Chapter 160: His Lover

Chapter 160 His Beloved

Su Quan leaned back in his chair.

Because of Song Yuqing, he wants to fight his way out?

It’s true that a moderately capable alpha wouldn’t easily fall into despair or give up on himself.

So, would he choose to become worthless in front of Song Yuqing? If he becomes useless, he’ll have nothing left—he won’t even be an adulterer, let alone rescue his own lover.

An alpha like Pei Huai, so flamboyant and arrogant, probably couldn’t stand becoming useless.

Su Quan mused casually.

He was looking forward to when Song Yuqing and Pei Huai would meet.

Pei Huai had spent all his energy but still hadn’t broken free from the chains. The iron hooks gouged into his flesh, leaving him with no escape.

“Conserve your strength.”

The one speaking to Pei Huai was the same alpha who had earlier told him not to think about Song Yuqing.

No one dared to approach Pei Huai in his frenzied state, so the task of guarding him naturally fell to this poor guy.

“He’s here?” Pei Huai still refused to accept this reality.

“He’s really good to you. He even came to rescue you.”

The alpha had revised his earlier view.

Love is easy to talk about, but few are willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of their lover.

Pei Huai’s wife isn’t just someone who abuses him, either.

Pei Huai closed his eyes and said nothing.

“Conserve your strength; maybe you’ll still get to see him.”

“Don’t they say S+-rank alphas like you are remarkable? One alpha can hold their own against thousands.”

It seemed like he was giving Pei Huai false hope, but Pei Huai only felt despair.

He had tried to save himself, struggling again and again, but he still hadn’t managed to escape this place.

For the first time, he felt completely helpless.

Song Yuqing’s fingers brushed against the surface of the rock as he recalled the geographical location of the border between Westland and Neoland, along with previously stored data.

Song Yuqing was almost certain that this mine belonged to Neoland.

Su Quan must have lived here before—perhaps he was once a miner without papers.

People always develop a special obsession with the places they’ve spent a long time in.

Especially someone like Su Quan. Whether in death or success, Su Quan wanted this place to be witness to his legacy.

Su Quan’s face behind the mask was concealed in the darkness, observing Song Yuqing’s actions from afar.

Beneath the mask, the alpha’s lips curled into a faint smile.

He knew Song Yuqing would look into his past—while searching for clues to find an escape route and turn the tables, he would also come to understand him, his personality, and his history.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Song Yuqing understood this all too well.

Su Quan stared at that slender, detached silhouette, a chaotic frenzy brewing in his calm eyes. He raised the hand that had touched Song Yuqing’s waist.

The scent was fading.

Why couldn’t he hold onto it? Why couldn’t it last?

“Qingqing…” 88 spoke up to warn him that the fucking creep was lurking and spying from outside.

Song Yuqing lowered his gaze, rubbing his fingers together. “I know. He’s outside.”

88: “!!!”

88: “No, you don’t understand. His gaze looks like he’s about to barge in any second…”

Song Yuqing moved his hand away from the rock wall, his tone indifferent. “Charge in to do what? Settle this once and for all?”

“He won’t. He wouldn’t push things that far with me so easily.”

88 opened his mouth but ultimately swallowed the words, “He’s going to charge in and fuck you.”

88: “In this regard, you’re not as good as me. I’m better at spotting creeps.”

Song Yuqing tilted his head slightly, his tone careless. “What does he want to do? Come in and take me?”

88: “…”

Alright, Song Yuqing’s ability to spot creeps was just as strong as his.

It’s just that Song Yuqing preferred to believe Su Quan would come in to fight him.

Song Yuqing didn’t continue the topic with 88, nor did he turn to spare a glance for Su Quan hiding in the darkness. Giving attention to perverts would only feed their excitement.

Song Yuqing: “We’re currently about seven hundred meters below the surface.”

88: “!”

Song Yuqing gently tapped the rock surface and said softly, “No wonder Pei Huai couldn’t escape.”

88 asked innocently, “It’s too deep? Pei Huai couldn’t fight his way out?”

A place this big must have numerous guards, right?

Song Yuqing: “It’s too convoluted. He’d be captured before he could find the exit.”

88 looked dumbfounded. “I see.”

That fit his character—pretty dumb.

Song Yuqing’s lips curled into a faint smile. “I’m kidding, dummy.”

The young man’s tone was gentle and melodious; even calling someone “dummy” was irresistibly charming, making you want to hear it repeatedly.

88: “Qingqing, you tricked me.”

But having been tricked just this once, 88's mood actually relaxed a lot. Since Qingqing is so relaxed, he must have already figured out how to deal with Su Quan, right?

Song Yuqing's eyes, however, turned colder. How could Su Quan possibly allow Pei Huai to escape?

Even if the two of them combined, they might not easily break free.

Besides, he still wanted to kill Su Quan.

Now it all depends on Ye Siling.

88 got somewhat excited: "Did you and Ye Siling make some plan in advance?"

Song Yuqing: "No."

88, who had been a bit excited just moments before, slowly cracked: "What? Then what are we counting on Ye Siling for?"

Song Yuqing spoke slowly, "A plan doesn’t need to be communicated in advance; as long as you're familiar enough with everyone."

By placing each person in the right position, you can achieve the outcome you want.

It’s like playing chess—put each chess piece where it belongs, and every piece will play its role.

"Has Song Yuqing left? But Xinzhou..." Zheng Kaiji’s tone was urgent, "Before he left, he handed Xinzhou over to Qi Zhengqing."

Su Quan: "Is there a problem with that?"

Zheng Kaiji was furious: "You promised that you would deliver Xinzhou into my hands."

Su Quan: "What's your rush? Without Song Yuqing, how long can Qi Zhengqing last? He’s just a spent force now."

"You just have to wait awhile, and everything will naturally be yours. You’ve waited this long—surely you can't be patient just a little longer?"

Zheng Kaiji’s anger subsided a little.

Su Quan was right. He had waited so long; why would he lack patience? He couldn’t even wait this last bit of time.

"Now let’s talk about when you’re going to transport Song Yuqing’s things over." Su Quan said leisurely.

Zheng Kaiji: "I’ll find out where Song Yuqing hid the things as soon as possible."

After hanging up, Zheng Kaiji went to find Ye Siling. He had already located the items; it'll just take some work to get them out.

Other than Song Yuqing, Ye Siling was in charge of these things.

Moreover, he couldn’t fully and completely trust Su Quan—he couldn’t hand over the black boxes to him.

If he gave all the black boxes to Su Quan, then wouldn't he just be waiting for Su Quan to turn that psychic energy into robots, trample Xinzhou’s land, and make prisoners of us all?

He wasn't doing all this just to bow down to others like before.

Now that Song Yuqing has left the center of power, he had to find a way to take over everything of his and seize his achievements.

To usurp all the accomplishments bearing Song Yuqing’s name and replace them with his own name.

Ye Siling tried to contact Song Yuqing several times but got no news of him.

Just as Ye Siling was about to go find Song Yuqing, Zheng Kaiji walked in without knocking.

Ye Siling frowned: "This place is not welcome to you."

But Zheng Kaiji pretended not to hear Ye Siling’s words: "Are you looking for Song Yuqing?"

Ye Siling’s tone remained harsh: "It's none of your business."

Zheng Kaiji: "He went to rescue Pei Huai."

The words instantly drained the color from Ye Siling’s face. With great effort, Ye Siling stopped himself from standing up and confronting Zheng Kaiji.

"Not only did he go rescue Pei Huai, but he also handed power over to Qi Zhengqing. And he didn’t even leave a single word for you."

"You’re pitiful." Zheng Kaiji said, with some pity.

Ye Siling: "Whether I’m pitiful or not has nothing to do with such a spineless dog like you who tries to please everyone."

Zheng Kaiji wasn’t angry: "Go ahead and say whatever you want."

Zheng Kaiji continued: "If Song Yuqing unfortunately were to..." die there.

Ye Siling’s voice suddenly rose: "Shut up!"

"He won’t."

How could Song Yuqing bear to leave, after all this time? After investing so much effort for so long, how could he let go? Song Yuqing would definitely return.

Ye Siling forced himself to take a breath and calm down.

Zheng Kaiji laughed: "Fine. If you say so, let’s assume he won’t, then."

Zheng Kaiji’s tone was utterly indifferent, but it was precisely this careless attitude that kept irritating Ye Siling’s nerves.

"Now with Song Yuqing gone, someone needs to be in charge. You wouldn’t want everything he built to disappear if he does return, would you?"

"Let’s work together—drive the invaders out of Xinzhou and bring Song Yuqing back. How about that?"

Zheng Kaiji handed over a stack of documents—all the information he had collected on Su Quan, including the messages Su Quan had sent to Ye Siling.

"Tell me, how many black boxes should we give Su Quan so that he can threaten Xinzhou but still be unable to break through its border defenses?"

"I’ll wear down Qi Zhengqing, then we counterattack the enemy and take revenge for Song Yuqing."

Ye Siling: "Get out. I won’t cooperate with you."

If Song Yuqing dies, then no one should live. Everyone should be buried with him.

Ye Siling thought, almost frantically.

But...

Then he would think, what if Song Yuqing survives?

What if he destroys everything Song Yuqing built?

Song Yuqing would hate him.

Days of exhaustion washed over him, and for the first time, Ye Siling felt lost and helpless: "Get out."

Zheng Kaiji didn’t linger either and left Ye Siling’s office.

Ye Siling dialed Qi Zhengqing’s number: "You can’t even keep an eye on your own wife—are you even fit to be his husband? Why didn’t you stop him?"

He didn't believe Qi Zhengqing knew nothing.

Even if Song Yuqing were locked up, Qi Zhengqing shouldn’t have let him leave Xinzhou.

As for Pei Huai, if he’s dead, he’s dead.

Qi Zhengqing closed his pen and looked out the window at the heavy snowfall.

"He is an independent, living person with his own thoughts. He can decide the course of his own life." Qi Zhengqing's tone was almost cold.

He couldn't control Song Yuqing. Song Yuqing was his lover, but also an independent individual.

"Qi Zhengqing, why are you making such grand excuses? You’re just scared he’ll hate you."

"You're scared he’ll hate you, so you have me do it. I can be the bad guy."

It didn't matter if Song Yuqing hated him for Pei Huai for the rest of his life.

"Are you using him, waiting for him to gain power and hand it over to you?" Ye Siling's mind was in chaos now, and he saw everyone as trying to harm Song Yuqing.

Qi Zhengqing's eyes turned cold, his voice icy and deep. "Qingqing will return."

"Right now, you just need to act according to your own ideas." Qi Zhengqing suppressed his irritation, reminding the increasingly paranoid Ye Siling.

Ye Siling locked himself in his office, calculating over and over how many black boxes were needed to stall for time without allowing Xinzhou's border defense to be breached.

The repeated calculations gradually cleared Ye Siling's originally clouded mind.

Song Yuqing had researched black boxes.

He and Song Yuqing had calculated countless times in the lab, based on both sides' military strength, how many black boxes were needed to prevent Srilanzhou from gaining the upper hand.

Controlling the number of black boxes falling into enemy hands could indeed be used to predict the course of the war.

Song Yuqing researched black boxes and studied psychic power to... make something.

No.

Ye Siling left the lab and went to the parliament building, entering Song Yuqing's office.

Gu Ling tried to block him but was pushed aside by Ye Siling, who said without courtesy, "Move."

Ye Siling tore through everything, turning Song Yuqing's office into a complete mess, and took every file from Song Yuqing's office.

Gu Ling's face darkened. "You can't take Mr. Song's things."

"Who do you think you are? Song Yuqing gave you a bit of attention, and you really think you're his person? Song Yuqing is gone. These things should be left to me." Ye Siling's presence was intimidating.

Gu Ling's face flushed with anger. He was one of Song Yuqing's subordinates—how could he not be considered Song Yuqing's person?

Why should the things left by Mr. Song be given to Ye Siling?

The two confronted each other, at a standoff.

"Let him take the things." Qi Zhengqing's tall figure slowly emerged from the darkness. His alpha pheromones weren't outwardly released but carried a sense of pressure.

Ye Siling carried all the things he had found and left the parliament building, returning to the lab to go through each item he had brought back, one by one.

It wasn't until he found a newspaper that Ye Siling stopped.

At the border between Xinzhou and Xiluzhou, a rock explosion ten years ago had trapped several miners together in the mine.

Based on the data in the newspaper, Ye Siling continued calculating how many black boxes Song Yuqing needed.

Now, the only things that could be legitimately transported to Su Quan were black boxes.

Ye Siling's heart suddenly beat faster. Song Yuqing hadn't dealt with Zheng Kaiji because he wanted to use Zheng Kaiji's ambition and greed to covertly transport "tools."

Indeed, Song Yuqing went alone to meet "..."

"..." would never let Song Yuqing bring anything in.

After roughly putting the pieces together in his mind, Ye Siling suddenly let out a soft laugh. He should have trusted Song Yuqing.

Song Yuqing had been laying the groundwork for a long time.

Pei Huai was a pawn used by "..." to threaten Song Yuqing into meeting him.

Song Yuqing's botched surgery was also a step by "..." to threaten and force Song Yuqing.

"..." kept stirring up trouble, telling Song Yuqing that as long as he was around, Song Yuqing couldn't protect everything he wanted to protect, backing Song Yuqing into a corner.

Song Yuqing then pretended to be forced step by step into a corner by "...", compelled to step onto "..."'s territory to meet him.

Though he seemed forced, Song Yuqing had actually been waiting for this day.

After figuring everything out, Ye Siling acted without delay and sent a message to Zheng Kaiji.

YSL: "Come for the results."

"Do you want to see Song Yuqing?" Su Quan stood before Pei Huai, looking at the alpha who looked like a dead dog, and asked softly.

A rush of metallic taste rose in Pei Huai's throat, and he struggled to swallow it down.

"I do. Are you bringing my wife to see me?" Pei Huai sneered, almost provocatively.

The words "my wife" clearly got to Su Quan's nerves.

"Your wife?" Su Quan's voice carried a bone-chilling coldness. "Pei Huai, you're losing it from blood loss."

Author's note:

Song Qingqing tilted her head: "Su Quan, look at you, losing your cool again, like a rabid dog."

Su Quan: "...Who pushed me to this?"

Song Qingqing: "Wasn’t me."