Chapter 80: The Dust Settles

Chapter 80: The Dust Settles

The aircraft arrived at a villa complex on the outskirts of the city and parked in the garage. Hilmeth led Cang Cheng into the living room on the first floor.

Hilmeth’s blue eyes noticed the marks on Cang Cheng’s neck and wrists, and a flash of concern passed through them. However, the cold aura around him did not dissipate.

Hilmeth… is angry…

Looking at Hilmeth’s back, Cang Cheng sighed.

He touched his neck, wincing. It stung a bit.

He had actually taken some precautionary measures, covering his entire body with a layer of earth element isolation, effectively blocking electrocution and external force, preventing injury.

But to make the act more convincing, he had let down his guard slightly when his neck was being squeezed.

His skin was thin, so it looked a bit bruised now, but he was actually fine.

Hilmeth returned with some medicine.

He knelt down, rolled up Cang Cheng’s sleeves and pant legs, and dipped his index finger into the ointment, applying it gently.

As the medicine touched the bruised skin, a sensation of soreness spread.

"That hurts…"

Cang Cheng cried out.

Hilmeth remained silent, his blue eyes icy.

Only his actions became a bit gentler.

After treating Cang Cheng’s wrists and ankles, Hilmeth stood. "Look up."

Cang Cheng obediently looked up, revealing his vulnerable neck.

His large hand dipped into the ointment and gently applied it to the fragile neck, which he could easily encircle with one hand.

Cang Cheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed with each stroke, deepening Hilmeth’s gaze.

After finally finishing the treatment, a bit of sweat seeped through Hilmeth’s back.

Cang Cheng’s trust, evident in the way he exposed his vulnerable neck, stirred unsettling thoughts in Hilmeth’s mind.

His emotions were already unstable due to Cang Cheng’s capture, and now seeing him sitting there in front of him…

Hilmeth remained silent, needing a moment to collect himself.

"Take it easy for a bit."

With that, he turned to leave.

But Cang Cheng grabbed Hilmeth’s sleeve.

Hilmeth turned around, his gaze meeting Cang Cheng’s slightly red eyes.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight.

"Are you mad?"

The live stream on the enhanced AI visor was off, but Cang Cheng hadn’t taken off the glasses yet, so his eyes were still feeling sore. The discomfort made Cang Cheng’s voice come out a little hoarse.

Hilmeth’s heart softened, but he still kept a stern face.

"A little. You clearly could have avoided getting hurt."

Both of them knew the level of Cang Cheng's combat abilities. As long as Cang Cheng didn’t want to be hurt, no one from the Weapon Research Institute could harm him.

If they hadn’t underestimated him as just a regular civilian, Cang Cheng could have been hurt much worse.

"I just wanted to get this over with quickly. You've already found the evidence, but it's been suppressed, right? Isn't it because the weapon leak's impact is neither too big nor too small? Now that the evidence is solid, the trial should proceed much faster, right?"

Cang Cheng explained calmly.

Cang Cheng didn’t even bat an eye at these minor injuries. When he was on missions in the Siaxi Continent, he had been injured much more severely.

Besides, Hilmeth had endured far worse injuries than this.

There was no need for Hilmeth to be this upset, right?

"But I don’t want you to get hurt."

Hilmeth turned around, his gaze landing on Cang Cheng's face, silent.

No one knew how panicked and furious Hilmeth had been when he learned that Cang Cheng had been taken away for interrogation.

Although he had known all along that this was Cang Cheng's plan, Hilmeth was still uneasy.

He wanted to destroy everything that put Cang Cheng in danger.

Yet he was also anxious, afraid that Cang Cheng might suffer any harm.

In a direct violation of the law, Hilmeth gathered his troops without an official order and stormed into Cang Cheng's location.

This impulsive act was something Hilmeth would never have done before, as he had strictly followed the laws of the Canglan Star Region.

But all his usual restraint crumbled when it came to Cang Cheng.

Their eyes locked, and neither of them said another word.

Hilmeth’s emotions were all over the place, while Cang Cheng’s remained as calm as ever.

The deep night quietly blended into the blue realm of the sky, soothing the stormy heavens.

The two stood in a stalemate for a moment.

In the end, as always, Hilmeth was the first to break the silence.

He had long understood that he could never do anything to Cang Cheng.

"I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. And, thanks for what you did, Cang Cheng."

Hilmeth reached out, placing his hand near Cang Cheng's face, hesitating for a moment before letting it fall.

His rough fingers gently brushed the redness at the corner of Cang Cheng’s eye, carefully wiping away the moisture.

Touched by Hilmeth's slightly cool temperature, Cang Cheng felt a momentary discomfort, but soon, he was enveloped in the scent of cool mint.

Just like four months ago, the two were intimately familiar with each other.

Cang Cheng raised his hand and held onto Hilmeth's hand near his eye.

"You wouldn't think I was crying, would you, Hilmeth?"

After four months, saying that special name again made both of them slightly stunned, but also brought a sense of closure.

The thin layer of transparent glass had been pierced in such a natural way, which neither of them had anticipated.

Cang Cheng had once thought that when he saw Hilmeth again, he would give him a piece of his mind for not revealing his real name.

Why did he keep lying to me for so long, not even telling me his name? It was really over the top.

However, when he actually saw Hilmeth, Cang Cheng was angry at first, but more than that, he felt relieved.

Hilmeth was still alive, still handsome, and held a high position.

He was happy for him.

Hilmeth's pure black eyes landed on someone who seemed a bit uneasy, and Cang Cheng's faint smile appeared. "Hilmeth, what's wrong? Don't want to admit it?"

With a mischievous smile, Cang Cheng traced Hilmeth's palm with his thumb, causing the latter's fingers to involuntarily tense up.

"No, Cang Cheng."

Hilmeth's heart was beating fast.

The joy of being acknowledged, along with his love, possessiveness, and mischievousness for Cang Cheng, all these emotions swirled together like a kaleidoscope, dyeing his beautiful blue eyes with complex emotions.

Everyone said that Hilmeth was like polar ice, cold and hard.

But Hilmeth knew he was not just ice or snow; he was a volcano covered in snow, and the cold was just his disguise.

And now, Hilmeth had found the one person he wanted to reveal his true warmth to.

Unable to hold back, Hilmeth leaned in and embraced Cang Cheng.

He lowered his head and gently whispered in Cang Cheng's ear, which was just inches away, "I'm back, Cang Cheng."

Surrounded by Hilmeth's presence, Cang Cheng did not struggle.

His hands, which were by his sides, paused for a moment, and finally, he wrapped them around Hilmeth's lean waist.

"Welcome back, Hilmeth."

Having accepted each other's identities, Cang Cheng and Hilmeth, like breaking through a barrier, transitioned from a cautious, distant relationship to one where they could stay in the same room together.

After washing up, Cang Cheng lay down, while Hilmeth sat against the headboard, their distance extremely close.

Cang Cheng, as before, had little defense against Hilmeth, with half of his arm touching the other's body.

Everything seemed unchanged.

Cang Cheng poked Hilmeth's chest with his finger. "In the three months you were back on the main planet, why didn't you contact me? You knew my account, right?"

Hilmeth confessed, "At that time, my strength had not recovered, and the weapon leakage case had no leads. I was worried someone could track our conversations and find you, so I didn't contact you. I'm sorry, Cang Cheng."

Cang Cheng continued to jab, jabbing hard, as if he could make Hilmeth feel the pain and vent his frustration.

"Then why didn't you tell me your real name when you stayed by my side for so long?"

Hilmeth deliberately relaxed his body, allowing Cang Cheng to jab. It was difficult for him, but he let Cang Cheng continue without resistance.

"I like hearing you call me Mo, and I was afraid that if you knew my real identity, you would distance yourself from me."

When Hilmeth first used the pseudonym, he indeed intended to hide his identity; at that time, he didn’t trust Cang Cheng.

However, during their time together, hearing Cang Cheng call him 'Mo' over and over, he loved hearing Cang Cheng use that name, which felt uniquely his.

It gave him a secret joy.

Because he cared so much, he feared losing Cang Cheng and didn’t want to risk breaking the connection by speaking up.

Cang Cheng stopped his jabbing.

He recalled the suffocating feeling when he found out from the Gate of Truth that 'Mo' wasn’t his real name, as if the world had turned gray.

Feeling uncomfortable and unhappy, he wanted to lash out.

Cang Cheng grabbed Hilmeth’s hand, opened his mouth, and bit down hard.

He didn’t release his grip until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

Hilmeth’s expression remained calm, showing no dissatisfaction with the bite marks on his wrist. Instead, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

He even wished Cang Cheng would do it again.

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a powerful arm, and brought it to Cang Cheng's lips: "There are no bones here, it won't hurt your teeth."

Cang Cheng pushed Xilimus' arm away: "Aren't you angry?"

Xilimus shook his head.

He turned his gaze, his clear blue eyes shimmering with a subtle light, like the pure brilliance of a gemstone.

"I'm sorry for hiding my identity from you before. Please forgive me. You can punish me however you see fit."

Whether in human or alien form, Xilimus' eyes were always beautiful.

His deep-set eyes, fiery red and dazzling, or clear blue and pure, were the kind Cang Cheng liked.

Under the captivating gaze of Xilimus' blue eyes, so sincere and gentle without a hint of sharpness, even the slightest bit of dissatisfaction in Cang Cheng's heart melted away.

He reached out and gently brushed over the bite mark on Xilimus' wrist.

"This is the punishment for your concealment. Since I've already punished you, I forgive you."

Xilimus suddenly smiled, making everything around him seem dull in comparison.

Cang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he tried to avoid that smile.

Now that everything was out in the open, the burden in their hearts was lifted.

Cang Cheng pulled Xilimus into conversation, chatting about this and that, and showing interest in every part of Xilimus' body.

Like the forehead with its long horns in alien form, the bright red-gold eyes, the sharp black nails, and... the fluffy tail that Cang Cheng couldn't stop thinking about.

"So, the tail... it doesn't come out when you're in human form?"

Cang Cheng's gaze drifted towards a certain part of Hilmeth.

"No."

Hilmeth's voice tightened. "It only shows up when I'm in my exotic form."

Cang Cheng couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. "So... you don't like your exotic appearance?"

"Yes," Hilmeth didn't deny it. "Because of my exotic heritage, my father never really liked me or paid much attention to me. It wasn't until His Majesty appeared and took me away that I was able to leave my father's family.

To avoid causing unrest in the military if they found out the upper general of the Canglan Star Region is of exotic descent, very few people know about my true identity. I don't particularly like being in my exotic form because it's harder to control."

Hilmeth was now able to calmly recount the past that he had once been most unwilling to face. As he spoke, he kept an eye on Cang Cheng's expression, afraid that Cang Cheng might show even the slightest dislike.

Cang Cheng hummed softly. "I love your exotic form, Hilmeth. If others don't like it, that's just their loss."

Hilmeth's heart skipped a beat, his pulse quickening.

Does Cang Cheng... like it?

Cang Cheng propped himself up and leaned in closer, his pure black eyes openly conveying his admiration.

"Exotic you is very handsome, your eyes full of murderous intent, your horns very imposing, giving a great sense of security, but what I like the most is your fluffy tail."

With each word Cang Cheng spoke, Hilmeth's heartbeat grew more erratic, the veins on the back of his hand pulsing faintly.

Cang Cheng's eyes curved with a rising intonation. "Can I see your exotic form? Please?"

Hilmeth turned his face slightly to the side, surrounded by Cang Cheng's face, Cang Cheng's breath, and Cang Cheng's heartbeat, his thoughts not entirely clear.

After a brief pause, he responded in a deeper, almost strained voice. "Yes."

Hilmeth focused his mental energy, and in an instant, his silver hair darkened to black, his blue eyes shifted to a fiery red, and a pair of imposing horns emerged from his forehead.

Though his face remained the same, the intense, almost menacing aura surrounding him made it hard to reconcile this exotic figure with the cold, distant upper general.

This was the first time Hilmeth had voluntarily transformed into his exotic form in front of someone else.

He had nothing hidden from Cang Cheng.

His amber eyes locked onto Cang Cheng, burning with an intensity that seemed to flicker like flames, filled with raw, uncontainable emotion.

Seeing the familiar appearance again, Cang Cheng's heartbeat raced, which felt unusual.

He admired the exotic form, liked the exotic form, but no matter how much he admired it, he shouldn't... lose control of his heartbeat just from seeing the other person, right?

When he was with Hilmeth before, he didn't feel this way.

Could it be that he... had feelings for Hilmeth?

Cang Cheng only half understood and instinctively avoided Hilmeth's focused gaze.

"Why aren't you looking at me?"

Hilmeth asked in a low voice.

His voice was slightly deeper in his exotic state, carrying a natural sense of pressure.

Cang Cheng blinked and looked back, but his breath hitched when he met the other's bright amber eyes.

He looks pretty good.

Cang Cheng changed the subject, "Where’s your tail at?"

The fluffy tail suddenly appeared in front of Cang Cheng, waving around.

Cang Cheng seemed to realize something. "So, does that mean... the back of your pants?"

Hilmeth sighed helplessly.

The fluffy tail, all worked up from seeing Cang Cheng, practically pounced on him.

This time, Hilmeth didn't control his tail, and the big, fluffy black tail brushed against Cang Cheng's pale neck, making him look like he was being playfully attacked by a hyper little black dog.

The soft touch spread over his sensitive skin, sending a ticklish sensation down his neck, and Cang Cheng let out a low moan. "That’s ticklish..."

But Cang Cheng had no intention of pushing the tail away.

This was the exact fluffy tail he'd been fantasizing about!

Why would he push it away when he’d been dying to get close to it?

With that thought, Cang Cheng leaned down and took a deep sniff of the tail.

It smelled like fresh mint—so good.

The tail froze for a moment, then swayed unsteadily like it was drunk.

Blushing, the tail curled up and tried to sneak under Cang Cheng’s collar, exploring further.

Its movements were quick and agile, so fast that Cang Cheng didn’t notice when two of his buttons were undone, revealing a patch of fair skin.

That’s when Hilmeth grabbed the tail.

Hilmeth’s eyes darkened, and he looked like he was holding back something intense, every muscle tense.

His gaze on Cang Cheng was unconcealed, giving off the illusion that he wanted to mark Cang Cheng with his scent entirely.

Deeply. And never letting go.

But in the end, he only gently pinched Cang Cheng's face. "It's getting late, you should rest! I'm in the room next to yours, call me if you need anything."

With that, he got up and quickly left the room.

Cang Cheng touched his neck, which had been brushed by the tail; it no longer itched, but it felt warm.

He grabbed the pillow beside him and hugged it, squeezing it in his arms.

But the texture of the pillow was too soft, not as good as a certain someone's texture.

Cang Cheng threw the pillow away and buried himself in the blanket, his heart beating fast and unable to calm down.

That night, neither Cang Cheng nor Hilmeth slept well.