AHDIBCB Chapter 52

It was like a tacit granting of rights—being allowed by one’s partner to make more intimate gestures.

Li Heng felt the skin under his hand was smooth and rounded, with a unique sensation to the touch, because he knew that inside was the baby he and Yuan Yi had created together.

They were growing strong.

Before the Nine-Colored Star Bridge incident happened, someone who had never thought about when they would have children suddenly felt an indescribable feeling in their heart, and leaned close to Yuan Yi’s ear to ask, “Were you afraid during the surgery?”

Yuan Yi said: “A little bit, I guess. But actually, the hardest part was when the heat period was induced. At first, I only planned to have one. It was just because I found that the heat period was too painful, felt like only having one would be a loss, that I decided to have two. The surgery was quite a long time after the heat period started, so that bit of fear was hardly worth mentioning.”

Li Heng slowly stroked Yuan Yi’s belly, “This feels really magical.”

Yuan Yi said: “Feels very different from touching through clothes and blankets?”

Li Heng: “…When we go back this time, I’m definitely locking Li Mian in the warehouse!”

Yuan Yi laughed and said: “Burning the bridge after crossing it.”

Li Heng simply half propped up his upper body, looked at Yuan Yi, his right arm under Yuan Yi’s head as a pillow, left hand helping him comb his hair, “Wife, you rarely laugh like this. You should laugh more.”

Although Yuan Yi not smiling was also very good-looking, with a kind of cold and aloof beauty. But when Yuan Yi smiled, it seemed more like how he was truly meant to be.

There was a bit of hard-to-detect shyness, and also a light, gentle softness.

Not like the Yuan Yi usually seen—seemed hard to approach, with a kind of “strangers keep away” feeling.

Actually, Yuan Yi is really easy to be friends with. As long as you treat him sincerely, he’ll treat you very well in return.

But upon hearing that, Yuan Yi instead withdrew his smile, “Actually, I don’t smile that little usually. It’s just that we don’t see each other often.”

“Is that a complaint toward me?”

“No. Just stating the truth.”

“What I meant was a smile like just now. Usually, your smiles are restrained and polite. Genuine, heartfelt smiles like that are very rare.”

“Maybe it’s a personal habit.”

“Not a good habit. After this is over, no matter what, I’ll take time off and spend more time with you.”

“Can it really be wrapped up that easily?” Yuan Yi thought for a moment and still turned over. He didn’t face Li Heng, just lay on his back, still resting on his arm.

“If I’m not mistaken, your coming out this time was probably under the Emperor’s instruction, right? Before I was taken away, the Emperor fainted—but no matter how I looked, it didn’t seem real.”

He’d seen so many patients; whether someone had really fainted or was pretending wasn’t something he couldn’t tell. The Emperor was clearly faking.

When a person is really about to faint, it’s usually accompanied by some symptoms—like pale complexion, sweating, irregular breathing, and so on—and in most cases, it’s sudden.

Unlike the Emperor, who even gave some signals—first getting angry, then stuttering, and then slowly falling down—happened to fall right in the direction of the chair. Getting angry is normal, but the rest has to be analyzed case by case.

Li Heng asked with great interest, “Then what do you think was his intention in doing that?”

Yuan Yi thought carefully for a moment and said: “Maybe to give the princes a chance to ‘display their talents’?”

When Li Heng heard the word “talents,” he said, “Wife, why do I feel like you’re mocking them? Do you think they’re stupid?”

Yuan Yi said: “How could that be? I’ve only seen them this once. Although it seems like the Second Prince is more scheming, the Eldest Prince is honest, and the Fourth Prince is a bit slow. But people’s hearts are hard to judge. Whether they’re saying one thing on the surface and doing another behind the scenes, I can’t tell. But I feel the Emperor isn’t muddleheaded.”

A person’s spirit and vitality can be seen in their eyes. Someone who is foolish, incompetent, and only knows pleasure wouldn’t have that kind of sharp glint in their eyes. And judging by the Emperor’s words, no matter how you think about it, that old man doesn’t seem like someone who would just let his sons run wild.

“Mm, go on.”

“I think the hardest to read is actually the Fourth Prince.”

“How so?”

“A person who is simple, stupid, and bad is too easy to pretend to be. But before he exposes himself, you can never guess whether he’s truly stupid or pretending to be. And another thing—Eldest Prince and Second Prince are clearly from opposing camps, while this Fourth Prince looks like he’s attached to the Second Prince. But before I left, the Emperor had someone lock up the Fourth Prince. That means the Fourth Prince missed this chance to display his ‘talents.’ But I can’t guess whether he voluntarily took a step back to watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits later—retreating in order to advance—or if he genuinely just wants to follow the Second Prince.”

“Wife, how about not studying medicine anymore? Come follow me and be my military advisor, how about it?”

“No way. Being your advisor gives no sense of achievement. I’m sleepy, I want to sleep.”

Yuan Yi turned his back again, closed his eyes, and patted Li Heng’s arm to signal him to move it away, “I’ll use a pillow. You sleep on your own.”

Li Heng said: “But I want to hold you.”

Yuan Yi replied mercilessly: “The outcome of hugging your wife to sleep is that your wife gets cervical spondylosis and my husband gets frozen shoulder.”

Li Heng let out a “pfft” sound, “It’s not like we hug every day, what’s there to be afraid of? Wait, what did you just call me?”

Yuan Yi said: “Good night.”

That absolutely couldn’t be the end. Just when he was about to get a bit of sweetness—how could he let it go? That went against his principles in dealing with things.

Li Heng scratched Yuan Yi’s belly, “Quick, say it again. I wasn’t mentally prepared just now.”

Yuan Yi grabbed that hand and tossed it aside, pretending not to hear.

But Li Heng was definitely not the kind of person who could be beaten down with just a few words. He pulled Yuan Yi back into his arms again, “Really can’t call me once? Just once.”

Yuan Yi said: “General, being shameless damages your military bearing.”

Li Heng said: “It’s not like we’re on the battlefield—what military bearing do I need when talking to my own wife? How crazy would someone have to be to care about that? Come on, wife, just once.”

Yuan Yi was worn down by him and had no choice but to open his eyes again.

He was actually a little sleepy. Being beside Li Heng, he always felt more relaxed than uneasy. After eating, his blood sugar had gone up a bit too—just the time to feel drowsy.

But those eyes were so persistent.

So his lips moved slightly, “You forgot about that shower incident so quickly?”

Li Heng said: “I can go shower again.”

Yuan Yi, under his gaze, finally lowered his eyes, “Husband.”

His voice was very soft, but when it reached Li Heng’s ears, it had an incomparable effect.

Li Heng felt even the tip of his heart tremble a little, as if it had been lightly brushed by the flutter of butterfly wings, or as if the softest string in his heart had been gently plucked.

He couldn’t help but kiss the forehead of the person in his arms.

Then the eyelids, the tip of the nose…

Yuan Yi’s face, under the dim light, was dyed with a layer of blush.

Li Heng finally couldn’t hold back and once again kissed Yuan Yi’s lips.

Scorching breaths mingled between them, and the distance between the two was so close that nothing could come in between. The scent of cedar and golden-edged daphne mixed together, adding a touch of temptation to the air. Yuan Yi was kissed until his whole body turned red, his eyes becoming wet and glistening.

Li Heng’s breathing was especially heavy. At that moment, he couldn’t even look at Yuan Yi—his palm pressed against skin so soft, the scent so sweet it felt like the ultimate seduction.

Yuan Yi’s gaze, unlike usual, stirred up chaos in his heart.

Li Heng had no choice but to grit his teeth and pull back a little, stroking Yuan Yi’s hair, “In a bit I’ll use my spiritual power to put you to sleep, then I’ll go take a walk outside.”

Yuan Yi nodded.

He actually didn’t feel very comfortable either. Though it couldn’t be said to be completely uncomfortable—it was more like repeatedly swinging back and forth between comfort and pain.

Just in this short moment, he felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

Two lifetimes, two kisses, with the same person—yet the feelings were somewhat different. It felt like all the suppressed emotions were about to burst out, urgently needing the person beside him to soothe them.

Seeing Li Heng stand up and look at him with a helpless yet restrained expression from the bedside, he suddenly blurted out without thinking, “Wait, don’t use your spiritual power yet.”

Li Heng asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yuan Yi said, “I want to calm down on my own before sleeping.”

Li Heng thought for a moment, “Alright. If you still can’t sleep, call me. I’ll go take a shower.”

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Li Heng figured he would probably still have to use his spiritual power in the end. Otherwise, after such intense emotions just now, to settle down and fall asleep naturally might take until “daybreak” in a whole different sense.

But after showering for ten minutes, when he came out—his wife was already breathing evenly, peacefully asleep, clearly having successfully entered dreamland!

Only he was still full of energy, blood surging, feeling like he had endless strength to burn.

Li Heng was speechless. Gritting his teeth, he walked over and gave Yuan Yi’s ear a light pinch. Then thought about it and pulled the blanket over him, before angrily lying down on the floor.

The floor was cooler—better for calming down.

Who knew that just as he was settling down and about to fall asleep, his communicator vibrated. He looked at it, then put on his clothes and went out.

About ten meters from the door stood his two personal guards.

Winter Wolf said, “General, news from Xingdu has spread everywhere that Madam was abducted halfway. Previously, Captain Mo, following our plan, used several guards who often interacted with the Second Prince to escort Madam back. Also, the fact that people under the Second Prince have dealings with the Brute-man orcs has been exposed. But one thing differs from our expectations.”

Li Heng said, “The Emperor hasn’t woken up?”

Winter Wolf said, “Yes. Do you think this matter might have been done by the Second Prince?”

Li Heng asked, “Why do you say that?”

Winter Wolf said, “Because it would be difficult for the Second Prince to explain the abduction of Madam clearly. If the Emperor were awake, even just to give you an explanation, he wouldn’t let it go. Moreover, treason is the thing the Emperor hates the most. If the Emperor were awake, the Second Prince would definitely not get away with it.”

Li Heng said, “That is possible, but the chance is small. Where is the Eldest Prince now?”

Winter Wolf said, “In the palace. The Emperor has not woken up; the Eldest Prince has temporarily taken over the state affairs. He sent people to capture the Second Prince, but the Second Prince escaped. The Eldest Prince ordered that whoever can catch the Second Prince will…” Winter Wolf suddenly realized and said in disbelief, “It’s the Eldest Prince?!”

Li Heng sat on the sofa in the main hall and said, “Whether it’s the abduction of Yuan Yi or the Second Prince’s treason, these require time to verify. The evidence exposed now is not enough to completely cut off the Second Prince’s influence. But once the plot to harm the Emperor comes out, the nature of the matter changes.”

Night Wolf said, “But this is completely different from what we expected.”

The fact that the Second Prince would most likely send people to abduct their Madam was predicted by them early on, because what the Fourth Prince shouted loudly in the meeting hall was not made up or nonsense.

They indeed have a batch of blue gel energy in their hands, in quantities large enough to cause concern for any side.

At the same time, if this batch of energy could be obtained, it would greatly aid any possible future wars. The Second Prince’s intention to take the blue gel is not something new; if he can abduct their Madam, he will definitely use it for coercion.

They had prepared for this early on, and this also gives them a chance to trap the Second Prince. But now with the Eldest Prince acting like this, if the Second Prince really loses his temper and starts a conflict, they will become very passive.

Li Heng said, “Those who tampered with the Emperor want exactly this result.”

Night Wolf said, “It seems the Eldest Prince wants you to completely side with him.”

Over the years, they have been relatively close to the Eldest Prince, but that is mainly because the Emperor highly values this eldest son, not because they think the Eldest Prince is especially capable.

To be honest, they are loyal to the Emperor, not to the Eldest Prince. Or rather, General, they are loyal to Owanda.

Li Heng asked, “Has Li Zhi arrived at the location?”

Winter Wolf said, “Yes. There is one more thing. Fei Qian asks whether the Sirius Ship needs to depart.”

Li Heng said, “Not for now. Tell Fei Qian to make preparations first. Also, closely monitor the movements of the Vajra Mecha Division.”

Winter Wolf nodded and said, “I will handle it right away.”

Night Wolf asked, “General, what about Madam’s schooling?”

Taking leave is definitely not possible, after all, everyone outside thinks Madam was abducted by people from Bruteman and the Second Prince’s men. Even if she took leave, it couldn’t be requested from their side. But schooling still has to continue. If war really breaks out, no one knows how long she would be away; they can’t completely stop the lessons. Their General can indeed teach, but if he gets busy, then this matter becomes uncertain.

Li Heng said, “He has his own plans for what he wants to study, so there’s no need to worry about that. But he must have regular pregnancy checkups, and all the medications he might need in the future must also be prepared in advance, and in sufficient quantities. It’s too late now—when the chief medical officer wakes up, have him come see me.”

Night Wolf said, “Yes.”

Li Heng waved his hand, indicating for Night Wolf to go about his business, then returned to the bedroom.

Yuan Yi was still sound asleep. The room wasn’t cold, and he was covered by the blanket—just the same as when he had left.

When asleep, he looked especially obedient. Not so when awake.

Sharpness and gentleness were strangely fused together on his wife, truly harmonious yet contradictory.

Frozen shoulder? So be it!

The general climbed back into bed and pulled the person back into his arms. For the second time in his life, he used his spiritual power to lull himself to sleep—the first time had been when he was a child, trying to see if he could do it. After that, he had never used the ability again.

Mainly because, if he didn’t do this, he really wouldn’t be able to fall asleep tonight.

So the next morning, when Yuan Yi woke up, he saw someone beside him for the first time. One arm wrapped around him, the other around his lower abdomen. Clearly asleep, and yet it seemed he still knew to protect him and the child—the arm encircling him didn’t rest directly on his stomach, but instead, in a rather awkward position, like an arch bridge, propped up with the back of the hand at his side, forming a curved space.

Li Heng suddenly felt something poking at his face. He instinctively caught it and held it in his palm. “Awake so early?”

Yuan Yi said, “Li Heng, let’s fall in love.”

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Hello everyone!! I hope you all have been doing well. I’m really sorry for irregular updates. Please bear with this for a while. As you know, I’m newly married and I couldn’t find time to post updates. But I can assure you I won’t drop this novel midway. Thank you for your love and support!!! See ya!