Chapter 86 Diary

Chapter 86 Diary

Xu Qingran's fingers, resting on his lap, twitched faintly.

Mu Mingrui's words didn't panic him.

Shen Tingyu had previously assisted him in handling several delicate matters involving royal family members.

Especially the Mu Ziyu incident, so it was natural for Shen Tingyu to bring him up in front of Mu Mingrui. However, the first thing Mu Mingrui said after summoning him was quite thought-provoking.

Xu Qingran's gaze shifted: "Your Majesty, is it because of Shen Tingyu that you invited me to the palace in this manner?"

Such a grand, ceremonial approach.

Mu Mingrui frowned, coughed twice, and remained silent, seemingly confirming the answer.

Xu Qingran chuckled softly: "Then Your Majesty must think highly of Shen Tingyu."

Mu Mingrui's lips barely moved, but a clear, hoarse laugh escaped him: "Who wouldn't like an outstanding child?"

His tone carried a hint of regret that was hard to pinpoint.

While Xu Qingran was thinking, he noticed Mu Mingrui straighten his posture: "However, I didn't invite you here solely because of him."

"Your reputation is quite well-known. Even though I seldom leave the palace, I've heard your name from various sources."

At this point, he gestured toward the door: "Even the guards and maids passing by my study are talking about you."

"So I grew curious about the kind of person you are."

Mu Mingrui's gaze on Xu Qingran no longer held scrutiny.

It seemed that just those few glances had provided him with a general understanding.

Xu Qingran responded: "I'm just an ordinary person."

"If I must be precise, then I'm an ordinary person who doesn't particularly care for following rules."

Mu Mingrui nodded: "I can see that."

"That's good," he said, his gaze wandering to a corner, somewhat distracted. "People in the empire are too rule-abiding, at least on the surface."

"The Tianlong affair has been delayed for so many years. You handled that quite well..."

Mu Mingrui's voice grew softer.

It was unclear whether he was commenting on Xu Qingran's response or murmuring to himself.

Xu Qingran observed his condition.

He sensed that the emperor's health was worse than anticipated. No wonder the Silver Dragon and Golden Wing management had been so anxious recently, taking various actions. This old emperor indeed seemed on the verge of passing away at any moment.

Mu Mingrui asked him: "Colonel Xu Qingran, do you have any thoughts on the empire's current management?"

Xu Qingran hesitated.

Why was such a serious yet offhand question posed to him right from the start?

After some thought, he recalled what had recently irked him the most: "First, I propose abolishing the rule prohibiting personnel from the two camps from crossing star systems."

"You guys are really getting in the way of me meeting my lover."

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

One was bold, the other quiet, but neither felt awkward.

Mu Mingrui nodded: "This matter definitely needs further adjustment."

"Many government officials' plans have actually been delayed because of this."

After speaking, Mu Mingrui asked again: "What are your thoughts on the current management of the Silver Dragon and the Golden Wing?"

"Perhaps it's time to decide on a suitable heir," he muttered. "You have a sharp eye. I’d like to hear your thoughts on my two kids, just for reference."

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow and replied: "No offense, but..."

"Both are complete trash."

System: "..."

Host, are you crazy?! This is the king of the Kayan Empire—how can you say that?!

Xu Qingran not only dared to say it but also extended his evaluation: "Mu Ziyu is dumb and rotten, but not exactly cunning."

"However, his ambition and talent aren’t in running a country. If handed over to him, the empire might be ruined in no time."

Mu Mingrui slightly lowered his head, squinting his eyes, as if seriously listening and thinking.

He didn’t get angry with him.

Xu Qingran thought for a while and then said: "Mu Ziyue is a deranged lunatic."

"If you hand the empire over to him, it’s like handing it to me—he’d run it into the ground in no time."

Bottom line: neither one is fit for the job.

The room was very quiet.

"I’m more curious about what Your Majesty thinks," Xu Qingran chimed in.

"I’m also curious why you’d let someone as awful as Mu Ziyue abuse his power for personal revenge, like flaunting his authority at the Tower of Evil and carrying out personal vendettas against innocent people?"

"Ah, speaking of the Tower of Evil," Xu Qingran chuckled, "I was lucky enough to be invited in once."

"It’s a complete dump."

Mu Mingrui looked up at him, and after a while, he slowly said: "What can I do, after all?"

"The children left to me are only these few bad eggs. I can’t let the royal line die out on my watch."

Before Xu Qingran could reply, the door of the study was suddenly knocked.

The servant who had led him in earlier came in carrying a tray. It held several medications and a glass of water.

"Your Majesty, it’s time for your medication."

Mu Mingrui glanced at the medicine handed to him.

His eyes darkened, filled with annoyance and helplessness, and he rarely refused: "Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a discussion with Colonel Xu?"

"Take it away, I'm not in the mood to eat today."

The attendant, however, stayed, slightly bowing as he reminded, "The Queen has instructed that Your Majesty must take the medicine on time every day."

Mu Mingrui's expression turned icy, and he remained motionless, while the attendant maintained the same posture, insisting on not leaving.

Until Xu Qingran, who was watching, let out a soft chuckle.

Both turned to him, seeing him casually propping his face with one hand, as relaxed as if he were at home.

"You're really something else."

"His Majesty said he doesn't want to eat, so shouldn't you just do as he says?"

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, then looked towards Mu Mingrui: "Seems like the palace rules are pretty lax."

"Otherwise, why would the Queen's orders carry more weight than Your Majesty's?"

Only then did Mu Mingrui shoot a cold glance at the person beside him, his voice low: "You heard that, right?"

"I'm still alive, and this palace is still mine to command!"

The attendant's knuckles turned white as he gripped the sides of the tray. Seeing Mu Mingrui's unusually firm attitude today, he could only bow his head and leave.

Xu Qingran wasn't really helping Mu Mingrui.

He just liked to stir things up. Besides, the Queen—wasn't she Mu Ziyue's mother? Since it's tied to Mu Ziyue, don't blame him for being biased.

The study door closed again.

The topic was abruptly cut off, and even though only Xu Qingran and Mu Mingrui were left in the room, both fell silent.

Xu Qingran had never met the Queen before.

But given the current situation and Mu Ziyue's personality and clout, she must be quite a force to reckon with.

The system chimed in: "Seems like it."

"The Queen's family, the Su family, seems to hold quite a bit of sway in the Golden Wing Battalion. Now, with other noble families pulling some strings, things have eased up a bit. When she first married Mu Mingrui, the Su family had a strong grip on the Golden Wing Battalion, wielding significant power."

"The throne competition in Mu Mingrui's time was far tougher than it is now for Mu Ziyu and the others, with twenty or thirty siblings, all equally talented and formidable. Mu Mingrui's current position was entirely thanks to the backing of the Queen's family back then."

They cleared every hurdle for him, paving his way to the throne, and their daughter effortlessly became the Queen, cementing the Su family's status.

—No wonder Mu Ziyue could cause so much trouble in the Golden Wing Battalion.

"What do you think of Shen Tingyu, this kid?" Mu Mingrui's question came suddenly.

And it came out of nowhere.

Xu Qingran even suspected if he was trying to test the relationship between the two of them.

—He wondered how Shen Tingyu had mentioned him to the old emperor.

Though puzzled, Xu Qingran still replied: "To me, he's a really good person."

"Anyway, there's no one more to my liking than him."

That was a pretty blunt answer.

Mu Mingrui didn't look confused or surprised at all.

He just nodded and said, "Yeah, he's really impressive. Too bad... he's not part of the royal family."

"Otherwise, he might've had a shot at the throne today."

Xu Qingran stared at Mu Mingrui for a moment, then tilted his head with a slight smile, "Fight for the throne, just to end up like you, stuck in this fancy but ridiculous cage for the rest of your life, marrying a bunch of wives to stock up the harem, and popping out thirty or forty kids?"

Mu Mingrui remained silent.

Xu Qingran scoffed, got up, and said, "Thanks for the invite, Your Majesty. If today was just about shooting the breeze with me, I'm outta here."

"I don't really care about your royal drama."

"Anyway... if the next in line isn't up to snuff, he probably won't last long."

With a smirk, he walked out of Mu Mingrui's study without a backward glance.

Mu Mingrui didn't stop him or send anyone after him.

He just sat there, not moving, and let out a long sigh after a moment.

Then he muttered to the empty room, "He's definitely a unique kid..."

"What right do I even have to ask for anything?"

When Xu Qingran stepped out of the palace, he saw Mu Ziyu and Feng Yao still waiting outside for him.

Mu Yesha, on the other hand, had gotten a call and rushed back to the lab.

When they saw him come out, the cousins hurried over with the same look, curious and worried, asking, "What did His Majesty talk to you about?"

Xu Qingran thought back to the conversation and replied, "Nothing much."

"Just some casual chit-chat."

This was the truth.

Mu Mingrui was indeed strange. Xu Qingran had originally thought he would discuss some major state affairs with him, but after entering, the topics were all trivial. His thoughts seemed a bit scattered, jumping from one topic to another without coherence.

As the emperor of the empire, how could Mu Mingrui's health have deteriorated to this extent?

At his age, in this world, if he were healthy, he should still be capable of fighting on the battlefield, right?

Mu Ziyu rolled his eyes upon hearing this, "If what you're saying is true, then aside from you being some illegitimate child of my father, I really can't think of any other reason."

Xu Qingran, for once, didn't know how to refute his suspicion.

Upon closer thought, Mu Mingrui's elaborate effort to summon him to the palace today was indeed quite suspicious.

Perhaps influenced by Mu Ziyu's constant nagging, he couldn't help but feel that Mu Mingrui had simply found an excuse to see him, chat with him, and get a basic understanding of his personality.

...If there was no blood relation, why would he do this?

Could this have something to do with Shen Tingyu?

Thinking of this, Xu Qingran teased, "Your choice of words isn't quite appropriate for the royal family, is it?"

"Your father has so many consorts. By your reasoning, except for Mu Ziyue, who was born to the official queen, all of you other children would be considered illegitimate children."

Mu Ziyu: "...Be quiet."

Xu Qingran chatted casually with them outside for a bit.

Feng Yao took the opportunity to pull out his phone and record a short video of the three of them meeting, saying happily after finishing, "A video with Colonel Xu in the frame! Posting this today will definitely attract another wave of followers!"

Mu Ziyu wasn't very convinced: "In terms of pulling popularity, shouldn't I be the one who contributed the most among the three of us?"

Feng Yao ignored him completely.

Mu Ziyu: "..."

Since the shuttlecrafts that picked them up were in different locations, they each took separate palace cars when they left.

When Xu Qingran returned to his shuttlecraft, the white dog, who had just woken up from a nap, yawned at him.

The interior temperature was perfect, and the oxygen supply was ample, making it very comfortable for sleeping.

Xu Qingran took another two or three days to return to Bishui Manor.

It was evening, and the house was exactly as he had left it.

After turning on the air conditioning, he went upstairs to take a shower. Coming out, he happened to see the room's window being pelted by the rain, making a pattering sound.

It was ideal weather for sleeping.

Xu Qingran hadn't slept in days and planned to rest right after his shower.

He dimmed the lights in the room.

The desk lamp was on, and he stood there drying his hair, glancing down at his phone on the desk.

The screen was paused on his chat box with Shen Tingyu.

The last message was his nonchalant 'soon'. Since then, after his trip to the Tian Shen system, Shen Tingyu hadn't sent him any messages.

Xu Qingran pursed his lips.

So busy.

He finished drying his hair, feeling gloomy. While putting away the hair dryer, the plug accidentally hooked something on the desk, dragging everything down to the floor with a clatter.

What fell was the box of belongings that Wang Jian had given him, belonging to Qi Shengxue.

He had brought them back from Tianlong but hadn't found the time to properly sort and store them.

The box's contents scattered across the floor.

He crouched down, carefully reorganizing and storing them. Finally, from a corner of the desk, he retrieved an A5-sized leather-bound notebook. The cover was facing up, lying open.

Xu Qingran picked it up and glanced briefly.

The pages were marked with dates and weather, clearly a journal.

Coincidentally, the date was exactly 27 years ago to the day.

March 16th.

Today's mood: Totally awful.

The diary entry is just one sentence long:

"Today, she told me she's pregnant..."

Xu Qingran paused.

He flipped through a few pages but couldn't find the name of this 'she'.

Actually, he just picked this up on a whim.

A girl's diary, logically, shouldn't interest him.

But as he flipped back, he came across some very interesting entries.

From September 18th last year.

"Today we finally got a chance to meet up for a meal, and she confessed to me that she has someone she likes.

I heard they've been secretly seeing each other for a few months, and their relationship is very stable.

Though she's still being mysterious about who it is, hearing her gush about how great he is to her, and how well their topics, interests, and hobbies match, I'm really happy for her!

Fortunately, she has met another compatible partner.

What I was worried about probably won't happen, right? After all, that woman is so tough—definitely not someone to mess with."

October 13th.

"Ugh, today she actually ditched me for afternoon tea to go on a date!

Well, I guess I'll just have to bug A Jian to come with me, lol."

November 28th.

"Today she was crying and dragged me out for drinks.

The reason? Her brother was against her relationship and forced them to break up.

It got really bad—he even threatened to cut her off.

I wanted to dig deeper into why her brother was against it, but I can't hold my liquor, so I passed out before she stopped crying.

I guess she ended up calling A Jian to come get us, haha."

December 9th.

"How is this possible...?!

Even after I tweaked their compatibility data, why did they still end up meeting and falling in love?

Is soulmate attraction really that uncontrollable?

What I was most afraid of has still happened."

January 27th.

"We got into a rare fight."

She said she couldn't accept it, and even I was urging them to separate.

I told her I was scared of losing her.

She said love could beat anything.

...Can it really beat anything?'

On February 6th.

'She left home.

I still tried to steer her away from her mistake.'

Xu Qingran skimmed through a few diary entries about that 'her.'

Then there was the March 16th entry about the pregnancy.

Around this time, something happened that shook Qi Shengxue's mental state, and she stopped writing in her diary as often.

Then, in mid-May, she jotted down a brief note.

'She disappeared.

Heaven, please keep her safe.'

After that, Qi Shengxue seemed to lose touch with the 'her' from the diary.

Whenever she was mentioned, it was always about not hearing from her.

It was like she vanished, and no one knew if she was okay.

This diary seemed to be all about the good times Qi Shengxue had with her close friend.

After her friend disappeared, she barely wrote anything.

Only in the blank pages at the end was there a sudden entry.

The date showed it was nearly ten years later, by which time Qi Shengxue had probably married Xu Yan.

On July 7th.

'I haven't been feeling too great mentally lately.

I keep dreaming about the fun times we had together.

I really miss those days.

Is she okay?

I hope she's not mad at me.

I hid the secret under the peach tree in the backyard of the villa at Bishui Mountain.

Whether it's found or not, it probably doesn't matter now.'

Xu Qingran got up slowly, diary in hand.

He looked at the heavy rain outside and thought, there's no way to check right now.

He could only put the diary and other items into a box and put them away.

While tidying up, he stumbled upon a small stack of photos again. Among them were group photos of Qi Shengxue with many people, likely friends she had met during her school days. The one who showed up the most was the girl with blue eyes.

Shen Qianning.

Shen Tingyu's young aunt.

Xu Qingran randomly picked out another photo.

It was a photo of two people celebrating a birthday. In the photo, Shen Qianning wore a birthday hat that looked out of place on her, while Qi Shengxue playfully dipped her finger in cream, drew cat whiskers on Shen Qianning's cheek, and laughed triumphantly.

Shen Qianning's expression was a mix of discomfort and tolerance.

Her eyes carried a helpless smile.

This beautiful moment was snapped perfectly by the person holding the camera.

Xu Qingran instinctively looked back at the old diary.

Come to think of it, didn't Wang Jian mention that Shen Tingyu's aunt had disappeared before he was born? This seems... to match up?

However, Qi Shengxue had also done something to alter soul compatibility.

But her bond with her close friend seemed strong, so she likely had no reason to harm her.

Outside, the rain was pouring down.

Xu Qingran calmly packed everything into the box, planning to check the peach tree in the backyard tomorrow to see what 'secret' he might find.

Just before bed, he picked up his phone again.

The unlocked screen still displayed his chat with Shen Tingyu.

He sent an annoyed message: "Shen Tingyu, how dare you go over two days without contacting me?"

The message went unanswered.

Xu Qingran ignored it, turned off the desk lamp, and got into bed.

Outside, thunder rolled.

Despite being exhausted, Xu Qingran slept poorly.

He had a bunch of dreams.

His dreams were all about Shen Tingyu, likely because he'd been thinking about him before falling asleep.

"Shen Tingyu, you're a monster!"

When Shen Tingyu was five or six.

The scene might have been at some fancy kindergarten, where the other kids treated him like a plague, even throwing small stones at him.

Because at an age when their spiritual pools hadn't even fully developed, he was already able to use his spiritual power to fight back against those who tried to bully him, sending them to the hospital.

Despite possessing extraordinary strength.

He was still seen as an outcast simply because he was different from those around him.

At this age, he felt lonely.

He stood quietly in the corner, watching the group of children across from him with a cold gaze unusual for his age.

The dream scenes were bleak and devoid of color.

Only when he injured someone and saw the bright red of blood did a splash of vivid color appear.

The dream shifted again, this time to the Tower of Evil, a place of torment.

As a teenager, Shen Tingyu endured daily, excruciating punishments in the Tower of Evil. Dubbed "obedience training for extremists," it aimed to tame those with extreme, violent, and antisocial Type E tendencies, forcing obedience and curbing their harm to others.

Xu Qingran saw no issue with such punishments for someone like Ming Hai, a deranged serial killer.

But for Shen Tingyu, who was already enduring as much as he could, there were always those who provoked him. It was like teasing a tiger—wasn't it natural for the tiger to retaliate and injure someone?

He seldom provoked others, yet they treated him like a monster, singling him out. Wasn't he allowed to defend himself?

The Tower of Evil's punishment system was deeply flawed.

Or rather, it had devolved into the perverse entertainment of some psychologically disturbed staff.

The scene shifted once more, plunging into a new dream.

Yet, it remained within the confines of the Tower of Evil.

In the dream, Xu Qingran gazed at the increasingly mature figure, slightly stunned.

From what Xu Qingran had gathered, Shen Tingyu had escaped the torment after three years in the Tower of Evil, moving to the outer tower. Thereafter, he avoided the dreaded Towers 1 and 2, excelling and leaving to join the military academy.

If accurate, he was merely fifteen or sixteen at the time.

Yet in this dream, the man bound to the chair appeared to be around twenty.

His appearance closely resembled his current adult self. His right eye, severely injured and blind, remained covered with a white bandage.

Yet, he remained trapped within the Tower of Evil.

White-robed researchers surrounded him, administering various drugs in succession, conducting experiments. These drugs were far from ordinary life-saving medications; each served a distinct purpose.

At times, they caused the injected person to burn, their body turning red and feverish.

Other times, it felt as if countless ants were gnawing at him, driving him to self-harm from the agony.

At other times, it was temptation, compelling him to stay awake through self-harm, keeping his will intact. Due to his strong resolve, they continually upped the dosage, testing his limits.

Finally, Shen Tingyu seized a psychic weapon from a guard and shot it into his own psychic pool.

The look in his eyes before he acted was so decisive and crazed, without a hint of hesitation.

Xu Qingran was stunned once more.

The scene before him seemed to overlap with that day in the West City underground.

And in these scenes, the cold and arrogant figure of Mu Ziyue occasionally appeared.

Standing to the side, enjoying the torment of the person he hated the most.

Fortunately, in the dream, Shen Tingyu narrowly escaped.

He did not become mentally ill, nor did he descend into madness or idiocy, but unfortunately, he still had to endure his own unique tortures in the Tower of Evil.

A few more years might have gone by.

He finally lost control once, using a method that hurt the enemy a thousand while harming himself eight hundred, forcibly detonating the power of his Spiritual Pool, severely injuring many people before finding an opportunity to escape the Tower of Evil.

The things Shen Tingyu had once told him seemed to play out in the dream.

The days of wandering without warmth, drifting and hiding in hardship, the dream version of him experienced all of it.

In scene after scene, Xu Qingran also saw a few familiar faces.

Among them was a restaurant Shen Tingyu had once brought him to, where the head chef and owner, said to be a good friend of Shen Tingyu, was. The owner was indeed struggling, but during Shen Tingyu's wandering days, he had taken him in for a while.

He cooked for him.

He talked with him about his dream of opening a restaurant.

Later, when Shen Tingyu was discovered by pursuers, he actively helped him escape.

And then there were the old couple from West City.

When Shen Tingyu was stranded on Taiyue Star, he was emaciated, looking like someone who had endured years of hunger.

They helped him when he was on the brink of starvation.

Xu Qingran was merely a bystander.

Unable to intervene, he could only watch as these dreams unfolded one after another before his eyes.

The last dream ended at the Tianlong System.

Mu Ziyue and his subordinates found Shen Tingyu hiding here.

He held the Ultrasonic Device that he had ordered to be developed, which could cause pain to those with damaged Spiritual Pools, continuing his torment of Shen Tingyu.

A powerful E-type, who should have been able to kill everyone present, could only stiffen his body and lie on the ground, at the mercy of others.

"I heard there are a lot of wild dogs in North City."

"You've been here for so long, have you picked up their habits?"

Mu Ziyue laughed wildly.

He kicked him and said, "Bark like a dog a few times, and I'll go easier on you."

Shen Tingyu was a tough guy.

Even though he was in so much pain that he was nearly dying, he tensed his body and didn't make a sound.

Mu Ziyue's smile slowly faded.

He increased the intensity of his torture.

And the person being tortured, even though he was in so much pain that he couldn't stay conscious, his face pale, still didn't yield.

Not a single syllable was uttered.

Just as Mu Ziyue was about to continue, a wolf-like howl suddenly came from the nearby mountains.

Immediately, countless wolf-dogs burst forth from every direction, led by a snow-white dog slightly larger and more muscular than the rest. Its icy eyes burned with overwhelming hatred, piercing Mu Ziyue with a fierce glare.

Xu Qingran realized the dream was set in North City's Tian Guang Mountain area.

That white dog appeared to be his white wolf.

He had never seen such a ferocious look on its face before.

As if it bore a deep-seated grudge against Mu Ziyue, every lunge it made was straight for him, though each time Mu Ziyue's guards intercepted it. It attacked everyone on Mu Ziyue's side without discrimination, and many guards were savagely bitten, chunks of flesh torn away.

A guard rushed to Mu Ziyue's side and said, "Your Highness, this appears to be the pack of the wolf-dog we eliminated years ago... They might be seeking vengeance."

"The situation in North City is dire; we must not linger."

"Besides, with the pack causing such a ruckus, North City's guards and military are likely to arrive any moment. We may not withstand them with our current numbers..."

Mu Ziyue shot a glance at Shen Tingyu.

Seeing him unable to move, he sneered and said, "Fall back."

"Feeding the dogs before dying is still a noble end."

Mu Ziyue retreated safely, flanked by his guards.

The wolf-dogs pursued him down the mountain, howling in frustration as he boarded a shuttle and escaped.

The white dog's gaze lingered on the shuttle until it vanished, then turned away with reluctance.

Glancing back at the man on the ground, it stared at him for a moment.

Finally, it refrained from attacking and led the pack back into the mountains.

The wind howled. The grass and trees rustled softly.

Xu Qingran walked up to Shen Tingyu and crouched down, his expression slightly stunned.

He was somewhat unable to distinguish between reality and the dream.

The black-haired, blue-eyed man lay there for a long time.

Even in such a disheveled state, his emaciated figure far from the refined beauty he remembered, those blue eyes remained strikingly beautiful. Even veiled with a layer of dark haze, they were as resolute as ever.

Like his unyielding pride.

Xu Qingran gazed at him across dimensions, instinctively reaching out to touch him.

But his palm passed through his body.

Only when the restraints on his body disappeared and his fingers could move did he clench them slightly on the ground, leaving deep scratches.

He opened his mouth slightly, emitting a weak sound.

"Hah."

A short, bitter laugh, seemingly filled with his weariness and hatred for the world.

After a while, he spoke again.

"It hurts."

The voice was soft.

In the grand villa at Bishui Manor.

Xu Qingran was still deep in sleep.

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap echoed outside.

It felt as if it had struck the roof.

Only then did the person on the bed open his eyes, sitting up with a somewhat dazed expression.

Staring at the dimly lit room, he remained motionless for a long time.

Until a warm sensation seemed to slide across his cheek.

He then lifted his hand in a daze, touching his face, feeling a wetness.

At the same time, an indescribable sadness exploded in his chest.

Tears in his eyes gushed out like a floodgate had opened, completely beyond his control, continuously streaming down.

The system was shocked: "What?!"

"...Xu Qingran, what's wrong? Why are you crying??"

The system resided in Xu Qingran's mind.

But it could only sense his thoughts and intentions, sharing his soul memory fragments, yet it couldn't see his dreams.

So it simply asked with concern: "Did you have a nightmare?"

Was it a nightmare?

Yes, it must have been.

Xu Qingran hadn't yet recovered from the dream's lingering emotions when suddenly the doorbell rang downstairs.

Then came knocking.

He wiped the tears from his face, got up, and went downstairs, finding the white dog in the living room, also roused by the noise.

The weather was cold, and the dog liked to nestle by the heater in the living room to rest.

The white dog looked at him, showing no sign of alarm at the presence outside.

Xu Qingran turned on the light and walked to the door, dazed, not immediately realizing how the visitor, who should have been stopped by the gate, could knock on the house's door.

—Unless they had access to the house.

He opened the door, and outside, a light drizzle was still coming down.

The person at the door bore an uncanny resemblance to the face in his dream, leaving Xu Qingran stunned once more.

By the pillar under the eaves lay a tilted umbrella.

Water still dripped from it.

Even with an umbrella protecting him, Shen Tingyu couldn't avoid getting slightly wet from the rain, his hair and cheeks dampened by the wind and rain.

He stared at him, dazed.

After a moment, a drop of water slid down from the corner of his eye.

It was hard to tell if it was just a drop of water or a tear.

But his eyes were tinged with red, and his voice, hoarse, carried a hint of a sob as he asked, "...Why are you crying?"

Xu Qingran was taken aback once more.

Indeed, Shen Tingyu, who had entered into a partner contract with him, seemed to be affected by his emotions.

As he thought this, Xu Qingran slowly realized the current issue: "...Why are you here?"

Has the empire already issued cross-faction permits?

But considering the travel time from the Sirius system to the Serpentis system, even at maximum speed, Shen Tingyu couldn't have arrived so quickly?

·

The house was cozy and warm.

Shen Tingyu sat on the living room sofa, while Xu Qingran stood before him, using a towel to dry his hair.

He instinctively grasped his wrist and looked up to ask, "Xu Qingran, you haven't answered my question."

His voice quivered involuntarily as he spoke.

Shen Tingyu was overwhelmed with unbearable discomfort, feeling as if his heart was about to burst.

It felt as if someone had carved out his chest and filled it with endless sorrow, so full it was suffocating.

And this was merely due to the resonance between their souls.

How much more agony must Xu Qingran be enduring? What had he encountered to feel such sorrow?

Hearing this, Xu Qingran halted his movements.

His mind drifted back to the dream.

After a while, he replied, "I had a dream."

"A nightmare."

Shen Tingyu appeared taken aback by this answer: "What kind of dream could have..."

'Hurt' you so deeply.

Xu Qingran kept a straight face: "I dreamed that my boyfriend, during the days he ignored my messages, was messing around with someone else."

He had considered telling the truth.

But he realized he couldn't.

He couldn't muster the courage to ask Shen Tingyu about these things, to ask if he had genuinely experienced them, to ask if he was a reborn individual.

Each question was excruciating.

Shen Tingyu: "..."

He couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

The frustration in his chest seemed to ease slightly.

He took out his powered-off phone, restarting it as he replied, "I had no choice. I've been breaking the rules these past few days to see my boyfriend, so I had to keep my phone and communicator offline to avoid detection by the imperial military police."

Xu Qingran paused, recalling something, and his eyes widened slightly: "...So, the news reports these days about the suspected Type I high-intelligence individual who breached several checkpoints—that was you??"

Shen Tingyu smiled: "If there aren't any other madmen like me, then yes, probably."

Xu Qingran fell silent.

Thinking to himself, how dare this bastard.

—How dare he risk so much just to meet him like this.

Xu Qingran's mind was a mess today, feeling like he had stumbled upon some incredible secret but not knowing how to process or confront it.

Remembering the bottle of wine Mo Chengfei had given him earlier, he walked to the kitchen and retrieved it, saying to Shen Tingyu, "Perfect timing, you can have a taste of this now."

He felt like he needed something strong to let him act a little wild.

Shen Tingyu hesitated: "...Are you going to drink too?"

Xu Qingran replied confidently: "What? You want to keep all the good wine for yourself?"

Shen Tingyu: "That's not what I meant."

He was just worried that if Xu Qingran got drunk, he might start making mischief again.

Today, without a screen separating them, he hoped his self-control wouldn't be completely undone by Xu Qingran.

Xu Qingran's alcohol tolerance was indeed low.

Probably, inherited from his mother, Qi Shengxue.

Shen Tingyu watched as Xu Qingran hadn't even finished one glass before his eyes started to become unfocused.

Not knowing what he was thinking, Xu Qingran looked at him with an unreadable yet tender gaze, making Shen Tingyu feel on edge.

...He couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Qingran was plotting something again.

Moreover, Xu Qingran's state today seemed especially odd, and he had been unusually gentle when speaking to him earlier.

Shen Tingyu put down his glass, deciding to take Xu Qingran upstairs before he became too incoherent: "Let's go rest first. I came over in the middle of the night and interrupted your sleep."

Actually, he had originally planned to wait until dawn or until he was sure Xu Qingran was awake before knocking to surprise him.

But for some reason, he started feeling uneasy through their bond and decided to come over to check.

Now, seeing him, it seemed like there wasn't anything seriously amiss.

Xu Qingran, for a change, was obedient, and his eyes still looked quite clear.

He followed Shen Tingyu upstairs to his room.

Shen Tingyu wanted to leave after seeing him into the room.

Before Shen Tingyu had a chance to leave, Xu Qingran kicked the door shut, blocking his retreat with authority.

Shen Tingyu: "..."

His eyelid gave a slight twitch, and suddenly he was pushed against the wall by a sudden force.

Xu Qingran, unexpectedly forward, hugged him.

Resting his head on Shen Tingyu's shoulder, he let out a deep sigh and asked in a calm voice, "Shen Tingyu, do you not like me?"

"...Don't say such things."

Shen Tingyu was very patient with Xu Qingran.

The person leaning against him was lightly scented with shower gel.

Mingled with the sweet scent of alcohol, it inexplicably dazed him.

As he was lost in thought, he heard Xu Qingran whisper, "I've missed you."

"Why haven't you kissed me yet today?"

Shen Tingyu: "..."

That's why they say Xu Qingran really shouldn't touch alcohol.

Could Shen Tingyu really refuse Xu Qingran?

No, he simply couldn't bring himself to.

In the dimly lit room, the two were pinned against the wall, locked in a passionate kiss.

In this atmosphere, Xu Qingran was unusually bold and enticing today, and Shen Tingyu, who had missed him for a long time, couldn't help but be swept up in the moment.

Xu Qingran noticed.

With a sly, triumphant smile, he asked, "Doesn't this make you uncomfortable?"

Shen Tingyu's gaze was firm: "Not at all uncomfortable."

Seeing him like this, Xu Qingran suddenly felt a pang of frustration.

No wonder Shen Tingyu's composure and endurance were astonishingly strong.

Having suffered such extreme pain in his past life, what did these trivial matters mean to him now?

Xu Qingran lowered his eyes.

Shen Tingyu suddenly sensed his unhappiness.

As he hesitated to speak, he felt a warm touch on the back of his hand.

"Shen Tingyu, I won't force you."

"You're just worried that I'll get hurt if I come into contact with your spirit mark."

Xu Qingran looked up at him: "So I thought of a way."

"As long as I hold your hand and avoid direct contact with that area, can't we still find the same pleasure?"

Shen Tingyu's eyelids trembled slightly as he listened.

His eyes were filled with astonishment, likely never expecting that Xu Qingran could devise such a 'scheme' just to stir up some trouble.

"Shen Tingyu."

The person in his arms slightly raised their head, leaning close to his ear, their warm breath laced with the sweet scent of alcohol.

The lazy tone was irresistibly alluring, like a deep temptation from Eden, softly brushing past his ear.

They whispered to him, "Make me dirty, okay?"