It was just past ten in the evening when they returned to the palace. Li Xiao originally intended to go to the main hall to find Li Ji, but before the vehicle even landed, 09’s alert chimed.

09: “Abnormal pheromone fluctuation.”

A virtual screen popped up on the front windshield, displaying Li Xiao’s pheromone curve graph.

Song Jin took a glance and decisively rerouted back to the side hall.

Li Xiao: “It doesn’t matter between family members.”

Song Jin: “There isn’t just your brother in the main hall; there are also lots of attendants. What if you go crazy there and an attendant takes advantage of the opening? How do you think the attendants in tabloid rumors rose to power?”

You sure have read a lot of gossip. Li Xiao said, “How could I possibly go crazy?”

Song Jin rested his hands on the steering wheel and asked back casually, “Who was the one who pushed me into the swimming pool yesterday?”

Without batting an eye, Li Xiao said, “Even if I really couldn’t control myself, I’d come to you. Why would I go for those attendants? Leaving you unwanted just to lay hands on attendants—then I’d truly be crazy.”

Song Jin chuckled softly, turning his head to look at Li Xiao: “You like me this much?”

Li Xiao: “Are you happy?”

Song Jin dragged out his voice with a light laugh: “Good thing I’m an Alpha. If I were an Omega, wouldn’t you be completely enchanted by me, living and dying for me?”

Li Xiao remarked offhandedly, “The one I took a fancy to is the Alpha you.”

Song Jin was praised so much that the corners of his mouth almost grinned all the way behind his ears.

“Your mouth is so sweet tonight, trying to go to the main hall?”

Just as Li Xiao was about to nod, Song Jin cut in first: “A sweet mouth won’t work either. When I say no, I mean no.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Apart from things involving desserts and feelings, this little lion was truly hard to fool.

Returning to the side hall, Li Xiao originally wanted to organize the data further to check the third legion’s usage of the degeneration agent, but Song Jin forcibly shut down his terminal, dragged him to take a shower, and tucked him firmly into bed.

Song Jin wrapped him up tight and gave a fierce warning: “Not resting properly when you’re sick—if you dare turn it back on again, I’ll scatter your mecha to the winds.”

09 felt aggrieved: “What does this have to do with me?”

Song Jin: “When your master is sick, you should forcibly shut down. So clueless.”

09: “I’m just a mecha, not a wife!”

“So I shut—” Halfway through, Song Jin suddenly reacted, narrowing his eyes dangerously. “You dare dig a hole for me?”

09 knew that if it really enraged Song Jin, it couldn’t beat him, so it chose to play dead.

Li Xiao was amused into a laugh.

Song Jin raised an eyebrow: “Happy watching the drama? Laugh again and see if I don’t mark you.”

Li Xiao: “Can you beat me in a fight?”

Song Jin: “…”

When the hell was this damned susceptibility period going to pass?

Lisha Castle.

After finishing work, Meng Jian went to visit his father, Meng Shan.

In the bedroom, Meng Shan leaned against the headboard, his eyes red and his face haggard. In just two days, he seemed to have aged ten years; stripped of his halo as the former head of the Meng family, he was just an ordinary centenarian old man.

When Meng Jian walked in, the butler was serving Meng Shan a meal.

“Father, feeling any better?”

Irritated, Meng Shan put down his chopsticks: “How is the situation outside?”

Meng Jian sat down on the chair by the bed: “Not good.”

Meng Tao and Meng Fei had been arrested, along with 32 Omegas from other prominent families who were also detained for questioning. Currently, all interrogation work was in the hands of the Yi family; getting people out through official channels was a bit troublesome.

However, Meng Fei’s attempted assassination lacked sufficient physical evidence with just that dinner knife, and Meng Tao’s defamation charge could be large or small with plenty of room for manipulation. Aside from causing internet backlash and negative public opinion, the actual situation was not overly dire.

Compared to these, the situation on the border gave Meng Jian even more of a splitting headache.

The massive losses at the feed base led to a severe shortage of blood supply. If not resolved in the short term, modified humans everywhere would run into trouble, and when that time came, without needing Li Ji and the others to investigate, those modified humans would expose themselves.

Furthermore, the stockpiled weapon caches over the years had been emptied out by the Shengya Empire, forcing him to make new arrangements.

After the S80 transport truck explosion incident, the attitudes of some armaments factories toward the Meng family underwent subtle changes; moving weapons was no longer as easy as before.

“How did things get to this point?!”

Meng Shan’s face darkened, “Turning a sure-win hand into such a passive situation!”

Being berated, Meng Jian’s expression was not pleasant either: “Everything started from the moment Li Xiao returned.”

Meng Shan: “Can a teenage wet-behind-the-ears kid like him have that much capability?! You under-estimated the enemy too much!”

With a taut face, Meng Jian said, “Didn’t you also think he was just an ordinary wet-behind-the-ears kid?”

He had exhausted all methods of assassination. Whether at school or outside, no matter what method was used, they couldn’t kill Li Xiao. Tao Tao and Qi Ge’s group didn’t gain the slightest advantage in Li Xiao’s hands, having been beaten to tears several times and even locked up in the Security Bureau.

Meng Shan: “He spent ten years outside the palace; his experience and breadth of knowledge are not something Tao Tao and the others can compare with. Using methods meant for ordinary rich young masters to deal with him—of course you’ll only end up suffering losses!”

Bothered by the mention of this matter, Meng Jian saw the lamp on the nightstand and remembered that cigarette butt: “By the way, who came to your lounge yesterday? I picked up a cigarette butt at the door. I wanted to ask you, but seeing that you had fallen asleep, I put it in this corner first—”

Halfway through his words, Meng Jian noticed Meng Shan’s expression beginning to distort, his entire body stiffening and trembling, his face shifting slightly: “Father?”

“What cigarette butt?! I didn’t see any cigarette butt! None!”

Meng Shan swept all the bowls and plates off the table onto the floor with a single swing, roaring hysterically, “Wei Feng is already dead! He’s dead!!!”

Fearing that he was too agitated and might pull on his injuries, Meng Jian hurriedly stood up to hold him down, shouting to the butler: “Quick, call the doctor over!”

The butler frantically complied: “Yes!”

Only when two doctors arrived were they barely able to hold down the crazed Meng Shan, urgently administering a sedative.

Listening to him muttering the two words “Wei Feng,” Meng Jian felt suspicion and uncertainty in his heart.

Was that cigarette butt related to Wei Feng?

Meng Jian asked the butler: “Where’s the cigarette butt?”

The butler’s mind was entirely on Meng Shan; hearing this, he answered offhandedly: “I thought it accidentally fell onto the nightstand. It looked too dirty, so I threw it away.”

Meng Jian berated loudly: “I specifically placed it on the nightstand, how could you just throw it away?!”

Startled, the butler lowered his head and hurriedly said, “I’m very sorry, I’ll have someone rummage through things to see if we can find it back.”

With a belly full of frustration, Meng Jian exited the bedroom in a rage.

Online, at home, in the Military Department—not a single thing was going smoothly, and all because of Li Xiao!

His backup terminal suddenly vibrated. With a dark expression, Meng Jian swiped it open, his footsteps coming to an abrupt halt upon seeing the message.

[Just received news that the First Military Academy’s first-year Dean of Instruction, Yan Qing, was the attendant who gave birth to Li Xiao back then. He is also the grandson of the Golden Peafowl Legion’s Deputy Commander, Wei Mo.]

Meng Jian read this message back and forth several times before replying.

[Is the news reliable?]

The other side replied almost instantly.

[The message source is reliable. In one day, he will be responsible for leading the first-year exchange students to the Capital Planet to attend the farewell banquet.]

Meng Jian pondered for a moment before replying: [Arrange for Jin Heng to go to the Capital Planet.]

The other side replied: [He will report to the research institute tomorrow.]

Meng Jian found a frequency band from his terminal and dialed out.

“The situation has changed; alter the execution plan.”

Meng Jian’s voice grew ruthless, “What Li Xiao gave to the Meng family, I will repay in double!”

Royal Palace, King’s Office.

Gao Wanxin had just finished his routine work report to Li Ji and was preparing to leave when Li Ji called out to him.

“Do you have any other instructions?” Gao Wanxin asked respectfully.

Li Ji raised his hand, gesturing for Old Liu to guard the door.

“I want to chat with you about some private matters. Sit down.”

Gao Wanxin sat down across from the office desk again, asking with confusion: “You finally have the idea of getting married?”

“…”

Li Ji picked up his teacup, using action to signal his refusal to discuss this topic. “Only when I chatted with Xiao Xiao last night did I find out that the T811 I specially prepared for him—he hadn’t lived in it for even a single day. Can you explain to me: I asked you to send him to T811, where did you send him?”

His tone was peaceful, yet in Gao Wanxin’s ears, it sounded like the calm before a storm. He hastily stood up straight: “I’m very sorry for hiding it from you for so many years.”

Li Ji raised his eyes to look at him, his tone extremely cold: “Not denying it at all, quite brave. Think I can’t do anything to you?”

With his head lowered, Gao Wanxin answered respectfully: “I did not intend to hide it on purpose.”

“Then explain it to me!”

Li Ji slammed his teacup onto the desk with a heavy thud, his volume suddenly rising, “A whole ten years, Gao Wanxin! If Xiao Xiao hadn’t returned to the palace, were you planning to deceive me for a lifetime?! I trusted you so much! You’ve disappointed me too much!”

With a sharp clatter, the teacup barely stabilized after a violent wobble.

“I am very sorry!”

Saying so, Gao Wanxin raised his head to glance at the guard behind Li Ji, then lowered his head again.

Li Ji took it in: “Speak directly if you have something to say; he is far more trustworthy than you!”

Gao Wanxin hesitated for a moment, let out a light sigh, and spoke as if resigning to fate: “Your Majesty, back then you ordered me that I must ensure the Second Prince’s safety, so all my actions were taken with protecting the Second Prince as the highest principle.”

Li Ji was angered into a laugh: “An excuse! Look up and speak to me!”

Gao Wanxin raised his head: “On the way escorting the Second Prince to T811 back then, we suffered three assassination attacks.”

Li Ji’s brow twitched: “Sent by whom?”

“I can roughly guess it was the Meng family, but I don’t have evidence in hand. I guess they might have found out our destination through some channel. If we had placed the Second Prince on T811 according to the original plan, the moment my people left, the Second Prince would have been attacked immediately.”

Gao Wanxin’s face was grave, “He was only eight years old; how many assassinations could he dodge?”

Li Ji’s brows knitted tightly: “So you changed the destination on your own authority?”

“I had no choice.”

Gao Wanxin let out a heavy sigh, “Knowing that leaving the Second Prince on T811 meant death, I couldn’t just leave him be.”

“Then tell me!”

Li Ji stood up and barked angrily, “It’s not as if there weren’t backup planets; just changing to another one was such a simple matter. Why act on your own initiative?!”

“Your Majesty!”

Gao Wanxin pressed his lips tightly, his face stern, “Have you ever thought that if a plan can leak once, it can leak a second time? The enemy is hidden where we cannot see. Rather than taking another risk, it was better to quietly bring the Second Prince to a place nobody knew about.”

Li Ji thought about it and found no way to refute. Angrily slapping the desk, he turned and walked to the window, forcibly suppressing the anger rising within him.

“You could still have told me afterward?!”

Gao Wanxin fell silent for a moment: “You were very close to the Meng family at the time, I…”

Li Ji was so enraged that he turned around to look at Gao Wanxin in disbelief: “You were afraid I would leak the news to Meng Jian? Am I crazy?!”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

Gao Wanxin explained hurriedly, “If I told you back then that we were being hunted down by the Meng family, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me, and even more afraid that you would confront the Meng family impulsively, which would bring no benefit to either you or the Second Prince.”

Saying so, Gao Wanxin’s tone turned helpless: “I didn’t have the capability to contend with the Meng family; all I could do was protect the Second Prince well.”

Li Ji had a belly full of fire. He roughly picked up the teacup, gulped down a mouthful, and tossed it aside casually.

The teacup finally couldn’t endure the torment and cracked open on the spot.

The sharp edges of the porcelain scraped across Li Ji’s palm, leaving a trail of blood.

Gao Wanxin: “Your Majesty! Be careful not to injure your hand!”

The guard who had been standing motionless since earlier retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over.

Li Ji snatched it to press against the wound: “He has already returned to the palace, why didn’t you take the initiative to confess?”

Gao Wanxin opened his mouth: “I really didn’t know how to bring it up.”

Li Ji pressed: “Then how do you expect me to trust you?!”

“I have evidence of being hunted down back then.”

Gao Wanxin opened his terminal, rummaged through various classified files, tapped open a folder, and projected videos and photos into the air, “Actually, it wasn’t just three times; before the Second Prince left the palace, he suffered at least five attacks, but they were all dealt with by my people without disturbing the Second Prince or you.”

Li Ji browsed through them quickly; there were corresponding times, locations, as well as close-up shots of the faces of the captured or killed assassins.

“Isn’t the evidence plenty sufficient?”

Gao Wanxin: “But we can’t find their connection to the Meng family—at least not a direct connection. Even if there really were one, what could we do to the Meng family?”

Li Ji narrowed his eyes slightly: “What do you mean?”

Gao Wanxin paused, lowering his head: “Apologies, I spoke out of turn.”

With a sour face, Li Ji asked, “Where exactly did you send him?”

“Sent to Corona Borealis.” Gao Wanxin opened another folder; hundreds of photos were layered and projected into the air, showing Li Xiao in different scenes during different periods.

It was Li Ji’s first time seeing these as well, and he couldn’t help but step closer, looking at each one earnestly.

Gao Wanxin explained: “For the first three years, the Second Prince’s whereabouts were arranged entirely by me, usually changing every half a year along with changing identity information. Later, the Second Prince had his own ideas; as long as the request was permitted by the environment, I would satisfy him.”

“Went to so many places.” Li Ji’s voice was somewhat muffled, “Truly wandering…”

From eight to twelve years old, Li Xiao in all the photos had no smile at all. Only after twelve years old did a photo occasionally appear with a faint smile, where he was either reading books, researching firearms and machinery, or in combat training, looking as though he enjoyed the learning process very much.

“He…”

Li Ji’s throat felt dry, “Did he have any place he particularly liked?”

Gao Wanxin thought for a moment: “Haven’t heard subordinates report it. The Second Prince seemed to really like accepting new things; his maximum stay in any single place was three months, traveling across the five major constellations over ten years.”

Li Ji knitted his brows: “Such a short time, wasn’t he unable to even maintain normal schooling?”

Gao Wanxin touched his nose: “Three months was enough for the Second Prince to finish learning everything he wanted to learn locally.”

Li Ji: “…”

Having chatted for a full hour, only then did Li Ji let Gao Wanxin return. Before leaving, he angrily docked his bonuses for the next ten years as punishment for withholding intelligence for the past decade.

Gao Wanxin didn’t dare say a word, walking away with a drooping head.

Side Hall.

Rarely, Li Xiao had a dream from his childhood.

In the dream, he walked wobbly through a spacious, bright palace. Ahead, an Omega with a very nice smile crouched down and clapped hands at him, as if encouraging him to walk over.

Just as he was about to pounce to the Omega’s legs, the surrounding scene suddenly switched to the school cafeteria. He sat alone by the window eating; outside in the dark of night, rain drizzled softly. There were many parents at the school gate coming to pick up their children, noisy and bustling.

There was no one left at the school gate, and he had finished eating too, preparing to carry his tray to the return window. Turning around, the scene switched once more, turning into a civilian mecha exhibition hall. In the model area, a thirteen-or-fourteen-year-old boy was throwing a tantrum on the floor begging his parents to buy a model priced at three thousand. When he returned after a stroll, the boy’s parents finally agreed to buy it, making the boy cry with joy.

He looked at the dozens of mecha models he had bought, prices scaled up more than ten thousand times over, yet he couldn’t feel the sensation of being so happy as to cry.

He seemed to possess a great deal, yet also seemed to possess nothing at all.

What each person could possess was different; what ordinary people took for granted was something he couldn’t get even if he exerted all his strength.

However, he also had things he could possess; as long as he kept looking, he would always find them.

A sudden chill on his forehead brought Li Xiao’s consciousness back to reality, with Song Jin’s enlarged face right before his eyes.

“Awake? Your pheromone fluctuations have increased.”

Song Jin used a towel to help wipe his sweat, “Give me a bite, and I guarantee all your illnesses will disappear.”

Li Xiao: “…”

It was currently five in the evening, and the sky outside the window was gradually dimming.

Getting sleepy after lunch, he hadn’t expected to sleep until now.

Li Xiao: “Then why didn’t you take a bite while I was asleep?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Song Jin’s tone was disdainful. Thinking of something, he said with a bright smile, “That’s like necrophilia; only perverts would like playing that kind of trick.”

Li Xiao, who had harbored the thought of “necrophilia” just the night before last: “…”

As Song Jin wiped down to Li Xiao’s neck, his hand was suddenly held. Raising his eyes, he saw Li Xiao staring blankly at him.

“What?”

Snapping out of his trance, Li Xiao placed Song Jin’s hand by his lips and kissed it, then stood up to head to the bathroom: “No need to wipe, I’ll go take a shower.”

Song Jin looked at his back and laughed: “Want me to help you wash? Patient limited-edition service.”

Li Xiao took off his shirt without turning his head: “The more you come, the more sweat there’ll be.”

Song Jin: “…”

Once Li Xiao entered the bathroom, Song Jin thought of the way the other person had looked at him just now.

Why did it look like staring at a piece of meat on a chopping board?

Cold water poured down over his head, cooling Li Xiao down slightly.

Just now, I almost attacked the kitten.

09: “Master, while you were asleep, the airhead beauty big brother contacted you.”

Li Xiao: “Connect me.”

During the communication, Li Ji recounted the entire conversation he had with Gao Wanxin.

Li Ji: “Did you really never suffer any attacks during these ten years?”

Li Xiao turned off the water after washing, casually grabbing a towel to wipe himself: “No, he didn’t interfere excessively with my life; he shouldn’t have lied about this.”

On the other end of the line, Li Ji hesitated, falling into a deep silence for a moment before speaking again: “Hearing your voice sounds a bit raspy, are you feeling unwell?”

Li Xiao: “Just woke up.”

Li Ji: “Mm.”

Two sentences killed the conversation flat. Li Ji told him to take care of his health and hung up.

Song Jin sat on the sofa with one leg bent, holding an ice cream and eating while working. Vaguely hearing the talking sounds, he turned his head to see Li Xiao coming out, asking casually: “What did Li Ji say?”

Li Xiao walked over while drying his hair, telling him the key points of what had happened just now.

Song Jin was lost in thought: “So to speak, the Gao family and the Meng family aren’t in an alliance?”

Although the Gao family offered feigned compliance, they had indeed protected Li Xiao for ten years.

Li Xiao leaned casually beside the sofa: “Tomorrow, let’s go to the research institute to meet Jin Heng.”

Song Jin stood up, shoved the ice cream into Li Xiao’s arms, and took over the towel to help him dry his hair: “Do you know what state you’re in right now? Suppressants can’t even suppress your symptoms, yet you still think about running around every day?”

Li Xiao lowered his head slightly, enjoying the kitten’s service while eating ice cream: “As long as there aren’t too many people, it’s not a big problem.”

Song Jin snorted softly: “Where do you get your confidence from?”

Li Xiao had never taken the susceptibility period seriously, but this time, the symptoms severely exceeded his expectations.

By nightfall, he was almost unable to concentrate on work, his thoughts drifting constantly.

Song Jin wasn’t blind; he naturally noticed Li Xiao’s restlessness.

The susceptibility period symptoms were worsening, but the farewell banquet was in two days; it wouldn’t do if he didn’t recover as soon as possible.

Song Jin pushed away his screen: “If you’re tired, go to sleep early.”

Li Xiao looked at him: “Indeed, I should go to sleep early.”

Song Jin: “…”

Why does it feel like there’s double meaning in these words?

“Let’s go.” Li Xiao pulled Song Jin up.

Song Jin: “I’ll make a video call to my brother to report the situation, you go ahead first.”

Li Xiao knitted his brows: “I’ll keep you company.”

Song Jin: “No need, I’ll be right there.”

Waiting for Li Xiao to reluctantly enter the bedroom, Song Jin immediately sent a video request to his brother, Song Yu.

A long-haired Alpha beauty appeared on the popping window.

Song Yu sat behind a large office desk, looking at documents without raising his head: “Speak.”

Song Jin lowered his voice: “How did you fool Shi-ge when you marked him?”

Song Yu: “…”

Another question like this.

Many times, Song Yu would wonder whether there was something wrong with his education.

Song Yu raised his head from the documents, sizing up Song Jin: “What are you trying to do again?”

Song Jin: “Besides force, are there any other routines? Hurry up and make a tutorial to send me.”

Song Yu: “Get lost.”

Song Jin: “Who do you think you’re talking to? I limit you to make the tutorial and send it over within one minute.”

Song Jin suddenly realized something: “You couldn’t have never bitten Shi-ge, right? You useless guy.”

Song Yu: “…”

Hearing footsteps coming from behind, Song Jin accelerated his speech rate: “Hurry up, there’s no time left, he’s coming out! …Old guy!”

Song Yu: “Resign yourself to fate.”

Song Jin: “…”

The video screen went dark right before his eyes, and in the next moment, Song Jin was wrapped from behind.

Li Xiao pressed against Song Jin’s ear, whispering in a low voice: “Time to sleep.”

Song Jin: “…”

Forget it, just bite the bullet and charge ahead.

In the middle of the night, only a small nightlight cast a dim light in the bedroom.

Song Jin lay panting and covered in sweat, with only two words left in his entire head—Lost.

It was completely different from what he had imagined!