Extra 6

Snow Star, former omega refuge base—

After the war, this place was converted into a special hospital, exclusively for the use of the experimental subjects.

All experimental subjects, whether found guilty or innocent in their trials, needed to receive treatment here until their physical indicators returned to normal.

Shen Sinian, dressed in white, walked out of a patient’s room, his features looking slightly haggard.

The beta soldier who followed him out locked the metal door of the room. Seeing him rubbing his eyes, he said with concern, “Doctor Shen, you should go home and rest early today. We’ve been working overtime for several months straight, and even we can barely stand it, let alone you all.”

The soldier speaking was a guard specially dispatched by the military. The original Snow Star garrison had all been sent back to the military for investigation.

In the past few months, experimental subjects from all over had been sent here continuously.

Each experimental subject had been injected with drugs for different lengths of time and was affected to varying degrees, requiring a comprehensive examination before targeted treatment could be administered.

The experimental subjects who were already held on Snow Star for modification also needed comprehensive examinations to prevent any omissions.

This led to an explosion of workload in the short term. All frontline medical staff worked around the clock with no time to rest.

Shen Sinian smiled casually. “I will.”

The young soldier, caught by his gaze, quickly looked away, scratched his head, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

Doctor Shen is so handsome.

Shen Sinian did want to rest early. He had been feeling particularly fatigued these past few days.

In the past, he could go two days without sleep without it affecting him at all. Now, if he didn’t get six hours of sleep a day, he would lack energy.

He really was getting old.

Before he even reached his office, his personal terminal rang. He swiped it open casually.

【Father: Sinian, your mother has cured a lot of bacon. Do you want me to send some over?】

Bacon? Shen Sinian’s steps paused.

Is it almost the New Year already?

Then Mom’s birthday is also coming up soon.

Remembering the scene of his two elderly parents hugging him and crying their eyes out when he returned home, he felt increasingly guilty.

From a young age, his parents had always supported his decisions.

Despite being born into a medical family, he switched from medicine to politics halfway through.

Despite being from an ordinary noble family, he married Song Zheng.

He was well aware of the pressure his parents had endured, but he had no choice; these were his only options.

He walked quickly into his office, pulled up the duty roster, and checked if he could squeeze out a few days to go home.

It had been a long time since he had seen his husband and child.

Just as he sat down, the alarm on the wall went off.

He looked up, memorized the room number, and hurried out with his tools.

At the Snow Star military space station, a warship bearing the royal emblem docked.

The royal guards, in perfect unison, automatically formed two lines. Behind them, Song Zheng, dressed in the King’s simple formal attire, slowly walked down.

At dawn, in the staff dormitories of the special hospital.

Shen Sinian rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily, loosening the tie that had been strangling him all day.

Every day he wanted to come back early, but every day there were endless things to do, a vicious cycle.

He hadn’t eaten dinner yet, but he was already past the point of being hungry.

Forget it, I’ll deal with it after I wake up.

Shen Sinian walked to the door of his dorm. His terminal swiped across the sensor, and the door opened with a sound.

A sliver of light shone through the crack in the door. His gaze hardened. His hand on the doorknob didn’t move. He took out a mini-injector the size of his little finger from his pocket and opened it with one hand.

Shen Sinian slowly pushed the door open. When he smelled the scent of sweet and sour pork ribs, he was stunned, more surprised than when he found the lights on in the room.

He tiptoed inside and saw the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar back at a glance.

Shen Sinian stood there, stunned. Perhaps he was too tired, his mind a complete blank, and he couldn’t come back to his senses for a long time.

Is it a hallucination?

How could Song Zheng possibly be in my dorm?

And he even cooked a meal waiting for me to come back?

Song Zheng: “Stop looking, it’s your husband.”

Shen Sinian: “…”

Song Zheng placed a large plate of sweet and sour pork ribs on the dining table behind him and walked towards him. “You haven’t eaten, have you? Are you hungry?”

“You, how did you get here?” Shen Sinian’s voice was tight.

“I’ve pretty much handled things over there, so I came over here to take a look.” Song Zheng lifted his chin and looked at him carefully, frowning. “You haven’t been resting well recently?”

“I have.” Shen Sinian came back to his senses and slapped his hand away. “I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

Song Zheng watched him take off his coat and toss it onto the sofa, where four or five coats, seven or eight sweaters, and some socks, who knows if they’d been worn, were already piled up.

“Why don’t you get a robot to help tidy up?” Song Zheng didn’t mind his wife’s coldness and placed a piece of sweet and sour pork rib in his bowl.

“It’s not safe,” Shen Sinian said, taking a bite and frowning. “How much sugar did you put in?”

Song Zheng took a bite, very satisfied with his culinary skills for the evening.

“Not much, half a jar.”

Shen Sinian: “…”

It’s a good thing he’s the king and has regular physical check-ups, otherwise he would have gotten diabetes long ago.

“I won’t get diabetes.”

Seeing Shen Sinian’s expression, Song Zheng knew what he was thinking and said with a straight face, “Our Song family’s love for sweets is hereditary. We get sick if we don’t eat it.”

“I’m listening to your nonsense.”

Shen Sinian cursed with a laugh, and the fatigue from a long day’s work instantly dissipated a lot.

Seeing him laugh, Song Zheng also laughed.

“How’s the situation recently?”

To save his teeth, Shen Sinian resolutely gave up the sweet and sour pork ribs and switched to the fish with pickled mustard greens.

The fish was fresh and tender, with a smooth texture. The rich fish soup paired with the refreshing pickled mustard greens, he could eat three bowls of rice with it.

“It’s going smoothly. We’ve tested 40% so far. Most can be treated with the current drugs. For some severe cases, I’m afraid—”

The two chatted while eating. By the time Shen Sinian was full, they had also pretty much finished talking about business.

Song Zheng put down his chopsticks. “Fortunately, everything was in time, and we didn’t leave any trouble for Xiao Yu.”

It wasn’t early when they discovered the signs. If they hadn’t taken immediate action at that time, the consequences would probably have been even more severe, even shaking the foundation of the empire.

“We underestimated those two dead kids,” Shen Sinian said, taking a cigarette from the case and holding it between his fingers, chuckling lightly. “We tried so hard to avoid it, but we didn’t expect that in the end, we still had to rely on them to solve this matter so quickly.”

Song Zheng held his hand. “After all, he’s the son you gave me. He’s definitely not going to be bad.”

Shen Sinian sneered. “Oh yes, I forgot you have another son.”

Song Zheng: “…”

Speaking of Song Ke, Song Zheng’s mood was complicated.

When he was young, he was fed up with all the socializing. He secretly found a secret guard who looked very similar to him in appearance and build and had Sinian give him a disguise. Even his close confidants couldn’t tell the difference.

That time, in order to go on a date with Sinian, he had the secret guard attend a cocktail party in his place. He didn’t expect something to happen.

After the incident, the secret guard committed suicide, and Ji Ling disappeared without a trace.

He thought it was just an ordinary bed-climbing incident and didn’t pay much attention to it.

“Sinian.” Song Zheng brought his hand to his lips and kissed it, changing the subject. “Are you really not coming back to the palace with me?”

Although Song Ke was not his biological son, it was a fact that he had raised him for so many years. And during those years when he was being controlled, he had let his biological son suffer a lot of grievances.

“On what grounds would I go back?” Shen Sinian pulled his hand back, put the cigarette to his lips, his expression becoming indifferent. “On a social level, I’m already a dead person.”

“That’s simple. I’ll figure something out,” Song Zheng said with a serious expression.

Seeing a slight loosening in Shen Sinian’s expression, Song Zheng continued, “Our son needs you too.”

Unexpectedly, Shen Sinian laughed.

“That brat has Rong Shi, that’s enough for him. I don’t know how badly he’s cursed me.”

Song Zheng: “…Can it be worse than me?”

Shen Sinian thought about it seriously. “Then I’m indeed a bit better off than you.”

Song Zheng: “…”

The dorm was a single room, with only one bedroom and a small living room.

Song Zheng washed the dishes and went into the bedroom, getting a shock from the cold wind.

The balcony door was half open. Shen Sinian, wearing a thin sweater, was leaning against the railing, smoking.

Song Zheng’s heart clenched fiercely.

All these years, has he always been like this, finding a corner to be alone, relying on smoking to relieve his anxiety?

He picked up the blanket from the foot of the bed, walked over, and wrapped it around him, holding both the blanket and the person tightly in his arms.

“Why are you standing here? Aren’t you cold?”

Shen Sinian tilted his head slightly, then looked out at the night scenery again.

“It’s hot in the room.”

Song Zheng turned him around and kissed the corner of his mouth.

His breath was filled with the faint smell of tobacco. Seeing that the person in his arms wasn’t resisting, he gradually deepened the kiss.

“Song Zheng,” Shen Sinian’s voice was hoarse.

Song Zheng: “Hmm?”

Shen Sinian: “I’m dizzy.”

Song Zheng: “…”

Seeing the other’s indescribable expression, Shen Sinian averted his gaze, feeling a rare sense of embarrassment. “It’s been a long time since we’ve kissed. I’m not used to it.”

Hearing Song Zheng’s low laughter in his ear, Shen Sinian’s heartbeat gradually lost control.

He threw a sharp glance at him. “Unlike you, who has such a beautiful partner.”

He’s even getting angry out of embarrassment.

Song Zheng held back his laughter. “I’d have to have my life to enjoy that kind of partner.”

Shen Sinian raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you would have enjoyed it if he were harmless?”

Song Zheng: “I only have one partner, you.”

The moment his eyes met Song Zheng’s, Shen Sinian couldn’t control his racing heart.

We’re already this old, how can it still be like this?

After living a life of celibacy for so many years, suddenly being like this made him a little unaccustomed.

When Song Zheng was about to kiss him again, he pulled him away and went back into the bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower.”

He was rejected again.

Song Zheng rubbed his fingertips, the warmth of the other person still lingering on them.

Sinian’s hands were trembling.

He was nervous.

The hot water showered down from above, warming his body considerably.

Shen Sinian turned his head to look at the mirror beside him, leaned in, and looked at his face from left to right.

It seems to be about the same as before.

He then took a closer look at his body.

It doesn’t seem to have gone out of shape either.

But after all, he was already in his early forties. No matter what, he couldn’t compare to when he was in his twenties, right?

They had been an old married couple for many years. He knew Song Zheng too well.

There was only one room. They hadn’t been together for so long. It was definitely impossible to just sleep under the same blanket.

He recalled the first time he had done it with Song Zheng.

Now, he was even more nervous than back then.

“Song Zheng is an old man too. There’s no need to be insecure.”

Shen Sinian chanted this several times before he relaxed a little.

Standing at the door, Song Zheng, who was just about to bring him a change of clothes: “…………”

His wife thinks he’s old?

He had been conflicted for too long. By the time he walked out of the bathroom, Shen Sinian was already dizzy from the shower.

Song Zheng saw his flushed cheeks, placed his hand on his forehead to test for a moment, and frowned.

“You really have a fever.”

“A fever?” Shen Sinian couldn’t believe it. “Me?”

Song Zheng carried him to the bed to lie down. “Where is the first-aid kit?”

As soon as he lay down, Shen Sinian suddenly felt his head was heavy and throbbing, as if someone had hit it with a hammer.

“The third drawer from the bottom on the living room shelf.”

Song Zheng went out and quickly returned with the first-aid kit.

The cooling patch on his forehead was icy cold. Shen Sinian felt he had to explain himself.

“I smoke outside every day and I’m fine. I might have just been tired recently.”

Song Zheng took out a thermometer to take his temperature. Hearing his words, he didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

“Is smoking every day something to be proud of?”

Shen Sinian: “It’s alright, I guess.”

Song Zheng: “…”

He didn’t feel it at first, but the moment his head hit the pillow, Shen Sinian couldn’t even keep his eyelids open.

Song Zheng gave him some common medicine, lay down on his side, and wrapped him in his arms. “If you’re sleepy, just sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

Shen Sinian turned his head to look at him, his eyelids heavy.

“Husband—”

He only called him husband at times like this. The corners of Song Zheng’s lips curled up slightly. “Hmm?”

Shen Sinian: “I’m not a qualified wife.”

Song Zheng stroked his head. “What a coincidence, I’m not a qualified husband either.”

Shen Sinian let out a low laugh. “Then we’re even?”

Song Zheng: “Mm.”

It was rare for his wife to be so obedient. Song Zheng was just about to say something more, but the person in his arms had already fallen asleep.

Song Zheng gently touched his face.

“Good night.”

When Shen Sinian woke up, it was still dark outside. He looked at the time; it was only three in the morning.

His throat was very dry. He got out of bed to drink some water.

Walking to the doorway, the clean and tidy living room almost made him think he had walked into the wrong room.

On the sofa, Song Zheng was handling official business.

Song Zheng finished reading the document, and a cup of coffee appeared before him.

“And you dare say I don’t rest?” Shen Sinian sat beside him, took a sip of coffee, and held the cup to warm his hands. “Do you know how high the probability is for alpha males to go bald from staying up late?”

Song Zheng: “…My family doesn’t have the baldness gene.”

Shen Sinian sneered coldly. “So you can do whatever you want?”

Song Zheng obediently turned off his terminal. Seeing his bare feet, he frowned and pulled his feet over to warm them in his hands.

“They’re so cold. Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”

Shen Sinian: “It’s troublesome.”

Song Zheng reached out to feel his forehead. The temperature had dropped a lot, and only then did he feel a little relieved.

Shen Sinian: “You just held my feet, and now you’re touching my face?”

Song Zheng: “…”

Shen Sinian: “If I get athlete’s foot on my face, it’s all your fault.”

Song Zheng: “…”

Shen Sinian smiled, curled up on the sofa, thoroughly enjoying this moment of bullying his partner.

Song Zheng took his coffee cup and put it down, kissing him on the forehead. “Then I can only take full responsibility and get athlete’s foot with you.”

Shen Sinian laughed out loud. “Can you be serious when you’re saying sweet nothings? It’s so off-putting.”

Song Zheng: “Weren’t you the one who started it?”

Shen Sinian chuckled, and before he was pushed down, he flipped over and sat on Song Zheng’s lap. His slender fingers slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and he smiled. “Then shall I start being serious now?”

Song Zheng’s eyes darkened, and he pulled him closer—

A few days later, the royal family’s private warship returned, taking a certain Doctor Shen with it.

__

Author’s note:

Later, Cat Dad’s cold got worse—

Cat Father: You have a fever, and you’re still fooling around! [Heart clenching]

Cat Dad: Weren’t you having a lot of fun?

Cat Father: …

#That’s what you say, but I’ll absolutely never admit it#