Chapter 207

Chapter 207

Devalen arrived at this unfamiliar blue planet half a month later. The starship was too large, so he led a dozen people in a small shuttle into the planet, circling the surface in search of Xue Ji’s spacecraft.

To his surprise, during the circling, he discovered that the planet’s surface exhibited a rare ecological phenomenon—beautiful, peaceful, and full of life. Devalen had only seen such an ecological environment in teaching simulation videos from ancient times during his school years.

In fact, humanity had experienced several civilizational ruptures during the interstellar migration from the ancient era to the new era, and the existing records of ancient times were limited to those few simulation videos and scant written accounts.

Devalen was spellbound by the sight, but he still kept in mind the urgent matter at hand. When the spacecraft came into view ahead, he immediately led the team to park nearby. At the door, he hesitated for a moment over whether to wear a respirator, glanced at the verdant scenery outside, and ultimately decided to open the door boldly.

Fresh air rushed in, and Devalen relaxed. He pressed the communicator: "Safe. Everyone disembark."

The team quickly assembled and inspected the spacecraft. "No one inside. The engine hasn’t been started for at least ten days."

Where had Xue Ji gone?

Devalen was deep in thought when he heard a faint rustle from the woods not far away. He immediately made a hand signal behind him.

Everyone drew their guns and stared warily at the source of the sound.

After a few minutes, some caught a whiff of a scent. Devalen froze, then suddenly realized what it was. He quickly made another gesture for everyone to lower their weapons and stepped forward nervously.

Soon, the Monarch’s tall figure emerged from the forest. Everyone was overjoyed. Devalen’s hands trembled with excitement, and a passionate "Your Majesty" surged in his throat—only to get stuck when he saw the Monarch’s full appearance.

The Monarch’s golden hair was disheveled, his upper body bare, and his pants had several rips. That was nothing unusual, but with his keen senses as an elite Alpha, Devalen could see every detail clearly: red scratch marks, bite marks, nail prints, and various blue, black, and purple bruises on the Monarch’s chest, neck, and even arms.

More importantly—

The Monarch was also carrying someone in his arms. Though the person was wrapped from head to toe in animal hide, a small patch of fluffy black hair revealed their identity to Devalen instantly.

Oh God.

Devalen’s heart trembled. After a few seconds of dead silence, he growled, "Everyone, turn around and close your eyes. Don’t open them until I say so!"

All of them swiftly turned their backs in unison.

Devalen also lowered his head, staring at his own toes, wondering how Serrick would react when he found out.

Footsteps approached and paused briefly near Devalen.

"Good work." The Monarch’s voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t had water in days. "This place isn’t safe. Let’s leave first."

The potent pheromones assaulted his nostrils, but they were gentler than usual. Devalen kept his head down, holding his breath, and replied, "Yes, sir."

Asuer walked to the spacecraft. The hatch required iris recognition to open. He loosened his hold slightly and called softly, "Xue Ji."

Xue Ji opened his eyes groggily and looked at him.

"We’re at the spacecraft." Asuer said softly, lifting Xue Ji to eye level with the iris scanner.

Xue Ji took a moment to react, then turned to scan his iris. When he heard the beep, he closed his eyes and immediately fell back into deep sleep.

Asuer held him tighter and stepped into the spacecraft. A few minutes later, the spacecraft started and ascended. The sound reached the grassland, and someone said, "Sergeant, can we open our eyes now?"

Devalen snapped back to reality. "All of you, back to the shuttle. Let's head back."

Half an hour later, the spacecraft successfully docked with the starship. Devalen went to the docking port but found the spacecraft’s hatch sealed. He paced for a while, then turned to leave, only to spot a few team members peeking from a distance.

His face darkened. "What are you all doing here? Get back to your posts."

One person scratched his head. "Sergeant, was that Xue...?"

"Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t!" Devalen immediately cut him off. "Keep your mouths shut when you go back. Remember, we followed Chief Xue here, found His Majesty, and nothing else happened."

The few of them left dejectedly. Devalen glanced at the sealed hatch and was about to leave when he heard a hiss—the hatch opened.

Asuer stepped out, wearing an ill-fitting shirt with half the buttons undone.

"What’s been going on with the Senate and the Federation during my absence?"

Devalen had exchanged intelligence with Gene, plus the latest news from the home star, so he summarized briefly: "...The Senate gave another hundred million to the Federation. With seven legions keeping their weapons trained on them daily, the Federation backed off for now. On the home star... the Senate has been proposing a new monarch election every so often, but Kexinia kept voting it down, so it never went through."

"Why would Kexinia help me?"

"...Chief Xue approached him. Only he and Gene know the details. Also, about the TC6509 project, Chief Xue and Freya have been in communication."

Asuer said nothing.

Xue Ji. Xue Ji.

When had this person begun to occupy such a large part of his life? His fate as a monarch, his health as an Alpha, his human desires—all of it now hinged on this one person.

Was he too brilliant, or had Asuer himself been bewitched?

"Your Majesty?"

"What about Serrick and the others?"

"We found Serrick and most of the others. Some are still..." Devalen closed his eyes. Asuer squeezed his shoulder firmly. Devalen exhaled and continued, "When we received Chief Xue’s message and set off, Serrick and the others were still unconscious. A few days after we arrived here, the team members staying behind sent word that they had woken up, though still a bit weak."

Asuer sighed in relief. "Full speed ahead. Get back to the home star as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Asuer closed the hatch and returned to the spacecraft, walking through the corridor to the room nearest the cockpit. Xue Ji was still in the same position as when Asuer had carried him in, buried deep in the covers, sleeping soundly. Asuer picked up the animal hide he had tossed aside earlier and hung it up. Then he walked to the bedside, took the shattered glasses from his pocket, and placed them on the nightstand. He sat down and watched Xue Ji for a while.

He knew he had been too rough, but after holding back for over twenty years, under those circumstances, he simply couldn’t stop.

Even in sleep, Xue Ji’s face showed faint exhaustion. A layer of short stubble covered his usually smooth chin. Asuer gently traced the dark circles under Xue Ji’s eyes with his fingertips, then moved his hand down to the stubble, stroking it absently while finally settling down to think about everything that had happened recently.

He was lost in thought when his fingers were suddenly grabbed.

Xue Ji lifted his hand, looked at it drowsily, and saw the thick calluses formed from the recent "wilderness survival." He placed the hand against his own abdomen and said, eyes still closed, "Go run some hot water."

Asuer didn’t move. After a moment, he leaned down and sniffed Xue Ji’s neck lightly. "Can’t we do it later?" Once Xue Ji washed, the pheromone scent that had been so hard to get would be gone.

Xue Ji opened his eyes, glanced at him, and moved over a bit to make room. Asuer stripped off his clothes and slipped into the bed, stretching out an arm to pull Xue Ji close. Xue Ji closed his eyes, turned over naturally, and nestled into the Alpha’s broad chest.

Asuer moved a little closer, pressing against the Beta’s smooth back, resting his chin on the Beta’s shoulder. After holding him quietly for a moment, he spoke. "When did you know I had pheromone imbalance?"

Xue Ji replied without hesitation, "From the very beginning."

"The very beginning?"

"When you gave me the medal."

Asuer paused. "Was it that obvious?"

"Your pheromones smell very good."

Asuer's breath hitched: "Did you take physiology class back at the Imperial Star Academy?"

"Of course. Straight A's."

"Then you should know that even between the same gender, you don't casually compliment someone on how good their pheromones smell."

Xue Ji didn't bother replying.

Asuer calmed his own breathing. After a moment, he reached down, and the moment he moved, Xue Ji's breath faltered.

"Don't touch. It's not healed yet."

Asuer genuinely had no such intention this time: "I just want to check." He paused. "Where's the med kit on the ship?"

Xue Ji said lazily, "Just apply the herbal paste."

"But it feels like it's almost dry."

"Then wait until it's completely dry."

Asuer stilled. After a while, he asked again, "How did you find me?"

Xue Ji snorted. "You sure have a lot of questions, Your Majesty."

Asuer bit down on his earlobe, but couldn't bring himself to use real force. In the end, he gave it a light nip and let go. "Last one."

Xue Ji lifted his foot, groped until he found Asuer's instep, then slid his toes up along it, lightly hooking the delicate anklet.

Asuer was stunned for a long moment before he understood. Bold wasn't even the word for it. He was torn between laughter and disbelief, and could only give that earlobe another vengeful nip. This time he put a bit more force into it, and received a kick to his shin from a heel—barely a tickle. Asuer let go, leaving two symmetrical marks behind.

As he gazed at them, Xue Ji's lazy voice drifted over: "Now that you've bitten me, you're not allowed to take it off."

"Another deal?"

"No more deals. Your body belongs to me now."

Asuer tightened his arms and buried his face in Xue Ji's neck, inhaling deeply.

He absolutely loved this attitude of Xue Ji's. He'd willingly let Xue Ji run his life, even if it killed him.

The two fell asleep together. Asuer was the first to wake. Xue Ji slept very quietly—he was essentially in the same position as when he'd fallen asleep, still turned away from Asuer.

Asuer pressed a kiss to the soft spot at the nape of Xue Ji's neck, got up, and went to the bathroom to wash himself from head to toe. He downed two nutrient packs, then grabbed one more and returned to the room. Gently shaking Xue Ji awake, he said, "Eat something first."

As Xue Ji sat up, the thin blanket slid down, revealing a large patch of intimate marks. Asuer's Adam's apple bobbed. He pulled the blanket up a bit around Xue Ji's waist, propped a pillow behind his back, and unscrewed the nutrient pack before handing it over. "I know you don't like these. When we get back to the capital, I'll have them prepare food you enjoy."

Xue Ji was still very drowsy. He had been traveling for months, and as soon as he found his target, they engaged in intense physical labor. An Alpha's robustness—capable of taking down a wild beast bare-handed—was no joke, especially after going without for over twenty years. Even someone who exercised daily like Xue Ji couldn't handle it toward the end.

He took the nutrient pack and drank it half-heartedly. Asuer watched him silently, and when he finished, took the empty tube. "Come live in the palace when we get back?"

Xue Ji didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either. Instead, he first grabbed Asuer's wrist to check his pulse, then said hoarsely, "Lift up your robe."

Asuer was silent for a moment.

Xue Ji nudged him with his knee, blanket still between them. "Hurry up."

Asuer shifted forward uncomfortably. After a brief hesitation, he lifted the hem of his bathrobe. Soon, a long, pale hand reached in and landed on his inner thigh. The muscles beneath the fingers instantly tensed, making the uneven texture even more pronounced.

Xue Ji felt around a moment. "How long has this been going on?"

The cave had been dim, but the two had rolled around naked for over ten days—they could have mapped each other's moles blindfolded. Besides, there were times with good lighting. This was the first time in two lifetimes Xue Ji had discovered Asuer's habit of self-harm.

When he'd first felt it, Xue Ji had frozen for a long time before pushing Asuer away, turning on his smart device, and forcing Asuer's thighs apart to examine them. He'd found that both of the Alpha's toned inner thighs were covered in thin, pale scars. Judging by their direction and uniformity, they were clearly self-inflicted. He hadn't had a chance to ask then, because the Alpha had quickly snatched his smart device, turned it off, tossed it aside, and forced him over, pinned his arms behind his back with one hand, and pressed down.

"I don't remember." Asuer's gaze flickered. He took Xue Ji's hand in his, closed his legs, and covered the hidden scars again with the robe. "...I'm not into sadism."

"It was just sometimes when the symptoms hit and the pain or desire got too much, he needed a way to hold onto his crumbling sanity. It wasn't a dignified method, so he only did it in places no one would see."

"Who's worried about that?" Xue Ji was both exasperated and amused. "Come here, let me check the gland again."

Asuer couldn't tell if Xue Ji was teasing him or actually checking—either way, same result. He pushed aside the hair at his nape, a little late, and leaned forward.

Xue Ji's breath came closer. "Where are my glasses?"

"I accidentally broke them. Couldn't find a spare on the ship." Instead, he'd found a few pieces of clothing that fit him.

Xue Ji had to lean in for a look. Compared to back in the cave, the small patch of soft flesh looked much healthier. He pressed the edge of the gland, and the body under his fingers tensed right away.

"Relax."

Asuer tried his best to clear his mind and relax.

Xue Ji pressed around the edge of the gland, then leaned back against the headboard, casually sweeping his bangs back. "Do you still have the medicine I gave you before?"

"No." Asuer sat up too, his voice hoarser than a few minutes ago. "I left it all on that starship."

"It's fine. I'll make up a new batch. Try not to use the suppressants on the ship for now—they're not right for you."

Asuer went suspiciously quiet.

"What?"

"...I'm scared I won't be able to hold back."

Xue Ji laughed. "I never said you had to hold back."

Asuer's eyes snapped up.

Xue Ji reached out and toyed with the silky golden hair on Asuer's head, winding a few strands around his fingers. "Even if you could hold back, I probably couldn't." While Asuer was still stunned, Xue Ji leaned in until his lips barely brushed Asuer's ear. "Your Majesty, you know you're hot, right? Especially at certain moments."

Asuer's ears instantly turned bright red. Xue Ji gave a soft chuckle, pressed a light kiss on his cheek, then pulled back, threw off the covers, and made a beeline for the bathroom.

Asuer remained frozen in place until the click of the bathroom lock sounded. He shot up, strode to the bathroom, and without a word, twisted the lock and barged right in.