Chapter 21

Chapter 21

After lying in bed for too long, Wen Jueqian's legs felt weak when he got out of bed, and he swayed slightly.

Wen Yanxu reached out and steadied him at once.

"Let me carry you out."

"No need, I can still walk." Wen Jueqian steadied himself, instinctively about to refuse.

But Wen Yanxu was already bending down, one arm hooked under his knees, the other supporting his back.

Wen Jueqian found himself lifted into his arms.

His ears flushed red instantly.

The faint pink stood out against his jade-white earlobes, like a light dusting of rouge.

Wen Yanxu glanced down at the blush and let out a soft laugh.

He didn't rush off. Instead, he dipped his head and pressed his lips to that burning ear.

His voice was laced with a low chuckle: "We've been together all these years, and you still get this shy."

Wen Jueqian ignored him and turned his head away.

Wen Yanxu carried him toward the dining room.

After eating, the two of them stayed in the study together.

Wen Jueqian leaned back on the sofa and opened "Xinwei," only to find a bunch of unread messages, all asking how he was doing.

He was a little surprised.

99 reminded him: "Check the news."

There was a link below.

"Aegis Research Center Attacked by 'Rustfire' Mercenary Group"

The post was from yesterday, yet after 24 hours it was still trending hard.

The attached image was an aerial video of Jueying Island.

99 also sent over a compiled summary of the situation.

Wen Jueqian opened it to review.

Skimming past the official statements and the timeline of events, he jumped straight to the public opinion section.

Social media and mainstream news were flooded with hashtags like #MourningTheHeroesOfJueyingIsland.

The public's first reaction was instinctive disgust at the violence, with comment sections full of people condemning Rustfire and mourning the victims.

But some dissenting voices were starting to surface.

Some questioned whether the attack on Aegis meant the inhibitor had major risks—whether Aegis had hidden something that drew Rustfire's attention.

System 99 had pulled up a mixed bag of comments: some demanding to know why the Federal Security Bureau hadn't wiped out Rustfire, some defending Aegis as also a victim, and others excited to see what the 7th-Gen Inhibitor could do.

Wen Jueqian kept scrolling and suddenly spotted a few comments about himself.

"A friend who works on Jueying Island told me Aegis could've held out until backup arrived, but they deliberately let Rustfire get away for some reason."

"WJQ was on the island too—was he kidnapped or something?"

"Heard he was seriously injured—hasn't been seen in Lingjing Era for days."

Wen Jueqian frowned.

He had System 99 pull up more comments about him.

99: No need to worry, Qianqian. The comments about you online are disappearing—Aegis's PR team must have already stepped in.

But Wen Jueqian wasn't reassured.

Posts online could be deleted, but you couldn't shut everyone up.

He looked over at Wen Yanxu, who was working at the desk.

He asked outright: "Axu, back then, to save me—did you really let Rustfire go?"

Wen Yanxu was reviewing an analysis report. At the question, his hand on the mouse paused for a beat, then kept scrolling.

His eyes stayed on the screen as he calmly laid out his reasoning: "If we'd kept fighting Rustfire, it would've only caused more casualties. Aegis was the victim—taking down Rustfire is the Federal Security Bureau's job, not ours."

He didn't answer the question head-on.

But Wen Jueqian already had his answer.

Wen Yanxu had made that call, and a big part of it was because of him.

But that kind of concern only made him feel uneasy.

He'd caused Wen Yanxu more trouble again.

After mulling it over, he reposted an in-depth article.

The article laid out in full how Wen Yanxu commanded the defense on the night of the Jueying Island attack, along with the final casualty count.

The article ended with these words:

"Regardless, this terrorist attack not only cost Aegis dearly, but also brought pain and suffering to everyone on the island that night. That Jueying Island could win this battle against overwhelming odds—thanks not only to Wen Yanxu's calm, precise command, but also to the heroes who gave their lives to protect others—is a testament to their courage. As a research center, Jueying Island was meant to be a hub for advancing science and technology, yet it became the stage for a group of people's bravery and sacrifice."

Wen Jueqian added the hashtag #MourningTheHeroesOfJueyingIsland to the repost, along with three candle emojis.

He added: "Holding Jueying Island was far harder than anyone outside can imagine. Thank you to the heroes I never met—your sacrifice bought everyone else's safety. This will never be forgotten."

He also drafted a new post on his social platform, scheduled to go live that night.

"After the disaster, there's still rebuilding to be done."

The attached image was a photo: Wen Yanxu at his desk, front and center.

The fact that he'd been kidnapped during the attack couldn't be kept from everyone—it was only natural rumors would circulate online.

These two posts were meant to state his stance, quell the rumors, keep the focus on the victims, and avoid over-explaining.

The moment the post went live, the comment section started buzzing.

"Thank goodness, babe, I'm so glad you're okay [grateful][grateful][grateful]"

"Seeing your update puts my mind at ease. I've been worried these past two days [praying hands]"

"Praying for your safety."

But a few others said something different:

"Since he's fine, why is Aegis going on a deleting spree? Can't we even have a discussion?"

"Ever since they got engaged, every time there's negative buzz about him online, the heir has it taken down in no time—just won't let anyone talk about his fiancée."

"You'd be fine with strangers gossiping and spreading rumors about your partner? Boss Wen's protectiveness isn't new."

"Wen's controlling, sure, but he's also fiercely protective."

"Is asking whether he was kidnapped or injured considered badmouthing? Isn't that just concern?"

"And you call comments hoping he'd be seriously hurt concern?"

Wen Jueqian looked at these comments, his fingers pausing over the ones expressing concern for him.

He recalled the plotline.

In reality, his pairing with Wen Yanxu—a long campus romance that eventually led to engagement—drew massive attention. An Alpha from a wealthy family and a Beta from an ordinary one, their status gap was huge.

The public was curious, skeptical, and some offered their blessings. Those who believed their love was real formed a fanbase, calling themselves "Juexu Step by Step."

They were steadfast supporters of Wen Jueqian and Wen Yanxu's love, often seen in the comments on Wen Jueqian's public social media.

Later, when Wen Jueqian and his company, Lingjing Era, were hit by a string of scandals, his public image plummeted, but "Juexu Step by Step" didn't abandon him.

They still stood firmly behind him, believing in him, defending him.

When Wen Jueqian read that part of the storyline, he felt conflicted.

So there were people who would stand by him, believing in him.

In that ending, where he lost everything, he wasn't alone.

An Alpha and Beta pairing wasn't entirely frowned upon by the world—some still believed that their love was real.

Wen Jueqian was lost in thought and didn't notice when Wen Yanxu had walked up beside him.

"What are you looking at?"

Wen Yanxu leaned down, his gaze landing on those nasty comments.

Wen Jueqian instinctively tried to close the page, but a hand reached out and stopped him.

Wen Yanxu swiped the holographic screen without hesitation.

He scanned it quickly, his expression unchanged, and said flatly, "Deleting posts is just standard PR for the company, nothing personal."

After speaking, he didn't leave. Instead, he sat down, pulled Wen Jueqian into his arms, and lifted him onto his lap with ease.

"But they were right about one thing." Wen Yanxu wrapped his arms around him, admitting, "I really don't want others discussing you too much."

Wen Jueqian set down the holoscreen and looked down at him. "Why?"

Wen Yanxu looked up to meet his eyes.

Those ice-blue eyes appeared even more intense and colder under the cool lighting, yet beneath them hid an unfathomable possessiveness.

"Because you're mine."

Every word was like an oath: "Your safety, your body, everything about you—it's all mine to protect. No one else needs to worry, and no one else has the right to judge."

Without warning, the room was suddenly filled with Datura pheromones.

If pheromones had a physical form, Wen Jueqian would have been wrapped up tight, with no room to escape.

Such intense possessiveness might suffocate anyone else.

But Wen Jueqian had long been used to it.

Seven years was enough to deeply understand the man before him and to learn how to adapt.

"So domineering," he murmured, hard to tell if it was a genuine complaint or something else.

Wen Yanxu let out a low chuckle, leaned in, and kissed his throat.

"Only for you."

==========Author's Note:==========

I feel like my online comments sound a bit robotic. I've never really been a fan of celebrities, so I don't know how real fans comment. I'll have to do some research sometime.