Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Li Xiujin carefully gathered him into his arms, gazing at his pale face. To have made colonel, his will must have been resolute. He'd never so much as frowned on all those dangerous missions, yet here he was, shedding tears over Xiujin's suggestion to terminate the pregnancy.

Li Xiujin's Adam's apple worked. Looking at Lin Ze's damp eyelashes and faintly reddened eyelids, his lower abdomen suddenly clenched tight.

He rasped an apology.

"I shouldn't have said such a thing."

Li Xiujin grasped Lin Ze's wrist. "Slap me."

Lin Ze pulled against his grip, unable to bring himself to do it.

"Then don't be sad anymore."

Lin Ze lowered his eyes. "Xiujin, I want to rest."

"Mn," he acknowledged, wiped the tear tracks from his face, and held him tightly, taking care not to touch his abdomen.

Since becoming pregnant, his body had grown ever softer and more fragrant. Xiujin buried his entire face in the crook of Lin Ze's neck...

The next day, Lin Ze opened his eyes to find no one beside him. As he prepared to get out of bed, he noticed his underwear was gone again. A burning ache came from a little lower down. Lin Ze looked and saw the skin was red, as if rubbed raw. He dressed, shame washing over him.

After breakfast, the driver took him to school. Halfway there, with a loud *clang*, the car jerked to a stop.

"What happened?" Lin Ze asked.

"A child hit the car," Uncle Liu said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Sir, please wait here. I'll go take a look."

After Uncle Liu got out, Lin Ze followed. A ragged child sat in front of the car, howling and crying in pain. A middle-aged woman with dry, yellowish hair and a sorrowful face stood beside him.

"The car has cameras. We were driving just fine; you ran into us," Uncle Liu said. "Move, or I'm calling the cops."

The child continued to wail, face tilted upward, wailing hysterically.

Just as Uncle Liu was about to dial the police, Lin Ze stopped him. He took some money from his pocket and handed it to the child's mother. "Take this to buy the child something to eat."

The child's mother looked at the money, gave Lin Ze a bitter smile, then hurriedly pulled the child away.

Back in the car, Uncle Liu said, "Lately, there are more and more mothers using their children for scams. Sir, you really shouldn't have given them that money. Once they get a taste of easy money, they become insatiable."

Because of roadwork up ahead, Uncle Liu took a detour onto a remote road. Driving through an underpass, Lin Ze saw many disheveled men and women. In front of them were metal bowls. Some cars would stop and throw money out the window to them.

Uncle Liu, who had just been criticizing the scamming mother and child for their greed, fell silent at the sight.

Lin Ze frowned slightly.

On the way back that evening, Lin Ze asked Uncle Liu to take another route. This time, he saw that it wasn't just under the bridge; beggars lined the roadside too, some even with children.

Although he knew that if resource issues remained unresolved, this was inevitable, Lin Ze hadn't expected it to happen so soon. He sighed inwardly.

He picked at his dinner absently. Afterward, instead of going to the master bedroom, he went to the guest room.

After thinking it over, he texted Li Xiujin.

"The Regeneration Plan is definitely going to have to be restarted this time. Otherwise, there will be more and more homeless people, and more and more unstable factors..." Fu Zhi said while driving, looking out the window.

Li Xiujin was deep in thought.

Over the years, he had been making large-scale donations and providing aid, but it did little to stem the tide.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Seeing it was a message from Lin Ze cheered him up a little. Was he worried after just a short delay? He was about to reply that he'd be home soon when he clearly read Lin Ze's message, and his expression darkened.

"General, what's wrong? Is there an emergency?"

"Focus on driving," Li Xiujin said coldly.

It was already eleven o'clock when he got home. After showering, he headed straight for the guest room. He opened the door—he gave a mental snort. He'd half-expected Lin Ze to lock it.

Every cold room became warm because of Lin Ze's presence. Li Xiujin looked at Lin Ze curled up on the small guest bed, his hair soft, his cheeks faintly pink. Li Xiujin sat on the edge of the bed, gently cradling his face, and whispered, "You've grown bold, daring to sleep in a separate room from your husband."

Without him, Lin Ze still slept soundly, even deeply. Li Xiujin frowned, bent down and bit his cheek.

Lin Ze's delicate brows merely knit slightly, but he didn't wake.

Li Xiujin's bite turned into kisses. His hand slipped under Lin Ze's clothes, kneading his slightly fuller chest. Still, Lin Ze didn't wake, but his breathing softened. His pale skin took on a lustrous pink, and his long legs fell open slightly of their own accord.

Seeing him like this, Li Xiujin reacted almost instantly. He sucked on Lin Ze's earlobe, his voice hoarse. "You should be grateful you're pregnant. Otherwise, daring to sleep separately, I would have fucked you to death..."

After saying this, Li Xiujin intended to just hold Lin Ze and sleep. But Lin Ze's body was too fragrant and soft, making him ache. In the past, using his underwear might have helped, but now even that was useless.

His gaze darkened. He said politely, "Colonel Lin, may I borrow your hand?"

Lin Ze's hands were pale, somewhat slender, but still soft, especially the palms—warm and tender. Li Xiujin took his hand. The moment they touched, a shiver ran through Li Xiujin's scalp. He wasn't gentle for long before becoming rough, continuing until Lin Ze's palm was red before finally letting go. Looking at his damp fingers, Li Xiujin's thirst was slightly quenched.

He washed Lin Ze's hand clean, then took each finger into his mouth and kissed it. He kept this up until dawn before finally falling asleep holding Lin Ze. Estimating that Lin Ze would wake soon, he returned to the master bedroom.

Lin Ze woke early in the morning, expecting to see Li Xiujin in his arms, but he wasn't there. Lin Ze sat on the bed, lost in a daze. Then he noticed his right palm was very red, and the spaces between his fingers and his fingertips felt slightly sore and burning...

Did I press on it while sleeping...?

For once, Li Xiujin was also present at breakfast.

His right hand, whether from pressure or something else, struggled to hold the fork properly. Under Li Xiujin's gaze, Lin Ze awkwardly cut his steak.

Li Xiujin's Adam's apple bobbed. He asked kindly, "What's wrong with your hand?"

"Nothing."

Li Xiujin cut the steak into pieces for him.

Lin Ze's eyelashes fluttered.

"Thank you."

After finishing his meal, Li Xiujin didn't get up but waited for him. As they were leaving, Li Xiujin bent down slightly. Lin Ze tied his tie for him, and Li Xiujin drove him to school.

Arriving at the school gate, Li Xiujin didn't unlock the car door.

"Are you still upset because I suggested terminating the pregnancy?"

Lin Ze clenched his clothes.

He wanted to say no, but he was indeed still somewhat hurt by those words. He wanted to say yes, but it wasn't solely because of that sentence that he decided to sleep separately.

"You go back to sleep in the bedroom. I'll sleep in the study."

"I... I can sleep in the guest room..."

"Are you planning to sleep in the guest room for the rest of your life?" Li Xiujin's voice was low and heavy.

"I..."

Lin Ze stammered. Actually, his sleeping in the guest room wasn't just because of those words. He could sense that Xiu Jin was clearly restraining himself when they slept together. It would be better to sleep apart until Lin Ze reached three months of pregnancy...

"Come back to the master bedroom at night. I'll take the study," Li Xiujin said firmly.

Before Lin Ze got out of the car, a hand cupped the back of his head. Before he could react, his lips were captured and sucked forcefully. Lin Ze trembled with embarrassment. They were at the school gate; students might see. He wanted to push him away, but his wrist was pinned down. He didn't let go until Lin Ze's lips and tongue were sore.

A few sticky strands of saliva stretched from his mouth. Li Xiujin wiped them clean for him, then said in a deep voice, "Take care of yourself. If anything goes wrong, I'll keep you at home on house arrest for the pregnancy. You won't set foot outside."

"Is that clear?"

"Mhm..."

Perhaps he had given instructions. Ever since becoming pregnant, Lin Ze's classes had been significantly reduced. After a morning of classes, Lin Ze didn't feel tired, so during the lunch break, he took some time to meet with Lu Mo and his friends.

Lu Mo happened to have something to tell him.

"We've been keeping an eye on Su Wang as you instructed and found that he's been busy with the Regeneration Plan lately."

"News about it having been restarted came out a while ago. It seems it's true now."

Lin Ze showed him a few news articles, all reporting on the increasing number of homeless people.

"Of course it's true. As old resources run short, we must find new ones to survive. This is a major issue, not just for the poor..."

The failure of the Regeneration Plan back then and its discontinuation had always puzzled Lin Ze. Over these seven years, he watched people's lives become increasingly difficult, until finally, the moment came when it had to be restarted.

"Colonel, do you think Su Wang might come to you and ask you to lead the team?" Lu Mo suddenly asked.

Lin Ze gave a faint smile. "It's not impossible."

When the plan was to be executed back then, Lin Ze and his teammates underwent rigorous training. This training wasn't just physical but also technical. Even though seven years had passed, it was still deeply ingrained in Lin Ze's bones. If they came to him, at least the initial training would be much easier.

This was true, even if he might be a criminal who killed his teammates.

"Would you go?"

Lin Ze fell silent.

If it were a year ago, when he was alone, and Su Wang came to him, he would definitely go. But now he had to consider Li Xiujin's opinion and, more importantly, the baby he was carrying.

"I'll wait until he comes to me," Lin Ze said softly.

Lu Mo looked at the child crying pitifully in the news. "No matter what, I still hope the Regeneration Plan succeeds, so everyone can live happily."

They had just finished discussing Su Wang when, as school was ending, Lin Ze met him in the principal's office.

Su Wang had a kindly appearance. When he smiled, it enhanced his approachability, making it easy for people to trust and like him. But Lin Ze wasn't among them. Lin Ze looked at him calmly. "What can I do for you?"

"Take a look at this document," Su Wang said, observing him.

Lin Ze caught sight of the familiar four words and waved his hand in refusal.

"If it's about the Regeneration Plan, there's no need."

Su Wang smiled understandingly. "What happened seven years ago was so tragic. It's indeed hard to face."

Seeing Lin Ze remain unmoved, Su Wang added, "Actually, the main reason I'm here is to hope you can participate in this plan again."

"My commission has been revoked," Lin Ze said calmly.

"That's not a problem."

"For you, of course it isn't. But right now, I just want to live a peaceful life," Lin Ze stood up.

"Colonel Lin, your answer is indeed unexpected," Su Wang also stood up. "But don't you want to know how your teammates died?"

"Perhaps returning to the scene might help you remember something."

Lin Ze paused for a moment but still left.

When a person has a vulnerability, they think twice before acting. Like now, even though Lin Ze desperately wanted to know how his teammates died, he couldn't take the risk. He couldn't endanger the baby in his womb, and he couldn't let Xiu Jin worry.

Especially Xiu Jin—he owed his life to him. Before making such a decision, Xiu Jin had the right to know.

After returning home, Lin Ze slept in the master bedroom again. At night, hearing the familiar sound of the car, but Li Xiujin didn't come to embrace him from behind. Lin Ze closed his eyes. He was the one who wanted to sleep separately, yet now he was the one feeling sad...

Li Xiujin had been busy mainly with the group lately. After finishing work, Yang Yu was waiting for him downstairs. Yang Yu reported official matters to Li Xiujin in the car.

"Su Wang has been selecting elite soldiers for the Regeneration Plan recently. But I don't know if it's because the physical requirements for executing this plan are too high or Su Wang's standards are too high. A week has passed, and only a few have been selected."

"In such a harsh and dangerous environment, only a few can be chosen, of course," Li Xiujin said coldly.

"Then Colonel Lin being selected back then really shows how capable he was."

Yang Yu offered some flattery, but Li Xiujin wasn't pleased. For such a mission, everyone who went was prepared to die. Praising Lin Ze and his teammates for their physical prowess was less meaningful than praising their selfless dedication.

Having set the stage, Yang Yu began reporting news that made him anxious: "General, Su Wang went to see Colonel Lin today. Probably because they're too short-handed, they want Colonel Lin to participate again."

Li Xiujin's face darkened almost instantly.

Seven years ago, he didn't have the ability to control Lin Ze's choices. Seven years later, he absolutely would not let Lin Ze enter any dangerous situation.

"Cancel tomorrow's official duties. I need to see him," Li Xiujin said with a cold glint in his eyes.

"General, what if Colonel Lin wants to go?"

Li Xiujin wasn't a do-gooder or a savior. In his heart, the lives of everyone combined weren't worth Lin Ze's alone.

He gave a sinister smile. "Then I'll lock him up."

Yang Yu shuddered.

After Yang Yu left, Li Xiujin left the study and went straight to the master bedroom.

He sat by the bed, his expression slightly dark as he stared at Lin Ze. If Lin Ze really dared to take risks regardless of him and the child, then he definitely wouldn't be soft-hearted.

He would lock him up here forever.

Thinking this coldly, he gripped Lin Ze's chin and sucked on his lips.

The more he savored the sweet nectar in his mouth, the tighter his lower abdomen became.

He pulled down Lin Ze's sleep pants, spreading his legs wide open, then buried his head between them to lick.

After licking him wet, he straightened his upper body.

While staring at that pale, handsome face, he rubbed against him.

As if it hurt from the friction, Lin Ze suddenly opened his eyes...