Chapter 61: Possessiveness and Restraint in Love

Chapter 61: Possessiveness and Restraint in Love

Little Star sat by the bed, holding the baby bottle with both hands, sucking on the nipple with a gurgling sound, his little feet dangling and swinging.

He was dressed in a tender yellow chick pajama, with a pair of small crests on his head that swayed back and forth as he moved.

Xiao Sa sat on the carpet by the bed, propping his cheek with one hand, watching Little Star drink milk absentmindedly, occasionally poking his chubby cheeks with his fingers.

In the past, he never knew he had such patience to watch a baby drink milk for so long without getting bored.

After finishing, Little Star burped, leaving a circle of milk around his mouth. Xiao Sa couldn't help but chuckle softly and reached out to wipe it away.

He took the empty bottle and shook it, teasing, "Who was it that refused to drink just now? Now you've finished it all, not even a drop left."

The baby tilted his head, blinking his eyes, watching Xiao Sa shake the bottle for a while, seemingly lost in thought.

Xiao Sa curved his finger and tapped the baby's forehead, "You're not thinking of drinking more, are you? There's none left, a whole bottle. Drink too much and your tummy might not digest it."

Little Star's eyes suddenly showed a look of sympathy. He covered his mouth with his tiny hands, then turned his body and made several "pfft" sounds.

Xiao Sa looked at him in confusion, what was this kid up to? Could it be that the milk had some problem and upset his stomach?

To his surprise, Little Star opened his palms and extended them toward Xiao Sa, bringing them close to his mouth.

Xiao Sa looked down and saw that his palms held a shallow bit of milk.

He was speechless for a moment; this kid actually feared he hadn't had enough milk and had spit some out to share with him.

Xiao Sa couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, "Who wants to drink the milk you spit out?"

He carried Little Star to wash his little hands and rummaged through a large pile of toys he had bought, picking out Little Star’s favorite toys: the little piano, dinosaur, and chick.

Little Star was indeed distracted, throwing himself into the pile of toys, shaking one and touching another, rolling around and giggling foolishly.

Xiao Sa couldn’t help but pinch his cheek. "You little rascal, when you want milk, you throw yourself into my arms, but now that you have toys, you don’t want me anymore? You’re such a practical little guy."

When Little Star heard him speak, he turned his head back and looked at the toy in his hand, then at Xiao Sa.

After a moment, he wrapped one hand around the toy and the other around Xiao Sa’s neck, refusing to let go of either.

"Let go, buddy!"

After playing with Little Star by the bed for a bit, Xiao Sa was joined by Broken Peak.

Xiao Sa asked Broken Peak to accompany the baby while he sat back on the sofa with Broken Peak, his expression turning serious. "How is it? Did you find out?"

Broken Peak nodded, his face grave. "You were right. It is indeed General Landis’ Third Corps."

Xiao Sa’s heart thumped suddenly, and he took a deep breath. A flicker of hope stirred inside him—could Landis be here for him?

But Broken Peak’s next words crushed his hopes.

"This time, the royal family specifically dispatched the Third Corps to crack down on the armed smuggling groups along the border. Moreover, General Landis has already issued an ultimatum to Customs Star’s top official, demanding the smuggling gangs be eradicated within a week."

"They might not be targeting us directly, but this will hit our business hard. The next few weeks will be dangerous, and I suggest we leave."

Xiao Sa’s brow furrowed, and the excitement in his chest deflated. Landis indeed wasn’t looking for him.

He let out a soft sigh. He should’ve known better—why get disappointed?

He met Broken Peak's gaze and, after a long while, slowly shook his head. "Let's wait a bit longer."

Despite the potential danger, he still didn't want to leave. He was finally this close to Landis, and no matter what, he wanted to see him again.

Xiao Sa asked, "Where is he now?"

Broken Peak: "He should still be at the Administrative Palace. Our people didn't dare to get too close."

"I understand." Xiao Sa stood up. He had decided to go see Landis in person.

Broken Peak looked anxious. "The risk is too high. Don't forget there are mech beasts at the Administrative Palace. If we get discovered..."

Xiao Sa was about to say something when he suddenly heard Little Star crying out again from the next room.

He slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten about the little one. His parents hadn't come to pick him up yet, and their identities made it too dangerous to keep the baby around.

He should find a way to send the little one away first before going to find Landis.

Xiao Sa quickly entered the room and picked up Little Star. "What's wrong again?"

The other man looked puzzled. "The little one was pointing outside and calling for 'mommy.' Maybe he wants you to take him out to play?"

Xiao Sa felt a headache coming on. "Forget it. Let's just take a walk downstairs to help him digest."

※※※

Inside the black armored vehicle, Landis sat in the back, his eyes fixed on the rapidly passing buildings outside the window, his face devoid of any expression.

Only Carlo, seated next to him, noticed that their commander had changed positions several times since they got in the car.

In the front seat, O'Hare suddenly spoke seriously, "Commander, someone is following us. Should I take care of it?"

Landis sneered and turned to order, "Deal with it. These fools don't know when to quit. They're desperate and will stop at nothing."

The armored vehicle stopped near a business hotel in the commercial district, and Carlo whispered, "Commander, we've arrived."

Landis' hand paused for a moment on the car door before he slowly opened it and stepped out.

Even though he had been thinking about Xiao Sa almost every day for the past half year and had been desperate to see him, the moment he was about to meet him, a sudden wave of fear and hesitation washed over him.

He longed to see Xiao Sa, but he didn't want to see anyone else by Xiao Sa's side.

He was happy that Xiao Sa was with the baby, but he wasn't happy to see him with someone else, taking care of the child together.

Landis looked up at the hotel in front of him and asked in a low voice, "Is this the place?"

As soon as he received a confirming answer, he rounded the flower bed, preparing to head towards the hotel's main entrance when his peripheral vision caught sight of two familiar figures in the small garden nearby.

Landis' breath caught in his throat. His icy blue eyes, sharp as frost-covered blades, locked onto the scene.

In the small garden, Xiao Sa held Little Star's hands, guiding him along a narrow stone path that curved through the garden. On Xiao Sa's other side was the handsome man he had seen in the security feed earlier.

They walked and laughed together, like a young family out for a stroll.

The afternoon sun hung overhead, radiating scorching heat, casting deep shadows under Landis' brow. He didn't feel the warmth of the sun at all. His heart sank, and a crazed jealousy began to cloud his eyes.

His breathing grew heavier, but his face remained eerily calm, masking the storm brewing inside him. He slowly raised his right hand and felt for the gun at his waist.

Carlo, who had been standing nearby, reacted quickly, stepping in front of Landis. "Commander, calm down. If you act here, it will jeopardize our mission."

"So what?" Landis said coldly, not caring about those fools at all.

Caro had no choice but to change his approach. He licked his dry lips and said nervously, "Have you forgotten what happened last time on Frostfall Star? Do you really want to have a big fight like last time and end up ending things on a sour note?"

Although Caro wasn’t clear about what exactly had gone wrong between Xiao Sa and the commander, it had definitely escalated into a significant conflict.

Landis took a deep breath, calming down as his strong rationality returned, and slowly put the gun down.

Caro had hit the mark. Landis did want to confront Xiao Sa and have a big argument, to ask him if he had ever truly loved him. He didn’t want to hear anything from Xiao Sa other than an affirmative answer.

If Xiao Sa dared to protect the man next to him, Landis would definitely act, though he wasn’t sure how it would end.

But that would be so undignified and stupid. He should have a hundred ways to make anyone who got in his way disappear without a trace.

Landis had never been a meek person. On the contrary, he was very proud and would never tolerate anyone daring to share his lover. Yet, he had continually tolerated and yielded to Xiao Sa, but that didn’t mean he would always do so.

In his view of love, there was only protection, giving, and possession.

If Xiao Sa didn’t want his protection or his giving, then he would have to endure his possession.

But Landis suddenly realized that this seemed to be one of the contradictions between them. They had accumulated too many issues, too many uncertainties, and none of them could be solved with a gun.

Landis’ feet stayed rooted to the spot, and he didn’t move forward.

After a long while, he exhaled deeply, struggling to suppress his anger and jealousy, and sat down on a chair under the awning, dropping his hand from his forehead, his fingers deeply embedded in his hair, a few strands of his golden locks falling limply.

For the past half year, he had never confided his inner worries to anyone. Now that he had finally seen Xiao Sa, he didn’t want to argue again and push him further away.

At this moment, he truly felt stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Caro, who had followed Landis for over a decade and was his most trusted subordinate and friend, looked at the group laughing and walking further away in the distance, then at his commander’s gloomy expression. He sighed and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s going on with Mr. Xiao Sa?"

Landis said in a low voice, "He left divorce papers and wants to leave me."

Caro’s eyes widened in shock. "No way, how did they end up having a kid?"

Thinking about Xiao Sa lying to him about being infertile, Landis felt a surge of anger and replied irritably, "He never wanted the child!"

Ha, he didn’t want a kid with me, but now he’s strolling around with his new lover, all happy.

Caro looked at him, shocked and speechless. "But Mr. Xiao Sa doesn’t seem like someone who would abandon his husband and child. Maybe you should think about what conflict led to him insisting on a divorce?"

Landis recalled the argument they had last time on Frostfall Star and the secret Xiao Sa had revealed before leaving the palace.

He dropped his hand from his forehead, straightened his back, and deeply furrowed his brow. His voice was hoarse and repressed, "He doesn’t like me interfering with him, obstructing him, and says I don’t respect him."

"Our marriage was actually for another purpose, not because of love at first sight. That was all my misunderstanding. He’s kept many secrets from me; he… doesn’t trust me at all."

Landis didn’t mention Xiao Sa’s racial secrets to Caro.

He knew Xiao Sa was very sensitive about racial issues. The fact that they were from different races was unchangeable and would always be there no matter how much they tried to ignore it.

But it was impossible for Xiao Sa to overlook their racial difference and be with him like before. If Xiao Sa were willing, he wouldn’t have taken the risk to storm the palace and even chosen to leave him.

Maybe Xiao Sa had never loved him, and now that his goal was achieved, he was leaving for good.

As Caro listened, he felt that Landis was describing something far more serious than a simple argument or divorce. This sounded like a breakup, or maybe they had already broken up.

Rubbing his temples in a headache, Caro said, "You should probably clear this up. What if it’s all just a misunderstanding?"

Landis felt a hidden anger rise in his heart, and his gaze instantly turned sharp as he sneered, "I once hoped it was a misunderstanding too, but now, as you can see, he has a new lover!"

What if it’s not a misunderstanding? What if Xiao Sa really wants to leave me and start a new life with someone else? If Xiao Sa were to speak to him like that later, he truly didn’t know what he might do.

If Caro hadn’t stopped him from acting just now, Xiao Sa would surely hate him.

Caro looked at his confused superior and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Perhaps there were many things only the general knew, but from an outside perspective, he didn’t think the situation was as dire as the general claimed. It was probably because Landis cared too much that he felt so insecure.

Caro said, "Even if Xiao Sa really has a new lover, so what? If they’re not married, you can still fight for him. You two are a 100% compatibility score after all."

According to imperial law, the compatibility score was the most important. Only the strong deserved an excellent spouse. The Dawn Empire, which worshiped strength, had always been like this.

Even if they were married, they could still get a divorce, right? He bit back the last part, not wanting to upset his already fragile superior.

Mentioning the 100% compatibility score, Landis sneered again. He had once been certain that Xiao Sa would never leave him, precisely because they were a 100% match, but if Xiao Sa was 100% matched with anyone, that was another story.

Caro felt another headache coming on and offered another suggestion, "Don’t forget, you also have a child together, and you gave birth to him personally. Xiao Sa is definitely not an irresponsible person. If you tell him that the child is yours, and express your hardships and longing, he will surely come back to you."

Landis fell silent, his voice low and strained as he furrowed his brow deeply. He had considered using their child to force Xiao Sa to return.

But that was a last resort.

He shook his head and said, "I hope he stays with me because he loves me, not just out of responsibility for the child or guilt. What would be the point otherwise?"

However, if things really reached that point, he would probably still act without hesitation.

He had never seen his usually decisive superior so conflicted before.

Caro sighed inwardly. Marriage and love were truly exhausting. Maybe staying single was the safer option.

He dutifully comforted, "Since you know why Xiao Sa wants to leave, why not do the opposite? Stop doing the things he disliked in the past, stop interfering with his choices, respect his decisions, and you might make him fall in love with you again."

Landis looked up at him, his icy blue eyes seemingly brightening for a moment, "Can this really work?"

Caro nodded firmly.

After a long conversation, Landis finally made up his mind, "I don’t want to see irrelevant people. Go tell him that I’m waiting here and take Little Star away."

Seeing that his superior had completely calmed down, Caro finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped off imaginary sweat, and quickly headed into the small garden. If things had escalated earlier, something bloody might have happened, and that would have been truly irreparable.

※※※

In the small garden, Little Star was hugging Xiao Sa's leg with one hand and holding a chick plush toy, making chirping sounds.

Big Brother looked at his distracted younger brother and sighed, "If you need to see the general, go ahead. I’ll take care of the little one."

Xiao Sa hesitated, "Big Brother."

Big Brother gently smiled, "Actually, the reason you rushed back wasn’t for business or to investigate those racial secrets, was it? It was to see that general, right?"

Xiao Sa’s eyes flickered slightly.

Big Brother understood from his expression that he had hit the mark and shook his head, "You don’t have to carry all the burdens alone. There’s still me and Father for the clan."

"I know you’re worried about what Mother said, afraid of putting him at risk and drawing the royal family’s suspicion, even following in the footsteps of that general who committed ‘treason.’"

"Even if our ancestors were connected to those humanoid mutants and were once enemies of the empire, we are flesh and blood with emotions now. We don’t plan to start a conflict. How do you know the general would care?"

"Even if he doesn’t come to find you, you can go to him. If you’re worried about us being exposed, I can take Broken Peak back to the Star Alliance."

"Or are you truly worried about getting a negative response from him?"

"Brother, please stop." Xiao Sa covered his forehead. His older brother was too perceptive; he had no secrets in front of him.

The older brother chuckled and ruffled his black hair. "You're an Alpha. It’s totally normal to go after who you love. Just do it..."

Xiao Sa’s heart stirred, as if a long-suspended stone had finally landed. He nodded at his brother and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly spotted a familiar face.

Caro happened to be running towards him, let out a breath, and forced a smile. "Xiao Sa, long time no see."

Xiao Sa widened his eyes in surprise. "What are you doing here? Where’s Commander Landis?"

Caro opened his mouth, ready to embellish a story about how their commander had been toiling for him over the past six months, but recalling the commander's earlier instructions, he swallowed the words and said dryly, "We're here to pick up Little Star—he got lost, and we tracked him down to you. The commander is waiting outside."

Xiao Sa looked at him suspiciously at first, then at the baby, his expression turning to shock, his voice becoming hoarse. "Is this child... Landis's...?"

Caro sighed and nodded. "Yes."

He waved at Little Star and smiled. "Little Star, remember Uncle? Your dad is here to pick you up."

Xiao Sa turned to look and was surprised that the baby didn’t reject Caro. After a moment’s hesitation, the baby allowed himself to be picked up—clearly familiar with Caro from frequent meetings.

Xiao Sa’s mind was thrown into chaos. Landis was a man, not an Omega. He had said he couldn’t bear children. And this child looked to be one or two years old. Did Landis get the child from someone else? Or did he always want an external embryo?

No, no, that couldn’t be. Landis must have adopted the child.

But the resemblance between them was striking. They looked like they were carved from the same mold.

Xiao Sa forced a bitter smile. At that moment, it all clicked for him. Landis wasn’t here for him. He was here for his lost child.

Caro took Little Star’s hand and pointed in a direction. "The commander is over there."

Xiao Sa took a deep breath, his heart sinking.

Given Landis’ personality, Xiao Sa had expected him to storm over, demand answers, start an argument, or force him to come back. Instead, he had sent a subordinate to retrieve the child.

This calmness wasn’t like Landis at all. Was it because he no longer cared, didn’t want to see him, or couldn’t forgive him?

With heavy steps, Xiao Sa left the garden and finally spotted Landis sitting under the awning.

Landis sat as upright as Xiao Sa remembered, one hand on the table, the other on his knee, his back straight. His face was expressionless, but his ice-blue eyes bore down on him with immense pressure and scrutiny.

For a full minute, neither spoke. Time seemed to stretch, the only sound being their pounding heartbeats, lost amidst the background noise.

When Xiao Sa stood before him, Landis' fingers on his knee tightened slightly, the muscles on his cheek twitching. He shifted his gaze to the flower bed beside him, his lowered lashes hiding the shadowed emotions in his eyes.

Though he had so much to say, he didn’t know where to begin.

Xiao Sa’s lips pressed into a straight line. Did Landis not even want to look at him?

His throat bobbed, and he spoke first. "The last time you helped me leave, did the royals suspect you?"

Landis thought, he’s indeed most concerned about exposure.

He suppressed his emotions and replied calmly. "No."

Xiao Sa breathed a slight sigh of relief. All along, his greatest fear had been that Landis would be implicated. Landis hadn’t come for him, and Xiao Sa had considered all sorts of reasons why. Perhaps the royals had suspected Landis, forcing him into silence.

Since that didn't seem to be the case, it became clear that Landis never intended to come looking for him.

Xiao Sa was still unwilling to give up, holding onto a sliver of hope as he asked again, "That child, Little Star, is he really your biological son?"

Landis felt a surge of anger. Is this what he really wanted?

No matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn't suppress his tone and replied stiffly, "Of course!"

If it wasn't his child, did Xiao Sa have the child instead? After all, Xiao Sa could have gotten himself pregnant, yet he deceived him and still didn't want to acknowledge the child even after he was born.

Xiao Sa's heart sank, a chill spreading through his body, realizing that Landis really had a biological child behind his back...

Seeing Xiao Sa's solemn and worried expression, Landis felt his heart tighten even more.

Feeling agitated, he almost reached for his cigarettes but forced himself to hold back, the frustration and anger building inside him with no release.

Several times, he wanted to confront Xiao Sa, have a big argument, or even vent his suppressed love and hatred. Maybe just fight and drag him back by force, locking him away and keeping him there for days until he gave in.

His chest heaved as he recalled Caro's earlier advice, and in the end, he still forcibly restrained those possessive and controlling desires, forcing himself to remain calm.

Landis closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he looked at Xiao Sa and asked in a low voice, "That person... do you have a new family now?"

In truth, he wanted to ask if Xiao Sa had a new lover, but he really didn't want to utter those two words.

Still lost in thought about Landis having a child, Xiao Sa blinked slowly, then perked up a bit when he heard the word 'family.' He nodded and said, "Yeah, I found my family. Do you want me to introduce them to you?"

"No, I don't want to meet them!" The jealousy and anger that Landis had been suppressing flared up again, making his tone and expression extremely unpleasant.

Xiao Sa had really moved on without him! He had a new family and didn't want Landis or the child anymore!

What misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding—his worst fears were confirmed.

Landis's hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white, fingers trembling with anger.

Xiao Sa stared blankly at Landis, the last bit of vague hope shattered by the decisive and disgusted attitude.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Landis obviously cared a great deal about their races; his elder brother had just been comforting him with what he wanted to hear.

Landis turned his gaze away again, his heart feeling like it was being tightly clenched, and asked in a low voice, "Is he good to you?"

He really didn't know what kind of mood he was in to ask that question.

What was lacking in him compared to that person?

Was it because he was cold and stubborn, unable to use sweet words to make him happy, or unable to evoke pity like a damsel in distress? Isn't that what men fall for?

Xiao Sa felt a mix of sourness and warmth in his heart, a complicated and uncomfortable feeling, but he couldn't help feeling a bit of warmth from this concern.

Was Landis still concerned about him, or was this just polite conversation between exes?

He silently nodded and said, "We've been apart for so long. I thought they were all gone, but it took a lot of effort to finally reunite."

Landis's breath hitched, and he abruptly looked up at him.

So, it was a childhood love. They had known each other forever, and he only married him because he thought the other was dead. As soon as he found his old lover, he couldn't wait to break up with him!

He was the one who came later? What a huge joke.

Landis was on the verge of jealousy-driven madness, and he stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth like a trapped beast with no way out, repeatedly reminding himself to stay calm with Caro's earlier words.

Xiao Sa was startled, looking at him in surprise. "Does Landis care so much about my clan?"

He couldn't help but explain, "Landis, my clan and I have settled outside; we didn't come to the Dawn Empire. It's just the two of us here."

Landis furrowed his brow. "Regarding your race, the royal family has been sending mech beasts to track down your whereabouts. You—"

He paused, his tone stiff. "Don't bring anyone else here!"

"If the mech beasts find you, it could be dangerous," Landis said seriously, gazing deeply into his eyes.

Without realizing it, Xiao Sa's eyes had also turned black, just like that person's.

Landis felt a suffocating sense of panic. "Don't do anything dangerous. If it threatens the empire, the royal family will take more drastic actions."

Landis didn't know what plans or intentions Xiao Sa's clan harbored. He could tolerate Xiao Sa because he understood and loved him deeply.

But that didn't mean he would lower his guard against a group of aliens, nor did it mean the royal family would tolerate them.

Xiao Sa was suddenly struck by a wave of shock. Landis was warning him.

Yes, the words from the past were still vivid in his mind; Landis' attitude toward alien races hadn't changed.

In the past, he could have confidently assured Landis that his clan had nothing to do with the so-called "humanoid mutants."

But now, the more he interacted with and understood the mutants, the less certain he was. Those mutants really resembled Alpha beings that had undergone mutations.

So, this was why Landis had decided to separate from him...

All the worst speculations had come true.

Xiao Sa lowered his gaze, something swelling painfully in his chest.

Landis stared intently at his face, his hand at his side clenching into a fist and then relaxing repeatedly.

Was Xiao Sa worried about his lover? Or was he planning to elope with his old flame?

The pain of losing him and the desire to keep him intertwined, like a monster gnawing at his heart.

In the past, he would have taken Xiao Sa by force, even using their child or his ex-lover as leverage.

But the echoes of their past conflicts were still fresh. Would they be doomed to repeat the same mistakes?

He wanted to follow his heart, using his power and their child to keep him. But could he really ignore Xiao Sa's feelings?

Landis took deep breaths, the emotions in his eyes suppressed to the extreme. His nails dug deeply into his palm. He had never been so indecisive.

The tension between them was like a bow pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment.

In the end, Landis gave in. He closed his eyes deeply, a bitter and salty heat stuck in his throat, which he swallowed down forcibly.

"You—" Landis struggled to speak, "What are your plans next? Do you... intend to leave?"

What decision would Xiao Sa make? He probably wouldn't want to go with him. Could he really respect Xiao Sa's decision and calmly accept his departure?

Landis couldn't bear to meet his gaze, fearing that one more look would shatter his carefully maintained control.

When he heard those words, Xiao Sa was momentarily stunned.

He blinked slowly, turning the sentence over in his mind three times before gradually realizing that Landis actually hoped he would leave.

Landis has changed; he's not the same as before. From what he knew of Landis, he had always been domineering and arrogant, loving to give orders and make decisions for him, especially when it came to his safety.

Landis had always been so confident and proud, always believing that the outside world was full of danger and only he could protect him.

Back then, Xiao Sa was only thinking about his clan, always feeling that Landis was hindering him, his controlling nature felt suffocating.

Now that he thought about it, wasn't it because he cared too much, cherished too much, and was too afraid of losing?

And now? Landis didn't demand that he come with him like before. Even when he was fighting humanoid mutants on a desolate planet every day, he wasn't worried anymore.

Landis no longer loved him, so he didn't care...

Xiao Sa's thoughts ground to a halt, a wave of emotions surged through him, catching in his throat.

Until now, he finally realized that he had been hiding things, lying, and making decisions without thinking of the consequences, all because he was relying on the fact that Landis loved him.

He accused Landis of not respecting him, but he was no better.

He had long anticipated this outcome and thought he could accept a divorce, as long as Landis was safe, healthy, and happy, even moving on to a new relationship or marriage, he could offer his blessings.

It wasn't until this moment that he realized how wrong he had been.

He always talked about preparing for the worst, but deep down, he still harbored hope, that even though there were countless barriers between them, he still hoped that Landis would still love him and accept him after learning everything.

That's why, as soon as he heard that the empire's borders were unsealed, he rushed back, telling his family it was to investigate the secrets of his race, telling Broken Peak it was to gather information and strengthen his career.

The true desire in his heart was just to see Landis again.

Now that hope was completely shattered, and Landis had withdrawn his love, he finally realized that he had fallen for him deeply and couldn't accept Landis letting go.

He should be content, his clan had been found, his family was safe, his career was thriving, and Landis had also moved on from the hurt he caused him, had a child, and possibly another lover, continuing his life as an imperial admiral, peaceful and stable.

What else could he want?

Damaged wounds eventually heal, just as love can also be exhausted.

Xiao Sa let out a deep sigh, his chest feeling as if a huge stone was pressing down on it.

He gazed deeply at Landis's profile, the icy blue eyes, and his heart gradually softened, finally lowering his gaze.

Until this moment, he realized more than ever, even if Landis no longer loved him, even if there was a child, even if there was a divide between their races, and countless future difficulties, he still liked him.

Like the rosebud in Landis's mental sea, whether it bloomed or not, the moonlight would always shine on it.

Landis couldn't help it, turning to look at Xiao Sa again, only to see him lost in thought.

He breathed deeply, his lips pressing into a tight line. He had already conceded this much, why wasn't Xiao Sa satisfied?