Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Only Murong Jie felt he had truly lost his mind—indulging in wanton pleasures in the courtyard with a man who had killed him three times.

Yet afterward, a flicker of tenderness crept in, and he couldn't help draping his outer robe over him.

What galled him even more was that of the ten handkerchiefs his mother had left him, three were now used.

He angrily tossed the third handkerchief into the box. The stains and blood had dried, yet he couldn't figure out what fragrance that bastard had soaked himself in—amid the stench, a faint orchid scent lingered.

He had once despised that man—his foolishness, his arrogance, his utter disdain for all living things.

Now, listening to his wild ramblings, he found himself unable to resist, his body and soul both beginning to sink.

He slowly closed his eyes, a faint, lingering ache in his chest. He couldn't tell if it was resentment or self-loathing.

Lu Yunqi, however, slept soundly. He figured a bit more exercise couldn't hurt—at least it helped him sleep longer.

Life was short, and the years ahead were few; every extra moment of sleep was a win.

When he woke up, he threw up violently, even alarming Murong Jie, who frowned at his pale face and asked, "I told you to see a doctor—did you or not?"

Lu Yunqi lied: "I did, I did. Ugh, it's just morning sickness. No big deal."

Murong Jie said coldly, "Keep running your mouth, and I'll beat you until you miscarry."

Lu Yunqi: !!!

"Don't, don't, don't!" He quickly waved his hands. "Why are you so violent? You're not some wife-beater, are you? A man who hits his wife is a total dealbreaker!"

Murong Jie's voice grew colder: "Why don't you ask yourself who the real abuser is here?"

After all, Murong Jie had nearly been beaten to death by him three times—if not for luck, the weeds over his grave would be knee-high by now.

Lu Yunqi felt guilty, picked up his bowl, and took a sip of sour plum juice. "Don't be mad, okay? I've changed, haven't I? Isn't there a saying—'A prodigal who returns is worth more than gold'—isn't that right? Forgive me, alright?"

Maybe the omega genes had truly seeped into his bones, for Lu Yunqi could act cute without missing a beat.

Murong Jie just gave him a cold glance and said, "The Second Prince has been thrown into the Imperial City Bureau's prison."

Lu Yunqi was shocked: "What? That fast? The Imperial City Bureau actually did their job this time... uh, sorry, sorry—I forgot you've got people there too. Heh, need any help from me?"

Murong Jie said, "No need. He probably won't get out."

Lu Yunqi frowned: "Oh? You have a plan?"

Murong Jie replied, "Not me. The Grand Prince won't let him off."

A cold sweat ran down Lu Yunqi's back: "Really? The Grand Prince is that ruthless? He's offed both his brothers?"

Murong Jie chuckled lightly: "He's been arrogant since he was a kid, looking down on everyone. As the legitimate eldest son, everyone drilled into him that he'd be crown prince, then emperor. But now everything has changed. He allied with Xie Lianyi to win over the literati. But as Xie Lianyi got closer to his two younger brothers, he got scared. He's always eliminated rivals, never letting any other prince get ahead. But in the end, he realized his real competitors were never the other princes—but his own blood brothers."

Lu Yunqi asked, "Moving this fast—isn't that a bit hasty?"

Murong Jie said, "Because he knows better than anyone that if he doesn't crush them completely before they rise, he'll never get another shot. The Second Prince has been stockpiling troops and supplies. He has a great general named Shao Rufeng, a man with a sharp eye for talent—exactly the kind of person the Grand Prince had been after. But he chose the Second Prince and, within a single month, raised five thousand private soldiers for him, stashed in the hills behind the capital..."

Lu Yunqi's mouth fell open, his heart pounding. He asked, "How... how do you know all this? Why... why are you telling me?"

Even as he asked, he already knew the answer. Whether it was the strategist beside the Grand Prince or the general beside the Second Prince, both were carefully planted by Murong Jie.

Throw in the gorgeous Xie Lianyi, who held the title of disciple to Fairy Liuyi.

He finally understood why he'd failed to conquer him across nine lifetimes—with schemes this devilishly cunning, those three brothers were nothing but puppets in his hands.

Murong Jie looked him in the eyes, finally showing his true colors, and said, "You've always said you like me, that you love me. This is who I am—do you still like me? Do you still love me?"

Lu Yunqi: ...

I only said that to stay alive, so don't take it seriously!

No wait—please, do take it seriously!

Only if you believe it can I survive!

So he gazed at Murong Jie with deep affection, took his hand, curled his lips into a smile, and leaned in to kiss him. "I like you even more now. What can I do? My husband's so clever, so good at scheming—how could I not love him?"

Murong Jie stepped back, shook off Lu Yunqi's hand, and turned to leave the room, tossing over his shoulder: "Absolutely impossible to reason with!"

Lu Yunqi watched him leave with a grin, thinking, my skin's thicker than you can imagine. To stay alive, what's a couple of lies?

He lay back on the bed, munching on the pastries Liu Bao had brought—sweet and tangy, pretty damn tasty.

They say sour means a boy, spicy means a girl—so this pregnancy should be a son, right?

A son's good—tough and sturdy. Even if the Lu family goes broke someday, as long as he gets a meal, he'll survive.

But Lu Yunqi, in the end, still felt a pang of sympathy. It was his own flesh and blood, conceived just to survive—unfair to the kid, really.

He touched his flat belly, suddenly hit with a wave of sadness. This kid's got a rough fate!

Lu Yunqi stayed in bed for three days before finally heading back to Wanping Wasteland. This time, he got the shock of his life.

The residents had leveled up big time in both clothing and looks. They had electricity now—every home had electric lights. The residents no longer called him an immortal, which meant the sex ed campaign had worked out pretty well.

Du Ze had leveled up too. He said happily to Lu Yunqi, "Master, these residents are top quality—super loyal and quick learners. We run two hours of classes every night: literacy, legal basics, and moral lessons. Master, how do you like our progress so far?"

Lu Yunqi nodded in satisfaction: "Good, very good. Oh, and we can build some boats! Head down the Wanping Jade River and you'll hit the sea. Maritime civilization counts as civilization too—might even bump up our civ score."

Du Ze nodded: "Right, I was thinking the same! Master, we can upgrade our civ level now. With electricity, we can build factories, start smelting steel, and mass-produce tools."

Lu Yunqi felt queasy and a bit wiped, but he still nodded: "Alright, you handle it. As long as we hit our target civ level within a year, we're good."

Du Ze noticed he looked off and asked, "Do you need to rest? Is your body feeling unwell?"

Lu Yunqi waved his hand: "Nah, nah, I'm fine. Just pregnant. Ha, what a tragedy—building a civilization while knocked up."