Chapter 111: Let Me Take a Good Look at You

Chapter 111: Let Me Take a Good Look at You

It was on the 103rd day that Chu Lanting finally saw his beloved return.

At that moment, he was in the middle of teaching a class at a training center. When he got a video call from home, he thought something was wrong with Xiaoqiang, so he picked up right away.

When he saw that familiar face on the screen, he didn't care that he had another class coming up. He quickly asked his boss for time off and sped home as fast as he could.

When he finally reached the villa's entrance, out of breath, and caught sight of that familiar tall figure, he couldn't hold it together anymore. Tears welled up in his eyes.

The second he was pulled into a tight embrace, the familiar woody scent mixed with a faint hint of gunpowder hit his nose.

"Why are you so skinny now?"

Chu Lanting had always been slender, and because he hadn't been eating or sleeping well during this period, he'd grown even thinner.

Even though Xiaoqiang kept feeding him, he never seemed to put on any weight.

He just kept losing weight day by day, and a couple of days ago, he'd even been too scared to look in the mirror.

Hearing the voice by his ear, he didn't reply. He just grabbed onto Pei Du's clothes and refused to let go.

Pei Du's heart ached, of course.

But more than that, he felt guilty.

If he'd known his wife would lose this much weight, he would've taken him along no matter how dangerous the front lines were.

Luckily, this battle hadn't lasted long.

Easily lifting him into his arms, Pei Du hoisted him up by the butt and grumbled, "You were already thin, and now even the part with the most meat is all bones now."

And with that, he even gave it a little squeeze.

Chu Lanting was still lost in his happiness.

When his butt was suddenly squeezed, his expression froze for a moment, and then a blush spread across his pale cheeks.

His face, which was already tiny, had gotten so thin that his chin was now sharp.

His beautiful, bright almond eyes had grown even larger.

His eyes went wide, and he murmured, "That part hasn't gotten thinner."

Pei Du chuckled. "Oh, it hasn't?"

Okay, fine, it had.

Chu Lanting looped his arms around Pei Du's neck and let him carry him inside.

It had been so long since Pei Du had been home that when he first walked in, he thought he'd come to the wrong house.

No other reason—so much had changed.

The place, which used to be all black, white, and gray, now had a bunch of bright colors added.

There was now a vase full of fresh flowers on the dining table, and a colorful plaid blanket on the sofa.

There were also tons of little knick-knacks lying around.

This villa, which had once only been a place to rest, finally felt like a home after its second owner moved in.

Sitting down on the sofa with him in his arms, Pei Du pulled over the blanket and draped it over the man in his arms: "Xiaoqiang said you haven't been eating well."

Chu Lanting squirmed, trying to get off his lap.

At that, he stopped and turned to look at the robot butler who was fixing lunch nearby.

"I did eat, you know."

He just hadn't had much of an appetite.

Whenever he thought about how the story would keep going according to the book, his stomach would churn at the sight of food.

Not getting a response, he instinctively looked up, and his clear, tea-brown eyes met the familiar dark eyes.

"...Sorry, I shouldn't have wasted food."

He apologized quietly, then rested his head against Pei Du's shoulder: "A Du, I missed you so much."

So much he felt like he was losing his mind.

He'd even thought about going to find him secretly.

But then he remembered that the little planet was temporarily sealed off—no one could get in except the military.

Not to mention he didn't know how to get there. And even if he did find a way, the military would definitely notify Pei Du right away.

The battlefield was dangerous as hell, and Pei Du would never let him come along.

After more than three months apart, Chu Lanting's hair had grown out a lot.

His hair matched his personality—soft, with a faint, pleasant scent.

Feeling the man in his arms keep nuzzling his neck, occasionally lifting his head to sniff at him like an addict who could only survive on his scent...

At that thought, the anger Pei Du had felt over him not taking care of himself melted away.

He tightened his arms, pulling him even closer.

"I missed you too. So much it hurts all over."

In order to return to the capital star sooner and see the person he wanted to see, Pei Du had been forced to use some drastic measures to deal with the insectoids.

This had caused the psychic energy that had just stabilized for a while to once again go haywire through his body.

But more than that, his longing had turned into tiny thorns, pricking him all over.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Pei Du lowered his head and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Originally, it was just a kiss to show how much he missed him.

But when he saw the man in his arms instinctively close his eyes, long, curled lashes trembling with anticipation, and soft, pale lips parting slightly, looking all soft and willing...

He swallowed hard, and all kinds of images suddenly flooded his mind.

Suddenly, he lifted the person in his arms, Pei Du pressing one hand against the back of the other's neck, keeping him from lifting his head, so he couldn't see the surging desire in Pei Du's eyes.

With his other hand supporting the man's bottom, he headed straight upstairs to the bedroom.

The door slammed shut, echoing through every corner of the villa.

Xiaoqiang, busy in the kitchen and pretending to be a mindless, ordinary robot, quietly turned off the stove and started calculating when the masters might come back down to eat.

Humans say a day apart feels like three years.

The master and his wife had been apart for 103 days, which meant 309 years.

Considering the master's sturdy build...

Should it book a hospital bed in advance? Could the wife's body really handle it?

The robot butler, who took care of the entire villa and especially looked after the two masters, was worried sick about this.

......

......

"...No more, A Du... please..."

In the dimly lit bedroom, a slender, bruised arm extended from under the blanket.

From sheer exhaustion, the arm could barely lift.

Even so, it gave a weak wave in the air, signaling refusal.

Beside the arm's owner, Pei Du, looking completely content, smiled and tucked the arm back under the blanket.

"I'm not going to continue; let me just look at you properly."

As he spoke, his fingers gently swept the hair from the other's forehead, revealing a smooth brow.

Over the years, Pei Du had seen all sorts of people—tall, short, plump, thin, beautiful, ugly.

But he was like a robot—those faces only stayed in his mind for identification, nothing more.

They served no other purpose.

Until he met Chu Lanting, the one who made him fall in love at first sight—twice.

Like a sudden burst of vivid color in a black-and-white painting.

Even though his features could only be described as handsome in a plain way, he still couldn't take his eyes off him.

Lowering his head, he placed a kiss on those rosy lips, then lay back down and pulled the person beside him even closer.

Gently patting his slender back, a low, hoarse voice echoed in the bedroom.

"I love you."