasses of water. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Here you are.¡± Ling Changfeng handed over one of the cups. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­thank you.¡± He took it with both hands and took a sip immediately, trying to hide his embarrassment with the cup. Ling Changfeng waited for him to finish drinking before he said, ¡°The doctor said that he will give you a full body examination tomorrow. If everything is okay, you¡¯ll be discharged the day after tomorrow.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes lit up. But before he could speak, Ling Changfeng added: ¡°But in the near future, you should take a good rest, pay attention to your diet, and don¡¯t eat hotpot or those heavy things for a few days.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­oh.¡± Ah? He and Lin Qi were still chatting about meeting for hotpot in the group chat this afternoon! Seeing his gloomy expression, Ling Changfeng tried to comfort his little spouse. Unfortunately, Marshal Ling, who has always been taciturn, isn¡¯t proficient at comforting people. The first words out of his mouth were. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can have hotpot anytime in the future.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng pondered for a while more upon seeing his expression, and continued: ¡°When I have time, I will accompany you to eat hotpot next time.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Atmosphere is important when eating hotpot. In college, Xinghe would stare eagerly at the hotpot to grab the meat with his classmates. He always felt that the shabu-shabu plundered this way was particularly fragrant. And Ling Changfeng¡¯s iceberg aura and a hotpot restaurant¡¯s fiery atmosphere can be described as two extremes. Xu Xinghe can¡¯t even imagine what it would be like for him to grab meat with others. Team Leader Xu was silent for a moment, and decided to change the subject: ¡°How is Xiaoqi recently? I haven¡¯t seen her for several days, and miss her.¡± Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°Xiaoqi is very good. She eats well and sleeps well. Aaron is also with her, you can see them the day after tomorrow.¡± Hearing this, Xu Xinghe was both relieved and sad at the same time. He suddenly sighed softly: ¡°Xiaoqi is now a big girl and has a boyfriend. She¡¯s going to forget about me, this old father¡­ At the beginning she would be depressed if she didn¡¯t see me, but now she¡¯s happily playing at home every day, isn¡¯t she?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his heart suddenly moved. Recalling last night¡¯s confession, his long reflex arc finally reacted after many days- Ling Changfeng¡¯s original sentence of ¡°the cat misses you¡± was probably just a pretext for video calling with him. Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe glanced at Ling Changfeng and muttered softly, ¡°I just say, the cat won¡¯t miss me¡­¡± Damn, he actually believed in such an obvious scam! After Ling Changfeng heard this, he pursed his lips, lowered his eyes slightly and said, ¡°The cat misses you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe naturally couldn¡¯t believe these words. Although he vaguely felt that continuing this topic might be a pit, seeing Ling Changfeng¡¯s refusal to admit it, he couldn¡¯t help but want to tease him: ¡°How does the cat miss me? Waiting for me into autumn, losing sleep and appetite?¡± Ling Changfeng lifted his eyelids and looked at him. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment by his gaze, and couldn¡¯t help but stammer: ¡°Wh, what? It¡¯s been fine without a video call for so many days, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ling Changfeng took the portable light brain and said in a low voice: ¡°Because I saw you.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled: ¡°What?¡± Ling Changfeng paused for a few seconds, then lowered his head and resumed reading the electronic file. ¡°Nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him suspiciously. Unable to get a response from the other party, he too returned to reading his science fiction book. This situation continued until eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. Xu Xinghe yawned, raised his hand to look at the time, and then relied on his patient identity to confidently expel someone from the room. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Nodding, Ling Changfeng stood up without forcing it, and said good night to him. ¡ª¨C Early the next morning, Xu Xinghe was woken up by the sound of a group chat message. Opening his eyes angrily in his sleep, he was wondering what happened to the ¡®Do not Disturb¡¯ mode on his phone. When he raised his hand, he remembered that Ling Changfeng had just replaced his old device with a brand new smartphone, and these modes were not set up yet. Xu Xinghe raised his hand to check the time, it was 8:01 in the morning. He has been sleeping until noon for the past two days before waking up, and his biological clock seemed to be fixed at this time. Therefore, after being suddenly woken up at eight in the morning, it was inevitable to have some sleep inertia. Xu Xinghe opened the group chat impatiently. Originally, he wanted to take a glance. If there was nothing to do, he would switch it to mute and go back to sleep. Unexpectedly, after a glance, anger began to rise. He couldn¡¯t bear to open the voice chat, and said irritably: ¡°Is there something wrong with you guys? What kind of mess are you discussing so early this morning?¡± It was the Capital F4 group that kept ringing. The fact that Xu Xinghe was kidnapped in Nanga was not exposed to the public, and only a few people within the Alliance knew about it. Even his friends and colleagues only knew that he was suddenly ¡°sick¡± and picked up by the Marshal¡¯s people. Xu Xinghe himself was even more tight-lipped about this, claiming he was fine, both internally and externally, and just needed to rest. After emphasizing ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡± many times, Lin Qi and the others really thought he was fine, so the atmosphere in the group was still very harmonious. Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, Marshal Ling gave you flowers?!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°What do the roses look like? Take a picture for us?¡± Cheryl: ¡°I want to see it too! Why didn¡¯t you share with this group already? We¡¯ll give it a like!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, I also saw some gossip¡­¡± Vincent: ¡°We should¡¯ve seen the same gossip = =¡± Cheryl: ¡°I know what you are talking about, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true¡­ After so many years of friendship, Brother Xu wouldn¡¯t hide this from us.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s not time yet? Brother Xu is a person who insisted on going to work with a fever, but now he is suddenly hospitalized and on sick leave. I think there must be something tricky.¡± Vincent: ¡°Can you just ask him directly about this kind of thing?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I want to ask too, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be beaten after asking.¡± Cheryl: ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you. @Xu Xinghe Brother Xu, Lin Qi has a question he wants to ask you¡± Lin Qi: ¡°¡­¡± XXH is finally enlightened about the cat video calls! And that group chat is hilarious. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 69.2 After waking up with an aching head and seeing the incoming messages, Xu Xinghe felt like they were speaking in riddles. Annoyed, he was prepared to scold a few sentences before returning to sleep, when his eyes suddenly swept over the top lines of the conversation. Xu Xinghe: ¡°How did you know that he sent flowers??¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s schedule has also been kept secret, and he rarely shows up in public. How did Lin Qi and the others know about the flowers? Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe scrolled up the group chat with a guilty conscience, almost thinking that he had sleepwalked and told them last night. Lin Qi: ¡°The headline of T Club¡¯s gossip is that Marshal Ling personally went to Xingmeng Avenue to buy flowers yesterday afternoon!¡± After finishing speaking, he also sent a screenshot of the report on T Club¡¯s official website. Ling Changfeng was standing in a famous high-end flower shop on Xingmeng Avenue, with only two guards beside him. Behind him was a flower wall made up of a dazzling array of jewels and flowers. Holding a bunch of red roses in his arms, his neat military uniform seemed out of tune with the romantic scene around him at first glance. But on closer inspection, there was a sense of unexpected romance. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Xingmeng Avenue is the most famous commercial street in Nebula City. There are countless high-end shops on both sides of the street, and it is full of people all the year round. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t imagine Ling Changfeng openly appearing in such a place to buy flowers. Unless there¡¯s a special reason, it¡¯s almost impossible to clear the streets of people. Moreover, Marshal Ling obviously had no plans to clear the field, and didn¡¯t even try avoiding people. Looking through the photos, one at a time, Xu Xinghe saw Ling Changfeng calmly get off the car, select flowers, pay, and receive the goods himself, all while ignoring the gazes of those around him. Although his face was expressionless the entire time, Xu Xinghe seemed to detect that Ling Changfeng was in a good mood at the time. Xu Xinghe found it difficult to understand. What about Marshal Ling¡¯s secretary? What about his adjutant? Or subordinates? Why did he have to buy flowers himself? Couldn¡¯t he just sit and wait for the flowers to be delivered to the door! Xu Xinghe thought about it and was really curious. But it was not easy for him to ask Ling Changfeng this kind of question, so he struggled for a moment and sent an email to Qin Yuan. Adjutant Qin was probably not busy, and he called back directly. As soon as Xu Xinghe picked up the call, he heard Qin Yuan complain: ¡°You¡¯ve seen the news, right? Are you angry? There are so many people on Xingmeng Avenue. Isn¡¯t he just increasing everyone¡¯s work! Especially the people from the Security Bureau ¨C they were scared to death yesterday! I protested strongly to him and made a lot of suggestions, but he rejected them all! The few minutes he got out of the car, Lewis¡¯ heart almost leapt out of his throat!¡± The machine gun-like words finally woke up Xu Xinghe¡¯s hazy mind. Helplessly leaning against the headboard, he asked, ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer me. Why did he insist on going to buy flowers himself?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°He said that it was the first time that he sent flowers to you, so he has to handle the whole process himself in order for them to count as the flowers he sent! I told him to let the secretary order them and he can deliver it himself, but he still didn¡¯t agree. To be honest, when it comes to sending flowers, does it matter who orders them? The important thing is the person who sends them! Would you not accept the flowers because I ordered them? Certainly not. It¡¯s a pity that our boss Ling has lost his mind¡­ Sir!!¡± With a scream from Qin Yuan, the call was hung up with a snap. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Listening to the busy tone on the phone, he felt a little embarrassed at being caught. The tips of his ears felt a little warm. Thinking about it, he should give Ling Changfeng a gift. Even if it is not a return gift for buying flowers, he should at least choose a thank you gift. After all, he hadn¡¯t thanked him properly for rescuing and bringing him back. Xu Xinghe sat on the bed for a while, and then reopened the group chat. His tone suddenly became more polite. Xu Xinghe: ¡°I have a question for you.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°You say, don¡¯t be so polite.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°What do you usually give as gifts to friends?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Ah, it won¡¯t be flowers.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Cheryl: ¡°Are you asking for a colleague this time?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Vincent: ¡°What kind of friends are they?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Just ordinary friends, like you.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°? After four years of co-sleeping experience, I¡¯m only an ordinary friend? Goodbye, our friendship has come to an end.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Don¡¯t make rumors, is sharing a dorm room the same as sharing a bed? And didn¡¯t I move out when I was a junior?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°You have changed, you never denied the matter of sharing a bed with me before, and always answered ¡®what¡¯s wrong with father and son sharing a bed?¡¯¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Cheryl: ¡°Don¡¯t joke around, Brother Xu is no longer the single dog of before. Do you want to grab the bed with Marshal Ling?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°??? I¡¯m not, I didn¡¯t spread rumors¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m wrong!!!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He really wants to block this group of people. Xu Xinghe: ¡°Answer the question.¡± Vincent: ¡°What occasion are you giving a gift? Birthday gift? New year gift? Wedding anniversary gift?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Thank you gift¡± Vincent: ¡°Then follow the same thing when you usually give us a birthday present. Whatever ¡õ¡õ scarf works¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­so meaningless, is there a more expensive gift?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°? New ideas? To be honest, are you perfunctory when you usually pick gifts for us?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Yes¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Friendship X2 (smile.jpg)¡± Chillier: ¡°My suggestion is that you make something yourself. It¡¯s unique, and courteous while affectionate.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I suggest a hug, or a kiss, or hearty sex.¡± Vincent: ¡°¡­I guess Brother Xu must be laughing at you through the screen now @Lin Qi¡± Cheryl: ¡°I guess he is¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Why??¡± Vincent: ¡°You don¡¯t even think about it. They¡¯ve been married for several months, and should¡¯ve gone through the process many times. How can this little trick of hugging and blowing kisses stack up?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Hehe, the process that should be done has not been done yet. Lin Qi: ¡°So Brother Xu¡­Is the gossip true?¡± Xu Xinghe thought he was referring to sending flowers, so he typed angrily and replied, ¡°What¡¯s true or false, haven¡¯t you all seen the pictures?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°???¡± Cheryl: ¡°!!!¡± Vincent: ¡°Damn it! Brother Xu didn¡¯t deny it?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°What picture? You didn¡¯t send me any pictures¡± Xu Xinghe was confused: ¡°The pictures published by the media, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Where did the media get the pictures? Which one? I didn¡¯t see it!¡± Cheryl: ¡°Wait a minute! Brother Xu, this¡­ Is the rumor true?!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°? What rumor?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Asking for leave this time¡­ did you go for a pregnancy check?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Sh*t! Why isn¡¯t this topic over yet? The pregnancy joke returns. XXH: (¥Î?Òæ?)¥Îáê©ß©¥©ß Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 70.1 In October, golden leaves and fragrant osmanthus flowers swayed in the breeze. Xu Xinghe was discharged at one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and bright golden sunlight greeted him the moment he left the hospital. Ling Changfeng had something to do, so he sent Qin Yuan and several other guards from the Marshal¡¯s mansion to pick him up. Accustomed to how busy Marshal Ling was these days, Xu Xinghe wasn¡¯t surprised by Qin Yuan¡¯s arrival. A small part of him was looking forward to this evening. In the email Ling Changfeng sent him, Ling Changfeng said he would be back early today to give him a ¡°surprise¡±. He also prepared a small surprise for Ling Changfeng. He just doesn¡¯t know if he¡¯ll like it. Adjutant Qin, who was complaining that Marshal Ling should give him a raise, took the luggage from Xu Xinghe and helped him into the backseat. ¡°Get in the car, go home.¡± Once he was seated, the Marshal¡¯s pure black car raced through the street, accompanied by two other military vehicles. Xu Xinghe and Qin Yuan sat in the back of the first car. Shielded by the vehicle¡¯s excellent sound insulation, Xu Xinghe poured himself a glass of juice and asked Qin Yuan, ¡°What would you like to drink? Is work busy recently?¡± Adjutant Qin shook his hand: ¡°No need, thank you ¡­Isn¡¯t he doing this to make up for those two weeks of vacation? So he brought forward the work that needs to be done recently, and postponed some things, which packed his schedule. But don¡¯t worry, it will be over soon. ¡° Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback: ¡°Two weeks off?¡± ¡°Honeymoon vacation.¡± Qin Yuan said. ¡°Oh right, the location should be chosen first. Do you have a favorite place? Give me a few options, so I can help you arrange it.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing his expression, Qin Yuan said in surprise, ¡°You didn¡¯t forget, right? Otherwise, why do you think he¡¯s been working so hard these days?¡± Xu Xinghe looked up at the ceiling silently. He really forgot about it! Qin Yuan waved his hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s not a big problem. Anyway, we¡¯ve already arranged your leave with Ark. Your body should be almost recovered when Changfeng is done with work. When the time comes, the two of you can begin your honeymoon trip.¡± Xu Xinghe who was tangled. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t asking about this.¡± The problem is¡­ it¡¯s still the same problem ¨C Ling Changfeng confessed to him. The thin piece of paper between their relationship has now been half-pierced, making this planned honeymoon trip a little bit different. He hasn¡¯t agreed to the other party¡¯s confession, so what does it mean to go honeymooning together? In this way, his answer seems implied and tacit. That unfounded rumor suddenly appeared in his mind. Spending two full weeks alone with Ling Changfeng? Wouldn¡¯t there really be an ¡°accident¡±? Qin Yuan persuaded him: ¡°You should use these two weeks of vacation to travel and relax. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Xu Xinghe whispered: ¡°I thought it was good¡­¡± Originally, he accepted it readily, and was even looking forward to this trip. Because he likes to play around and explore, even if it¡¯s not a honeymoon with Ling Changfeng, a half-month paid vacation is a pretty good choice. However, after that night¡¯s confession, he could no longer treat this nominal honeymoon trip as a simple vacation. A so-called ¡°simple vacation¡± should be like when he travels with his classmates or colleagues. He gets a separate bed, space to be alone, the right to act alone, etc. Him and Ling Changfeng going on a ¡°simple vacation¡±¡­ who¡¯s going to fall for such a trick? Will they live in separate rooms? Not only will they not have their own beds, they certainly won¡¯t not split a bed! Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe already had a picture of him and Ling Changfeng sharing a quilt and chatting awkwardly. In the past, they shared a bed because of the mastermind¡¯s monitoring, so to speak. Now that there¡¯s a confession, sharing a bed¡­ It¡¯s not suitable, it¡¯s really not suitable. Seeing Xu Xinghe¡¯s tangled expression, Qin Yuan slowed his thoughts, and asked, ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He has too many concerns! Taking a sip of juice, he raised his eyes and asked Qin Yuan, ¡°You say, when two people go on a trip, will they live in separate rooms?¡± This time, it was Qin Yuan¡¯s turn to be rendered speechless. The almighty adjutant was silent for a while, and then tentatively said: ¡°This¡­ shouldn¡¯t you go and discuss with Changfeng directly? The two of you should unify your opinions and tell me the decision.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to discuss this with Marshal Ling at all. No matter how the discussion went, it was him digging himself a pit. If the chat went poorly, he would directly sink himself. Qin Yuan saw his concerns and reassured: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you really don¡¯t want to sleep in the same room, you can tell him directly. He will definitely listen to you.¡± Xu Xinghe remained silent. It¡¯s weird to take the initiative to mention this kind of thing. In the midst of their chatting, the car finally stopped at its destination. The black military vehicle slowly landed on the tarmac of the Marshal¡¯s mansion. Qin Yuan patted Xu Xinghe on the shoulder and said, ¡°Forget it, a time and place haven¡¯t been decided yet. Why are you thinking about whether to share a bed or not? Don¡¯t think about this first; a car must find its way up the mountain first.1as in a destination and time has to be decided before figuring out accommodations You might as well think about what to eat tonight.¡± After a pause, he smiled at him again: ¡°Welcome home.¡± They walked into the door, and were welcomed by the servants who had been waiting at the door for a long time. The servants in the house even stood in a line to welcome him, with party poppers and streamers, cakes and champagne, and some people even cheered. It made Xu Xinghe a little flattered. Someone had dressed Xiaoqi up in a princess dress. She squatted obediently at the door, wagging her tail and waiting for her master to return with the servants. Aaron stayed by her side, silently using his long tail to hook up Xiaoqi¡¯s plush tail, and then gently nudged her with the tip of his nose. Xu Xinghe had complained half-jokingly that Xiaoqi didn¡¯t think about himself at all, but it wasn¡¯t the case. The moment the blue-eyed ragdoll cat saw her owner, she spread out her short legs and pounced forward, not even caring about the little boyfriend beside her. Xu Xinghe caught his baby Xiaoqi, only to feel that a fluffy ball of meat hit his arms. Unable to help clicking his tongue twice, he looked down at Xiaoqi. ¡°Did you gain weight? It seems that you had a good time without me?¡± Opening her innocent sapphire blue eyes, Xiaoqi turned over in her master¡¯s arms, revealing her soft belly, and made a contented purr. The warm afternoon sun filtered through the open door and spilled into the interior. It fell on Xu Xinghe, coating his whole body with a layer of golden light. Xu Xinghe raised his head, looked at the familiar faces around him, and suddenly felt warm in his heart. From the moment he stepped into this door, he felt a little relief and peace of mind for no reason. This subtle feeling made him admit that the Marshal¡¯s mansion did feel a bit like home now. Xu Xinghe stood in the confetti full of fireworks, and smiled at everyone: ¡°Thank you, everyone, I¡¯m back.¡± After putting down Xiaoqi, he suddenly remembered something: ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll cook tonight. What do you guys want to eat? I¡¯ll make more dinner, and let¡¯s eat together.¡± After speaking, he turned to Qin Yuan and said, ¡°Are you busy? If you¡¯re not busy, stay and eat with us too.¡± Unexpectedly, the cheers suddenly stopped as soon as his words came out. ¡°Thank you, but¡­¡± He Han, who was stunned for a moment, was the first to react. His face was a little strange. After thinking about it, there was no need to hide it, nor could he hide it. ¡°The marshal is in the kitchen now, saying that he will be responsible for dinner today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was shocked, and Qin Yuan beside him was also shocked. ¡°Huh? What?¡± The adjutant¡¯s mouth opened into an ¡°O¡± shape, as if he had suddenly lost his ability to speak. After a while, he asked shivering, ¡°The, the marshal is in the kitchen right now?!¡± He Han nodded and said with embarrassment, ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yuan swallowed. After a moment of sluggishness, he suddenly became happy. He recovered from the shock and returned to his usual positive attitude. While sighing in his heart that love really changes people, he tilted his head and smiled at Xu Xinghe: ¡°Go! Let¡¯s go to the kitchen to see our dear Lord Marshal.¡± So, do y¡¯all think the Marshal can cook? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 70.2 Xu Xinghe had turned into a stone on the spot, unable to speak for a long time. The impact of learning that Marshal Ling is cooking was secondary. What was more important is what he suddenly remembered Ling Changfeng saying that night ¨C ¡°In the future, I can learn things you are interested in, and will try to understand the topics that interest you.¡± At the time, he thought Ling Changfeng was just talking casually. He didn¡¯t expect him to be serious. Walking on the promenade tiles towards the kitchen with Qin Yuan, Xu Xinghe was a little nervous. Qin Yuan was there to watch the fun, but he wasn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t even know what he was going there for. Anyway, when he came back to his senses, he had already crossed the corridor and arrived at the door of the kitchen. Ling Changfeng was actually cooking. But there was no chaos in the kitchen as he had imagined. Marshal Ling was standing in the center of the spacious kitchen wearing a casual white shirt. His eyebrows slightly furrowed as he held a tablet and studied it carefully. As he checked the recipe, he directed several housekeeping robots to work in the kitchen. Xu Xinghe laughed. He really thought that Ling Changfeng planned to do it himself and learn how to cook fried rice. But this is also fine. Marshal Ling was probably born to be a commander. Even in the kitchen, he commands a group of kitchen and bathroom robots domineeringly. The food in the pot looks fine, but¡­ Xu Xinghe sniffed the air, and always felt that the food smelled a bit strange. Hearing the footsteps behind him, Ling Changfeng moved his ears slightly and turned his head. A hint of surprise flashed across the eyes. He raised his hand and looked at the time: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would be back at three o¡¯clock?¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°This is the ¡®surprise¡¯ mentioned in your email?¡± Ling Changfeng tidied up his shirt and nodded lightly. ¡°Yeah.¡± His ability to look poised can be said to be unparalleled, or maybe it¡¯s because of his nature that he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed, and can always maintain a calm and composed look. Xu Xinghe walked into the kitchen and came to the electric stove. He seemed to show great interest in Marshal Ling¡¯s cooking. ¡°Is this fish soup done? Is it ready to drink?¡± Marshal Ling glanced at the time, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay to drink, but it may taste slightly fishy now, and will taste better after a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll taste it first.¡± He scooped out a spoonful of soup and took two sips. Then, under Ling Changfeng¡¯s unblinking gaze, he poured the soup into his mouth. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± While maintaining the action of holding the spoon, his facial muscles suddenly became a little stiff. Qin Yuan asked curiously: ¡°What? Was it so delicious that you were stunned?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head and gave him a dry wink. Seeing his wink, Qin Yuan was also curious. Arriving at the stove in two to three steps, he picked up the soup spoon: ¡°I¡¯ll try it too!¡± He put a little fish soup in a bowl, and then swallowed it. The next moment, he suddenly coughed violently. ¡°Cough-cough-cough-cough!¡± Qin Yuan was so choked that tears almost came out. When his throat cleared up, he looked at his boss sadly, ¡°No, your fish soup¨Ccough-cough¨Cwhy is it sour??¡± Adjutant Qin, who¡¯s known Marshal Ling for many years since they were classmates, has always been outspoken and never held back his tongue. For example, at this moment, if he hadn¡¯t been so choked that he couldn¡¯t say a complete sentence, he would definitely go on a long tirade to criticize the weirdness and unpalatability of this fish soup. How can a pot of fish soup that looks so normal be so unpalatable?? When Ling Changfeng heard the words, he frowned slightly. He instructed the kitchen and bathroom robot to make it strictly according to the recipe, and it stands to reason that the taste will not be wrong. He turned his attention to Xu Xinghe and wanted to ask for proof. The latter swallowed the fish soup with difficulty and said euphemistically, ¡°Did you read the recipe wrong?¡± So Marshal Ling also came over, scooped a spoonful of fish soup from the pot, and tried it. ¡­ The frown deepened. There was a hint of confusion in those mismatched pupils: ¡°How could this happen?¡± Qin Yuan laughed when he saw this. He hadn¡¯t seen such a confused expression on Ling Changfeng¡¯s face for a long time. He understands that this is probably because in Marshal Ling¡¯s world, one is always one and two is always two. When a plan is executed as expected, the results will also be as expected. So at this moment, their omnipotent Marshal Ling really didn¡¯t understand why the soup he cooked according to the recipe, step by step, would have the opposite taste from what he had imagined. Fortunately, Marshal Ling didn¡¯t make trouble unreasonably to the point of trying to reason black into white. Sighing in his heart, he said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°It¡¯s not delicious, don¡¯t eat it.¡± He lowered his eyes slightly as he spoke. Upon a closer look, Xu Xinghe discovered that Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyelashes are actually very long. At this moment, the long eyelashes shuttered slightly, covering the originally sharp eyes. He couldn¡¯t see his eyes, but he could sense his emotions. A nondescript metaphor suddenly appeared in Xu Xinghe¡¯s mind- If Marshal Ling was a cat, then it would probably have a straight face at the moment, slapping its paws in the corner, and hitting the ground with its tail unhappily¡­ Thinking of this, the corner of Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth raised and he smiled silently. He rolled up his sleeves very calmly, turned his head, and asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°What did you want to make for dinner?¡± Marshal Ling pursed his lips and answered truthfully: ¡°Sparerib yam congee, fish soup, lion¡¯s mane stewed chicken¡­ They¡¯re all simple dishes, and good for the stomach.¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°I think I can do these too.¡± Ling Changfeng was slightly startled and looked up at him. Xu Xinghe had already walked straight to the sink and began to clean his hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t this yam all cut? It can¡¯t be wasted.¡± Then he turned to Ling Changfeng and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare dinner, can you help me?¡± Marshal Ling nodded, and happily stepped forward to help. Sunlight beamed through the glass skylight and evenly sprinkled a golden glow over the two of them. A room full of warmth. ¡°Please pass me the sea salt¡­ No, I said the second grid on the left, this is refined salt¡­¡± ¡°How come there are sweet potatoes and millet?¡± ¡°They are also used for congee, and said to nourish the stomach.¡± ¡± ¡­My stomach is not so fragile.¡± ¡°Do you want to drink sweet or salty congee?¡± ¡°Either is fine.¡± ¡°Then one salty, and one sweet?¡± ¡°You can decide; I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Qin Yuan stood far away from the kitchen door feeling a little redundant. Moreover, the two masters of the Marshal¡¯s mansion were busy in the kitchen. He was too embarrassed to wait here like a stick and enjoy the fruits of their labor. So he asked politely, ¡°How about¡­ I¡¯ll help too?¡± As soon as the words fell, the two busy people turned around at the same time. Xu Xinghe blinked in surprise, his expression seemed to ask: ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him indifferently, as if to say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­ ¡° He swallowed: ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave?¡± Only then did Marshal Ling nod with satisfaction, and instructed him: ¡°Don¡¯t get close to Aaron, he will scratch you. Don¡¯t try to touch Xiaoqi, Aaron will scratch you.¡± After speaking, he turned around and continued to help Xu Xinghe. Qin Yuan left with a head full of question marks. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do??¡± Marshal Ling didn¡¯t turn his head, but there was still a bit of disgust in his voice: ¡°Go drink tea upstairs.¡± The unwanted Adjutant Qin: ¡°¡­¡± He turned and went upstairs angrily. I can¡¯t stay in this house! QY ¨C the conscious giant lightbulb. XXH ¨C the oblivious peacemaker. LCF ¨C the angry cat Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 71 In the end, with Chef Xu in charge and Marshal Ling¡¯s personal help, a simple, warm and delicious dinner was served on time. Xu Xinghe was used to cooking all kinds of fancy Chinese and western meals normally, but at this moment, he felt that ordinary home-cooked dishes would taste better. In addition to the three or four home-cooked dishes on the table, he also made some barbecue skewers, and asked He Han to share them with the guards and servants in the house. Of course, Chef Xu did due diligence when making these ordinary dishes. The sparerib yam congee was boiled until smooth and thick, with soft and tender meat, and full of taste. Even Ling Changfeng drank two or three bowls in one go. Marshal Ling didn¡¯t know if it was because of the principle of ¡°food made by yourself is extra delicious¡±, but he always felt that tonight¡¯s simple dinner was extraordinarily delicious. In the past, he¡¯s always had an indifferent attitude towards all food. Whether it was made by the chef of a five-star hotel or a classic dish at a state banquet, everything was tasteless in his mouth. This situation only improved slightly when Xu Xinghe appeared. It wasn¡¯t because of Xu Xinghe¡¯s superb cooking skills. It was because he loved the person that he also cared about food.1 °®Îݼ°ÎÚ is a metaphor for loving a person and caring about the people or things related to them However, at this moment, after finishing his bowl, he actually took the initiative to eat a second bowl. It was as if the food in the mouth suddenly regained its original taste and color. Adjutant Qin, who was beside him, noticed the subtle changes in his boss and blinked in surprise. He originally wanted to eat another bowl, but in the end he put down his spoon and decided not to fight for food with his superior. Yes, Adjutant Qin hasn¡¯t left yet. Although he could tell that Ling Changfeng wanted him to leave as soon as possible. But with Xu Xinghe¡¯s kind invitation to keep him, he still stayed righteously- Since the other master of the mansion has spoken, can¡¯t he stay for a meal? Sure enough, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say anything after hearing Xu Xinghe invite him to stay for dinner. He didn¡¯t push Qin Yuan out, tacitly allowing him to stay and be a light bulb. It¡¯s just that the gaze in those mismatched eyes was a little hostile. Fortunately, after being by Ling Changfeng¡¯s side for a long time, Qin Yuan has cultivated a thick skin and cheeky face. He also knows Ling Changfeng well, and knows when he can and can¡¯t defy him. So he sat down at the table with peace of mind, and ate happily. ¡°By the way, do you have a plan for your honeymoon vacation?¡± Qin Yuan wiped his mouth and suddenly brought up the old topic again. He looked up at one person, then at the other, with a kind smile on his face: ¡°It¡¯s rare that we¡¯re all here and have time to discuss this. If you can give me a general direction, I¡¯ll make the plan?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± After going around, things returned to this topic. However, the atmosphere of the dinner was too good, and he couldn¡¯t say anything to reject the topic, so he simply buried his head and continued to eat his own meal, tactically avoiding the problem. Ling Changfeng felt that Qin Yuan suddenly became pleasing to the eye at this moment. At least not as annoying as a 24K pure electric light bulb. Dual-colored pupils turned to look at his little spouse, softening slightly. ¡°Where do you want to go? You decide.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with whatever, you can decide.¡± As soon as Xu Xinghe finished speaking, he suddenly realized that his answer was equivalent to agreeing to anything! However, after thinking about it, he had already agreed to this trip. Ling Changfeng had been working overtime for this, so he couldn¡¯t suddenly flake at this point. Therefore, the trip can¡¯t be avoided. Instead of worrying about this and that, it¡¯s better to take the opportunity to enjoy it. Quietly doing his own psychological construction in his heart, Team Leader Xu fell silent after speaking. As soon as he stopped speaking, Ling Changfeng followed suit. The atmosphere became a little awkward. Fortunately, the atmosphere will never completely turn cold with Qin Yuan present. This topic was started by him, so he continued: ¡°Forget it, if you can¡¯t think of anything, just put it on hold for the time being, and discuss it when your schedules are clear. There¡¯s no need to make a decision too early. The plan may not keep up with changes and other things might come up at that time.¡± After Qin Yuan finished speaking, he quickly changed the topic: ¡°By the way, it will be your birthday in more than two months.¡± He turned to Ling Changfeng and said, ¡°Before, when you were on the frontier battlefield, there wasn¡¯t a need to celebrate. But now that you¡¯re back in Capital Star, someone has come to me two or three months in advance to inquire about your interests, in order to prepare a big gift¡­¡± After a pause, he joked: ¡°It¡¯s a pity they don¡¯t know, our Marshal Ling has no desires or requests, and doesn¡¯t like any gifts.¡± Ling Changfeng frowned after hearing this: ¡°If someone comes to give gifts¡ª¡± ¡°None of them will be accepted.¡± Qin Yuan smiled clearly and finished his sentence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what you have in mind.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and said no more. Xu Xinghe vaguely remembered that Ling Changfeng¡¯s birthday was at the end of December. Hearing the topic of conversation, he couldn¡¯t help but ask Ling Changfeng curiously, ¡°What gifts do others usually give you?¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He doesn¡¯t accept gifts casually, and gifts from strangers won¡¯t reach him at all. Qin Yuan¡¯s understanding of this aspect was even better than him. He looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s curious eyes, and asked back, ¡°What do you think others will give me?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°Probably just money and jewelry, luxury cars and watches¡­ and maybe beautiful women?¡± His voice just fell, and Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and glanced at him meaningfully. Xu Xinghe shrank inexplicably neck down. Adjutant Qin burst out laughing. ¡°Pfft, ahahahahahahahahah! There are people who gave money and jewelry, there are also people who gave luxury cars and famous watches, but no one has given a beauty before¡­ how did you think of this? Before he met you, our marshal was a famous fake monk2as in celibate/asexual¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a cold gaze hit Qin Yuan, which caused Qin Yuan to fall silent for a moment. He coughed dryly and said: ¡°Cough, I mean, our marshal is selfless, treats money like dung, and disdains these earthly temptations. On Gamma Star, a big group once tried to give him the largest natural sapphire in the galaxy in exchange for something. It was promptly sent back by the marshal.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, feeling a sense of freshness from listening to the story, but suddenly an inexplicable sense of loss. He remembered the gift he had prepared for Ling Changfeng. The ¡°little surprise¡± he used as a thank-you gift was lying in the small box in his right pocket at the moment. He originally planned to give it away after dinner. But now, after hearing Qin Yuan¡¯s words of people rushing to give expensive and valuable gifts being rejected without even seeing Ling Changfeng¡¯s face¡­ Suddenly the little thing he bought online felt lacking. But Ling Changfeng had to open the pot and mention it: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, you want to give me a surprise too?¡± Dual-colored pupils slowly turned to Xu Xinghe: ¡°What is it?¡± Marshal Ling remained expressionless when he said this, but Xu Xinghe seemed to see a cat¡¯s tail swaying leisurely behind him, as if looking forward to the surprise. This expectation made Xu Xinghe feel even more cramped. But since Ling Changfeng had already asked, he had no choice but to take out the small box from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ just a very small gift.¡± A pair of cufflinks he stumbled upon in an ad when thinking about what gift to give. Initially, he was drawn to the sapphire on the cufflinks. Because the pure blue color was too similar to Ling Changfeng¡¯s right pupil, Xu Xinghe¡¯s fingertips paused slightly, and he involuntarily clicked on the advertisement. Then, he saw another pair of amber cufflinks. The color was a little darker than Ling Changfeng¡¯s left pupil, but also very close. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart moved, and he suddenly had an idea. He bought these two pairs of cufflinks together, and contacted the seller for expedited delivery. Fortunately, the shop was in the same city, so he received the package last night. Xu Xinghe took out one cufflink of each color, put them in a small box, and packed them carefully. Because the model was the same, and only the color was different, the sapphire-amber pair didn¡¯t seem discordant. So when Ling Changfeng opened the small box, he saw a sapphire blue and an amber gold cufflink lying quietly in the navy blue velvet cloth. He hesitated slightly and took out the cufflinks. Then, unhurriedly, he pinned his cuff. His movements have always been neat and tidy, not one bit sloppy. There was a hint of elegance in his actions, as if slowly appreciating the new gift he received. After attaching the cufflinks and adjusting his cuffs, Marshal Ling suddenly raised his head and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Did you match the colors yourself?¡± Xu Xinghe was still a little discouraged from the earlier conversation, and didn¡¯t notice the carefulness in his actions. Hearing him ask, he thought he saw something wrong, so he drank a mouthful of cold sweet congee, and answered absentmindedly, ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t like it, just¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Ling Changfeng interrupted him: ¡°I never wear things I don¡¯t like on my body.¡± Stunned, Xu Xinghe raised his head. Ling Changfeng lowered his head and continued to tidy up his cuffs, casually adding: ¡°I won¡¯t cook for someone I don¡¯t like.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s face turned red. Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and asked again, ¡°Where are the other two cufflinks?¡± Xu Xinghe stammered and replied, ¡°Ah, with me¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng pondered for a moment, but did not answer. Instead, he directly changed the topic: ¡°One can¡¯t wear these when wearing military uniforms.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. ¡°I discovered you usually wear dress shirts in private, so I thought you might use cufflinks. But this kind of small thing, whether you wear it or not is up to you.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Ling Changfeng say: ¡°En, when I don¡¯t wear military uniform, I will wear these often.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Don¡¯t wear it often. ¡°When you wear dress shirts, you can also wear them.¡± Ling Changfeng said. ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned and thought to himself: Why should I wear them?? Seeing his doubts, Ling Changfeng explained: ¡°Otherwise, what are you going to do with the other pair? It¡¯ll be a waste to leave it as is.¡± After a pause, he reminded him again: ¡°Don¡¯t give it away.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± Marshal Ling lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to collide with other people.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll use them the next time I wear a dress shirt.¡± Marshal Ling nodded with satisfaction. His fingertips brushed his cuff cherishingly, but said nothing. Only Adjutant Qin, who was hiding on the side and acting as a transparent person, could see through the careful thoughts of his boss at a glance- Isn¡¯t this a couple¡¯s set? QY gets stuffed with dog food. QY¡¯s internal thoughts: this meal can¡¯t be eaten!!! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 72 In Nebula City, the skies are clear at the end of October, like a blue sea without waves, far-reaching and tranquil. A variety of aircraft swept over the city along the track, like flocks of white doves speeding across the sky. Double Star Building, Alliance Military and Political Center. Hands folded over his chest, eyebrows slightly furrowed, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes gazed at the open space in the lower left corner of his vision. It was a sign that he was thinking seriously. ¡°How about the Xiavisha Islands?¡± Adjutant Qin Yuan leaned against the desk of his commander, holding a cup of black coffee in his left hand, as he studied the image displayed in front of the two of them. ¡°You can book one of the small islands, such as this Luo Ge Island, and enjoy a two-person world on the island.¡± After a period of overtime work, they finally managed to arrange things to be completed before November. With important work matters arranged, Ling Changfeng could finally calm down and plan his two-week honeymoon vacation. ¡°Latitude Sky City is also a good choice. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions for couples. You can book a sky villa floating on a cloud, the weather is comfortable and the scenery is romantic. You can do whatever and not be ashamed¡­Cough, you can play whatever you want.¡± Critically sweeping over the options laid out in front, Ling Changfeng finally picked out four photos, and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask for his opinion.¡± He raised his hand and sent the 4 selected spots with the information Qin Yuan had compiled to Xu Xinghe via email. Qin Yuan turned his head to look at his superior. Although Ling Changfeng looked serious at the moment, as if making a major decision, with ¡°Do Not Disturb¡± written all over his face, Adjutant Qin could see at a glance his boss¡¯s good mood behind his face. So he was a little more presumptuous than usual, and said with a teasing smile: ¡°I heard that the honeymoon is a good time to make people?¡±1as in make babies Ling Changfeng lifted his eyelids, with an indifferent expression of ¡°what¡¯s the matter with you¡±. Qin Yuan smiled: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get down to business. It¡¯s been more than three months since Xinghe¡¯s last estrus period. This time the two of you are going on a trip, spending both day and night together. This may bring forward one or both of your special periods In case¡­ I mean in case, if he enters estrus again, or you enter your susceptible period again¡ª¡± At this point, Qin Yuan¡¯s tone changed and his original jovial tone turned serious. ¡°You must remember to take timely measures. You¡¯ve already learned about the use of inhibitors and blockers, and I don¡¯t want to give you any more physiology lessons. Pay more attention to everything, and contact the doctor in time if there are any signs. The accompanying personal doctor has also been arranged. If there is no accident, he will not appear in front of you as a light bulb, but in case of an accident, you can call and he will arrive at the scene within three minutes.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course, there is another possibility¨C¡± Qin Yuan trailed off, returning to his light-hearted, teasing tone, and said slowly: ¡°If an ¡®accident¡¯ happens, and the two of you are in your own private, two-person world, such as lying on a king sized bed in hotel¡­ Then congratulations, you can also choose to give up your resistance and follow your instincts. In this case, inhibitors and barrier patches are not needed, and you don¡¯t need to fight the urge. Just let it go.¡± Upon hearing his words, Ling Changfeng¡¯s fingertips, that were tapping lightly on the table, suddenly paused. Then he raised his chin towards the door and said to Qin Yuan, ¡°You can go out now.¡± Knowing that he could say no more, Qin Yuan saluted politely: ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After that, he showed a big smile: ¡°I wish you a happy holiday, dear sir.¡± After Qin Yuan left, it was as if the huge office suddenly quieted down. Ling Changfeng got up from his seat, and walked over to the one-way floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Nebula City. His office, on the 88th floor, granted him a perfect view of the bustling city in the middle of the day. He had long since become accustomed to the scenery, and the once colorful sight had faced from his eyes day after day. But seeing it again, at this moment, he suddenly felt like the entire scene had become vivid and colorful. Full of life. Ling Changfeng suddenly realized that he hadn¡¯t looked forward to a vacation like this for a long time. Standing with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, after a while, he heard a hurried knock on the door. Qin Yuan returned. And his face was a little serious this time. The tacit understanding they had cultivated for many years made an ominous feeling well in his heart. Ling Changfeng turned around and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡ª¡ª When Ling Changfeng finished the final handover tasks and returned to the Marshal¡¯s mansion, the sun had not yet set. Wearing loose and comfortable silk grey-blue pajamas, Xu Xinghe lay on the big bed in his bedroom with his cat in his arms and his feet up. With one hand on his chin, the other hand was looking through the information Ling Changfeng sent him, introducing various tourist attractions. His brows twitched slightly, seeming a little tangled. But he was still humming a little tune, obviously in a good mood. Outside the window, the skyline began to blur into shades of red, purple, and orange. The golden-orange sunlight fell on the young man¡¯s delicate face, casting a soft glow on his whole body. When Ling Changfeng walked in, his gaze flickered slightly. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Xu Xinghe looked up at him, rolled over and sat up from the bed to greet Ling Changfeng. ¡°I was thinking, since a two-week vacation is long enough, why don¡¯t we go to two places?¡± These days, while the Marshal was working overtime, Team Leader Xu had already done his own psychological preparations, and planned to enjoy these two weeks of vacation. As Qin Yuan said, it¡¯s two weeks of paid leave, why should he waste it? Why does he need to think so much about it, and make trouble for himself? Sighing silently in his heart, Ling Changfeng stepped forward, and replied according to the topic his little spouse started. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I want to go to the seaside, and I also want to go to Arnostar to visit the tech hub.¡± Xu Xinghe said, stretched out his hand and clicked on the two pictures, ¡°In the case of the seaside, I am debating whether to choose Xavisha Island or the underwater world of Atlantis¡­ Maybe we could see Xavisha this time and wait to see Atlantis next time as it is quite far away.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes were rarely gentle: ¡°En, wait for the next time.¡± Xu Xinghe said with a smile: ¡°That works. Then, let¡¯s go to Xavisha Island in the first week, and see Arnostar¡¯s tech hub in the second week. Oh, by the way, I also want to go to the Mechanical Museum of Arnostar¡­ But it is located in the city center and there are a lot of people. Will it be inconvenient for you to go?¡± Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, but said nothing. Facing the sudden silence, Xu Xinghe seemed to have noticed something, and turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re finally taking time off¡­ aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head and asked back, ¡°Do you still have any impression of your family?¡± The smile on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face froze. ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± Trembling, he asked in a tentative and cautious tone, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent. After a while, he slowly said: ¡°During your kidnapping, the security bureau checked your information and the information of the people around you and¡­ accidentally discovered something.¡± After a brief hesitation, Marshal Ling decided to blur the timeline, and not reveal the extent of his investigation until the truth behind Xu Xinghe¡¯s scar is revealed. Xu Xinghe felt his teeth chatter a little. A vague conjecture formed his heart, but his brain refused to think more about it. He shook his head and asked in a daze: ¡°What thing?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and looked at Xu Xinghe calmly, but his words resounded like a thunderous explosion: ¡°About your biological mother.¡± Xu Xinghe felt his heart suddenly halt. He fell into a long silence. In fact, from the time Ling Changfeng asked that question, he had been mentally prepared. However, when he really heard Ling Changfeng speak, his feeling was different than what he imagined. No surprise, no unease. Just a little helpless, a little dazed. This was obviously a scene he had imagined countless times when he was young, but long enough time had passed that all emotionality was washed away. The halo of sunset light outside the window is infinitely soft, and Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes looking at Xu Xinghe were also very soft. He didn¡¯t speak any more, just sat quietly beside Xu Xinghe, giving the young man some time to adapt. When Xu Xinghe spoke again, his voice was muffled. ¡°You know, I grew up in a welfare center, right? It turns out my biological parents are still alive.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, and his voice was much softer than usual: ¡°En, I know.¡± Leaning against the head of the bed, Xu Xinghe seemed to shrink a little as he hugged his knees and said, ¡°Capital Star is so big, I originally thought I would never see them again in this life¡­¡± After Xu Xinghe finished speaking, he was silent for a moment, and then asked, ¡°How is she¡­ how is she doing now?¡± Ling Changfeng sighed slightly. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t in a serious situation, I wouldn¡¯t have found out, and I probably wouldn¡¯t have told you either.¡± This is true ¨C if Xu Xinghe¡¯s biological mother was living peacefully in a corner of the galaxy now, then not disturbing each other is the best choice. However, this wasn¡¯t the case, and he could no longer keep one eye open and one eye shut. ¡°Just three hours ago, my subordinate reported that her condition suddenly deteriorated.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were shocked, and he turned his head in a daze to stare at Ling Changfeng: ¡°Condition?¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: ¡°Bowel cancer, late stage. Cancer cells have spread across her whole body¡­¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly felt a little cold. The setting sun was like melting gold in the west. In the afterglow of the setting sun, he subconsciously hugged his body tightly, and froze in place. Ling Changfeng suddenly reached out and held Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand. He raised his head and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°Are you going to see her?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head subconsciously, but then nodded again. ¡°I¡­¡± He bit his lower lip lightly, and was suddenly speechless. Since his childhood, he¡¯s never had a concept of ¡°mother¡±. It was only through gossip and slander that let him learn that his biological parents had given up custody of him. So he had naively and stubbornly thought that if he had children in the future, he would never let them fall to that point, and he would never give up custody no matter what. At one point, he definitely thought about, read about, complained about, looked forward to, and longed for parents. But twenty years have passed by, and such feelings are no longer worth carrying after so much time. He has long since stopped thinking about it and has no complaints. However, late stage cancer is terminal¡­ If he doesn¡¯t see her now, he will probably not have another chance. Raising his head, Xu Xinghe wanted to show Ling Changfeng an apologetic smile, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯d better go see her¡­¡± Xu Xinghe said softly. ¡°Sorry, you finally managed to spare some time¡­ Has Major General Qin finished arranging everything? Why don¡¯t you go by yourself this time. I¡¯ll accompany you next time¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly and interrupted him, his tone helpless. He tightened his palm slightly and held Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand even tighter. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Taken back, Xu Xinghe raised his head to look at him. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not interested in traveling or vacation itself.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was indifferent, but his eyes were gentle. ¡°Two weeks off is nothing to me, I just want to be with you.¡± Outside the window, the sun fell little by little, eventually disappearing into the horizon. Red clouds smeared the sky, and the colorful clouds were ever-changing. Xu Xinghe fell into a daze under the sunset. His heart beat erratically, and there was a sense of powerlessness to be tricked by fate. At this moment, he suddenly smelled a familiar smell, and instantly seemed to fall in a vast ocean. Closing his eyes momentarily, he fell into a trance and saw a calm afternoon sea, tranquil and sparkling. Whenever he smells it, this smell always makes him feel an unconditional peace of mind. He opened his eyes and smiled softly at Ling Changfeng: ¡°Thank you.¡± The sea-like pheromone gently wrapped around him, surrounding him with a warm aura, weaving him a blanket of reassurance. Ling Changfeng sat for a while, then got up and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll let Qin Yuan arrange it. Getting there will take fourteen or fifteen hours at the earliest. You go and pack up, and we¡¯ll set off tonight.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled. ¡°Why does it take so long? Where is she now?¡± Even if they fly to Antarctica, it won¡¯t take more than ten hours of travel time. Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°She¡¯s not in Capital Star, but in Pelpa Star.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s head drooped down again. Pelpa, the most barren planet in the Gamma galaxy¡­ He asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Why did she go there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. You can ask her when you get there.¡± Ling Changfeng replied. Xu Xinghe made a soft ¡°en¡±, then added, ¡°Then I¡¯ll change my clothes first.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. It seemed as if he wanted to say more, but in the end he didn¡¯t speak. He thought to himself, he can take his time. It won¡¯t be too late to talk about the rest after arranging. Before turning around, he couldn¡¯t help reaching out and rubbing Xu Xinghe¡¯s fluffy head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The Alliance marshal, who has always kept his word, said to his young spouse. ¡°No matter what happens, I will be by your side.¡± The next arc ¨C with XXH¡¯s family ¨C contains some of my fav chappies. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 73 The universe is like a quiet and deep black ocean, full of twinkling stars, vast and brilliant. After performing an interstellar leap, the top spaceship in the galaxy continued traveling among the stars and in space. Xu Xinghe stood in front of the 180-degree glass observation deck in the sightseeing hall, looking up at the shining Milky Way outside. Stars stretched out across the heavens and earth, forming a brilliant tapestry that could not be contained in one glance. The stars are so far away from him, yet they seemed to be within reach. Xu Xinghe remembered that the last time he left Capital Star and went to another planet was his graduation trip several years back. At that time, he and his classmates didn¡¯t have much money. He could barely afford the ticket and could only ride in a small civilian spacecraft. There was no viewing platform on the ship, so he hadn¡¯t been able to see the spectacle of shining stars up close. At this moment, standing in the sightseeing hall, surrounded by bulletproof glass, looking up, the stars condensed into colorful light spots, glittering in the boundless, infinite universe. It felt as if he was one of those specks, transformed into a star, in the vast expanse. ¡°There are still about two hours left.¡± Ling Changfeng stepped forward. Standing side by side with him, he peered at the wonders of the universe outside the spacecraft, and said without squinting: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nodding his head, Xu Xinghe replied: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful and shocking.¡± Ling Changfeng said, ¡°The first time I saw such a scene, I thought to myself, if I could float in the universe for a lifetime, I would just stay on the spaceship and never step on land again.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head to look at Ling Changfeng in slight surprise. ¡°Why would you think like this?¡± Ling Changfeng replied: ¡°At that time, I was not yet an adult, and the Alliance had not yet been established. Warlords in various places fought each other, interstellar pirates were rampant, and my hometown was full of burning, killing, and looting. My parents¡­ lost their lives in the chaotic war. At that time, I almost hated everything on the ground.¡± This was the first time Xu Xinghe had heard Ling Changfeng tell his story. Previously, he only knew that Ling Changfeng¡¯s parents had passed away, so he never asked about those experiences from when he was younger. Listening to him talk about it now, his heart couldn¡¯t help but move slightly: ¡°What happened later?¡± ¡°Later, it was discovered that my mental power wasn¡¯t bad¡­¡± Ling Changfeng paused slightly, as if he didn¡¯t really want to mention what happened during that time. He just said, ¡°Afterwards, under the recommendation of a teacher, I was admitted to the military academy by accident.¡± Ling Changfeng said that his mental strength was ¡°not bad¡±, which was definitely an exaggerated expression of modesty. He was admitted to the First Military Academy with the highest score in history, and got a SSS mental strength rating, and is the current record holder of the First Military Academy. ¡°So you¡¯ve been on interstellar spaceships since you were very young?¡± Xu Xinghe was a little curious. Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°It¡¯s a long story, I was sold by someone at that time¡­ But even so, I still didn¡¯t want to go back to the ground.¡± Xu Xinghe fell silent. He didn¡¯t ask any more, but suddenly stretched out his left hand and hooked Ling Changfeng¡¯s cuff with his fingers. Ling Changfeng was wearing a neat black shirt with the cufflinks gifted by his lover. He stood tall and straight in front of the viewing platform, like a towering pine and cypress. Xu Xinghe originally wanted to express comfort, but he felt that this action was too intimate, almost provocative. So his fingertips paused and he silently retracted the hand. Unexpectedly, as soon as he retreated a few millimeters, his left hand was suddenly held. Xu Xinghe was taken aback. Ling Changfeng turned his head, and Xu Xinghe¡¯s shadow was reflected in his pupils. ¡°It¡¯s all over, I¡¯ve been on the ground for a long time.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, feeling that Ling Changfeng¡¯s palm was very hot. But he didn¡¯t hide, and just said: ¡°Well, the past is over, people always have to look forward.¡± ¡ª¡ª During the seventeen-hour interstellar journey, Xu Xinghe slept half of the time, and spent most of the other half in the observation hall, quietly looking up at the cosmic scenery. In fact, it only takes about five or six hours to reach the capital of Pelpa on a supersonic military fighter, but Xu Xinghe was just recently discharged from the hospital, and his body was unsuitable to withstand that kind of high-intensity flight. Therefore, it took nearly a full day to finally arrive at the capital of Pelpa, Suker City. Suker City is a city full of cyberpunk style. The city was cloudy and rainy, with ancient steam engines creating more thick smoke and roaring in the rain. Under the dim sky, the colorful neon lights were particularly dazzling. Xu Xinghe got off the spaceship, and looked at the city full of metal punk designs, and murmured: ¡°Suker City¡­ It¡¯s completely different from what I imagined.¡± Ling Changfeng asked: ¡°What kind of city do you imagine Suker City to look like?¡± Xu Xinghe said: ¡°I saw Pelpa star in a news report before. It was deserted, and many people could not get enough to eat or wear warm clothes¡­¡± To this, Colonel Lewis, the captain of the Marshal¡¯s Guard who accompanied them, replied: ¡°Some areas of Pelpa star can indeed be described as ¡®desolate¡¯. The infrastructure here is generally backward, but Suker City is the capital of Pelpa after all, and is the most prosperous city on this planet. If even this place is deserted, then there¡¯ll be nowhere else to live.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, took a deep breath, and exhaled it slowly. The air was filled with smells of oil and smoke, similar to industrial pollution. For Xu Xinghe, who grew up in the capital city, it was slightly pungent. Although Marshal Ling¡¯s trip is completely private and not open to the outside world, because the commander of the military region of Pelpa is his old subordinate, he still lined up at the airport to welcome the arrival of his superior. After having a brief conversation with his former subordinate, in the shocked eyes of everyone, Ling Changfeng held Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand again. He then turned to the people around him, and said, ¡°Lead the way, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± After being greeted by people from Capital Star cryptically, Xu Xinghe¡¯s biological mother was transferred to the best local hospital for 24-hour special care. But Pelpa¡¯s medical conditions are obviously incomparable to that of Capital Star. Adjutant Qin originally inquired whether it was possible to bring her directly to Capital Star for treatment, but local experts said that the patient¡¯s disease was too far along, and she couldn¡¯t stand the bumps of an interstellar journey. Moving her rashly will only aggravate her condition. So in the end, I chose to let her receive local treatment for the time being. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Xu Xinghe asked Ling Changfeng on their way to the hospital. ¡°He said if she¡¯s lucky, she can live for another three or five years, but if her condition deteriorates further¡­¡± Ling Changfeng paused and said in a low voice: ¡°Then each day lived is an extra day gained.¡± Xu Xinghe closed his eyes. ¡°She¡­does she know me?¡± After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes again, looked at the hazy city in the rain outside the car window, and asked softly. Ling Changfeng said: ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the specifics, but I think she can probably guess something.¡± Xu Xinghe asked again, ¡°Has she been alone all these years? Or does she have a family now?¡± He took the initiative to ask, and Ling Changfeng also took the opportunity to explain: ¡°Seventeen years ago, she remarried a local businessman, but that businessman died of illness ten years ago¡­ and left behind a pair of children, a boy and girl.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head suddenly, his eyes widened, ¡°A boy and girl?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°Well, a son and a daughter. The boy is sixteen years old this year, the girl is only ten years old. They were all raised by her alone these years.¡± The unexpected news made Xu Xinghe unable to recover for a long time. Originally thought that the sudden news of his biological mother was magical enough, but now an extra pair of younger siblings appeared out of thin air. Ling Changfeng continued: ¡°I read the information and it seems that her health has not been very good. The businessman left a small legacy, but it was not enough to pay her high medical expenses, so later, she voluntarily gave up treatment.¡± He raised his hand and clicked on the smart terminal, and pulled up the electronic file. In fact, he hadn¡¯t read the information carefully before. Ling Changfeng added while reading: ¡°She has worked in various places in her early years. In the past two years, probably due to physical reasons, she quit her job and has been living on the government¡¯s subsidy. Relying on the subsidy to support three people in Suker City is not easy. She should have kept some of the money, and refused to use it for medical treatment¡­ She even provided for the two children to go to school until the beginning of this year, when her condition suddenly deteriorated. Now her older¡­ younger son seems to be making trouble and might have to drop out of school.¡± Having said that, he frowned slightly and swiped his fingers up and down: ¡°This little son of hers¡­ he¡¯s not very good. He has been admitted to the juvenile detention center twice this year.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. ¡°Because of what?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips pursed slightly. ¡°Fighting, both times were because of fights.¡± Raindrops fell on the glass windows, blurring the scenery outside. Leaning against the window for a moment, Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, ¡°Then what if she¡­ she¡¯s gone, what about these two children?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him and wanted to say that ¡®you are also a child, no need to worry so much about these things.¡¯ But in the end, he just said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will arrange it.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡­¡± Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, obviously wanting to say something to express his gratitude. In the end, he could only blurt out: ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble.¡± Ling Changfeng reached out and rubbed his head. ¡°Nonsense.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Instead, I hope you can take the initiative to trouble me when you encounter difficulties in the future.¡± The smell of hospital disinfectant, the pale walls, and the serious-looking medical staff all made Xu Xinghe timid for no reason. He stood in front of the door of the ward, but did not dare to push the door in. Ling Changfeng stood beside him and patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, do you need me to accompany you in?¡± Xu Xinghe bit his lip and shook his head. ¡°Thank you, but I¡­ I want to be alone with her first and say a few words.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded slightly: ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath, pushed the door and walked in¡­ Ling Changfeng stood at the door for a moment, and then he greeted his men. ¡°There should be two children next to this patient. Where are they now?¡± Cold sweat beaded out on the local officer responsible for showing them around; he nearly broke down. ¡°Reporting, sir! There is a little girl taking a lunch break in the next room. There is also a young man who hasn¡¯t come back after going out last night. I will send someone to look for him immediately!¡± This and the next chapter were renamed slightly to match the contents better. This one should be ¡°Birth Mother¡± not ¡°Birth Mother 1¡±. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 74 T/N: Thank you Lan & Rii for sponsoring an extra release this week! -komorebi Outside the window, wind howled, and thunder and lightning rained down. The rain grew heavier and heavier, and the sky in the distance turned an inky blue that was infinitely close to black. Raindrops pelted against the glass window, echoing in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears, and covering up the beeping sounds of hospital equipment. There was only a small light on in the ward. Against the backdrop of the dim white light and the dim sky outside, the originally snow-white walls, roof, and bed sheets all seemed a lifeless gray. A quiet and depressing atmosphere. The woman on the hospital bed was as pale as humanly possible, laying there motionless, as if she had fallen asleep. Xu Xinghe stood at the door for a while, then finally gathered up his courage and walked towards the hospital bed. His feet were as light as a cat. The woman on the hospital bed had her eyes closed and her brows slightly wrinkled. She lay on the bed motionless. Only the slight heaving of her chest revealed that she was still alive. Licking his dry lips nervously, Xu Xinghe did not wake her up, but just stood in front of the bed and quietly observed the patient on the bed. Her body was attached to various instruments and tubes. Although the woman¡¯s face was haggard and her facial features were almost sunken, her bones were still beautiful and her charm is still there. It can be vaguely seen that she was a beauty when she was young. Xu Xinghe silently stared at the pale and haggard face with a heart full of mixed emotions. At this moment, the woman suddenly opened her eyes. Her eyes were unfocused at first, staring blankly at the ceiling, as she called out in a hoarse voice, ¡°Lily?¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t answer. The woman slowly turned her head, and her pupils gradually regained their focus. When those beautiful black eyes looked at Xu Xinghe, both of them were shocked. Xu Xinghe still hadn¡¯t figured out how to face his biological mother yet. They have been separated for so long that they are basically strangers to each other. But he thought that even if they had no real relationship, his sympathy and compassion for a terminally ill patient made him want to try to give her some comfort in the last days. However, when he tried to speak, he was caught off guard by those eyes that were seven or eight points similar to himself. His brain suddenly went blank. Something exploded silently in his heart, causing him to instantly lose the ability to speak. The woman on the hospital bed trembled slightly, and her lips shook. Her originally withered eyes were instantly covered with a layer of water, staring up at Xu Xinghe without blinking. Xu Xinghe suspected that she recognized him, just as he could recognize her at a glance. They are very similar, especially the eyes. The woman tremblingly stretched out a hand with an infusion tube inserted, trying to touch the big boy in front of the hospital bed. Xu Xinghe subconsciously avoided it. Immediately he froze in place. He didn¡¯t even know why he dodged. He remembered that when he was a volunteer nurse at a community center in college, and had held many patient hands many times. But at this moment, his mood was completely different. Perhaps the irreparable 20-odd year gulf between the two of them formed a wide chasm that could not be seen clearly and could not be crossed. So much so that he couldn¡¯t even treat her like an ordinary patient. Lightning pierced through the sky outside the window, illuminating the faces of the two people in the dimly lit room. The woman on the hospital bed suddenly smiled bleakly. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± She isn¡¯t stupid. Ever since she was suddenly transferred to the VIP ward of a large hospital, she vaguely guessed something. Xu Xinghe still did not speak. He also felt like he was immersed in a dream. This was obviously the reunion he had looked forward to countless times when he was a child. However, as time passes, people¡¯s moods also change. At this moment, the two of them looked at each other, and the words that were hidden in their hearts when they were young could not be said. Xu Xinghe lowered his eyes slightly, and after a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not a dream.¡± After that, he sat down on the small bench by the bed, and repeated: ¡°It¡¯s not a dream, I came to see you.¡± In a trance, he seemed to hear the woman¡¯s subtle sobbing, but it seemed like it was eons away. He lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers, not daring to look up for fear of meeting a pair of tearful eyes. After an unknown time, the woman spoke again, her voice infinitely soft: ¡°How have you been all these years?¡± Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, then nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay¡­¡± After the woman finished speaking, suddenly she coughed violently, so much that Xu Xinghe was worried that she would be out of breath. After coughing for a while, the woman stopped and gasped: ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ that I can see you again at the end¡­ You are a good boy and deserve a better life¡­ Don¡¯t stay here any longer, go back to the capital. That you came to see me, I¡¯m already very happy¡­¡± Dazed, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. He didn¡¯t understand how she could drive him away without saying anything. Does she plan to run out of fuel like this, and then leave her two children to survive in this miserable place for the rest of their lives? Xu Xinghe licked his dry lips and asked knowingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start treatment earlier? You obviously still have some money saved. If you started treatment earlier, it probably wouldn¡¯t have dragged on to where you are today.¡± She smiled miserably. ¡°Treatment is a bottomless pit. I always have to keep some money to let¡­ let them live on.¡± Xu Xinghe turned to look at her, trying to resist and hold back, but the dam to his emotions burst out at that moment. ¡°Do you only have those two children?¡± His nose soured the moment he asked the question, and he simply turned his head to stop looking at her. The woman¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She fell silent for a moment. When she finally spoke, her words were sluggish, and her voice trembled a little. ¡°I, I have three children¡­¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head, staring blankly at the lines on his palm, and asked, ¡°Your first child, why didn¡¯t you want him anymore?¡± When the woman heard the words, her body suddenly trembled violently. Xu Xinghe turned his head, and saw big tears rolling down the woman¡¯s eyes. He trembled, as if scalded by those tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you¡­¡± The woman asked with wide eyes, ¡°Did your father tell you that?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart suddenly trembled, staring at the woman on the hospital bed and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The woman took a deep breath and seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she was discouraged just before she spoke. Her spirit, which was briefly ignited out of unwillingness and resentment, slumped again, and in the end she just smiled miserably. ¡°You grew up with your father, and your relationship should be very good, right? That being the case, that¡¯s fine¡­¡± She was already dying, but that man will probably stay with him for a long time. If that¡¯s the case, since the truth that will make the living people more troublesome, does it even matter? Why does she have to cause a conflict between father and son at the last moment? Xu Xinghe looked at her and didn¡¯t know what to say for a while. Did she actually think that he was living with his father all these years? Xu Xinghe bit his inner lips, and softly said: ¡°I have never met my father. I grew up in a welfare home on Capital Star.¡± The woman turned suddenly, as if she didn¡¯t hear what he said, and her voice trembled as she asked: ¡°An orphanage?¡± Xu Xinghe lowered her eyes and nodded. The woman suddenly grabbed the hospital gown on her chest and gasped violently. She started coughing and even retching. Her whole body seemed to be in great pain, as if she could hardly breathe. Xu Xinghe suddenly panicked. He wanted to ring the bell to call the nurse, but when he got up to move, he heard her cry. The sound was suppressed at first, but suddenly broke out after a long period of suppression. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into tears. ¡°How could this be¡­ He clearly said that he would treat you well¡­ He promised me to treat you well¡­¡± *Note on chapter title: This chapter was originally titled ¡°Susceptibility Period 1¡± but I reworked it since it was focused more on XXH¡¯s mom/past. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 74.2 The sound was suppressed at first, but suddenly broke out after a long period of suppression. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into tears. ¡°How could this be¡­ He clearly said that he would treat you well¡­ He promised me to treat you well¡­¡± Xu Xinghe stood blankly in front of the hospital bed, at a loss. He wanted to appease her emotions, and help her calm down, but he didn¡¯t know what to do. His lips moved, and his voice was a little hoarse: ¡°I have lived a good life these years, don¡¯t worry. ¡° The woman shook her head and opened her mouth several times to say something, but she couldn¡¯t stop her tears. After an unknown period of time, her emotions slowly calmed down, and words leaked out of her mouth intermittently: ¡°I grew up in Pelpa, and smuggled to Capital Star when I became an adult¡­ After arriving in Capital Star, because I never had a legal identity, I could only work in back alley jobs until I met your father by chance. He is a very rich businessman, and we had a good relationship for a while¡­ But later, he had a new love¡­¡± The woman¡¯s tone paused, ignoring some matters, and then continued: ¡°After I parted with him, it took more than a month before I found out that I was pregnant. My belly was getting bigger and bigger, and I couldn¡¯t work anymore¡­ With nowhere to go, I found your father again and hoped he would pay a little alimony¡­ He was shocked, you know, the odds of a non-match getting pregnant are very, very low¡­ After taking me to do a paternity test, he suddenly changed his attitude, said he wanted to marry me and let me stay. I believed it and lived in his villa until you were born, but after that¡ª¡± Tears flashed in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not even one month after you were born, he said he would give me a sum of money, asking me to leave, and saying that he would take care and raise you¡­ I didn¡¯t agree, and he threatened me, saying that I am a black household1as in illegal alien/resident with no financial ability. If I didn¡¯t give the child to him, after breastfeeding, he threatened to go to court to sue me, depriving me of custody. The child would still be given to him, and I would still be sent back to Pelpa¡­ I didn¡¯t agree, thinking that it was good to be with you, even for one more day. As for the post-breastfeeding period, I wanted to talk about it after the breastfeeding period¡­ But later, he changed his words and said that if the child develops a relationship with me, then he won¡¯t¡­ want the child anymore. Instead, he¡¯d report me directly, and my child and I will be sent back to Pelpa¡­ You know, where I was born, it is normal for people to not have enough food and clothing. Sometimes, nursing mothers will even be so hungry that they don¡¯t even have milk¡­ I couldn¡¯t let you follow me back to that kind of place¡­ I didn¡¯t dare bet¡­¡± The woman sobbed again at this point. ¡°He said he would treat you well, raise you well¡­ He clearly promised me this¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked at her, suddenly sad. He wanted to tell his biological mother that Capital Star is not Pelpa Star. At a time when the birth rate of the Alliance is so low, based on Capital Star¡¯s emphasis of protecting newborns, even a woman who smuggled in, once found pregnant, can live on Capital Star with her children. That is to say, she could have actually stayed back then, and lived a good life on government subsidies. His father lied to her, and the environment she grew up in and the education she received made her take his words for granted. She might have considered taking the risk, but in the end, like she said, she didn¡¯t dare gamble. Given what happened, in the end, she still lost the bet. He was sent to an orphanage, and she was sent back to Pelpa. Xu Xinghe vaguely felt his palm tingling a little. When he lowered his head, he realized that his fingernails were almost embedded in his flesh. He let go of his hand weakly, thinking to himself, what¡¯s the point of saying all this to her now? Her life was already full of lies and deceit. Is there a point to telling her in her last moments that she had been deceived again? Xu Xinghe took a deep breath, slowed down his voice as much as possible, and comforted her: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡± She looked at him and stretched out her hand again. This time Xu Xinghe did not hide, and gently held her hand back. The woman knew that he was lying to her, but she still smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± There was a knock on the door, and several doctors and nurses walked into the room to conduct routine examinations and change medicines. Her mood swings were too great just now, and she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Before the check up was over, she couldn¡¯t hold back and fell back into a drowsy stupor. Xu Xinghe stayed in front of her bed for a long time. After sending away waves of doctors and nurses, he finally got up and lightly walked towards the door. Ling Changfeng was standing outside the door of the ward, and he was already a little irritable. He looked down at his watch ¨C his little spouse had been in for almost an hour. He started pacing back and forth outside the ward like a restless lion, and the low air pressure around him made the surrounding guards dare not speak out. For some reason, the fact that his little spouse disappeared from his sight for nearly an hour seemed to suddenly become a little hard for him to accept. Finally, the door was pushed open again. Xu Xinghe walked out. Ling Changfeng hurriedly stepped forward to meet him, looking down at the other party. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Xu Xinghe was in the midst of panicking. He shook his head, raising his head, and asked Ling Changfeng: ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent. Although Qin Yuan often jokes that he is omnipotent, but in the face of life, old age, sickness and death, this omnipotent Alliance marshal is powerless. Xu Xinghe got his answer in the ensuing silence. There was a sudden sense of powerlessness in his heart. Ling Changfeng looked at his little spouse with some worry. The latter probably doesn¡¯t know how bad his face looked at the moment. Like a kitten with wet fur on a rainy day, weak and helpless, eliciting people to want to rub him in their arms and comfort him. Marshal Ling has always been a man of action. At the thought, he immediately acted. He opened his arms and embraced Xu Xinghe in his arms. Now you know why XXH is an orphan ¨C cause his dad is a d*ck. I ? how XXH and LCF both see the other one as cats (kitten vs. big cat). Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 75 Xu Xinghe vaguely smelled an aura that made him feel uneasy and restless. Most of the time. Ling Changfeng¡¯s pheromones are calm and accommodating, like the boundless deep sea under the sun, which can accommodate hundreds of rivers without end. But at this moment, an undercurrent was surging under the calm sea. There is even a hint of an oncoming tsunami, with the wind and rain picking up. Xu Xinghe struggled uncomfortably, but the more he struggled, and the tighter the arms around him were¡­ He sighed, and simply gave up the struggle, leaning in Ling Changfeng¡¯s arms without moving. The surrounding guards lowered their heads to avoid watching this slightly ambiguous picture, allowing the two to embrace quietly in the harsh environment of violent rain, lightning and thunder outside the window. Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, and asked in Ling Changfeng¡¯s ear, ¡°Where are her other two children?¡± Ling Changfeng straightened up and replied, ¡°The little one is taking a nap next door. The older one is not here, maybe he went out; I¡¯ve already sent someone to look for him.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and fell silent again. Ling Changfeng saw his preoccupied look, and took the initiative to say: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange their affairs. Your face is very bad now, go and rest first.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and asked, ¡°What are you planning?¡± Seeing that his little spouse couldn¡¯t let go of this matter, Ling Changfeng replied, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to arrange a place for them. It depends on you. Do you want to bring them back to the capital?¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and said: ¡°If I can, I still want to take them out of here. The conditions on Pelpa are significantly poorer than Capital Star. She would rather drag her disease until her death, and leave them a little money¡­ This is her last, and I want to make her feel more at ease.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and said solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s easy, I¡¯ll arrange it. You¡­¡± He looked at Xu Xinghe¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re worried about?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head: ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, it¡¯s just¡­¡± He raised his head and glanced at Ling Changfeng, ¡°I just think it¡¯s been too much trouble for you.¡± Before this, he¡¯s never asked Ling Changfeng to do anything. He felt that no matter whether the other party was a marshal of the Alliance or an ordinary citizen of the Alliance, as long as he had no requests for the other party, they could still keep an equitable relationship during this matched marriage. Until now, he found that he still wanted something. His mood shifted subtly. On the one hand, he knew that he needed Ling Changfeng¡¯s help in arranging this matter. Without it, he would need to spend a considerable amount of time, money, and energy just to go through the formalities of cross-planet immigration. On the other hand, he also knew that Ling Changfeng had no obligation to help him at all. Furthermore, he had just rejected his confession half a month ago. Asking Ling Changfeng to help clean up this big mess now made Xu Xinghe feel like he was going too far. This feeling of being indebted is worse than the tangle itself. Although Ling Changfeng seemed to agree very easily, Xu Xinghe still could not accept all this with peace of mind. Seeing him suddenly say such polite words, Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t help frowning. He knew that his little spouse was in a low mood right now, and it was easier to think too much at times like this. In the past, he probably wouldn¡¯t care about being polite. However, at this moment, Ling Changfeng felt that his emotions seemed to be a little abnormal. Extraordinarily sensitive, extraordinarily irritable. Extraordinarily concerned about the words, deeds, and actions of the person in front of him. He tried hard to suppress the negative emotions in his heart. Pretending to be relaxed, he reached out and rubbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s head. ¡°This thing may be a bit troublesome. If I say no, what will you do?¡± Although there was no expression on his face when he said this, his words were light-hearted, and his tone was much calmer than before. He didn¡¯t intend for it to be a question originally, but Xu Xinghe was slightly startled after hearing it, and fell into serious thought. Ling Changfeng¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, wanting to say that he was joking, but stopped before any sounds were made. He wanted to hear his answer. Xu Xinghe was silent for a while, licked his dry lips, and said slowly, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, then I¡¯ll find a way myself.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Changfeng asked blankly. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°First get a tourist visa and take them away.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not their guardian, so how can you help them get a tourist visa? Even if the formalities are completed, when you return to Capital Star, how will you settle them?¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while: ¡°I can move out and bring them with me first, and then find a good place to settle them down¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his body suddenly froze. A coolness suddenly rose from his tailbone, hitting his glands. He raised his head in surprise, only to see Ling Changfeng squinting his eyes, with a slight coldness in his eyes- Ling Changfeng released his pheromone and surrounded him firmly. It was like the sea breeze from the white waves swept the back of his neck, leaving an electric shock in his glands. This is an act of swearing sovereignty for alpha. In a relationship, it can be something exciting, but doing so without an omega¡¯s permission is very offensive. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart palpitated. He could feel that the man opposite was angry. And he wasn¡¯t quite right. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± he asked. Ling Changfeng took a deep breath, unable to control his emotions. He didn¡¯t answer to Xu Xinghe¡¯s question, but he repeated two words: ¡°Move out?¡± An extremely strong possessive desire was born in his heart, and his blood vessels were stained with an almost violent aura. No matter the reason, his omega actually said to move out? How can this be? How is it possible! As his thoughts fluctuated, the pheromones flowing in the air also turned manic. Under such a dangerous atmosphere, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help but take a small step back and stammered: ¡°No, isn¡¯t it the ¡®what if¡¯ you asked? And I mean temporarily¡­¡± ¡°Temporarily is impossible too.¡± Ling Changfeng saw Xu Xinghe¡¯s small movement of stepping back, and his eyes couldn¡¯t help darken a bit. The decisive Alliance marshal sullenly pushed Xu Xinghe to the corner. He clenched his right hand into a fist, tried his best to restrain his emotions, and asked hoarsely, ¡°Why do you have these kinds of thoughts?¡± Xu Xinghe slowly backed up, step by step. Unable to retreat any further, he could only warily glance into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already troubled you plenty since the start of this matter. I just think¡­¡± ¡°Your thinking, ¡®I won¡¯t cause any more trouble if I move out of the Marshal¡¯s manor¡¯. This way everyone¡¯s happy, right?¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted his words, his voice was as deep as a pool of stagnant water in winter. Xu Xinghe was slightly startled, then raised his head to look at Ling Changfeng. He almost never spoke to him with such a tone. Ling Changfeng took a step closer, their bodies nearly sticking together. The fragrance of flowers rose again. He can feel his negative emotions, but even then, his pheromones are still so sweet. The riotous mood on his body was temporarily appeased by the sweet fragrance. Ling Changfeng continued to ask: ¡°Why do you think this troubles me? Arranging two little guys is a matter of saying a few words, not troublesome. Besides, even if you do bother me, given our relationship, why can¡¯t you bother me?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s muscles tightened. ¡°Just because this relationship between us¡­¡± Eyelids twitching, Ling Changfeng asked word by word, ¡°What is the relationship between us?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s lips opened and closed slightly, but he did not speak. At this moment, he had to face this question once again ¨C What is the relationship between him and Ling Changfeng? Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes darkened as he carefully observed his expression. He bent down slightly, like a pine branch bent by the snow, and whispered in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ear: ¡°We have been married for three months and twenty-nine days. Do you think that between us is just a relationship of being confessed to or not, so you can¡¯t rely on me, and can¡¯t owe me? You can so easily say that you want to move out¡­ Even if I make you a promise, you won¡¯t believe me, will you?¡± Xu Xinghe fell silent. He subconsciously wanted to shake his head, but found that he couldn¡¯t deny it. The situation may not be as extreme as Ling Changfeng put it, but it wasn¡¯t untrue either. He didn¡¯t know how the conversation pivoted into this. He could feel Ling Changfeng¡¯s mood swings, but he couldn¡¯t attribute the dilemma he was facing at the moment to the other party¡¯s mood swings. This problem had always been there between the two of them, but at this moment, Ling Changfeng¡¯s abnormal emotions were magnified. Xu Xinghe leaned in the corner and suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. He should really have a good chat with Ling Changfeng. With all the accidents in the last 48h, he¡¯s already too tired to deal with it all, and too tired to think about the series of problems that have arisen. In the end, he could only say something polite and rusty in the silence: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ling Changfeng took a deep breath again, trying to return to his former calm and rational state. However, when he thought of Xu Xinghe¡¯s words ¡°move out¡±, the restless blood in his body began to clamor wildly. He is out of control. Ling Changfeng suddenly realized why. He needs to take immediate action. Ling Changfeng suddenly straightened up and wanted to turn around and retreat, but his feet stayed where they were. Treatment is right in front of him. All he wants is a certain sweet pheromone floral fragrance. However, he saw his little spouse head down in the corner of the wall, with exhaustion written all over his face. He can¡¯t lose control at such a time, say more words to make the other party sad, and do more things that make the other party feel bad. Ling Changfeng tried his best to restrain his increasingly manic mood, and said in a low voice: ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss this issue for now. You must be tired from all this running around. When evening comes¡­ after I¡¯ve arranged things, I¡¯ll pick you up for dinner.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded and replied softly, ¡°Okay.¡± It was pouring rain in Suker City. Ling Changfeng turned around and quickly left, stepping into the dim sky and misty rain outside. Xu Xinghe listened to the sound of rain outside the window and felt that he really needed to take a break. He didn¡¯t know whether the unrelieved exhaustion and stress at the moment were due to his body, his mind, or both. He decided to go to sleep first, adjust his mentality, and talk to Ling Changfeng during dinner this evening. However, Ling Changfeng did not appear that night. Hehehe, MC/ML ¡®private¡¯ time starting now~ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 76.1 It felt like he had slept for a long time, but when he woke up, only three hours had passed. It was still dark outside. Dark clouds shrouded the entire city of Suker, making the sky at four o¡¯clock in the afternoon resemble a dark night. After listening to the rain by the window for a while, Xu Xinghe then turned and left the room, walking towards the ward. From the distance, he saw a small pink dumpling in front of the ward. Xu Xinghe was taken aback and stopped. At the door of the ward, stood a little girl in a pink dress. The girl was holding a rag doll in her left hand and a book in her right hand, standing alone at the door of the room, looking up at the door. Thin and small, she looked about four or five years old. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the girl jolted, spread her short legs and ran behind the wall, then stuck out half of her head and carefully looked at Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart trembled. The girl had a pair of black, translucent, lovable deer eyes. A bit like her mother, and a bit like himself. Perhaps due to the lack of sunlight in Suker City, her skin is very white, offsetting her darker hair. Her face still had some traces of baby fat, making her seem cuter. Xu Xinghe stepped forward and squatted down in front of the girl. ¡°Are you Lily?¡± He remembered the first name the woman on the hospital bed called when she opened her eyes, guessing that it should be her daughter¡¯s name. The little girl nodded and asked curiously, ¡°Big brother, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xinghe fell speechless for a while. ¡°I am your mother¡¯s¡­ relative, and am also your relative.¡± The girl hid halfway behind the wall and tilted her head to look at him. The pair of deer-like eyes blinked with a bit of curiosity. But she didn¡¯t continue to ask, and nodded ignorantly. Xu Xinghe asked in a warm voice, ¡°Why are you standing at the door and not going in?¡± Lily replied in a soft voice, ¡°The doctor is examining my mother. They asked me to go out first.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded: ¡°You, how old are you?¡± Lily stretched out her small arm and used her right hand to make the number ¡°five¡±. ¡°I¡¯m five years old, and I can go to school next year.¡± She looked so cute. Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t hold back and reached out to rub rubbed the little girl¡¯s head. Lily shrank her neck, but did not hide. Xu Xinghe smiled and asked her again, ¡°Then¡­ what about your brother?¡± ¡°My brother should be at school. He used to live at school all the time. After mother got sick, brother didn¡¯t go to school much, but mother kept asking him to go to school. They quarreled about it yesterday¡­¡± After Lily finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that her mother told her not to chat casually with strangers. She quickly covered her mouth as if to make amends, and then put it down again. The big brother in front of her made her feel very comfortable and close. She didn¡¯t feel he was a bad person, and ended up saying a lot without knowing it. While the two were talking, the door of the ward was opened and the doctor came out. Xu Xinghe got up and took the little girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll go in with you to see our mother.¡± The woman on the hospital bed still looked very bad, but her originally dull eyes brightened when she caught sight of the two of them. Lily pounced upon seeing her mother, and Xu Xinghe followed behind her and once again held the woman¡¯s outstretched hand. Her physical condition is very poor, and about half of each day is spent sleeping. She no longer has the strength to play with her little daughter. The five-year-old little girl didn¡¯t cry or make a noise, she just sat quietly on the carpet in front of the hospital bed, holding the doll and reading a book by herself. Seeing her so obedient hurt a little. Xu Xinghe sat on the chair in front of the bed. When the woman was awake, he would tell her some stories that had happened to him over the years. When she fell asleep again, he walked over to Lily and sat next to her on the carpet, turned on his optical brain, picked an e-book she hadn¡¯t read before, and read it together under the light. After staying until dinner time, Lily warmly invited Xu Xinghe to stay and have dinner together. Xu Xinghe reached out and touched his little sister¡¯s head, and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother has an appointment tonight, so I can¡¯t make it today. You have dinner with your mother first, and I¡¯ll come back and eat with you tomorrow.¡± In his mind, some things still have to be made clear to Ling Changfeng. Lily was a little disappointed, but she nodded obediently, hugging her doll. ¡°En, see you tomorrow!¡± Xu Xinghe left the ward and suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t know where to go. Before Ling Changfeng left, he said that he would come to pick him up at night, but it¡¯s past six o¡¯clock in the evening now. He has yet to receive a message from the other party, nor has he seen Ling Changfeng himself. Just as he was about to make a phone call to ask, the mailbox suddenly rang¡ª Ling Changfeng said in the message that something had just popped up, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to make dinner, so he asked him to eat first. Xu Xinghe was stunned for two seconds, then closed the screen calmly, turned and walked back to the ward. He recalled the conversation between the two before they parted, and realized with hindsight that they seemed to have quarreled. In fact, for a moment, he was sure that Ling Changfeng was angry. Even though he seemed to know why the other party was angry, he still couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s probably not anyone¡¯s fault ¨C it¡¯s just that the two sides have different ways of thinking and different perspectives, so conflict is inevitable. Xu Xinghe returned to the ward, and in Lily¡¯s surprised eyes, he told her with a smile that he came back to have dinner with her and her mother. The girl¡¯s cheers and expectations gave Xu Xinghe a reason to keep smiling. She began to tell him about the children¡¯s books she read, and even made an exception and let him hug her doll. Therefore, Xu Xinghe was able to quickly pack up his mood and start eating and chatting with his sister like a real big brother. His first night in Suker City passed like this. That night, Xu Xinghe was lying on the bed alone, wanting to say something to Ling Changfeng. After editing the message back and forth several times, in the end, it was not sent. He wanted to say sorry to Ling Changfeng, but vaguely realized that doing so would not only be useless, but might even make things even more rigid. He also wants to say thank you, but these two words feel a little too perfunctory. In the end, he fell asleep in silence. It rained heavily all night. The next day, Xu Xinghe woke up very early, raised his hand to check the time. It was only six o¡¯clock. He dazedly clicked on the flashing notification, only to realize that Ling Changfeng had actually sent him another message just after one o¡¯clock in the morning yesterday. Marshal Ling said in the email that he had encountered something and would not come back for the past few days. Xu Xinghe sat up and leaned on the head of the bed, feeling a little dazed. Ling Changfeng¡­ Was he deliberately avoiding him? He carefully recalled the last conversation before the two parted, and always felt that it did not seem like the beginning of a cold war. Things shouldn¡¯t be this serious. Even if it were, Ling Changfeng is not a person who will use a ¡®cold war¡¯ to deal with such problems. Is there anything else they haven¡¯t talked about? Xu Xinghe stared at the email for a while, then raised his hand and dialed Qin Yuan. Soon, Adjutant Qin appeared on the screen with a pair of dark circles under his eyes. ¡°Sorry, did I disturb your rest?¡± Xu Xinghe was a little surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t it noon now in Nebula City?¡± Qin Yuan smiled and waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s okay, do you need anything from me?¡± ¡°I¡­ I think we might have quarreled.¡± Xu Xinghe got straight to the point, briefly described the unpleasant conversation that took place yesterday afternoon to Qin Yuan, and then added a little quietly: ¡°He said I won¡¯t want to believe his promise¡­ But in fact, I just felt really sorry.¡± While listening to him, Qin Yuan made himself a cup of black coffee and asked, ¡°Why do you feel sorry?¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and replied, ¡°My mother¡¯s business¡­ is my personal business. I shouldn¡¯t have bothered him so much about it. I¡¯m very grateful for what he has done, but I have nothing to give back, so¡­ You know, I always feel like I owe him something, and am sorry.¡± Qin Yuan sighed calmly, took a sip of coffee and said, ¡°This so-called quarrel, well, there¡¯s no need to worry. An alpha¡¯s possessiveness in the short term is really not a big problem. But Xinghe, think about it in a different light. When you are willing to help others, do you prefer to hear the other person say ¡®Thank you, this is very helpful to me¡¯, or ¡®Sorry for troubling you¡¯?¡± Xu Xinghe was taken aback. Qin Yuan continued: ¡°It¡¯s not a shameful thing to accept help from others. If you feel grateful to him, go and say thank you generously. But you don¡¯t need to feel sorry for this. He¡¯s definitely not doing this to receive something from you. You are the one who is loved, Xinghe. Human beings are instinctively willing to do things for their lovers. You don¡¯t need to think too much about his behavior, otherwise it will cause unnecessary damage to each other. Besides, this matter is no trouble for him. If anything, I¡¯m the one that¡¯s troubled¡­¡± Taking another gulp of coffee, Qin Yuan added, ¡°Remember to invite me to dinner when you have time and are back.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He fell silent for a while. Lol. Qin Yuan the relationship counselor, and then ruins everything by implying ¡®you made me work hard¡¯. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 76.2 Qin Yuan wanted to say something else, but the encrypted communication on his phone rang. Adjutant Qin froze, looked up and said to Xu Xinghe: ¡°Sorry, I still have things to do¡­¡± Xu Xinghe came back to his senses. ¡°No worries, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. I¡¯ll go talk to him about the rest.¡± Qin Yuan wanted to hang up, but before pressing down the button to hang up, he paused for a moment. ¡°Wait a few more days first.¡± After that, he hung up the video call without giving Xu Xinghe the chance to ask any follow-up questions. Xu Xinghe vaguely sensed something was wrong. Ling Changfeng will not really have anything wrong, right? Following this line of thought, he rolled over and got out of bed. After quickly cleaning, he walked out of the door, and went to find Colonel Lewis, the captain of Marshal Ling¡¯s personal guard. ¡°Take me to see him.¡± Colonel Lewis looked embarrassed about this request. He kept trying to dissuade him, but was powerless to refuse. Xu Xinghe asked calmly: ¡°Your marshal ordered you not to let me see him?¡± Lewis quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no, why do you think so¡­¡± ¡°Then did he say that I am not allowed to go to him?¡± Embarrassed, Lewis replied, ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Then take me to see him,¡± Xu Xinghe said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it if something goes wrong. Since he didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t see me, then I¡¯ll go find him myself. Is there any problem?¡± Marshal Ling was far away from the city, on the outskirts of Suker City. When Colonel Lewis personally helped him open the car door, Xu Xinghe thought he had arrived at some military base. ¡°He lives here?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at the large metal building in front of him, becoming more and more suspicious. Colonel Lewis lowered his eyes and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and followed Colonel Lewis in. He passed through three gates successively before arriving at the living quarters. When the last silver metal door opened, Xu Xinghe¡¯s body froze suddenly, and even his breathing stopped for half a beat. The breath of the sea contaminated every inch. An overwhelming turbulence swept over the sky, causing his hands and feet to become cold and weak, while a tingling electric current flashed through his spine. Ling Changfeng¡¯s pheromone. ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s face was a little bad. Colonel Lewis lowered his head and replied: ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you feel. The marshal won¡¯t let us say anything to you. I told the marshal that you were coming, and he didn¡¯t refuse. But are you sure you want to move on? Will¡­ ¡° Before he finished speaking, the person next to him rushed towards the bedroom like a gust of wind. Lewis: ¡°¡­¡± He wanted to follow, but he was afraid that he would be silenced if he saw something he shouldn¡¯t. Having been the captain of Marshal Ling¡¯s personal guard for more than ten years, he knew too well how dangerous, manic, and aggressive Ling Changfeng was when he¡¯s in the susceptibility period. Powerful and cold-blooded, but irrational. A super lethal weapon. In the past, if there was an emergency in the war, Ling Changfeng would let the military doctor give himself an overdose of powerful and self-harming inhibitors to delay his susceptibility period. When the situation is not urgent or settles down, he will set aside three to five days to self-isolate and get through those difficult days alone. Colonel Lewis knew that yesterday afternoon, Ling Changfeng originally planned to delay the susceptibility period by injecting inhibitors. But no one knew why, the inhibitor didn¡¯t work. He had to start isolating so as not to cause harm to those around him. Thinking of this, Colonel Lewis suddenly recalled another incident. Ling Changfeng¡¯s last susceptibility period, which was caused by Xu Xinghe¡¯s unexpected estrus period, seemed to have passed unexpectedly safely. That was the most stable susceptibility period he had seen Ling Changfeng go through in the ten years he had followed the marshal. In those days, Marshal Ling was not violent and irritable. On the contrary, he was as high-spirited as a contented lion¡­ Why? Colonel Lewis looked at the back of Xu Xinghe leaving, and suddenly thought¨C Is it because he marked his beloved omega? On the way to the bedroom, Xu Xinghe also thought that before coming to Pelpa Star, Qin Yuan told them how to cope if someone entered their estrus or susceptible period. Timely injection of inhibitors is one aspect, but from Qin Yuan¡¯s mouth, he learned that Ling Changfeng¡¯s susceptibility period is longer than that of ordinary alphas, and his symptoms are much more severe than those of ordinary alphas. Normal alphas will enter a susceptible period every two or three months, during which they will become irritable and irrational. They will be more sensitive towards and thirsty for omega pheromones. In comparison, Ling Changfeng will only usher in a susceptible period about half a year, and each episode is also much more intense. He can be dangerous, tyrannical, manic, irritable¡­ And very very uncomfortable. After taking a large number of inhibitors over the years, his body has long since developed drug resistance, making it difficult to relieve his symptoms with medicine alone. Xu Xinghe came to the door of the bedroom, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door. Unlike the imagined storms and messes, the bedroom is clean and tidy and quiet. No headlights were turned on in the room, only a small orange light was lit on the bedside table. The color was warm, which was Xu Xinghe¡¯s favorite mode to turn on at night. Ling Changfeng sat quietly beside the bed, facing the floor-to-ceiling glass window outside the window, leaving only a view of his back to Xu Xinghe who pushed the door in. The building and room should be specially constructed, blocking out pheromones to a certain extent, while also providing excellent sound insulation. Anyone inside cannot hear the sound of rain falling outside the window. This was supposed to be a warm and peaceful rain-watching scene. However, there was an oppressive pheromone aura wafting in all directions, making Xu Xinghe¡¯s body tense, and even his breathing became a little heavier. In particular, the moment he stepped into this place, he clearly felt that the sea-flavored pheromones in the air became manic. But when he looked up, Ling Changfeng still quietly turned his back to him and sat on the bed. His ears moved slightly at the sound, but he didn¡¯t even turn his head back. Xu Xinghe pinched his palm uneasily, walked forward, and stopped behind Ling Changfeng across the bed. ¡°How are you?¡± Xu Xinghe knew that his question was nonsense, but Ling Changfeng¡¯s back was so calm while his pheromones were so chaotic, that he was a little unsure about the other party¡¯s situation.. Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t turn around, didn¡¯t look back, and didn¡¯t answer his words. He simply asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± His voice didn¡¯t seem too abnormal, but it was deeper and more hoarse than usual. Seeing that he was still rational, Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re susceptible? Don¡¯t you know¡­¡± As soon as the words came out, they suddenly stopped. Of course Ling Changfeng knew. He knew that alpha¡¯s difficult susceptibility period could be comforted by an omega¡¯s pheromones. He also knew that his own pheromone was the best medicine for him. He just didn¡¯t say it. Probably because he can¡¯t open his mouth. Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, then walked around the big bed and walked to Ling Changfeng¡¯s side. Reaching out his hand, lightly placed it on the other party¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me help you?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice sounded in the dark and quiet room. Ling Changfeng never turned his head to look at him, and Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t see his eyes either. So he took the silence as tacit consent. He released a trace of sweet pheromone and gently climbed up Ling Changfeng¡¯s body. Like a blossoming tree with soft branches, it gently entangled the other person. Ling Changfeng¡¯s body suddenly moved slightly. The violence in the air seemed to have diminished. Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Ling Changfeng was more comfortable. But the next moment, his wrist suddenly hurt. The world in front of his eyes spun. Before he could resist, or even exclaim, he was pushed down on the bed by a tremendous force. The surrounding pheromones began to riot again, as if breaking through the last shackles of rationality, and turned completely unscrupulous. Xu Xinghe raised his eyes in panic and met those terrifying eyes. His body trembled, and only then did he see clearly that Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes were almost dyed red. Marshal Ling, who was in the susceptibility period, pressed the person on the bed. His right hand firmly pressed on Xu Xinghe¡¯s wrist. He opened his mouth and his voice was even more hoarse than before: ¡°Why do you think I didn¡¯t let you come over?¡± He said, and stretched out his left hand, ignoring Xu Xinghe¡¯s struggles, and gently rubbed the fragile and sensitive neck of the other party¡¯s glands. Those eyes that were almost dripping with blood were more frightening than ever. Ling Changfeng leaned down and whispered in his ear, ¡°It¡¯s too late for you to regret it now.¡± (?ÆH?) Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 77 Heavy rain beat on the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, blurring the world outside the window into a haze. The bedroom was dark. The only source of light was a small lamp by the bedside flickering faintly, illuminating the faces of the two people. Ling Changfeng¡¯s heavy breathing echoed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears, making the surroundings feel even quieter. The red-eyed alpha pinned his prey to the bed like a hunter, but did not take the next step. He just stared at the prone omega, with eyes of forbearance and madness. Xu Xinghe fell on the bed on his back, his right wrist was caught, and he instinctively struggled twice. But the more he struggled, the tighter his hand was held, as if he was afraid of escaping. Xu Xinghe raised his head, his eyes turned to Ling Changfeng. The moment their eyes met, both of them trembled. Xu Xinghe stopped struggling. He suddenly remembered what Qin Yuan had said to himself before leaving ¨C ¡°In case he really enters the susceptible period, my suggestion is to stay away from him for the time being.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take chances and feel that because you were safe last time, that it¡¯ll definitely be okay next time. You can¡¯t expect yourself to have such good luck every time. Alphas with delayed or prolonged susceptibility periods, when it erupts, are often more at the mercy of the animal nature in our blood than human rationality.¡± However, at this moment, staring blankly at Ling Changfeng¡¯s red eyes, all Xu Xinghe could blurt out was, ¡°Is it painful?¡± Ling Changfeng rolled his throat and did not answer. Xu Xinghe suddenly felt a little sad when he looked at the manic hunter in front of him. After getting along day and night, they¡¯ve become extremely sensitive to each other¡¯s pheromones. So at this moment, through the pheromones one was born with, he could clearly perceive the oppression and hesitation, pain and anxiety of the other party¡­ Like a trapped beast at the end of the road, trapped in mud and unable to escape. Previously, they described Ling Changfeng¡¯s irritability, fierceness, and madness during the susceptible period, to him. But no one had told him that Ling Changfeng, who was in the susceptible period, would be in pain. Xu Xinghe tried his best to relax himself, and said softly: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Squinting down at him like a dangerous lion, Ling Changfeng looked down at him. His voice low and hoarse as he said: ¡°Haven¡¯t you recognized the situation yet? Are you sure I¡¯m the one that should be afraid?¡± Xu Xinghe stretched out his hand that was not held down, and squeezed Ling Changfeng¡¯s arm as if in reassurance, and didn¡¯t speak any more. Ling Changfeng froze. Only then did he realize that his arms were shaking slightly. His posture was so forceful, but his arms were shaking. Suffering from its susceptibility period, the alpha was originally violent and manic. At this moment, as if the secret in its heart was discovered, it finally became angry.1I purposely kept this line in 3rd person as it felt a little more story-like He grabbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s outstretched left hand, and pressed both of his hands to the head of the bed. Such actions could almost be called rude. Trying to hide his unease with anger. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he did feel scared. Fearing he would not be able to hold back those bad thoughts that came naturally. Afraid that things will lead to something irreversible. Scared that his little spouse will leave. Furthermore, he was scared that his little spouse would stay, and he would hurt him. Xu Xinghe shouldn¡¯t be here. But he didn¡¯t want to let him go. ¡°Why did you want to come here?¡± Ling Changfeng clamped Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands tightly, and asked fiercely, as if he could control the other party. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know what will happen after stepping in here?¡± The pain made Xu Xinghe frown slightly. He could feel Ling Changfeng¡¯s incomparably powerful pheromone envelope the room and surround him. As if he was about to be swallowed up in the next moment. Xu Xinghe took a few deep breaths before slowly replying: ¡°I came here originally to thank you, thank you for what you have done for me¡­¡± His voice was very low, very slow, and contained a rare gentleness. ¡°It was only after arriving at this place, that I found out that you entered the susceptible period. I remember they said that your reaction during the susceptible period will be very strong.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at Ling Changfeng¡¯s red eyes, sighed inaudibly: ¡°Although I didn¡¯t expect it to be so strong, but fortunately¡­ um!¡± Before he finished speaking, the ¡°iron pliers¡± on his wrist tightened again. ¡°I said it before, it¡¯s too late for you to go back now!¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was hoarse, with a kind of desperate determination. His head was splitting as the hot blood and shaky sanity on the edge of the abyss tore at each other. ¡°Who said I regretted it?¡± In the tense atmosphere, Xu Xinghe suddenly gave birth to a hint of helplessness. His legal husband always seemed to feel like he was going to leave at any moment. Actually, how is that possible. ¡°I won¡¯t leave, and I don¡¯t regret it. I just wanted to say¡ªfortunately, I¡¯m not too late.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at Ling Changfeng with infinite tenderness in his black eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t let you stay uncomfortable for so long.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s movements froze. He looked into those mismatched eyes, full of anger and desire, that suddenly didn¡¯t know how to vent, and a daze flashed through them. Xu Xinghe rarely saw such emotions in those eyes. After a moment of stalemate, he suddenly lowered his eyes and covered his long eyelashes with trembling, concealing the emotion in his black eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡± The young omega said. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me so many times, so this time, if I can help you, I¡¯d be happy to¨C¡° Xu Xinghe turned his head slightly after he finished speaking. The white and slender neck like a swan was exposed to Ling Changfeng¡¯s sight. The pupils shrank sharply. ¡°They said you might feel better that way.¡± The floral fragrance emanating from the slender neck was like the most charming scent in the world. No one rejects the secret promise of a lover, let alone an alpha who is in a susceptible period. Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. A long-suppressed, unbearable groan came out of his throat, and then he leaned over and bit Xu Xinghe¡¯s side neck. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xu Xinghe shuddered, his moan like a gossamer flowing out of his mouth uncontrollably. His body was tense, his face gradually paled, but he didn¡¯t make any confrontational movements, just closed his eyes tightly. Ling Changfeng buried his head on his neck, rubbing against him recklessly. Like a beast protecting its food, wrapping his prey tightly in his arms, greedily sucking the other¡¯s breath. However, it wasn¡¯t enough. Because Xu Xinghe was lying flat on the bed, the glands at the back of his neck happened to be pressed down, causing Ling Changfeng to rub back and forth, but he could never touch the source of the aroma. He lingered on the edge of bliss for a moment, and finally became furious like a lion whose meat reached its mouth but could not eat it. Ling Changfeng shot violently, directly caught Xu Xinghe¡¯s arm, and turned him over. The gland that the scar had traversed was finally exposed. Xu Xinghe¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. He was sure that he was here to help Ling Changfeng, not to deliberately make trouble. But at this moment, he still couldn¡¯t restrain his trembling. It was from the fear deep in his memory, which was almost instinctive and could not be restrained. A scorching breath hit his delicate and sensitive skin. Immediately afterwards, a kiss was branded on the back of his neck. In an instant, the fragrance of flowers overflowed. The alpha in the susceptible period is like a hungry and sleepy lion. At this moment, he finally encountered delicious food that can satisfy his stomach. Ling Changfeng opened his mouth and bit into Xu Xinghe¡¯s glands. The moment the teeth touched the neck, Xu Xinghe suddenly opened his eyes and opened his mouth with a hoarse voice: ¡°Changfeng¡­¡± In the quiet and dim room, it was impossible to tell if the faint voice was whimpering or murmuring. Ling Changfeng froze. He raised his eyes blankly, maintaining the ridiculous gesture that he was about to mark his lover, but could no longer speak. In the refreshing fragrance of flowers all over the house, the bloodshot look in his eyes seems to have faded a little. Along with the clarity was a bit of helplessness. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. The veins on the back of his hands were stretched, and his whole body was as stiff as a rock. The person behind him didn¡¯t move. Xu Xinghe moved his fingers uneasily, and the next moment, he suddenly felt Ling Changfeng get up and get out of bed. Then came the sound of rummaging through boxes. The young man opened his eyes, and his black eyes were already dyed with a layer of water. But as soon as his eyes became focal, he saw Ling Changfeng took out a dose of reagent from the medicine box at the bedside, and raised his hand to stab his arm. Xu Xinghe suddenly woke up, he got up quickly, stepped forward and grabbed the hand holding the medicine Ling Changfeng was about to inject himself with. ¡°Still injecting? The doctor said that you have developed resistance over the years¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t bear it, and pushed him away. Staggering backwards, Xu Xinghe fell directly back to the bed. Seeing this, Ling Changfeng moved his arm slightly, as if he wanted to help him up, but in the end he just froze in place. Chest heaving violently, he held the inhibitor tightly, and stabbed at his arm again¡­ Xu Xinghe had no choice but to rush forward and hug Ling Changfeng. The latter¡¯s body froze, and finally stopped. Alphas in the susceptible period are always extraordinarily powerful, but at this moment, Marshal Ling couldn¡¯t break free from his lover¡¯s embrace. It was just a sweet, fluffy hug from his little spouse. For a moment, a lingering warmth floated through the pheromones in the air. It is like a clear spring watering the buds and blooming clusters of flowers. The incomparably sweet smell emanating from it is enough to appease all the beasts in his heart. Xu Xinghe¡¯s two hands tightly wrapped around the alpha¡¯s tall body. He didn¡¯t dare to let go, for fear that if he did, Ling Changfeng would once again do that kind of self-harming behavior. He could only hug and hold on, only to find that the other party did not move. The frantic pheromones gradually calmed down, but Xu Xinghe is still worried. Maintaining the posture of hugging, he couldn¡¯t see Ling Changfeng¡¯s expression clearly, so he could only whisper in his ear, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ling Changfeng still didn¡¯t respond. Xu Xinghe frowned slightly, wanting to take a step back and look at the situation of the other party. But as soon as he moved back half a point, his lower back buckled. Ling Changfeng¡¯s aura suddenly became fierce, as if he was dissatisfied with his attempt to step back. But just when Xu Xinghe thought that he would threaten him again to leave, he heard Ling Changfeng¡¯s muffled voice: ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. He couldn¡¯t believe what emerged from the mouth of Marshal Ling. And he couldn¡¯t refuse Ling Changfeng like this- it was like a ferocious beast suddenly turned into a big injured cat. He really had no other way other than to try to comfort him. Xu Xinghe sighed helplessly, and then tightened the arm that was about to loosen again. Outside the window, through the intermittent rain clouds outside was a touch of blue in the corner, peeking through the endless grey, revealing faint signs of a sunny day. Inside the house, the two hugged each other quietly. Time seems to freeze at this moment. Turning the moment into an eternity. (?ÆH?) CH 78 Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how long the hug lasted. When he came back to his senses, the rain falling outside the window had stopped, and the dark clouds were torn open, allowing golden sunlight to pour out. The embrace lasted half a century. But Ling Changfeng still had no intention of letting go. His hands were tightly clasped around Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist, chin resting on his shoulders, and his scorching breath sprayed on the young man¡¯s sensitive neck. Half of Xu Xinghe¡¯s body froze, and a numb electric shock ran up his spine. The two pheromones blended together, creating a wonderful and unique fragrance. Motionless, he held onto Ling Changfeng, and Ling Changfeng held him. As if being wrapped by a large pendant ¨C he can¡¯t break free, and doesn¡¯t want to break free. Ling Changfeng is a full half a head taller than him, and Xu Xinghe gently lifted his toes in order to make it easier for him to hug him. But after a long time, he can¡¯t help but feel that this posture is a bit annoying. Team Leader Xu moved his sore arm slightly, and finally couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± The implication was, get up if you feel better. Marshal Ling shook his head slowly. Not only did he not get up, but he tightened his embrace further and held him even tighter. Hard strands of hair ran across the young man¡¯s neck, numb and itchy. ¡°It¡¯s still uncomfortable.¡± Ling Changfeng said in a low voice. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He felt that Ling Changfeng did it on purpose. Through the other party¡¯s pheromone, he could clearly feel that the turbulent and angry sea had returned to calm. There was even a tinge of serenity after the rainy skies had cleared. He doesn¡¯t look uncomfortable at all. ¡°Almost done, okay¡­¡± Xu Xinghe muttered softly. He stretched out his hand and patted Ling Changfeng¡¯s back lightly. ¡°Get up, we¡¯ve hugged long enough.¡± Feeling the resistance of his little spouse, Marshal Ling reluctantly relaxed a little, but he didn¡¯t let go completely. Keeping his hands Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist, he straightened up slightly, giving the other party room to move. Seeing this, Xu Xinghe was ready to escape. But just after taking a half step back, Ling Changfeng¡¯s low and muffled voice entered his ears: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m annoying?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He actually heard a bit of loss and accusation in those words. And still not letting go. At this moment, Ling Changfeng was like a tiger whose hair was wet by the rainstorm. Even though he¡¯s a majestic carnivore normally, his body is now covered in mud. Like a big cat miserably wandering outside for too long, trying to find shelter in extreme weather And since he has already provided this shelter, he can no longer drive the other party out. Xu Xinghe sighed silently, and withdrew the foot that was moving back. Who can refuse such a big cat? Anyway, he couldn¡¯t. Just like that, the two held each other for a long time. In the end, it was a video call from Qin Yuan who rescued Xu Xinghe from this grueling embrace. Colonel Lewis, who was standing outside the room, waited left and right, only to see no movement in the room. He was really worried about any accidents, so he called Qin Yuan for help. Adjutant Qin was shocked when he heard the news- Just kidding, putting Xu Xinghe and the susceptible Ling Changfeng together is like putting a piece of fatty meat in front of a hungry wolf. It¡¯s a wonder Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t swallow him whole! With the thought of ¡°anyway, he¡¯s not on Capital Star now, and can¡¯t hit me¡±, Qin Yuan began to call Ling Changfeng to death. The first call was directly rejected by Marshal Ling, followed by the second call, the third call¡­ Beep beeps sounded in the silent room. After Xu Xinghe caught a glimpse of Qin Yuan flashing on the screen, he kindly reminded: ¡°Major General Qin is calling, why don¡¯t you answer?¡± Upset by the prompt, Ling Changfeng straightened up irritably. He has basically regained his senses. Seeing Qin Yuan¡¯s unending calls, he was afraid that there was something urgent on Capital Star, so he reluctantly released Xu Xinghe and pulled him behind him, and accepted Qin Yuan¡¯s video request. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As soon as the video was connected, Marshal Ling¡¯s tone was very bad. He stared at Qin Yuan¡¯s figure on the holographic projection with a bad expression on his face, with an attitude of ¡°if you can¡¯t say anything, you¡¯ll be finished¡±. Adjutant Qin, who was far away in the capital, was relieved when he saw his marshal on the other side. However, when he finally saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s expression, his expression suddenly became confused and puzzled. ¡°You, you¡­¡± Qin Yuan originally wanted to ask how he was, but seeing his expression, he blurted out the question in his heart instead: ¡°You marked him?!¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Eyes narrowing in displeasure, he squinted, and his expression turned dangerous and fierce. Qin Yuan was shocked. When he had a video with his boss last night, the other party was not in such a state. At that time, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes were red, and his eyebrows were cold-blooded and violent, which made one not even dare look directly. But the current Ling Changfeng¡­ Is like a big cat throwing a tantrum. The bloodshot in his eyes has basically faded away. Although it bared its teeth in anger, there is no ferocity or aggression behind it, so it wasn¡¯t really that scary. Such a change is probably something only Xu Xinghe can do. ¡°That¡­ not¡­¡± In the silence, a clear voice suddenly sounded, breaking the silence in the air. Seeing Ling Changfeng¡¯s continued silent denial, Xu Xinghe decided to stand up and explain the situation in order to prevent Qin Yuan from misunderstanding. He stuck out half of his head from behind Ling Changfeng, and under Qin Yuan¡¯s extremely shocked eyes, touched his nose awkwardly. ¡°Good morning¡­ ah no, it should be afternoon in Nebula City now?¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes turned into round plates. Xu Xinghe actually appeared completely behind Ling Changfeng! His clothes are also intact! What¡¯s the situation??! Old dog Ling didn¡¯t make a move??? When Marshal Ling saw Qin Yuan staring at his little spouse, anger flared up. Although he¡¯s recovered his rationality, he¡¯s still experiencing the effects of his susceptible period. Alphas in the susceptible period are unable to tolerate if someone looks at their omegas for more than a second. He¡¯s his unique treasure, how could he be spied on by others? So Marshal Ling became irritable again. He pulled Xu Xinghe back behind him and blocked him with his body. If Ling Changfeng had a tail, it would be wrapped around his waist several times by now. Marshal Ling¡¯s expression turned worse as he looked at his adjutant. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± He was still immersed in the huge shock, unable to calm down. Ignoring the threatening eyes of his boss, he asked rhetorically: ¡°That, will you, will you¡­ go see a doctor later?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned and said impatiently: ¡°I¡¯ve seen one. If you don¡¯t have something to say, go away.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to¡­¡± Qin Yuan swallowed, not daring to continue. Even if he was beaten to death, he would not dare ask his boss directly, ¡°Can you not do it?¡± Before the call was connected, he was still worried. What if Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t hold back and forcibly marked Xu Xinghe? But now that he knew he didn¡¯t do this, he was relieved. However, another worry emerged. Not eating the meat delivered directly to its mouth ¨C is this something a normal Alpha will do?? On the other end, Ling Changfeng completely lost his patience. At this moment, he instinctively didn¡¯t want to see anyone of the same sex appear in front of him, even though it was only a holographic projection of Qin Yuan. Like an evil dragon guarding its treasure, he can¡¯t help but want to stretch out his sharp claws and spit out dragon breath to remove the invaders in his territory¡­. As an adjutant who served his boss for many years, Qin Yuan was clearly aware of the change in emotions. He once again realized that Ling Changfeng¡¯s susceptible period hasn¡¯t passed yet. However, he didn¡¯t mark Xu Xinghe, not even making a temporary mark. So how did he endure such a difficult susceptible period? The moment before the video ended, Qin Yuan suddenly thought that they were probably wrong. Everyone thought that Ling Changfeng¡¯s last susceptibility period was passed safely because he marked Xu Xinghe. Even Ling Changfeng himself thought so. But that¡¯s not right. There was no need for such crude and straightforward primitive methods. Perhaps Xu Xinghe¡¯s existence himself, for Ling Changfeng, is a medicine that can cure everything. Like a fairytale. The video ended, and the room fell silent. Xu Xinghe could feel the slightly aggressive pheromones exuding out from Ling Changfeng as the video call continued. This is probably the so-called same-sex repulsion. Just like there can only be one male lion in a lion group, even if the two are usually close comrades-in-arms, when one is susceptible, they are unable to control their instincts to reject those of the same kind. Just when Xu Xinghe was worrying whether Ling Changfeng would experience another attack, the other party turned around without saying a word and hugged him again. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Is he treating him as a humanoid catnip today?! Feeling the other person¡¯s chin resting on his shoulder, Xu Xinghe asked with a black face: ¡°How long will you hold me this time? Give me an estimate.¡± Although his tone wasn¡¯t good, he still obediently allowed him to hug him, and did not make any resistance. Ling Changfeng said in a low voice, ¡°Listen to you.¡±1as in I¡¯ll listen to you to decide Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Team Leader Xu was silent for a while, and suddenly changed the topic: ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Is there a kitchen here? I¡¯ll make something.¡± ¡°Let them deliver it, don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Craning his neck forty-five degrees, the young man who was entangled by the big cat stared blankly at the skies outside. He originally thought that Xiaoqi was already the most clingy cat; he never expected Ling Changfeng to be even worse than Xiaoqi when he was susceptible. What will they do in the future? Will this happen every time in the future when he¡¯s in the susceptible period? For a moment, Xu Xinghe suddenly came up with the idea of ??¡±it¡¯s better to be bitten by him, and get it done with.¡± Immediately, he was startled by his own thoughts. He hurriedly shook his head, as if it was possible to erase this terrible idea. At his movement, Ling Changfeng¡¯s arms tightened further. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He feels suffocated. At this moment, Marshal Ling¡¯s communication system rang again. Ling Changfeng raised his hand to look, and then cut off the call request directly. After about ten seconds, Qin Yuan sent a message directly¡ª [Answer the phone! I have good news for you!] The fact that XYN is thinking about what they¡¯ll do in the future when LCF is susceptible. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 79 T/N: Thank you Angie, Lan, and LQ for the ko-fis! I rounded up this time as it was getting tired doing the math, so there¡¯ll be 2 extra releases. -komorebi Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart pounded heavily as he ran through the hospital doors, and a spark flashed in his black eyes. He slowed down his pace, but there was still some uneasiness in his footsteps as he walked down the thirty-meter long corridor. When he was about to reach the door of the VIP ward, a little pink dumpling suddenly jumped out and threw itself directly into his arms. ¡°Brother Xinghe!¡± Holding her beloved doll in one hand, Lily raised her free hand towards Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe caught the girl who rushed up, only to feel that the other party was as light as a small butterfly, as if she weighed nothing. ¡°Good afternoon Lily.¡± Crouching down in front of her, he reached out and touched her head. His excitement was words. ¡°What did you do today?¡± ¡°I read a book in my mother¡¯s room in the morning, and went to see Xiaowei in the afternoon. That¡¯s it.¡± Lily said to Xu Xinghe with her head up while holding her rag doll. ¡°Xiaowei?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± Lily said, raising her hand to wash the faded ragdoll in her arms. ¡°Xiaowei is sick today, and I gave her an injection and medicine.¡± She made the action of giving an injection, and then asked: ¡°Brother Xinghe, what did you do today? When I went to look for you in the morning, they said you went out.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was at a loss for words, and said casually: ¡°I went to take care of a cat.¡± ¡°Cat?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard about the cat. ¡°Brother Xinghe has a cat?¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. ¡°I do.¡± Lily continued to ask, ¡°Is it sick?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Xu Xinghe said vaguely: ¡°It¡¯s not feeling well recently, so it needs someone to take care of it, just like you want to take care of Xiaowei.¡± ¡°En¡­ We raised a stray cat before, but then it ran away. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s doing now.¡± After saying this, Lily¡¯s mood was a little down. She raised her head and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°What does Brother Xinghe¡¯s cat look like? Can I take a look?¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a milky white ragdoll cat called Xiaoqi. She¡¯s very cute and has a good temper. I¡¯ll take you to see her after a while.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Lily cheered and blinked her big eyes. ¡°Where does Xiaoqi live now? Is she seriously ill? Does she need to see a doctor??¡± Xu Xinghe was torn between laughing and crying. ¡°It¡¯s not Xiaoqi who¡¯s sick.¡± Lily tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You have two cats?¡± ¡°¡­Actually the other one is not mine.¡± Xu Xinghe touched the tip of his nose, and uneasily changed the subject. ¡°What did the cat you raised in the past look like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s orange, with a few white circles.¡± Lily was obviously still interested in the sick cat Xu Xinghe mentioned, and continued to ask: ¡°If it¡¯s not your cat, why do you want to take care of it?¡± Xu Xinghe answered without blushing. ¡°Because I have a loving heart.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lily nodded ignorantly. ¡°Is Brother Xinghe going to adopt it?¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°Is it expensive to keep a cat?¡± ¡°It is very expensive to keep him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly understood why it takes a hundred sentences to tell a lie. But at this moment, seeing Lily¡¯s bright eyes, he could only bite the bullet and continue to make things up. ¡°Because this cat doesn¡¯t eat well, is relatively weak, and feels unwell every few minutes.¡± ¡°Ah? That cat is so pitiful¡­¡± Lily blinked and asked, ¡°What does it look like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Persian cat with mismatched pupils.¡± Xu Xinghe felt that the topic would be irretrievable if it continued, so he decided to end the topic. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about cats for now. Come on, let¡¯s go in and see our mother. By the way, there¡¯s more good news to tell you.¡± After finishing the sentence, his eyes brightened. The ¡°good news¡¯ Qin Yuan had called them about more than an hour ago was that there might be a cure for his mother. The doctors at Capital Star said that it might be possible to try new technologies to treat his mother¡¯s cancer, but she must be brought back to the Capital Star for further examination first. In order to prevent her body from continuing to deteriorate, the transfer needs to be carried out as soon as possible, without delay. Although her condition isn¡¯t suitable for interstellar travel, things have reached such a point that everyone, including Mother Xu1literal translation from the raws herself, was willing to take the last gamble. When landlocked fish are drying out, they will try anything in desperation. The transfer is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and Xu Xinghe will naturally accompany his mother and sister on the spaceship. But here comes the problem ¨C Ling Changfeng is still in his susceptible period, and faces the risk of losing control at any time. An alpha in this state is like a ticking time bomb, obviously not suitable for leaving quarantine, let alone a long interstellar voyage. However, should Ling Changfeng be left alone in Pelpa to wait for his susceptibility period to end? Or should they give him an overdose of sedatives and suppressants, as has happened so many times over the years? Ling Changfeng will not agree with the former choice, while Xu Xinghe is reluctant about the latter option. After several back and forths without a decision, this issue was strangely shelved. Ling Changfeng did not offer to return together, nor did Xu Xinghe take the initiative to invite him to return together. Only Major General Qin, who was far away in the capital city, sighed and began to rush to arrange everything. This isn¡¯t a big problem for the adjutant who¡¯s known his boss for many years. He can clearly see his boss¡¯s intent, and knows the choice he will make. In the side room of the hospital, Lily was packing her small suitcase. Because the people around her tacitly concealed her mother¡¯s true condition from her and told her that her mother would get better, the five- or six-year-old girl always believed this. After hearing they¡¯ll be leaving to let her mother see a doctor in Capital Star, she happily went to pack her things up. ¡°By the way, does brother know the good news? Will he come with us?¡± Lily looked up and asked Xu Xinghe while sorting out her books. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, and only then did he realize that the ¡°brother¡± Lily was referring to was his younger brother who they hadn¡¯t located yet. ¡°I think Colonel Lewis sent someone to find him¡­ Lily, can you get in touch with him? Why don¡¯t you just call your brother and tell him to come back.¡± Lily shook her head, and her mouth slightly deflated. ¡°I used my mother¡¯s communication device to send a text message to my brother yesterday. But he never got back to me¡­¡± Her face was a little worried as she frowned. ¡°Is there anything wrong with him?¡± Stepping forward and patting her on the head, Xu Xinghe comforted her. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Brother Xinghe, will you stay and have dinner with us tonight?¡± Xu Xinghe hand paused, and then he nodded. ¡°En, I promised you yesterday that I will have dinner with you today.¡± Although he agreed immediately, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of a certain big cat in quarantine that needed comforting. He¡¯s only been gone for less than an hour, but Xu Xinghe could already imagine Ling Changfeng¡¯s sulking behavior after being left alone. Suddenly recalling a certain someone¡¯s outrageous behavior before leaving. Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears warmed, and he stared at greenery by the windowsill in a daze¡­ When Xu Xinghe returned to where Ling Changfeng was quarantining later that day, it was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening. As soon as his foot stepped into the bedroom, a fierce, surging pheromone immediately wrapped around him. Xu Xinghe only felt a vice tighten around his wrist, and the next moment, he was directly pressed into the corner of the wall. Back leaning against the wall, Xu Xinghe looked at the ¡°giant creature¡± bullying him helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± His indifferent attitude made the alpha, who was in his vulnerable period, squint unhappily as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be back soon?¡± Seeing Ling Changfeng so unreasonable and angry, Xu Xinghe felt a little funny. ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone for a few hours? Plus the time for dinner and the round-trip journey, isn¡¯t this fast?¡± He pushed Ling Changfeng away as he answered the question, and then casually hung his coat on the hanger by the door. The seemingly strong alpha didn¡¯t really exert any force, and was easily pushed away. But his eyes were still firmly fixed on Xu Xinghe, and a light flashed in them as he watched. The well-cut white shirt under the jacket wrapped around, accentuating the young man¡¯s wide shoulders and narrow hips. He is a little thin, but the faintly visible muscles and lines were all exposed in front of Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. Seeing this scene, Marshal Ling¡¯s adam¡¯s apple moved slightly. Pursing his lips, he fell silent. Of course he knew that Xu Xinghe was thinking about his family and had a legitimate reason to leave, but emotionally he still couldn¡¯t bear the few hours of separation. For the past few hours, he had been madly missing the scent of flowers from this person. Longing for the kiss before they parted¡­ He instinctively wanted to surround his little spouse and keep him close to each other. As soon as Xu Xinghe turned around, he bumped into the pair of eyes that seemed to be eating him alive. His scalp tingled numbly. So he turned back silently: ¡°I¡¯m going to pour a glass of water¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, his wrist was pulled again. Dragged forward, Xu Xinghe staggered, and slammed straight back into someone¡¯s chest. Ling Changfeng¡¯s hot breath sprayed on his neck as he asked lowly, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you not to turn your back to a susceptible alpha?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s body immediately tensed. An electric shock suddenly jolted through the small piece of skin on the back of his neck the moment the words ended. He didn¡¯t move, nor turn to face him. After a long while, he suddenly asked, ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe turned around to face Ling Changfeng, but the other party didn¡¯t look towards him. His eyes were a little evasive as he replied: ¡°It happens that I haven¡¯t eaten enough for dinner, so let¡¯s have supper together¡­¡± Under the bright moonlight, a fine shimmer seemed to set over the young man¡¯s skin that was as white and translucent as a fine suet jade. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Marshal Ling looked at his beautiful young spouse, his voice slightly deep. He suddenly lowered his head and approached Xu Xinghe, making the latter shrink back in fright. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him without continuing his movements. Instead, he lowered his eyes calmly: ¡°Tomorrow afternoon¡­¡± At this time, the communicator on Xu Xinghe¡¯s left wrist rang again inappropriately. Xu Xinghe looked down to see Colonel Lewis calling. Just as he was about to accept the call, his left hand was held down. Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes were narrowed, seeming very dissatisfied with his subordinates interrupting their conversation one after another. Seeing this, Xu Xinghe reluctantly reached out and patted the big cat¡¯s paw. ¡°Colonel Lewis called. Maybe it¡¯s about my brother, let me pick it up first.¡± Ling Changfeng then let go of his hand reluctantly, watching Xu Xinghe press the answer button without saying a word. Xu Xinghe guessed right ¨C Colonel Lewis really called because of his brother. It turned out that he went to the school to pick up people, but the trip was made in vain. After checking things out, he found out that Xu Xinghe¡¯s fifteen-year-old brother was once again in the juvenile detention center because of a fight, and is still locked up. So Colonel Lewis turned around and went directly to the person mentioned by the detention center supervisor, and called Xu Xinghe on the way to inform him of the incident. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± An image of a fighting little bully appeared in his mind instantly, fierce and aggressive. After hanging up, Xu Xinghe was still a little worried about this brother he had never met. Sighing apologetically, he turned to look up at Ling Changfeng: ¡°Sorry, something happened to my brother, I want to go and have a look.¡± Ling Changfeng was naturally unwilling to let him leave as soon as he came back. But this time, he nodded directly, and then said lightly: ¡°Together.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Ah?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that Marshal Ling was already smoothing out his clothes. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He watched Ling Changfeng vigilantly and suspiciously, only to see that the latter put away his very aggressive and possessive eyes, and stood there fixedly, neatly adjusting his clothes ¨C as if suddenly regaining his usual calm and indifferent appearance. The redness has faded from the pair of eyes, but his pheromones couldn¡¯t lie. Still frantic and irritable. Xu Xinghe asked worriedly, ¡°Is it really okay for you to go out like this now? In case something happens outside¡­¡± ¡°I think¡ª¡± Marshal Ling looked at himself in the mirror and interrupted Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can control my emotions now.¡± Ling Changfeng said without squinting. ¡°If I don¡¯t have an attack this time, then I will go back to the capital with you tomorrow afternoon.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± After everything¡¯s said and done, he¡¯s still afraid that he would leave him alone and go back first? Xu Xinghe wanted to laugh out loud, and deliberately teased him: ¡°So Marshal Ling also knows that he should stay isolated in quarantine honestly during his susceptible period?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s movements halted for a second, and his eyes turned away evasively. Xu Xinghe smiled and stretched out his hand. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and have a look together.¡± XXH¡¯s brother is gonna appear! He¡¯s one of my fav characters (and doesn¡¯t get enough screen time) Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 80 Name: Chu Yufei Age: 16 Gender: Male Attribute: Alpha Birthplace: Pelpa Star, Suker City Gene Level: S Student Status Record: ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s been in the juvenile detention center twice before because of fighting. In other words, intentionally fighting?¡± On the way to the juvenile detention center, Xu Xinghe read through his brother¡¯s electronic file with a slight frown. When he saw the ¡°criminal record¡± column, his temples throbbed suddenly. ¡°This time too.¡± Marshal Ling, who was leaning on the seat with his eyes closed, added indifferently. Xu Xinghe suddenly felt he was really unlucky to have to deal with such things. He grew up in the Capital Star Welfare Institute as a child. Although his grades in various subjects were excellent, there was a period of time when everyone also thought he was a ¡°problem student¡±. There are many reasons, such as he punched an alpha and broke his nose when the other party tried to mark him. He tried to explain, but no one listened in the face of the villain¡¯s complaint. Looking at the ¡°evil deeds¡± on his brother¡¯s file, Xu Xinghe¡¯s only thought was that his problems growing up were nothing compared to this younger brother. At least, he never sent people to the hospital. ¡°What about this time?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been updated yet, and it may not be in the database yet.¡± Ling Changfeng replied. ¡°Pelpa¡¯s administrative system is very inefficient, and¡ª¡± He slowly opened his eyes, and his eyes swept across the electronic file in Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand. ¡°The violent crime rate in Suker City is quite high. Fights and scuffles are not uncommon. Most of the time, the police turn a blind eye. Your brother is still underage, but got in trouble because of this kind of thing three times¡ª¡± Xu Xinghe replied: ¡°Does that mean that he is very popular with the police?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him. ¡°It means that he has offended someone.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head when he heard this. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look first.¡± Ling Changfeng said calmly. ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe put down the optical brain in his hand, rested for a while on the seat, and then looked sideways at Ling Changfeng who was sitting beside him. Unlike his unscrupulousness in the isolation room, Marshal Ling became more human-like as soon as he went out, as if his susceptible period was over. ¡ª¡ªIf it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the pheromones in his body were still manic, Xu Xinghe would almost have been deceived by his calm appearance. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know whether it was better to stay away from him obediently and not provoke him at this time, or it was better to get close to him and give him some comfort. He felt an undercurrent surging under the calm sea, and lacked the experience to deal with it. Xu Xinghe leaned forward slightly and asked, ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°No problem, I¡¯m fine.¡± Marshal Ling replied without looking sideways. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He looked at Ling Changfeng speechlessly, as if he was watching an active volcano that could erupt at any time. The violent and chaotic pheromone in the air told him that Ling Changfeng¡¯s current state was definitely not ¡°fine¡±. But in the end, he decided not to expose him. Team Leader Xu lowered his head and turned his attention back to his younger brother¡¯s electronic file. ¡°A little S-class Alpha¡­¡± He sighed softly, looking at the picture of the boy on the screen, half helplessly and half jokingly. ¡°He looks quite handsome.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden chill swept across the back of his neck, numbing, icy, making him shudder. Startled, Xu Xinghe turned his head to look at Ling Changfeng in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The vehicle was quiet for a while. Under the doubtful gaze of his spouse, Marshal Ling maintained his upright sitting posture, continuing to face forward. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe was worried. Leaning over slightly, he asked Ling Changfeng in a low voice, ¡°Are you still uncomfortable?¡± Before he could say anything, Marshal Ling suddenly froze¡ª Xu Xinghe took his hand. A soft touch came from the palm of his hand, making his heart tremble. ¡°Do you feel better this way?¡± Xu Xinghe asked softly, frowning slightly. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± His fingertips trembled slightly, and there was no further movement. After a long silence, he nodded calmly. But the words that left his mouth were: ¡°It¡¯s still a little uncomfortable.¡± The voice was low and faint, very different from usual. Xu Xinghe looked at him a little embarrassedly, ¡°Then¡­¡± As he spoke, he moved a little closer to Ling Changfeng. ¡°Like this?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Ling Changfeng looked sideways slightly. His little spouse is now within reach. The heart-tugging floral pheromone entwined around him, like a refreshing breeze. Marshal Ling adjusted his breathing and silently retracted his gaze. Then, as if nothing had happened, he also moved towards Xu Xinghe. Finally filled the distance between them. The chaotic and frantic aura in his body first hit his face like a tsunami, rushing forward like a raging wave. Then it quickly fell back, and finally turned into a clear spring, flowing seamlessly through one¡¯s limbs and bones. The pheromone of joy and contentment in the air was too obvious, and the young man who had just been overflowing with sympathy suddenly realized that he seemed to be fooled. He was a little annoyed and wanted to withdraw his right hand, but Ling Changfeng squeezed it lightly and grabbed the fingertips that he was about to pull away. Xu Xinghe said blankly, ¡°Let go.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him for a moment, but he really let go. He lowered his eyes lightly, and silently retreated back to the position he had just been in, like a desolate wolf king who was only driven out by the pack. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but his heart softened. Xu Xinghe turned his head stiffly, and looked out the window as if fleeing. Hidden behind the neon lights at night, Suker City¡¯s chaotic and dilapidated scrap metal appearance looked beautiful. The pure black car sped over the city, and the interior of the car was surprisingly quiet. Just as the two passengers were seated silently, suddenly, Xu Xinghe moved. He moved slightly and slowly to the right. A little more. In the silence, the young man still rigidly kept looking out of the window, but quietly put his right hand back into the older man¡¯s palm. ¡°If you¡¯ll be more comfortable like this¡­¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t look back. ¡°En.¡± After a while, Ling Changfeng let out a faint nasal sound. Then he clenched his palms contentedly. He seemed to figure out how to get along right with his little mate. ¡ª¨C Xu Xinghe and his party met Colonel Lewis almost the moment they stepped into the juvenile detention center. This place is located in a remote neighborhood in the south of the city. The buildings are old and the facilities are very simple. Under the shroud of darkness, illuminated only by nighttime lights, the facility had an eerie atmosphere, almost like an abandoned prison. The pure black car slowly landed at the entrance of the juvenile detention center, and the accompanying local officers personally opened the door for them. The incident happened suddenly, and this was not something worth bringing up, so Ling Changfeng only brought two personal guards and a local officer with him. The guards of the juvenile detention center did not know that the famous Alliance Marshal of the five major galaxies visited this small prison on such an ordinary night. However, even if they don¡¯t know the specific identity of the person who came, they still knew from the respectful expression of their boss that it was someone very important. Some alphas with better senses detected Ling Changfeng¡¯s existence even before he got off the car ¨C the overflowing pheromones were too overbearing, and the strong sense of oppression and deterrence that followed was enough to make them feel threatened and frightened. Xu Xinghe and Ling Changfeng walked to the interrogation room together. At the time, the person in charge of the juvenile detention center was answering Colonel Lewis¡¯s question with his head down, trembling. Through the one-way glass, Xu Xinghe heard Lewis¡¯ voice coming from the loudspeaker: ¡°Why was he locked in this time?¡± The person in charge had an uncomfortable greasy tone as he smiled and said, ¡°Perhaps there was a little misunderstanding. This subordinate didn¡¯t know he was your person, and will go release him right now.¡± Colonel Lewis frowned. ¡°Answer my question directly, Director.¡± ¡°He, he was picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and is suspected of intentionally hurting people¡­¡± The director replied while wiping away his sweat. ¡°The court didn¡¯t make a verdict. There isn¡¯t even an arrest document, so why did you shut him up here?¡± Colonel Lewis asked. That¡¯s why it took him so long to find out. The teenager has been locked here for more than six hours, but none of it was recorded in the system at all. He only found out when he personally went to the boarding school to pick him up. This kind of serious violation of the case handling process is almost impossible in Capital Star, but in the chaotic planet of Pelpa, everyone seemed to be used to it. ¡°This, this¡­because it¡¯s not his first offense, so which is why we¡­¡± The director was still trying to explain, but his voice faded more and more. He knew that his statement was unjustified, but¡­ wasn¡¯t that what they did before? Damn it! Who knew that the fatherless boy had such a big backer?! When he was brought in the first two times, why did no one look for him?? The eyes of the person in charge of the juvenile detention center were obviously dodgy, and Colonel Lewis also noticed this. Past experience tells him that such evasive behavior isn¡¯t because the other party fears him, but more out of a guilty conscience of trying to avoid the problem itself. There must be some nasty tricks in there. Lewis was about to ask something more when the metal door of the closed room suddenly opened. A burst of fierce pheromone overflowed in an instant. Colonel Lewis was slightly startled, and immediately greeted the newcomers. ¡°Sir.¡± He saluted neatly, but avoided using the marshal¡¯s title. Ling Changfeng nodded and said nothing. He simply lifted his chin slightly in Xu Xinghe¡¯s direction. He has always had confidence in his self-control, but at this moment, he had to devote a considerable part of his energy to suppressing the rioting emotions in his body. Only in this way can he endure the fact that his little spouse is exposed under many double eyelids, surrounded by several alphas. Colonel Lewis understood, turned his head and asked Xu Xinghe, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Xu Xinghe said, ¡°Bring me to see him.¡± The director froze. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t bring Xu Xinghe directly to that kind of place, so under the watchful eyes of everyone, he had to bite the bullet and reply, ¡°This subordinate will bring him here.¡± After that, he trotted to pick him up. Xu Xinghe leaned against the window and absently fiddled with the potted leaves on the windowsill. He ran through what he was going to say in his head again, and then sighed softly, waiting for his brother to appear. Maybe the situation won¡¯t be that bad. Xu Xinghe comforted himself in this way. Maybe he is just like Lily, a flexible and sensible child, and a little skinny. Just thinking about this, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps. The iron door was opened again, and two guards ¡°escorted¡± a tall and thin teenager in. For a time, everyone¡¯s eyes were locked on the boy. Except for Marshal Ling, who never said a word from beginning to end. His eyes were always glued to his little spouse, and he probably only glanced at the moment for a second when he entered the room. The reason why only ¡°escorted¡± could be used to describe their entrance is because the teenager was neither handcuffed nor wearing a prison uniform. He was wearing his dirty short-sleeved t-shirt and ripped jeans, and colorful graffiti basketball shoes. A conspicuous silver skull necklace hung around his neck, and a punk-style leather belt with silver rivets was wrapped around his waist as he walked in swaggeringly. It can be seen that the boy originally had short black hair, but the ends of his hair were dyed into dusty silver. As in the photo, he has a young and handsome face, and his facial features are not offensive. But in this moment, those pure black eyes were filled with undisguised anger, hostility, and provocation, like a little wolf cub who might rush up to bite anyone at any time. As a big brother, Xu Xinghe raised his head again. He first glanced over the teenager¡¯s outfit, thinking that this might just be a popular dress for teenagers in Suker City, and it wasn¡¯t necessarily related to words like ¡°rebellious period¡± or ¡°street gangster¡±, and he shouldn¡¯t hold any prejudice in this regard. Then he turned to the boy¡¯s eyes again, thinking that he might just be frightened, like a small animal that¡¯ll inevitably show hostility and aggression when frightened¡­ perhaps? Just as Xu Xinghe looked at the boy, the boy also noticed him. He didn¡¯t know why he was inexplicably allowed to go back this time. Could it be that those black-hearted guys finally found a conscience? As if! After kicking the metal fence of the cell and yelling at the guards for three minutes, what was waiting for him wasn¡¯t a baton, but their smiling faces?? Until he changed back to his clothes, he still couldn¡¯t believe what happened in front of him. Oh, the other party also said that someone came to pick him up. This is even more impossible! Father is gone, and mother is on the hospital bed again. It¡¯s impossible for little Lily to come with her doll, right? Ahahah, XXH¡¯s trying to think the best of his brother, trying to put the label of small animal on him. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 81 With unresolved doubts and simmering anger, Chu Yufei changed into his clothes and ¡®led¡¯ the two guards to the interrogation room. As soon as he entered the door, he was shocked by the scene in front of him. A room full of unfamiliar faces. There was still an uneasy aura floating in the air. It was a pheromone from an alpha, strong and domineering, deep and intense. Chu Yufei shrank his shoulders uncomfortably. Really, how can alphas who can¡¯t control their own pheromones these days walk around like this! Their character must be terrible! He looked around and suddenly had an ominous feeling in his heart. It can¡¯t be that he offended those guys again, so they brought guards over and planned to kill him secretly here?? As the faces of his mother and sister flashed in the boy¡¯s mind, there was a trace of panic in his eyes, but he still pretended to be calm and asked: ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± At the same time, Xu Xinghe also said: ¡°Are you A Fei? I¡­¡± The two spoke almost together, and the young man¡¯s clear and gentle voice was interrupted by the boy¡¯s irritable tone. Chu Yufei was stunned for a while, turned his eyes to the young man who appeared to be concerned about him from the beginning, and asked, ¡°Who are you? Do we know each other?¡± The teenager has a pair of big and round almond eyes. His brows and eyes are not as gentle as his mother¡¯s, but there is still a bit of resemblance when he moves his eyes. And Xu Xinghe, he has a pair of deer eyes that are 80% similar to his mother. This resemblance caused them to have an inexplicable familiarity the moment their eyes met. However, this touch did not make Chu Yufei¡¯s tone any better. His voice was still brash and arrogant, and his eyes were still full of vigilance and hostility. And when this kind of hostile gaze stayed on Xu Xinghe for more than five seconds, another thing Xu Xinghe was worried about finally happened¡­ Ling Changfeng, who was standing quietly behind him, suddenly stretched out his hand and rested it on his shoulder, then slowly raised his eyes to look at the young man in front of him. At that moment, all the cold hairs on Chu Yufei¡¯s body stood up. His senses have been more sensitive than ordinary people for as long as he could remember. At this moment, it was like he was thrust in a cage. Every pore received a sudden shock and threat, forcing him to take a step back subconsciously. And all of this came from just one look. Chu Yufei turned his head stiffly and looked at the owner of that gaze. A tall alpha stood there, with a pair of golden and blue eyes that were particularly eye-catching. Those eyes were sharp, tough, and deep, making it almost impossible to look him directly in the eyes. Frankly speaking, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes did not contain any malice or hostility, and he would not be angry with a sixteen-year-old child. What happened is more like a natural suppression, and can also be regarded as a mild warning. The boy thought he had concealed his nervousness and fear well. But whether it was his pretentious calm posture, stern questioning, or arrogant provocation, it was all just naive posturing in Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this young and ignorant little guy. He¡¯s still suffering from being in the susceptible period, and has no time to take care of wayward children right now. But he was still instinctively unable to tolerate someone staring at his little mate with hostile eyes ¨C as if they were staring at his prey in his territory. ¡°Changfeng? Are you okay?¡± Feeling the change in his mood, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t care about the people in this room. He turned sideways directly, reached out and put his hand on Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand, and then patted it lightly. Ling Changfeng took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to suppress the riot in his heart. He couldn¡¯t scare his little spouse at a time like this; they were going back to the capital together tomorrow. Thinking of this, Ling Changfeng nodded silently, using his eyes to signal Xu Xinghe not to worry. He released a little kind and peaceful pheromone, like a gentle trickle, which gently stuck to the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck. Trying to tell his omega in the most blunt way possible: ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±. His silent appeasement and sincerity was indeed effective, but because the location of touch was too sensitive, it gave off a slight flirtatious meaning. And in plain sight. Xu Xinghe¡¯s face turned slightly red. Even though he knew that ordinary people couldn¡¯t capture this pheromone, he still felt that his love was being spied on, so he released his hand and said in a very light and helpless voice, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± On the opposite side, Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes blew wide open. It is true that ordinary people cannot capture this pheromone, but he is not an ordinary person. He was born with keen senses and has a strong ability to perceive and control pheromones. Even the weakest pheromones that others can¡¯t help emanating will conjure up shapes and images in his mind. For example, in school, when others see the monitor and the study committee members walking on the playground side by side, what he sees is the pheromones of the two people lingering together, turning into a pair of lovers holding hands and kissing. He can clearly sense the interaction between pheromones and even complete corresponding ideas in his mind. This kind of ability is a kind of talent, but when combined with his unpredictable behavior, it will inevitably become a burden at times, and may even lead to disaster. Back to the topic, he also captured the ripples floating in the air at that moment. Gentle and delicate, ambiguous and charming. It is hard to imagine that such an aura actually emanated from that terrifying man with mismatched pupils! A moment ago, his pheromones were still surging like a tsunami, with a sense of destruction, but the next moment suddenly it rained, ice melted, and the stream gurgled. Not only that, the teenager also saw a very magical picture. A mighty, bewildered tiger, reluctantly opened its mouth wide and bared its fangs, as if it wanted to bite the back of its prey¡¯s neck. But in the end, it just carefully put away its sharp claws, and lightly touched the dewy flowers under the twilight with its fleshly paw. Tail curling up contently, the tiger wrapped around the patch of flowers in its territory. All the trees in the forest faded in the pair of gold and sapphire orbs; only this square inch of land needs to be guarded. All this happened so quickly and suddenly, that the boy¡¯s eyes widened speechlessly. Everything is so weird tonight. A few hours ago, when he was involuntarily tied to this hellish place, he thought he was unlucky enough for today. Why does he still see such a hot-eyed picture now?? The teenager looked at the two adults in front of him inexplicably, and didn¡¯t understand at all what was happening. But he was quite certain that the two had no ill will towards him. So his tone became a little unscrupulous ¨C or in other words, his original form was revealed. ¡°Sorry to interrupt¡­ Can someone tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡± His cynical and almost provocative tone earlier made the person in charge of the juvenile detention center wipe away his sweat frantically. He almost wanted to go up to the teenager and kick him until he shut up. But then again, it turns out that he doesn¡¯t know these big men either? Then why did they come find him in person?? Hearing this, Xu Xinghe also turned his attention back to his younger brother, but in front of everyone, he didn¡¯t directly clarify everything, and simply said, ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°To find your mother.¡± Hearing the word ¡°mother¡±, a different emotion flashed through Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes. It was loose and soft, but he immediately became vigilant again. ¡°Who are you? Do you know my mother? Why don¡¯t I know you?¡± Xu Xinghe sighed slightly and stepped forward, wanting to have a good talk with him. Unexpectedly, the boy suddenly clenched his fists and made a defensive action subconsciously: ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to fight??¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He opened his mouth to explain, but before he made a sound, his eyes suddenly stopped. . As soon as he got close, he saw that there were faint streaks of red, scratches, and bruises on the boy¡¯s arms and cheeks. It¡¯s just because the boy¡¯s skin is dark, and with his colorful clothing and tattoos on his arm that these injuries were not noticeable at first. ¡°They did something to you?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s voice was a little cold. Chu Yufei was slightly taken aback. ¡°No, no.¡± The director on the side quickly waved his hand to deny it, but more cold sweat beaded on his forehead. The young man also sneered, his expression showing a bit of coldness and disdain. ¡°It¡¯s not their hands, at least not this time. But what¡¯s your business?¡± Xu Xinghe pursed his lips and silently looked at the young man in front of him. It can be seen that the teenager is extremely insecure, which is why he armed himself in an almost self-destructive way. From beginning to end, he acted restless, planting the seeds, but when these seeds bloomed, only the word ¡°scared¡± came out. Xu Xinghe tried to keep his voice softer, and said earnestly: ¡°It¡¯s late. I¡¯ll bring you back to your mother first, and I¡¯ll explain the rest to you slowly on the way.¡± The boy raised his chin. ¡°Why should I believe you? What if you take me away to some black shop to sell organs?¡± Xu Xinghe looked at the boy who was only sixteen years old, and about the same height as him, but a little thinner than himself, and suddenly felt a little sad. He wasn¡¯t sad for himself, but felt sorry the teenager had to live in such a terrible environment over the years. He sighed silently, didn¡¯t say any more, just raised his wrist, tapped the screen a few times, and called up the voice message Lily sent him half an hour ago¡ª ¡°Brother Xinghe, have you found brother yet? When are you coming back? I have everything packed, and will wait for you to come back.¡± The girl¡¯s tender voice sounded in the room. Xu Xinghe raised his eyes and said to the surprised teenager: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Without giving the teenager time to react, he turned to Colonel Lewis and said, ¡°Take him away first.¡± After speaking, he gently took Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand, planning to leave this place of right and wrong. Marshal Ling glanced down, lingering on Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand for a few seconds, and then followed his little spouse very cooperatively. ¡°Yes.¡± Colonel Lewis nodded slightly, picked up the boy from his back collar and followed. ¡°F*ck! What are you doing? Let go!!¡± The young man was nearly 1.8 meters tall, but was carried by Colonel Lewis like a weak chicken, without any room for resistance. Completely suppressed and out of breath, Chu Yufei¡¯s scolding soared. ¡°You uncle! Hurry up and put me down!¡± Colonel Lewis continued to carry the boy forward dutifully without even frowning when he heard the words. ¡°F*ck! Can you understand people¡¯s words? I #*(&%(@¡­¡± Chu Yufei¡¯s scolding on the way from the interrogation room to the side entrance was grating on the ears. Xu Xinghe frowned slightly at the foul words, unable to continue listening. He suddenly stopped and turned around, ¡°Don¡¯t speak dirty words.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Chu Yufei felt that this person was too inexplicable. ¡°Who the hell are you? Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your brother.¡± ¡°Then this old man is your ancestor!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt the hand tightening on his back collar. The temperature in the air plummeted, as if freezing his blood solid. Chu Yufei shrank his neck in cowardice. But his face was still scrunched in dissatisfaction. Xu Xinghe looked at him and suddenly asked: ¡°Do you talk like that in front of your mother and Lily?¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± He was stunned, and fell speechless. Xu Xinghe continued to walk forward, and the boy followed behind him. When he spoke again, he didn¡¯t curse, but his tone was still not good. ¡°Who are you?¡± Xu Xinghe lifted his foot and got into the car: ¡°I¡¯m your brother.¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± Even in Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes LCF is a big tiger. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 82.1 Chu Yufei pursed his lips and stood there, silently looking at the obviously modified luxury business car in front of him. Before his father¡¯s death, he had also experienced the life of a young master who lived a life of gold and jade for several years. As such, even if he was not familiar with the model in front of him, he could see at a glance that the car was expensive. With the doors open, one can see that the interior of the vehicle is also very luxurious. A curved wine bar, large television, and an office workstation are all available. Chu Yufei couldn¡¯t figure out, how did his life intersect with the kind of person who travels in this kind of car? On the side, Colonel Lewis, was having another headache. Frankly speaking, he didn¡¯t really want to stuff this kid who liked to talk his mouth off into the car- Having this guy in the same enclosed space as his boss¡­ such a scene is a disaster waiting to happen. However, the choice wasn¡¯t his to make. Just as he was thinking about it, Xu Xinghe stuck half his head out of the car. ¡°A Fei, come and sit with us.¡± Chu Yufei¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, fighting the urge to say ¡®we¡¯re not familiar with each other, don¡¯t call me that.¡¯ But the next moment, his eyes suddenly looked passed Xu Xinghe, to the alpha behind him who said nothing from beginning to end. Marshal Ling was already sitting in his seat with his eyes closed and resting. His attitude seemed calm, but at that moment, Chu Yufei clearly saw the scene of a big tiger shaking its head in dissatisfaction, and slapping the door. It seems that he¡¯s not very welcome in the vehicle. A provocative smile bloomed on his face, as Chu Yufei raised his feet and walked up. Then he sat down opposite the two of them unceremoniously, tucking himself into the large and comfortable seating, and looked up at the two of them vigilantly. To be honest, even after hearing Lily¡¯s voice, he still didn¡¯t trust these two men who appeared out of nowhere. What if Lily was misled by this omega¡¯s rhetoric? Wait a minute¡­ omega? Chu Yufei suddenly realized something. He moved the tip of his nose and sniffed in the air, and finally realized something was wrong¡ª Why can¡¯t he smell the other party¡¯s pheromone? Generally speaking, as long as they are not in the susceptible period or the estrus period, alphas and omegas will consciously control their pheromones not to leak out, but this doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t emit pheromones. In fact, apart from betas, everyone will emit some traces of pheromones, but it is often below the level the general population can detect. And Chu Yufei happened to have the ability to catch such traces. But at this moment, he could clearly perceive an omega sitting across from him, but he couldn¡¯t smell the scent of the other party¡¯s pheromone. Does this man¡¯s pheromone have no smell?? Maintaining this scrutinizing, pondering attitude, the teenager¡¯s eyes stayed on Xu Xinghe for a long time. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t mind being looked at by his younger brother a few more times, but he was worried that the big cat beside him would sharpen his claws again. So he opened my mouth first, intending to end the awkward situation. ¡°Do you have any questions to ask me?¡± Chu Yufei retracted his gaze, but just leaned back and refused to answer. ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, looking like he was negotiating. ¡°Then let me ask a question¡ª¡± His tone was gentle, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he asked a question that Chu Yufei didn¡¯t want to answer: ¡°Why were you arrested today?¡± Chu Yufei sneered, ¡°Because they caught me.¡± This time, the boy didn¡¯t protest with silence. He really isn¡¯t the type of person who likes to remain silent. Xu Xinghe shook his head: ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care how I got in!¡± Chu Yufei felt very irritable, and his voice couldn¡¯t help raising a bit. ¡°If you talk now, I won¡¯t tell mother about this.¡± ¡°What? You dare to threaten me!?¡± Chu Yufei almost jumped up. Like an angry little wolf cub, he tried to hide his panic by baring his teeth. ¡°Whose your mother? That¡¯s my mother!¡± ¡°She¡¯s also my mother.¡± Xu Xinghe replied calmly. ¡°Huh?¡± Chu Yufei suspected that he had heard wrong. A ¡°you¡¯re kidding me¡± expression froze on his face, and he didn¡¯t move. Without giving his brother the chance to restart his brain, Xu Xinghe repeated: ¡°I said, she¡¯s my mother too.¡± Chu Yufei looked at him as if he was looking at a mental patient. ¡°Did you find the wrong person?¡± Xu Xinghe responded with an expression of kind patience as if dealing with a young child. ¡°I went to a juvenile detention center for you. Do you think I¡¯d pick up the wrong person?¡± Chu Yufei¡¯s face switched back and forth between blue and purple, and he asked again, ¡°Mom accepted you as a foster child? Why did she do this? No, why did you do it?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He doesn¡¯t understand the brain circuits of teenagers very well. ¡°Did mom say¡­ she had a child before marrying your father?¡± Xu Xinghe was also observing Chu Yufei¡¯s expression when he said this. When he saw the boy¡¯s eyes widen gradually, he knew that his mother should have mentioned this. As for Chu Yufei, he was completely taken aback. What a joke! He was vaguely aware that he had a half-brother. However, shouldn¡¯t that ¡°brother¡± be far away on Capital Star? Didn¡¯t he live with his father? How could a stranger who should never be seen in this life suddenly appear here?? Chu Yufei waited for a long time to find his voice, still refusing to accept it. ¡°You say you¡¯re my brother? How can you prove it? Are you trying to take advantage of me?¡± Xu Xinghe chuckled lightly and joked: ¡°What do you have for me to take advantage of?¡± After he asked this sentence, he suddenly realized that the conversation was going off topic, and sighed helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, answer my first question first.¡± As he was speaking, he casually pulled up the teenager¡¯s electronic file. ¡°If these records are left in your file, it will affect your future development.¡± Although records can be deleted and modified, he has to understand what happened first. Chu Yufei snorted coldly, stubbornly refusing to answer. ¡°So what. Even if what happened today isn¡¯t recorded, there are still two times from before.¡± ¡°En, thank you for the reminder.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, and then asked, ¡°So, what happened the previous two times?¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± The other party¡¯s inquiring attitude made him suddenly feel like he was digging a hole and jumping in by himself. ¡°Speak.¡± Xu Xinghe urged him gently. His voice was never harsh, but with a gentle tenacity and patient persistence. Chu Yufei looked away from such a voice and looked down at the carpet under his feet. It took a long time to speak, but he said, ¡°You can¡¯t tell mom about this, she is still ill¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him. ¡°You know she¡¯s ill, so why did you go pick fights with people?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± The young man raised his head suddenly and stared at Xu Xinghe fiercely, but his eyes were a little red. In those black eyes, there was the stubbornness, grief, and helplessness unique to youth, and there was also a little familiar grievance. It lasted a moment before he gave up, finally breaking the jar to say: ¡°Okay, I admit it, I beat people, it¡¯s all my fault anyway.¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know what to think. Eyes flashing, his expression gradually softened. He coaxed him like a child: ¡°A Fei, believe me, I¡¯m here to help you. No matter what misunderstandings or other secrets there are, can you tell me about it?¡± Chu Yufei raised his head and looked at him, trying to find a hint of hypocrisy or mockery in those eyes, so that he could logically refuse to speak. But he only saw sincerity. Chu Yufei lowered his head again, was quiet for a long time, and finally opened his mouth. This chapter was a wee bit long so I split it Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 82.2 The matter originated from the beginning of this year, when he accidentally peeped at the dirty mind of a scumbag classmate at the school gate and exposed it. Later, the two scuffled together and punched each other a few times. Although the fight did not cause any substantial harm, the problem was that this scumbag classmate happens to be the son of the local police chief, and has a bunch of dog-legged followers in the school. So this group of people began to appear in front of Chu Yufei every now and then to make trouble. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t able to tolerate them. After his father¡¯s death, the sudden changes in life slowly made the former young master Chu give up on himself. He often skipped classes and went to Internet cafes with his friends. He also made friends with dropout youths, often hanging out with them. Slowly, he began to believe in the street rule of ¡°fists first, questions later¡±, and would always use his fists to solve problems first when anyone came asking for it. Until a certain time, one of them suddenly fell down in front of him. Initially, he really believed it was because he hit too hard, which is why he was taken away by the police for investigation. Until his ¡®good classmate¡¯ showed up at the police station and told him with a smile, ¡°see you in fifteen days.¡± In the end, as the other party said, he was detained in the juvenile detention center for fifteen days. A month after being released, something similar happened again. Chu Yufei tried his best to tolerate it as much as possible. But those bastards stole his schoolbag, tore up his homework, and even blocked the door to the toilet. From provocation to hitting, they became more and more unscrupulous. It was impossible for him not to fight back. This time, someone else ¡°fell down¡±, but that person¡¯s acting skills were too poor. Chu Yufei remembered that he was clearly kicking the opponent¡¯s left knee, and didn¡¯t use too much force, but the other party covered his right knee after falling to the ground. So Chu Yufei asked to see the other party¡¯s injury appraisal report, and tried his best to argue that he didn¡¯t do anything serious, but even so, because of his extremely uncooperative attitude, what awaited him was a month-long stay with the trainer¡¯s baton in the juvenile detention center. ¡°This time the situation is similar.¡± The boy shrugged, as if he didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. When it happened for the first time, I thought I would be expelled from school, which is fine cause I can go to work instead. But in the end, the school didn¡¯t even expel me¡­ It¡¯s probably because of that guy, he¡¯s deliberately toying with me. I thought about dropping out, but my mother wants me to go to school and graduate.¡± There was a layer of frost between his brows as Chu Yufei explained calmly, ¡°So I¡¯ve made up my mind to bear with it these days. If one day my mother is gone, I¡¯ll take a knife and go die with that guy.¡± It was impossible to describe his feelings as Xu Xinghe listened to his younger brother say all of this so calmly. Silence pervaded for a long moment. He also thought that with the strength of the Alliance¡¯s protection of minors, even on a planet like Pelpa, his younger brother and sister¡¯s lives wouldn¡¯t be too bad. He was utterly wrong. At that moment, he seemed to understand why his mother would rather endure separating with her own flesh and blood than bring him back to Pelpa. ¡°What, did I scare you?¡± Seeing his expression, Chu Yufei raised his eyebrows, and made a very hollow smile with his lips. ¡°Are you trying to comfort me?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Xu Xinghe also twitched the corners of his mouth, and released a helpless chuckle. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then looked into his brother¡¯s eyes, and said gently and seriously: ¡°But before that, A Fei, I want to tell you three things first. First, mother¡¯s illness may not be untreatable. There may be a way to treat her on the Capital Star, Changfeng has already arranged everything. We will set off together tomorrow afternoon, and will follow her back to the Capital Star for treatment.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± The boy¡¯s black eyes gleamed brightly, with a few streaks of redness. ¡°Really.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise too much. But I can say that there is still hope.¡± ¡°Second, about what you said¡­¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head and called the person in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Colonel Lewis.¡± ¡°Understood, this subordinate will immediately send someone to investigate and deal with it.¡± Colonel Lewis immediately nodded and replied. ¡°If the situation is true, and they abused their power, fabricated evidence, and framed minors, they will not be able to leave prison for three to five years later.¡± Chu Yufei was stunned for a while, then stammered: ¡°But, but his father is the police chief¡­¡± ¡°Public officials knowingly breaking the law face stricter punishments.¡± Colonel Lewis answered. Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t seem to be joking, Chu Yufei couldn¡¯t help but ask Xu Xinghe, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Your brother.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and reached out and touched his head. Chu Yufei shrank his neck uncomfortably. He still seemed a little unconvinced, but did not dodge this time. ¡°Third, A Fei.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand fell on the boy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Mom didn¡¯t give up, neither did Lily nor I. So no matter what happens, please don¡¯t give up. Keep on living well, okay??¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him tenderly, but his tone was solemn: ¡°As long as you live, there will be a tomorrow.¡± Chu Yufei was silent for a while, then nodded. Then he looked up at him, and a sentence popped out: ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s change the subject.¡± Xu Xinghe withdrew his hand and sat up straight again. ¡°By the way, you just now said you can see¡­ uh, people¡¯s pheromones? And infer what they want to do from that?¡± Xu Xinghe thought it was amazing. ¡°Almost, but it¡¯s not that mysterious. Because most of the time, people can control their pheromones. If the spillover is too weak, it doesn¡¯t appear as a picture. I can only see those when someone has strong emotions.¡± Chu Yufei explained. ¡°Then can you see mine?¡± Xu Xinghe pointed to himself. Chu Yufei was depressed: ¡°You¡¯re rather strange, you don¡¯t have any smell¡­¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing his indescribable expression, the teenager thought he didn¡¯t believe him. So in order to prove himself, he boldly stretched out his hand and pointed at Ling Changfeng: ¡°I can see his!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe turned to look at Ling Changfeng beside him. Marshal Ling has been sitting in the seat with his eyes closed since he got in the car, without any expression on his stern face. He didn¡¯t move the whole time, as if he was asleep. ¡°What about him?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°He¡¯s not asleep at all. His pheromones have been around you all the time, wanting to entangle you, eat you, and possess you!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± And this is why I love Chu Yufei. His outspoken-ness is needed between XXH & LCF! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 83 Ling Changfeng slowly opened his eyes. Saying he¡¯s been pretending to be asleep is inaccurate; he¡¯s just selectively closing his eyes and being a silent observer. After all, out of sight is out of mind. It¡¯s a pity that the ignorant young man in front of him didn¡¯t give him this chance. Under the gaze of mismatched pupils, Chu Yufei couldn¡¯t help shrinking back. His back retreated, gluing to the seat behind him, until he could retreat no further. OMG, this man¡¯s eyes are so scary! Ling Changfeng ignored the boy¡¯s flinch, raised his chin slightly, and said coldly, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± This is the first time Chu Yufei heard him speak. HIs first and only impression is that this person¡¯s voice is the same as his eyes ¨C cold and quiet with a hidden edge. But why is his pheromone so manic? Like a tsunami! Chu Yufei froze, pointed at himself, and asked incredulously, ¡°Me? Get off??¡± Is he kidding? They¡¯re on the expressway. Does he really want him to get off?! Unconvinced, the teenager justified himself with a bit of grievance: ¡°Why are you driving me out of the car? What I said was not a lie¡­¡± Ling Changfeng stopped looking at him, and turned to Lewis in the front. ¡°Find another person to drive him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Colonel Lewis nodded quickly. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Seeing that he was serious, before Lewis could find someone, Xu Xinghe quickly stopped him. He turned his head and said helplessly to Ling Changfeng: ¡°What are you mad at a child for? Don¡¯t scare him.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not called being mad, it¡¯s called a guilty conscience.¡± Chu Yufei added in a low voice. He didn¡¯t dare to look at Ling Changfeng when he spoke. He was obviously afraid, but he just couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. What¡¯s more, when he heard someone speaking up for him, his courage immediately grew. ¡°You stop too.¡± Xu Xinghe glared at him casually, signaling him not to add fuel to the fire. Ling Changfeng turned his head and looked at Xu Xinghe silently. There was a hint of accusation in his eyes at his spouse¡¯s behavior of favoring a younger brother and forgetting his husband, as if accusing him of being biased. Xu Xinghe was caught by such eyes, and fell speechless for a moment. At the same time, his temples began to pound again. He only felt that the two of them were more difficult to serve than the other. In the front, Colonel Lewis also felt tangled. Although he felt that things might turn around, he could only arrange for Chu Yufei¡¯s ¡°transfer¡± before the marshal had officially spoken. Xu Xinghe also knew this truth. Seeing that Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t let go, he could only reluctantly turn to pet the cat. He sat beside Ling Changfeng, reached out and lightly touched Ling Changfeng¡¯s right hand that was hanging by his side. Chu Yufei watched helplessly as the big tiger in his heart fell on its side, revealing its fluffy belly, as if waiting for someone to smooth its hair. But what happened in reality is that he lowered his eyes calmly, still maintaining a cold and silent appearance. Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± Is he playing hard to get? Xu Xinghe gently fiddled with the man¡¯s fingertips. Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, he rubbed his fingers again, clasping their two hands together. Seeing this, the face of the young man sitting across from him wrinkled, and he turned his head uncomfortably. What¡¯s the matter with this spicy picture of a fierce tiger acting like a baby? It is probably some kind of greasy and crooked stinky couple behavior. Finally appeased, Ling Changfeng opened his mouth to signal Lewis to let it go this time. Hearing the reprieve, the young man who had just escaped from catastrophe jumped up, eager to try again. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Chu Yufei looked at Xu Xinghe, then at Ling Changfeng, swallowed, but still couldn¡¯t hold back his damn curiosity, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you two?¡± ¡°I also want to ask a question.¡± Xu Xinghe sighed, and instead of answering, he asked, ¡°Can you be quiet for a while?¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, I can guess without you answering anyway.¡± The young man looked dissatisfied as he sat back in his seat. Xu Xinghe looked at him with amusement. ¡°Yet you still ask?¡± The boy snorted softly, and really quieted down. In this silence, Xu Xinghe finally felt that the world was clean, so he also closed his eyes to rest. After a while. Chu Yufei suddenly spoke again and asked, ¡°A couple?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He opened his eyes and looked at Chu Yufei speechlessly and helplessly. ¡°Why? You asked me to be quiet for a while, and ¡®a while¡¯ has already lapsed.¡± Chu Yufei has 10,000 reasons to defend his right to speak. ¡°Then how can I make you quiet for another hour?¡± Xu Xinghe asked sincerely. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Chu Yufei refused very succinctly, ¡°Unless you answer my question first.¡± ¡°Spouse, we are legal spouses.¡± Xu Xinghe replied generously. This is a marriage announced in the five major galaxies and witnessed by millions of eyes. There is nothing to explain. He even added a sentence: ¡°We were matched by the mastermind four months ago, is that enough detail?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Xinghe suddenly froze slightly. Turning his head, he blinked at Ling Changfeng: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It felt like Ling Changfeng wasn¡¯t satisfied with his answer, but what¡¯s wrong with what he said? Chu Yufei also felt this emotional fluctuation. However, the former is because of the connection of minds brought about by their high degree of matching, while the latter is simply because of individual talent. Chu Yufei watched strangely as the big tiger pricked up its ears first, then wagged its tail because of the word ¡°spouse¡±, and finally, after hearing the words ¡°matched by the mastermind¡±, drooped down with a sullen back and turned around¡­ What¡¯s the matter with this guy, does he have a split personality?? No matter how unpredictable Marshal Ling¡¯s inner world was, his physical appearance was always expressionless, sitting motionlessly in the seat. ¡°Nothing, you¡¯re right.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°?¡± He knew that Ling Changfeng in the susceptible period was more sensitive than other times, and even had a little wayward temper of making trouble. So he patiently tolerated these petty behaviors as much as possible ¨C just like the other party was patient with him when he was drunk. ¡°How do you want me to answer?¡± Xu Xinghe observed Ling Changfeng¡¯s expression. Suddenly his heart moved, and he realized: ¡°We are¡­ lovers?¡± He tilted his head and blinked at Ling Changfeng. Although it was a questioning tone, the word ¡°lover¡± inevitably made Marshal Ling feel better. The pheromones scattered in the air were entangled again. Filling the car full of small heart-shaped bubbles. Chu Yufei, who was originally watching the excitement: ¡°¡­¡± Come again?! Xu Xinghe smiled and said warmly: ¡°By the way, I suddenly remembered something. When your susceptible period passes, should we make up for our honeymoon?¡± ¡°Susceptible period?!¡± Full of surprise, a teenage voice suddenly inserted itself without warning. He opened his mouth wide and stared at Ling Changfeng dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re actually in the susceptible period??¡± The teenager couldn¡¯t believe it. If an alpha is in the susceptible period, ordinary people can clearly feel it, not to mention his keen intuition of people. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t notice the abnormal pheromones, but he didn¡¯t consider the susceptible period at all. Because his current performance was very different from that of average alphas experiencing their susceptible period. If pheromone fluctuation is quantified, the fluctuation value of non-susceptible average alphas may be between 1-10, while Ling Changfeng is only marginally higher, at about 10-20. But for alphas in the susceptible period, this threshold can suddenly soar to 50-100, or even higher. In contrast, the man¡¯s performance is still too calm. What¡¯s more, shouldn¡¯t alphas be isolated at home during their susceptible periods? ¡°You even came out during your susceptible period?¡± Chu Yufei asked subconsciously. After asking, he regretted it. It was quiet in the car. Colonel Lewis, who was sitting in the front row, didn¡¯t dare to look back at his boss¡¯s face. Across the entire Alliance, I¡¯m afraid that no one dares ask such a question in front of Marshal Ling. The young man shrank his neck and hurriedly said: ¡°Uh¡­I mean, it would be good if other alphas¡¯ susceptible period can be controlled like this¡­¡± This is true, and also why he didn¡¯t think of the susceptible period at first. He could feel the man¡¯s annoyance and irritability, as well as the strong possessiveness. However, at least the man can still maintain a calm appearance and can ride a car normally, which is very rare for an alpha in a susceptible period. Besides, there¡¯s an omega by his side. It¡¯s not that Chu Yufei hasn¡¯t seen a susceptible alpha. As long as he accidentally smells such pheromones, a red-faced picture will automatically form in his mind. Thinking of this, Chu Yufei looked at Ling Changfeng with a complicated look. He thought to himself, when other people are susceptible, they¡¯re thinking of crazy love, why is this man still stuck at touching hands in his susceptible period? That¡¯s right! Ask the big questions ¨C why are they still stuck at holding hands!! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 84 After a whole night of tossing, Xu Xinghe finally brought his brother back to the hospital after eleven o¡¯clock at night. Little Lily was so sleepy that she fell asleep on the sofa in the ward. The two brothers walked into the ward lightly, and the surroundings were silent. The teenager put away his rebellious appearance, walked quietly to the hospital bed, sat down and held his mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back.¡± Xia Roushuang¡¯s1XXH¡¯s mom. First time her name¡¯s mentioned illness has reached an advanced stage, and she spends her days in a sleepless state lingering between dreams and wakefulness. Sometimes awake, sometimes in a coma. Unable to eat normally, she lost a lot of weight, and her mental state also deteriorated. However, when she opened her eyes and saw her two sons appearing side by side in front of the bed, with her younger daughter still sleeping peacefully beside her, she still smiled softly. A tear flowed out of those beautiful eyes without warning, half joy, half resignation. ¡°Mom, rest first, there is a long trip tomorrow.¡± Xu Xinghe looked into her eyes, and his voice was infinitely gentle. ¡°Everything will be fine, trust me.¡± ¡°En, good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± The woman closed her eyes again. Chu Yufei sat on the bedside, then got up and put his mother¡¯s hand back on the quilt. Xu Xinghe watched from the side, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and at the same time he was slightly relieved. He found that although Chu Yufei looked like an arrogant child outside, he was quite sensible in front of his mother at the moment. Then he saw his brother turn around and walk towards the sofa. He bent down and picked up the blanket that fell on the ground, wrapped his sleeping sister with the blanket, and carefully picked Lily up. A set of movements is visibly gentle to the naked eye, and there is absolutely no arrogance from back in the juvenile detention center. Even so, the sleeping girl was still disturbed. Lily yawned, lying on Chu Yufei¡¯s shoulder and moving her eyelids. Before the little girl opened her eyes, she had already called out in a daze: ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°En, go to sleep, I¡¯ll take you back to your room.¡± Chu Yufei said softly, and skillfully adjusted her into a more comfortable position. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lily was so sleepy that she fell back to sleep. The two walked out of their mother¡¯s ward together and sent Lily back to her own bed. Xu Xinghe looked at the small suitcase that Lily put aside, and said to his younger brother: ¡°It¡¯s late, you should go to rest as soon as possible. After getting up tomorrow, you should pack your things. I will pick you up at noon.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the Capital Star? ¡°Although Xu Xinghe had already shared the general arrangements, the young teenager couldn¡¯t help but want to confirm it again. After all, he has not left Pelpa Star since he was a child. Suddenly being told that he¡¯s leaving for another planet tomorrow inevitably didn¡¯t feel real. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to Capital Star, to accompany mother for treatment, and then start a new life together.¡± Xu Xinghe said. ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Yufei nodded and followed Xu Xinghe to the temporary residence arranged for him by the hospital. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Xu Xinghe said goodbye to his younger brother. ¡°Good night.¡± Chu Yufei opened the door and was about to enter the room when he suddenly stopped, took two steps back, and fell back in front of Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe was slightly startled: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Yufei lowered his head, with an unspeakable expression, tangled for a long time, and suddenly choked out two words: ¡°Good night.¡± Then he flung the door open and entered the room as if he was running away. Xu Xinghe stood outside the house, looking at the closed door, not sure if he had hallucinated- His younger brother seemed to be blushing just now. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly shook his head and smiled, then turned to look for Ling Changfeng. After such a chaotic night, Xu Xinghe was also tired. Marshal Ling could tell his spouse was tired, so he very considerately did not ask to share a bed with him, but sent the person to the next room to sleep. So, everyone spent their last night in Pelpa without any danger. Early the next morning, Adjutant Qin, who was far away in Capital Star, turned on his phone bombing mode, calling them in person non-stop to confirm the return itinerary, flight route, and emergency plan. Since there were two patients on the spacecraft ¨C Qin Yuan automatically classified Ling Changfeng in the susceptible period into the ¡°patient¡± column, as a patient with a high risk factor that needs special care ¨C he arranged a special medical plane and a military medical team as escorts. Only after making a series of relevant preparations did he dare to let Ling Changfeng follow them into the spaceship. Accompanied and supervised by her children and medical staff, Mother Xu lay on a mobile bed and arrived at Beidou No. 03 military airport in the north of Suker City. Along the way, she rallied her energy to chat with her children for a while, trying to appease her little daughter who was traveling for the first time. When she got to the airport, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and fell asleep again. The military airport was not open to the public, nor was it displayed on the map, so it was the first time that Chu Yufei knew that there was an airport here. Looking at the soldiers with guns and the fighter jets equipped with missiles in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help poking Xu Xinghe with his elbow. ¡°Is your man an officer? What about the others?¡± Until now, he still didn¡¯t know Ling Changfeng is the famous Alliance Marshal of the five major galaxies. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He was taken aback by this straightforward statement, but did not answer. Chu Yufei turned his head to look at him. ¡°Or should he be called brother-in-law?¡± Xu Xinghe was silent for a while, and said, ¡°You can also call him sister-in-law.¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe continued: ¡°The others have already boarded. Let¡¯s get on the spaceship first, and we¡¯ll talk about other things later.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly looked at his brother and asked curiously, ¡°I remember you had tattoos on your arms. Why did they disappear after one night?¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± The boy didn¡¯t seem to want to answer this question very much, and planned to feign ignorance. But before he could speak, he heard Lily ask: ¡°Brother has sticker tattoos again?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly became very intrigued. ¡°Sticker?¡± ¡°En, brother is afraid of pain, so he doesn¡¯t dare get a tattoo, but mmm!¡± Halfway through Lily¡¯s words, her brother covered her mouth. ¡°You talk too much!¡± Chu Yufei looked at his sister angrily. ¡°What are you saying outside!¡± ¡°But Brother Xinghe is not an outsider¡­¡± Lily broke free from her brother¡¯s claws, swayed her little feet, with a joyful smile on her face. She turned her head and smiled at Xu Xinghe, ¡°I even put a kitten tattoo on my brother before!¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help it, and finally burst out laughing. He reached out and rubbed his younger brother¡¯s little silver hair, and joked: ¡°I can¡¯t imagine¡­ Our A Fei is really good. Your hair dye isn¡¯t temporary as well, is it?¡± Chu Yufei shook his head irritably, got rid of Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand, and looked at the two of them angrily with fiery eyes. Xu Xinghe smiled and boarded the spaceship. Remember, but soon, he couldn¡¯t smile anymore. Because the moment Chu Yufei saw Ling Changfeng, he first smiled maliciously, and then opened his mouth and said, ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± This kind of behavior of hurting the enemy eight hundred and self-destructing one thousand directly killed Xu Xinghe who was caught off guard. Then Lily still tilted her little head, and repeated in her innocent childish voice: ¡°Sister-in-law?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, the entire spaceship was quiet. LCF: ¡­? XXH: Sh*t, my social death scene has come. Is it too late to say it¡¯s a joke? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 85 There was silence in the empty hall. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were wonderful. It¡¯s like seeing a biological invasion from outer space, or hearing the news that the planet is about to stop spinning. Shock, fright, disbelief¡­ Xu Xinghe stretched out his hand to rest his forehead, pressing against his throbbing head. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know how quick Chu Yufei¡¯s mouth was. He was almost thrown out of the car last night, but he was so bravely seeking death again. Did he not think he might be thrown out of the spaceship? The members of the guard on the side were completely shocked. Colonel Lewis originally thought that the young man was just a little more courageous and a little immature, but he never expected he was really unafraid of death. He stood silently behind Marshal Ling, trying to reduce his sense of existence as much as possible, for fear of being caught and silenced because he heard something he shouldn¡¯t have. In contrast, Marshal Ling¡¯s expression was much calmer. His susceptibility period is coming to an end, and his self-control is returning little by little. Chu Yufei could clearly feel that the other party¡¯s pheromone smell was slowly fading, and his mood was better than last night. Even so, when the pair of different pupils turned towards him, Chu Yufei couldn¡¯t help but feel a drum in his heart. Although he acts brave, he isn¡¯t really unafraid of death. The reason why he¡¯s so bold was because he noticed that Ling Changfeng isn¡¯t truly angry. Second, it was probably because he knew that there was someone standing beside him who could speak up for him¡ªalthough Chu Yufei didn¡¯t want to admit it for the time being. Under Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze, he subconsciously shrank behind his brother. Then he made the effort to redirect the trouble eastward: ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t look at me, my brother said you can be called sister-in-law.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Yes, blame him. He shouldn¡¯t have made such a joke, and given this little bastard such an idea! Anyway, he regrets it now, very much. However, when he heard the boy say ¡°my brother¡± so naturally, Xu Xinghe lost his temper. Turning around, he saw his younger brother sticking out his head behind him, looking at Ling Changfeng vigilantly like a little hamster, as if he was afraid of being beaten. He sighed and accepted the matter bravely: ¡°Okay, I said it¡­ I was joking.¡± He touched his nose embarrassedly, and his eyes began to wander, avoiding direct eye contact with Ling Changfeng. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the other party didn¡¯t seem to have any response, so he planned to fool past this matter. ¡°Ah that, I¡¯m tired, let¡¯s go and rest for a while.¡± Escape is one of the best tricks in the 36 Stratagems, and Xu Xinghe took his brother and ran away, pretending that nothing happened. Unexpectedly, when passing by Ling Changfeng, his wrist was trapped and lightly pulled by the marshal. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He raised his head and blinked at Ling Changfeng: ¡°I¡¯m going to rest.¡± There was no emotion in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Resting so early in the day?¡± Xu Xinghe replied seriously, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well last night.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and let go. ¡°Then I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± He still tried to play it off. Xu Xinghe¡¯s adam¡¯s apple rolled hard, and just as he was about to refuse, he suddenly thought of another thing: ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± Last night¡¯s Ling Changfeng was clearly restrained and forbearing. Because he was afraid that his poor emotional control would affect his rest, he even offered to sleep in separate rooms. How did he become so calm all of a sudden? A certain thought suddenly flashed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s mind, and his face changed involuntarily. ¡°You didn¡¯t secretly inject yourself with an inhibitor, right?¡± Everyone was shocked to see Xu Xinghe grabbing Marshal Ling¡¯s arm in the next moment, pulling up his sleeves, holding his arm, and began to look back and forth like examining a pet¡¯s paws. Going from one to the other is like examining a large domestic pet. Colonel Lewis: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s hard to say which of the two brothers is more courageous. The little one¡¯s mouth is like a train running off, but at least he didn¡¯t make any moves! What¡¯s even more bizarre is that the dignified Grand Marshal Ling did not show any resistance. He was really like a large domestic pet, cooperating obediently and letting Xu Xinghe play with his hands. Xu Xinghe carefully checked several times, and after confirming that there was no needle hole in his arm, he felt relieved and let go of his hand. Everyone else was worried that they would be torn apart by the sharp claws of the beast, but he was the only one worried about whether the tiger¡¯s claws were injured. Ling Changfeng looked down at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His tone was a little softer than before, his voice was low and slow. ¡°It¡¯s just that the symptoms are not that serious.¡± Ling Changfeng said. ¡°Oh.¡± Xu Xinghe let go of his hand embarrassedly, and seemed to realize that he had overreacted a little. ¡°Then I¡¯ll withdraw first¡­¡± After he said that, he was about to run away with oil on the soles of his feet. Then he was gently pulled by Ling Changfeng again. Ling Changfeng rolled his eyes slightly and asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe was a little confused, and asked instead, ¡°What did I say?¡± Marshal Ling asked slowly, ¡°You just asked him to call me what?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why isn¡¯t this matter over yet! He raised his head and glared at his brother who was not far away. Chu Yufei, who was eating melons and watching the play, his face stiffened and he took a few steps back silently.1should the apostrophe be after the name or after the phrase? This sentence structure always trips me up Under Ling Changfeng¡¯s scorching gaze, Xu Xinghe had no choice but to explain with difficulty. ¡°I am his brother.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°En.¡± ¡°A brother¡¯s other half, isn¡¯t it¡­ sister-in-law¡­¡± Near the end of the sentence, his voice faded bit by bit. Unexpectedly, Marshal Ling nodded calmly. ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Huh?¡± He raised his head and saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes flicker slightly, and there was a hint of teasing and ridicule beneath his calm. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It seems that only he¡¯s embarrassed! After suddenly realizing that Ling Changfeng was teasing him, he threw off his hand in anger, and ran into the rest cabin without looking back. Marshal Ling flicked the hem of his jacket and followed him leisurely with his hands behind him. Chu Yufei, who was on the side, had an ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± expression on his face at first, and then he simply turned his head away and stopped looking at them. Damn, he didn¡¯t want to watch it again! Only Lily continued to naively struggle with this question. ¡°Brother, who is sister-in-law?¡± Then Lily tilted her head and asked, ¡°Why is he called sister-in-law?¡± Chu Yufei was at a loss for words and pretended to cough twice. ¡°This¡­ don¡¯t ask about such things.¡± After speaking, he reached out and rubbed his sister¡¯s soft black hair. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for children.¡± Not far away, a huge roar blasted out, and the engine spewed out a blue high-temperature flame. A beep sounded in the hall, reminding everyone to sit in a safe position and the spacecraft was about to set sail. Amid the thunderous roars of the giant ship, everyone finally set foot on the way back. The spacecraft lifted off, broke through the atmosphere, and entered the vast universe. Xu Xinghe let out a long sigh of relief. When the spaceship passed the transition point and entered a stable course, he unbuckled his seat belt, lay down on the sofa in the rest cabin, and turned on his own electronic terminal. Too many things have happened recently, and he hasn¡¯t checked his mailbox and group messages for a long time. Hundreds of unread messages appeared in the group chat of Capital University F4. Xu Xinghe was too lazy to scroll forward, so he glanced at the most recent messages. Lin Qi: ¡°In the blink of an eye, Brother Xu has been out of contact for many days.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°I miss him.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled slightly, and the sentence ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon¡± was entered into the dialog box. But before he could respond, the next message popped up- Lin Qi: ¡°I miss his handsome appearance when he helped me write code¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Is there anyone else in the group who would like to learn from Brother Xu¡¯s helpful spirit?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡­ He had to emotionally delete the text in the dialog box. Cheryl: ¡°I¡¯m working, I¡¯m not free¡± Vincent: ¡°Walking the dog, I don¡¯t have time¡± Lin Qi: ¡°? Have you heard from him?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°No, when I called him two days ago, I felt that he was not in a good mood. He said he wanted to be alone, so I didn¡¯t dare harass him these two days :-(¡° Vincent: ¡°¡­ You have self-knowledge.¡± Cheryl: ¡°Sigh¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± As soon as he spoke, a screen full of exclamation marks appeared. Xu Xinghe: ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone kick him out yet?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°He¡¯s disturbing my eyes.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu, you¡¯ve changed¡­ we haven¡¯t seen each other for three days, where did our old affection2as in friendship go?¡± Vincent: ¡°Please stop arguing¡± Lin Qi: ¡°?? ¡° Cheryl: ¡°How is Brother Xu recently?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Is it alright, I¡¯m on my way back to the capital. I¡¯m bringing my mother back for treatment. The doctor said there¡¯s still hope.¡± Cheryl: ¡°Okay, then if there is anything you need to say in the group, we are always here.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at the screen and smiled, and continued typing: ¡°I won¡¯t talk to you guys for now, I¡¯ll go see my mother.¡± After that, he got up and walked towards the medical warehouse where his mother was still in a coma. Little Lily held her rag doll and sat obediently beside her. Xu Xinghe sat down beside her and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡°My brother said he didn¡¯t sleep well last night, and went to make up for it.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and said, ¡°Then Lily slept well last night?¡± Lily nodded: ¡°En, I slept well last night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Xinghe.¡± Lily suddenly thought of a question and turned to ask him: ¡°Have you brought that little sick cat on the spaceship?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned upon hearing her question. ¡°What cat?¡± ¡°You said it before, you had to go take care of a little cat that¡¯s sick. Is it healed now? Did you bring it with you?¡± Xu Xinghe laughed awkwardly, and replied in a blunt voice, ¡°Our Lily has a great memory.¡± Lily tilted her head and continued to look at Xu Xinghe curiously. Xu Xinghe pondered for a while, trying to figure out what to say, when he saw a figure walking in through the silver-gray metal door of the medical warehouse. Ling Changfeng just finished the phone call with Qin Yuan, and then came to look for his little spouse. After he entered the room, he slowly stood still, and first asked the military doctor on the side: ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡± ¡°Replying to the Marshal, the patient¡¯s condition is temporarily stable, and there is no further deterioration. We will monitor her at all times and report immediately if there is a situation.¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, then slowly turned his gaze to Xu Xinghe, and asked: ¡°You raised another cat?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Lily: Can I see the other kitty? LCF: You have another cat? XXH: No! Uhh¡­ *dies* ant faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 86 T/N: Thank you Wildziva for supporting an extra release of SMM this week Marshal Ling was a little unhappy. Outside the door, he vaguely heard this brother and sister pair talking about cats¡ª Did his little spouse actually take in a sick cat during the few days of his brief stay in Pelpa? When did this happen? Why hasn¡¯t he heard him mention it? Or did it happen that night when the other party didn¡¯t return? He waited bitterly in the room, madly missing that person¡¯s floral pheromones. Did he leave for so long because he was attracted by a wild cat on the roadside? Marshal Ling expressed a little dislike for the love brain behavior of his little spouse. Isn¡¯t he more important than a small wild cat? Xu Xinghe still didn¡¯t know that Ling Changfeng had already made up several plays in his head, but he quickly sensed the other party¡¯s small emotions. He only thought that Ling Changfeng¡¯s susceptible period had not yet passed, so he raised his head and smiled slightly, intending to fool past the matter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± After that, he winked at Ling Changfeng. Marshal Ling was unmoved by his perfunctory remarks and looked back with a blank expression. A look of ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had other cats¡±. Xu Xinghe thought about it for a while, and felt that it was really not easy to explain. Whether it was raising other cats outside behind his own husband¡¯s back, or comparing Marshal Ling to a sick cat, neither option was an easy sell. He was silent for a short time, and then bit the bullet and said: ¡°What about it, it¡¯s Xiaoqi! I mentioned Xiaoqi¡¯s illness to Lily before¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Lily tilt her head, holding her doll and shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s not Xiaoqi. Brother Xinghe said before that Xiaoqi is a milky white ragdoll cat, and the one who is sick is a cat with dual-colored eyes.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± His life is too difficult. Compared with the blatant provocation of his younger brother, the innocent demolition of his younger sister is even more overwhelming. In this regard, he chose to resist and reluctantly smiled. ¡°Well, Lily might¡¯ve remembered wrong¡­¡± ¡°No~!¡± Lily raised her head proudly. ¡°I can recite a book that I have read once. I can¡¯t remember this kind of thing wrong.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± What other surprises do they have that he doesn¡¯t know about?? Just when he was thinking hard about how to make up for it, Marshal Ling suddenly spoke up, uttering each word slowly, ¡°A cat with dual-colored eyes?¡± Ling Changfeng was not stupid. When he heard the girl say ¡°a cat with dual-colored eyes¡±, he instantly understood what was going on. Annoyed and humored at the same time. On the one hand, he did not expect that he, a dignified Alliance Marshal, the commander of the First Army, would be compared to a little sick cat by his lover. On the other hand, he was a little happy. He remembered the way his lover whispered ¡®big cat¡¯ that night when he was drunk. In the end, he¡¯s still special in that person¡¯s heart, right? Xu Xinghe knew he realized the truth, but he still insisted on defending himself. ¡°It¡¯s Aaron.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A faint smile flashed in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes, but he still asked calmly, ¡°When did Aaron become your cat?¡± Xu Xinghe pretended to be stupid. ¡°You don¡¯t know? After he joined with Xiaoqi, rounding up he¡¯s also considered my cat.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± The answer was a bit different from what he expected. He thought Xu Xinghe would say something like ¡°your cat is my cat¡±. Marshal Ling suddenly stepped forward and came to Xu Xinghe. His eyes flickered as he looked down at his little spouse. Xu Xinghe pretended to be calm and said: ¡°The child is still here, don¡¯t say nonsense.¡±1the phrase XXH uses is ºúÀ´2 Lily opened her big eyes and asked, ¡°What does ¡®say nonsense¡¯ mean?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Watching him with arms folded, Ling Changfeng suddenly asked: ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback. ¡°Ah?¡± Lily stuck her head out: ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go eat then.¡± Ling Changfeng turned and left the medical warehouse and walked towards the dining hall. Lily jumped out of the chair happily and rushed forward with her short legs. Xu Xinghe watched them go farther and farther, tangled for a moment, before getting up to follow them helplessly. Looking at the happy back of his sister, he was a little worried that she would be kidnapped with a lollipop in the future. Lily looked up at the tall alpha in front of her, as if she wasn¡¯t scared at all. After a while, she suddenly asked in a small milk voice that only two people could hear: ¡°Are you that cat with dual-colored pupils?¡± Ling Changfeng was startled by her question, and lowered his head to look at the little girl behind him. Seeing the girl trotting along following him, he subconsciously slowed down. Speechless for a while. Although Marshal Ling has lived to such an age, and led troops to fight, he really has no experience in raising children. Facing a five- or six-year-old girl, there was a dazed flash in his dual-colored eyes. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak, Lily asked again, ¡°Then your illness is cured now?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. Lily smiled, and her big eyes shone with joy. ¡°I like cats.¡± Ling Changfeng was silent for a while, then said in a low voice, ¡°Your brother also likes cats.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lily nodded vigorously and continued talking in her small milky voice, ¡°Brother Xinghe must have taken good care of his cat.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes. ¡°He took good care of him.¡± In this way, everyone ate and slept on the spaceship. After more than ten hours of long-distance flight, they finally arrived Capital Star. Chu Yufei, who had eaten and drank enough on the spaceship, was in good spirits when they arrived. He looked at the Nebula City under his feet through the window, and his black eyes widened slightly. Outside the window, there are many tall buildings, and the road is full of speeding vehicles. Cruising airships and colorful electronic advertising images intertwined into a prosperous long scroll over the cityscape. Dazzling and full of vigor. This is the political, economic, and military center of Capital Star. Before, he only saw pictures of Nebula city in textbooks and course materials. After getting off the spaceship, Chu Yufei was once again shocked by the sight in front of him. It¡¯s not because of how high-end the airport here is, but because of the sight greeting them¨C Soldiers in military uniforms and with guns around their waists stood neatly in two rows, highly organized and disciplined at first glance. And all of them are tall and robust alphas. Chu Yufei glanced at Ling Changfeng who was walking at the front, and suddenly felt that this sister-in-law was a bit imposing. In fact, because it was not a public trip, Qin Yuan had not arranged a formal welcome lineup, but only symbolically brought the marshal¡¯s personal guard, as well as arranged a professional medical team and an ambulance to wait for them. As soon as Mother Xu got off the spacecraft, the medical team immediately stepped forward to take over. The stars and the moon moved as they packaged the patient and brought her to the Third Military Hospital, and quickly began to arrange follow-up examinations and expert consultations. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes followed the ambulance, and he turned his head again to see Major General Qin Yuan, who he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. During the days when Ling Changfeng was away, Deputy Qin was probably the one who hoped most for the early return of his old boss. Because in the days when Marshal Ling was away, as his deputy, he temporarily handled many affairs on behalf of his commander. Now that he finally saw Ling Changfeng return intact, and in a better state than expected, he was even more welcoming than seeing his own mother, and even went up to hug him. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Frankly speaking, he doesn¡¯t really need such a warm welcome. Fortunately, Qin Yuan stopped when he saw his expression, and quickly let go. Then he stood at attention and gave a standard military salute. He smiled and said, ¡°Welcome back, sir.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s hard work.¡± Qin Yuan He turned his head to look at Xu Xinghe, who was on the side, and said with a smile, ¡°Welcome back.¡± Xu Xinghe also smiled and nodded, ¡°We really bothered you these days. Thank you, whether it¡¯s about my mother or¡­ ¡°As he said that, he glanced at Ling Changfeng beside him. Qin Yuan waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s all trivial, don¡¯t be so polite. Oh, by the way, I just hugged the marshal without permission, please forgive me.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± There is no need to ask him this. ¡°There are still a few documents that you need to sign later, sir.¡± Qin Yuan turned his gaze back to Ling Changfeng, and looked at him carefully from top to bottom. ¡°Because your current state isn¡¯t too bad, I suggest you go directly to Double Star Building with me.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded and said, ¡°Fine, but take them to the hospital first.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment. ¡°You can just go and do your work first. You can ask Colonel Lewis to bring us¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the way, get in the car.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± So, everyone sat on the plain black extended version of Marshal Ling¡¯s luxury car. Colonel Lewis drove the car himself. Qin Yuan sat in the co-pilot seat. And Xu Xinghe took his younger brother and sister and Ling Changfeng to sit in the spacious cabin in the back. After disembarking the spaceship, Chu Yufei was still a little cautious facing the group of unfamiliar faces in a strange land, as if facing a great battle. It¡¯s a pity that this restraint lasted less than 20 minutes before his true nature was exposed. ¡°Damn it, look outside! Isn¡¯t that a limited-edition Phantom X-101 aircraft?¡± ¡°What¡¯s over there? Can patrols fly directly in the sky?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an oversized mecha model! Can I go shopping tomorrow? Is there a fee for this park?¡± ¡°By the way, where do we live? Is it far from the city? Is there a space rail or a shuttle nearby?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­ ¡° His brother slept all the way on the spaceship, and now he is full of energy. But when he thought of coming back to the capital last night, he actually had a little insomnia and didn¡¯t rest well. He originally wanted to take a nap in the car, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he heard his brother¡¯s chattering in his ears. He felt the onset of a headache just thinking about his brother. Xu Xinghe sighed and wanted to ask the other party to be quiet. But as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw his younger brother¡¯s cheerful and excited face. Those young eyes looked out the window, like shining lights. Every move, every frown and smile, carrying the youthful vivacity of a teenager. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes softened, he smiled lightly, and said nothing. And Deputy Qin, who was sitting in the co-pilot, was surprised to discover someone in the world who¡¯s noisier than he was when he was young. He leaned on the back of the leather seat and joked without looking back. ¡°The Marshal¡¯s mansion is going to be lively, my dear sir. Have you considered installing a silencer?¡± As a master who doesn¡¯t want to suffer, Chu Yufei decisively retorted: ¡°To be honest, although you don¡¯t sound very serious, your pheromone is quite serious.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Yuan turned his head, his eyes changed slightly. ¡°You can smell my pheromones?¡± Hahaha, fun times ahead. ant faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 87 The personal data and health status of senior military generals is classified information and will not be disclosed to the public. What¡¯s more, Qin Yuan looked at the young boy who looked rather ignorant and felt that he should not know his identity. He probably didn¡¯t even know Ling Changfeng¡¯s identity. But he pointed out such a fact in a straight-forward manner. Qin Yuan¡¯s pheromone is indeed cold and quiet, which is very inconsistent with his own image, so that during his military academy, his comrades often made fun of it. This stopped after graduation. After so many years, he has been able to control his pheromones well enough not to spill over. If a teenager can smell it, how sharp is his nose? ¡°Of course.¡± Chu Yufei raised his eyebrows at Qin Yuan, but he didn¡¯t say it directly. Instead he turned to look at his old brother and smiled maliciously: ¡°Are you also curious what his pheromone is like?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Frankly speaking, he was indeed a little curious. After all, after having known the other party for so long, he really doesn¡¯t know what the pheromone of this suave adjutant is like. But hearing Chu Yufei ask so bluntly, Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and he shook his head decisively. ¡°I¡¯m not curious.¡± ¡°Oh, then I won¡¯t say it.¡± As soon as he leaned on, he closed his mouth. But a pair of big black eyes still kept circling, as if calculating something. This kind of intentional expression is all too familiar to Qin Yuan. He looked at Chu Yufei with amusement and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± The young man was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously retorted: ¡°Nothing!¡± But at the end of his reply, the last syllable was taken back, which seemed to be a bit lacking in certainty. ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡ª¡± Adjutant Qin was undoubtedly an expert in psychological warfare. He smiled and said, ¡°If you can accurately tell the smell of my pheromones, I can also promise you a condition¡­ Well, as long as it doesn¡¯t involve breaking the law or committing a crime.¡± After speaking, he saw a hint of hesitation in the eyes of the young man, and continued to tempt him: ¡°Think clearly, there will be no second chance.¡± Xu Xinghe crossed his fingers, ready to watch the play. Chu Yufei quickly weighed the deal in his mind. In the end, he put his hands back on his knees, sat up straight, and said something out of tune with everyone in the car. ¡°It¡¯s a deal, the people in this car are watching, you are not allowed to play tricks.¡± Qin Yuan burst into laughter. ¡°Little boy, do you always request something from someone like this?¡± He shook his head, then changed the subject: ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I am a person with excellent credit, and I will try my best to do what I promise. Thirty years of word-of-mouth reputation has been built, and I never trick children or elderly.¡± Then he threw a wink at Ling Changfeng: ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, sir?¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s expression was that he did not want to pay attention to him. Chu Yufei asked: ¡°Then can you lend me some money?¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± The two of them stared at each other, and fell silent for a while. Qin Yuan¡¯s expression became very strange. ¡°How much do you want to borrow?¡± Chu Yufei thought for a while: ¡°Nine hundred?¡± Qin Yuan was stunned: ¡°Nine million?¡±19 mil = 900 x 10,000. Units in Chinese are to 4 zeros, aka 10k Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yuan felt as if he had been tricked. He saw from the boy¡¯s face that the so-called ¡°nine hundred¡± really meant nine hundred alliance coins, so his previous words were even more difficult to understand. ¡°Are you playing with me?¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± He really wanted to borrow some money, but since the matter had come to this point, he could only go forward, or else he really couldn¡¯t bear this face.2face as in reputation or being thick/thin-skinned If I had known earlier, it would be better not to open this mouth! Exasperated, the young man threw himself back into the seat. ¡°Che! If you don¡¯t lend, I won¡¯t borrow!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t¡­¡± Qin Yuan glanced at Xu Xinghe. The two exchanged glances, and then Xu Xinghe spoke. ¡°What do you want the money for?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°In case of emergency.¡± Chu Yufei said vaguely. ¡°A Fei.¡± Xu Xinghe sighed slightly. ¡°In the future, someone will be responsible for your food, clothing, housing, and transportation, so there is probably nothing you need to spend money on. Of course, if you simply need some pocket money, you can say it, but you must ensure that you¡¯re using it for reasonable and legal purposes¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Chu Yufei stared at those big black eyes and asked angrily, ¡°Can nine hundred alliance coins be used for illegal activities?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± That seems to make sense. ¡°In short, if you want to borrow money, don¡¯t bother Major General Qin, I¡¯ll lend it to you.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Chu Yufei was stunned for a while, then suddenly turned his head to look at Qin Yuan, and almost shouted, ¡°Major General? You are actually a Major General?!¡± One must know, in Pelpa Star, being a Major General means being an overlord with monstrous power, and a big man who is difficult for people of his class to come into contact with in this life. The boy¡¯s mouth widened to the point where his jaw was almost dislocated. But before he could recover from the shock, he thought of something. Twisting his neck stiffly, he turned his eyes to Ling Changfeng: ¡°Then that¡­ then what are you?¡± Previously, he guessed that Ling Changfeng¡¯s military rank shouldn¡¯t be too low, maybe even a general. How else could their trip be so smooth? But he never imagined that even his deputy would be a major general! Then what is the rank of his dear sister-in-law?? He can¡¯t be a Marshal?! Seeing Chu Yufei¡¯s shocked and cowardly expression, Xu Xinghe wanted to laugh a little. ¡°It¡¯s too late to know now. You¡¯ve already said what you should and shouldn¡¯t have said.¡± He raised his hand to close his brother¡¯s mouth. The boy who had been arrogant just now finally stopped speaking. He looked around and suddenly felt like he had entered a wolf¡¯s den. Seeing this, Qin Yuan continued to tease him: ¡°Are you still asking me to borrow money?¡± Chu Yufei endured and endured, but finally he couldn¡¯t hold back, and muttered in a low voice, ¡°If you can¡¯t lend it, I won¡¯t suffer. Anyway, I don¡¯t have a good thirty years of reputation.¡± Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and said, ¡°The same is true if you borrow nine hundred from me. Not to mention you haven¡¯t said what the pheromone of Major General Qin smells like.¡± Chu Yufei lifted his eyelids and looked at him. ¡°Want to know?¡± Xu Xinghe shrugged and said generously: ¡°I¡¯m a little curious¡­¡± He originally wanted to say, ¡°I¡¯m a little curious, but it doesn¡¯t matter if you say it or not¡±, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt a burning gaze shot over him. Marshal Ling turned his head slowly and asked the same question again: ¡°Are you curious?¡± But on his face, the question was, ¡°Why are you interested in another alpha¡¯s pheromones.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t your focus wrong? Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Does it count as being shot while lying down? Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± He seems to have seen a picture too spicy for the eyes again. In the silence, Xu Xinghe changed his words bluntly: ¡°I¡¯m not curious at all.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him fixedly, and then turned his eyes back after a while. ¡°So¡­¡± Looking at the youth, Qin Yuan broke the silence first. ¡°What¡¯s the smell? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± After all, there are no outsiders in this car. The young girl also fell asleep on her brother¡¯s lap, so Qin Yuan simply asked directly, wanting to see how much the boy could guess correctly. ¡°A fir.¡± Chu Yufei replied without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s a kind of faint pine fragrance, very cool and mellow. But it¡¯s not quite the same as a normal fir¡­ um, is it a white fir?¡± As the young man spoke, Qin Yuan¡¯s expression became a little more serious. His eyes stayed on the boy for a long time, and at the end, he suddenly smiled, touched his chin, and said, ¡°Your skills are good.¡± Then he turned back to look at Ling Changfeng, and resumed his usual tone, ¡°In the future, can he be sent to the Intelligence Department to develop?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t speak, but looked at Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe shook his head and smiled helplessly: ¡°It¡¯s too early to say this, let him study hard first, and then look at his personal wishes.¡± Qin Yuan nodded and expressed his understanding. With his character and uncontrollable mouth, even a marshal¡¯s brother-in-law would probably have to suffer a little when he joined the army. Unexpectedly, Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes lit up and suddenly asked, ¡°Then can I stop studying?¡± Xu Xinghe replied without raising his head, ¡°No.¡± He rarely rejected his brother directly, but this time he refused very decisively. Anyway, he still has to study. Chu Yufei naturally refused to accept such an answer. ¡°Why not?¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and prepared a long speech to persuade him to study. But before he could say it, he heard Ling Changfeng beside him say: ¡°What your brother said is what it is.¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s tone was irrefutable: ¡°Listen to him.¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± His lips moved, as if he wanted to refute, but surrounded by pheromones that were extremely oppressive and deterrent, he didn¡¯t dare speak out in the end. He just lowered his head and said nothing, with some dissatisfaction written in his eyes. Xu Xinghe blinked lightly at Ling Changfeng, but didn¡¯t say anything. In just a short while, the speeding car arrived at the Third Military Hospital. Ling Changfeng put down the three brothers and sisters, and specially dispatched a personal guard to take care of them, while he followed Qin Yuan back to the Double Star building to deal with military affairs. Xu Xinghe took his younger brother and sister, accompanied by Dean Lu Sen, first to visit his mother who was transferred to the intensive care unit, and then to listen to the results of the expert consultation. It was not until the results of various exams came out that he finally exhaled a breath in relief. As soon as he went out, seeing the big and small ones waiting outside, his eyes suddenly felt sour. Xu Xinghe took two steps forward and hugged them. ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s very hopeful.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s deer eyes, which were eight-point similar to his mother¡¯s, were bright at the moment. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to have hope.¡± After another afternoon of tossing, Xu Xinghe finally brought his younger brother and sister with him to the Marshal¡¯s Mansion. Ling Changfeng hasn¡¯t come back yet, but he took the time to send a message to He Han, and ask him to tidy up two rooms for children. The order terrified the steward. All afternoon, he commanded all the servants in the mansion to work hard, but still couldn¡¯t understand- The marshal and his wife¡¯s honeymoon was only a few days long, where¡¯d the children come from?? His doubt continued into the evening. But when he saw Xu Xinghe come back with a five- or six-year-old girl in his arms, his world view seemed to collapse. How come the child is already so big?! I love that scene of XXH asking about QY¡¯s pheromones. ant faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 88 When the three brothers and sisters arrived at the Marshal¡¯s Mansion, it was already past five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. After running around the entire day, they were all tired. Even the chatty Chu Yufei was rarely quiet all the way. The teenager lay comfortably in the leather seat and almost fell asleep until he felt that the speeding car was slowing down, and then he yawned in a very insignificant way and slowly opened his eyes¡­ The next moment, the majestic and imposing Grand Marshal¡¯s Mansion appeared in front of him. Chu Yu straightened up, almost sticking to the window, and his eyes looking out the window grew bigger¡­ The aircraft slowly landed on the airstrip outside the Marshal¡¯s Mansion, and a cargo robot stepped forward and started to help them carry the luggage. The defense system detected an unfamiliar face and automatically activated the security check. The blue laser scanned the boy several times, and finally the green traffic sign lit up on the screen. Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes were blown wide the whole time, as he looked at everything around him in amazement. Drones hovering over the manor, an energy shield covering the entire manor, the burly Alpha guards, and those new weapons that can¡¯t be named but are very powerful at first sight¡­ Everything here is both novel and unfamiliar to the sixteen-year-old boy. It wasn¡¯t until Xu Xinghe called his name that Chu Yufei came back to his senses, and trotted after him. Lily was still too young after all. After a day of tossing, she fell asleep on the way back. Xu Xinghe carefully carried her out of the car and did not let anyone else take over. As a result, the servants in the Marshal¡¯s Mansion, who were eagerly waiting for the return of their madam, came to a picture like this- Xu Xinghe held a small one in his arms, followed by a large one, and stepped into the gate of the mansion under the escort of and surrounded by the marshal¡¯s personal guards. The little girl in his arms lay softly on his shoulders, and there seemed to be saliva leaking from her mouth. And Xu Xinghe not only didn¡¯t care, but also wiped the little girl¡¯s mouth with his sleeves, and his movements were infinitely gentle. Ten thousand doubts flashed in the hearts of everyone. What¡¯s going on?! No matter how fast the progress between the marshal and his wife is, it is impossible to break through the physical limit and create such two big children in just a few days, right??? And even if there¡¯s a small one, what about the big one?? Mr. Xu himself is only in his twenties! How could there be a child whose height was about to catch up with him? At this time, someone with sharp eyes found that the big boy¡¯s eyebrows seemed to be somewhat similar to Xu Xinghe¡¯s¡­ So the crowd petrified in collective silence. Oh my god¡­ if the child is really his, then the marshal must have committed a crime?! In the confusion and shock of everyone, He Han bravely stepped forward. ¡°Welcome back, Mr. Xu.¡± Although the young steward was also full of shock, he hid his emotions well. He bowed slightly and said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°The luggage has been sent to your respective rooms for you. The two guest rooms are arranged next to yours, and are all set up. Do you need to check them out?¡± He Han¡¯s voice was very soft, probably afraid of disturbing the little girl in Xu Xinghe¡¯s arms. Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback. ¡°No need, you can arrange as you see fit¡­ Did Changfeng ask you to set up the rooms in advance?¡± He Han nodded and said: ¡°Yes, the marshal just notified us in the afternoon.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°If you have any needs, you can also tell me at any time, and I will let the people below prepare in advance.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, then nodded with a smile: ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± His voice was also very light, as if he didn¡¯t want to disturb his sister¡¯s sweet dreams. At this time, Chu Yufei said from the side. ¡°Should we wake Lily up? And let her go to bed after eating dinner, otherwise she won¡¯t be sleepy at night.¡± Xu Xinghe saw that the pink dumpling in his arms was sleeping soundly, and couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°She must be jetlagged from traveling¡­¡± Chu Yufei said with a blank face, ¡°If she wants to hear bedtime stories at night or something different, you are responsible for telling her.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By the way, Lily has a very good memory, and the same bedtime story can¡¯t coax her a second time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe had no choice but to reach out and pat Lily¡¯s back, and gently say in her ears, ¡°Lily, we¡¯re home, get up.¡± Chu Yufei looked at him speechlessly, and went forward and shouted in his sister¡¯s ear: ¡°Little ancestor! Get up!!!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this, the servant on the side was relieved, thinking: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a father and a son, no son would speak to his father in such a tone¡­¡± At the same time, he was a little surprised, thinking that this young man is too bold. Even the marshal doesn¡¯t dare to speak so loudly in front of his wife! Lily wrinkled her little nose, and finally opened her eyes under her brother¡¯s shout. Then she asked in her little milky voice, ¡°Brother Xinghe, where is this? Is this sister-in-law¡¯s house?¡± The room was suddenly quiet. The huge hall was quiet, and everyone¡¯s faces were filled with varying degrees of surprise, doubt, and shock. Sis-sister-in-law?! Who is the sister-in-law?? Xu Xinghe smiled awkwardly: ¡°Don¡¯t call him that.¡± Lily asked curiously, ¡°What should I call him then?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He really hadn¡¯t thought about this. Sister-in-law is definitely not allowed, and it is a bit strange to call him brother directly, after all, Ling Changfeng is old enough to be her uncle¡­ Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t think of a suitable name for a while, so he quickly changed the subject: ¡°Leave that alone for now. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll show you your room.¡± Lily and Chu Yufei¡¯s rooms are next to each other. They are two separate suites, with their own private bathrooms, and they are on the same floor as Xu Xinghe¡¯s room, and they are relatively close to each other. He Han has already sent someone to rush to find a suitable nanny, but people can¡¯t just simply enter the Marshal¡¯s Mansion. The nanny needs to go through various screenings, so they had to wait until tomorrow at earliest. As a result, a group of tall adult men were at a loss when faced with a five- or six-year-old girl. You know, there has never been a child in the Marshal¡¯s Mansion, let alone a girl. They don¡¯t even have a family, so how would they know how to take care of a delicate little girl?? Can a child of this age be left alone in the room? Can she eat the same thing as an adult? Can she wash and sleep alone? At this time, the intelligent robot that had been idle in the Marshal¡¯s Mansion for a long time finally came in handy. He Han transferred four robots over in one breath, and then repurposed two more. Because Lily said that she can take care of herself and doesn¡¯t need so many ¡°people¡± to follow. By the time Xu Xinghe settled down with his younger siblings, it was almost six o¡¯clock in the evening. Xu Xinghe clapped his hands, and said to his siblings who were still studying the beverage machine: ¡°Okay, hurry up and take a shower, and come back downstairs for dinner at 6:30.¡± After that, he went back to his room to take a shower. Fifteen minutes later, Xu Xinghe wrapped a bath towel and walked out of the bathroom wet. His upper body was naked, his hair was dripping with water. Shaking his head, he put on his slippers, and walked out of the bathroom casually¡­ Then, his whole person turned into stone on the spot. A strong fragrance of flowers and salty waves suddenly collided in the air. After two seconds, Xu Xinghe suddenly fled back behind the bathroom door like a frightened little animal. And he yelled at the outside angrily, ¡°Why are you in my room?!¡± Marshal Ling who had just returned home froze in the middle of the room at the right of his freshly cleaned spouse who was still a little out of breath. Xu Xinghe¡¯s skin was fair and there was almost no fat on his body. The smooth and firm skin flashed in front of him, and the picture was fragrant. Ling Changfeng paused for a few seconds before regaining his calm voice and said slowly, ¡°I knocked on the door.¡± His tone was forbearing and restrained. Xu Xinghe asked while changing into his bathrobe in the bathroom. ¡°Why don¡¯t I remember saying ¡®please come in¡¯??¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes and continued to explain: ¡°The door was open, but no one responded. I was afraid something happened to you, and came in to take a look.¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then thank you for your concern?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± After putting on the bathrobe, Xu Xinghe did not go out directly, but continued to ask through the bathroom door: ¡°When did you come back?¡± Ling Changfeng said: ¡°Just arrived home, I¡¯m here to find you.¡± Xu Xinghe was a little confused now. His clothes are still outside, should he ask Ling Changfeng to help him get them, or should he go out and get them by himself after driving him away? Just when he was hesitating, Ling Changfeng said again: ¡°Is it inconvenient for you now?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s really inconvenient, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be particularly inconvenient. After all, the two have been married for a few months, and it is not a big problem to be seen by his legal partner. But why is his heart beating so fast? Xu Xinghe reached out and touched his face. He had only taken a warm bath for less than ten minutes, but his cheeks were still hot¡­ Xu Xinghe took a deep breath, did some psychological construction, and raised his foot to walk out. But before he walked out of the bathroom, he heard Ling Changfeng say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go downstairs and wait for you first.¡± After speaking, he left here and helped him close the door very thoughtfully. Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback, what¡¯s the situation, why is this guy so self-conscious now? Ling Changfeng was outside the door, also took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. Every cell in the body began to clamor silently again, and that buried desire began stirring again because of the stimulation just now. His susceptibility period is coming to an end, but he still does not dare to face such a huge temptation. The scent of flowers that rushed to his face could tug at his heartstrings at any time, not to mention that his symptoms were not completely over yet. He¡¯s worried that he will lose control. No yellow waste this time, though I know y¡¯all are waiting for it. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 89 T/N: Thank you Wildziva for supporting multiple extra releases (3) of SMM this week! Xu Xinghe changed his clothes and went downstairs. By the time he entered the dining room, his brother and sister were already seated at the long table. The servants arranged the cutlery, and also thoughtfully helped Lily get a small fork and small bowl. But Ling Changfeng was not there. Xu Xinghe let out a small breath, raised his hand to look at the time, and turned around to ask He Han, ¡°Have you seen the Marshal?¡± He Han was slightly taken aback. ¡°The Marshal just went to find you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ he said go down and wait for him.¡± Xu Xinghe paused before taking his seat. ¡°He should be here soon, wait for him.¡± As soon as he sat down, Chu Yufei rushed over: ¡°Hey, did you smell anything just now?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the residual heat on his cheeks that had just subsided warmed a bit. Now that he was asked, he thought he was exposed. An inexplicable sense of guilt emerged in his heart, but he feigned calm on the surface: ¡°What smell? Aren¡¯t you not able to smell my pheromones?¡± The corners of Chu Yufei¡¯s mouth curled up, and he looked at him with a face of ¡°you just told me everything¡±. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not talking about you, so what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Xu Xinghe silently turned his face back, and continued the topic just now: ¡°What did you smell?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, who¨C¡± Chu Yufei winked at him, then pointed to the empty main seat. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°His pheromone exploded!¡± Chu Yufei said, reaching out and making an explosive gesture. ¡°I almost thought his susceptible period had relapsed!¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this, and finally asked the question he was most worried about. ¡°How is he now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better now, and his pheromone has calmed down very quickly¡­ Uh, but probably only ten minutes have passed.¡± Chu Yufei said here, his expression was a bit indescribable. At the end, he winked at Xu Xinghe: ¡°What did you guys do just now? Is it what I thought?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Children should not interfere in adult matters.¡± He stretched out his hand and pushed his brother¡¯s head away, and then picked up the cup on the table, and pretended to take a sip of water. ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± Chu Yufei said angrily. ¡°Do you need me to describe it in detail? Such a smell can¡¯t be blocked! He¡­ uh! Woo, uu!¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t think at all. After hearing Chu Yufei¡¯s ¡°detailed description¡± once before, he quickly covered his mouth that was babbling incessantly. ¡°Be quiet and eat.¡± Xu Xinghe licked his back teeth and warned in a low voice. ¡°Hmm¡­ hmm!¡± Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes widened, seemingly unconvinced. The two were in a stalemate when they suddenly heard the voice of a servant from the door of the dining hall: ¡°Marshal!¡± Ling Changfeng came down after taking a cold shower. As soon as he stepped into the dining room, he saw such a funny scene of ¡°brother, brother, and sister¡±. Little Lily sat on the side with a smile, holding her chin to watch them play, with an expression of almost clapping her hands. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± With his appearance, the farce in the dining hall temporarily came to an end. Xu Xinghe put down his hand in embarrassment. Before letting go, he did not forget to warn his younger brother in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say nonsense!¡± Chu Yufei snorted softly, and actually calmed down. Although he is often open-mouthed, he can still comprehend what he can say to whom and what he must not say¡ª If he mentioned ¡®it¡¯ had only been 10 minutes in front of Marshal Ling, he would definitely be arrested and killed! Ling Changfeng silently walked to his seat, sat down silently, and signaled the servants to start serving dinner. Xu Xinghe looked at him from head to toe and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and glanced at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Let¡¯s eat.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and buried his head to eat. Dinner was a little silent at first. Those with knowledge were thinking things in their hearts, and none of them took the initiative to speak. Until Chu Yufei, a small talker, couldn¡¯t remain silent any longer, and began to mention random things with his mouth open. So, dinner was quite lively. Although Ling Changfeng had no interest in eating, he did the rare act of eating a little more amid the smile and laughter. After the dinner, Marshal Ling returned to his study to deal with work, while Xu Xinghe brought his younger brother and sister around for a walk in the manor. It wasn¡¯t until eight o¡¯clock in the evening that he finally returned to the room. As soon as the door opened, a ¡°meow¡± sound was heard, and Xiaoqi, who had not seen him for a long time, ran over with small steps, excitedly circling her owner. ¡°Meow~ Meow!¡± Xiaoqi stretched out her fluffy front paws and scratched Xu Xinghe¡¯s pant legs. ¡°You still know how to come back.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled, bent down and picked up Xiaoqi, straightened his arms and raised her high. ¡°Come on, let me see if you¡¯ve gained weight these days.¡± He just returned in the afternoon, and didn¡¯t see Xiaoqi when he returned. After asking the servants, he learned that she was hanging out with Aaron all day, spending most of her time outside. Xu Xinghe thought that the two cats didn¡¯t have enough fun yet, so he didn¡¯t ask someone to look for them earlier. Xiaoqi flicked her big fluffy tail, covering her key parts in embarrassment. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He took Xiaoqi into his arms and reached out and rubbed his cat¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s go and play with your favorite laser pointer for a while.¡± For the next hour or so, Xu Xinghe basically spent his time amusing cats and reading books¡­ Until half past nine, the alarm sounded. When Xu Xinghe saw that the time was up, he put down his book and got up to go out. Unexpectedly, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him as soon as he walked out of the room, and Xu Xinghe¡¯s head almost collided with him. He hurriedly braked, and pressed down the small exclamation of surprise in his throat. He raised his head in shock, only to see clearly that it was Ling Changfeng. Wearing dark gray silk pajamas, Marshal Ling had actually been standing outside the door for a while. He was hesitating. Normally, he would have knocked on the door and entered. But now, although his emotions have calmed down, and the residual heat of the susceptible period is gradually fading, but¡­ He doesn¡¯t know whether he should test himself like this. The smooth and delicate skin on the back of the young man¡¯s neck flashed involuntarily in his mind, and his pupils darkened accordingly. Just when Ling Changfeng was struggling whether to knock on the door, his little spouse walked out by himself. As a result, the strange brilliance in the pair of mismatched eyes was replaced by a trace of satisfaction and relief. Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was still light, but his tone was more relaxed and casual: ¡°If you didn¡¯t come out, I¡¯d have gone in.¡± Xu Xinghe was slightly startled: ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Changfeng put his hands behind his back and said, ¡°Go in and speak.¡± Xu Xinghe was confused. ¡°Say what?¡± Eyes sweeping over, Ling Changfeng asked back: ¡°What were you looking for me for?¡± Xu Xinghe was full of question marks: ¡°No¡­ What did I want to say to you? I was going to tell Lily a bedtime story.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe asked him, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ ¡­accompany me to tell a bedtime story?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± When Xu Xinghe and Ling Changfeng entered her room, Lily was already lying on the bed with her doll in her arms. waiting. An intelligent robot in childcare mode was singing a strange lullaby. Hearing the sound of the door, Lily turned her head happily, and was surprised to discover two people came over to tell bedtime stories. She clapped his hands excitedly: ¡°Can I listen to two bedtime stories tonight? Brother Xinghe tells one, Uncle Ling tells another.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Lily, who was told ¡°don¡¯t call him sister-in-law¡±, chose a more common name this time ¨C anyway, when she met such people in the past, she always called them uncle. But soon, she saw something was wrong from the expressions of the two. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lily asked in a low voice, and then added in a glutinous voice, ¡°One is okay too¡­¡± Xu Xinghe felt that it was time to decide on a suitable title for Ling Changfeng. He nudged Ling Changfeng with his elbow, and threw the problem over: ¡°What do you think she should call you?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling, who has always been omnipotent, was also troubled at this moment. It stands to reason that if Lily calls Xu Xinghe ¡®brother¡¯, she should also call him ¡®brother.¡¯ However, when he looked at the little girl who was several decades younger than him, he couldn¡¯t open his mouth. After hearing their conversation, Lily realized that the question of name was still unanswered. She thought about it, then tilted her head and said, ¡°Then brother-in-law?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The latter was silent for a few seconds, before a few syllables were squeezed between his teeth: ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Then what¡­¡± Lily frowned and thought hard for a while. ¡°Can I call you brother? Brother Changfeng?¡± She snapped her fingers and said. ¡°The one I met during the day. Uncle Qin, he also asked me to call him brother.¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± In terms of being shameless, Qin Yuan is number 1. However, since this title was proposed by the girl herself, Marshal Ling accepted it cheekily. Although it feels a little strange. ¡°Can we start the bedtime story then?¡± Lily looked at the two of them expectantly. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Xu Xinghe sat down beside the bed and asked, ¡°What type do you want to hear?¡± ¡°Anything, as long as I haven¡¯t heard it before.¡± Little Lily smiled and stretched under the covers. ¡°Well, I just found a collection of bedtime stories from the Yunyin platform. There are many, many fairy tales in it.¡± Lily blinked and expressed concern: ¡°My brother also found a lot of bedtime stories on the Internet before¡­ ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are more than 200 stories in this collection¡­¡± Lily tilted her head and asked, ¡°218 chapters?¡± Xu Xinghe, who had just opened the bedtime story collection, looked at the ¡°218¡± in parentheses silently. He raised his head and asked, ¡°Have you heard of this?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a collection of 218 popular bedtime stories on the Yunyin platform, then I have listened to all of them¡­¡± ¡°All??¡± Lily nodded her head. Xu Xinghe was shocked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look for others¡­¡± He closed the collection and started looking for new targets. However, this search lasted half an hour. Xu Xinghe finally understood the reason for Chu Yufei¡¯s schadenfreude expression when he heard that he was coming to tell his sister a bedtime story. There are thousands of bedtime stories that Lily has heard, and it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s heard so many. The point is, she remembers everything she¡¯s heard! In the blink of an eye, Xu Xinghe was about to smash the list of stories on his terminal ¨C he couldn¡¯t find anything she hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°I have a bedtime story.¡± Just when Xu Xinghe was at a loss, a low and magnetic voice suddenly came from his ear. The brother and sister pair turned their heads together and looked at Ling Changfeng in the next moment. Lily¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation, while Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were shocked. ¡°You can even tell bedtime stories?¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, and then opened his mouth under the eyes of the two of them: ¡°Once upon a time, there was a big house, and a little girl lived in the house. After listening to the story told by adults, the little girl went to bed.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Lily: ¡°¡­¡± Lily waited for a long time before confirming he had finished speaking. For a while, her worldview seemed to be impacted. She asked weakly: ¡°Is this also a bedtime story?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded earnestly and solemnly. ¡°The story has a protagonist, a plot, and a happy ending.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lily nodded dumbfoundedly. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to sleep, so you should go to bed too.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± What¡¯s the situation! Coaxing can be done like this?? Can¡¯t he tell hundreds of stories like this? Xu Xinghe looked at the two of them speechlessly. However, since his sister said it was okay, he would not take the initiative to make trouble for himself. ¡°Good night, Lily.¡± ¡°Good night, brother.¡± After finally coaxing the children to sleep, the two of them walked out of the bedroom lightly. Then stood in the doorway and fell into a new round of silence. Xu Xinghe asked tentatively, ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ return to our rooms?¡± ROFL ¨C Marshal Ling¡¯s definition of a story. LCF: Didn¡¯t I just tell a story? XXH, Lily: ¡­ Us: ¡­ [laughing inside] Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 90.1 The reason why Xu Xinghe suggested that the two of them go back to their rooms was because he found that Ling Changfeng had a tendency to follow him. In order to verify his guess, he took a small step to the left ¨C his bedroom was on the left, and Ling Changfeng¡¯s bedroom was on the right. Ling Changfeng also took a step to the left. Xu Xinghe stopped. And Ling Changfeng stood in place expressionlessly. The two of them turned into two stone sculptures at the door without moving. The guards passing by on patrol saw the pair from a distance, and quickly turned around and withdrew, in fear that they would walk into a minefield and shoot themselves in the feet. After another long while, Ling Changfeng finally spoke, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you tired?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Yes, he¡¯s physically and mentally exhausted. Ling Changfeng said again: ¡°It¡¯s been a long day of traveling, go and rest early.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him vigilantly: ¡°You¡¯re not following me anymore?¡± He almost bit his tongue after speaking, but it was too late to take it back. Sure enough, a smile flashed in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes as he nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go together then.¡± Regret! Xu Xinghe regretted his words a thousand times. That¡¯s not what he meant ¨C he wanted to ask if Ling Changfeng finally gave up on following him?? At the same time, he also reacted with hindsight. Ling Changfeng appearing at his door earlier was not an accident at all, nor was he looking for something to do with himself. He simply wanted to come and sleep with him?! After Ling Changfeng finished speaking, he had already walked towards Xu Xinghe¡¯s door. But Xu Xinghe still stood there silently. Ling Changfeng turned to look at him: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bed?¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t feign ignorance any longer. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°Why do you want to sleep together again?¡± Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t expect him to ask so bluntly, so he was stunned for two seconds, and then replied without blushing, ¡°The mastermind¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention the mastermind!¡± Xu Xinghe glared at him and interrupted: ¡°The month of bed sharing is already over! Besides, if those messy rules were really useful, my mailbox would have been filled with violation warning emails!¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him silently, and after a while, he suddenly said, ¡°There is no reason, I just want to.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Seeing him refuse to nod his head for a long time, a trace of hesitation flashed in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t want to force his little spouse, but, on the first night of returning to Capital Star, he suddenly wanted to fall asleep in the fragrance of flowers. He knew that indulging in those flowers was charming and dangerous. Very tempting and challenging. But he still wanted to take risks. To touch it, pick it, taste it¡­ All kinds of contradictory and complicated emotions blended together in Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart. After a while, he finally lowered his eyes slowly and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb your rest. See you tomorrow.¡± His voice was lower and a bit more embarrassed than usual. Long eyelashes covered his slightly sharp eyes, and from Xu Xinghe¡¯s point of view, his figure showed a bit of bleakness and depression. Like a big cat that got wet in the rain and has nowhere to go. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if Ling Changfeng did it on purpose, but he couldn¡¯t refuse. Who would have the heart to say no to a big cat looking for shelter on a dark night like this? What did the cat do wrong? The cat just wants to come into the room. At this thought, the words to keep the cat escaped Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth uncontrollably: ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes. Although he said he wanted to leave, he never meant to fully leave. Since the words were already spoken, Xu Xinghe simply broke the jar. He turned around and walked towards his room, leaving behind a few words: ¡°Come in.¡± Ling Changfeng followed quickly without hesitation. Xu Xinghe had a vague feeling of bringing a wolf into the room. He could feel that a certain large pet behind him was already wagging its tail in a happy mood. When he entered his room, and saw at the newly changed white bedding in front of him, Xu Xinghe suddenly regretted it. The flood of sympathy during his momentary brain fever is really stupid. He forgot that the cat didn¡¯t just want to enter the room. He wanted to get into his own bed. Turning his head to look at Ling Changfeng, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were alert and full of warning. ¡°You promise only to sleep?¡± After speaking, he felt that his words weren¡¯t quite right, and corrected himself. ¡°You promise to sleep honestly?¡± ¡­ Why does he think these words are still a little off? There was a relaxed smile in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes seeing his little spouse pretending to be calm. He said lightly: ¡°I know what you want to say. I promise not to do anything.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Trusting him for the time being, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help muttering in a low voice: ¡°If you¡¯re doing nothing, then why are you here?¡± He regretted it after saying that ¨C it made him sound like he wants Ling Changfeng to do something! Marshal Ling, who hear the muttering, raised his eyes and looked at him seriously. It wasn¡¯t until Xu Xinghe felt his hair raise that he withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes and said in a low hoarse voice, ¡°I just simply I want your pheromone. I mean, I¡¯ll be more comfortable when I¡¯m by your side.¡± Xu Xinghe was a little worried when he heard this. ¡°Are you still feeling uncomfortable?¡± Pursing his lips, Marshal Ling shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Attributing to the lingering effects of the susceptible period, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t push the issue anymore. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, go to bed early.¡± Xu Xinghe said, turned around to the other side of the bed, turned on the bedside lamp, turned off the room lights, and then got into the quilt and wrapped himself with the quilt. Ling Changfeng looked at him and whispered, ¡°There is only one quilt.¡± There used to be two quilts in Xu Xinghe¡¯s room. The two strictly adhered to the principle of sharing the same bed and not sharing the same bed. One quilt per person, and an invisible line delineating the boundary between them. But after the bedding was changed this time, there was only a quilt and a thin blanket for covering his legs when reading, left¡­ ¡°You can ask someone to get another quilt.¡± Xu Xinghe said, and then tighten the quilt around his body, showing with practical actions that sharing is impossible. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t say anything else. He directly got on the bed, unfolded the thin blanket beside him and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, your room is not cold, I¡¯ll just use this.¡± The corners of Xu Xinghe¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Whatever you say¡­ The quilt will not be shared.¡± He actually wanted to say that this bitter meat trick1a ploy in which one feigns weakness/bitter circumstances to try and get the other party to sympathize was useless. He won¡¯t fall for the same trick twice! Nodding without a word, Ling Changfeng lay down honestly. There didn¡¯t seem to be any nonsense at all, as if really just going to sleep. He got his wish and lay down beside his spouse, like a big tiger bathing in the sun, relaxing contentedly. Within a moment, there was no movement. Xu Xinghe opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in a daze, feeling sleepy. It is already late autumn. Although the temperature in the Marshal¡¯s mansion is kept pleasant all year round and the environmental index is automatically adjusted by the system, when he turned his head and looked at the night outside the window, seeing the autumn leaves blown off by the wind, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a slight chill. Reaching out to snuggle in the soft and comfortable velvet quilt, he couldn¡¯t help remembering how light and thin the blanket covering his legs was when he was reading at night¡­ Xu Xinghe was entangled for a while, then suddenly turned his head and looked at Ling Changfeng quietly. This man was laying upright on the bed, and even his sleeping position was meticulous. The thin blanket could only cover half of his body, making it seem stretched. A person who is nearly 1.9 meters tall is squeezed under such a small blanket. His hands and feet were exposed to the cool night, making him feel a little aggrieved. Xu Xinghe asked softly, ¡°Hey, are you asleep?¡± Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t respond, he continued: ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, I know you¡¯re not asleep.¡± Still no response. Xu Xinghe stared at Ling Changfeng¡¯s profile for a long time. His breathing was even, without even blinking his eyelashes, as if he had really fallen asleep. He doesn¡¯t usually fall asleep so fast, maybe he¡¯s tired? When Xu Xinghe thought that he had been busy with his own affairs these days, and then caught up with the susceptible period, he must not have had a good rest¡­ He felt a little guilty for some reason. Glance at the blanket on himself, and the ¡®blanket¡¯ on the other party¡­ As if he was bullying him. Xu Xinghe sighed in his heart and stretched out an arm from the bed. He quietly got up, pulled up a corner of the quilt, and then covered Ling Changfeng lightly. After all, this cat has no hair, Xu Xinghe thought to himself. If he doesn¡¯t give him a quilt, he will freeze. After letting go of this worry, Xu Xinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief and lay down without any burden. Then, under the soft light of the bedside lamp, in the falling leaves outside the window, he slowly closed his eyes¡­ When he was half asleep, he vaguely felt a little cold. So he followed the only heat source around him and leaned there subconsciously. Then, there seemed to be a faint sigh in the ear. The quilt that had been divided half of the bed was piled up on his side again, and the heat source was a little closer. At some point, Marshal Ling, who had opened his eyes, thought to himself that the servants should prepare a bigger quilt next time. Hehehe, Marshal Ling¡¯s bitter trick worked ¨C the big cat climbed into bed! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 90.2 After an unknown period of time, Xu Xinghe woke up in a daze. His nose is filled with a reassuringly familiar smell. Like a traveler on vacation by the sea, bathing in the warm sunshine, he woke up leisurely. Xu Xinghe closed his eyes and yawned, feeling that he had a very satisfying sleep. Just as he was about to turn over, he found that his limbs seemed to be imprisoned by something. Unwilling to accept this, he insisted on turning over. Then¡­ Then he felt that his waist was buckled, legs locked, and he couldn¡¯t move. Xu Xinghe opened his eyes. Sure enough, as soon as he looked up, he saw someone¡¯s familiar jawline. He was completely embraced by Ling Changfeng! Their limbs were intertwined, so tightly they were glued together. Xu Xinghe suddenly froze, and his drowsiness disappeared. Didn¡¯t he say he won¡¯t do anything? Alphas are all liars with deceptive mouths! He struggled to get up, but Ling Changfeng did not let go. The disparity in strength made him unable to escape the other party, so he stretched out his claws angrily, pushed Ling Changfeng¡¯s chest like a cat scratch, and said viciously: ¡°Let go, let go now! I know you¡¯re awake. Don¡¯t pretend not to hear!¡± He toughened his tone on purpose, but the pheromone radiating out was gentle and affectionate. The breaths of the two people blended together and filled the air, creating an ambiguous and lingering atmosphere, making his every move look like his unwillingness was out of shyness, and welcomed it instead. Just when Xu Xinghe planned to slap him directly on the forehead, Ling Changfeng finally slowly opened his eyes. There was a hint of laziness in his eyes, as if waking up from a long dream. There wasn¡¯t any sharpness at all, and he even looked a bit innocent. Xu Xinghe was at a loss for words, and his paws that were raised halfway froze in the air. When Ling Changfeng opened his mouth, his voice was even more hoarse than usual. ¡°Good morning.¡± Xu Xinghe silently retracted his hand and looked at him blankly. ¡°Did you wake up earlier than me?¡± Ling Changfeng was silent for a while, Then he replied with a slight ¡°en¡± in a nasal voice. Xu Xinghe said: ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you let go when you woke up??¡± Ling Changfeng said softly, ¡°I woke up a little earlier than you. I was afraid that I would wake you up, so I didn¡¯t move.¡± His voice was indeed like someone who had just woken up. Xu Xinghe hummed and didn¡¯t pursue it any further, but asked, ¡°Then can you let go now?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at their current posture. One arm was around Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist, and the other arm rested under his head. The sole quilt had rolled down to the waist, covering half the area it usually did. They were so close together that Xu Xinghe could even feel the heat of the other party¡¯s breathing sprayed on his ears and neck. Ticklish, slightly itchy. Seeing that his little spouse¡¯s patience was about to run out, Ling Changfeng unhurriedly removed the arm from his waist. Xu Xinghe lifted the quilt and quickly got out of bed, then took his clothes and rushed into the cloakroom next door, changing his clothes as quickly as possible. When he walked out of the cloakroom, Ling Changfeng had actually finished changing his clothes and was already arranging the collar of his shirt. Seeing him come out, Marshal Ling put down his hand and said as usual, ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs for breakfast.¡± His voice was calm and indifferent, and no different from usual. Xu Xinghe was dumbfounded. How can this guy get dressed faster than him wearing a t-shirt? Is this reasonable?! God knows that he changed his clothes quickly in order to avoid going out with Ling Changfeng! Two children live next door to him now. When Chu Yufei asked him curiously yesterday if he still lived alone in his room, he answered firmly that yes, he lives in his room alone! How embarrassing will it be to be seen walking out of his room together? Seeing Xu Xinghe freeze in place, Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept over him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tongue was a little knotted, and he said falteringly: ¡°You go downstairs first, I need to use the bathroom.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, fastened the last button on his collar, and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe stuck his head out of the bathroom until he heard the footsteps of the other party drifting away. After waiting in place for a while, he immediately felt that there was no need to act like a thief with a guilty conscience. So what if we spent the night together? After all, they are legal partners, and there is nothing to avoid suspicion. And, anyway, this is not the first time¡­ Thinking of the scene he woke up to this morning, he suddenly paused, shook his head quickly, and walked downstairs. As soon as he walked to the door of the restaurant, he heard Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice coming from inside- ¡°Your brother has gone to the bathroom, he will be here soon. Wait for him to come and eat together.¡± At the dining table, Chu Yufei¡¯s hand holding the fork shook. After a moment, he raised his head and asked, ¡°How did you know he went to the bathroom?¡± Ling Changfeng turned the page of the morning electronic newspaper in his hand and did not answer. Chu Yufei carefully observed his every move, and his face contorted a fraction. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t ask¡­ Can I trouble you to hold back your pheromone that keeps leaking?¡± Xu Xinghe who entered the dining room: ¡°¡­¡± After breakfast, Xu Xinghe went out to the hospital with his younger siblings. Mother Xu¡¯s operation is tentatively scheduled for ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning, so Xu Xinghe also told Ling Changfeng last night that he should bring two young children to accompany her in the hospital tonight. There was still some time in his two-week honeymoon leave, so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about work for the time being. In the coming week, he will probably be going back and forth between the hospital and the Marshal¡¯s mansion frequently. And Marshal Ling also returned to his daily work routine, and left immediately after breakfast. He is not quite the same as Xu Xinghe. Although he had reserved a two-week honeymoon leave previously, he was reinstated and had to deal with work the moment he returned. He could no longer let his adjutant handle military affairs on his behalf. Before leaving, Ling Changfeng said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°Tomorrow morning, I will go to the hospital to accompany you.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, then shook his head and said, ¡°No, no, you must be very busy these days, just concentrate on your work. Don¡¯t worry, I can¡­¡± Ling Changfeng interrupted him: ¡°Do you want me to accompany you?¡± He looked into his eyes and asked. Xu Xinghe was silent. After a while, he finally nodded and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m a little scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Ling Changfeng gave him a hug as a farewell, ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± Taking his brother and sister with him, Xu Xinghe was escorted by the marshal¡¯s personal guard to the Third Military Hospital. After learning of their arrival, Dean Lu Sen suddenly informed them that the operation was moved ahead of schedule, and changed to 2 o¡¯clock this afternoon. The change came so suddenly, Xu Xinghe felt a little uncertain. He held Dr. Lu Sen¡¯s hand tightly and was speechless for a while. When he spoke again, his voice almost choked: ¡°I see, it¡¯s hard work, thank you¡­Thank you.¡± Dr. Lu Sen smiled, and the dark blue under his eyes showed that his work these days was not easy. His expression was a little haggard, but his voice was still clear: ¡°It¡¯s our duty, you don¡¯t have to say thank you.¡± These days, he has summoned almost all the famous cancer experts on the capital star, and conducted many online consultations. This surgical plan was developed in the shortest possible time. ¡°Although we have done a lot of preparations, there is one thing I have to say up front-¡± Dr. Lu Sen¡¯s expression rarely became serious, and he explained slowly: ¡°Since it is a surgery, there will be risks¡­¡± Xu Xinghe nodded vigorously and said in a low voice, ¡°I understand, thank you.¡± ¡°You can thank us after the operation is over and everything goes well.¡± Lu Sen patted him on the shoulder. ¡°For now, bring your brother and sister in to accompany your mother more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mother Xu can¡¯t eat normally now. She was awake for a while in the morning, lying on the hospital bed in a daze and chatting with her son and daughter for a while. Seemingly feeling Xu Xinghe¡¯s nervousness, she reached out and patted the back of the young man¡¯s hand lightly with a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Xu Xinghe held her hands in both of his, with faint tears in his eyes. A small light flashed in his eyes. ¡°En, it will be fine.¡± At 1:35 in the afternoon, Mother Xu, accompanied by her three children, was pushed into the operating room ahead of time for anesthesia before the operation. Xu Xinghe was waiting at the door of the operating room. Seeing the sign ¡°in operation¡± light up, he suddenly felt his heart race. But in front of his younger siblings, he couldn¡¯t show this abnormality. He raised his hand and opened the mailbox. He originally wanted to ask Ling Changfeng if he was busy with work today, but after editing the words many times, he finally deleted the draft before it was sent. He remembered that Qin Yuan had said yesterday: ¡°Since you are back, you can go to the meeting tomorrow afternoon.¡± Ling Changfeng will have a meeting this afternoon. Xu Xinghe put down his hand, his mind went blank. He leaned his head down on the seat in the hospital corridor, counting his rapid heartbeats. Thump ¨C Thump ¨C Warm afternoon sun shone through the skylight and down the hospital corridor, gilding the floor in the doorway of the operating room. Xu Xinghe sat down at the door of the operating room with his head dead, as if a year had passed. After an unknown period of time, a shadow suddenly shrouded his head. The familiar low voice sounded along with it ¨C ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want me to accompany you? Why didn¡¯t you notify me?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head suddenly, and Ling Changfeng¡¯s handsome face appeared in front of him. Thump thump ¨C Thump thump ¨C His heart quickened. ¡°You, you¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a meeting in the afternoon. It¡¯s over?¡± ¡°Lu Sen told me that your mother¡¯s surgery is scheduled for two in the afternoon.¡± Ling Changfeng finished this sentence, then replied casually: ¡°It¡¯s not an important meeting, I slipped out.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes widened, he couldn¡¯t believe that the phrase ¡°slipped out¡± came from the mouth of Marshal Ling. ¡°Didn¡¯t Major General Qin say you¡¯re a model worker?¡± Xu Xinghe asked blankly. Ling Changfeng looked at him blankly. ¡°Yes, so, do you want me to accompany you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly stood up, stood on tiptoe, and gave his lover a hug. Fluff time~ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 91 Ling Changfeng froze slightly at the sudden embrace carrying the fragrance of flowers. His brain fell into a momentary trance, while his body had already responded- He stretched out his hand and wrapped his arms around Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist. Turn a one-sided hug into a hug between two people. Lowering his head, the hair on his temples gently brushed against his lover¡¯s neck, and Ling Changfeng let out a satisfied sigh. As legal spouses, it¡¯s not that they haven¡¯t done anything more intimate than hugging, but that it¡¯s always happened when Xu Xinghe¡¯s asleep, or when he was drunk. It seems that his little spouse has never embraced him when sober and conscious. Marshal Ling¡¯s mind flitted through past events. The only time it seemed to be to prevent him from injecting inhibitors¡­ But that didn¡¯t really count. Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes, thinking to himself, the pheromone emanating from his body at that time was very different from now. In other words¡­ AD Ling Changfeng buried his head a little lower, and sprayed hot breath over his spouse¡¯s fair neck. In other words, this should be his little spouse¡¯s first, real, active hug. This realization made Ling Changfeng¡¯s thoughts stagnate for a short time. It seems more like a signal, heralding a new chapter, rather than an ordinary hug. He selfishly wanted this hug to last longer, but after all, they were still in front of the operating room door, so it was not appropriate to hug for too long. Ling Changfeng sighed softly, patted his lover¡¯s back lightly, and finally stood up and comforted in a low voice, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll sit with you for a while.¡± At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the winter sun passed through the clouds, scattering with fine gold spots everywhere. In the gray-blue sky, white patrol boats flew over, like flocks of white doves, mighty and soaring in the wind. AD Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and smelled that person¡¯s unique, sea-like smell. The distant chime of another hour sounded. Everything was so normal, but the world seemed different from usual. What¡¯s the difference? Before Xu Xinghe had time to think more, the person on the opposite side had already let go of his arms. In an instant, a faint, subtle emotion called ¡°loss¡± came to mind. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heartbeat gradually calmed down, and he nodded slowly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lu Sen told me that the success rate of the operation is very high.¡± Ling Changfeng sat side by side with him in the corridor of the hospital, bathing together under the warm winter sun. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes lit up, but he held his breath again, and said cautiously: ¡°But Dr. Lu Sen told me¡­¡± ¡°The risk is always there, so doctors won¡¯t say too much when facing the patient¡¯s family.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his head to him and explained patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say too much, but¡­¡± He stretched out his right hand and held Xu Xinghe¡¯s left hand. ¡°Trust me. Everything is developing better and better.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him and nodded. In the gentle gaze of the pair of mismatched pupils, his voice trembled from joy and excitement. ¡°Okay.¡± AD ¡°What about the two little ones?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept around quickly. ¡°A Fei took Lily out for a walk.¡± Xu Xinghe said. ¡°You know, in front of Lily, we won¡¯t say anything too serious about my mother¡¯s condition¡­ After all, she¡¯s still so young.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not that old.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think about resisting everything yourself.¡± Having said that, Marshal Ling pursed his lips and brought up the previous topic again: ¡°The surgery time has changed, why didn¡¯t you notify me?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He opened his mouth and was struggling with what kind of rhetoric he was going to make up. Out of the corner of his eyes, he suddenly caught a glimpse of his siblings returning from their walk. He couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, and quickly got up and waved to the pair at the end of the corridor. ¡°You two are back.¡± Chu Yufei saw this scene from a distance and stopped. Lily held her brother with one hand, stretched out the other small hand and waved at Xu Xinghe. ¡°Hey, Brother Changfeng is here too.¡± As a result, just as she was about to rush forward, she was pulled back. Chu Yufei glanced at Xu Xinghe, who was waving enthusiastically at them, and then glanced at Ling Changfeng, who was beside him with a faint expression. Feeling that the atmosphere was not very good, he decisively pulled his sister around. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you around again.¡± They quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Coming and going like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace behind. Xu Xinghe: ¡°???¡± The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. This younger brother can¡¯t be wanted anymore¡­ AD As soon as he turned around, he met Ling Changfeng¡¯s meaningful gaze again. Xu Xinghe smiled embarrassedly, and he suddenly felt the righteous and awe-inspiring reasons he planned to give felt superfluous. Secretly looking at Ling Changfeng, he sat back beside him and whispered: ¡°I thought you had a meeting this afternoon, and was afraid that you would be worried¡­¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t say it means I won¡¯t worry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xu Xinghe thought for a while, then tentatively asked: ¡°Then I will inform you next time?¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng replied lightly, but his eyes still fixed on him. Xu Xinghe felt inexplicably guilty facing his stare, so he simply threw his body on the bench and asked him, ¡°What else have I done wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng sighed silently, opened his mouth and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t anything else. I didn¡¯t mean to blame you for doing something wrong¡­¡± ¡°You have.¡± Xu Xinghe said with his head lowered. ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng turned his head and looked at his little spouse speechlessly. Xu Xinghe leaned to the side silently, and whispered, ¡°Okay, you continue.¡± Ling Changfeng saw his small movements in his eyes, calmly retracted his gaze, and then moved closer unhurriedly. After a moment, he sat next to Xu Xinghe again. He looked straight ahead and said without squinting: ¡°I want to say that whenever you need me, you can come to me at any time. Although due to the nature of the military, I cannot guarantee that I will be by your side at all times, and can¡¯t guarantee that I will show up in time when you need me, but I will try my best not to miss every moment when you need me.¡± As he spoke, the autumn wind blew the wind chimes hanging on the eaves. A crisp and melodious jingle sounded. Xu Xinghe only felt his heart pound madly. His heartbeat seemed to sway along with the string of wind chimes. Shaky, thumping. An indescribable feeling slowly melted from the bottom of his heart. Fiddling with his fingers, he finally spoke up again after a long pause. ¡°I don¡¯t want to delay your business because of private matters.¡± ¡°First of all, your business may be a private matter, but it¡¯s also a business matter.¡± Ling Changfeng turned his eyes slightly, his tone was serious, but not strict. On the contrary, it contained a rare patience and gentleness. ¡°Secondly, you should know that if this afternoon¡¯s meeting is really that important, then I wouldn¡¯t be here at all. I know what ¡®business¡¯ you¡¯re referring to, and you don¡¯t need to worry about me delaying them for any reason.¡± Xu Xinghe was silent for a moment, then nodded. After getting along for so long, he knew what kind of person Ling Changfeng was. This man might discuss honeymoon arrangements in one moment, and a moment later, change his face at the drop of a hat when a confidential communication line rings, apologizing that he has to avoid him due to military¡¯s regulations. ¡°If you have any needs or encounter any trouble in the future, you can let me know with confidence without worrying if I will face a dilemma. I have overcome too many of those so-called dilemmas in my life. How to choose and how to decide, I have my own considerations. Taking a step back, even if one day I do make a bad judgment for some personal reason, that¡¯s not your fault, and you don¡¯t need to be responsible for it, let alone feel guilty about it.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head and stared at Ling Changfeng in a daze. The two looked at each other wordlessly. The latter¡¯s eyes were magnanimous, and a pair of dual-colored pupils were gentle like the evening breeze in the moonlight. These words felt like a promise. Or rather, a sincerity that is more precious than a promise. Then¡­ Maybe he should respond with something. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes fell from those clear eyes to his pale thin lips. He approached slowly. If it weren¡¯t for the sudden ring of Ling Changfeng¡¯s communication device, Xu Xinghe felt that he would¡¯ve probably done something. It¡¯s a pity that the adjutant¡¯s news came at such an untimely time. Ling Changfeng glanced at the communication sent by Qin Yuan, raised his head and looked at Xu Xinghe apologetically: ¡°Sorry, I have to leave first.¡± He got up before speaking and brushed off the folds of his clothes. ¡°I will deal with the matter as soon as possible and come back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, go get busy.¡± Xu Xinghe got up to see him off, and before leaving, he gave him another hug. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your return.¡± The estimated time for the entire operation was eight hours. By the time Ling Changfeng finished processing things and rushed back to the hospital, it was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The light indicating ¡°surgery in progress¡± remained bright. Although they were warned in advance, a long wait will always magnify people¡¯s worries. The more time dragged on, the worse Xu Xinghe was at holding back his anxiety, and his whole person was a little restless. Ling Changfeng knew that it was useless to say too much at such a time, so he just stayed by his side quietly, waiting for the final result of the operation. Finally, after seven and a half hours of surgery, at nearly ten o¡¯clock in the evening, Mother Xu was pushed out of the operating room. All of a sudden, everyone got up and gathered around. The attending doctor took off his mask, first nodded to Ling Changfeng, then turned around and said to Xu Xinghe with a smile. ¡°The operation went well. The patient is currently in stable condition, and a minor operation will be performed in a week, but don¡¯t worry. ¡­¡± All the voices drifted away from Xu Xinghe. After he heard the words ¡°the operation went well¡±, he felt that the world suddenly became quiet. It wasn¡¯t until Ling Changfeng touched his arm lightly that he regained his senses. His nose was instantly sore, but his star eyes were filled with joy. It worked! Xu Xinghe almost yelled out, but in the end he just held the doctor¡¯s hand tightly and said thank you again and again. Ling Changfeng stood behind him, with a clear smile in his blue and gold eyes. In the next few days, Xu Xinghe was unexpectedly busy. Mother Xu¡¯s condition improved and her consciousness gradually became clearer. She was able to chat normally with her sons and daughter during the day, so Xu Xinghe spent more time with her. In addition, he had to arrange schooling and long-term accommodations for his siblings. Although Ling Changfeng¡¯s staff handled the execution, the decision of which school and the choice of security was left to Xu Xinghe. So, Xu Xinghe simply asked Ark to take another week¡¯s leave, intending to fully arrange everything before going back to work. As for Marshal Ling, there was a lot of work piled up from his break, so for a week, the two of them barely saw each other. When Mother Xu¡¯s condition improved significantly and she could walk on the ground, it was already late November. The temperature in Xingfu City finally broke above zero, allowing people to breathe a sigh of relief when strolling outdoors. Xu Xinghe was also finally relieved from the busyness. His long vacation was coming to an end, and work was about to resume, so he planned to cherish the remaining two days of beautiful vacation and relax. In the winter afternoon, in the marshal¡¯s mansion, he hugged Xiaoqi and lay down on the sofa, calling his smart housekeeper: ¡°KEY, give me some songs that are suitable for listening to now.¡± ¡°Okay, ¡°Winter Sonata¡± will be played for you soon.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s face flashed across his mind. After that day, he actually had something to say to Ling Changfeng. But firstly, the two of them were very busy these days, and secondly, he hadn¡¯t organized his words properly, resulting in things dragging out. A beautiful and moving melody echoed in the bedroom as Xu Xinghe looked up at the ceiling in a daze. Sometimes a thousand emotions flashed through his mind, and sometimes it was blank. At this moment, a chat message in the Capital University F4 group suddenly popped up ¨C Lin Qi: ¡°Friends! Are we going to get together tonight?¡± Vincent: ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the weather forecast?¡± Lin Qi: ¡°What weather forecast? Is it possible that there will be thunder and rain in the big winter?¡± Cheryl: ¡°Tonight, Xingfu City will usher in the first snow of winter.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°So?¡± Vincent: ¡°The first snow night, how romantic! Everyone with a partner will be on a date, so why do you choose this time to have dinner?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Where to meet?¡± The two messages were almost sent out at the same time. Less than five seconds later¡ª Lin Qi: ¡°¡­I saw it¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Why did you withdraw it??¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Brother Xu are we getting together?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°No get together¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Where do you go on a date? Give me some ideas @Cheryl @Vincent¡± The group was quiet for a while. Lin Qi slowly sent a question mark: ¡°?¡± CH 92.1 Vincent: ¡°Friendly reminder, the restaurants may be very busy and it will be difficult to make reservations. Special means can be used if necessary¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°You mean hacking into their ordering system?¡± Cheryl: ¡± Brother, can you be a little bit more conscious of being the marshal¡¯s partner! Can¡¯t you just let the people below help you book it?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Not good :)¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Stop, I think you are targeting me.¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Have you ever heard that a wise man doesn¡¯t fall in love?? If you fall in love too much, you will lose your wisdom!¡± Lin Qi: ¡°Say no more, the wise man is going to write a paper!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°Off you go, maybe you¡¯ll be inspired and write more seeing the first snow of winter :)¡± After sending the message, he clicked on the articles sent by Cheryl and Vincent, and looked at the various restaurants that were talked about. From airborne cloud seating, suspended in the sky, to the elegant and chic waterfront pavilions, there is no shortage of romantic and beautiful high-end restaurants in Xingfu City. Xu Xinghe read the menu introduction one by one, and finally selected one and dialed their reservation number. However, as expected by Vincent, the customer service agent on the phone gently informed him that all the tables were fully booked tonight. Xu Xinghe could only look for another restaurant, but after calling each one, one after another, there was no availability! As Vincent said, tonight is the first snow of Xingfu City. Since the day that the first snow was forecasted, all popular restaurants in the city have been booked out by young couples one after another. Xu Xinghe went all the way from TOP1 restaurant to TOP10, and finally gave up. He can¡¯t really hack into their system and squeeze out the places reserved by others¡­ Xu Xinghe turned off the communication depressed, comforting himself in his heart, anyway, Ling Changfeng may not be free tonight¡­ and even if he is free, from a safety point of view, he may not necessarily go to a public restaurant with him to eat. Forget it, he can make it at home. Ah no, he should first ask him if he will be back tonight¡­ Just thinking about it, the terminal on his wrist suddenly sounded. Xu Xinghe raised his hand and saw the three characters ¡°Ling Changfeng¡± on the screen. He couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply, almost thinking that he had accidentally dialed it. Until he saw the answer button in the lower left corner. This kind of consonance made him suddenly firm up his thoughts ¨C It was tonight. There are some things he will say tonight. Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and pressed the answer button. ¡°Are you coming back for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Do you have time tonight?¡± As soon as the communication line was connected, their voices sounded almost simultaneously. Xu Xinghe blinked: ¡°You speak first.¡± The other end of the phone paused for two seconds before hearing Ling Changfeng¡¯s magnetic low-pitched voice: ¡°Tonight, do you want to come out for a meal?¡± Smiling silently, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes flashed brightly as he said: ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Hanging up the phone, Xu Xinghe glanced at the time, it was 3:15 in the afternoon. He rushed into the bathroom quickly, washed himself from head to toe, then brushed his teeth again, and even flossed his teeth twice. After coming out wrapped in a bathrobe, he began to choose carefully in the cloakroom. First, dress formally. Xu Xinghe ran his fingers across his shirts and suits. In the end, he chose a white shirt with a simple style and exquisite tailoring, as well as a traditional and versatile black suit. After putting on the shirt, Xu Xinghe began to choose bow ties, square scarves, collar clips and cufflinks. He glanced up at the display cabinet, caught by a pair of cufflinks made of sapphire and amber. He remembered that they were originally two pairs of cufflinks of the same color, but he disassembled them into a pair with mismatched colors. One pair was given to Ling Changfeng, and the other pair he kept. Looking at the beautiful color matching someone¡¯s mismatched pupils, Xu Xinghe¡¯s lips curled upwards as he reached out to take the pair of cufflinks from the cabinet. By the time everything was ready, the numbers on the electronic clock had jumped to 5:15PM. It was forty-five minutes before the agreed six o¡¯clock in the evening. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the room, he ran into Chu Yufei in the corridor. The latter slammed on the brakes and looked at him with his eyes widening a little bit with a horrified expression: ¡°What are you doing¡­ Are you going to a banquet tonight?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± Xu Xinghe said in a relaxed tone, ¡°You guys stay at home and be good. If there¡¯s anything, ask He Han.¡± ¡°No, wait a minute¡­¡± Chu Yufei looked at his brother suspiciously, and his face became strange. ¡°Are you going on a date?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t deny or admit it, but pretended to ask: ¡°What makes you ask this? You can¡¯t smell my pheromones.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not blind! I can see your face.¡± Chu Yufei was speechless. ¡°You really should look in the mirror, my dear brother. People in love always have a smile on their face, and they don¡¯t look very smart.¡± The boy shook his head regretfully as he spoke. ¡°Also, although I can¡¯t smell your pheromones, I can still smell the pungent men¡¯s perfume you¡¯re spraying.¡± ¡°Is it pungent?¡± Xu Xinghe frowned upon hearing this. ¡°This is C brand¡¯s classic men¡¯s light fragrance, and is something I can accept¡­ Is it really pungent?¡± ¡°All perfumes are pungent to me¡­ Wait a minute, is this the main point?? The main thing is that I have never seen you wear cologne!¡± ¡°Then you have seen it now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chu Yufei looked at him with an expression of ¡°you are finished, you are in love¡±. Xu Xinghe raised his hand and glanced at the time. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t bother you, I¡¯m going to dinner. You should read more at home when you have time as you¡¯ll go back to school in a few days. Also, let Lily go to bed earlier. ¡° Xu Xinghe went downstairs as he spoke, and quickly walked out of the gate of the Marshal¡¯s mansion. Outside, a low-key, luxurious military flying car was already waiting for him on the tarmac. Ling Changfeng did not directly tell him where to eat tonight, but only said that he would send someone to pick him up. Xu Xinghe got into the car, the engine spewed blue flames, left the ground, and departed. The speeding car raced forward on the empty track, and gradually drove away from the city. Don¡¯t know where the dinner is, what the location is¡­ It better be by the window, so that he can still see the snowfall tonight. Lost in thoughts, Xu Xinghe was suddenly stunned. He leaned slightly and looked out the window, and always felt that the road to the suburbs out west looked a little familiar¡­ It was not until the winding and beautiful hillsides and a gorgeous manor appeared in front of him that Xu Xinghe finally remembered it. . He was here before ¨C Georges Grolet restaurant. It was the day his first marriage ended. Cheryl brought her father¡¯s card to this members-only restaurant where they ate dinner. In an instant, a very strange feeling floated up in Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart. It seems that somewhere, fate was already predetermined. But this time, their car was not stopped outside the manor, but drove directly over the manor. Only then did Xu Xinghe know that there was actually a hidden area above the manor. A floating manor, propped up by four large jet engines, was suspended in mid-air, hundreds of meters above the ground. It is made of bulletproof glass on all sides and uses anti-detection technology, commonly known as stealth, which makes it difficult to be sensed by radar, light waves, and infrared rays, and the outside cannot see the scene inside. The flying car connected to a specific track, drove inside the floating manor, and landed slowly. The door opened, and Xu Xinghe was about to get out of the car, but he was stunned when he looked up. It wasn¡¯t a hotel security guard who helped him open the car door, nor the guard escorting him¡­ it was Ling Changfeng himself! Marshal Ling wore a dignified and gorgeous military uniform, with rows of dazzling medals symbolizing honor pinned to his chest. Xu Xinghe rarely saw him wearing this outfit, but he had to admit that it was very suitable. The man¡¯s sword eyebrows, star-like eyes, thin lips¡­ The deep and handsome facial features and the tall, straight figure are all set off by this military uniform. Every time Ling Changfeng wears it, it makes him unable to look away. ¡°Good evening.¡± Ling Changfeng was also slightly startled to see Xu Xinghe dressed up for the occasion. He immediately put his hand out. Date time for our MC and ML! Ugh, I¡¯m running out of stocked chapters¡­ Back to the grindstone I go. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 92.2 From Xu Xinghe¡¯s point of view, at this moment, behind Ling Changfeng is a new moon half-covered by the red clouds of the snowy night. And he and the moon stand in the sky with the moon, and the beauty of the moon is unparalleled. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while before he found his voice: ¡°Good evening.¡± His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he got out of the car holding his hand. The restaurant supervisor politely stepped forward to guide the two of them, and came to a gate. After verifying their identities with fingerprints and pupil recognition, he reached out and opened the door of the box. Xu Xinghe let out a silent exclamation. The private room is transparent on all sides, offering a magnificent unobstructed view of the world. On one side are city lights flickering and shining like the Milky Way, and on the other side is a beautiful mountain forest. At this moment, the decorative lights in the mountain forest were lit up, like starlights falling into a dense forest, gorgeous and magnificent. There was a dining table in the center of the room, surrounded by petals, and a candle was lit on the table. Ling Changfeng beckoned to the supervisor and told him they didn¡¯t want to be disturbed, leaving only two intelligent robots in charge of delivering the food. After the supervisor left the room, he walked over to the dining table and held the chair for Xu Xinghe himself: ¡°Sit down.¡± Xu Xinghe sat down and asked casually, ¡°Why did you wear this uniform tonight?¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him faintly, and asked without answering, ¡°What about you? Why are you dressed so grandly?¡± Xu Xinghe moved in his heart, raised his head and stared at Ling Changfeng blankly, and suddenly had a certain premonition. At this moment, the intelligent robot came to serve the food. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Ling Changfeng said. ¡°Do you want some wine?¡± ¡°En¡­ let¡¯s wait a bit,¡± Xu Xinghe bit his lip. He actually wanted to have wine, but was afraid that if he got drunk, he would mess up tonight. So he shook his head and decided to wait until he had finished speaking his mind before drinking. The food for dinner is very delicate and very precious, and it can be seen that the chef has put a lot of effort into it. However, facing the table full of delicacies from the mountain and sea, Xu Xinghe was a little absent-minded. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, is the food not to your taste?¡± Ling Changfeng noticed his abnormality, put down his fork, and asked. ¡°No.¡± Xu Xinghe took a deep breath. He raised his head and looked at Ling Changfeng eagerly. ¡°Well, there is something I want to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The dual-colored pupils looked at him seriously. Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, and his heartbeat suddenly went wild. ¡°I¡­ that what¡­¡± He scrolled through the words many times in his mind, but for some reason they got stuck in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t get a word out. ¡°That, that is that¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tongue twisted, and the topic suddenly went off the rails, ¡°Isn¡¯t my mother about to be discharged from the hospital¡­¡± After he said this, his whole body was like a deflated ball, listless and drooping. He was full of things he wanted to say, but suddenly he couldn¡¯t open his mouth. However, since he opened his mouth already, and it was something to discuss, Xu Xinghe simply continued: ¡°I want to leave my house in District 5 to them after my mother is discharged from the hospital. After all, It¡¯s not suitable for them to stay in the Marshal¡¯s Mansion either; it¡¯s better for them to live with their mother.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept across Xu Xinghe¡¯s trembling hand that almost bent his fork, and nodded. ¡°You can decide on these matters. If you think the location in District 5 is inconvenient, I can also arrange other accommodation for them.¡± Xu Xinghe nodded, his heart still thumping violently. He suddenly thought, did Ling Changfeng feel the same way the night he confessed? ¡°It¡¯s snowing.¡± Ling Changfeng said suddenly. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, And then turned his head. Snowflakes were fluttering outside the window, like silvery flower petals, drifting down. And they are sitting in the middle of the flying snow, with such a rare view, making time stretch infinitely. The first snow of winter in Xingfu City fell silently around them. Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and finally made up his mind. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he heard Ling Changfeng say: ¡°I have something to tell you too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s words got stuck in his throat again, and changed his words: ¡°You say.¡± ¡°You just asked why am I wearing this suit again?¡± Ling Changfeng said, and pointed at the medal on his chest. ¡°This golden star medal was left by me on the 376 battlefield. The longest scar also came from this battle. This First Class Liberation Medal was awarded the year I was promoted to major general, and I still remember the glory of raising my arms and the army responding that day. There is also this Flying Pigeon Medal, The Golden Peony Medal¡­ All these medals are the epitome of the military exploits and glory in my life, and I usually only wear them on occasions that I attach great importance to.¡± Ling Changfeng said here, raised his head and looked at Xu Xinghe His eyes said, ¡°For example, that state banquet, that was the first time I appeared in public with you. Another example, the day of the wedding.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. He remembered that on the day he first entered the Marshal¡¯s mansion, Ling Changfeng did not attend¡­ It was Colonel Lewis who came to pick him up. But that night, when he saw Ling Changfeng for the first time, he was indeed wearing this military uniform. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was absent that day.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his eyes and continued: ¡°I was going to pick you up by myself that day, but I encountered something on the way, and I can¡¯t even explain to you what it was. I can¡¯t talk to you about my work, I can¡¯t tell you who I met, and I can¡¯t tell you my specific itinerary¡­ At most, all I can say is I can¡¯t go home for dinner.¡± ¡°I fully understand this, really.¡± Xu Xinghe felt his mood change, so he interrupted him gently, ¡°Soldiers need to be on call 24 hours a day. I¡¯m aware of the non-disclosure agreements, responsibilities, and obligations they need to fulfill. I¡¯ve already been told before marriage¡­¡± Ling Changfeng listened to him quietly, but still shook his head and continued: ¡°And our first date, the one that failed¡­ That night, I also missed our appointment.¡± Peering at the beating candlelight on the table, Ling Changfeng continued in a low voice, ¡°To this day, I still can¡¯t explain what happened that night. When some extreme situations happen, my private communication will be inaccessible for safety reasons.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t know how to comfort him. He wanted to say something, but felt that words paled in comparison. He felt the other party¡¯s self-blame and even powerlessness¡­ These were emotions he had never captured in Ling Changfeng. So much so that he was at a loss as to how to solve it. ¡°I can¡¯t even guarantee that such a situation will never happen again.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was very low. ¡°So, I occasionally wonder if you refused to accept my confession because the impression I left on you isn¡¯t good, or that I really can¡¯t be considered a qualified husband.¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t listen anymore. He felt that Ling Changfeng might say something stupid like ¡°If you really don¡¯t like me, then when one year expires, I will sign the divorce agreement and set you free.¡± God, then he¡¯d be pissed off! Why on earth are they talking about this on a snowy night?? At the thought, Xu Xinghe immediately got up. Then, he kissed those pale lips directly. After a long night and waiting, he finally responded to his confession- With a kiss. ¡¯nuff said Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 93 Xu Xinghe has no kissing experience, nor does Ling Changfeng. However, at this moment, the two discovered that this kind of thing does not seem to need to be learned. Everything happened naturally and logically. Xu Xinghe closed his eyes. The scene in front of him darkened, and his remaining senses magnified infinitely¡­ He heard Ling Changfeng¡¯s heavy and rapid breathing, and the other party¡¯s strong heartbeat. He smelled the fragrant delicacies on the table, as well as the saltiness of the majestic sea and surging waves. He also felt the other person¡¯s lips. Warm, slippery, soft beyond imagination¡­ It felt unreal. How can the lips of a person carved in ice and stone be so soft? With such a question in mind, Xu Xinghe once again pecked the lips lightly. Ling Changfeng¡¯s breath instantly became messy. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyelashes twitched slightly, and then he quietly lifted his eyes¡­ Only to learn that Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t close his eyes! At the moment when the four eyes met, a certain electric sensation rose from the spine, causing the two of them to tremble in unison. Something exploded silently in their eyes, creating colorful fireworks amidst the shining sun, moon, and stars. It seems that everything in the world can be condensed in a lover¡¯s loving eyes. Ling Changfeng¡¯s mind was blank for a moment. His eyes widened slightly, and his whole person fell into a strange state of stagnation. He stared at Xu Xinghe motionless, and saw countless flowers blooming one after another behind him. The wild flowers blurred his eyes, blooming all over the world. In an instant, a spark ignited a prairie fire. When the illusion of mottled flowers and shadows faded, he still clearly saw Xu Xinghe¡¯s two rows of small brush-like eyelashes trembling in front of his eyes, like the wings of a butterfly, fluttering and tickling his heart. The scent of springtime flowers in bloom overflowed indoors, isolated from the outside world of ice and snow. Xu Xinghe was unable to concentrate on the kiss with his eyes open. Besides, maintaining his posture of stretching out his neck and sticking his head out is quite tiring. So, Xu Xinghe stood up still, and licked his lips. Seeing Ling Changfeng, who had not recovered from the unexpected delight, he muttered in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not medusa¡­ You¡¯re not petrified are you?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his head. Dual orbs of gold and sapphire slowly turned to him, still with the appearance of his three major and seven minor souls missing.1as in LCF is mind wandering / spaced out Even though he didn¡¯t have any expression on his face, Xu Xinghe had already captured enough information from the pheromones scurrying around. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°Is this all right?¡± A hint of doubt flashed in the dual-colored eyes. Ling Changfeng pursed his lips without speaking, and his sluggish brain finally resumed functioning after looking at Xu Xinghe a little longer in confusion. ¡°I mean, can this be considered a response?¡± Xu Xinghe sat down opposite him again, his eyes sparkling. His eyes were pure and clear, like a mountain stream shining in silvery bright moonlight. He stared into Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes, afraid that he wasn¡¯t enlightened yet, and simply added: ¡°You said you like me, I think, I do too.¡± As soon as these words came out, Xu Xinghe felt everything else came out smoothly. The words that were stuck in his throat rushed out immediately: ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me why I¡¯m dressed so grandly tonight? Because I am here to confess. I want to tell you that from now on, let¡¯s always be together.¡± ¡°Actually, I prepared a lot of words on the way here, but before I could speak, I heard someone start to criticize himself. So I think it is better to speak with practical actions.¡± Subconsciously licking his lips, Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Knowing this, can¡¯t you tell my intentions now?¡± Gold and blue orbs flashed. Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes swept across his lover¡¯s pink lips, and then stared straight into his eyes. Seeing that he remained silent, Xu Xinghe pretended to be regretful and said, ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng finally moved. He was about to speak, but heard Xu Xinghe continue: ¡°Then I can only let you bite once more.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes changed immediately. Pheromone swept through every corner of the house instantly, and the whole sea boiled. In this delicate atmosphere, Xu Xinghe suddenly realized that he seemed to have made a terrible joke. The very aggressive aura unique to alphas began to spiral out of control, aggressively clamoring to possess. Xu Xinghe almost bit his tongue as he stammered: ¡°That, uh¡­ Is it too late for me to take back what I just said?¡± Ling Changfeng got up with an indescribable expression. ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Carrying a body full of dangerous pheromones, he pressed near, as if to swallow the other party alive. Xu Xinghe instinctively wanted to back away. But as soon as he took a step back, his waist buckled. Ling Changfeng gently circled his waist, and pulled his little spouse into his arms. ¡°What are you running for?¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s big hand clasped around Xu Xinghe¡¯s sensitive waist. A tingling shock jolted the moment his fingertips pressed down lightly. The numb and itchy feeling expanded from the small spot on his waist. He subconsciously wanted to hide, but he fell into his arms and directly hit Ling Changfeng¡¯s chest. Ling Changfeng wrapped his hands around his waist and directly pushed the person against the corner of a wall. Xu Xinghe only felt that his feet were light, and before he could resist, his back was stuck to the cold wall. There was no going back. It¡¯s worth mentioning that the walls are made of a single piece of bulletproof glass and are completely transparent. Xu Xinghe turned his head to see the falling snow, the gradually lowering clouds, and the eternally bright starry sky hidden behind the clouds. The city under his feet condensed into an electronic map stretching boundlessly for hundreds of miles, full of surging lines and endless brilliance. The field of vision in front of him was extremely broad. Even if he knew that they were at a height of 100 meters and that people outside could not see inside, Xu Xinghe still blushed. There is a sense of shame about flirting openly under the bright sky. But the person holding him was obviously not ashamed. On the contrary, every pore on the alpha¡¯s body exuded an air of pleasure and contentment. Xu Xinghe¡¯s teeth itch with anger: ¡°Let go.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his head and looked down at his little spouse. A slightly hoarse voice sounded in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ear: ¡°Are you going to say if I don¡¯t, I should bite you?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± A small smile appeared in Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes when he saw the cute appearance of his little spouse gnashing his teeth. His voice was very low as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we¡¯ll always be together in the future? Why don¡¯t you give me a hug? ¡° He deliberately pulled the final syllable to be soft and hoarse; it even resembled a grievance in the lingering atmosphere. He originally just wanted to tease him, and had no intention of forcing his little spouse. He was even ready to let go if the situation went wrong. But unexpectedly, Xu Xinghe raised his head and glanced at him when he heard the words, then lowered his head again, and silently snuggled in his arms. The omega put his chin obediently on his lover¡¯s shoulder, and his soft hair swept across the other¡¯s side face. Ling Changfeng¡¯s breathing suddenly stopped for half a beat. Immediately, his waist tightened, as his lover¡¯s arms looped around. Xu Xinghe stretched out his hand and hugged Ling Changfeng back, but he still muttered: ¡°You¡¯re a bad person to complain first¡­ Who didn¡¯t hug who? Haven¡¯t we hugged for five minutes?¡± Ling Changfeng looked down. His eyes were full of affection, but his voice was still low: ¡°But you asked me to let go¡­¡± Unable to bear it, Xu Xinghe shot back: ¡°Huh, but did you let go?¡± Ling Changfeng continued to look at him. ¡°You told me to take a bite, but I didn¡¯t.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Outside, snow continued to fall. Silvery white flowers danced in the wind as they drifted towards the earth. At this moment, they were far away from all the hustle and bustle of the mundane world, embracing quietly in the first snow of winter. After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xinghe asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you finished hugging?¡± Of course it wasn¡¯t enough, but Ling Changfeng still let go reluctantly. Tidying up the messed up suit, Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t help muttering in a low voice, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that!¡± Ling Changfeng raised his brows slightly, looked at him noncommittally, and slowly said, ¡°Spoken words is like spilled water that can¡¯t be recovered.¡± ¡ªCan¡¯t be taken back. Xu Xinghe glared at him and sat back in his seat angrily. Ling Changfeng walked over calmly. ¡°Would you like some wine?¡± The corners of his mouth twitched as Xu Xinghe said with a smile, ¡°No need.¡± What a joke! In this situation, if he really gets drunk, he will really be bitten! Ling Changfeng¡¯s gaze swept across the small pair of pale pink earlobes, watching the blush extending from behind Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears all the way into the neckline of his white shirt¡­ His mood was instantly exceptionally good. He didn¡¯t force it, as he nodded and sat down. ¡°Then let¡¯s continue to eat.¡± The heat on Xu Xinghe¡¯s face had not subsided, but his heart was still beating endlessly. In order not to seem abnormal, he feigned irritability with his fork, and vented his emotions on the food. The silverware slid across the china plate and shoved a piece of beef into his mouth. Ling Changfeng gently pushed a glass of lemonade over with two fingers: ¡°Don¡¯t choke.¡± Xu Xinghe snorted, but still took it and drank it. Eyes sweeping across the flowers and candles arranged around them, he suddenly felt like something was wrong. Raising his head, he asked, ¡°Did you ask them to arrange this place just to say those words to frustrate me?¡± Holding his fork and knife to cut the steak, Ling Changfeng explained in an orderly manner: ¡°It¡¯s not meant to frustrate you ¨C I just want to confess to you. I once wanted to wear this military uniform and greet you in the most solemn manner, but I missed the chance. And this kind of situation cannot be completely avoided in the future¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sidetrack.¡± Xu Xinghe remained unmoved, his eyes full of doubts and inquiry. He then asked: ¡°You originally wanted to come to me to confess a second time, right? Why did you change your words?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin, and wiped his mouth. Then, he threw out the familiar name of his capable adjutant: ¡°The restaurant was selected by Qin Yuan.¡± ¡°Did he also arrange the venue?¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded without blushing. Xu Xinghe looked at him speechlessly. ¡°Do you know what is the most important thing between partners?¡± He tapped twice towards the plate with the silver fork in his hand: ¡°It¡¯s sincerity!¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± His little spouse suddenly said such a big sounding truth. Marshal Ling hesitated for a while, but still confessed: ¡°Yes, I originally wanted to confess again. But after coming here, I discovered that you were also intending to do so, so I decided to leave the opportunity to you¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°How did you know I was going to confess?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes swept over his cuffs. ¡°I saw that you were wearing our couple¡¯s cufflinks, and sprayed cologne. The first sentence you said when you picked up my call was to ask me if I would go back to eat tonight. Obviously, you were looking for me for something¡­ Of course, this isn¡¯t concrete evidence, but the combined signs gave me this kind of conjecture. And this conjecture was verified after seeing you humming and hawing. At the time, I thought our hearts and minds were finally in tune.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! So you said those words on purpose. Right?¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly realized that he had completely fallen into someone¡¯s trap. This guy did it on purpose! Deliberately acting like a stray cat soaked in the rain to soften his heart, make him feel distressed, make him surrender, and finally throw away his armor and defenses. What can be done? He can only eat this loss himself. Ling Changfeng¡¯s plan was laid bare. He didn¡¯t deny it, but said without changing his face: ¡°I saw that it was difficult for you to open your mouth, and wanted to help you. But this¡ª¡± He pointed to his lips. ¡°Indeed I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± The beating candlelight and the lovely appearance of his lover was reflected in the mismatched pupils. A smile dipped into his eyes a little bit, ¡°Windfall.¡± They kissed, and the baby hedgehog went first~ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 94 T/N: Thank you Wildziva for the ko-fis to sponsor an add¡¯l release! We got a week of fluff (and a cliffhanger) coming up~ Xu Xinghe felt a little angry seeing the wicked smile celebrating a successful plan in the other party¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re despicable! I was still thinking about how to comfort you!¡± ¡°Thank you, you really comforted me.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was as low as always, but there was a relaxed and happy satisfaction in his tone, like a cat that¡¯s full and basking in the sun. Glaring at him angrily, the little man in Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart waved his fists wildly in the air. Can¡¯t wait to grab the tail of this big cat, pull it close, and rub it at will. It is a pity that Marshal Ling isn¡¯t a real cat and has no tail. If there is, its big tail must be raised high because of its master¡¯s pride at the moment, and swinging leisurely. ¡°What comfort, you big-headed bastard! You clearly did it on purpose!¡± Xu Xinghe was brooding about how easily he was deceived and gave away his first kiss foolishly. ¡°I thought that if you were allowed to continue your self-examination, you would take the initiative to file for divorce! In fact, you didn¡¯t mean it at all, did you?¡± The eyes that were still smiling just now stopped laughing. When Ling Changfeng heard the word ¡°divorce¡±, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression suddenly became dangerous. ¡°Not. Possible.¡± He said word by word, with a voice seeming to freeze the surroundings. ¡°I have already burned the divorce agreement, and will never sign it in my life. If you want to divorce one day, you¡¯ll have to go directly to the Union Court and sue me.¡± Marshal Ling said with a stern face. The surrounding temperature plummeted and the air pressure dropped. The pheromones coated with an icy chill made Xu Xinghe shiver uncontrollably. When he raised his head, he met someone¡¯s direct gaze. Facing the relentless stare, Xu Xinghe shrank back subconsciously, but was still a little unconvinced. ¡°Why are you looking at me like this? Didn¡¯t you bring this topic up first¡­¡± Ling Changfeng asked straightforwardly, ¡°When did I say I was going to divorce?¡± The alpha, who was in love, couldn¡¯t stand that word at all, and was very concerned. Xu Xinghe hesitantly said: ¡°I thought¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°That I want to divorce?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Who the hell is emphasizing this word! ¡°Why do you think like this?¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s face was indifferent, but the words that came out of his mouth were very aggrieved. ¡°I neither drove you out of the room, nor refused to share the same bed, nor did I shove you a divorce agreement on our wedding night.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ah, the cat is angry. Helpless, Xu Xinghe felt the topic couldn¡¯t be continued. He had to smooth the hairs on the anxious cat first. ¡°Okay, my fault, I won¡¯t mention that word in the future¡­¡± His tone was like coaxing a child. Gentle and patient. At the end, Xu Xinghe leaned forward slightly, swept across the table full of petals, and held Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will not be separated. We will be together forever.¡± The world fell silent. Ling Changfeng raised his eyes to look at Xu Xinghe, and all kinds of indescribable emotions poured out of his eyes. He recalled that once upon a time, when he was young, he seriously refuted the message in Qin Yuan¡¯s love letter: ¡°You haven¡¯t even lived one-fifth of your life, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early to say forever?¡± In his opinion, those promises made between young lovers are too naive, too childish, and even a little irresponsible. Even the stars will burn out one day ¨C who can guarantee forever? However, when facing these things himself, he realized that there was probably no one in this world who could refuse the forever promised by their lover. He didn¡¯t care whether Xu Xinghe was coaxing him on a whim, because at this moment, he fell into those words. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, clasped his hand back, lowered his eyes and said, ¡°We will be together forever.¡± The low pressure around his body gradually receded, and his cloudy mood turned clear with this mutual promise. Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while, as if seeing a big cat pursing his ears with satisfaction, and then starting to roll around in the sun. Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief, however, there was one more thing that made him very concerned. He observed Ling Changfeng¡¯s face, and after confirming that the other party¡¯s mood had improved, he couldn¡¯t help but speak again: ¡°What, you burned that thing?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him and nodded: ¡°It¡¯s burned.¡± Xu Xinghe asked again: ¡°When?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°Forgot.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him with a faint gaze: ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just want to confirm again¡­ burning it is fine.¡± Touching his nose lightly, the big stone in Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart finally fell after receiving the firm answer. He quickly changed the subject: ¡°By the way, it might sound like fate ¨C but I¡¯ve been to this restaurant before.¡± Ling Changfeng gave him a meaningful look. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But at that time, I was eating below, and I didn¡¯t know there was such a place above¡­¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly realized something when he finished speaking. This is a restaurant with a military backing that isn¡¯t open to the public. Even the lower level isn¡¯t something ordinary people can enter. Ling Changfeng wouldn¡¯t think that he had eaten with Mu Qingyun last time, right?? Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe quickly raised his head and glanced at Ling Changfeng¡¯s face, and added, ¡°I came with my friends last time¡­¡± Ling Changfeng continued to look at him and slowly hummed. ¡°I know.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°You know? How do you know??¡± At that time, his first marriage had just ended, and he had not yet had any intersection with Ling Changfeng. Xu Xinghe¡¯s face suddenly became strange: ¡°You didn¡¯t open this restaurant, right?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He was choked by the question, and didn¡¯t know how his little spouse came up with such a wild idea. ¡°Of course not.¡± He slowly said in the other¡¯s puzzled eyes. ¡°This is where we first met.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. He swore his first time seeing Ling Changfeng was the night he entered the Marshal¡¯s mansion. But Ling Changfeng said, the first time the two met here?? Xu Xinghe was in a mess for a while. Suddenly he remembered that some roads in the western suburbs were speed limited, blocked off, and the numerous checkpoints that day, and realized something. ¡°You were here for dinner that night?!¡± ¡°Class reunion.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°But¡­¡± Xu Xinghe carefully recalled the scene that night, but did not see Ling Changfeng¡¯s figure in those memory fragments. So he said strangely. ¡°Why do I have no impression at all? Were you peeping at me from the shadows??¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Facing the silent gaze from the pair of mismatched pupils, Xu Xinghe tilted his head, suddenly feeling a little strange. Remember that he simply stretched out his hand to support his chin, staring at his big cat recklessly. ¡°That night, there was a problem with the upper road access, so we finally had to take the VIP channel below.¡± Ling Changfeng explained. ¡°There I heard your voice and smelled your pheromones¡­¡± To this day, the charming floral fragrance that amazed him that whole summer night still haunts him. Ling Changfeng remembered very clearly that the rare appearance of the moon and stars that night, when the still water that had been silent for many years in his heart was suddenly disturbed unreasonably. He didn¡¯t even have time to react then the intoxicating aroma easily broke through the layers of barriers he had, and floated into the wall of his heart so easily. Xu Xinghe raised the corner of his mouth and continued to tease him: ¡°So, you fell in love with me at first sight?¡± The pair of dark doe eyes were full of teasing. Anyone seeing Ling Changfeng showing such seriousness towards personal matters, wouldn¡¯t be able to resist ¡®mocking¡¯ him. The adjutant, who has been with the marshal for many years, has long discovered this kind of fun, and indulges in it with ease. And now, Xu Xinghe seems to have learned this kind of joy too. Seeing a big unsmiling cat remove its aloof posture, and respond step by step ¨C isn¡¯t this much more interesting than teasing Xiaoqi? Xu Xinghe rested his cheeks with his hands, intending to appreciate the embarrassment of the big cat. Unexpectedly, Ling Changfeng¡¯s expression was unexpectedly calm. He didn¡¯t evade the question, and even thought about it for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s not about love at first sight. However, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s unforgettable at first sight, or, in other words, a little tempted¡­¡± To say that it is ¡°tempted¡± is actually not too accurate. The moment he smelled the fragrance of the flowers, what moved before his heart was an alpha¡¯s evil instincts. Want to pluck that flower. Take it completely for himself¡­ Ling Changfeng looked at those pure and pure little eyes and lowered his eyes slightly. Such filthy thoughts, until now, he still dared not show it directly in front of Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know if these words were a different level of confession, but he did hear it. There is a feeling of being seduced and irresistibly seduced. He turned his face away silently, and whispered: ¡°What tempting? Isn¡¯t it still love at first sight¡­¡± Ling Changfeng pondered for a while, and suddenly said: ¡°Actually, I noticed you at that time, not only because of your pheromone.¡± ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m handsome?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Ling Changfeng glanced at him, and shook his head. ¡°Too far apart, I didn¡¯t see what you looked like.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­That¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°However, I heard you say¡ª¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes were faint, and his expression was light, ¡°What was it¡­ you said, even if you¡¯re matched to the Alliance Marshal, it¡¯s nothing special.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± The world was quiet for a moment, and then Xu Xinghe burst out in loud denial. ¡°Impossible! When did I say such a thing?! I didn¡¯t know you back then¡­ Don¡¯t slander me!¡± Ling Changfeng read his bluff through his guilty conscience, and he ¡®kindly¡¯ reminded him: ¡°You seemed to have drank a lot¡­¡± Xu Xinghe did not remember saying this, but he did remember drinking that night. While he did scold Mu Qingyun many times, he really had no impression of whether he mentioned other people¡­ At the thought, he glanced at Ling Changfeng¡¯s face, stuck his head out uncertainly to ask, ¡°I really said these things? You¡¯re not framing me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Seeing him like this, Ling Changfeng wanted to laugh, but his face was still expressionless, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who heard this. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Qin Yuan.¡± After hearing this, Xu Xinghe sat in his seat for a while, then muttered under his breath: ¡°So what, I was drunk¡­¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling looked at his little spouse speechlessly. After a while, he opened his mouth to say, ¡°When you¡¯re really drunk, it¡¯s even better than this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head stiffly and looked at him. Ling Changfeng said casually: ¡°When you¡¯re slightly drunk, you only dare speak. But when you¡¯re really drunk, you even move your hands and legs.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say anything more.¡± Eyes gleaming in the night, Ling Changfeng continued: ¡°Not only did you dare to verbally attack the Alliance Marshal, but you also dared directly trap his body, such as clinging to his arm, or reaching out to hook¡­¡± ¡°Please shut up.¡± Xu Xinghe was ashamed to listen. He probably knew what the hell he looked like when he was drunk. ¡°Again, I have no consciousness at all when I was drunk, and don¡¯t remember what happens after waking up. So, the drunk me is not the real me.¡± Xu Xinghe tried to justify his own actions. ¡°So, how does that kind of drunken nonsense count? Besides, when I get drunk, I might hug anyone¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Hug anyone?¡± Ling Changfeng slanted his pupils, repeated these two words. His thin lips almost pursed into a line. ¡°That, it¡¯s not like I hug everyone¡­¡± Xu Xinghe swallowed hard, and started looking for a way out. ¡°I only hug people around me, I mean, people who are close¡­ That¡¯s what they said, but in fact I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m drunk like¡­¡± No matter how he explained it, nothing seemed right, and his voice grew fainter and fainter. FInally, he got up and decided to escape the topic. ¡°I¡¯m full, let¡¯s go and see the snow.¡± After saying that, he ran to the viewing platform as if there was oil below his soles. Ling Changfeng followed behind him and silently decided that he would never let his little spouse get drunk outside alone in the future. The two walked on the glass bridge, as if they were walking on dark reddish clouds on a winter night. The beautiful winter evening was unobstructed with the transparent windows. Crystal clear snowflakes swirled around them. Xu Xinghe was walking in front when suddenly his footsteps stopped. Ling Changfeng also stopped. Xu Xinghe took two steps back and slowly approached Ling Changfeng. Then, under the surprised and stunned gaze of the pair of mismatched pupils, he took his hand. ¡°I just remembered that we¡¯ve already confessed to each other.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s be together.¡± Winter ice and snow slowly melted. Ling Changfeng looked at his little spouse and hummed softly. Then, the fingertips slid between his fingers and clasped them tightly. More fluff~ Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 95 He Han, the steward, who has always been very good at observing words and expressions, discovered that some kind of change was quietly taking place in the marshal¡¯s mansion. Since that night when the Marshal1capitalizing since this section is like a monologue / to reflect the steward (He Han)¡¯s respect to the Marshal and Mr. Xu came back holding hands, something changed. For example, in the past, after Mr. Xu cooked, he would directly bring out the food and distribute it to them to eat together. But now, he will take out a portion before that and keep it for the Marshal alone. For example, the Marshal comes home after work regularly now. Every time he enters the house with wind at his heels, as if his wife and children are waiting for him at home. Moreover, Mr. Xu also takes the initiative to greet him, and hugs him in front of everyone. For example, after Xu Xinghe resumed work, the Marshal began to send him to and from work frequently. Sometimes during pick up, the two of them would disappear, and wouldn¡¯t come back until the middle of the night. Another example, they sometimes do morning exercises together. Ling Changfeng used to prefer high-intensity physical training, but Xu Xinghe obviously can¡¯t keep up with such harsh training intensity. His morning exercise is basically running, and he runs very slowly. Therefore, Marshal Ling also made some adjustments to his routine. He moved his high-intensity training to other times and set aside early morning to jog with Xu Xinghe. The two often ran side by side across the lawn in the morning. Also, they share a bed more often. One night, He Han even saw that Xu Xinghe first went to the Marshal¡¯s bedroom with a pillow, and then came back with a pillow in the middle of the night, complaining as he walked, ¡°Why is your bed so hard??¡± Marshal Ling followed behind with his hands behind his back. He followed Xu Xinghe into his room, and was even discussing before the door closed: ¡°I told you that my bed is very hard. That said, a bed that is too soft is not good for the spine¡­¡± In short, if he had to describe it, the atmosphere between the two is ambiguous and greasy. It¡¯s like there are heart-shaped pink bubbles wherever they go. If he hadn¡¯t been with the Marshal for so long, He Han would probably have thought that they had begun to fall in love. However, they¡¯re obviously already legal spouses! Isn¡¯t it absurd to only start dating after five months of marriage? The two began to express their love generously and no longer shied away from the gazes of others, as if they gradually became an old couple. In his eyes, this type of change is welcome. Compared with the Marshal¡¯s previous state of being a war machine, the current Marshal Ling has become more like a living person. However, this change also brought some minor troubles. For some intimate actions, if the parties involved do not shy away, the subordinates can only make sure to avoid them. The patrolling guards bumped into them hugging on the forest path more than once, but they could only embarrassedly pretend not to see it, bite the bullet, and divert around. Chu Yufei has suffered even more these days. He didn¡¯t understand how two big men with no prior romantic experience could be so greasy after falling in love. Sometimes when eating, the pair would suddenly start serving each other, and even inexplicably trade glances across the table. Even if they get rolled eyes or blank stares from the side, they don¡¯t restrain themselves at all. This kind of staring usually ends with the two smiling at each other, before the cycle starts over and over again. Not to mention the overwhelming pheromones filling the room enough to wake the dead. As long as his dear brother and sister-in-law are at home, images that are not suitable for children will automatically play in his mind from time to time. Chu Yufei admits that he has a thick skin, but even he suffers from second-hand embarrassment and has to avoid the couple on occasion. What¡¯s even more frightening is that Ling Changfeng¡¯s domineering and powerful pheromone can¡¯t be stopped at all! He can still smell it even if he locks himself in the room. Therefore, when Mother Xu was finally discharged from the hospital, the boy with five naturally sensitive senses breathed a sigh of relief to learn he and his sister would move in to live with their mother. He doesn¡¯t want to be chased and fed any more dog food! At least his nose can rest. ¡°I thought that Valentine¡¯s Day was enough. After all, the streets are full of couples in love.¡± Before leaving, Chu Yufei looked at his elder brother, and shook his head again like a little adult. Then he sighed again. ¡°But you guys are even more exaggerated. Every day is like Valentine¡¯s Day! Are you trying to make up for the lack of love experience in the past few decades?¡± Xu Xinghe just smiled slightly and took out the special gift he prepared for his younger brother. ¡°For you.¡± Chu Yufei¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What is this? A new tablet computer?¡± ¡°It is a type of computer. For learning. I personally improved it.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s tone was a little smug. ¡°Although it can¡¯t connect to the Internet, it contains more than 500 sets of test papers. If you complete a set a day, you¡¯ll be prepared to pass the university entrance exam.¡± Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± The boy was shocked, how can anyone be so bored and waste time creating such an anti-human thing?? ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy after returning to work? Can I refuse this¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Xu Xinghe replied with a smile. ¡°I suggest you finish them. I did the same thing back then, and finally got admitted to Capital University¡¯s ace major.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m only a freshman in high school, and I haven¡¯t finished studying yet!¡± ¡°So you have to preview in advance, step up your learning, and start on these questions early.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, here¡¯s a gift for our little Lily.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his attention to his sister, and took out the prepared child-sized violin. ¡°I remember you said that you can play the violin?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lily¡¯s eyes lit up, instantly in love with her new gift as she jumped up and down. She learned violin for a while before her father¡¯s accident, and has always loved the bright and beautiful tone. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and practice, and I¡¯ll show it to my brother next time!¡± Raising her head, Lily¡¯s eyes curved like the crescent moon in joy. Xu Xinghe instantly felt a wave of brother love; his sister was so worry-free. Chu Yufei cast an envious look and protested: ¡°Why is Lily¡¯s gift a violin, and mine this??¡± ¡°Because you have to focus on your studies now.¡± Xu Xinghe took on the appearance of an older brother, as he patiently explained. ¡°In addition, I¡¯m not worried about Lily¡¯s studies.¡± At this point, he glanced at Chu Yufei regretfully. ¡°To be honest, I think Lily may have read a few more books than you. ¡° Chu Yufei: ¡°¡­¡± You can get rid of the ¡°a few¡±. ¡°Okay, get in the car first, let¡¯s go pick up mom together.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and hugged his younger brother and sister. ¡°If you ever need me in the future, please feel free to contact me. I will visit every week.¡± ¡ª¡ª After his younger brother and sister moved out, Xu Xinghe and Ling Changfeng¡¯s crooked behaviors stopped for a while. It¡¯s not that the novelty has passed, nor that they have entered a period of burnout from being so in love, but because their workloads picked up. In December, Nebula City began to snow frequently. The whole city was covered with a layer of frost. Snow fluttered in the air, like silver butterflies flying in the air, and finally landed on the ground. Long streets were covered with these white flakes. On this day, Xu Xinghe worked overtime on the Ark to perform troubleshooting and system maintenance. Due to the large number of issues at the end of the year and the investigations that needed to be handled, his workload was quite huge. His entire team busied themselves for two days. Xu Xinghe¡¯s feet barely touched the ground, and even turned off his private communication to focus on work. For example, Ling Changfeng emailed him several times during the day, but didn¡¯t get a reply until late at night. ¡°Xinghe, come with me.¡± Xu Xinghe was correcting some data parameters as part of the QA process when he was suddenly interrupted. ¡°Boss Liang?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned at the surprise visit. When he turned around, he saw Liang Shilei, the boss of the department, standing at the door. The boss actually came to him in person? Xu Xinghe put down the terminal in his hand, and asked as he walked over, ¡°What are you looking for from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one looking for you.¡± Liang Shilei took him through the corridor and used his card to swipe through a set of doors Xu Xinghe had never gone through before. On the other side is an exclusive elevator not open to the public to go upstairs. ¡°Have you been so busy recently?¡± Liang Shilei turned his head and looked at the capable subordinate he admired most. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s been crazy.¡± In front of Mr. Liang, Xu Xinghe stopped pretending and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s foreseeable that things will be even busier at the end of the year.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his head and smiled: ¡°Being so busy¡­ does Ark consider paying more overtime pay?¡± Liang Shilei smiled: ¡°Do you still need overtime pay?¡± As he was talking, a ¡°ding¨C¡± sounded, and the elevator stopped steadily on the 100th floor. Xu Xinghe was stunned. ¡°Huh, Director Wang wants to see me?¡± Liang Shilei shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡± The elevator door opened, but Liang Shilei did not get out. Instead, he pointed to the elevator door and said to Xu Xinghe, ¡°The door is open, go in.¡± Xu Xinghe got off the elevator in a daze and knocked on the door. There was no sound. Taking a deep breath, Xu Xinghe pushed the door and walked in. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He saw a small well-equipped conference room when he entered. It is probably a place for the top management of Ark to discuss and make decisions. Surprisingly, there was no one in the room. Xu Xinghe looked around suspiciously until the holographic projector in front of him suddenly lit up and shot a beam of light towards the opposite side¡­ When he saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s face appearing in front of him, Xu Xinghe was completely speechless. ¡°I¡¯m at work!¡± Team Leader Xu, whose head was full of work, expressed his dissatisfaction with the forced meeting. But he still calmed down to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± On the opposite side, Marshal Ling was slightly startled at his spouse¡¯s reaction, and generously explained: ¡°I sent you a message, but you didn¡¯t reply¡­¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t reply! You don¡¯t know how busy I am today!¡± Xu Xinghe, who was already irritable at work, interrupted angrily, and shouted at his big cat. ¡°You can¡¯t come and disrupt my work because I ignored a message! This will affect my work!¡± After that, he raised his head again and asked through gritted teeth, ¡°What the hell are you looking for me for?¡± Ling Changfeng was speechless for a while. In fact, he didn¡¯t have anything important, but he suddenly finished a certain job at hand and had a moment of leisure. He missed his little spouse. As the Alliance Marshal who holds great power, finding someone isn¡¯t difficult. It¡¯s just that he forgot that his little spouse has been as busy as him lately. He¡¯s free now, but Xu Xinghe isn¡¯t. Ling Changfeng was silent for a while. Originally he wanted to answer him truthfully, then apologize, and then coax him with a few words. But seeing the other party¡¯s resentment and an expression of ¡°it¡¯d better be serious for you to find me¡±, he suddenly couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Aren¡¯t you okay?¡± Xu Xinghe gave him a vicious look. Those dark doe eyes were actually not lethal at all, and were even a little cute when they were angry. Despite Marshal Ling¡¯s momentary panic, his face was calm. Brain running fast, he finally glanced at the schedule at hand, and opened his mouth: ¡°The Lambda galaxy delegation I will come to the capital for a visit in a few weeks, which probably requires you¡­ as my spouse, to come with me.¡± Since this is a public itinerary that has already been set, it¡¯ll soon be on the news. There is nothing that can¡¯t be said, and the matter was directly pushed out by Marshal Ling as a shield. However, Ling Changfeng also knew that his reason was a little untenable. This is not an urgent matter. The visit will only take place in mid-December. There is really no need to forcefully meet today and make a special call to talk about it. Ling Changfeng sighed silently in his heart, and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m actually¡­¡± He raised his eyes, intending to confess, but was suddenly stunned. ¡°Xinghe?¡± He saw his little spouse standing in the middle of the conference room, his face pale¡­ Sh*t¡¯s getting real Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 96 Even though what was in front of him was just a projection, Ling Changfeng could still see that Xu Xinghe¡¯s state was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly, feeling a little worried. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± After coming back to his senses, Xu Xinghe hurriedly lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I still have work to do. I¡¯ll talk to you when I go back in the evening.¡± After speaking, he closed the door without waiting for Ling Changfeng to speak. The projector cut off the video communication automatically. A busy tone after being hung up echoed in the marshal¡¯s office. Ling Changfeng dialed Qin Yuan¡¯s direct line: ¡°Send someone to see what happened to Xinghe, and report to me in time if there is any situation.¡± After a pause, he urged: ¡°Don¡¯t make noise, and don¡¯t interfere with his work. ¡°Yes.¡± Adjutant Qin¡¯s crisp voice came from the other end of the communication, and then the topic changed: ¡°The list of general and above officers to be promoted in the next year needs to be read and signed by you. I¡¯ll send the documents over.¡± From the beginning to the end the conversation carried a serious business tone. Ling Changfeng had no choice but to put aside his doubts for a while, and continued to devote himself to work. ¡°En, send them over.¡± ¡ª¨C That night, when Marshal Ling finally returned home, he found his little spouse didn¡¯t come out to greet himself as usual. Ling Changfeng was a little worried. He didn¡¯t know if his little hedgehog was really feeling unwell, or if he was still irritated by the fact that he disturbed his work during the day. So without even taking off his coat, he strode up the steps, heading upstairs to check on the situation, preparing to coax his little spouse. It turned out that Xu Xinghe was not in the house. ¡°He hasn¡¯t come back yet?¡± Ling Changfeng asked He Han with a frown. ¡°Yes.¡± The steward noticed the low air pressure emanating from his boss, so he lowered his head and replied respectfully, ¡°Mr. Xu hasn¡¯t come back.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at the time ¨C it was already eight in the evening. And Xu Xinghe replied two hours ago that he had left work¡­ This afternoon, news came from Ark that Xu Xinghe said that he was not feeling well and applied to leave work earlier. No one dared to refuse the request of the marshal¡¯s spouse, not to mention the justification he used. Several department leaders even went to his workstation to offer condolences in turn, and almost drove him away on the spot. But in the end, Xu Xinghe still insisted on finishing part of his work before leaving work. That¡¯s why Team Leader Xu, who had been working overtime until midnight these days, left before six o¡¯clock today. So where is he? Out of respect for the privacy of the other party, Marshal Ling did not install any monitoring system on his little spouse. However, under special circumstances, it is still possible to find someone within Capital Star. Ling Changfeng opened an encrypted channel. Just when he was about to ask the Security Bureau to find someone, he suddenly heard the call of a servant from outside ¨C ¡°Mr. Xu is back!¡± Ling Changfeng hurriedly turned around and strode out. It snowed heavily in Xingfu City tonight, forcing the snow plows to work non-stop as they shuttled through the city. Xu Xinghe was wearing a gray plaid scarf and a beige woolen coat. In his hand held a paper bag as he walked back alone from the snow. His hands were tucked into his sleeves. Only that little bit pinching the paper bag was revealed, but even so, his fingers were still red from the cold. There was a short journey of a few steps from getting off the car to the door of the Marshal¡¯s Mansion. By the time he came in, his shoulders and ends of his hair were already covered with falling snow. As soon as Xu Xinghe entered the door, he shook his head like a small animal and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s really cold outside today.¡± Then he finally stretched out his hands from his sleeves, tucked the bag under his armpits, and rubbed his free hands. Ling Changfeng walked over quickly, instantly feeling a little distressed when he saw that the tips of his ears were red from the cold. ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling uncomfortable? Why didn¡¯t you come back earlier to rest?¡± Ling Changfeng personally took off his coat, threw it to the orderly along with his own, and then looked him over from top to bottom: ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while, then raised his head and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that I¡¯m uncomfortable. Why, did Ark make a small report?¡± Ling Changfeng pursed his lips, but continued to watch his little spouse without making a sound. Ears and cheeks flushed by the cold wind, Xu Xinghe¡¯s body even shivered slightly. There were still a few snowflakes on the ends of his hair that were not shaken off. When the warm air in the room blew, the snowflakes instantly turned into small water droplets and hung on his hair, creating sparkles of broken light under the crystal chandelier. It evoked a sense of fragility making onlookers feel pitiful. Ling Changfeng intuitively felt that he might be fine physically, but his emotions might not be fine. ¡°What is this? Food?¡± Dual-colored pupils scanned him over once more, and finally landed on the paper bag he was holding under his arm. Judging from the outer packaging, it looks like a kind of food. ¡°Donuts.¡± Xu Xinghe handed the bag over. ¡°It was delicious. But because it¡¯s cold outside, it got cold, and there¡¯s no more scent.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him and stretched out his hand to take the paper bag. He inadvertently touched his fingertips and found that the little guy¡¯s fingers were cold. So he tugged Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand into his palm. ¡°Why is your hand so icy?¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, but he didn¡¯t pull back. After hesitating for a moment, he handed over his other hand as well. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help warm up this one too?¡± Marshal Ling was helpless. Handing the donut to the orderly, he held his lover¡¯s hands. Looking thoughtfully at Xu Xinghe, the thought that something was wrong with him upped a notch. In the cold weather, his young spouse, who rarely arrives late and leaves early, first claimed that he was not feeling well, but went out for a stroll for two hours after getting off work, freezing himself like this, and finally came back with donuts in hand. Ling Changfeng asked casually, ¡°Which donut shop is it?¡± ¡°A place near Capital University. I went back to my alma mater after work and walked around. I happened to pass by this dessert shop, and suddenly remembered that I liked to eat this in the past¡­ so I bought some and came back.¡± Ling Changfeng asked again: ¡°Your college roommate asked you to help him run data again?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t meet anyone.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head. ¡°I, I just wanted to go back and walk around.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at him calmly. Feeling the other party¡¯s piercing gaze, Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he just looked up and smiled, his voice was a little tired and weak. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a hot shower first, you can try the donuts¡­ I bought six, just keep one for me.¡± He pulled his hand out of Ling Changfeng¡¯s palm and turned to head up to his room. Xu Xinghe¡¯s bathing time is usually controlled within ten minutes, but this time he took an uncharacteristic bath lasting more than half an hour. He had probably stood in the cold wind for too long, and the coldness of his body could not be washed away. It wasn¡¯t until the heat made him feel dizzy that Xu Xinghe finally got up. Without blowing his hair, he absentmindedly wrapped himself in a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom. When he went out, he was stunned. Ling Changfeng was sitting on the sofa in the small living room, reading; the sharp lines of his body softened by the warm glow of the floor lamp. There was a pot of hot tea by his hand, with two exquisite tea cups placed side by side. Obviously waiting for him. Hearing that he finally came out, Ling Changfeng put down his terminal, raised his head and sent an invitation: ¡°Want to come and have a cup of hot tea?¡± On a winter night, warm lights, warm drinks, and the gentle eyes of his lover. Everything made Xu Xinghe feel extremely warm. This kind of warmth seemed to be able to isolate him from the outside world of ice and snow, and dispel the long-lasting cold in the heart. ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled lightly. He knew that the night was still long, and simply said, ¡°Wait for me to blow dry my hair and change my clothes first.¡± Ten minutes later, Xu Xinghe, who had changed into grey silk pajamas, appeared in front of Ling Changfeng again. He stepped forward and sat down with his lover, pointed to the insulated teapot, and asked, ¡°Is it black tea?¡± ¡°En, black tea.¡± Ling Changfeng set up two teacups, picked up the teapot and poured a cup for each of them. ¡°Sorry, I came in uninvited again.¡± Marshal Ling said while pouring tea. ¡°I wanted to wait for you to wash up before coming in, but you didn¡¯t come out for a long time. I¡¯m worried that something will happen to you.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m really worried this time.¡± ¡°So it was intentional last time?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Waiting for a while on purpose, just to see me come out of the bath?¡± Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± He pushed the teacup forward. ¡°Drink while it¡¯s hot.¡± Xu Xinghe picked up the teacup and blew it, then took a few sips. The heat flowed all the way down through his stomach, warming his entire body up. ¡°No need to apologize.¡± Xu Xinghe put down the teacup, put his hand on the back of Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand, and lowered his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my problem¡­ I made you worry.¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head and looked at him quietly. ¡°If you have any questions you want to ask, just ask them directly.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyes, met the pair of mismatched pupils, and said with a light smile, ¡°Or are you waiting for me to confess?¡± Since he had already said that, Ling Changfeng said slowly, ¡°Can I ask, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He recalled Xu Xinghe¡¯s anomaly today while he was waiting. It seems to have started from the moment he heard that the Lambda galaxy delegation was coming to visit and he needed him to attend the event with him. But why? His young spouse might not like that kind of occasion, but he shouldn¡¯t particularly resist it. After all, they had attended the state banquet together. ¡°If you have any difficulties, you can tell me directly. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to attend the event. I will support your decision unconditionally.¡± Ling Changfeng observed Xu Xinghe¡¯s face and said seriously: ¡°No one can force you to do anything you don¡¯t like. Trust me, Xinghe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the reason¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked up at him, with a complex emotion that Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t read in his black eyes. Silence enveloped the room. After an unknown time, Xu Xinghe finally moved. He turned around slowly, turned his back to Ling Changfeng, and stretched out all the broken hair on the back of his neck. A white, tight, swan-like neck was revealed. Without the dazzling scar on the gland, the skin on his neck would have been smooth and perfect. But even if the scar is there, it can¡¯t stop the temptation of his pheromone in the slightest. Ling Changfeng only felt the blood rushing to his head with a bang. Boiling hot; numb. He swore he came here with tea tonight, to have a good chat with Xu Xinghe, to comfort him. In a literal manner.. However, the moment he saw his little spouse take the initiative to lift his choppy hair and reveal his gland, the evil desire in alpha¡¯s bones broke out¡­ Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart was at war between heaven and man. Until he heard Xu Xinghe ask softly, ¡°Have you ever wondered how this scar on my gland came about?¡± Dun dun dun. To all the XXH haters who get to this point ¨C there¡¯s a reason for his behavior!!! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 97 T/N: Thank you LQ for sponsoring an extra release in this tense part of the MC¡¯s past. We¡¯ll get through it together! Ling Changfeng¡¯s breath stagnated. Through the slack back, he seemed to see Xu Xinghe¡¯s slightly pale face and lightly trembling eyelashes. Just like he did in those late nights when he was supposed to be in estrus. Frightened, bewildered, uneasy, anxious¡­ Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes stayed on the scar on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck, and his feverish mind finally calmed down. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to make his voice sound as calm as usual. ¡°I was curious and investigated for a while¡­ But then I thought, if it¡¯s something you don¡¯t want me to know, it won¡¯t do us any good if I find out through special means. It¡¯s better to wait for one day, when you decide to let go, or when you need my help, for you to take the initiative to tell me.¡± Xu Xinghe put down his hand and turned slowly. He turned around and looked into Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes. The warm power in the pair of eyes made him feel at ease. ¡°It may be that I haven¡¯t let go yet. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been avoiding this problem before, and I don¡¯t want to recall it. Now I think that these things should be faced sooner or later. So I should tell you¡­ As for help, I probably need it.¡± He had forced himself to forget everything and return to a normal life after countless thoughts of that powerless encounter. He told himself that life had to go on, and the easiest way was if that horrific night never happened. But to this day, when his glands are touched, he still can¡¯t restrain trembling. Any touch on his gland is like being scalded, making him feel unspeakable pain and fear. Like an instinct, completely involuntary. Even if the person who touches him is Ling Changfeng. Even if he wants it. ¡°Everything originated in the early summer of my junior year¡­¡± Xu Xinghe explained in a low voice. ¡°In late June of that year, the Lambda galaxy delegation came to Capital Star for a diplomatic and friendly visit, and one of them went to my alma mater, Capital University.¡± After he finished speaking, his eyes drifted out of the window. It was a snowy night with biting cold wind. In the inky black skies, neither the stars nor moon were visible. Ling Changfeng sat quietly beside his little spouse, never interjecting from beginning to end, but silently held Xu Xinghe¡¯s slightly trembling hand and looked at him gently. Giving him plenty of time to reminisce and think, patiently waiting for him to share the dark past in his heart. After a long time, he heard Xu Xinghe continue: ¡°A group of people held a two-day academic exchange and public lectures. As a top student and student representative, I took part in the whole process. On the evening of the last day, Capital University held a grand farewell party¡­ Did you know that our school has a tradition of masquerade balls?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes passed through the snowy winter outside the window and returned to the scorching hot summer. Masquerade, one of the traditional dramatic entertainment programs of Capital University. On that night, young students will dress in fancy costumes and exaggerated masks and dance on the dance floor to their heart¡¯s content. They can¡¯t see each other¡¯s appearance, and they don¡¯t know each other¡¯s identity. They can only communicate by feeling to find their dance partners. ¡°That night, a man in a white suit and a white wolf mask walked up to me. I didn¡¯t know who he was. There were dozens of people from the Lambda galaxy that time. I was only responsible for showing them around campus, and didn¡¯t have much of an impression about them. But I¡¯m sure he wasn¡¯t one of them that I showed around. I don¡¯t know when he noticed me, but he held out his hand to me that night¡­ ¡ª¡ª ¡°Can I invite you to dance together? My little gentleman.¡± A tall man wearing a white wolf mask appeared in front of Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe, who was hiding in the corner and secretly studying for the final exam, raised his head. The young man who had just passed his twentieth birthday still had a bit of greenness in his eyes. He could only distinguish the identity of the other person from Lambda from the red flower on the man¡¯s chest. If it was a teacher or student from Capital University, they¡¯d wear a blue flower. So he replied with a polite and apologetic smile: ¡°Sorry, sir, I can¡¯t dance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Probably because of the mask, the man¡¯s voice was particularly deep and sonorous, yet gentle. Although he can¡¯t see his face clearly, his body is well proportioned and his movements are graceful. Such a polite prom gentleman should be very popular, but for some reason, Xu Xinghe always felt that his eyes revealed a kind of madness that was completely out of tune with his voice. The moment the gray-brown eyes turned to him, Xu Xinghe froze. An indescribable feeling of unease rose from the bottom of his heart. Don¡¯t know if it was psychological, but Xu Xinghe felt his skin tingle. His omega instinct made him want to escape. ¡°Sorry, sir, I suddenly remembered that there is something going on at the student union, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Xu Xinghe got up as he spoke, and ran out of the banquet hall without looking back amid the loud music and dancing. Until he walked out of the door, he could still feel a sticky and terrifying gaze chasing after him. Xu Xinghe fled to a crowded place and walked all the way to the snack street outside the school, before the uncomfortable feeling finally disappeared. Finally breathing a sigh of relief, he looked around vigilantly, scanning the street full of college students who came out for a walk to buy supper. Finally relieved, he realized he was near a dessert shop he frequented, so he simply went in and bought a bag of doughnuts and carried them back to the dorm. It wasn¡¯t until nine o¡¯clock in the evening that Xu Xinghe, who was studying for the exam with a donut in his bedroom, received a message from the class monitor. ¡°Where are you, Xingzi1nickname for Xinghe. Zi = ¡°kid¡±? Mr. Curran is looking for you and wants to thank you personally for taking care of things over the past two days. He¡¯s on campus!¡± Mr. Curran was the squat, middle-aged diplomat he accompanied. But his role as escort was over by the morning, so Xu Xinghe replied casually: ¡°I went back to the dormitory to review. Isn¡¯t the farewell party over? You can tell Mr. Curran farewell for me, I won¡¯t go.¡± The monitor: ¡°What!? That¡¯s despicable! We¡¯re all busy cleaning up the venue!!!¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He suddenly remembered that cleanup is part of the student union¡¯s responsibility, so he got up and replied: ¡°Stop howling, dad will come help you. Let¡¯s clean up together.¡± At 9:30 p.m., there were not many students walking outside. Most of the teaching buildings were darkened, except for the lights in the library and study room, which remained on all night. The banquet hall is located in a small independent bungalow. Xu Xinghe walked to the door and vaguely heard the loud music from the dance hall inside. Guessing that the squad leader and the others were tidying up and enjoying themselves again, he showed his credentials to the guard: ¡°Student union member, here to help with some cleanup.¡± The guard didn¡¯t even bother looking and let him in. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t think much about it, he collected his documents and walked in. Colorful lights swayed on the dance floor, and an impassioned symphony reverberated in the hall. Xu Xinghe walked into the hall, but saw no one. The ballroom was clean and had apparently been cleaned. But for some reason, the music and lights were still on. Xu Xinghe called the monitor in doubt: ¡°Hello? Where are you?¡± ¡°I went back to bed to review, what¡¯s wrong? My son misses his father?¡± ¡°F*ck! Are you still not human?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Demon King Luo¡¯s exam is tomorrow! Have you finished studying??¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The sound of ¡°zillazla¡± suddenly came from his terminal. Xu Xinghe raised his hand and saw that the network was interrupted, and he had no signal. He was stunned. This is the leading institution of higher learning in Xingfu City. In his past three years at school, he has never encountered the problem of signal interruption. Xu Xinghe felt that something was not right, so he turned around, ready to leave. The door slammed shut at this moment. The man with the white wolf mask slowly walked out of the shadows. Xu Xinghe¡¯s body froze. Unprecedented horror swept in. He felt as if he was in a sea of ??fire, engulfed, burned, ablaze¡­ A scorching sting climbed up his skin, slightly painful and slightly itchy. Until a tingling pain came from his gland, Xu Xinghe finally realized that the man was releasing pheromones at him. Pheromones belonging to an alpha. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes widened for a moment as he looked at the man in disbelief. ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?!¡± The man wearing the white wolf mask smiled softly and slowly walked towards him amid the chaotic lights and rhythm. ¡°Who I am, you will know soon. As for what I want to do¡­¡± The alpha pheromones grew more intense, surrounding him. ¡°Can¡¯t you guess, my little gentleman ?¡± The flame-like pheromone covered his glands recklessly, like a fiery snake spitting out its tongue, licking the omega¡¯s forbidden zone covetously. The alpha¡¯s vile mind was plain as day. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Despite the scent of flames everywhere, Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands and feet were cold, and even his teeth were chattering. ¡°How dare you¡­ This is still during the exam period¡­ You will be discredited, arrested, and sentenced!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± The man laughed, his eyes full of contempt and joy. ¡°Too naive, little guy. I¡¯m not the same as the fat-headed diplomat you brought¡­¡± The man approached Xu Xinghe step by step, his eyes almost burning him inside out. ¡°I won¡¯t get caught, and I won¡¯t be discredited. On the contrary, I¡¯ll mark you and take you back to the Lambda system. I¡¯ll imprison you day and night in my tower, until you completely become my person.¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and burst out a foul language. ¡°I don¡¯t even know you! Who will go back to that ghost planet with you!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn.¡± The man stopped and smiled slowly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? We are a natural pair.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned. His glands are naturally underdeveloped, and his pheromones have no smell, so he was once jokingly called ¡°a beta in omega¡¯s skin¡±. This was indeed the first time in his life that he could perceive alpha¡¯s pheromones so clearly. But they made him feel sick from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Bah!¡± Xu Xinghe spat, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°Only an idiot will pair with a perverted scum like you!¡± Then he rushed towards the side door of the banquet hall. There¡¯s an emergency escape there ¨C it won¡¯t be locked! Minor trigger warning next chapter Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 98.1 Minor trigger warning this chapter Ten meters, five meters¡­ Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the emergency escape, Xu Xinghe rushed out at the speed of a 100-meter sprint and ran forward. However, when he finally ran to the door and even pushed the escape door open a crack, a hand suddenly stretched out behind him, grabbed his back collar, and dragged him back. Xu Xinghe only felt that his neck was severely strangled, before he fell backward unexpectedly. His back slammed to the floor with a slam, and bright lights filled his vision. But the alpha in white didn¡¯t stop. He leaned down and grabbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s collar again, dragging him all the way back to the center of the hall like he was dragging an abandoned rag doll. Xu Xinghe was strangled so hard that he could hardly breathe, as he resisted with all his strength. ¡°Really disobedient.¡± The man stopped and suddenly kicked the omega¡¯s soft abdomen. Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes darkened, and he instantly curled up in pain, unable to stand up again. He was also good at fighting when he was younger. Although he has restrained himself a lot over the years, he has never been unilaterally suppressed so embarrassingly. For the first time, he intuitively felt the power disparity between alphas and omegas, making his resistance seem vulnerable. The man crouched down, grabbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s chin, and forced him to look at him. The young man¡¯s eyes are like a fawn, black and translucent, innocent. However, at this moment, those black eyes were filled with panic and fear, as well as anger and resistance. The man laughed quietly, and said in a relaxed, casual manner. ¡°You know what? I have hunted a lot of prey. When facing a huge threat, people usually realize their weakness and incompetence, and give into their fear¡­¡± The man said, the strength in his hands gradually tightened, squeezing Xu Xinghe¡¯s jaw painfully. ¡°But eyes of resistance are not often seen. Do you still want to run, my little gentleman?¡± Having said that, the eyes behind the mask became more and more excited, and even revealed a kind of manic joy. The man leaned forward, and his voice landed in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ear: ¡°You will suffer a lot.¡± The white wolf mask approached, pulled off his collar, buried his head and rubbed back and forth on the side of his neck. In an instant, his hair stood up and chills ran across Xu Xinghe¡¯s body. Even through the mask, he could tell that the man was sniffing his glands. He wanted to mark him. The man took a deep breath, and then began to whisper to himself: ¡°You are different from them, you are so fragrant¡­¡± He said, suddenly stretched out another hand, groping for the gland that covered Xu Xinghe . Xu Xinghe shuddered violently, his whole body trembling. The sensitive area on the back of his neck has never been touched before, and being squeezed roughly at this moment only made him feel extremely disgusted and resistant. Not knowing where the sudden strength came from, he suddenly slammed into the man¡¯s head. The man didn¡¯t expect that he would suddenly burst out like this, and because his center of gravity which was unstable because he was half-squatting on the ground, he was knocked to the ground. Lights filled Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes from the forceful action, but he still tried his best to hold up and try to escape. It¡¯s a pity that he had just been kicked severely by the man, and his internal organs seemed to be in the wrong position. As soon as he stood up, he felt unsteady, making it hard to move. The man grabbed Xu Xinghe again. This time, bloodthirsty fire flashed in his eyes. ¡°Why can¡¯t you learn to be obedient?¡± His voice was still slow, but his movements were rough and fierce. ¡°I think you need a lesson.¡± He grabbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s hair and turned his head to the long table beside him, then slammed his head down. With a bang, the items on the table shattered to the ground. Xu Xinghe fell into the fragments of the vase on the floor, and a whimper pressed down in his throat. The next moment, blood filled his mouth. The man stepped forward, hooked his toes, turned him over, and pressed him under him. Xu Xinghe¡¯s abdomen was pressed against the icy floor, and the broken glass caused pain all over his body. His clothes were wet from the water splashed from the vase, and his head was pressed hard on the floor, unable to move. The man¡¯s low laughter sounded from behind: ¡°I changed my mind, I¡¯m going to mark you here.¡± He said, and leaned down: ¡°From now on, you will be my little pet.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s response was: ¡°Go to hell.¡± After speaking, he grabbed the fragment of the vase at hand and slashed it behind him ¨C The man¡¯s gray-brown eyes suddenly shrank, and he quickly ducked back¡­ Blood fell drop by drop. The man¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked down at his forearm in disbelief. A long wound lay there, and blood gushed out. Just now, in the blink of an eye, if he hadn¡¯t instinctively stretched out his hand to block it, it would have been his neck that was scratched by the shard¡­ The man raised his head and looked at Xu Xinghe, his eyes became furious. How dare such a weak and despicable creature do such a thing to him? He licked his lips, and the strong fiery pheromone spread out, burning everything invisibly. In addition to the anger, a feeling of wanting to conquer such a disobedient prey arose spontaneously. When he first saw Xu Xinghe, he knew that the prey in front of him was different. ¡°Was the lesson not enough?¡± The man tilted his head to look at Xu Xinghe, and suddenly sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t just do whatever you want just because you smell good.¡± Xu Xinghe stumbled and stood up, holding the bloody glass shards in both hands, pointing straight at the man. His fingers were cut with blood, but he didn¡¯t realize it. His arms were even shaking a little as he held them up. The man smiled, as if admiring an already dead prey in his eyes. He took a step and walked towards Xu Xinghe again. When confronted head-to-head, the naturally weak omega has no chance of winning. What¡¯s more¡­ The man took out a device from his arms, pressed it slightly, and the sound of sizzling electric current sounded. ¡°You need to get a little punishment for trying to sneak up on your owner, pet¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to mark you, violate you, and take you back to teach you slowly.¡± ¡°And you can only watch all this happen, without any way to resist.¡± The man stood in front of Xu Xinghe, licking every inch of his skin with his fanatical eyes as he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re afraid.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, powerful and terrifying pheromones overflowed wildly from him, towards Xu Xinghe Xu Xinghe gasped heavily, and half of his body froze. His arms were shaking, his legs were weak. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he was really scared. Even a little desperate. He couldn¡¯t control his trembling, not because of the pain in his body, but because he was clearly aware of the power gap between them. The last blow with all his strength only scratched the man¡¯s forearm. So what¡¯s next? There is nothing he can do. Xu Xinghe was forced to step back by him, and finally, his back hit the cold wall. There is no going back. ¡°What should I do, little pet?¡± The man continued to approach, admiring his almost desperate expression. The gorgeous lights in the ballroom were lit, and the mighty symphony continued. ¡°It¡¯s useless to continue struggling.¡± The man smiled, ¡°No matter how hard you resist, you will eventually return to the Lambda galaxy with me.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t go back with you¡­¡± Xu Xinghe gasped for breath, his whole body soaked in cold sweat. He took a slight step forward, pushing his back off the wall. Then he raised the glass shard in his hand again. ¡°You¡¯re a bit over your head like this.¡± The man shook his head and raised the shock device in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m running out of patience, so let¡¯s end this quickly¡­ Oh yes, you don¡¯t mind being marked in a semi-conscious state, do you? I said I would mark you here, so we can only do it here.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his cold sweaty eyes and stared at him stubbornly. Suddenly he also laughed: ¡°I will neither be marked by you, nor will I go back to that hell with you¡­ Never.¡± The man laughed jokingly, knowing that the omega in front of him had no way out. What else can an ordinary college student do? The man was about to pull the trigger of the stun gun when his face suddenly changed. The gray-brown pupils shrank sharply, as if he had seen a ghost ¨C He saw Xu Xinghe lift up the shards of glass and stab his glands with his backhand! In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. The shards of glass fell to the ground, and Xu Xinghe fell softly against the wall¡­ Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t expect to fall into a coma for half a month. Before starting, he thought about many possibilities ¨C the worst outcome was that he would never wake up again. But he really had no other way. He would rather die than be forcibly tagged by a perverted man, taken to an unfamiliar planet, and imprisoned from then on. He knew how dangerous his decision was. Stabbing glass directly into his glands might mean completely losing that part of being an omega. But it didn¡¯t matter to Xu Xinghe at all. As long as the perverted alpha could give up on him, he would rather give up his glands. He would either be sent to first aid or bleed to death ¨C either way the man¡¯s mark would be missed. After all, that man isn¡¯t from here. No matter how perverted he is, Xu Xinghe is willing to bet he won¡¯t be willing to bring a corpse back across two galaxies. Fortunately, he finally woke up. ¡­ and it continues. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 98.2 After opening his eyes on the hospital bed, the first thing Xu Xinghe asked was: ¡°Where is this? Is Capital Star?¡± ¡°Yes, this is Capital Star Ninth People¡¯s Hospital.¡± When he woke up, the nurse hurriedly asked his companion to inform the doctor. ¡°Come and call the doctor! The patient in the B-27 bed is awake, and his memory is suspected to be damaged.¡± It was embarrassing to tell Xu Xinghe that the scar was too deep, and the exact impact it would have is unknown, but perhaps he would no longer be able to release pheromones. Xu Xinghe lowered his head and smiled slightly: ¡°Thank you, this is good news for me.¡± After being discharged from the hospital, the man with the white wolf mask was like a haunting phantom who frequently appeared nightly in the form of nightmares. Xu Xinghe hesitated again and again, but chose to call the police. He knew it might not work, but he couldn¡¯t not do nothing. He could never forget what happened that night. However, inside the police station, there was a man in a black uniform who entered the reception room with the investigators. The man took Xu Xinghe to another room and waved the crowd away. ¡°Are you Xu Xinghe? Well, you came out of an orphanage¡­¡± The man said while flipping through Xu Xinghe¡¯s information, ¡°Hey, to be honest, I don¡¯t like orphans, people who have no attachments are always more difficult to control.¡± Heart sinking, Xu Xinghe looked coldly at the stranger in black muttering to himself. ¡°However, human beings can¡¯t always be alone,¡± the man raised his head and smiled. ¡°You grew up in the Seventh Welfare Institute, so you should be very familiar with Sophie, the vice president there? Right? She has already retired, but the surveillance video shows that you went to see her on the day she retired.¡± ¡°You¡¯re studying at Capital University, but haven¡¯t graduated yet? Oh, you¡¯re still interested in applying for postgraduate research?¡± The man glanced up at him. ¡°Professor Voigtlander, is he the mentor you contacted?¡± ¡°Let me see who your good friends are ¨C this beta named Lin Qi, from an ordinary working family. You two play well, don¡¯t you? And this¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Xu Xinghe interrupted him, and couldn¡¯t help but feel his fingers were. ¡°This is Capital Star.¡± Not the damn Lambda galaxy! That pervert has already rolled back to his planet! ¡°Yes, but the connection between the five galaxies in the Alliance is also very close, and there¡¯s still fighting on the border¡­ If you insist on pursuing this matter, it will make things very difficult for me.¡± The man in the black uniform frowned, before he continued. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what happened that night, and I¡¯m not interested. But I took a look at your medical report¡­¡± He pointed to the back of his neck, ¡°You are basically useless here, so you should no longer have to worry about someone trying to forcibly mark you.¡± Xu Xinghe forced his voice from between his teeth: ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡± The man raised his head and smiled. ¡°Just pretend that nothing happened.¡± When Xu Xinghe walked out of the police station, it was midsummer and the scorching sun was in the sky. He was standing in the street, looking around blankly. Surrounded by an endless stream of people, he was the only one standing in the sun, yet all he could feel was cold. ¡ª¡ª In the dark winter night, snow continued falling outside the window. ¡°That¡¯s the way it is.¡± Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t believe it, but he managed to finish the story so calmly. There is no imagined hysteria, nor heartache after reopening the wound. ¡°I was depressed for a while because of this, and I became afraid to fall asleep without light, or even to leave the dormitory easily. I no longer dared approach the banquet hall after that night, and I was no longer able to eat the doughnuts that I once loved¡­ As long as something reminds me of what happened that night, I try to avoid it. I lost the scholarship that year, and gave up on postgraduate studies¡­¡± At this point, a wry smile flashed across his face. ¡°At least it happened during summer vacation, giving me two months to digest all of this slowly. Otherwise, I¡¯d probably have to defer graduating¡­¡± As soon as the words fell, Xu Xinghe suddenly fell into a hug. ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± Ling Changfeng comforted him softly in his ear, ¡°I¡¯m here now.¡± The tall alpha carefully took his omega into his arms, as if he were caring for a baby. He smelled a heartbreaking floral scent. So fragile, yet so strong. At that moment, Ling Changfeng suddenly understood what it feels like to ¡°hold something in the palm of your hand and be afraid of it breaking, and hold it in your mouth for fear of it melting¡±. He wanted to rub his little spouse into his arms, but was afraid that any extra touch would hurt him. Those tender feelings that he once sneered at and regarded as fake ¨C there wasn¡¯t nearly enough for him to give at this moment. The gold and sapphire eyes went from anger to distress, and finally turned into comfort and love. He simply didn¡¯t know what to do to take a step closer to holding the person in front of him in his heart. ¡°Sorry.¡± He patted Xu Xinghe¡¯s back lightly and whispered. ¡°I should have come to you earlier.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled, and he gradually relaxed in the embrace of his lover. The inclusive pheromone surrounded him, making him feel extremely at ease. ¡°It¡¯s not too late now.¡± Xu Xinghe said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you find out? In fact, these days, sleeping with you, I don¡¯t need to use the nightlight anymore¡­¡± ¡°En, you don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Ling Changfeng gently rubbed the side of his face. An indescribable light flashed in his different pupils. ¡°From now on, no matter what happens, we will face it together.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were sour. Going back in time to the summer vacation of his junior year, he still remembers the hollow feeling when he walked out of the police station. The world is so big, but there is nowhere he can call home. That kind of loneliness, powerlessness, and helplessness almost crushed him. And this time, someone finally came to him across hot and cold and held his hand. Telling him that from now on, no matter what happens, they can face it together. He is finally no longer alone. ¡°You know, although it was summer vacation at that time, I felt very cold every day. That¡¯s why I raised Xiaoqi. I thought I had to find something to divert my attention, so I raised a cat. When Xiaoqi came to me, she was only a few months old, a fluffy little ball. I would often lie on the bed alone, holding her to keep warm.¡± Xu Xinghe paused, hugging his big cat. He chuckled softly: ¡°But today is different. It¡¯s snowing heavily outside, yet I feel very warm¡­ Well, probably because your heating function is stronger than Xiaoqi.¡± ¡°En.¡± Hearing his words, Ling Changfeng tightened his embrace again, and said, ¡°If only I could¡¯ve met you sooner.¡± He never planned to let go, until Xu Xinghe¡¯s body was almost glued in place. ¡°Okay, how long are you going to hug?¡± Xu Xinghe patted his big cat. ¡°Get up and drink some tea, otherwise the tea will be cold.¡± Ling Changfeng finally stood up straight, but did not drink tea. Instead, he looked into his lover¡¯s eyes and stated sternly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will give you an explanation about this matter. No matter what the identity of the man wearing the mask is, as long as he dares to set foot here¡­ No, even if he lives forever hiding on his own planet¡ª¡± ¡°He must pay for what he has done.¡± Each word was clear and solemn. Xu Xinghe looked at him, his breathing was trembling, but there was a light in his eyes: ¡°Okay.¡± The two sat on the sofa and looked at each other quietly. After a while, they suddenly smiled in unison. The floor lamp emitted a warm and soft orange light, hitting the two of them evenly. Xu Xinghe picked up the teapot beside him and poured out two more cups of hot tea. ¡°Let¡¯s toast,¡± Xu Xinghe raised the teacup and said with a smile. ¡°For a new beginning.¡± Ling Changfeng looked up at him, and gently tapped his cup against his. ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Marshal Ling sipped his tea, and then raised his head to say, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this kind of thing until today?¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t a suitable opportunity before.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his eyes. ¡°After all, we haven¡¯t been together for that long¡­ er, I mean¡­¡± Realizing that he had said something wrong, he quickly raised his eyes, only to find Ling Changfeng¡¯s face showing an ¡°as expected¡± expression. Marshal Ling was unhappy for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t feel angry at his little spouse, so he could only sigh. ¡°The essence is because, you thought we would be separated sooner or later, right?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes dodged for a moment. Indeed, he would never have told Mu Qingyun such a thing. He once thought that he and Ling Changfeng would only be partners for a year. How can he share these deeply hidden things? ¡°But I told you now.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his head, his voice sounded soft. He quietly raised his eyes, glanced at Ling Changfeng, and dropped them down quickly. Those sticky eyes were like a small hook, tickling Marshal Ling¡¯s heart, stoking his interest. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I don¡¯t think we will be separated¡­¡± Xu Xinghe fiddled with his fingertips and whispered. Terrible. Marshal Ling let out a sigh in his heart. He suddenly leaned over and lowered his head to kiss his lover¡¯s lips. Phew, XXH¡¯s past is done (for) now. Still more craziness to come, but a brief respite first. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 99 Xu Xinghe suddenly widened his eyes. Ling Changfeng¡¯s kiss was gentle and long. It is comfort, pity, and endless love. Nothing to do with sex, but it still messed up his breathing. Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t let the kiss last too long. The moment he felt his little spouse¡¯s breath grow disorderly, he let go. Still a little reluctant. After letting go, Marshal Ling calmly licked his lips behind closed lips, as if the fragrance of his lover still remained between his lips and teeth. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Ling Changfeng carefully observed his lover¡¯s state. Xu Xinghe, who had just finished recalling his painful past, was originally pale, but after this kiss, his cheeks finally turned flushed again. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Xu Xinghe blinked, as if he hadn¡¯t recovered from the sudden kiss. Ling Changfeng patted his hand in comfort. ¡°The worst is over, and everything will be fine in the future. As for the rest¡­ Leave it to me.¡± The alpha¡¯s voice was much softer than usual, but his tone was just as solemn. He actually had a lot of things he wanted to ask, but in the end he just said, ¡°Take a good rest tonight, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Perhaps the marshal¡¯s tone was too cautious, so Xu Xinghe took his hand back and chuckled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not fragile like glass, so don¡¯t worry so much. I did feel depressed about it, but I¡¯m slowly healing¡­ This wound will heal one day, okay?¡± ¡°En.¡± Ling Changfeng looked Looking at Xu Xinghe¡¯s bright black eyes, his thoughts were suddenly pulled back to the night when they first met. In the dark night, there is a dark fragrance. Such sweet pheromones do not belong to any delicate flower cultivated in a greenhouse. It was a rose blooming in the wilderness. Lonely, beautiful, strong. ¡°The doctor thought that my glands were abolished, but now it seems that they¡¯re not.¡± Xu Xinghe lowered his eyebrows and shrugged. ¡°However, my post-traumatic stress disorder is still there.¡± At this point, he raised his eyes and looked at Ling Changfeng. ¡°I thought I had completely let go¡­¡± Until the taboo area on the back of his neck was touched again did he realize that he was still trembling with fear. The thought that he would rather be a broken piece of jade than be marked was still imprinted in his heart to this day. ¡°Sorry.¡± Ling Changfeng recalled Xu Xinghe¡¯s pale face, and suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his heart. Xu Xinghe shook his head and asked with a chuckle, ¡°Why are you apologizing? It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Then he squeezed Ling Changfeng¡¯s hand back, and gently rubbed his thumb along his phalanx. ¡°My reaction is physiological and instinctive; it¡¯s beyond my control. But¡­¡± Xu Xinghe looked at Ling Changfeng, his eyelashes trembling slightly. ¡°I probably don¡¯t dislike you. Or your touch, not at all.¡± After speaking, heat spread down to the roots of the ears again. It was like an agreement, a promise. Ling Changfeng¡¯s brain stopped working in that moment, as if he didn¡¯t understand the deep meaning of this sentence. Silence magnified in the atmosphere, and Xu Xinghe¡¯s face turned even redder. He turned his face away and continued awkwardly: ¡°As for my post-traumatic stress reaction, it may take some time to recover. It may require medication, or I might need to see a psychiatrist. In short, I can¡¯t live under the shadow of this for the rest of my life.¡± He tried to make his tone very serious, but the sides of his neck were fully red when he finished speaking. Ling Changfeng let out a silent sigh. He hugged his little spouse again, and his eyes were clearly dyed with a faint smile. ¡°En, I¡¯ll accompany you on your recovery and treatment.¡± The soft hair of his lover brushed his side face lightly, and his nose was full of flowers. He whispered in his ear: ¡°You said it, your wound will heal one day, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Xinghe blushed. ¡°I will work hard for our future.¡± So on this dark night, the two leaned on the head of the bed side by side and chatted for a long time. From sharing their childhood past to previous goals, they didn¡¯t fall asleep until two in the morning. Early the next morning, when Ling Changfeng was hesitating whether to ask Xu Xinghe if he needed to take leave, Team Leader Xu finally got up from the bed ready to go to work. ¡°No problem, what¡¯s wrong with young people staying up all night?¡± Xu Xinghe deliberately put the emphasis on the word ¡°young¡±, and after speaking, he raised his head and winked at Ling Changfeng, revealing a teasing smile. Marshal Ling¡¯s thin lips pursed slightly, wanting to prove that although he is fifty-two years old this year, his physical strength is far better than this ¡°young¡± man. But when he raised his eyes again, Xu Xinghe had already started rushing to wash and change clothes. Struggling in his heart for a moment, Marshal Ling finally gave in and got up. After breakfast, Ling Changfeng sent his lover to work as usual. When he stepped into the Marshal¡¯s Office in Double Star Building again, his face was cold and serious. The adjutant Qin Yuan knocked on the door and was about to report to him the general process and itinerary of the Lambda delegation¡¯s visit. But as soon as he raised his eyes and saw Ling Changfeng¡¯s face, he decisively put away the terminal, and dismissed the secretary who came in with him. ¡°What¡¯s your order, sir?¡± ¡°About what I asked you to check ¨C the scar on the Xinghe gland.¡± Ling Changfeng said from his seat. A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to let it go and wait for him to come¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, he finally understood. ¡°He told you? Is there anything I need to do?¡± Ling Changfeng opened his mouth slowly and revealed the truth one sentence at a time. Qin Yuan¡¯s expression finally changed when he heard the description of pheromones smelling like ¡°flames¡±. ¡°A flame pheromone?¡± Major General Qin exclaimed, then lowered his voice and trailed off, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Ling Changfeng nodded: ¡°It¡¯s very likely it¡¯s someone from the Wells family.¡± Wells was originally a more common surname, but because of one person, the name now resounds across the stars ¨C Marshal Eric Wells. His pheromones are known to be flames. The four major marshals of the Alliance basically have their own jurisdictions. Many years ago, when the Alliance was chaotic and foreign enemies were staring at them, they fought together to defend against the enemy. Although there was a mutual mixing of each other¡¯s forces to a certain extent back then, during today¡¯s peacetime era, they¡¯ve now divided into their respective areas, and are separate and non-interfering. Lambda galaxy is the base camp of Marshal Wells, just like the Gamma galaxy is the base camp of Ling Changfeng. As the most famous family in Lambda, the pheromone of Marshal Wells¡¯ family is fire. ¡°That¡¯s troublesome.¡± Qin Yuan frowned. ¡°What trouble is there?¡± Ling Changfeng said with a blank expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to arrest Marshal Wells himself.¡± Marshal Wells is only second in age to Marshal Alex, he is now more than 120 years old. Gray hair, with many children and grandchildren. He has not left the Lambda galaxy for many years, and will not easily attend any visits. The person Xu Xinghe met two years ago was definitely not him. Qin Yuan was helpless, but he understood his boss¡¯s mood at the moment, and sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, people from the Wells family can¡¯t be arrested casually. Not to mention they¡¯re coming over as a diplomatic envoy. If we want to arrest them, we must have solid evidence. ¡ªThe premise is that that person comes as a visitor this time. If he doesn¡¯t come, going to their territory to arrest someone will be even more troublesome. You know, the Wells family, apart from Marshal Wells, there are also several generals, parliamentarians, diplomats¡­ Their family is deeply rooted across the Lambda galaxy, and even intersects quite a bit with Capital Star.¡± At this point, Major General Qin paused. Suddenly, the conversation changed and he commented: ¡°This is the benefit of having more children. Although family infighting brought about by such a large population is inevitable, and often makes the headlines of interstellar news, when something really happens, the influence of their entire family¡¯s connections cannot be ignored.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, ignoring his childbearing comment, and said solemnly, ¡°But this matter can¡¯t be left alone. From this point of view, I hope he will come.¡± Qin Yuan nodded, and then shook his head again. ¡°Marshal Wells has eight sons and daughters and more than twenty grandchildren, many of whom hold important positions in the Lambda galaxy. There are also many side branches in their family. Among those who are visiting Capital Star this time, three are surnamed Wells. The pheromone of the Wells family is mostly fire. And even if the probability is very low, we can¡¯t rule out others with a flame pheromone. Just relying on their pheromone information is impossible to accurately lock onto someone¡­ Does Xinghe remember his voice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. When people are in a state of extreme panic, their memory may be broken or deviated. Regarding this, I¡¯ll go back and ask him again tonight.¡± Last night Xu Xinghe finally tore open the scars of the past and revealed his past to him. Ling Changfeng couldn¡¯t bear to continue to force him to recall anymore, so last night was full of soft and comforting words. ¡°You go and check whether there are any people from the Wells family that overlap between the visit to Capital Star back then and this visit.¡± Ling Changfeng commanded. ¡°In any case, If this person is still on the list of visits this time¡­ ¡° The dual-colored eyes were icy. ¡°I¡¯ll let him come here, but not return.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Yuan stood at attention and saluted. Attempted rape and alleged abuse of an omega is a felony, not to mention this omega is the current marshal¡¯s spouse. If such an event happened, it¡¯s impossible to leave no evidence at all. As long as there is evidence, their actions are reasonable, legal, and fair. Even if the man huddles in his own territory and never comes out, Ling Changfeng can personally pressure Marshal Wells to let him hand him over. And if that person dares set foot on Capital Star again, he has the confidence to not let him go. ¡°Then, there is one last question.¡± Qin Yuan raised his head, his eyes became dark and unclear. ¡°Forgive the rudeness of this subordinate ¨C don¡¯t you think that in Xinghe¡¯s narrative, there is something wrong with his story?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s eyes gradually turned cold. ¡°Xinghe said that he woke up in the hospital, but I have investigated the injury on his gland before ¨C there is no medical record at all.¡± Qin Yuan said. ¡°Maybe it was deleted from the system, it¡¯s not difficult to do.¡± Ling Changfeng said. His voice was still calm, but his fingertips tapped irritably on the table. ¡°True, it¡¯s not difficult.¡± Qin Yuan nodded. ¡°But if it were you, would you let him go so easily in that situation? Even if his glands were injured and lost their usefulness.¡± ¡°This is the normal thinking of people like us. But you know the best choice is in that situation¡ª¡± Qin Yuan continued after a pause: ¡°Kill him directly and disguise his death as accidental. It¡¯s a far better choice than letting him live. It¡¯s more worry-free. The latter has too many variables ¨C for example, the way things have unfolded today presents many risks for that person.¡± The faint unease in Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart was brought to the surface, and he couldn¡¯t help asking coldly, ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You should understand what I mean. Xinghe said that it took him half a month to wake up from a coma.¡± Qin Yuan raised his eyes and looked directly at his superior. As the saying goes, those who are obsessed are confused. His superior may be unwilling to accept, so it¡¯s his duty as adjutant to speak bluntly at such times. ¡°I think some things have happened in those two weeks¡ª¡± Qin Yuan said. ¡°Something happened that he himself doesn¡¯t know about. Or maybe, he knows, but deliberately concealed it.¡± Yes, there is something hidden; it¡¯ll be revealed later. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 100 Ling Changfeng fell silent. After a long time he finally spoke: ¡°This is the end of the matter, he doesn¡¯t need to hide anything.¡± Qin Yuan understood that the commander had made up his mind, so he lowered his head and complied. ¡°I know that there are still some doubts in this matter, so we still need to investigate.¡± Ling Changfeng sat behind the desk, his tone was a general giving orders, but his eyes were frank like a friend. ¡°But in any case, A Yuan, I hope you understand that Xinghe is the victim in this matter.¡± Qin Yuan raised his head, stared at his superior for a while, disregarding courtesy, and finally nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°By the way, there is another small problem.¡± Major General Qin resumed his usual comfortable tone. ¡°Speaker Lin Jinshuang of the Lambda galaxy will officially visit the Capital Star next Wednesday with his wife and team for a five-day state event. Speaker William intends to hold a welcome dinner for them on the night of their arrival. Do you want to bring your spouse to attend?¡± Ling Changfeng frowned slightly. Recalling Xu Xinghe turning pale at the news of the Lambda delegation visit, he wondered if such a dinner would make him feel more uncomfortable. ¡°It depends on him. I¡¯ll go back in the evening and ask again, and I¡¯ll give you an answer tomorrow.¡± After Ling Changfeng finished speaking, he raised his eyes and said to Qin Yuan, ¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard next week.¡± Qin Yuan smiled and said: ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± That night, Marshal Ling went to Xu Xinghe with hot tea again. He had prepared a lot of words, intending to test his little spouse¡¯s tone step by step, so as not to irritate him again by asking too straightforward questions. Unexpectedly, Xu Xinghe listened for a while, and suddenly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± The little deer¡¯s eyes held three points of innocence, and three points of helplessness: ¡°We only slept five or six hours last night¡­ So, let¡¯s talk straight.¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, and said in a low voice: ¡°As a young person, what¡¯s wrong with staying up all night?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± This guy is quite vindictive! ¡°I want to ask, do you want to come with me at the welcome dinner next Thursday?¡± Ling Changfeng stopped going around in circles, and asked while pouring tea. ¡°You¨C¡± He originally wanted to ask, ¡°are you still afraid?,¡± but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by Xu Xinghe. ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s answer was unexpectedly straightforward. Ling Changfeng paused, and when he raised his eyes, he saw a firm light flashing in those black eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going. If that person also comes with the delegation this time, and appears in front of me¡­ I might be able to recognize him.¡± Xu Xinghe tried hard to keep his voice calm. He¡¯s no longer the person he used to be ¨C dominated by fear. ¡°Especially that disgusting pheromone, I will never forget it in my life.¡± ¡°I want to watch him go to prison with my own eyes.¡± Xu Xinghe said. Ling Changfeng was silent for a while, thinking to himself, instead of prison, hell would be more appropriate. He turned his head and met Xu Xinghe¡¯s dark eyes. After experiencing the filth of the mundane world, those black eyes are still clear and translucent, pure and innocent. Marshal Ling lowered his eyes and silently hid his violent emotions. Not only emotions, even his pheromones were unexpectedly gentle when facing his little spouse. ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Changfeng put down the teapot, reached out to hold Xu Xinghe¡¯s hand, and said softly, ¡°Then let¡¯s it attend together.¡± He decided to trust his little spouse, no matter what the secret behind that situation was. ¡°It¡¯s said that the best way to overcome fear is to face it.¡± Xu Xinghe smiled and shook his hand back gently. His black eyes were bright and firm. ¡°It¡¯s been more than two years, I will always cross this hurdle.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded, and covered his hand with his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that night, I will try to be by your side the whole time.¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°Daniel Wells, Deputy Speaker of the Nine-Star Council of the Lambda galaxy, 46 years old, divorced, the second grandson of Marshal Wells. Norman Wells, General Secretary of the Nine-Star Council, the seventeenth grandson of Marshal Wells, 30 years old this year, unmarried. And George Wells, from the collateral line of the Wells family, deputy director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 58 years old, divorced¡­ It¡¯s not me, but why do the men of their Wells family look like they have a rough road in love?¡± On the 88th floor of the Double Star Building, in front of the holographic projection table, Qin Yuan¡¯s fingertips swiped the information of the three people one by one. He looked up at Ling Changfeng on the opposite side. ¡°As it happens, during the diplomatic visit two years ago, four people surnamed Wells came. All three of them were present, and they all had Capital University on their itinerary. It¡¯s just that their positions at that time have changed compared to now. Daniel was just an ordinary member of parliament at that time, and Norman was not promoted to general secretary yet.¡± ¡°That is to say, the person who hurt Xinghe was probably one of these three.¡± Ling Changfeng crossed his hands on his chest and sat behind the large desk, his eyes cold. ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yuan nodded. ¡°How is the investigation on Capital University¡¯s side going?¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and asked. Adjutant Qin replied: ¡°The original banquet hall has been sealed off ¨C for maintenance, so no one should be alarmed. On June 20th two years ago, the signal in this banquet hall was blocked, and the monitoring data was also lost.. The doorman insisted that nothing abnormal happened that night, but later admitted that he stole some alcohol and fell asleep at night¡­¡± Ling Changfeng frowned. ¡°Why does he remember things from two years ago so clearly?¡± ¡°He said it was because he stole two bottles of good wine, so his impression is very clear.¡± Qin Yuan shook his head. ¡°He may not have realized it, but there¡¯s an 80% chance that he was drugged. In addition, someone intercepted Xinghe¡¯s communication, disguised as his classmate, and sent him the text message leading him there. Our people are conducting a comprehensive search of the entire banquet hall, trying to find the bloodstains left by the man.¡± Xu Xinghe said that he stabbed the man¡¯s forearm that night, and the blood dripped on the floor. Therefore, if the interior of the banquet hall has not been thoroughly cleaned by professionals, there may still be some bloodstains left in the cracks of the floor. ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Ling Changfeng asked again. Qin Yuan nodded: ¡°Yes, there are five people¡¯s blood samples not in the Gamma galaxy database. However, since we can¡¯t transfer or compare with the databases of the other four galaxies, we can¡¯t confirm who these bloodstains belong to. ¡° Ling Changfeng frowned slightly. ¡°Five people?¡± Qin Yuan replied helplessly: ¡°Yes, Capital University, as the top institution of higher learning in the Gamma galaxy, will host people from other galaxies every now and then to conduct academic exchanges. The banquet halls are used to receive guests, so they¡¯re frequently used. Occasionally someone may drink too much, so it¡¯s understandable for there to be bloodstains.¡± Qin Yuan finished speaking, turned off the projector, and turned to Ling Changfeng. ¡°The most ideal situation at present is that the person is among the three Wells visiting this time, and Xinghe can accurately identify him, allowing us to directly detain him. This will save a lot of trouble. But¡ª¡± He changed his words and looked a little serious. ¡°This is the ideal scenario. In case that person doesn¡¯t come this time, in case his surname is not Wells, in case Xinghe doesn¡¯t recognize him, in case he sent someone to thoroughly clean the scene and no evidence is left behind¡­ Are we going to arrest a visiting official without any evidence during a friendly visit? It will cause public outcry and harm the relationship between our two galaxies, boss.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be no evidence.¡± Ling Changfeng said with a calm expression. ¡°After all, he is not a member of the Capital Star, and in order to delete surveillance, intercept communications, or let professionals clean up the scene, he must have contacted people¡­¡± Ling Changfeng raised his eyes and said word by word. ¡°There will definitely be traces left behind.¡± ¡°Yes, the Security Bureau is investigating and collecting evidence from various sources, but it will take some time.¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes suddenly moved., ¡°By the way, the sheriff who took over this matter two years ago has also been found and been suspended. He said that he received a notice from his superiors at the time, asking him to settle the matter, and doesn¡¯t know more details. If we investigate further, this clue will be broken. But¡­¡± Qin Yuan raised his eyes and continued: ¡°His superior at that time was someone in Lu Song¡¯s former department. Lu Song, you know, was Barron Ives¡¯ adjutant.¡± Admiral Barron Ives, the original Supreme Commander of the Capital Star Military Region. More than a year ago, Ling Changfeng returned to the Capital Star and took over military affairs here. But Barron was in power for too long and was not willing to hand over power. As a result, a series of collisions occurred between the two sides. In the end, Ling Changfeng prevailed, and Capital Star¡¯s military underwent a major reshuffle. However, after Barron¡¯s decline was revealed, he didn¡¯t make matters worse. He chose to show his sincerity, reveal weakness, swallow his anger, and lay dormant, waiting for an opportunity. Qin Yuan¡¯s tone paused, and then said: ¡°Speaking of Barron, this guy is obviously not clean. During the past year, I don¡¯t know how many small things he has done in private. Letting him linger like this for a long time is not a solution¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ling Changfeng lowered his voice and said calmly, ¡°But two years ago, I was still on the frontier battlefield and did not return to Capital Star, while Barron Ives was still the supreme commander here. His faction has been entrenched in the capital star for decades, and its forces are intertwined. If we find and trace any soldier, they may be traced back to him ¨C and not necessarily related to that incident.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Others have said that they were instructed by Barron, but after investigation, the details are not correct at all.¡± Qin Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered, and he pointed out: ¡°Now it seems that the kidnapping back then may also be the work of someone¡¯s ulterior motives¡­¡± Ling Changfeng was silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his eyes and asked, ¡°There was a fish that slipped through the net. They seem to be called Gu Nai, has anyone found them?¡± ¡°No, this person, to a certain extent, can also be called a talent. The Security Bureau has issued the highest-level wanted order for him, but he has not been confirmed alive or dead.¡± Qin Yuan sighed. ¡°Su Lan tracked him down for a while, saying that if the other party hadn¡¯t committed such a thing, she almost wanted to praise him ¨C this person¡¯s anti-investigation skills are quite high, she doesn¡¯t know how he¡¯s hidden until now.¡± After saying a sentence, there was another silence. Ling Changfeng lowered his eyebrows and seemed to be thinking about something. ¡°Can I ask one more question. Are you sure that you want to use ¡®regular means¡¯ to deal with this?¡± In the silence, Qin Yuan suddenly spoke up. Ling Changfeng raised his head and looked at him without saying a word. Qin Yuan lowered his eyes and said no more. He knew that this was the expression the commander showed before he thought hard and made a major decision. After an unknown period of time, Marshal Ling finally opened his mouth: ¡°As you said, it is difficult to obtain evidence for this matter in a short period of time. And, no matter who on Capital Star¡¯s side is collaborating with them, keeping such people is a huge danger.¡± ¡°So, I have an idea¡ª¡± When Ling Changfeng raised his eyes, there was an unreadable light in his eyes. ¡°This time, let everything come to an end.¡± What do y¡¯all think LCF is planning? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 101.1 T/N: Thank you Yue & Wildzivia for the ko-fis! Had a brain fart and miscounted, so there¡¯ll be 3 extra releases from this and the previous week! The next few days flew by, and mid-December rolled around, and the Lambda delegation visited the Capital Star as scheduled. The Nebula City is covered in sparkling silver, and the long streets are covered with white snow. Today¡¯s news is scrolling on the mobile floating screen in the air ¨C Lin Jinshuang, the chairman of the Supreme Council of the Lambda galaxy, with his wife and accompanying officials, are visiting Capital Star, and will attend a welcome dinner with Chairman William at six o¡¯clock tonight. After five o¡¯clock in the evening, the lengthened version of the black military vehicle with the license plate number AA00001 galloped above the sky, headed for the state banquet hall of Prosperity Palace. Xu Xinghe, who was wearing an exquisite suit, and Ling Changfeng, who was wearing a military dress, sat in the car, leaning side by side. Xu Xinghe seemed to be in good condition tonight. He talked more than usual along the way, chatted with Ling Changfeng non-stop, and from time to time he stretched his finger out of the window, motioning him to watch the interesting pictures that flashed by the city. Adjutant Qin sat across from them and looked at the hands of the two of them clasped together. He endured and endured, and finally he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I say, the two of you have stuck together the whole way, aren¡¯t you tired of crooked?¡± The couple turned to look at him. Their eyes seemed to say ¡°look at that single dog¡±, ¡°he looks so miserable¡±. Qin Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± Blame him for talking! ¡°Is there anything I need to pay attention to at the banquet?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°Except¡­ that matter.¡± Adjutant Qin shook his head and replied: ¡°There is nothing else, this welcome dinner is literally hundreds of people. Boring greetings, media meetings, formal dinners, and meaningless cultural performances and dance parties.¡± Xu Xinghe asked again: ¡°Then what do I need to do?¡± ¡°Just stay with me.¡± This time it was Ling Changfeng who spoke. Marshal Ling patted his lover¡¯s hand, and the two looked at each other, tacitly agreeing. Qin Yuan knew that they weren¡¯t flirting on purpose. But who knows what the two of them are doing. As long as their eyes meet, it¡¯s like they are glued together, and can¡¯t be torn apart. Even mundane whispers can turn into flirtatious teasers under shared tacit understanding. Seeing this, the ¡®single dog¡¯ adjutant simply turned his eyes out of the window and no longer watched the couple in the car. Speaker William Martino will welcome the Lambda galaxy delegation to a banquet tonight at Prosperity Palace. As many as 600 people from both military and political circles of the two major galaxies are attending, forming a long welcoming queue that could not be captured in one glance. Xu Xinghe was already familiar with this kind of occasion, and didn¡¯t stop at the media access area after getting out of the car. Amid the frenzied shutter clicks of the media and the flickering of the spotlights, he walked directly into the Prosperity Palace, arm in arm with Ling Changfeng. At 6:30 in the evening, the speakers of the two galaxies entered the splendid state banquet hall after a brief exchange of greetings, and the grand reception finally kicked off. A beautiful and cheerful welcome song echoed in the hall as everyone took their seats. Although the state banquet is a formal and serious occasion, it became lively with more people present. Xu Xinghe looked around and saw hundreds of people sitting around. He is not sensitive to the pheromones of ordinary people. At this moment, he took a deep breath, and his nose was full of Ling Changfeng¡¯s breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ling Changfeng sat beside Xu Xinghe, quietly observing his little spouse. Xu Xinghe nodded, turned his head and smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but I don¡¯t seem to feel it¡­¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, and then we¡¯ll talk about it in a different place later.¡± ¡°En.¡± With a sound, Xu Xinghe switched conversation topics. Pointing at the plate with his fork, he said: ¡°I heard that the chef in charge of this state banquet is Como Sinde, a famous chef. I tried to reproduce his signature low-temperature grilled Angus rib-eye steak before. Everyone who¡¯s eaten it says it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Everyone who¡¯s eaten it?¡± Marshal Ling¡¯s eyes drifted over when he heard the words. His tone was neither salty nor bland. ¡°Who¡¯s eaten it?¡± ¡°A lot of people. Like my college classmates, and a few colleagues¡­ uh, do you want to eat it too?¡± The words in Xu Xinghe¡¯s throat got stuck when he finally noticed his lover¡¯s ¡°kind¡± gaze. Ling Changfeng just commented casually: ¡°So many people have eaten it.¡± Xu Xinghe secretly muttered ¡°not good¡± in his heart. Sure enough, he heard Ling Changfeng ask: ¡°Why haven¡¯t I?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Because you said that you¡¯re not interested in eating before! Chef Xu complained a little inwardly, but on the bright side he still conscientiously smoothed the cat¡¯s ruffled fur: ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and cook it for you?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at him, shook his head lightly, and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m not very interested in eating.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± Why is this cat getting harder and harder to serve! He racked his brains for another reason: ¡°Isn¡¯t this because the food at the Marshal¡¯s Mansion is very good? I used to cook by myself, and will share with everyone when there¡¯s extras. But now, I rarely cook for myself anymore.¡± Marshal Ling: ¡°En.¡± Xu Xinghe turned his head to look, but found that the pair of blue and gold was looking at him with a clear smile. There was no such disappointment in his eyes at all. Turns out he¡¯s playing tricks again! Xu Xinghe turned his head angrily, forked the cod on the plate fiercely, and swallowed it in three or two mouthfuls. ¡°Slow down, don¡¯t choke.¡± Marshal Ling pushed his water glass over and looked at him helplessly. ¡°Are you able to taste it if you eat in such a hurry?¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± There doesn¡¯t seem like there is any taste. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this as well.¡± Ling Changfeng said, pushing his untouched dinner plate over. Xu Xinghe was not polite. Once again, in the envious eyes of everyone around him, he achieved the achievement of ¡°snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth¡±. At 7:30 in the evening, with dinner wrapping up, the dinner party officially entered the time for theatrical performances. The representative programs of the two galaxies were staged one after another in the center of the stage. As the supreme military commander of the Gamma Galaxy, Marshal Ling had his own exclusive VIP seat. He took Xu Xinghe to the elevator upstairs, and walked into a box on the second-floor where they can watch the performance alone. The glass of the box is one-way, and the sound insulation effect is excellent. Even the sound of the external music can only be transmitted to the room through an amplifier. After less than five minutes, someone knocked on the door of the box. Ling Changfeng glanced at Qin Yuan¡¯s face on the monitor screen and said ¡°Come in¡±. The fully automatic security door opened in response, and Adjutant Qin walked in with a portable terminal. As soon as Qin Yuan entered the door, he locked the door from the inside and turned off the loudspeaker in the room. The sound of the performance on the stage suddenly disappeared. The box seems to have become a closed space, mysterious and quiet. Qin Yuan opened the optical brain terminal and holographically projected the recorded images of the more than 100 surveillance cameras in the banquet hall into the air. ¡°This needs to be supplemented with your signed authorization later, otherwise doing this will be illegal. This is Prosperity Palace¡­¡± He said to Ling Changfeng, and then split the screen to zoom in on the three Wells. From the time the three of them entered Prosperity Palace, from initial greetings to the meal, to watching the current performances, their entire journey was displayed in front of Xu Xinghe. ¡°George Wells, Norman Wells, Daniel Wells¡­¡± Qin Yuan pointed to the images of the three with his finger, then turned his head to look at Xu Xinghe, ¡°Among the three, do any of them look familiar?¡± Perhaps it was because of a layer of projection, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t feel nervous or scared at all., but shook his head. ¡°Just looking at the body shape, it doesn¡¯t seem like they are very similar.¡± Xu Xinghe recalled with a frown: ¡°I remember that the man was tall and strong, taller than me. All three of them are quite tall, but this¡ª¡± Any guesses on who it is? One of the Norman trio, or someone else? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 101.2 His fingers rested on George Wells, ¡°This man is fat, and the other two are thin.¡± ¡°More than two years, anyone¡¯s body will change. Even height, as long as one wants to change their height, there is nothing modern technology can¡¯t do.¡± Qin Yuan sighed slightly. ¡°And all three of them are between 180 to 185cm. There¡¯s not much of a height difference.¡± Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°Do you have their voices?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Qin Yuan transferred the audio and video recordings of the trio. After listening to the public speeches of all three, Xu Xinghe still shook his head. ¡°I remember that the person¡¯s voice was a little lower. Although his tone seemed feminine and abnormal, the tone itself was still a little hoarse¡­ However, I¡¯m not sure if it was because of the mask at the time.¡± ¡°I was down there just now, and I didn¡¯t smell his disgusting smell.¡± Xu Xinghe frowned for a while, then lowered his head suddenly and said, ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t come.¡± Standing behind him, Ling Changfeng patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.¡±Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± No matter who listened to this statement, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t finished speaking when his words abruptly stopped after only half a sentence. ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe looked back at Ling Changfeng. The latter pursed his lips, but said nothing. Guessing that Ling Changfeng had his own arrangements, he didn¡¯t ask any further questions. He simply asked, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Ling Changfeng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass of the VIP room on the second floor, looking at the sparkling stage with singing and dancing, silent. After a while, he suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and dance in a while.¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°Ah?¡± Marshal Ling said concisely, ¡°We¡¯re already here.¡± After speaking, he stretched out his hand, and invited his partner tonight. Xu Xinghe looked at the hand that was handed over, and suddenly smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± He put his hand into the larger one. ¡°Whether that person is there or not, let¡¯s have a good night first?¡± Ling Changfeng gave a light hum. Xu Xinghe smiled and asked him: ¡°Why did you suddenly think of inviting me to dance? The words ¡°we¡¯re already here¡± don¡¯t really sound like you. You didn¡¯t plan for a long time, and practiced secretly at home, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ling Changfeng shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have time recently.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s true, recently Ling Changfeng has been so busy that his feet can barely touch the ground. Thinking how Marshal Ling was even busier dealing with his matters at this time of year, Xu Xinghe¡¯s eyes were a little apologetic. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you to work hard recently.¡± Hearing him speaking Ling Changfeng gently tugged the hand he was holding and pulled Xu Xinghe close to him, and looked down. He didn¡¯t say ¡°it¡¯s not hard¡± with an expressionless face as he always did, but leaned slightly, put his hot breath on the ear of his little spouse, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Then how are you going to reward me?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s ears were itchy, and his face suddenly turned red. It¡¯s not fair. After being together, his big cat¡¯s skin has gotten a lot thicker. Resisting the urge to turn his head, Xu Xinghe avoided the pair of teasing eyes, and asked with a blushing face, pretending to be calm, ¡°What kind of reward do you want?¡± ¡°When things are over¡­¡± Ling Changfeng said in a low voice. Just when Xu Xinghe thought he would make some brazen request, he saw the other party straighten up and changed the topic: ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after the matter is over. Until then, just take care of yourself, and don¡¯t worry about the rest.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xinghe looked up at Ling Changfeng, always feeling that something was wrong with him. Feeling him staring for too long, Marshal Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I suddenly remembered¡­¡± Xu Xinghe tilted his head, ¡°At the end of this month, you¡¯ll be celebrating your 53rd birthday?¡± ¡°You just remembered?¡± Ling Changfeng glanced at a faint look. Then he said casually: ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you starting to care about age?¡± Xu Xinghe smiled like a malicious fox, leaned over and asked: ¡°What birthday present do you want?¡± Hearing his question, Ling Changfeng turned his head and gave him a deep look. Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± He understood the possessiveness of the nakedness in the pair of gold and sapphire pupils, and was dumbfounded for a while. ¡°I say¡­¡± Adjutant Qin, who was huddled in the corner and tried to reduce his sense of existence, finally couldn¡¯t help speaking up. ¡°Have you forgotten that there is another person here?¡± As soon as his words fell, he received a pair of matching looks from the pair of husbands. Their eyes were clearly asking, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Unable to express his anger, Qin Yuan obediently went to the door and waited. Xu Xinghe originally expected today¡¯s welcome dinner would be an earth-shattering farce. But in the end, it ended in a happy and peaceful atmosphere. Xu Xinghe and Ling Changfeng danced in the spotlight, and then went home arm in arm under the spotlight of the media. It was as if they just went to a party. The next day, Xu Xinghe went back to the Ark to work. He looked at the five days circled on the calendar. In two and a half days, the people of the Lambda system will be returning. Maybe that person is really not part of the delegation, maybe he is already dead¡­ Xu Xinghe said to himself. There¡¯s still time. As long as that person is alive, he will be discovered one day. And until that day comes, he has to live his own life. He sighed inwardly and reached out to draw a cross on today¡¯s calendar. After seven o¡¯clock in the evening, Xu Xinghe turned off his light brain and got off work after greeting his colleagues. It was snowing again today, the cold wind was blowing, and the dark gray clouds were pressing down. Xu Xinghe walked to the parking lot. Ling Changfeng has been very busy at the end of the year, and has not been able to drop or pick him up from work for five or six days. However, the people from the Marshal¡¯s Mansion would still dutifully appear in the exclusive parking space every day to wait for him. Xu Xinghe was walking, and suddenly received a call from Lily. Seeing that it was his sister calling, he pressed the answer without thinking¡ª ¡°Brother!!!¡± The girl¡¯s exclamation came from the earphone, which was different from her lively bubbly self. Her voice was full of panic and fear. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart stopped suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Lily?¡± His voice tightened a little. ¡°Shh, keep quiet.¡± A familiar male voice came through the earphones. ¡°Stay calm and keep walking, okay? I¡¯m here to talk to you about something.¡± Xu Xinghe was standing in the wind and snow, cold from head to toe. ¨C It¡¯s Gu Nai. Minor ¡®plot hole¡¯ (as in iffy logic) coming up. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 102.1 ¡°Long time no see.¡± The person on the other end of the phone smiled softly. ¡°Team Leader Xu finally turned on his phone. It would be a pity if he missed the last call from his relatives because of work.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s hands trembled slightly as the cold wind blew towards his face with fine snow. His legs suddenly felt as heavy as led as he walked towards the parking low. His whole body was cold buffeted by the chilly wind. Memories of being kidnapped a few months ago came flooding back. This time, Gu Nai kidnapped Lily. Not only Lily, but also his mother and younger brother. Colleagues passed by one after another. When acquaintances saw him, they smiled and nodded in greeting: ¡°Leader Xu is also off work.¡± The usual tone of colleagues finally pulled Xu Xinghe back from his fear to reality. He twitched the corners of his mouth, and smiled in return. Then he took a deep breath, and while continuing to walk forward, he asked softly, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Marshal Ling has been guarding you very well recently, but unfortunately, your mother and the others do not enjoy this kind of treatment¡­ Do you understand their current situation, Team Leader Xu?¡± Gu Nai said in a relaxed tone. ¡°I just need to move a finger to get rid of them immediately.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Xu Xinghe said, voice trembling slightly. He tried to keep his composure, as he thought quickly. ¡°It¡¯s very simple, I¡¯m a little unhappy that the plan at the end of September didn¡¯t work out.¡± Gu Nai¡¯s tone was even polite, as if he was chatting with a friend. ¡°After getting rid of Ling Changfeng¡¯s guards, come meet me at the designated place and time later.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xinghe opened his mouth, only to feel his teeth chattering, and a white cold mist emerged from his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say you can¡¯t.¡± Gu Nai interrupted him abruptly, and said with some regret: ¡°I don¡¯t want to send you a few fingers as a threat like those vicious gangsters in a kidnapper movie. But I am indeed desperate now. Right now. I can guarantee that if you do what I say, then your family can go back safely, Team Leader Xu. But if¡­ If you dare to tell Ling Changfeng about this, even letting out a few clues ¨C you know I¡¯ve always been sharp in this area ¨C I don¡¯t mind if the fish die and the net breaks1fish = hostages; net = kidnapping plot. Trust me, my knife will fall before the police¡¯s bullet arrives, and cut your mother¡¯s and younger siblings¡¯ necks.¡± Walking alone in the wind and snow, each snowflake falling on his shoulder seemed to weigh him down. The parking lot is in sight, and the people from the Marshal¡¯s Mansion will be there waiting for him. Xu Xinghe slowed down, and coldness spread up his spine. ¡°Can you guarantee their safety?¡± Xu Xinghe whispered softly with a hint of determination. ¡°If something happens to them, then you know, I don¡¯t mind if the fish die and the net breaks.¡±2here XXH is referring to not worrying about himself ¡°Of course, I promise¡­¡± Gu Nai¡¯s laughter came from the earphone. ¡°My target is only you, so as long as I get you, I will not implicate innocent people.¡± Time passed minute by minute, and the person on the other end of the phone urged impatiently. ¡°Team Leader Xu?¡± Xu Xinghe moved his stiff fingers to free himself from the torment. He nodded slowly: ¡°Okay, where do you want to meet?¡± Gu Nai smiled: ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to ask questions. Before that, I want to remind you ¨C you¡¯d better make sure to get rid of everyone, and come by yourself. Make sure you remove any and all electronic devices from your body. If I find out that you have any careful thoughts, even if you really forgot to take something off, even if Ling Changfeng secretly installed the positioning equipment without your knowledge, and I find out, then I¡¯m sorry, I can only chop off your sister¡¯s fingers one by one.¡± His voice was cold at the end, but in the next moment Gu Nai returned to his usual gentle, amiable tone. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Sneaking out tonight by yourself shouldn¡¯t be difficult, because your family¡¯s Marshal Ling will be very busy tonight. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to prepare. I don¡¯t care what method you use, but come to the appointed place alone tonight. Okay?¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s brain gradually calmed down, and his heart also sank. How can Gu Nai even know Ling Changfeng¡¯s itinerary? Moreover, he¡¯s been wanted for so long, and is now blatantly hiding on Capital Star¡­ This is definitely not something that one person can do, even if he¡¯s talented. There must be someone behind Gu Nai who is helping him. Xu Xinghe suddenly asked, ¡°Did your so-called ¡®master¡¯ send you here?¡± With the kidnapping largely coming to an end, the mastermind of the matter gradually becomes clear. He once thought that the kidnappers kidnapped him to blackmail Ling Changfeng, but thinking about it again, they clearly said that they wanted to ¡°leave Ling Changfeng¡¯s territory¡±. If so, where did they want to bring him? Lambda galaxy? ¡°Shh¡ª¡± Gu Nai¡¯s gentle and delicate voice came from the earphones. ¡°Be careful of the walls having ears,Team Leader Xu. From now on, for the safety and health of your family, don¡¯t talk casually, okay?¡± Xu Xinghe bit his lip, fell silent. Gu Nai smiled and said: ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you still thinking about those old things at such a time? Why don¡¯t you worry about your own and your family¡¯s safety when you have time, Team Leader Xu. As for other questions¡­ once you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll naturally know the truth.¡± Hanging up the phone, Xu Xinghe recited in his mind the meeting place and password Gu Nai had just left. He took a deep breath, controlled his slightly trembling hands, and tried to push the negative emotions aside. He told himself to calm down and not let anyone see any flaws, then lifted his feet mechanically and continued walking towards the tarmac. The special car from the Marshal¡¯s Mansion has been waiting for a long time. Xu Xinghe got into the car as if nothing had happened, and took a deep breath again. Calm down and think again. At this point, he has no choice. First, he couldn¡¯t gamble with the lives of his mother and younger siblings. Second, if the ¡°master¡± behind Gu Nai is really the man in the white wolf mask two years ago, then this is an opportunity. An opportunity to confirm his identity, obtain evidence, and kill them all. He¡¯s willing to gamble with his life. Compared with the danger in front of him, what frightened him even more were those nights of tossing and turning due to nightmares. Therefore, the current danger can also be regarded as an opportunity for him. It¡¯s just¡­ Xu Xinghe stared blankly at the neon lights passing by the window, and Ling Changfeng¡¯s face suddenly flashed in his mind. He feels sorry for him. At lunch break today, he was still picking out birthday gifts for his lover. He really wants to spend their first birthday together with Ling Changfeng. But this time, he was destined to make the other party worried. Xu Xinghe did not return to the Marshal¡¯s Mansion. When he was halfway through the navigation, he pretended to receive a message, and then told the Marshal¡¯s personal guard who came to pick him up that he was going back to his mother¡¯s house. The two guards looked at each other, and the order they received was to escort the marshal¡¯s partner to and from get off work. But after all, it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll restrict his personal freedom or will. After consulting Colonel Lewis, the two changed their destination, heading towards the 031 complex in Area 5, and finally landed slowly in front of Xu Xinghe¡¯s small courtyard. Xu Xinghe got out of the car and opened the door of the villa with his fingerprints. ¡°Please wait for me here.¡± He turned to the two guards. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be waiting for you at the door. You can let us know at any time if you have any orders.¡± The two marshals and guards finished, and they stood at the door like a pair of security guards. The light was still on in the living room, but no one was there. Xu Xinghe walked from the first floor to the second floor, only to find a note that said ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you tonight¡±, pressed under the coaster of the coffee table in the living room, and the date was today. As if he knew he would come back. Xu Xinghe sighed. Gu Nai is indeed a smart person, and he doesn¡¯t know what kind of character the ¡°master¡± behind him will be. With some hindsight, he discovered that since he had that long talk with Ling Changfeng some time ago, he seemed to be able to face that past. At least, when he recalled the pervert with the flame pheromone, his face would no longer turn pale. Now, he just wants that person to be punished as he deserves. Xu Xinghe took off his smartphone, communicator, mobile headset¡­ Removing every piece of electronic equipment one by one, and placing them neatly on the coffee table. He knew that Gu Nai is also a computer expert. He can¡¯t use ordinary means to hide things from him; they will only irritate him. However, before taking off the smartwatch on his wrist, Xu Xinghe stared at the screen and hesitated for a while, but still called Ling Changfeng. ¡°Di-di¨C¡± the busy voice echoed in the quiet living room. Every minute and every second made Xu Xinghe feel that time stretched out infinitely long. After thirty seconds, the communication hung up automatically. Ling Changfeng did not answer. Xu Xinghe called Qin Yuan again, but the adjutant, who always answered in seconds, didn¡¯t answer this time. Xu Xinghe thought of Gu Nai¡¯s words ¡°Marshal Ling will be busy tonight¡± and finally gave up. He opened his mailbox and wrote an email. Scheduled delivery time ¨C midnight tonight. After dealing with all this, Xu Xinghe took off his coat, changed into a down jacket, put on a hat, took some cash that he had not used for many years, and then snuck out through the back door of the villa, disappearing into the night. Let¡¯s not bring up the loophole in XXH¡¯s logic, okay? Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 102.2 The location Gu Nai set was not far from his small villa. Xu Xinghe walked for a while after going out, and then called a taxi. Following the coordinates given by Gu Nai, the driver brought him to a large escape room entertainment venue. When Xu Xinghe got out of the car and saw the ¡°Escape Room¡± ads on the window, he was speechless. He doesn¡¯t understand why Gu Nai is so obsessed with escape rooms. After a moment of silence, Xu Xinghe glanced at the electronic clock at the door, and entered when it was eight o¡¯clock in the evening. Surprisingly, there were quite a few young players waiting in line. The waiter in charge of reception greeted him in fancy clothes and asked with a smile, ¡°Hello, sir, do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°Yes, the show at 7:59.¡± Xu Xinghe said in a low voice. The waiter was stunned for a while, and then his smile became brighter. ¡°Okay, please come with me.¡± Xu Xinghe was led into a small room, and as expected, there was no one inside. There was only a set of clothes that looked like they were for circus performers, and a small note. The small note reads: Put on the NPC¡¯s clothes and go out through the passage at the north gate. There is a dark red bus waiting for you there. Xu Xinghe smiled sarcastically, but followed the instructions. He put on that strange suit, put on a mask, and got on the bus. The engine started and the vehicle drove him all the way out of the city. There was no one else on the bus except him. Xu Xinghe looked out the window silently the whole time, watching the city buildings fade away bit by bit. Just as the front foot of the bus left the first traffic checkpoint in the city, a red light suddenly flashed in the sky. The next moment, sirens sounded from all directions, exploding across the skies and piercing through the clouds! Xu Xinghe¡¯s pupils shrank, and he quickly stared up at the sky. Countless patrol planes and military police were dispatched, rushing towards the center of Xingfu City. The piercing warning sound echoed in the ears, and the red and white warning lights flickered in the air of the cold night. What happened? Could it be that the people in the Marshal¡¯s Mansion found out that he was missing so quickly? Will Gu Nai think he called the police by himself? No, no, this is a Level 1 Red Alert! It is the highest alert issued only in the event of a catastrophic accident. Xu Xinghe¡¯s black eyes trembled slightly. Even when he disappeared last time, Ling Changfeng ordered martial law on all routes in the northern hemisphere, and issued an orange alert. To put it bluntly, the fact that he disappeared is not enough for a red alert. Because it enforces high-altitude no-fly, traffic control, and regional blockades¡­ Issuing such warnings while high-level officials of the Lambda galaxy are still visiting requires even more caution. So, what the hell is this red alert? Staring at the flashing red lights in the sky, his black eyes couldn¡¯t hide his worry. Is there something wrong in Xingfu City? But no matter what was going on or how much he thought about it, the bus finally took him out of the city as scheduled. After another secret car change, an inconspicuous black car slowly drove to a place that looked like an abandoned factory and put Xu Xinghe down. Two burly men with guns escorted him into the factory. Xu Xinghe followed them through the metal gates, and let the lasers sweep back and forth over him several times. In the end, he was pushed into an elevator by the big man and came to the second underground floor. Here, Xu Xinghe finally met Gu Nai. After a few months, Gu Nai lost a lot of weight. His skin was tinged with green, and a layer of stubble spread across his chin. He was standing in front of the console in a tattered plaid shirt, with eight huge ring-shaped brain screens behind him. Not like a long-running outlaw, but like an overworked programmer. Under the dim light, he smiled and greeted Xu Xinghe: ¡°Team Leader Xu, long time no see.¡± Finally, at this moment, Xu Xinghe was not so afraid. He took off his ridiculous circus outfit and looked up at Gu Nai. ¡°I¡¯m already here, let go of my mother and younger siblings first.¡± Gu Nai looked at him and suddenly ¡°tsk¡± one sound. Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart sank, and he heard Gu Nai say, ¡°Hey, Xiao Xu, you¡¯ve been a team leader once, why don¡¯t you have a long memory?¡± He reached out on the console, entered a line of code, and then pressed Enter. ¡°Brother!! Save me!!¡± Lily¡¯s voice echoed in the empty and gloomy basement. Then he played Chu Yufei¡¯s version of ¡°Brother, save me!¡±, and Mother Xu¡¯s version of ¡°Son, save me¡±. Gu Nai smiled slightly, with a bit of twisted humor. ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap them at all, it¡¯s just a composite recording¡­ Team Leader Xu should be very good at such tricks? I heard you did a lot of these pranks during your studies. What is it? Concern messed up your brain?¡± Xu Xinghe clenched his fists and looked at Gu Nai expressionlessly. ¡°But when I got home, there was no one at home, only the note you left behind.¡± ¡°Of course, they went to the playground tonight. Team Leader Xu has been busy dating recently, so he probably forgot to communicate more with his family. Don¡¯t look at me like this. Isn¡¯t it a good thing that they weren¡¯t involved in such a terrible incident?¡± Gu Nai kept smiling from beginning to end, even politely, ¡°As for putting the note in, it is really difficult, but luckily your sister has two violin lessons a week and will invite the teacher to come home¡­ You know, Ling Changfeng has not only sent more people to protect you recently, but also upgraded the security measures for your family, so it¡¯s really difficult to carry out another kidnapping. It¡¯s a pity that he didn¡¯t seem to tell you, which is why you cooperated with this matter.¡± Gu Nai shook his head and continued, ¡°But it¡¯s useless to say these things now.¡± Xu Xinghe realized that he had been tricked. But he didn¡¯t feel angry because of it, and was even a little relieved. At least mom and them are safe. He calmed down the fear in his heart, took two steps forward, looked at Gu Nai and said, ¡°You worked so hard to trick me here, what are you trying to do?¡± Gu Nai shrugged: ¡°Simple, continue the unfinished plan from the end of September.¡± ¡°Tie me back to the Lambda galaxy?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. At this moment, he found himself much calmer than he thought, ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone, right?, what about your so-called ¡®master¡¯? Let him come out to see me.¡± Gu Nai looked at him playfully. ¡°We haven¡¯t met for more than two months, and Team Leader Xu has become more and more courageous. Are you still thinking for me at such a time?¡± Ignoring his teasing, Xu Xinghe continued: ¡°Your master is on the list of visiting officials from the Lambda galaxy this time, isn¡¯t he? That¡¯s why you have been dormant for so long, but chose to act at this time because you want to take advantage of them returning to take me back.¡± Gu Nai looked at him, but didn¡¯t answer with a smile. Xu Xinghe continued to ask: ¡°He can¡¯t come out to see me for the time being, because he is participating in activities in Xingfu City, and there are too many eyeliners around him, so he can¡¯t get away, right? But I am really curious, Xingfu City is not better than Nanga, what do you guys want to do? Transporting a fully grown adult human like myself in a spaceship without being discovered?¡± After he finished speaking, he turned his attention to the optical brain equipment behind Gu Nai. ¡°X-101 supercomputer, equipped with the latest generation of intelligent optical brains and top processors. To be able to find such resources in Capital Star¡¯s territory, it seems that your master has a lot of big friends here.¡± Gu Nai shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s useless to guess anything now. When we leave this planet, you¡¯ll naturally know the answer.¡± ¡°Leave?¡± Xu Xinghe chuckled, ¡°Impossible, there is a level 1 red alert outside. No matter who is helping you, unless he can cancel the alert, don¡¯t even think about flying out of the capital city.¡± Gu Nai stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed. ¡°Team Leader Xu is so confident now, is it because he thinks Ling Changfeng will come to save you, just like last time?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not possible, at least not in the short term. Capital Star will soon fall into chaos without a leader. By the time it subsides¡­ we¡¯ll have already left.¡± Xu Xinghe temple throbbed, and his heart slowly sank to the bottom. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gu Nai tilted his head and looked at him: ¡°Don¡¯t you know who the level 1 red alert is issued for? Oh, I forgot, all the electronic devices on your body have been removed, and you haven¡¯t seen the news yet¡ª¡± Gu Nai smiled, walked away the console step by step. Standing in front of Xu Xinghe, he stared into his eyes, and said word by word, ¡°Ling Changfeng was assassinated. His life and death are unknown at this time.¡± What happened to the ML?! Least Gu Nai (re: author) threw some plausible explanation at XXH¡¯s questionable logic. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 103.1 ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s first reaction was not panic, but that Gu Nai was lying. That¡¯s Ling Changfeng! He¡¯s a man who can carry the sky even if it falls¡­ They clearly met last night. Suddenly, death or life is uncertain? How is this possible! ¡°It¡¯s the truth, but Team Leader Xu doesn¡¯t believe me.¡± Gu Nai smiled, then shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it, it doesn¡¯t matter if you believe it. After such a big thing happens, the Lambda delegation will definitely end their visit early. We will go back to our home planet directly. We may have to leave tomorrow, and will have to trouble Team Leader Xu to spend the night here.¡± Xu Xinghe stared at the arc of victory on Gu Nai¡¯s mouth, feeling a little cold. The dim lights in the basement flickered on and off, and the world seemed to flicker with it. He did some tricks along the way, waiting for Ling Changfeng to receive the signal, and then came here to catch them all in one go. However, the premise of all this is that Ling Changfeng is not in an accident, and can still receive his distress signal. But if something really happens to Ling Changfeng¡­ Once this thought appeared, his mind went blank. Xu Xinghe squeezed his palm tightly, forcing himself to calm down and not to think too much. Ling Changfeng will be fine. He took a deep breath and asked Gu Nai: ¡°That means, I can see your master tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Nai nodded first, then shook his head. ¡°What ¡®my master¡¯, don¡¯t be so indifferent¡­ trust me, you¡¯ll be calling them ¡®Master¡¯ soon.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Xu Xinghe scolded in his heart, but on the surface he just said indifferently: ¡°I don¡¯t have this special hobby.¡± He stared at Gu Nai and began to think quickly. Gu Nai¡¯s explanation that the Lambda delegation¡¯s visit will end ahead of schedule and we may leave tomorrow basically explained that the person behind all this was one of the visiting officials. In Xu Xinghe¡¯s original plan, the primary purpose of his trip was to rescue his family, and the secondary purpose was to lead the snakes out of their holes. His family is now safe, but the mastermind behind the whole thing is still missing. What if the man was more cautious than expected and doesn¡¯t show up until he got on the ship? If, in case, Ling Changfeng is really attacked¡­ Then, what should he do? Xu Xinghe raised his head, turned his eyes back to Gu Nai, and suddenly asked, ¡°You finally got a postgraduate degree at Capital University, and have a great future ahead of you. Why are you working for such a person?¡± ¡°Why did you come here knowing it¡¯s a trap?¡± Gu Nai¡¯s smile revealed a hint of sarcasm. ¡°Every choice has it¡¯s own reason. Whether it¡¯s willing or involuntarily, a choice is a choice, there is no reason.¡± ¡°You are different, you can have better options.¡± Xu Xinghe took a step forward and said slowly, ¡°When I went back to campus to see the teacher a few days ago, I heard Dr. Sowes mention your name. He still can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re on the wanted list. He told me you¡¯re the smartest and hardest student he has ever brought, saying you¡¯ll stay in the lab until two or three in the morning, and have a lot of unfinished projects. It can¡¯t be that you¡¯re working for that person for fun?¡± ¡°What¡¯s Team Leader Xu¡¯s purpose to say all this?¡± Gu Nai was unmoved, and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, I have no way back.¡± ¡°You have.¡± Xu Xinghe looked into his eyes and said calmly, ¡°You know you have.¡± Gu Nai looked at him for a moment without saying a word, then suddenly smiled. ¡°What¡¯s Team Leader Xu¡¯s idea? Do you still want me to go against the water? It¡¯s useless. I won¡¯t deny that I liked that so-called campus life, but this time, you really can¡¯t escape.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked, ¡°Is it for your mother?¡± Gu Nai¡¯s face finally sank. ¡°The day you kidnapped me and tried to transport me, you were abandoned. The kidnapper said at that time, ¡®Master will help you take care of your mother¡¯.¡± When Xu Xinghe looked up at him, there was an emotion that Gu Nai couldn¡¯t understand. He sighed silently, and then said slowly: ¡°But after you left, I heard their follow-up conversation. The should-be leader said that the reason why you can¡¯t stay for a long time is because the chip controlling you is gone, and if you knew this, you would betray them sooner or later. So he suggested to your master to get rid of you directly, but your master said he¡¯d keep you because you might be useful in the future¡­¡± Something flashed across Gu Nai¡¯s face. After a long while, he let out a sneer. ¡°Team Leader Xu¡¯s lie is not clever. You are in my hands now, you should know what to say and what not to say.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a lie or not, you should have your own judgment.¡± Xu Xinghe accelerated his speech and said aggressively: ¡°Have you seen your mother these days? Even if it¡¯s just a video call or a handwritten letter? You should have had contact before, right? Haven¡¯t you applied for it? Has your master agreed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on the run for more than two months, Communicating is not safe, so naturally I can¡¯t talk to people at will.¡± Gu Nai stubbornly retorted, but his face became paler and paler. ¡°Not to mention the master promised me. This time, after this is all done, he¡¯ll let me go to see my mother.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him with a hint of pity in his eyes. ¡°If he really said that, it means that after this matter is over, you will be completely useless. You¡¯re a smart person, and should understand what I mean.¡± Xu Xinghe took another step forward and whispered: ¡°But you still have a way out! Leave here with me, expose him, identify him¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Gu Nai suddenly pressed the button at hand, and two big men with guns rushed in immediately. ¡°Take him to the room and watch over him.¡± Gu Nai restrained his smile, and there was indifference under the lens. He looked at Xu Xinghe and said with a blank expression: ¡°We¡¯ll have to trouble Team Leader Xu to stay here for one night. We will soon leave for the next planet.¡± The second underground floor is empty, dark and cold. The so-called room was more like a large prison cell, with the surrounding walls made of metal, and only a single bed in the center. Xu Xinghe was rudely pushed into the room, and before he could stand up straight, the door was locked. Xu Xinghe looked up at the electronic clock on the wall. It¡¯s 11:09 in the evening, and less than an hour before midnight. However, after an hour, will everything really go as he wished? Ling Changfeng¡­ how is he now? Xu Xinghe sat on the bed and wanted to close his eyes for a while, but as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind couldn¡¯t help racing. The pair of Persian cat-like eyes flashed in his mind, smiling, indifferent, surprised, gentle¡­ He believed that Ling Changfeng was not so easily tricked, but the restlessness in his heart could not be suppressed at all. That¡¯s his big cat, his lover, his husband. He wants to go back immediately, and to personally confirm that he¡¯s okay¡­ Xu Xinghe sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Tonight is doomed to be a sleepless night. Just as the electronic clock skipped half past eleven, the cell door clanged. Xu Xinghe turned his head vigilantly. After a guard pushed open the door, Gu Nai walked in. He was wearing gloves and had a syringe in his hand. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°As you can see¡ª¡± Gu Nai closed the door with his backhand and slowly approached him. He raised the needle and said, ¡°Master thinks, considering that we¡¯re about to travel far, before the situation really stabilizes, it is better for you to sleep first.¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°You still believe his words? He doesn¡¯t plan to take you with him, even plans to get rid of you! Now that you have a terminal in your hands, you can check everything I said! You only have this one chance, Gu Nai. If you miss this opportunity, you will regret it.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Gu Nai gestured at him, then held the needle and continued to approach. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt, just make you sleep.¡± Now for the super (2-3x) long chapters. We¡¯re nearing the end (before extras) though! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 103.2 T/N: minor gore warning (re: blood) at the end. Xu Xinghe instinctively wanted to hide, but suddenly, he received a meaningful look from Gu Nai. Suddenly, he stopped moving. Gu Nai walked up to him and kept his eyes on him. Only then did Xu Xinghe realize that Gu Nai¡¯s eyes were slightly red. Gu Nai opened his mouth and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t try to resist, okay? Unless you want me to ask the people at the door to come in and catch you.¡± He said this, and slowly injected the unknown liquid into Xu Xinghe¡¯s forearm. Xu Xinghe frowned slightly, and then heard Gu Nai say in his ear in a very small voice, ¡°Lie down, close your eyes, and don¡¯t move.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart trembled. Under Gu Nai¡¯s eyes, he finally lay on the bed, and slowly closed his eyes. After about ten seconds, he only heard the sound of electricity buzzing, and some other noises, before Gu Nai¡¯s footsteps walked away. There was a clang of the cell door opening, before the sounds faded away. Xu Xinghe was a little puzzled, what¡¯s the situation? Could it be that Gu Nai really turned against his master? Is he planning to take him out of here? Then why do all this? To fool the guard at the door? After a while, the cell door was opened again, and then closed again. Xu Xinghe opened his eyes and saw Gu Nai return. ¡°What did you use just now?¡± Xu Xinghe sat up and asked. ¡°Glucose water.¡± Gu Nai tore off his gloves, walked forward in three or two steps, and bent over to Xu Xinghe. ¡°Listen, everything that happens in this building is under his surveillance. I temporarily blocked the signal in this room, and looped the video of you sleeping into the monitor. But it will be discovered by him sooner or later. What you said just now is too dangerous, and will make him suspect that I have ulterior motives, so he¡¯ll immediately send more people here.¡± Gu Nai¡¯s voice was low and fast. Xu Xinghe was stunned by his sudden statement. After a few seconds, he asked the question that he cared most about: ¡°Was Changfeng really attacked?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true, his life and death are unknown! So you have to recognize your current situation! I don¡¯t care what preparations you made in advance to be so confident, but all those plans are in vain. Everything has to be considered in the long run, understand? They specially chose this time to lure you into a trap, so you have to prepare yourself to have no backup!¡± For a moment, Xu Xinghe felt that all the blood in his body congeal. He forgot to breathe for a while, and his consciousness fell into a chaotic void. He clenched his palm tightly, not daring to think about Ling Changfeng. Even the merest thought was like the sharpest shard stabbing painfully into his chest. ¡°Xu Xinghe! Stay awake!¡± Perhaps because he was worried that the guards at the door noticed something abnormal, Gu Nai¡¯s voice was extremely low. He tightly grabbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulder and shook it. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be sad! His death isn¡¯t confirmed. As long as you can get out alive, there is still hope for you to meet again! But the key now is that you will be picked up tomorrow! At that time, that person can change his face, his identity¡­ or even directly mark you! Marked for life! He¡¯s been thinking about this day for a long time, and once you return to Jindi Star1Jindi = Gold Emperor, but it isn¡¯t important so Jindi it is with him, the base camp of their family, it will be difficult to escape.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyes and asked with gritted teeth: ¡°Who is the so-called ¡®he¡¯?¡± ¡°Norman Wells.¡± Gu Nai said word by word. ¡°The general secretary of the Nine-Star Council, he is modest in front of people, but a beast behind closed doors! He has persecuted countless omegas, but never gave anyone a lifetime mark. From this point of view, you are special. He said you have a charming aura he¡¯s never smelled before.¡± Xu Xinghe let go of his stiff fingers and tried to find He returned to his own voice: ¡°Then what shall we¡­ do? Escape first?¡± ¡°There is no way to escape.¡± Gu Nai said in a low voice. Xu Xinghe suddenly raised his head: ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t escape, this is the second underground floor. I am also trapped here, and there is no way to return to the surface.¡± Gu Nai¡¯s voice was very deep. ¡°After this old military factory was remodeled, the elevator you came from became the only exit. It¡¯s a one-way access. Anyone can go down, but if you want to go up, you need that person¡¯s password and voiceprint.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the password be hacked?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. Gu Nai shook his head. ¡°I tried to crack it, but in the end I found that there¡¯s an electronic passcode, but also one for the security lock ¨C a physical lock. It can¡¯t be deciphered, and forcefully disassembling it takes too long and will trigger an alarm.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s heart sank. He looked at Gu Nai and asked, ¡°Then what are you doing here? If there¡¯s no escape, shouldn¡¯t you let me fend for myself?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t escape, but you can.¡± Gu Nai raised his head and looked into his eyes. Xu Xinghe was stunned: ¡°What?¡± Gu Nai said, ¡°You must have a way to escape, just like that summer two years ago¡­¡± ¡°Two years ago? I injured my glands and passed out, which was how I managed to escape being marked.¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! The prey he has set his eyes on has never escaped like that!¡± Gu Nai roared in a very depressed voice. ¡°I know him too well. Once that man sets his sights on something, he¡¯ll never let go easily. At that time, you had no power or strength, were alone and even unconscious. Even if you were a corpse, he¡¯d probably take your ashes back for collection!¡± Xu Xinghe trembled. ¡°After you fainted, something must have happened! During summer vacation two years ago, do you remember what happened in early July?¡± Gu Nai asked him. Xu Xinghe shook his head, a light flashed in his black eyes. ¡°Impossible! You don¡¯t know him, Xu Xinghe. That person is paranoid and selfish, but he is very, very careful. He doesn¡¯t have to take such a big risk to arrest you. Doing so will completely offend Ling Changfeng! But he still came, why? Is it just because he likes you? No, he is a person who only loves himself, and if something hurts his own interests, he will give up no matter how much he likes it! Or maybe he is afraid that you will reveal what happened back then to Ling Changfeng? But if that¡¯s the case, then he shouldn¡¯t risk coming to the Capital Star this time! There must be other secrets hidden in you!¡± Gu Nai¡¯s speech was growing more rapid, almost manic, and Xu Xinghe couldn¡¯t even keep up with his rhythm. He tried to start recalling bits and pieces of the past, but there was a slight tingling in his brain. ¡°That summer two years ago, he should have either captured or killed you, but he didn¡¯t. And now, he should have given up hunting you, but he didn¡¯t either. It¡¯s unreasonable, and it¡¯s not in line with his modus operandi. Unless you have something else that he can¡¯t let go of!¡± Gu Nai kept asking in Xu Xinghe¡¯s ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer, but you must know. Remember, Xu Xinghe! Remember!¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s brain was torn apart by thousands of thoughts, and he had a splitting headache. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t remember¡­ I passed out at the time, and when I woke up, I had been lying in the hospital bed for nearly half a month¡­¡± Xu Xinghe was stunned as soon as he finished speaking. In a trance, he still remembered that the doctor he saw for the first time after he woke up asked him the first question, not how he was feeling now or if he was uncomfortable, but¡ª Do you remember? Remember? He forgot? In the midsummer of July two years ago, during the period when he thought he was in a coma, what happened? ¡°You must remember it now!¡± Gu Nai continued to speak at a low and fast pace. ¡°It¡¯s fine if Ling Changfeng is still alive. But if he is gone, you have to find a way to save yourself! You have to plan for the worst and can only rely on yourself!¡± Desperately trying to recall what happened in early July, Xu Xinghe¡¯s brain almost exploded with pain. His hands and feet started to get cold and started to tremble. His body seems to instinctively prevent him from trying to recall further. Gu Nai clasped Xu Xinghe¡¯s shoulders tightly with both hands, bent down, and looked him in the eye. ¡°You must remember, Xu Xinghe! He won¡¯t let go so easily after two years, you must have used something at that time to escape from him¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, there was a ¡°click¡±. The door of the room was opened. Immediately after, there was a ¡°bang¡±. Gu Nai stood in front of Xu Xinghe, blocking his sight. Therefore, Xu Xinghe did not immediately see who was coming, and only heard a gunshot. The next moment, Gu Nai¡¯s body rushed forward and fell softly on top of him. Blood poured out continuously from the back of his head, dyeing Xu Xinghe red. There¡¯s one more part in this chapter. Told you it was long. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 103.3 Xu Xinghe froze. The blood was on him, sticky and warm. He lowered his head and saw the wound on the back of Gu Nai¡¯s head. Red blood flowed out of the bullet wound. And Gu Nai still maintained the expression from the second before, eyes widened, unable to close. In the past twenty years, Xu Xinghe has never faced death so directly. The bloody smell on his nose made him almost unable to think. But he still stretched out his hand tremblingly and slowly closed Gu Nai¡¯s eyes. Then he bit his inner lip, raised his head to look at the door ¨C In the gloomy and dark underground, only dim lights flicked on and off. A man in a white suit stood at the door with a creepy smile. Norman Wells put down his gun and walked towards Xu Xinghe step by step. ¡°We meet again, my little gentleman.¡± Xu Xinghe tried to get up, but found himself unable to move. He kept telling himself to calm down, but his body didn¡¯t seem to obey. Norman stepped forward, kicked Gu Nai¡¯s body away with his toes, and said with a smile, ¡°I promised him that after I finish this deal, I will let him go to see his mother ¨C I wasn¡¯t lying, they can finally meet in hell.¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and looked at him with eyes full of hatred. ¡°You will be punished.¡± ¡°Punished? Those are the words that the weak use to comfort themselves.¡± Norman smiled lightly, looked down at Xu Xinghe condescendingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be like a common man who complains to heaven and earth, my dear. Retribution will not fall from the sky. Besides, you can¡¯t blame me for this. If you didn¡¯t talk about his mother, he would still be hopeful and live one more night.¡± Xu Xinghe looked at him motionlessly, trying his best to restrain the trembling in his voice. ¡°The person from two years ago, was that really you?¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m thinner than I was two years ago, and my temper is better, right? It¡¯s all because of you¡­¡± Norman chuckled. ¡°Do you know how I spent the past two years? I keep recalling the day we parted. Fascinated, possessed, and a little humiliated and afraid¡­ So, do you know how I felt when I heard that you were matched to Ling Changfeng?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how you feel., I¡¯m already Ling Changfeng¡¯s spouse.¡± Xu Xinghe tried his best to calm down his voice. ¡°You¡¯re only spouses in the legal sense, aren¡¯t you? He hasn¡¯t marked you yet, which is¡­ an unimaginable surprise.¡± Norman was not provoked, but his smile deepened. ¡°But that¡¯s because your relationship rests upon that ridiculous arranged matching, which is why you stupidly came here alone tonight.¡± Norman¡¯s gray-brown eyes roamed over Xu Xinghe recklessly. ¡°We will not be this way. When I mark you, we will truly connect and influence each other. Well, I will influence you to be precise. You will be transformed according to my interests and preferences, from your soul to skin¡­¡± ¡°To hell with your motherf*cking transformation! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn, my dear. Your legal husband can¡¯t even protect himself now, and there is no better choice than me.¡± Norman¡¯s temper seems to be really better than two years ago, and did not react to Xu Xinghe¡¯s verbal provocation. ¡°You did it?!¡± Xu Xinghe questioned him with red eyes. ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s his old nemesis, Admiral Barron Ives. But I do take a lot of credit for helping. I¡¯ve always had a good personal relationship with Barron, because in some ways we have similar interests¡­¡± Norman touched his chin. ¡°Well, he likes younger omegas, and I like nicely scented ones. I¡¯ve helped him find prey before, so from this point of view, we¡¯ve always been a cooperative relationship. I simply instigated, stimulated, and seduced him¡­ saying that Ling Changfeng discovered what happened two years ago, and if he goes further, those transactions between me and him will be dug up, so he took the risk.¡± Norman smiled happily. ¡°But the current situation is a wonderful surprise. I didn¡¯t think that Barron Ives would be Ling Changfeng¡¯s opponent. I just wanted him to create chaos so I could take you away. The situation is more perfect than I imagined. Ling Changfeng died, and even if he didn¡¯t die, I¡¯ll already have taken you far away before he wakes up.¡± At this point, the man suddenly reached out and caught Xu Xinghe¡¯s chin. Xu Xinghe struggled to dodge, but was pulled back by him and strangled. ¡°Don¡¯t think about running away, dear. With the marshal¡¯s life and death unknown now, who will care about the marshal¡¯s wife?¡± The gray-brown eyes gradually lit up with manic desire. ¡°You will be my wife soon enough.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Xu Xinghe managed to shake off his hand, and stumbled backwards to put some space between them. ¡°Where can you run to?¡± Norman approached him unhurriedly. ¡°The person back then was really you? Why can¡¯t I smell your pheromones?¡± Xu Xinghe stared at him vigilantly. Norman spread his hands. ¡°Of course I had to be prepared to meet you ¨C I injected a blocking agent in advance, a special blocking agent specially developed for you. Otherwise, it will be difficult if things like that happen again.¡± ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t just prepare a potion for myself.¡± Norman smiled, snapped his fingers, and an alpha in uniform walked in with a vial and needle. ¡°In order to prevent you from seeking death, I originally wanted you to sleep all the way, but then I changed my mind. There is another way to stop you from seeking death¡­ From now on, you will live for me.¡± Norman took the needle from the guard and smiled at Xu Xinghe. Xu Xinghe looked at the pink liquid, and his teeth clattered: ¡°What is this? Ecstasy?¡± ¡°There is no such thing as ecstasy in the world, dear.¡± Norman shook his head, and then changed the topic. ¡°However, it¡¯s similar to an aphrodisiac. Especially after I mark you, your body and mind will be influenced and slowly controlled by me.¡± With a wave, the guard beside him immediately stepped forward and controlled Xu Xinghe. Against the skilled guard who was also stronger than him, Xu Xinghe struggled to no avail, and was finally brought before Norman. ¡°This is still the capital city! If you dare to mark me here, once you are discovered, you will die!¡± Xu Xinghe raised his head and stared at Norman with a pair of black eyes. Norman smiled: ¡°The premise is that I will be discovered. Moreover, even if Ling Changfeng is not dead and I end up in his hands, it¡¯s still more cost-effective to mark you in advance¡­ Do you think he¡¯ll let me go if I kidnapped but didn¡¯t mark you? You don¡¯t know your husband. Grandpa mentioned Ling Changfeng before. He¡¯s clearly a humanoid weapon that kills people without blinking an eye on the battlefield. But after returning to the capital after being on the battlefield, even he planted in the arms of nephrite jade¡­¡± Norman raised the needle, and poked Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck. ¡°Heroes yearn for warmth, don¡¯t they? If I get caught in the future, I¡¯ll die anyway. So why don¡¯t I take advantage of the present?¡± After that, he stuck the thin needle into Xu Xinghe¡¯s vein. The cold liquid of the aphrodisiac made him shudder suddenly. He struggled and cursed. As the liquid in the needle tube slowly emptied, Xu Xinghe suddenly became quiet. At first the feeling was not very obvious, just a little dizzy and weak in the limbs. But less than half a minute later, Xu Xinghe suddenly stood up, as if countless ants were crawling and biting in his body, causing unbearable itching and stinging pain. His body temperature began to rise, his blood began to boil, and his feet began to soften. An uncontrollable moan came out of his mouth. A peach red spread quickly on the white neck, followed by the strong and charming floral fragrance. ¨C He was forced into estrus. In an instant, Norman¡¯s eyes changed. Mad and infatuated, addicted and tyrannical. He took a deep breath, and in this overflowing floral fragrance, the long-sleeping fire pheromone finally broke through the shackles of his body. The crackling flames swept over the fields in an instant! A familiar feeling. Alone in the sea of fire, Xu Xinghe felt like he was being burned alive. Extremely painful, extremely intolerable. What to do? Sinking in the fiery hell, the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. An omega¡¯s instinct began to awaken. Xu Xinghe closed his eyes, and Ling Changfeng¡¯s face flashed in his mind¡­ What should he do? Feeling the change in his body, Xu Xinghe opened his eyes in despair. A fragment of memory suddenly flashed in front of him¡­ It wasn¡¯t only the flame pheromones that was similar. A similar situation. A similar despair. Everything that happened tonight has a trance-like familiarity¡­ Xu Xinghe picked up those fragments of memories little by little in extreme pain, and pieced them together to form a complete picture. In early July two years ago, that forgotten memory. Pain, fear¡­ His black eyes suddenly shrank sharply ¨C He remembered. Everything! The truth of what happened is coming right up! It¡¯s the author¡¯s cliffy this time; not mine. Also, more trigger warnings in the next chapter. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 104.1 T/N: Than you Lan, Wildzivia, Luoyuan, and HewerG for the ko-fis! We manage to get through the long first part of the final 2 chapters. Note: trigger warnings of blood, kidnapping, & assault this chapter! A raging flame burned his body, confusing his thoughts as they tortured his five major organs. Memories of the past gradually overlapped with present day reality. Open wounds, gushing blood, being imprisoned¡­ Xu Xinghe saw the man¡¯s sarcastic smile and indifferent eyes through his blurry tears. Same as back then. He remembered. In that early summer two years ago, after resolutely cutting his own glands, he didn¡¯t really escape the clutches of that man. He was captured and imprisoned, and that dark time began¡­ When Xu Xinghe opened his eyes, his vision was blinded by pure white. It was as if a piece of flesh had been gouged out from the back of the neck, and the slightest movement would be excruciatingly painful. A strange man¡¯s voice sounded in his ear. ¡°Glands are the most troublesome to treat, not to mention that his glands are very special. I have tried both the therapeutic apparatus and the quick-healing agent, but they are basically ineffective. That is to say, we can only rely on his own body¡¯s healing to slowly recover.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Two or three weeks at least; it will take a month to fully recover.¡± ¡°But the master can¡¯t wait that long.¡± ¡°Then go for it directly, the rest will depend on luck.¡± ¡°In case the wound reopens¡­¡± ¡°We can stitch it up.¡± During the conversation between the two, Xu Xinghe opened his eyes. ¡°Yo, are you awake?¡± The doctor in the white coat squinted at him, then fiddled with the instruments at hand, and began to examine his whole body. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Although the doctor was asking about his condition, his voice was flat. And those eyes were indifferent, as if assessing an object up for sale. Xu Xinghe was slightly taken aback. ¡°Is this the hospital?¡± He resisted the pain in the back of his neck and struggled to get up, but found that his limbs were tied to the hospital bed and he couldn¡¯t move. Xu Xinghe was horrified, raised his eyes and looked at the doctor in horror. ¡°Of course not.¡± The doctor sneered. ¡°Welcome to the laboratory. I hope you can live longer than the last omega.¡± Only then did Xu Xinghe realize that this strange white room with three white walls and a single glass window resembled a laboratory more than a hospital. There is no clock in the laboratory, and no view of the outside world. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know what time it was, what year or month, and he didn¡¯t have the concept of day and night. He was tied to the bed most of the time. In the beginning, no matter how much he struggled, abused himself, or tried to worsen his wound, the doctor would just walk in with a blank face and give him a sedative. Then he would fall to sleep, and when he woke up, he found himself in the same place, not knowing what day it was. He refused to eat a mouthful of food or drink a mouthful of water, so the doctor could only rely on forced infusion to maintain his life. His entire being quickly became haggard, yellow-faced, skinny, and scrawny, and he spent every day in a daze. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know how long he had been trapped here. He only felt that he was lying all day long in a vast snow-white world, lonely and alone. There were not many people who had appeared in front of him, only the doctor and two assistants. Until, he saw that man again ¨C Norman Wells. A man in a suit and leather shoes appeared in front of him, facing Xu Xinghe with his unmasked appearance for the first time. But the scorching and sinister pheromone, like a fire snake, made Xu Xinghe recognize him at once. Despite Xu Xinghe¡¯s desperate and powerless struggle, the man easily controlled him, pressed his head down, and bit his neck¡­ The fragile wound opened again. Blood spurted out, and a salty taste smeared the man¡¯s mouth. Norman frowned and straightened up. The smell of blood almost covered the floral omega pheromone. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t feel the pain in his semi-conscious state, and was still struggling and twitching weakly. ¡°When will his injury heal?¡± Norman stood up, a hint of displeasure flashed in his gray-brown eyes. The doctor replied embarrassedly: ¡°It may be a week¡­¡± ¡°Heal him before I leave this planet.¡± Paranoid and crazy fire flashed in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want to mark him here.¡± In this way, the man never gave up marking him. He didn¡¯t even plan to give him time to heal slowly. He toured Capital Star in full bloom during the day, and returned to the laboratory at night to torture his prey. As soon as the wound at Xu Xinghe¡¯s gland scarred over, it was torn apart by the man again and again, with blood flowing everywhere. Later, whenever he saw Norman, he would subconsciously start to turn pale and tremble. He didn¡¯t know how long this torture lasted, and had no concept of time at all. Gradually, he no longer struggled. Like a dilapidated doll discarded on a hospital bed, his eyes opened in a daze, seeing nothing. His face was filled with a dead air of despair, so much so that the assistant couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can he survive until then?¡± The doctor replied indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his body is better than expected. He can stand the toss, and won¡¯t die so soon.¡± For a moment, Xu Xinghe longed for his own death. The wound was torn, healed, and torn again and again¡­ His body was getting worse and worse, and there was no more light in his black eyes. He could see no hope, not even the end of despair. In that dark laboratory, one could not survive, nor could one die. Until that day came. The man smiled and appeared in front of him, holding a vial of injection in his hand, with a morbid twist in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m leaving this planet tomorrow,¡± Norman said. Xu Xinghe was quietly staring at the ceiling in a daze, and finally had a reaction when he heard the words. He turned his head stiffly to look at the man, his increasingly dull thinking began to slowly run, and finally a bit of movement appeared on his numb face. He knew that the matter would soon come to an end, and the man wouldn¡¯t take him away this time. Instead, he will be killed, turned into a corpse, and disappear silently in a corner of this planet¡­ But that¡¯ll be a relief. ¡°I thought about it all the way, whether to end you directly or bring you back to Jindi Star.¡± Norman walked to the hospital bed and looked down at Xu Xinghe condescendingly. ¡°The best choice should be the former. However, your taste is really special. I¡¯m a little unwilling to not mark you¡­ very unwilling.¡± Norman said, holding up a needle. ¡°Or else, let¡¯s do a little experiment, shall we?¡± The needle pierced Xu Xinghe¡¯s skin, and the liquid slowly flowed into his veins. ¡°I¡¯m a little curious. Your usual smell is so fragrant, what will your estrus look like?¡± Norman laughed deeply. ¡°Take a gamble. If I can mark you successfully this time, I¡¯ll take you away. Otherwise, you can stay here forever.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s body suddenly jolted. A strange feeling that he had never felt before swept through his body. Numbness, itching, tingling, fiery¡­ The intoxicating fragrance of flowers wafted out of his body, filling the entire laboratory in an instant. Norman¡¯s pupils shrank, and an invisible fire suddenly ignited around him. His eyes became blurred and eager, as if he had been fatally tempted, and he rushed towards Xu Xinghe¡¯s glands regardless. Xu Xinghe let out a whimper. His gland was bitten again, but this time, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. Norman gnawed at Xu Xinghe¡¯s glands contentedly, and his eyes became more and more crazy. He ignored the other party¡¯s desperate struggle and found the most suitable position for his mouth. Then his eyes darkened, and he began to inject his own pheromones little by little¡­ That¡¯s the feeling¡­ The moment their pheromones blended, Norman¡¯s body trembled. This is the bliss he seeks¡­the man thought he finally got his wish. Oh, he can gradually feel the other¡¯s emotions¡­ As the marking progressed, the two began to communicate. Overwhelming hatred and unwillingness came over Xu Xinghe. Norman sneered in his heart, not caring. It doesn¡¯t matter, when he completes this mark, he can start to affect the other party¡¯s emotions. He will guide him, control him, dominate him¡­ His pheromone has a different influence on omega than ordinary people. This is a gift bestowed on him by God. Norman is a twisted f*ck. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 104.2 The marking ceremony continued. Suddenly, Norman¡¯s body trembled, and his movements stopped stiffly. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he found himself unable to move. Since his first physiology class, Xu Xinghe had always vaguely felt that he was different from other omegas. He didn¡¯t have all the textbook physiological reactions that other omegas should have. He once thought it was a congenital physical defect until this moment. Under the effect of the violent aphrodisiac, his body slowly responded. He felt the paranoid, dirty, twisted psychology of the other party¡­ Even more frightening, out of omega¡¯s instinct, his body began to yearn to be marked. No¡­ Absolutely not! It can¡¯t be this person, it can¡¯t be this way! Stop¡­ Stop!!! Xu Xinghe roared silently in his heart, and suddenly, his eyelashes trembled. Seeing that the other party seemed to be really relieved, he stopped just like that. He turned his head stiffly and saw Norman¡¯s expression of disbelief as well. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°What did you do to me¡­?!¡± The man was shocked to find that his body no longer seemed to obey his commands. Another voice started to fill my mind ¨C Stop¡­ Stop! The gray-brown pupils shrank suddenly, and he suddenly realized that the identities of the hunter and the prey were reversed. This time, the person who is influenced, controlled, and dominated has become himself! But, what a joke! How can an omega¡¯s pheromones control alphas?! Xu Xinghe sat up tremblingly, and discovered this truth in a trance. If he wants the man to stop, and the man will stop. If he wants the man to back off, the man will back off¡­ Then, a thought popped into Xu Xinghe¡¯s mind involuntarily ¨C He wants him to die. As this thought grew stronger, he saw Norman bent down stiffly, picked up the needle, and aimed it at his neck. ¡°Stop¡­ stop!¡± Norman¡¯s eyes were split. Even though he tried his best to restrain himself, the tip inched closer to his neck. Seeing that the needle was about to pierce his neck, Norman roared hoarsely: ¡°If I die here¡­ you won¡¯t be able to escape! I am the grandson of Marshal Wells and a diplomat from the Lambda galaxy. My grandfather is also a friend of the Supreme Commander of the Capital Military Region, Admiral Barron Ives! If I die here, at your hands, then just wait to be buried with me! Do you think you can get away with it? Ha?! Will you be sentenced to self-defense in court and then acquitted? Impossible! You won¡¯t even have a chance to go to court! You will definitely die worse than me!¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s expression was indifferent and numb, unmoved at all. The trembling needle pressed against the man¡¯s fragile neck. Norman finally panicked, and he suddenly realized that Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to live anymore. He would probably control himself to kill himself and then kill himself. No! He can¡¯t die here! He is the youngest member of the Nine Stars Council. He is young and promising and has a bright future. How can he die here?! The moment the needle pierced the skin, Norman changed his strategy and said with a horrified expression: ¡°Stop it! You and I don¡¯t have to die, there is a win-win option! I will leave here immediately! Leave this planet! I promise not to pay attention to you again! You are free to leave and go on with your life! Forget about me and pretend this never happened.¡± The needle pierced into his skin, leaving an eerie, sharp pain. Norman broke down in cold sweat and sped up his words: ¡°You¡¯re still so young, and a bright future is waiting for you! You can complete your studies, realize your dreams, and freely choose the life you want¡­ You don¡¯t need to die here, you can live the rest of your life peacefully and peacefully, as long as you stop now!¡± The man¡¯s words sounded like a demon¡¯s whisper. Knowing the danger, but full of temptation. Xu Xinghe, who was already in a trance, stopped. After a pause, he replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, you are a complete scum.¡± Norman breathed a sigh of relief when he read the indifference in the other¡¯s eyes that he still planned to ¡°die together¡±. So he hurriedly said: ¡°Yes! I¡¯m a scum, so it¡¯s not worth it for you to sacrifice your life for a scum like me! I will let you go and let you return to your original life. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll give it to you! Trust me, I really regret this, and will do what I say.¡± Norman maintained the ridiculous action of stabbing himself in the neck with a needle in both hands, assuring Xu Xinghe repeatedly. Xu Xinghe sat up and stood up with the help of the bed. This is the first time he has gone down to the ground except for during inspections these days. His leg muscles were so stiff and sore that he could barely stand. He bit his chapped lips tightly, and took a while to recover. Then he raised his head and looked at Norman blankly. ¡°You are an executioner, how can you make me believe your verbal promise?¡± Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of lip service; you can go back at any time. So, how can you guarantee that I won¡¯t be caught by you as soon as I walk out of here? How can I guarantee that I won¡¯t be assassinated by you in the future? How can I guarantee that I can live the rest of my life in peace? I will count down to ten. After ten, if you can¡¯t give me an answer, then¡­ ¡­¡± Xu Xinghe said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go to hell together.¡± ¡°Ten¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Nine¡ª¡± ¡°Let me think!!¡± ¡°Eight¡ª¡± ¡°Seven¡ª ¡° ¡°I, I can give you my own handle! With it, you will have the capital to control me! I will have scruples before making a decision!¡± Xu Xinghe paused for a moment, then continued: ¡°Six¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll record and videotape a confession of all my crimes! Including illegally imprisoning you, and other things! Everything!¡± ¡°Five¡ª ¡° ¡°Trust me it works! I¡¯ve used this method to take down many competitors! Introducing them to omegas, and recording their hunting moments. I can even give you a video of Admiral Barron! It¡¯s the original with an anti-counterfeiting code, so it can be confirmed that it is the original version without reprocessing!¡± Norman¡¯s expression became more and more anxious as he panicked. Xu Xinghe looked at him: ¡°Four¡ª¡± ¡°Now! I¡¯ll record it for you now!¡± ¡°Three¡ªbut how do I access them?¡± ¡°Uploaded to the cloud! Choose a channel that you think is safe and save it there! Then bind it to your health record, or other data, and then set it up, so that if you die unexpectedly one day, the video will be automatically uploaded to the Alliance data network! Sent to social media! That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do! So I don¡¯t dare let you die!¡± Cold sweat dripped down Norman¡¯s chin. His arm was already stiff, and he wanted to let go but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Okay.¡± After an unknown period of time, Xu Xinghe finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not worth dying for a scum like you.¡± ¡°You videotape it now ¨C tell the crime you¡¯ve committed. Name the victims, piece by piece, all.¡± ¡°After I have the video, get someone to send me back to school. And you go back to your planet tomorrow. Don¡¯t do this kind of cruelty again. Otherwise, if I find the slightest hint of you doing something again¡­ I don¡¯t mind burning myself to make your crimes public.¡± The two looked at each other for a long time, and Norman replied ¡°Okay¡± with a trembling voice. In this way, Xu Xinghe survived the accident. However, he was too weak and fainted as soon as he returned to the campus. Passing classmates called an ambulance and took him to the hospital. After three days, he woke up in the hospital bed of the Capital No. 1 Hospital. After waking up, he forgot everything. Only his body still retained the memories of being afraid of glands being touched, and of the past that made his life worse than death He never expected that in just over two years, Norman would come back. The same drama played out again. He really shouldn¡¯t have believed him. That man is a complete liar. ¡°Since that day, I hardly slept peacefully.¡± Norman¡¯s eyes became complicated and deep as he waited for Xu Xinghe to enter estrus. No explanation for why XXH¡¯s able to control alphas (re: Norman), so all your guesses are as good as mine. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 104.3 Madness, infatuation, persistence, fear flashed in the gray-brown eyes¡­ ¡°How could I let my handle fall into the hands of others?¡± Norman murmured. ¡°But I didn¡¯t dare let you die rashly. I thought about it. If you forgot about what happened, then I¡¯ll treat it as if it never happened. You have enough evidence to destroy me, and I have the right to destroy you. We restrict each other, and could have avoided each other. Until I heard you married Ling Changfeng. It¡¯s too dangerous. If you regain your memories one day, you can directly expose me and destroy me, but I can¡¯t do anything to you¡­ how can I stand this?¡± Norman adjusted Xu Xinghe¡¯s upper body to rest on the iron bed and stroked the scar on his gland with his fingertips. Xu Xinghe¡¯s body trembled, but he was unable to break free. In an instant, the fragrance of flowers overflowed, and omega pheromones rushed out, sweeping every corner of the room. The fire in Norman¡¯s face became more frantic as he moved. His voice was deep and crazy: ¡°I haven¡¯t been idle for two years. My lab developed many kinds of medicines for you and me, just to prevent an accident from happening again. This time, I did everything just to see you.¡± ¡°Several clinical trials have been conducted, so theoretically I won¡¯t be affected by you again. But after all, this is the first actual trial¡­¡± Norman smiled and raised his head to his personal guard and said: ¡°James, if I exhibit any unusual behavior later, inject him with MZ-795 immediately.¡± The guard¡¯s eyes changed, stiffly stood at attention and saluted. ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Come on, dear.¡± Norman lowered his head and approached Xu Xinghe¡¯s glands. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, you¡¯ll be with me and in bliss¡­¡± The fire snake spit out a hiss and wrapped around his prey. The invisible fire burned Xu Xinghe¡¯s skin, as if to devour his entire being. Norman opened his mouth, and just as his teeth touched the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck, an accident happened! His bodyguard captain moved, holding the prepared injection and stabbed him directly! Norman¡¯s pupils shrank. His keen intuition made him aware of the danger immediately, so he subconsciously took a few steps back and avoided it! He raised his head and looked at his bodyguard in disbelief. ¡°James! Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The guard moved his mouth, but his voice seemed to be stuck in his throat. He suddenly turned around, walked to the door of the cell, took out the key and locked the door. As a result, reinforcements from outside could not get in, and people inside could not get out. After doing all this, the guard turned around and raised his gun towards his master! ¡°Bang¡ª¡± Norman hurriedly dodged. Because the guard¡¯s movements were too stiff, and Norman came from a military family and was agile, he eventually avoided the shots. He suddenly realized something. Turning his head to look at Xu Xinghe, whose face was flushed, he asked ruthlessly, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Although Xu Xinghe felt as if he was being burned by fire, he still sneered at this moment: ¡°It seems that your preparations are still not enough ¨C the pheromones I emit in estrus are not the same as usual, and other alphas can smell it.¡± Norman¡¯s heart sank. He wiped the sweat from his palms, and the next moment, he suddenly got up and rushed towards his personal bodyguard! Although the guard had a gun in his hand, his movements were very stiff. This gave him an opportunity. After the two failed shots, he grabbed the needle in the guard¡¯s hand and inserted it straight into his neck! The guard slammed to the ground and raised his gun tremblingly for the last time. Norman hurriedly turned to dodge, only to find Xu Xinghe stumbling toward the door. Before the guard fell to the ground, he threw the gun out. And Xu Xinghe rushed forward and caught the gun! Norman¡¯s pupils shrank, and he saw Xu Xinghe gasping for breath, raised his gun, and pointed the muzzle at him. ¡°Can you shoot, my little gentleman? There are metal walls on all sides. If you accidentally shoot the air, the bullets may bounce back and injure yourself.¡± Norman secretly observed the environment, calculating whether to attack or defend, as he raised his hands hypocritically. Xu Xinghe¡¯s movements were obviously not smooth, but they were not as rigid as the guard¡¯s. Therefore, he did not dare to attack rashly, but chose to delay time and deal with it carefully. The mercenaries outside the door are all betas, so they shouldn¡¯t be affected by his pheromones. Before he came in, he specially instructed the people outside the door to come in and take a look if there was no movement in the room for half an hour¡­ Norman decided to delay, but Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. He also knew that there were beta mercenaries outside the door, and had to deal with Norman before they could break in! Just thinking about it, there was a loud bang outside the door! Followed by the sound of a metal door being slammed. For a time, the walls were clattering, and the ground beneath his feet shook. Time is running out! Xu Xinghe raised the gun while trembling and pressed the trigger. ¡°Bang¡ª¡ª¡± The bullet didn¡¯t even touch the corner of Norman¡¯s clothes, and whizzed through the air. Norman laughed silently, and lowered his hands, his eyes blazing with playful fire. As soon as Xu Xinghe fired the gun, he could see that the omega in front of him had never fired a gun; at best he only knew how to use a gun. Such a person is simply better to deal with than a stiff guard. ¡°You know what, dear? People who have not received professional shooting training have less than 15% probability of hitting a fixed target ten meters away with one shot. If it is a moving target, the probability is even lower. In other words, as long as I keep a certain distance from you, it will be difficult for you to hit me even if you stand still.¡± Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t want to listen to his nonsense about delaying time, and fired off another shot. Still missed. ¡°Bang-bang¨C¡° Behind him, the sound of metallic banging continued. Xu Xinghe held his breath, told himself not to be distracted, and raised the gun again. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Three shots in a row. At the same time, the metal door of the cell was knocked open. The door slammed to the ground, and Norman, who had dodged three bullets in succession, got up with ease and looked up at the door with a smile. The next moment, the smile suddenly froze on his face, and his expression was as terrifying as if he had seen a ghost. After Xu Xinghe fired a few shots, cold sweat covered his whole body. His body temperature is getting higher and higher, the scent of flowers is getting stronger and stronger, and his footsteps are getting weaker¡­ He felt like he was going to faint at any moment. At this moment, he smelled a familiar smell like the sea. It was the endless blue sea and boundless sky. Sparkling waves surged, and a golden light rose from the sea, piercing through the darkness of night. Before his brain could make a decision, his body instinctively drew closer. The nerves that were tensed up a moment ago suddenly relaxed. His body softened, and he fell backwards¡­ And bumped into someone¡¯s arms straight away. The person behind him stretched out an arm to pick him up and hugged him tightly into his arms. In an instant, the smell of the ocean surrounded him, silently comforting and healing. The other party lowered his head. His movements were as gentle as he could, but his voice was a little hoarse: ¡°If this kind of thing happens again, I¡¯ll really go crazy.¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s nose was sour, and trembled a little at the familiar tone in his ears. He didn¡¯t even dare to look back, for fear that it was all just a dream. Until a slightly calloused big hand protruded from his side and gently held his trembling hands. The temperature from his palm brought him back to reality at once. Ling Changfeng took the gun from his lover¡¯s hand, then turned him around and gave him a warm hug. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here.¡± LCF appears! Of course he ain¡¯t dead. And XXH¡¯s wrong about one thing. His hubby can smell his pheromones. ^.^ P.S. I was dumb and translated the capital as Xingfu instead of Nebula City. Corrected them now. Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 105.1 T/N: Thank you Wildzivia for the ko-fis, and kickstarting the extra releases (at the end of this week)! Xu Xinghe has never been a crybaby. Even if he was wronged and bullied when he was a child, he would just flush and glare angrily at his peers who were much taller than him, or simply rush up to hit them with his fists. Even two years ago, when he was locked in that dark laboratory, he never shed a single tear. But at this moment, being held by Ling Changfeng in his arms, Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t know why, but the tears couldn¡¯t stop at all. It was as if he was about to pour out all the grievances and sorrows he had endured for more than 20 years. Once upon a time, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to cry. It¡¯s because he knew that tears wouldn¡¯t wipe away his pain, but make others laugh instead. So even if his eyes reddened, he held back the tears and hid them in his heart. Until he met Ling Changfeng. The salty ocean pheromones surrounded him, temporarily calming the heat in his body. Xu Xinghe regained a moment of sobriety amid the confusion and heat, and finally caught a glimpse of his own heart. His tears were not only for his past experiences, but also for their reunion just now. When Ling Changfeng first received the news from Xu Xinghe, his mood was very complicated. Angry, fearful, worried¡­ and even a little annoyed that he hid things from him and took risks alone. But when he saw his little spouse, these emotions were all forgotten. His beloved omega is crying in his arms; he couldn¡¯t care less. His only choice was to open his arms. Catch him, comfort him, kiss him. Xu Xinghe didn¡¯t cry for long, nor was it the right time to sit down and talk. He finally raised his head from Ling Changfeng¡¯s arms, looking at his big cat with red eyes, and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s heart softened when his lover cried out. Shaking his head, he said warmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Then he patted Xu Xinghe on the shoulder: ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll take care of something.¡± After speaking, he let go of one hand and looked up at Norman. In an instant, Norman only felt a dark wave passing in front of him. Immediately afterwards, turbulent waters broke out from beneath the ground, and the tsunami devoured everything around it with a thunderous force. Norman seemed to have sunk into the deepest seabed all at once, covered in icy sea water, unable to move. Fear and suffocation enveloped him. For the first time in his life, he felt that the little flame he radiated was so vulnerable in the face of true power. Fear of death outweighed any fascination with omega pheromones. For a moment, Norman couldn¡¯t even smell the flowers in the air. He looked at Ling Changfeng with a pale face, his brain almost fell into a state of death, and murmured: ¡°How is it possible¡­ I watched you get shot¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t for this, he probably wouldn¡¯t have risked this trip tonight¡­ At this point, Norman suddenly realized: ¡°You did it on purpose?!¡± He thought that he had lured Admiral Barron to attack Ling Changfeng and create chaos, so he could take Xu Xinghe away. Unexpectedly, after the mantis caught the cicada, the oriole was waiting. Both he and Barron both fell for Ling Changfeng¡¯s trick. This man wanted them to take the risk! He deliberately pretended to be shot in front of everyone, giving them hope and the courage to make trouble. In the end, he could justifiably exercise military control over the Capital Star, and can even catch them all in the name of hunting for traitors! In the face of Norman¡¯s terrified question, Ling Changfeng didn¡¯t plan to answer at all. He looked at Norman like he was looking at a dead man. Norman completely panicked seeing his look, and began to speak incoherently: ¡°It¡¯s a mistake, a misunderstanding¡­ Don¡¯t get excited, there must be a misunderstanding¡­ It¡¯s Barron! He did it all¡­ kidnapping you twice before and after. He¡¯s the mastermind behind it! He tried to force me to form an alliance with him in this way¡­ If I need to, I can identify him in court!¡± Norman knew that everything was over now, and only had one purpose now ¨C to survive. He can grovel and kneel, beg for mercy, and even give up his dignity¡­ as long as he can live. As long as he is alive, even if he is sentenced for life, there is still hope of escape and having his sentence reversed, as well as hope of making a comeback. ¡°You and my grandfather fought side by side on the frontier battlefield. Grandpa often mentions you to me. I¡¯m sorry for these misunderstandings. Please let me confront Barron, so I can explain things clearly.¡± His tone turned earnest and humble. ¡°In addition, as the General Secretary of the Nine-star Council of the Lambda galaxy, I have diplomatic immunity¡­¡± He tried to put all his interests on the table in the shortest time, but Ling Changfeng only coldly spit out four words: ¡°A bunch of nonsense.¡± After that, he raised the gun in Norman¡¯s terrified eyes¡ª¡ª ¡°Bang!¡± With a gunshot, Norman fell straight back. The bullet was right between the eyebrows. One shot KO! Ling Changfeng¡¯s action was so sudden, even Xu Xinghe in his arms was also startled. The cry was stuck in his throat, and it took a long time for him to regain his senses. He pointed to the corpse on the ground and asked, ¡°He¡­ is dead?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Tossing the gun away, Ling Changfeng turned to face his little spouse. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Xu Xinghe shook his head, and his eyes were a little lost. ¡°Not afraid. Just a little surprised, and a little in disbelief¡­¡± He doesn¡¯t know how to describe his current feelings. Staring blankly at Norman¡¯s body, it was as if he watched the huge nightmare slowly dissipate before his eyes. From now on, he no longer has to be afraid of dark nights, nor of eyes staring at him in the dark. Xu Xinghe turned his head to look at Ling Changfeng, suddenly thought of something, stretched out his hand and grabbed the other¡¯s collar, and looked inside. Ling Changfeng: ¡°¡­¡± Unaware his roguish actions were like a scum teasing a virtuous lady, he checked his cat from beginning to end, then raised his head and asked, ¡°Are you really all right? They said you were shot.¡± Ling Changfeng opened his arms generously, and asked, ¡°Then do you see a wound?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Finally relieved, Xu Xinghe asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Cooperated with them to play a show and threw some bait. Otherwise, with these guys hiding in the dark, it will be troublesome if we want to clean them all up¡­ I¡¯ll explain when we go back.¡± As he spoke, Ling Changfeng took off his military jacket and put it around Xu Xinghe, and then walked out with him, leaving two agents behind to clean up the scene. Xu Xinghe looked back at the corpse lying on the ground, then turned around and asked Ling Changfeng cautiously, ¡°Gu Nai is also an unlucky person¡­ Can he be buried?¡± Glancing at his little spouse, Ling Changfeng pursed his lips and said nothing. In the end, Xu Xinghe had to change the topic: ¡°Norman is the General Secretary of the Nine-Star Council, and has diplomatic immunity¡­ Will it be troublesome if he dies here like this?¡± ¡°He caused me more trouble, kidnapping my spouse three times.¡± Ling Changfeng¡¯s voice was a little deep, as he looked down at Xu Xinghe and explained. ¡°This kind of person can¡¯t be kept. Although it¡¯s a bit too cheap for him to die like this, if he doesn¡¯t die, as long as he¡¯s alive, he will always be a hidden danger.¡± ¡°As for diplomatic immunity, this kind of rhetoric can only deceive someone like you.¡± Ling Changfeng reached out and rubbed Xu Xinghe¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xu Xinghe asked again, ¡°Then how will we explain this to Marshal Wells?¡± Marshal Ling looked at his little spouse speechlessly. ¡°Do I have to apologize to his grandfather? He¡¯s the one that kidnapped my spouse, cooperated with the rebels, and finally suffered the consequences.¡± Xu Xinghe: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Marshal Wells has more than a dozen grandchildren. One gone is nothing in his eyes. He didn¡¯t educate his family well, so don¡¯t blame me for helping him educate them.¡± Ling Changfeng snorted coldly. ¡°However, in order to save some trouble in the future, Qin Yuan suggested that he ¡®died from the accidental injury from the rebels¡¯¡­¡± Ling Changfeng changed the subject. ¡°I rejected this suggestion. Why, do you want me to give him a grand funeral? Impossible, I want him to be destroyed and ruined.¡± He rarely showed such an almost willful side. Xu Xinghe blinked ¨C he could already imagine Adjutant Qin¡¯s angry and helpless appearance. ¡°So, you never planned to leave Norman alive when you came?¡± Xu Xinghe asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Ling Changfeng nodded. ¡°Oh, by the way, I also have evidence that he and that Barron were suspected of raping omegas. If it¡¯s helpful, I can send it to you later¡­¡± While they were talking, the two returned to the ground floor. Feeling the cold winter wind on his face, Xu Xinghe wrapped his coat and muttered softly, ¡°If only I could have remembered everything earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have made this trip¡­¡± The villain is dead! Want faster releases for SMM? Get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Progress towards add¡¯l releases, and to see other ongoing projects, are tracked on my ko-fi page. CH 105.2 The raised corners of Ling Changfeng¡¯s mouth collapsed again, and he asked with a stern face: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you notify me in advance of such a dangerous thing, and came directly?¡± Originally, everything tonight was in his plan, except for Xu Xinghe¡¯s sudden disappearance. God knows how he feels when he got the timed email from his lover. It felt even worse than being shot. Xu Xinghe actually regretted bringing it up, but at this moment he had to bite the bullet and explain: ¡°I, I called you and Adjutant Qin, but didn¡¯t get through¡­¡± Raising his eyes, he peeped carefully at his lover¡¯s face, as his voice became weaker and weaker, ¡°I was really worried something happened to my mother, so I came first¡­ and, and I also left a mark for you along the way¡­¡± He originally wanted to explain, but feeling the growing pressure from the other side, he finally chose to shut his mouth. Instead, he stretched out his hand, and quietly hooked Ling Changfeng¡¯s fingers, and the fingertips scratched his palm gently. It¡¯s a pity that Marshal Ling was having a temper. He was unmoved by his lover¡¯s almost flattering behavior, and continued staring at him sullenly. Xu Xinghe had no choice but to hang his head and apologize obediently: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made you worry.¡± Ling Changfeng looked at the fluffy dark head for a while, and finally sighed silently. He found that he really couldn¡¯t be mad at the other party. Even, as long as that pair of moist little deer eyes look at him, his heart will float to the sky and never sink again. What else can be done? Admit it. Just as Marshal Ling was about to open his mouth, he suddenly saw Xu Xinghe sway. A pale hand reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt. The scent of flowers overflowed from his glands. The estrus period that was briefly suppressed by the alpha pheromone just now came back with a more violent momentum. Ling Changfeng¡¯s pupils shrank. There was an indescribable luster in his eyes. He waved away the remaining guards beside him, and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ not very well¡­¡± Xu Xinghe¡¯s body softened, his feet stumbled, and he fell against Ling Changfeng¡¯s body. Each breath was laborious, and his head was dizzy. A seductive peach color exploded on the back of his neck. The numb itching climbed from his spine all the way to his brain. The fragrance of flowers spread out, soaking the whole world. Ling Changfeng was trapped in this field of flowers with no escape. Originally, he told himself that there are still a lot of things to deal with tonight, and not to indulge at this time. But his alpha instincts began to stir¡­ Ling Changfeng struggled with his last sliver of calm and sobriety, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Xinghe was agitated and looked up impatiently. Like a dying swan, drawing a fragile and beautiful arc with his neck. The floral scent of omega¡¯s pheromone intensified in the air. Hooking the alpha¡¯s desire in response. The sounds of passion, clamoring for conquest and possession, burgeoning desire and indulgence, whispered through the air. Xu Xinghe raised his eyes under the dual effects of drugs and estrus, and called out his lover¡¯s name with redness at the end of his eyes. ¡°Changfeng¡­¡± With a lingering tail in the trembling voice, Ling Changfeng only felt his heart lightly scratched. His eyes dimmed, and his big hand slid down Xu Xinghe¡¯s waist¡­ Even through the layer of clothing, the light touch generated a layer of numb itchiness bumps on his skin. Xu Xinghe subconsciously wanted to hide, but the more he avoided, the tighter the two of them became. He firmly grasped the front of Ling Changfeng¡¯s chest, and slowly, even his fingers were stained with a layer of pink. Unable to bear it any longer, Xu Xinghe stood on tiptoe and pecked at his lover¡¯s ear. In an instant, Ling Changfeng felt all his blood rush to his head. His sensitive auricles couldn¡¯t stand the provocation at all. He stopped Xu Xinghe¡¯s nonsense and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± Xu Xinghe raised his eyes, dark and misty, shining with wetness. ¡°I feel uncomfortable. ¡° Just being looked at like this, Marshal Ling immediately disarmed and surrendered. What else is important tonight? This is the most important thing. Ling Changfeng stretched out his hand and rubbed the small scar on the back of Xu Xinghe¡¯s neck with his fingertips. The latter curled up, his skin flushed red. Ling Changfeng lowered his head and whispered in his lover¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± For an omega in estrus, what can help him escape the current predicament better than his beloved alpha¡¯s mark? Sleep early in the deep snow while the moon shines upon the earth.1basically describing the atmosphere; author using some poetic idioms I translated literally The darkest hour of the night has passed, and the sky lit up with a few stars. Marshal Ling pushed his little spouse against the wall and surrounded the two with his own pheromone. The cool thin lips brushed over Xu Xinghe¡¯s slender and thin neck. The hot breath sprayed all the way to his shoulders and neck and behind his ears, and finally stopped at his glands. Ling Changfeng lowered his head and printed a gentle and long kiss. Xu Xinghe let out a very low and very thin whimper, and his entire body was almost dyed pink. The scar at the gland was gently licked, numb and itchy, but no longer afraid. Feeling the trembling of the person in his arms, Ling Changfeng stretched out his hand and lightly covered the other¡¯s eyes. Then, inject his pheromones into Xu Xinghe¡¯s glands bit by bit¡­ In an instant, the spring is beautiful, and the sea of ??flowers blooms all over. The next moment, the mismatched pupils widened slightly. Ling Changfeng remembered that the last time he marked his little spouse, the other party was in a semi-conscious state due to a stress disorder. And this time, it was the first time he marked Xu Xinghe when he was conscious. He heard Xu Xinghe¡¯s inner voice. It is more straightforward than words, more reliable than spoken oaths, and more sincere than words from the heart. He didn¡¯t have to ask his lover if he could go further, he had already heard the answer. After an unknown time, Ling Changfeng finally let go and let out a satisfied sigh. Xu Xinghe turned around and stared silently at the big cat with red eyes. In the deep winter night, unspeakable thoughts condensed into a snowy moon in the eyes of one¡¯s lover. Full of love for the other party. ¡°Xinghe?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± There was an indescribable cry in his voice from not having recovered from the bite yet. Ling Changfeng gently took the person into his arms and whispered in his ear: ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± Xu Xinghe said blushing. ¡°Me too.¡± With a hint of a smile, Ling Changfeng held his lover¡¯s hand and clasped his fingers together. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± The two walked out of the factory holding hands, but Xu Xinghe did not rush into the car, but stood side by side with Ling Changfeng. Walking in the snow, he looked up at the starry river in the night sky. ¡°Changfeng.¡± Xu Xinghe took a breath of air toward the sky. ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Changfeng looked sideways and looked at his lover gently. ¡°I kind of want to go back to Capital University to study for graduate school.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll support whatever you want.¡± ¡°Then can you let me have a bite too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marshal Ling thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Can, but you probably don¡¯t have that function.¡± ¡°What do I want that function for¡­¡± Xu Xinghe gritted his teeth. ¡°I just want to bite back.¡± Ling Changfeng tugged at his collar and tilted his head in cooperation. ¡°Then you can bite back now.¡± Xu Xinghe pounced on it and gnawed a pink mark on his neck. Then he raised his head and smiled like a cat that stole the cream. ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡± The side of his neck was numb, and the bitten spot didn¡¯t hurt at all, it was like a cat¡¯s playful scratch. Ling Changfeng¡¯s breathing became a little heavier again. It¡¯s impossible to go to sleep tonight, he thought silently in his heart¡­ In the blink of an eye, a wisp of fish maw white appeared on the horizon. Dawn is coming. The two walked side by side in the snow, admiring the parting clouds in peaceful silence. ¡°I once felt that my luck was very bad.¡± Xu Xinghe suddenly said such a sentence. He stretched out his hand and caught a falling snowflake, then looked back and said, ¡°Until I met you.¡± Ling Changfeng smiled lightly. He held his lover¡¯s hand and said with a serious look, ¡°Me too.¡± They overcame all difficulties and dangers before finally meeting each other at the ends of the galaxy. I spent half my life¡¯s fortune in exchange for you. The main story is now complete!! Extras coming up next.