TMWTGD CH68

Xie Jianwei wanted to drown his sorrows in wine, and Lu Li naturally obliged him to the very end.

Only, as they drank, somehow they drank their way into bed, somehow slipped right in, and somehow spent the entire night laboring away…

Well, having gone without it for so long, things got a bit excessive.

Xie Jianwei felt a rare twinge of regret. Losing control under the influence was truly ill-advised; a hangover already made his head throb, and piling on that kind of intense physical exertion left him so spent he felt like dying.

Not happening again, Xie Jianwei warned himself. Even in a dream, one shouldn’t indulge too recklessly.

When he woke up, Lu Li was massaging his temples.

His fingers were pleasantly warm and applied just the right pressure, bringing Xie Jianwei immense relief.

Seeing him squint comfortably like a cat, Lu Li leaned in to kiss him.

Xie Jianwei didn’t move away, tilting his head up to welcome the kiss.

After a moment of kissing, Lu Li’s hands began wandering, prompting Xie Jianwei to snap his eyes open. “No more!”

Lu Li hummed an acknowledgment, yet his movements didn’t stop.

He didn’t take him, merely kissing Xie Jianwei from head to toe.

Xie Jianwei grew ticklish from his fussing, silently dubbing him Big Dog Lu in his mind, though he certainly didn’t dare say it aloud.

After clinging together for a while, Xie Jianwei said, “I’m hungry.”

Lu Li said, “I’ll have them send food up.”

Xie Jianwei said, “I don’t want what they make.”

Lu Li rose slightly. “I’ll cook.”

Xie Jianwei caught his hand. “Let me. I’ll cook for you.”

Lu Li paused.

Xie Jianwei blinked and asked, “Where are those meal vouchers I gave you?”

Lu Li didn’t want to hand them over; he couldn’t bear to use even a single one.

Xie Jianwei said, “Give them to me.”

“You don’t need to cook. I’ll do it.”

“I want to make a meal for you too. Don’t you want to taste my cooking?”

He did, desperately so.

Xie Jianwei stood on tiptoe to peck his lips, his eyes curving into crescents. “Meal vouchers.”

Reluctantly, Lu Li retrieved the little slip of paper tucked against his chest. He stayed quiet, yet his eyes were laden with reluctance and discontent. Did cooking one meal truly mean one fewer remained?

Unexpectedly, with a sharp rip, Xie Jianwei tore the slip in two.

Lu Li narrowed his eyes abruptly, his entire aura turning icy. “What are you doing!”

Why tear it up? What happened to the promised seventy-six thousand six hundred and fifty uses? Did he refuse to give even a single one?

People always said Lu Li had a wild imagination, but his mind worked at lightning speed too. In seconds, he convinced himself that Xie Jianwei wanted to break up. Last night was parting sex, this morning was a parting kiss, and after a parting meal they would part ways for good, with Xie Jianwei returning to Lu Yan’s side after all.

Xie Jianwei had no idea that in just a couple of seconds, Lu Li had chilled himself to the core.

Having torn the voucher, he fetched a fresh sheet of paper and a pen, writing meticulously: Meal Vouchers. Uses: 76,650 * N. Validity: For all eternity.

Beneath the text, Xie Jianwei signed his name.

The handwriting was just like the man, exceptionally gorgeous, and the signature was elegant and refined, carrying an untamed grace like a dragon soaring across the skies.

Lu Li’s icy despair instantly turned into soaring sweetness.

Xie Jianwei handed him the note, saying nothing, his cheeks faintly flushed.

Lu Li’s eyes locked onto the words “for all eternity” without blinking.

“A-Wei.”

“Hm?”

“Do you know what this signifies?”

Xie Jianwei smiled. “Staying with you for all eternity.”

Lu Li’s heart pounded furiously. “Why?”

Xie Jianwei suddenly looked bashful. “Was I too reckless?”

Lu Li could not describe his emotions at this moment; an overwhelming sense of unreality made his palms sweat.

Xie Jianwei murmured softly, “Could it be… you wish to be with Sister in the next life?”

Lu Li was stunned for a moment.

Xie Jianwei’s eyes dimmed, feeling somewhat uneasy. “Um, you…”

In a trembling voice, Lu Li finally asked, “Do you… love me?”

Xie Jianwei lowered his head quickly. Though he remained silent, the tips of his ears turned scarlet.

“You…”

“I don’t know.” Xie Jianwei finally lifted his gaze, looking at Lu Li with a blend of confusion and absolute certainty. “I don’t know what happened. I thought my greatest wish in this life was to remain by Yan ge‘s side, even if only guarding him in silence. But… I don’t know when it started, I became terrified of parting from you, and wanted even more to stay by your side…”

Pausing briefly, he continued, “In Country M, staying with Yan ge every day… I was indeed in agony because I was treated as Sister. Yet in truth… there was another reason for that pain.”

Lu Li’s heart thudded furiously, impossibly fast.

Xie Jianwei held his gaze unblinkingly. “I missed you. I missed you terribly.”

Lu Li pulled him into a fierce embrace. In this moment, he felt nothing else mattered anymore.

Hearing him speak those words gave Lu Li profound satisfaction.

Attaining what he had dreamed of, such a day had truly arrived for him.

Xie Jianwei knew the emotional weight was pitched just right, because the dream remained steady, showing no hint of collapse.

Evidently, this confession worked. First demonstrating that he found no joy with Lu Yan, then experiencing immense joy with Lu Li, arriving at a sudden realization through contrast. It all fit the logic, or rather, Big Li’s divine logic.

Lu Li’s voice sounded close against his ear: “Thank you.”

Thank him for what? Xie Jianwei smiled, burying his face in his chest.

Xie Jianwei could finally showcase his cooking, enthusiastically preparing an exquisite lunch.

Sitting down, Xie Jianwei asked him, “How does it taste?”

Bluntly speaking, even if Military Advisor Xie boiled plain cabbage stalks, the Lord Marshal would sing high praises.

People said love was blind, but it went beyond that; it stripped away smell and taste, sometimes carrying one’s brain away along with it.

Of course, one couldn’t call the Lord Marshal brainless, but the label of a love-struck fool was unavoidable.

Yet being love-struck had its perks. If eating plain cabbage stalks felt like a world-class delicacy, tasting genuine gourmet food would surely send him straight to heaven.

Military Advisor Xie’s cooking was an absolute culinary masterpiece.

Thus, what staggering flavor the Lord Marshal experienced at this moment was beyond anyone’s imagination.

Pure bliss.

Yan Ke was so envious he just wanted to fall in love right away. It didn’t matter if her bust was large or not; he simply wanted someone he loved who loved him back, just to taste what romance was like.

This dream world had essentially run its course.

Lu Li had indulged his self-torment to the fullest, and Xie Jianwei had made a natural confession.

Once things were cleared up with Lu Yan and Xie Jianwei delivered a genuine confession, the dream would likely conclude.

Yet that wasn’t enough; “it” had to be baited out. If the dream ended without dealing with it, a hidden danger would remain.

What if the next dream contained two of them?

Xie Jianwei didn’t worry for himself, but for Lu Li. Tormenting himself with such unreserved dedication was bad enough; adding two helpers on top of that would mean far worse than just a chilling fright.

Therefore, “it” had to be flushed out.

Still, Xie Jianwei was in no rush. He felt it was bound to make a move soon, as it would never allow the dream to wrap up so smoothly.

The next day, Xie Jianwei visited Lu Yan.

With God’s will at work, Lu Yan remembered everything on his own without any regard for logic.

Looking at Xie Jianwei, his face was desolate: “During this time… you suffered.”

Xie Jianwei acted surprised: “Yan ge, you…”

“I remember everything.”

Xie Jianwei paused, ultimately holding back words of comfort. What could he say? Express condolences? Even after so many years, he hadn’t stepped out from the shadow of his sister’s demise either, so what right did he have to tell Lu Yan to mourn in moderation?

Lu Yan stared blankly ahead, only speaking after a long silence: “Can you take me to see her?”

When a person died, meeting again meant parting across the boundary of life and death before a gravestone.

Before departing, Xie Jianwei sent Lu Li a message, and Lu Li dispatched a car to pick them up.

The three entered the cemetery together. Seeing the name “Xie Rou” etched upon the tombstone, Lu Yan collapsed to his knees, weeping in total devastation.

What could be more agonizing than two people who loved each other parting forever through death?

Lu Yan had likely never broken down like this in his life. Awakening from a dream only to find his beloved gone; what meaning was there in living when his soul had departed with her, leaving behind only a walking corpse in the mortal realm?

The sight would pierce anyone to the core.

Xie Jianwei couldn’t help taking Lu Li’s hand, waves of lingering dread washing over him.

Had he not caught Lu Li’s condition in time, had he allowed Lu Li to kill his other personalities…

Unprecedented fear gripped Xie Jianwei’s heart. That man had once told him that without fear there was no hesitation, and romantic attachment was humanity’s greatest weakness, warning him never to touch it his entire life.

Indeed, Lu Li was his weakness; losing him meant losing everything.

Yet Lu Li was his pillar as well, because having him gave meaning to everything.

In an instant, Xie Jianwei regained his calm. True fearlessness was not detachment from all care; true fearlessness was born of protection.

The courage derived from wanting to protect what one loved was what made one truly invincible.

Xie Jianwei spoke: “Yan ge, when Sister died, she threw herself into your arms.”

Lu Yan remained dazed, tear tracks covering his handsome face.

Xie Jianwei looked at him, speaking word by word: “Sister loved you. She exchanged her life to bring you back, so… please cherish yourself.”

Lu Yan let out a low wail like a wounded beast, suffering as though on the brink of death.

Xie Jianwei’s meaning was crystal clear:

You cannot die.

You must live on carrying Xie Rou’s life on your shoulders.

Life was existence; death was oblivion. As long as Lu Yan lived, Xie Rou lived on.

If Lu Yan died as well, they would truly be dead, their existence erased forever.

No matter how agonizing, he had to live, because he could not betray their love.

Later, Lu Yan chose to travel afar. He had once promised Xie Rou that they would journey across the world, chronicling their love with footprints. Now he would fulfill that vow; though two pairs of footprints had become one, the promise was eternal. He would trace his half, waiting for the next life to plead with her to complete the rest.

Regarding this dream, there was still a missing piece for Xie Jianwei. The origins of Lu Li and Lu Yan.

His memories were complete. Meeting Lu Li in youth, fighting to establish an empire for him, seeing blood and taking lives, employing any means necessary in a dark underworld, and finally commanding immense power.

Xie Jianwei knew Lu Li despised his father to the bone, and his father was the one who killed Xie Rou.

Everything he did in this dream was to drag that powerful father down from his pedestal to face justice.

Yet what Lu Li experienced in childhood remained unknown to Xie Jianwei.

He wondered whether “it” would exploit this matter next.

As it turned out, it acted far more crudely than Xie Jianwei imagined. It kidnapped Xie Jianwei directly.

Under normal circumstances, or rather in reality, kidnapping Military Advisor Xie was roughly on par with conquering the Marshal’s Manor.

Yet this was a dream, and it counted as half a “god” in its own right.

Thus, it made illogical things happen. For instance, the person picking up Xie Jianwei was clearly Lu Li’s assistant, yet in the next instant morphed into an unfamiliar man in black.

In this setting, such god-tier disguises had no place, so this was utter absurdity!

Just like that, Xie Jianwei was inexplicably kidnapped.

Still, credit was due. It had grown smarter, finally locating the root of the problem.

Since it couldn’t tear them apart, killing was the answer.

As long as Xie Jianwei died, they would part whether they wanted to or not!

This was no kidnapping, but outright murder.

A black gun barrel pressed against Xie Jianwei’s forehead. Xie Jianwei looked completely unfazed; let alone fear, his expression didn’t shift in the slightest.

Instead, the hand holding the weapon trembled slightly.

Xie Jianwei looked at him and said, “Why kill me?”

“Does killing need a reason?” his voice sounded raspy.

Xie Jianwei smiled suddenly. “Did you ever consider that you can’t kill me at all?”

The man sneered, “You are unarmed. When I pull the trigger, your head will burst open.”

Xie Jianwei said, “So what if my head bursts open? As long as he doesn’t want me dead, I will revive even if torn to pieces.”

“W-What did you say?”

Xie Jianwei knew it could hear him. “Did you think you were the only one who could defy logic?”

It had grown somewhat smarter, yet couldn’t shake its foolish core. Turning an assistant into an unfamiliar stranger in black. This wasn’t a fantasy realm, so who played like that?

If it acted recklessly, Lu Li could act even more recklessly.

In this dream, who possessed greater power? Obviously, Lu Li.

If it wanted to break the rules, it had better check whether it had the strength to break them.

With just a few words, Xie Jianwei left the gunman frozen.

It realized that this indeed could not kill Xie Jianwei. Killing him through illogical means would only allow Lu Li to resurrect him.

It had to be logical. Lu Li had to believe that Xie Jianwei was genuinely dead, beyond all hope of recovery.

Testing the waters this far, Xie Jianwei gleaned plenty of information.

It seemed it was no longer as ignorant as before. It likely still didn’t know the dream was artificially constructed, but recognized this was Lu Li’s mental realm, allowing it to modify settings to a degree.

Xie Jianwei offered another prompt: “You can tell him to pull the trigger and see. A-Li certainly won’t let me die, and when I revive from the dead…”

It snapped awake with a jolt. That could not happen. Killing Xie Jianwei now in such an abrupt manner wouldn’t break Lu Li; instead, it would reveal the unreality of it all. Lu Li would recognize Xie Jianwei couldn’t die, and seeing a shattered head piece itself together would wreck the world’s structure!

If Lu Li fully awakened his divine authority, it would stand zero chance against him.

He tossed the gun aside, spitting viciously, “There are plenty of ways to torment you!”

Xie Jianwei duped the fool with just a few sentences, finding it almost lacking in challenge.

Its concerns were valid, but Xie Jianwei had reservations too.

If it truly blasted him to death, the dream would collapse on the spot, adding another personality to Big Li.

That would be quite troublesome.

Xie Jianwei turned murder into a kidnapping, which worked well. Big Li would come to rescue him, providing the perfect opening to destroy it.

Since it delivered itself seeking death, it would be rude not to oblige.

Xie Jianwei didn’t take it to heart, feeling the dream was nearing its end.

Yet when he opened his eyes again, his heart was struck with a brutal blow.

The scene before him was agonizingly familiar. Human experimentation.

How could this dream contain something like this?

No, how could Lu Li’s dream world hold such horrors!

Terrible memories surged into his mind, making his vision waver.

It finally appeared, taking the form of Lu Li’s father, a middle-aged man bearing similarities to Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei knew his name: Lu Zhenyuan.

Dressed in a crisp military uniform, Lu Zhenyuan radiated the commanding aura of someone long accustomed to supreme authority. Looking at Xie Jianwei, he asked, “Do you want to become stronger?”

A mocking smile curled Xie Jianwei’s lips as he countered, “Do you want to live longer?”

Lu Zhenyuan watched him with intrigued interest. “That is impossible.”

Xie Jianwei looked up, meeting his eyes with utter seriousness: “It is possible.”

Sweeping his gaze across the laboratory, Lu Zhenyuan said unhurriedly, “I built this place with my own hands. I know what they can achieve better than anyone.”

Without sparing a glance, Xie Jianwei said, “Immortality, eternal youth, physical enhancement, intellect amplification, and even elevating mental rank.”

Lu Zhenyuan froze visibly. “You are truly fascinating.”

Xie Jianwei smiled. “So, what do you desire?”

Lu Zhenyuan scoffed, “What could a smooth-talking brat possibly give me?”

Without glancing at the equipment, Xie Jianwei rattled off every function, operating mechanism, and theoretical principle with effortless familiarity, even explaining how they were engineered.

Lu Zhenyuan narrowed his eyes sharply. “You…”

Xie Jianwei chuckled softly. “So what would you like enhanced?”

Lu Zhenyuan asked sternly, “Can you truly use them to extend lifespan?”

Xie Jianwei asked, “By how many years?”

Lu Zhenyuan’s eyes filled with disbelief. “Just who are you?”

Xie Jianwei merely asked, “How many years do you wish to live?”

Lu Zhenyuan said, “How many can you extend it by?”

Xie Jianwei said, “There is no upper limit.”

Lu Zhenyuan asked, “What is the price?”

Xie Jianwei countered, “Since you established this laboratory, what price could you possibly be unwilling to pay?”

“That is true…” Lu Zhenyuan still looked skeptical. “Who in the world are you…”

Xie Jianwei said, “Leave it to me with peace of mind.”

Lu Zhenyuan was genuinely curious about what he could do.

Truth be told, very few people across the world could operate these devices, but he believed Xie Jianwei truly understood them.

His earlier explanations were far too thorough; even the senior researchers here would be stunned.

Lu Zhenyuan dreamed of longevity. He had acquired everything, lacking only the lifespan to enjoy it all.

Could Xie Jianwei truly pull it off?

Xie Jianwei stood up and walked toward one of the consoles.

His long, slender fingers tapped across the keyboard like someone playing a piano. His posture was striking, leaning forward slightly with graceful lines, his pale neck illuminated by the glow of the monitor.

Lu Zhenyuan had to admit that Lu Li had remarkable taste.

In just a short moment, Xie Jianwei revised a cellular enhancement program.

“Come take a look.”

Puzzled, Lu Zhenyuan walked over, and then his eyes widened in shock.

“You truly…”

Xie Jianwei said, “Grant me administrator access, and I will fulfill your wish.”

Lu Zhenyuan’s heart pounded, yet reason lingered: “You aren’t plotting something, are you?”

“What could I possibly plot?” Xie Jianwei smiled gently. “Isn’t my life in your hands anyway?”

Lu Zhenyuan could not see through him at all.

Once it fully assumed a character’s role in the dream, it treated everything as real, adopting their thoughts, actions, and desires.

Lu Zhenyuan craved immortality, and it assumed no one could grant it, never expecting Xie Jianwei truly could.

Did Xie Jianwei intend to fulfill his wish?

Overcome with anticipation, Lu Zhenyuan could not resist the temptation.

Xie Jianwei was like a heaven-sent gift, dropping down to place his deepest desire directly into his hands.

How could he refuse?

In a trembling voice, Lu Zhenyuan said, “Help me… extend my lifespan, and I will give you anything you want!”

What he wanted?

He truly could afford to give it.

Xie Jianwei smiled, “Rest assured, it won’t be a problem.”

Just like that, Lu Zhenyuan granted him full clearance. Reviewing the entire database of the laboratory, Xie Jianwei’s head buzzed with pain, that long-buried prickling ache clinging to him like maggots on bone, impossible to shake.

Lu Zhenyuan looked at Xie Jianwei with eager anticipation.

Yet after obtaining complete authority, Xie Jianwei made no further modifications to the program. Moving at blinding speed, he breached terminals across the globe, deleting every backup file in a single sweep within seconds.

Lu Zhenyuan’s eyes widened in rage: “Are you insane?!”

Even those words were identical. It grated on Xie Jianwei’s ears. He didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to linger in this dream for another minute.

He knew this was irrational, but he could not stomach it.

Scars he had fought to bury were torn open raw; all Xie Jianwei could see was a sea of crimson.

Human experimentation. If not for this cursed thing, how could he have lost his parents, his brothers, and everything he held dear?

Enraged, Lu Zhenyuan watched his life’s work vanish in an instant. Roaring with fury, he moved to kill Xie Jianwei.

Yet at that very moment, the reinforced blast door was blown open by a cannon blast, and the man standing amidst the billowing smoke wore an expression of sheer panic.

Seeing him through the flames, gazing into those eyes, Xie Jianwei’s heart suddenly settled.

All the darkness, all the fury, and all the crimson receded, leaving behind only a ray of bright sunlight that illuminated the entire world upon that barren planet.

Xie Jianwei murmured, “Lu Li…”

Lu Li fired several shots directly into Lu Zhenyuan. He had finally slain this monster, yet felt not an ounce of relief. Striding toward Xie Jianwei, he swept him into his arms, raining frantic kisses upon his forehead, barely aware of what he was muttering: “It’s alright, it’s over, don’t be afraid, A-Wei, don’t be afraid…”

Xie Jianwei trembled softly in his embrace. After a long while, as if pushed past the limits of exhaustion, he fell unconscious.

Lu Li didn’t understand how it happened. He had spent over a decade searching for this place without success, yet the moment Xie Jianwei was kidnapped, he suddenly knew.

As though shoved forcefully into his mind, he abruptly envisioned this facility, saw Lu Zhenyuan, and saw Xie Jianwei.

Then he tracked it down, executed the beast he had dreamed of killing for years, and embraced the person he never wanted to let go.

What in the world was going on?

Lu Li looked up, his pupils contracting sharply.

Everything before him resembled a shattering mirror, fine cracks spreading across the scene before it fractured apart in silence.

This…

Lu Li watched in disbelief until a wave of intense dizziness swept his mind, forcing his eyes shut.

Xie Jianwei snapped his eyes open, asking immediately, “Did it fail?”

Yan Ke said, “It succeeded…”

Sitting up with a lingering headache, Xie Jianwei glanced at the sleeping Lu Li beside him, feeling puzzled: “The personality was appeased?”

Yan Ke showed him the monitor directly: “Look, only two active personalities remain.”

Out of eight personalities, six were asleep, leaving only two. So the dream had indeed succeeded.

Yet at the very end…

Yan Ke said, “I saw it too. That entire world crumbled.”

Xie Jianwei knitted his brows: “Still, Lu Li fulfilled his wish.”

With Lu Zhenyuan dead and Xie Jianwei confessing to him, his wish was granted, bringing the dream to its conclusion.

Only, why was this ending different from the previous ones?

Xie Jianwei suspected Lu Li might have sensed something.

Yan Ke asked, “Shall we proceed with treatment?”

“Wait two days.”

Xie Jianwei returned to the Marshal’s Manor, yet could not close his eyes.

He leaned close against Lu Li, yet still felt chilled to the bone.

Such terrible memories, truly awful.

The place he least wanted to recall had been recreated with such fidelity, leaving him feeling cold all over.

Did Lu Li know about his past?

How could Lu Li know?

Everyone who knew had died, hadn’t they?

Lu Li couldn’t have uncovered it. Yet if he didn’t know, how could he recreate that setting so completely?

Or perhaps it stemmed from Xie Jianwei’s own inner fears.

Could he influence Lu Li’s dreams as well?

Perhaps so; after all, entering his dreams had already altered them.

Xie Jianwei could only think this way, for every other possibility was horrifying to contemplate.

Before long, Lu Li woke up.

Sensing the trembling in his arms, he reached out, holding him tightly as he asked softly, “Had a nightmare?”

Unwilling to let him see his eyes, Xie Jianwei buried his face in his chest: “Mm.”

“What did you dream about?”

Xie Jianwei said nothing.

Stroking his back gently, Lu Li said softly, “It’s alright, it was only a dream.”

Yet the dream was so vivid it blurred the boundary with reality.

Holding him tightly, Xie Jianwei suddenly asked, “A-Li, did you know me before?”

Lu Li asked in confusion, “Before? How long ago?”

Xie Jianwei said, “During the era of the Old Federation.”

Lu Li laughed, “I wish I had known you back then, but that barren planet didn’t even have a signal receiver. At the time, I thought Grandmother and I were the only two humans left in the entire universe.”

His tone held not a shred of deceit. Xie Jianwei wanted to ask him, but repelled those memories too strongly.

It wasn’t that he refused to share, but the psychological shadow was far greater than imagined, leaving him unable to voice a single syllable.

Sensing his abnormality, Lu Li asked, “What is it, really?”

Xie Jianwei shook his head, “Nothing.”

Lu Li let out a soft sigh: “I truly wish I had known you earlier.”

Xie Jianwei paused, whispering, “Me too.”

Lu Li thought he had misheard: “You too?”

Xie Jianwei looked into his eyes: “Yes, me too.”

Lu Li smiled, “How early would you want?”

Xie Jianwei said, “As early as possible.”

A roguish smirk touched Lu Li’s lips: “I’m five years younger than you. When you were fifteen, I probably wouldn’t have been able to satisfy you.”

The gloom hanging over Xie Jianwei cleared considerably thanks to this crude quip: “Who was talking about that?”

“We have to consider it,” Lu Li sighed. “If the Old Federation hadn’t collapsed, even in the capital star, I could hardly have crossed paths with you.”

Xie Jianwei thought about it; that was likely true.

Lu Li nuzzled his neck again, planting several wet kisses: “Not necessarily, though. Maybe the moment you laid eyes on me, you’d recognize your destined husband and lead me straight home.”

Tickled by his kisses, Xie Jianwei replied with amusement, “What you lead home on a leash is a dog.”

“You dare call your husband a dog!”

Xie Jianwei kicked him: “Whose husband are you?!”

“Very well, since you don’t even know who your husband is, I’ll have to make you feel it properly.”

Xie Jianwei laughed, his eyes curving: “Get lost.”

“Coming right in. Big, isn’t it?”

The two engaged in another passionate mess. Afterward, Xie Jianwei finally felt warm. Warm from Lu Li’s embrace, warm from his kisses, and even warmer inside.

His chilled body felt as though a flame had been rekindled, warmed through from the inside out.

He would speak of his past.

Xie Jianwei told himself. Give him a little more time, and he would tell Lu Li everything.

Because he trusted Lu Li, and he loved Lu Li.

And in this world, absolutely no one loved him more than Lu Li.

The next day, Xie Jianwei clung to Lu Li constantly.

Wherever Lu Li went, he followed.

When the two stepped into the council hall together, the ministers’ jaws nearly hit the floor.

Naturally, they were tactful enough, greeting Xie Jianwei one by one without stepping out of line.

They were all seasoned veterans who understood this person’s capabilities; offending him was out of the question.

A few schemers were already overthinking: Good heavens, is power shifting? Has Third Young Master Xie, who retreated behind the scenes, finally grown restless and decided to seize control?

What high drama! After all these years, they knew Lu Li’s temperament; how could the Marshal ever be willing to serve as a puppet?

Trouble is bound to brew between this model couple of the Milky Way!

Across the council chamber, plenty were walking on eggshells, plenty were trembling in fear, and plenty were foolishly attempting to pick sides.

The only one genuinely delighted was Lu Li.

He was in radiant spirits, finding everyone pleasing to the eye. Even bald Old Nick, whom he normally despised, looked cute with a face that wrinkled like a chrysanthemum when smiling!

Old Nick was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

Xie Jianwei had truly thought things through recently. Who cared about them? Wasn’t making Lu Li happy the most important thing?

Lu Li loved having him by his side, and that mattered more than anything.

Lu Li felt as if he were floating through a dream the entire day.

Morning intimacy had been a resounding success, a wonderful omen.

Flaunting affection in the council hall in the morning, flaunting affection in the Astral Palace at noon, flaunting affection in the State Council in the afternoon, and flaunting affection before a flock of capitalist scoundrels at the evening banquet.

After a full day of displaying affection, Lu Li didn’t feel the least bit tired, ready to work overtime for another ten hours!

Pitiably, a crowd of officials spent the night trembling, unable to catch a wink of sleep.

A friendly smile from Xie Jianwei sent their imaginations spinning through eighteen convoluted twists:

Finished, is the Military Advisor hinting that I defect to his faction? Finished, is he warning me not to make trouble? Finished, does he know I took kickbacks from Project XXX? Finished, does he know I replaced personnel with my own cronies…

Xie Jianwei felt the saying “if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be awry” held true.

Lu Li had a mind full of holes, and his subordinates were just as bad.

His hands itched to patch those plot holes for them.

Riding high on his spirits, Lu Li’s evening advances met with success once more, and right on the living room sofa, leaving him thoroughly thrilled.

Too tired to move, Xie Jianwei let him carry him back to nestle in bed.

Seeing him so docile, Lu Li’s heart melted, dying to kiss him.

Xie Jianwei batted away his large head, pointing toward the pillow.

Lu Li promptly offered his arm, and Xie Jianwei rested his head on it, sweetness filling his heart.

Lu Li stared at him for a while, unable to resist giving him a kiss: “Did something good happen?”

Xie Jianwei lifted his eyelids to look at him: “What, am I not allowed to follow you around?”

“You are, of course you are,” Lu Li said, wrapping his arms around him. “I only wish you could shrink a bit so I could tuck you into my pocket, taking you wherever I go.”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Do you really want me to shrink?”

Lu Li hurried to clarify, “Not during intimacy. You’re already tight enough down there, any smaller and…”

“Shut up!” Xie Jianwei couldn’t stomach his nonsense.

Lu Li sighed softly, suddenly remarking, “Speaking of which, I had a dream yesterday.”

“Hm?”

“I dreamed that you became a Grim Reaper.”