Chapter 156 The Identity of the Female Protagonist

Chapter 156 The Identity of the Female Protagonist

When Shen Zhixue opened his eyes, he felt like his whole body was about to fall apart.

He had slept for a long time, and the dim light in the room was just right, making his drowsiness linger.

"Jiang Huizhou," he called softly.

No one responded beside him.

Shen Zhixue felt an inexplicable sense of loss. He lay in bed for a while, then threw off the covers and dashed out of the room barefoot.

The living room was empty. Neither Jiang Huizhou nor Jiang Xingliu was there, and the girl they had brought back was also nowhere to be found.

Shen Zhixue raised his arm to activate his light brain, paused for a moment, and then remembered that Jiang Xingliu was supposed to return to the military academy today, and Chen Yin... Her decision to follow Jiang Xingliu had been anticipated by both him and Jiang Huizhou.

No matter how clever she was, she was just a teenager, with limited cunning and little patience.

If it had been someone else, they might have fallen for her act.

Unfortunately, she ran into a genius-level big pervert and a not-so-dumb little pervert.

Shen Zhixue sat in the living room for a bit, then got up to rummage for something to eat in the kitchen.

Just as he opened the fridge and started rummaging, he suddenly heard the front door open behind him, accompanied by a cheerful mechanical voice.

"Welcome home, Master."

Shen Zhixue turned his head and saw Jiang Huizhou walking in from the entrance, laden with bags of all sizes, and changing his shoes in the entryway.

He looked up and saw Shen Zhixue, quickly put down what he was carrying, and walked straight over, scooping Shen Zhixue up: "How old are you? Don’t you know to wear shoes when you come out?"

Shen Zhixue was momentarily stunned, only then realizing he wasn’t wearing shoes.

It seemed he had forgotten in his haste to find Jiang Huizhou earlier.

But he would never admit to such a thing, even if beaten to death. He could only blush at the tips of his ears and retort hoarsely, pridefully: "It’s no big deal."

Jiang Huizhou carried him to the sofa, cradling his feet in his arms to warm them, and whispered: "Frozen like this and it’s no big deal? Who are you trying to make feel sorry for, you little brat?"

Shen Zhixue hissed, pulling his feet back: "Stop... that, you’re being a pervert."

Jiang Huizhou laughed in exasperation: "I’m kindly warming your feet, and you’re calling me a pervert, huh?"

Shen Zhixue grumbled: "Aren’t you? Last night, who was it... who insisted on making me, and even made me say those things? You’re really a pervert."

"What things?" Jiang Huizhou raised an eyebrow, leaning in with a smirk: "Was it that?"

"..." Shen Zhixue turned his head away, silent.

Jiang Huizhou spoke up: "Was I really that excessive?"

Shen Zhixue nodded indignantly: "Yes! What else could it be?"

"Did you say it then?"

"... I was, I was forced by you."

Jiang Huizhou’s expression turned even more mischievous: "Oh? How did I force you? Explain it carefully."

Shen Zhixue slapped Jiang Huizhou across the face with a loud smack: "Have some decency!"

Jiang Huizhou wasn’t angry after being hit; instead, he let out a soft hiss and put on a pitiful expression: "Zhi Zhi, that was quite a hit."

Shen Zhixue gave him a speechless glance.

Well, that slap seemed to make him happy.

"Alright, you sit here. I’ll grab your shoes," Jiang Huizhou stood up and walked into the room, quickly returning with Shen Zhixue’s blue fluffy bunny slippers. He said, "I wanted to surprise you with some cooking, but after trying, I feel my success rate probably wouldn’t exceed twenty percent."

Shen Zhixue watched as Jiang Huizhou knelt in front of him, gently slipping the shoes onto his feet, feeling a bit awkward.

Jiang Huizhou acted like he was taking care of a helpless baby, and he seemed to enjoy it.

He shuffled over to the table in his slippers and glanced at the things Jiang Huizhou had brought back: "So you just grabbed takeout?"

"Yeah, things with such a low chance of success aren’t worth it, and I was worried the noise might disturb your sleep," Jiang Huizhou suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I figured what I made probably wouldn’t taste good anyway. How could I let you eat something like that?"

Shen Zhixue joked, "I thought you were fine using me as a guinea pig before."

Jiang Huizhou paused for a moment, then quickly unpacked the takeout boxes and said eagerly, "Want to give it a try?"

Shen Zhixue coughed and awkwardly explained, "I didn’t mean it like that. It just slipped out… I mean, you know how I talk. There’s no other meaning. You know what I mean, right?"

Jiang Huizhou tilted his head: "I’m not sure, but as long as it’s you, anything you say is fine."

"It’s not fine," Shen Zhixue put down his chopsticks and spoke seriously. "I know what I just said must have hurt you. We agreed not to revisit the past, so I need to apologize to you. Jiang Huizhou, I’m sorry."

"Bring it up. Why not bring it up?" Jiang Huizhou said, "The more you avoid it, the more I worry. I’m afraid you’re hiding some big move, waiting for me, like that cold war in the outer star system. I really can’t handle it. I’m scared, Zhi Zhi."

Shen Zhixue looked at Jiang Huizhou, and his expression didn’t seem fake.

He sighed and reached out to touch Jiang Huizhou’s face: "Once everything is settled, do you want to come back to the outer star system with me? We can find a place and live a life like we did in our time."

Jiang Huizhou nuzzled against his palm, obedient like a big dog: "What was life like in your time?"

Shen Zhixue thought for a moment: "Growing flowers, keeping birds, not a lot of money, just enough to get by. When we’re bored, we can sit in a rocking chair in a blooming courtyard, read books, play chess, games, or do some… well, things we can’t talk about."

"Okay," Jiang Huizhou agreed before Shen Zhixue even finished speaking. He pinched Shen Zhixue’s little finger and rubbed it: "As long as you’re with me, I’m fine with anything."

Shen Zhixue nodded and picked up his chopsticks: "Let’s dig in first. By the way, what about Chen Yin…"

"With Jiang Xingliu around, nothing will go wrong," Jiang Huizhou said while serving Shen Zhixue some food. "I’ve already made arrangements. We’re just waiting for the big fish to take the bait. You can just relax and have fun."

Shen Zhixue had no reason to doubt Jiang Huizhou’s competence. While others might think ten steps ahead, he could think a hundred.

As for Chen Yin’s little tricks, they probably only fool Du Du.

Thinking of Du Du, Shen Zhixue suddenly remembered that since the last pheromone incident, he hadn’t had a chance to ask about Du Du’s condition.

He called Lu Qingwan to ask about Du Du’s recent state.

"The doctor said the situation isn’t good," Lu Qingwan’s voice sounded tired over the communication. "Because the complications are so severe, Du Du isn’t even allowed his usual three hours of open window time anymore. He’s just stuck staring at white walls and medical equipment all day. I can’t stand it, let alone Du Du… He hasn’t eaten for several days and is only surviving on nutrient fluids."

Shen Zhixue frowned: "Why did it suddenly get so much worse?"

"This is the capital planet after all. Even in a safe house, there are plenty of Alphas passing by every day. So Qingyan and I are planning to take Du Du to a more remote planet for a while."

Shen Zhixue quickly asked, "Where to? How long?"

"We'll come back when Du Du is fully recovered," Lu Qingwan sighed. "We were hoping the kids could say goodbye, but given Du Du's current condition, it's impossible. His emotions can't have any fluctuations now, or it will definitely trigger a hormonal imbalance."

"I messed up by not handling it better," Shen Zhixue said guiltily. "If I hadn't brought Chen Yin, Du Du wouldn't have deteriorated so quickly."

"That little girl..." Lu Qingwan hesitated halfway through her sentence. "Do you know her true identity?"

Shen Zhixue asked, "Are you implying that she's not just Chen Zhe's daughter?"

Lu Qingwan said in a low, serious voice, "...Chen Zhe's daughter has been dead for a long time."