Chapter 150: I Don’t Accept

Chapter 150: I Won’t Accept It

Qi Zhengqing: "Did you settle the stray dog?"

Song Yuqing settled into the passenger seat. "All taken care of."

"Why bother with him?" Song Yuqing buckled his seatbelt, speaking to Qi Zhengqing.

But Qi Zhengqing leaned over first, grasping the seatbelt and fastening it, his thumb brushing the skin of Song Yuqing’s neck.

Brushing over the deliberately left mark of provocation.

"If I hadn’t made a fuss, would you have even come home today?"

Song Yuqing followed Qi Zhengqing’s gaze and lowered his head, only to accidentally brush his lips against the alpha’s nose, his forehead bumping into Qi Zhengqing’s.

Seemingly dazed by the impact, the young man let out a soft hiss.

His lips parted, releasing an unusually clear, cool scent.

The alpha’s Adam’s apple moved with slow, deliberate motion, contemplating a kiss.

But almost immediately, Song Yuqing leaned back slightly. "You hurt me."

His tone was flat, stating a twisted version of the truth.

Qi Zhengqing’s voice was low. "Sorry."

No sooner had the apology left his lips than the alpha cupped Song Yuqing’s neck, cutting off his retreat, and pressed his mouth to Song Yuqing’s.

Song Yuqing’s fingers naturally threaded through Qi Zhengqing’s hair, brushing against the roots.

Even as the alpha cut off his escape, he still sought to maintain control.

After kissing for a while, Song Yuqing pulled Qi Zhengqing away, tilting his head back. The outer corners of his eyes were flushed red, his breathing uneven. "That’s enough."

"Why didn’t you take your medicine on time?" Song Yuqing asked after catching his breath.

Qi Zhengqing: "I wanted to pick you up first."

"Should I give you the injection later?" Qi Zhengqing asked while driving.

Song Yuqing: "Mhm."

"You always wait for me to come home before taking your medicine. What if one day I’m not here? Would you just skip it?" Song Yuqing’s fingers unconsciously tapped against the car window as a snowstorm raged outside.

He found Qi Zhengqing’s habits too stubborn.

Qi Zhengqing: "I’ll wait for you. You’ll come back."

"You won’t just not come home, right?" The alpha’s tone was calm.

Qi Zhengqing turned his head, his dark eyes intensely focused under the light—a focus that felt almost suffocating, like invisible ropes coiling tightly around them.

Song Yuqing: "Mm."

Even if he didn’t agree, Qi Zhengqing never put off taking his medicine for too long, always keeping it within controllable limits.

Back home, Song Yuqing gave Qi Zhengqing the injection and handed him the Prometheus-3 medication.

Over the past year, not only had the war at the border between Westland and Xinzhou achieved phased results, but Song Yuqing’s Prometheus had also progressed from the first generation to the second and third.

Prometheus-2 was designed specifically for alphas in the military. Compared to Prometheus-1, it reduced the time alphas spent in drowsiness, making it more suitable for combat. However, its downside was clear—it wasn’t as effective as Prometheus-3.

Meanwhile, most alphas in non-combat zones used Prometheus-3. Clinical studies showed that Prometheus-3 helped alphas navigate their rut cycles more smoothly.

It allowed alphas to endure psychic turbulence in their sleep, reducing the irreversible physical damage caused by such episodes to two-thirds of the original severity.

After a year of medication and conditioning, Qi Zhengqing’s lifespan had probably gained back at least half a year.

However, the irreversible damage from years of psychic turbulence still remained.

At thirty-three, a top-tier alpha like Qi Zhengqing was at the peak of both strength and experience, with added maturity and stability. If not for the threat of death, this would be the prime age for an alpha.

Time was everything. If Qi Zhengqing could hold out for two more years, Song Yuqing was confident he could keep him alive.

After swallowing the pill, Qi Zhengqing heard Song Yuqing say, "Rest well for a week."

Qi Zhengqing kissed Song Yuqing’s brow. "During this time…"

Before he could finish, Song Yuqing interrupted, "I know. Just rest."

Qi Zhengqing always asked for the same thing before slipping into drowsiness: for Song Yuqing to promise not to take risks and to prioritize his own safety.

Song Yuqing could recite it word for word without even hearing him.

Qi Zhengqing held Song Yuqing’s hand. "Are you cold?"

Song Yuqing, lost in thoughts about his experiments and matters in Xinzhou, was pulled back to reality by Qi Zhengqing’s voice. "No."

Qi Zhengqing: "I’ll hold you while you sleep."

Song Yuqing tilted his head slightly, as if emphasizing that he wasn’t cold.

Qi Zhengqing explained, "Even if you’re not cold, I still want to hold you. Let me hold you, Qingqing."

Nestled in Qi Zhengqing’s arms, Song Yuqing wasn’t very sleepy.

"It snowed today. I thought you might be cold."

Song Yuqing was completely enveloped in the alpha’s embrace, almost swallowed by his warmth. "I’m not afraid of the cold anymore."

Song Yuqing finally understood why Qi Zhengqing had come to pick him up.

Just like five years ago, when he said he was cold, Qi Zhengqing would come to Sri Lanka to find him. Over the past five years, Qi Zhengqing had been by his side for the first snow of each year.

Holding him close, enveloping him in warmth, melting the chill of those years past with his body heat, one snowfall at a time.

"Being afraid of the cold isn’t a bad thing," Qi Zhengqing said, holding Song Yuqing’s hand. "Don’t push yourself too hard."

Song Yuqing stirred slightly.

A slight, intentional movement from the "kitten" in his arms told Qi Zhengqing that Song Yuqing was annoyed with him.

A faint, resigned smile touched Qi Zhengqing’s eyes. "Mm, of course. You’re strong—it’s not about pushing yourself."

Song Yuqing was only soothed by these words, settling back against the alpha's arm.

Qi Zhengqing: "If you need anything, you have to tell others, understand?"

"Needing companionship is completely normal. Humans are social animals; we need companionship. We're not isolated islands."

Song Yuqing gave Qi Zhengqing a light kick, "Are you going to sleep or not?"

Qi Zhengqing: "..."

Song Yuqing didn’t like hearing Qi Zhengqing talk like this, as if he were about to die any second now.

He knew what Qi Zhengqing was laying the groundwork for, but he didn’t like the way Qi Zhengqing was preparing him for it.

Qi Zhengqing fell silent, but the more Song Yuqing thought about it, the more it bothered him.

"You don’t trust me."

Song Yuqing sat up, apparently furious, and threw a pillow at Qi Zhengqing.

Qi Zhengqing caught the pillow and stared at the back of Song Yuqing’s head, which was practically steaming with anger.

"It’s not that I don’t trust you."

"It’s that I don’t trust myself."

The alpha’s voice was soft, but it fell like a whisper in a vast, snowy night, sinking into Song Yuqing’s heart, making it feel heavy and bone-chillingly cold.

Having reached this position, he couldn’t just hand over everything he'd worked for over the years.

Power came with weight; it required management and demanded even more effort.

He had to focus on the front lines, develop new medications, and ensure the stability of Xinzhou.

No matter how confident he was in himself, there would still be moments of exhaustion and moments of dread.

Qi Zhengqing’s words—"It’s that I don’t trust myself"—undoubtedly hit right at Song Yuqing’s deepest fears.

What if...

What if he really didn’t manage to develop the drug in time?

Qi Zhengqing knew that making Song Yuqing face this reality was cruel.

But he didn’t want to rush things. He wanted Song Yuqing to take care of himself, to be good to himself.

"Qingqing, you have to accept the possibility of this happening."

"I don’t accept it." Song Yuqing’s voice was cold and calm. "Just sleep. No more talking."

He wouldn’t accept it.

He was greedy—he wanted the pinnacle of power, and he wanted Qi Zhengqing to live.

Qi Zhengqing’s mention of what might happen actually made Song Yuqing less worried.

Outcomes depend on human effort, after all.

Nothing is impossible.

Song Yuqing’s emotions grew even calmer. "Go to sleep. You have to trust me."

Qi Zhengqing: "Qingqing..."

"Shut up." Song Yuqing turned over and covered Qi Zhengqing’s mouth, shooting him a cold glare. "Don’t say another word."

Qi Zhengqing: "..."

Qi Zhengqing placed his hand on Song Yuqing’s shoulder and drew him into his arms.

Qi Zhengqing fell asleep.

The next day, Song Yuqing didn’t go to the parliament, nor did he visit Ye Siling. Instead, he went to his own laboratory.

The assistant did a double-take when he arrived at the office. What's Teacher Song doing here today? And so early?

Since the successful development of Prometheus-3, Song Yuqing had barely been showing up at the lab lately.

Song Yuqing was busy—everyone in the lab knew that.

Even when Song Yuqing was in the lab, he was swamped with countless tasks.

Honestly, as a researcher, he couldn’t even imagine how much energy Song Yuqing had to expend balancing research with managing Xinzhou’s affairs.

Personally, when he got home, all he wanted to do was crash and sleep like a log.

"Good morning, Teacher Song."

Song Yuqing nodded and replied, "Good morning."

After changing his clothes and washing his hands, the assistant entered the experimental zone. "Teacher Song, what’s our next research project?"

"Research on how to instantly freeze chatty alphas, monitor their consciousness until they fall completely silent, and then thaw them."

Assistant: "Huh?"

The assistant wanted to ask if Song Yuqing was joking, but when he looked at Song Yuqing, at his pale, sharp profile and his dark, coldly lowered eyelashes, the white lab coat making him appear even more aloof and analytical, he felt that Song Yuqing didn’t seem to be joking.

Freezing an alpha was possible, but survival was the real question.

Ah, this idea was pretty crazy.

"What I mean is, accelerate the development of Prometheus-4, allowing alphas to enter longer periods of sleep and further reduce the irreversible effects of psychic instability."

Song Yuqing turned to his bewildered assistant. "Call everyone for a meeting."