Chapter 112

Chapter 112

On the way to the prison, Xie Yunshen saw a familiar face on the news through the long, tall screen in the city center.

"The Global Technology Exhibition will be held in City A. This exhibition covers technological fields such as medical robots, new energy, and smart homes... Outstanding enterprises from around the world will gather. At that time, Mo Huaidou, the Governor of the North Region, will visit the new technology exhibition in South Province."

Mo Huaidou was the politician who had campaigned for the position of North Region Governor several years ago.

Now he had become the Regional Governor.

Xie Yunshen suddenly realized something: "Mr. Yan, do you know him?"

Yan Shiqi stared intently at the screen: "I have no connection to him whatsoever."

Xie Yunshen was taken aback. Why emphasize it so specifically?

City A First Prison.

After three years, Shang Guanhong had become much thinner, with sunken eye sockets. The left frame of his glasses was slightly twisted, and his face was heavily shadowed.

His hands were cuffed as he sat behind the glass window, staring expressionlessly at Yan Shiqi.

Xie Yunshen stood behind Yan Shiqi and noticed that his little finger was missing a segment. Although he kept his hands under the table, the glass was transparent.

"Mr. Yan, what brings you here?" Shang Guanhong looked at him coldly.

"Some things about the Top Star Gate. I couldn't figure them out, so I came to ask you."

"The police have already dug up everything I know. You can just wait for the results to be announced. Why stoop to coming to a prison?"

"I'm here about the seeds."

"My information might not be entirely accurate."

"Why do you think I would tell you?" He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumping.

"You've got one month until your execution. Is there anything you want to do?" Yan Shiqi said.

Shang Guanhong looked up at the airtight ceiling and laughed: "Fine wine, beautiful women, mansions, fast cars, wealth, power—I've had it all in this lifetime. What could I possibly want?"

"Think about it. Once you're dead, that's it. You'll have nothing." The temperature in the visitation room was rising. Yan Shiqi took off his gloves and placed them on the table.

"I'd like a glass of Macallan 30-year-old whiskey. I'd like a bite of dog food."

Xie Yunshen thought this villain was too twisted, even wanting to eat dog food.

Yan Shiqi made a phone call.

In less than ten minutes, the whiskey and dog food arrived.

No one knew how he managed it, but the prison guards agreed to bring the alcohol inside.

Shang Guanhong took a sip from the glass, closed his eyes, smiled faintly, and spoke a cruel truth.

"The seeds we talk about have two meanings. I'm not sure which one you want to hear."

"You're a smart man. You know which one." Yan Shiqi said.

"Seeds—one type is a tool for infiltrating wealthy families. The other is essentially a backup blood bank for the Top Star Gate's upper echelons."

He looked at the two of them: "The first batch of people injected with the youth serum experienced severe side effects. Over time, their bodies often suffered unbearable itching and splitting headaches. Only the blood of their own descendants could ease this pain. Moreover, without the support of fresh blood from young descendants, they'd age four or five times faster than normal."

Yan Shiqi's voice remained steady: "In that case, the leader of the Top Star Gate, your master, was one of the first users of the serum?"

Shang Guanhong's cold glasses reflected his deep gaze: "From what I know, he's had two full transfusions of fresh blood, changing into two new young identities one after the other. Each time he killed a descendant, he'd get surgery to look like the descendant's body, swap out his blood for the young blood, and use growth factor serums for a total rebirth."

In other words, he had killed at least two of his own descendants.

Xie Yunshen saw a faint, indifferent smile appear at the corner of his mouth, as if speaking these words was as simple as killing two chickens.

"What form do those seeds take, and where are they?"

Shang Guanhong shrugged: "Such secrets are only known to those who sow them."

"Is Gao Langdong one of the seeds?"

Shang Guanhong smiled and clapped his hands, raising his glass with the hand with the missing little finger segment to tap against the glass partition before downing the drink in one go: "Congratulations."

Putting this together with the novel's ending, Xie Yunshen suddenly understood. He looked at Mr. Yan, lowering his eyes to hide his thoughts.

Yan Shiqi stood up and left.

"There's one more thing I find interesting: not every seed takes. Some are rejected. So, the sower must frantically experiment through trial and error." Shang Guanhong's voice drifted over eerily.

A chill ran down Xie Yunshen's spine. What did "frantically experiment" mean? Did it mean what he thought?

The world had truly gone mad.

Yan Shiqi closed his eyes, his fingers trembling slightly, not sure how he made it out of the prison.

Xie Yunshen followed, carrying the gloves Yan had left behind.

Snow fell heavily. Outside the prison, two rows of trees stood bare, like two giant hands.

Under the icy, frosty sky, a furious fire smoldered in his chest, like lava erupting from a volcano.

He gazed at the vast white world, but his eyes were unfocused, empty and vacant.

Snowflakes landed on his face one by one, like scalding sparks burning his skin.

Xie Yunshen took his hand and helped him into the gloves: "Mr. Yan, it's freezing outside."

The two stood in the snow.

Yan Shiqi watched Xie Yunshen lower his head to put the gloves on him.

His hand hung limp, as if all the strength had drained from it, with no point of support, making it hard for Xie Yunshen to get the glove on.

Undaunted, Xie Yunshen patiently held his hand until the glove was on.

"Do you know the final outcome of a seed?"

Xie Yunshen smiled slightly, pressing his shoulder: "The outcome of a seed is to grow into a towering tree."

Yan Shiqi looked at the bare trees in the distance, narrowing his eyes coldly: "How can a dirty seed grow into a towering tree?"

"A seed grows by relying on the sun in the sky and the water in the earth. In the eyes of nature, every seed is the same."

The blowing snow blurred Mr. Yan's face: "A seed's genes determine everything. A rotten seed is just a rotten seed. No matter how gentle the breeze or how fine the rain, it will never grow into a beautiful trunk."

Xie Yunshen said earnestly, "If that's the case, then I'll be the mud around it, holding it forever."

Yan Shiqi suddenly grabbed his hand, his gaze burning. "Let's go."

"What?" Xie Yunshen was taken aback.

Yan Shiqi pulled him to the nearby Yan family hotel. As soon as they entered, they threw their coats to the floor, and the two kissed and embraced with desperate urgency.

Xie Yunshen had been in Country E for several days, and upon returning, he had followed him to the prison. He was pretty pent-up too.

Mr. Yan took the lead passionately. As the kiss deepened, he bit the corner of Xie Yunshen's lip, tasting a hint of fresh blood, his tongue quivering as he licked it.

Xie Yunshen closed his eyes, letting him kiss, feeling him tirelessly suck his blood, sensing the spark of pain at the corner of his mouth, and feeling his trembling body and restless pulse.

They kissed, pressed against the wall. Xie Yunshen's elbow was still bandaged, so he deftly used his other arm to hold him, supporting their weight.

Mr. Yan wouldn't let him take the umbrella.

"This will make you prone to getting sick," Xie Yunshen said, having read up on it.

Mr. Yan threw the things in his hand to the floor, pressing his hand against the back of his neck. "Keep going... until we become one."

To ease the burden on his injured arm, Mr. Yan wrapped his arms around Xie's shoulders, pressing his upper body tightly against his own. His leg, in black dress shoes, rested against Xie Yunshen's waist, making the skin of his calf turn slightly red.

Xie Yunshen lowered his head to kiss him. His ears and forehead turned red with arousal. In the warm room, a light sweat broke out on his skin.

"Mr. Yan... relax a little," Xie Yunshen whispered.

He suspected Mr. Yan was messing with him on purpose; otherwise, it wouldn't be this difficult.

Yan Shiqi wrapped his hands around his neck, hanging most of his weight on him. His breath trembled, his face flushed crimson, his voice unsteady, and involuntary tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

"Does it hurt?" Xie Yunshen wiped away his tears.

"..." Mr. Yan tilted his head back, his gaze dazed. He cupped the back of Xie Yunshen's head with his palm, rubbing it gently as encouragement.

It hurt, but the pain only made it better.

Xie Yunshen lowered his head to kiss his shoulder.

As he was about to climax, Xie Yunshen tried to pull back, but Yan Shiqi pressed his hands against him.

"Inside me."

Xie Yunshen breathed heavily, having no choice but to indulge him.

Yan Shiqi closed his eyes, his body trembling once. After a moment, he pressed him down onto the bed again.

Xie Yunshen's hot hands held him.

Winter nights came unusually early. The sun was stingy with its light for a moment before departing, leaving the world in darkness as the city's lights gradually flickered on.

In the spacious penthouse on the top floor, through the glass, their tangled bodies could still enjoy the last of the sunset's red glow.

The room gradually darkened. In the growing darkness, Mr. Yan's dark hair brushed against Xie Yunshen's ears and neck. His hands pressed against Xie Yunshen's shoulders, his breaths coming in waves, his lips taking on a strikingly bright shade.

A bite from Xie Yunshen on his neck was enough to make him shudder.

In the bathroom, Xie Yunshen held his body.

Yan Shiqi was already too exhausted to open his eyes, his body covered in marks, yet he still initiated a kiss.

"Mr. Yan, in my heart, you are perfect. Not just a tree, but a beautiful mountaintop and a vast ocean," Xie Yunshen said, looking at him. "Am I, someone so insignificant, unable to give you a sense of security?"

Yan Shiqi was stunned. He opened his eyes, then closed them again, managing a faint smile. As if all his strength had left him, he slowly leaned into Xie Yunshen's embrace, pressing his face against his chest, letting the hot tears disappear into the warm flow of water.

This was the first time Xie Yunshen had seen such a fragile Mr. Yan, the first time he had felt his emotions so low and dark.

"It's me who isn't worthy," he whispered.

"Mr. Yan, I'm going to get angry," Xie Yunshen said, genuinely upset.

Yan Shiqi wrapped his arms around him, showing vulnerability for the first time. "I'm sorry."

Xie Yunshen's face flushed instantly.

Although it felt somewhat inappropriate in this somber atmosphere, he couldn't help but think: Oh my god! So this is what it looks like when the big boss shows weakness!

This... was practically a reward for him.

He must be the first person to discover this side of Mr. Yan.

Xie Yunshen cupped Mr. Yan's face with both hands and, as if struck by a sudden impulse, planted a fierce kiss on him. "Mr. Yan is adorable."

Mr. Yan looked at the wound on Xie Yunshen's lip and finally showed a smile.

Their foreheads gently touched.

Xie Yunshen lifted him out of the bathtub, dressed him in soft pajamas, and gazed at Mr. Yan's sleeping profile.

Then he picked up the two coats from the floor.

From his own overcoat pocket, he pulled out a satin box.

Inside were a pair of rings.