Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Although their separation wasn’t too long, this reunion was deeply etched in their hearts.

The Alpha, whom Qiu had thought he might struggle to see again, was now within arm’s reach. Qiu had never examined him so closely, so near that he could almost smell the strong scent of iron on him, as if he had just stepped off a brutal battlefield to hurriedly meet him.

In reality, it was pretty much the case.

"Did you successfully emerge from your cocoon?" Qiu’s gaze fell on Duanchen Sen's head, noticing the absence of the familiar antennae amid his silver hair.

The man nodded, briefly summarizing the hardships he’d endured: "After being brought back to the dark star by Xiaoyue, I was placed in the underground mine, waiting to emerge from the cocoon in the heart of the mine's lake. The lake’s water holds immense power, sufficient to meet my high energy needs during emergence."

In the lineage of the king butterflies like Duanchen Sen, there are always those who undergo a repeated cocooning phase, and the Mimi Iron Mine is their nurturing ground. The mine's heart lake, rich in spiritual energy, provides the necessary power for the king butterflies undergoing repeated cocooning. As soon as Duanchen Sen's awakening was confirmed, the heart lake had been prepared for him, ready for use at any time.

"I had calculated the timing, but an accident happened on the military ship while returning from an extermination mission against the insect race. I entered the repeated cocooning phase during my fall on the dark star."

Qiu understood.

The dark star, almost devoid of spiritual energy and extremely resource-poor, was an inhospitable planet for Duanchen Sen, who, in the first stage of cocooning, needed to consume vast amounts of energy. Such a remote and backward planet could not provide the energy needed for his emergence.

Duanchen Sen recalled the night he first met Qiu in the Gobi Desert. What he initially perceived as biting cold winds, now felt strangely gentle. The stars, the wind, the desert - everything about that night seemed romantic, colored by their encounter.

For Duanchen Sen, the day he met Qiu was the most beautiful day of his life.

The most exciting part of his life's story began from that day.

"I was close to exhaustion due to lack of energy, but the moment I met you, I knew you were the treasure bestowed upon me by the heavens, my greatest fortune in this lifetime."

Duanchen Sen openly expressed his love to Qiu, taking the young man's hand and pressing a deep kiss on the back of his pale hand.

The skin was cool and delicate to the touch, and Duanchen Sen felt as if he was kissing a tender petal.

"Your emergence seems to have gone smoothly," Qiu didn’t pull his hand back, allowing the other to hold it after the kiss, "So, what level are you at now?"

"I don’t know," Duanchen Sen shook his head, "Before emerging, I was the only SSS-class Alpha in the Empire; but after emergence, I’m not sure how to classify my genetic level now."

Qiu understood the implication: essentially, they were now the two strongest individuals in the Empire, and there was no need to fuss over the genetic level after cocooning.

Of course, Duanchen Sen wouldn’t tell Qiu that not every king butterfly Alpha undergoing repeated cocooning could successfully emerge. The true survival rate of this evolutionary process was even lower than a one-in-ten chance. The so-called emergence from the cocoon was, in fact, a process of being shattered and then reshaped – bones, meridians, spirit flesh, and everything else dissolving inch by inch within the self-imposed cocoon, then being pieced together again.

This was beyond just excruciating pain; even describing the cocooning process as ‘agonizing to the point of wishing for death’ seemed too weak.

Amid the daily torment of being dismembered and crushed, Duanchen Sen thought of the same person every moment. Only when he thought of Qiu did the dual pain in his body and soul seem to lessen slightly. During countless moments when he almost couldn’t endure, he bit down hard, constantly reminding himself that he had to emerge from the cocoon, to transform into a beautiful butterfly and find that rose.

"You can’t fall here, dying in obscurity and darkness."

"You must… go and see how brilliantly the rose blooms."

Throughout the cocooning period, Duanchen Sen forced himself to recall the days he spent with Qiu, forced himself to imagine their future romantic reunion and sweet embrace. Only in this way could he barely resist the bottomless pain and darkness.

He came to Qiu scarred and wounded, hiding his bloody injuries, only hoping to bring the most beautiful memories to his beloved.

Even without Duanchen Sen saying so, Qiu knew the process of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon must have been extremely arduous. He understood how much his little butterfly had suffered and endured, but since the other party didn’t wish to speak of it, he chose not to mention it.

Qiu expressed his sympathy for Duanchen Sen in another way.

He bent down and gently kissed the Alpha’s silver hair.

This kiss held no passion, merely a gentle comfort, but Duanchen Sen’s heart still swelled with a bittersweet feeling. Before Qiu could pull away, he wrapped his arms tightly around his little rose.

After a brief moment of tenderness, Qiu looked up at the bright sunlight outside the window and asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

"This 'sleep'," Duanchen Sen smiled, deliberately emphasizing the word, "Are you referring to the estrus period or the rest that followed?"

"…" In that moment, Qiu felt that his recent pity and concern for this man was less worthwhile than feeding it to a dog.

"Speak seriously."

"But the topic itself isn't very serious, is it?" Duanchen Sen seemed to sigh helplessly. When he caught Qiu’s icy stare, his eyebrows quirked up.

"Do you remember what happened that day?"

Although not explicitly stated, both knew exactly which day was being referred to.

Qiu nodded, "I remember the first half. During the team competition, an accident occurred, and all participating Alphas and Omegas fell into estrus. The subsequent pheromone overload forced my true form to emerge. I don't remember much after that, but the crisis was resolved, wasn’t it?"

Duanchen Sen hummed in agreement, reluctant to let go of Qiu even while discussing serious matters, maintaining their previous embrace as if holding a soft, warm kitten.

"After your true form burst forth, your fragrance—or perhaps it was your pheromones—soothed the pheromone overload and ended the collective estrus of the Alphas and Omegas. The crisis was averted, but you then fell into estrus. From that day to now, about a week has passed."

Qiu calculated the time, which matched what Anwenran had said about the duration of an Omega's estrus period.

He irritably nudged his head against Duanchen Sen's chin, his gaze fierce, "So, you... with me, for a whole week?"

Duanchen Sen winced slightly from the nudge, but dared not make a sound. He rubbed his chin, seemingly still lingering on the thought.

"Ah..."

"You don't remember anything that happened over the past week? That's a pity…"

"…" Qiu let out a cold laugh, "What are you regretting exactly?!"

Duanchen Sen hurriedly showered his own wife with kisses, on the fluffy top of his head, on his beautiful eyes, and even on his ears and nose, marking his Omega with the fervor of a big dog asserting its territory through scent.

"I'm sorry, my love," he said with teary eyes after finishing his kisses, "I couldn't help but mark you."

Qiu, feeling disgusted, pushed him away, unable to comprehend how this man could switch so adeptly between the personalities of Duanchen Sen and Molefa.

"Haven't you already marked me before?"

What was he apologizing for now?

For a moment, Duanchen Sen didn’t know how to respond to Qiu—he hadn’t expected that the other would be so unaware of the basic physiological norms between Alphas and Omegas, confusing temporary and lifelong marking.

This gave him a kind of, how should he put it, thrilling sense of immorality.

He had smeared a pure, unblemished sheet of paper, and moreover, he had made this pristine paper a complete mess. The most outrageous part was that the other party remained oblivious and let him do as he pleased.

Even inquiring from him, the very instigator of it all.

Hiss—

In that moment, Duanchen Sen felt that he was truly despicable.

He hadn’t been such a beast before.

"My love," he moved closer to Qiu's nape, his hot breath spraying on the slightly swollen gland, "Would you bear a little rose for me?"

Qiu shivered, still unable to accept such sticky, intimate contact, and involuntarily shifted away.

"I don't understand AO marking, and you don't understand reproductive isolation," Qiu pushed against the other firmly, but his opponent didn't budge.

"How can a rose and a butterfly have children?"

"And who is your wife?" His pale cheeks and earlobes gradually turned crimson. The usually stern young man now shyly hid in his arms. Duanchen Sen couldn't restrain his surging emotions, feeling his heart quiver with every move Qiu made, finding his wife irresistibly adorable, almost wanting to devour him whole.

In response to Qiu's question, Duanchen Sen enunciated each syllable of his name with solemnity, never more official than in this moment.

"Qiu, Autumn."

"That's my wife." And as he said it, there was an unmistakable pride, as if announcing to the whole world in a press conference that he now had a wife.

For some reason, hearing Duanchen Sen say this made Qiu feel both embarrassed and uncontrollably happy, his smile almost breaking through his restraint, yet he still insisted, "Stop messing around, be serious."

Duanchen Sen reluctantly loosened his hold on Qiu slightly but still held him close, wishing they were both kangaroos, with the little one tucked inside the pouch of the bigger one, always carried around.

His expression turned more serious, finally ready to discuss important matters: "What do you want to know?"

Qiu, having recovered from the overwhelming sweetness, took a moment before asking, "Who won the team competition in the end?"

His memory halted at the moment he saw the coastline, and what followed was a blur of hazy, chaotic snippets.

Qiu felt too embarrassed to mention how absurd this past week with Duanchen Sen had been.

"The Dark Star Military Academy," Duanchen Sen answered, "You found the flag set up by the organizing committee and held it effectively for an hour. Shortly after you fainted, the Superstar Brain announced the end of the match."

Hearing this, Qiu breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, he preferred focusing on his career rather than romantic entanglements.

Sensing something, a fearful-of-being-neglected Duanchen Sen pressed closer, licking the sweet, soft earlobe of his wife, his voice deep and low, "After that, the technical staff repaired the flaw that prevented entering and leaving the simulated battlefield. Some Alphas and Omegas who couldn't continue chose to withdraw from the competition, while those who could persist fought for second and third place."

"Was the Imperial First Military Academy the runner-up?"

Duanchen Sen nodded in confirmation.

Qiu, recalling that this man also belonged to that school and thinking about the misconducts of the Alpha students there lately, couldn't help feeling somewhat resentful, "Your juniors at the school—"

Duanchen Sen admitted proactively, "They've been utterly disgraceful."

Qiu glanced at him sidelong, "You're no different."

"By next spring semester, a new instructor will be taking good care of them."

"A new instructor?"

Duanchen Sen spoke nonchalantly, "Oh, that would be Xiaoyue."

"Isn't he in the First Legion, serving as your deputy?"

Qiu was somewhat familiar with this silver wolf Alpha, having last seen him at the opening ceremony of the military school competition.

"He made some mistakes, so he's been assigned to teach those disgraceful Alpha brats."

Despite Duanchen Sen's seemingly light tone, Qiu couldn't shake the feeling that he was settling personal scores.

"The accident that happened during the team competition..." Qiu furrowed his brows, "I feel it wasn’t just a mere accident."

"You've realized it quite timely," Duanchen Sen affirmed his suspicion, "Shortly after entering the simulated battlefield, you sensed something was off with your chips and restraint collars. Then, you quickly deduced from the Omega pheromones detected before the match that it was a setup for a pheromone chaos. Finally, you intervened, rescuing the competitors from the crisis and minimizing the losses."

Duanchen Sen looked at him earnestly, praising without a hint of personal bias, "You really did great."

Faced with the man's unreserved praise, Qiu felt a bit shy, pursing his lips without a word.

After a moment of calm reflection, Qiu, with a hint of speculation, asked, "Were those 'accidents' during the team competition orchestrated by the nobility?"

Duanchen Sen hummed, "This military school competition, although Duanchen Lin was the main organizer, Jackie had also put in a lot of effort."

He mentioned Duanchen Lin's name so casually, as if their relationship was nothing more than mere acquaintances aware of each other's names.

Qiu was speechless.

"Blood-related brothers but so distant, huh."

Duanchen Sen continued, "Or to put it another way, the empire's entertainment, public opinion, education, and other soft power aspects are almost entirely controlled by the nobility. It seems now that they orchestrated this team competition to force out your true identity."

"You mean to say..."

Duanchen Sen's gaze turned colder, "Yes. You've probably been targeted since you arrived at the Dark Star Military School. There must be someone in the school's higher-ups who is their informant, otherwise, they wouldn't know so much about you."

Qiu lowered his eyes, recalling his days at the Dark Star Military School. There were only a few high-ranking school officials he interacted with: Principal Geb, Dean Yan Weili, and... his instructor, An Weiran.

But An Weiran only learned of his combat gene level much later, and he wasn’t involved in the school's administration, spending most of his time on the front lines with students. Based on Qiu's personal interactions, he didn’t believe An Weiran would align with the nobility.

As for Yan Weili, despite being strict and rigid, Qiu had once overheard his conversation with An Weiran after an award ceremony. His attitude seemed to suggest he neither resented nor colluded with the nobility.

So, it seemed there was only one possible answer.

Qiu wouldn’t accuse anyone without evidence. Strictly speaking, apart from An Weiran, both Geb and Yan Weili were potential suspects. He planned to ask An Weiran to discreetly investigate upon their triumphant return to the Dark Star Military School. Once the truth was revealed, they would act against the spy planted there.

But for now, the most pressing issue was the problem with the nobility.

"So, they went to such lengths, disregarding the safety of so many competitors, just to expose me?"

Qiu couldn’t comprehend why anyone would treat their own kind with such... indescribable malice.

Duanchen Sen looked steadily at him, the little rose before him unaware of his own priceless value, so precious that even a star-level war could be waged for him.

Without a second thought, he blurted out:

"Because you are the only rose in this universe."

She is also the unique rose in my life.

Duan Chen Sen adds in his mind.

Yue Qiu frowns, aware of his difference from the people of this world. It is precisely because of this awareness that he chooses to conceal his true identity.

"But... just because I am a plant that doesn't exist in your world, do those nobles prefer to sacrifice so many Alphas and Omegas, just to force me out?"

That's a whole, entire ten-plus thousand people, the elite of this empire's younger generation, the future pillars of the nation.

And before my true identity is exposed, they actually can't be sure what is really going on, can they?

So even knowing they might lose the gamble, they still act so recklessly?

Yue Qiu dares not think about it. If he isn't the result they want, if he can't stop this mass pheromone chaos of tens of thousands, the actions of the nobles could have severe consequences for the empire.

To Mo Erfa and Duan Chen Sen, Yue Qiu, who appears cold and unemotional, difficult to approach, actually has the most transparent and softest heart.

He knows his little rose not only possesses overwhelming strength but also has a kindness and compassion far beyond ordinary people.

Those silver eyes stared at Yue Qiu, dim and unfathomable, and it took a long time before a soft sigh escaped.

The sigh was mixed with too many complex emotions, which Yue Qiu couldn’t fully understand.

"You may never understand," Duan Chen Sen adjusted Yue Qiu's hair, which had been tousled during their intimate moment, and whispered in his ear, "The higher one's status, the more insignificant others seem. When you look down, you might even pity a wildflower or a weed; but for those who have been at the top too long, playing with power, their view from above doesn't see the suffering of their kind, but rather a self-congratulatory achievement."

"For Jaquely, what he desires is to hold the entire empire in his grasp, to attain ultimate power and status, to be looked up to and worshipped by all. To achieve this, sacrificing a few irrelevant commoners is nothing difficult for him. In fact, 'sacrifice' doesn’t even properly describe these innocent contestants who got involved; ‘making the most out of them’ might be more apt.”

Yue Qiu's eyes darkened, fists clenched: "The nobles already have enough."

"Yet they still don’t think it’s enough," Duan Chen Sen scoffed sarcastically. "The more people have, the greedier they become."

Yue Qiu's eyes sparkled, seeming even brighter than the sun at that moment.

His tone was resolute: "Then let them have nothing."

Duan Chen Sen smiled faintly, cradling the back of Yue Qiu's neck, gently pressing a kiss on the Omega’s smooth forehead.

"I promised you, I will change this terrible, rotten world for you."

He held Qiu's hand and kissed the pale back of it gently: "Together."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Behind the grand carved wooden door, a Beta servant cautiously announced, "General, um... and..."

He seemed unsure how to address the other person in the room. The general's spouse? The great royal consort?

Or the revered deity?

Indeed, after Qiu revealed his true form as a canary, he was regarded as a new deity bringing hope to the empire. Whether in public or private, no one would call him 'little Omega' anymore. Instead, he was respectfully referred to as a deity.

With his spouse in his arms and in a good mood, Duanchen Sen didn't want to put the Beta servant in a difficult position and raised his voice: "What's the matter? Just say it."

The Beta servant breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could speak, a shadow was cast before him.

He turned around in slight astonishment and, upon recognizing the visitor, respectfully greeted, "Duke."

Jackie waved his hand, smiling amiably, signaling the servant not to be so overly cautious.

With their keen senses, top Alphas like Qiu could clearly hear the respectful address. The two exchanged a glance, surprised at how quickly the visitor had arrived.

The handsome man with chestnut shoulder-length curly hair exuded a refined elegance in every movement. His voice, unlike Duanchen Sen's deep magnetism, carried an air of composure and nobility. It was neither too soft nor too forceful, but just loud enough for the two inside the room to hear clearly.

"Your Highness, Wittersen and others have been waiting in the reception room for over a week. They are very eager to meet His Divine Grace."

Qiu glanced at Duan Chen Sen, his look clearly questioning: His Divine Grace? Me?

Author's note:

Qiu Qiu is going to start a venture with his husband, haha!