Chapter 40

Chapter 40

040

Marked.

"The Expeditionary Force... Well, I inherited it from my master. He was getting old and preparing to retire, so he passed the responsibility onto me."

"The Empire... did consider rehiring him as the Supreme Commander, but that would have been many years later. He declined, saying the position should go to someone more suitable."

"The biggest battle we've fought... I'd say it was on New Star C-102. There were some large mounds back then. The Alliance forces were on the other side of those mounds. They had an interesting general named Huai Wei..."

Jing Baiyuanting rambled on, and Chu Li listened, suddenly realizing something was off. "Wait, New Star C-102? Isn't that the war three years ago, known as the largest battle in the era of space, which almost sparked an all-out war between the Alliance and the Empire? How can it just be a few small hills?"

Ever since Chu Li learned that his little Li Hua Cat was Jing Baiyuanting, he had secretly researched the Expeditionary Force. This battle, recorded in textbooks, could not be avoided. What he had read in those popular science articles was not like this at all!

The Expeditionary Force's own General himself: "..."

Jing Baiyuanting whispered, "They were just small hills."

"..." Chu Li turned over, lying face up on the bed, staring directly at Jing BaiyuanTing. "But the news said that Planet C-102 is rugged and mountainous..."

"Bearing in mind that the expeditionary force didn't send many people and wasn't a match for the Alliance's troops, they resorted to guerrilla tactics by leveraging the terrain. There were only a few small hills, so they even dug tunnels specifically," Jing BaiyuanTing said, somewhat guiltily. "But during the interview, the journalist complained that it wouldn't sound impressive if written that way, so he added a lot of descriptive details on his own. I tried to advise him against it, but he didn't listen."

Back then, Jing BaiyuanTing was extremely busy. He only managed to spare time for the interview due to the Emperor's favor; there was no way he could afford to nitpick with the reporter about word choice.

Anyway, the image of the expeditionary force and his own as a general had always been 'outsourced' to the Imperial Royal Family.

Only after finishing his story did Jing BaiyuanTing realize how 'uninteresting' it was. He touched his nose in embarrassment. "Shall we talk about something else?"

Chu Li looked at him in silence for a while before lying back down on the bed, turning his back to Jing BaiyuanTing.

Jing BaiyuanTing paused.

Is... he upset?

"Little Li?" Jing BaiyuanTing approached him.

Chu Li didn't respond.

Unable to do anything else, Jing BaiyuanYuanting could only stay quietly by his side. After a while, Chu Li said, "You should still take a bite."

"Hmm?"

Chu Li continued, "Our acquaintance was already absurd to begin with, and we haven't spent much time together. Besides, you said you don't know when you'll return. A mark would serve as a reminder so that I won't forget you."

Jing BaiyuanYuanting couldn't help but laugh, leaning in close to Chu Li with gritted teeth. "Could you possibly forget me?"

Chu Li didn't even turn his head. "Who knows?"

Jing BaiyuanYuanting asked again, "What about the cat then?"

Chu Li replied, "Can you be compared to a cat?"

Jing BaiyuanYuanting: "…"

He got it now. Chu Li only had room for the cat in his heart.

Moving closer, Jing BaiyuanYuanting scooped the Omega, curled up into a ball, into his arms and held his head with his hand. "Go to sleep."

Chu Li: "..."

Hmm, he wouldn't believe that.

Clinging to Jing Baiyuanting's embrace, Chu Li turned around and pressed him onto the bed, gazing intently at him. "Are you going to bite or not?"

Suppressed by Chu Li, Jing Baiyuanting kept his lips sealed, not uttering a word.

Chu Li's face blushed so intensely it seemed like blood would drip. "Are you unable to do it?"

"..."

That's too much, Little Li.

---

The next morning, before dawn, Jing Baiyuanting woke up.

When he pulled back the blankets, Chu Li, lying beside him, was roused from sleep. Drowsily, he leaned in, his fluffy hair brushing against Jing Baiyuanting's arm.

Their scents, after intertwining throughout the night, had become inseparable.

Jing Baiyuan reached out to stroke Chu Li's hair and whispered, "I'm leaving now. The door card has your fingerprints and iris scan, so you can come over anytime… Little Li, let go."

Chu Li didn't release his grip, stubbornly lifting his head from the bed with great effort. "I'll send you off."

"You…" Jing Baiyuan was about to ask him to get more rest, but considering his character, he decided against it.

Struggling to sit up, Chu Li's white short-sleeved shirt became creased and shrank, revealing his plump buttocks and slender, fair legs as he got off the bed. Jing Baiyuan's pupils constricted at the sight, immediately grabbing his bathrobe from the side and wrapping it around Chu Li without a second thought.

Chu Li looked up in confusion. "Huh?"

His expression was too innocent for Jing Baiyuan to bear to explain, so he simply said, "It's alright, just see me to the door."

"Okay." Chu Li, too drowsy to keep his eyes open, stretched out his hand towards Jing Baiyuan.

Understanding his intention, Jing Baiyuan instantly took hold of his hand and carefully led him outside.

While Jing Baiyuan was getting ready, Chu Li leaned against the door, and when it came time to change clothes, he waited by the wardrobe.

Jing Baiyuan, or Yuanting in his private life, was on a tight schedule and had little time to spare. After a quick wash and some breakfast, he packed his luggage and prepared to depart.

Chu Li accompanied him to the door, somewhat more lucid than before. He tugged at Jing Baiyuan's shirt, attempting to say something but found himself at a loss for words.

Surprisingly, Jing Baiyuan turned back to embrace him, whispering, "Take good care of yourself at school."

"Mm…" Chu Li managed a smile. "Your farewell... it's like something parents would say to their child before they leave home."

It reminded him of those scenes from TV dramas where parents give their children parting advice.

---

Early in the morning, Ya Lan waited outside the admiral's newly purchased residence.

Although she was puzzled as to why the admiral had left the base last night to stay in his unfinished house, she, being a good subordinate, never probed into his personal affairs. She assumed he merely wanted to check the quality of the construction by spending a night there.

Now, with the departure of the spaceship imminent, and the admiral still hidden away in his room without a sound, Ya Lan began to feel suspicious.

Surely, he hadn't gotten involved with some eccentric young noble? While he was an admiral, he couldn't betray Little Li!

Ya Lan couldn't contain her impatience and knocked on the door once more before any response could be heard from inside.

It seemed like the General was speaking.

The voice was too low to discern clearly. Ya Lan approached the door, but as soon as her ear touched it, the door swung open, revealing an expressionless Jing Baiyuan Ting.

Ya Lan, who had just resolved to seek justice for Chu Li, immediately stood up straight and grinned subserviently at her General. "Hehe, you're out?!"

"What are you doing?!" Jing Baiyuan Ting scowled, reprimanding her.

Ya Lan's attention was entirely drawn to the scent emanating from Jing Baiyuan Ting's body, which was in stark contrast to his usual cold and austere demeanor. The General was now enveloped in an overly sweet aroma.

Inhaling involuntarily, Ya Lan found herself being sternly glared at by Jing Baiyuan Ting.

Only then did she realize with hindsight that it was an omega's pheromone.

And it was strangely familiar.

Isn't this Little Li's pheromone?

Ya Lan's face instantly lit up with a maternal smile. It turned out that the general had spent yesterday with Little Li.

"Quite the audacity, Commander."

"Reporting, Sir, nothing out of the ordinary!" Ya Lan said with a suppressed smile. "Yichen is waiting for us in the car. Shall we go?"

Jing Baiyuan: "..."

He should have left, yet the moment he stepped forward, he felt it was inappropriate.

Suddenly, regret overwhelmed him.

"I just remembered some matters that need attending to. You go ahead, I'll be there shortly." Jing Baiyuan finished and reopened the door, leaving Ya Lan standing outside with a perplexed expression.

What was going on??

---

Five minutes earlier, inside the room.

Chu Li watched Jing Baiyuan leave the house in a daze, still half-asleep.

When the person was gone, he fully regained consciousness.

He couldn't resist touching the back of his neck.

In the end, Jing Baiyuan hadn't bitten him.

He wondered what could have made that Alpha hesitate.

Deep down, Chu Li understood it as the other's consideration and respect. When Jing Baiyuan said he wouldn't bite, Chu Li felt a sigh of relief.

But now that the man was truly gone, he couldn't help feeling a vague sense of regret.

Shouldn't he have been bitten before he left?

What difference would it make if he had been bitten?

Anyway, Jing Baiyuan was already gone. At this moment, Chu Li conveniently forgot his cowardice from the previous night and began to reason with himself: It was just a bite, not like he hadn't been bitten before.

Perhaps it was karma at play.

Just as Chu Li was about to say, "What harm could a bite do?", the door behind him opened once more.

A neatly dressed Jing Baiyuan appeared in the doorway.

Chu Li froze. "Why...?"

"I've changed my mind," Jing Baiyuan strode towards him. "Let me take that bite after all."

---

Where did your courage go, Little Li Chu?

---

It wasn't until he was truly held down on the sofa and bitten that Chu Li realized just how significant the act of marking truly was.

It was even more intense than last night's intertwining of pheromones.

The mark was to be bitten, but before the teeth pierced the gland, it felt more like a gentle kiss on the nape. The presence of the gland heightened Chu Li's senses exponentially.

When Jing Baiyuan approached, Chu Li trembled all over. As those lips landed on his gland, he shuddered and collapsed limply into Jing Baiyuan's embrace.

He thought he heard a soft chuckle behind him, causing him frustration, yet his body betrayed him by curling up obediently.

Unconsciously, his hands clenched onto the sofa cushion, leaving deep indents in the expensive fabric.

Perceiving his tension, Jing Baiyuan's left hand interlaced with Chu Li's fingers and held them gently.

Then, the warm lips turned into a tentative nibble, quickly turning into a bite that pierced the gland.

The skin around the gland became delicate and hypersensitive; even the slightest touch released a rich scent. At the same time, an unfamiliar yet recognizable Alpha pheromone was injected.

"Painful!"

Chu Li gripped his palm again, inadvertently tightening his hold on Jing Baiyuan's hand.

The pheromones fused fiercely within the gland, provoking a more intense sensation that made Chu Li moan. Jing Baiyuan's thumb soothingly caressed the back of Chu Li's hand, as if offering comfort.

The entire marking process lasted about ten minutes.

After being released, Chu Li was utterly drained of strength, slumping unsteadily against the sofa, half-supported by Jing Baiyuan.

In contrast, the Alpha appeared relaxed and content, his gaze deeply luminous as he looked at Chu Li.

Chu Li shot him a glance, somewhat discontented. Why was it that after just one marking, the other party was refreshed and energized while he himself felt weak as a puddle of mush?

That wasn't fair.

Chu Li bared his teeth at Jing Baiyuan. "Can an Alpha bite another Alpha's gland?"

Still basking in the joy of having marked his Omega, Jing Baiyuan was taken aback. "I...don't think so, right?"

His teacher had never taught him that.

At that moment, Ya Lan's voice sounded from outside the door. "General, are you done? We're running out of time."

Only then did the two snap back to reality. Jing Baiyuan seemed reluctant to leave, but Chu Li gave him a gentle push. "Hurry up."

Jing Baiyuan Yuanting finally rose to his feet.

He gazed deeply at Chu Li and said, "I'll come back as soon as I can."

During his years with the Expeditionary Force, he had always drifted through space alongside the troops. In two decades, he was fortunate if he could spend a few months on Blue Vein Star.

He was a high-ranking general in the Expeditionary Force, and it was also his home.

But for the first time, he experienced a sense of attachment beyond the Expeditionary Force.

It was as if a new home, one that belonged to him, had suddenly emerged on Blue Vein Star, along with someone who would wait for his return.

Jing Baiyuan Yuanting reached out to pat Chu Li's head, then turned and left resolutely.

It took Chu Li over twenty minutes after Jing Baiyuan Yuanting's departure to regain his composure. He managed to prop himself up from the sofa and, with unsteady steps, went upstairs to catch some more sleep.

Chu Li spent the morning resting in Jing Baiyuan's house. When he woke up in the afternoon, he found a message from Jing Baiyuan.

"-Mountains and Rivers Distant: I've left the house key on the table by the door and informed the school. You can move in directly."

Chu Li sighed. He truly couldn't rest assured about himself.

But he only replied with a simple "thank you" before getting up to pack and prepare to return to school.

Who knew what made Jing Baiyuan change his mind and not publicly acknowledge their relationship. Without a legitimate status, if he were to move out of the dorms, it would undoubtedly spark a flurry of gossip.

He didn't care, but too many flies could be bothersome.

It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

---

Chu Li had initially assumed that the injury to his gland from the bite would take a long time to heal. After all, the last permanent marking had left him bedridden for an entire week before he could finally alleviate the lingering effects.

Later, when he returned to school, the constant use of gland patches and wearing a collar almost caused an allergic reaction to his gland.

To his surprise, when he went to the bathroom to freshen up before leaving, he noticed that his gland was almost completely healed.

The bite marks aligned perfectly, barely revealing any signs of a second marking. Furthermore, due to recent proper care of his gland, the skin was smooth and even, with a subtle bulge that appeared translucent under strong light, revealing the gland's outline.

Upon touch, there was no sensation to speak of.

Chu Li's face darkened. Just what had Jing Baiyuan done to his gland in that alleyway for it to end up like that?

Thinking back to that night, Chu Li felt both angry and bashful. He wanted to confront Jing Baiyuan, but when the moment came, he lost all courage.

Forget it, he would wait until their next meeting.

After all, who knew when that would be.

Unaware that these thoughts were merely self-deceptions, Chu Li finished tidying up and left.

---

The moment he returned to school by car, he received news notifications on his personal terminal.

"The Admiral of the Expeditionary Force has appeared at Blue Stripe Star's harbor."

Clicking into it revealed an article with little substance. It was roughly as the title suggested, with speculations below about the reason for his visit and whether the royal family was aware of his return.

Even someone as detached from political news as Chu Li could sense the tension and suspicion lurking beneath the words.

He understood why Jing Baiyuan had said he "didn't know when he would return." He couldn't help but sigh, hastening his pace towards school.

---

After Jing Baiyuan's departure, life returned to its previous routine of laboratory, classroom, and dormitory.

However, what was different now was that Chu Li had found a new purpose. Whether it was studying or conducting experiments, he applied himself with even greater effort.

Wen Renjian also noticed this change. The Chu Li who had come back on leave was much more proactive in lab work, relentlessly pursuing answers to any questions that arose. His efforts paid off visibly, and within just a month, he made remarkable progress.

It was at this point that Chu Li truly began to delve into the heart of the research group.

Turned out that the Empire had long ago stumbled upon a 'key to immortality.' It involved incorporating the genetic code of the setting sun into human DNA. Those who carried this gene from birth would, after reaching old age, begin to reverse their aging process. This cycle would repeat indefinitely, never ceasing.

But this kind of 'immortality' still required humans to experience both old age and infancy, which was quite different from the ideal notion of eternal youth.

The emperor commanded the development of genuine immortality... The Empire invested heavily in this pursuit, with researchers scattered across the nation and every star system delving into the topic.

"Our progress isn't particularly rapid. These experiments have already been conducted by others," Wen Renjian said. "I don't have high hopes for it either. Let's just proceed with teaching and research simultaneously. This matter isn't that crucial; you still need to focus on your studies in the healthcare department."