General Li, who had still been cursing Liang Wanfeng in his heart three thousand eight hundred times along the way, slowly tightened his arms. “Wife, do you know what you’re doing?”
Yuan Yi said, “I do. But you said before that if there’s something I want to do, I can fight for it myself.”
Li Heng thought to himself — not this kind of thing…
But, well, this was something he was very willing to accept.
Li Heng gently caressed Yuan Yi’s neck with his hand. Because Yuan Yi had his head slightly lowered, his neck formed a graceful arc. Probably from being burned by his own breath, his neck gradually turned pink, like a shy little swan.
“Not during your heat period — it’ll obviously be painful,” Li Heng said. “Are you sure you want to?”
“Mm, I read about it in a book,” Yuan Yi said. “It shouldn’t be unbearable, right?”
“Of course not. But to be honest, I haven’t tried it either.” Li Heng was also a bit excited, because it seemed like only after meeting Yuan Yi did he have that strong urge to mark someone. Thinking about it, he had held it back for a long time.
He directly turned Yuan Yi around to face him. Seeing the person in his arms also beginning to flush, he gently kissed those overly red lips brought on by nervousness.
Kissing deeply and grinding gently, nibbling lightly — only when Yuan Yi slowly relaxed did he gradually move to lick and kiss his neck.
Yuan Yi felt a little ticklish. The hot and wet sensation slowly travelled across his sensitive nerves, like a kind of enchantment. But just as he was about to pull back, Li Heng domineeringly held him in place to stop him from dodging — then bit down directly on his gland.
A sharp pain suddenly surged — “Mm” — he grabbed tightly at Li Heng’s clothes. But it was just in that moment. After that, as Li Heng’s pheromones slowly entered his body, he clearly began to feel better — like a warm current was smoothing out every wrinkle of unease inside him.
He finally couldn’t hold back and let out a whimper like a small animal — but to Li Heng, this became a great source of stimulation and encouragement.
Li Heng held him down and bit for a long time. His fingers gently combed through Yuan Yi’s hair, soothing him while also preventing him from escaping, until he felt Yuan Yi was about to lose strength — only then did he let go and help him sit down by the bed.
Yuan Yi seemed unable to come back to his senses for a moment. He breathed rapidly for a while, his eyes slightly moist.
His expression could no longer maintain its usual calmness — he now looked like a little beast that had been bullied, pitiful and delicate.
Li Heng’s blood surged as he looked at him — in the end, he couldn’t hold back and took out two suppressants for himself and used them in a row, trying to calm down.
Yuan Yi looked on with a bit of guilt and said, “Sorry.”
Li Heng felt like his heart was about to shatter into eight pieces. When it came to Yuan Yi, he truly felt that if he held him in his mouth, he was afraid he’d melt; if he held him in his hand, he was afraid he’d freeze; even hugging him in his arms, he worried that he might use too much strength and hurt him.
He threw away the suppressant packaging, came over and touched Yuan Yi’s head. “What are you apologizing for? I’m too happy for that.” His fingers gently brushed over Yuan Yi’s gland. “Does it still hurt?”
Yuan Yi said, “A little, but it’s okay. I liked it.”
Li Heng smiled and asked, “You like the pain?”
Yuan Yi said, “How could that be? Of course I liked… the feeling of gradually emptying my mind while being bitten. It’s really a strange sensation. As an alpha, you probably can’t fully understand it.”
Alphas have susceptibility periods. During those times, they become irritable, easily angered, and more aggressive, and they also need comfort from omegas.
But the comfort alphas receive doesn’t bring a sense of being protected, or a feeling of peace and security — rather, it gives them a sense of possession or having taken over the omega.
In the matter of “marking,” omegas tend to feel satisfied from being protected, while alphas tend to feel satisfied from being acknowledged for their effort. There is a certain difference between the two.
Li Heng had not entered his susceptible period, but Yuan Yi’s words still gave him a great sense of satisfaction. However, this kind of emotion was more mental and psychological; physically, it was very uncomfortable due to long-term suppression.
Yuan Yi didn’t have special genes like Li Heng, but at this moment, he could also feel the extreme tension in the body of the person holding him. However, he knew very well that saying “I’m sorry” at a time like this was of no use.
Li Heng let out a long sigh at this point and said, “I really wish the next six months would pass quickly. No, six months won’t be enough. After the children are born, your body will still need time to recover. Once you’ve recovered, then I can ‘settle the bill’ with you.”
Yuan Yi raised his head and asked, “Did I say I would let you give me a final mark?”
Li Heng pinched his face, “Wife, do you have to speak so harshly? If I don’t mark you, who else would?”
Yuan Yi gave a light laugh and didn’t continue the topic.
It seemed the matter of Liang Wanfeng was brushed over just like that, without leaving any shadow on him. He still ate when he should, slept when he should, and studied when he should.
Li Heng was the best teacher—he could answer almost all questions, as if there was nothing he didn’t know except giving birth. Yuan Yi had quite a few comfortable days.
In a blink, Yuan Yi’s pregnancy reached exactly four months. That day, Li Heng took him to the medical bay.
There was a chief medical officer on the Ghost Ship. Yuan Yi didn’t know where Li Heng got the prenatal checkup equipment from; it seemed even more advanced than what he had seen at the military district general hospital. It was the first time Li Heng accompanied him for a prenatal exam, and many of the procedures he even personally operated.
He lay on the examination bed, exposing his abdomen. It was Li Heng who activated the intelligent diagnostic device, and it was also Li Heng who helped him draw blood.
The chief medical officer stood to the side, helping them carefully examine the test data. After all, the chief medical officer wasn’t an obstetrician and couldn’t be considered professional in this field; after the examination, he also had to look up reference materials for comparison.
Li Heng, however, didn’t ask any questions at this time. He saw the two children lying face-to-face in Yuan Yi’s belly, their little feet touching each other, as if they were chatting, looking quite peaceful and cute—so he printed out this image and kept it. He told Yuan Yi, “There are already three pictures now. I should think about what kind of stone to use this time for the carving.”
Yuan Yi asked him, “Why do you carve these into stone?”
Li Heng said, “This is actually a tradition of the Shenshi Clan. They believe stone is eternal and strong, so carving the fetus forms of the children into stone allows them to be preserved forever, without being lost or encountering danger midway.”
Yuan Yi liked this answer and smiled, saying, “Then go ahead and carve. The kind of stone doesn’t matter—what matters is the thought behind it.”
At this moment, the chief medical officer said, “As expected from the descendants of Owanda’s strongest genes—these two little ones are developing very well, and they’re clearly larger than other children of the same gestational age. Their heartbeats are also very strong.”
Li Heng smiled and said, “Mainly because the papa is very attentive—he’s careful with both sleep and diet.”
As long as there were no special circumstances, Yuan Yi always ate and slept on time. He cared a lot about these two children—not because their surname was Li, but because he genuinely saw himself as their papa and felt responsible for giving them his care.
The chief medical officer said, “Overall, everything looks good, but it would be best to increase calcium supplements a bit more. Since there’s no sunlight here, that aspect requires special attention.”
Yuan Yi said, “Thank you, Chief Medical Officer. I’ve noted it down.”
Li Heng saw that all the examination data had come out and the results were good, so he took Yuan Yi back. “You take a nap first. I’ll go see if I can find a suitable piece of stone. I’ll try to finish carving it by the time you wake up.”
Yuan Yi asked, “That fast?”
Li Heng said, “There’s an electronic engraving knife—if the lower-level commands are accurate, it’s indeed fast. Sleep now.”
Yuan Yi pulled up the blanket, nodded, and quickly closed his eyes.
But Li Heng didn’t go look for stone. Instead, he returned to the medical bay. He asked the chief medical officer, “Besides the calcium deficiency, is there any other issue?”
The chief medical officer said, “There aren’t other problems—everything looks good, and the children indeed seem healthy. But given the current situation, where Madam will give birth in the future is a major issue. Our medical department doesn’t have an obstetrics specialist, and the entire Sirius ship doesn’t have even one. But this is a big matter—we still need to make thorough preparations. Do you want to consider bringing some obstetricians onto the ship?”
If it were before, Yuan Yi would certainly have given birth in Star City. But now, under current circumstances, returning to Star City wasn’t safe.
“Regarding finding doctors, I already have a plan in mind. Any other problems?”
“Other problems…” The chief medical officer hesitated for a moment. “Should we store a bit more of your pheromones for Madam?”
“You noticed something off too?”
“Sigh… It’s too peaceful.”
The chief medical officer was in his fifties, an older middle-aged Alpha. He had been serving on the Sirius Ship since its inception and had known Li Heng for many years. At this moment, he spoke frankly: “The Emperor is in a deep sleep and hasn’t awakened, the Second Prince has escaped, and now the Crown Prince clearly knows you’re still alive. At a time like this, if he gave you even the slightest excuse, you could return openly and rightfully. But he shows no intention of inviting you back to Star City. It’s obvious he has other plans.”
“He wants me to return on my own to admit guilt, and then support him ascending the throne.”
“But the Emperor is still alive—how can he have such thoughts?”
“That’s exactly the issue. If I return to support him, I offend the Emperor and the Second Prince. But if I stand with the Emperor, then I offend the Crown Prince.”
“Then isn’t the Crown Prince afraid the Second Prince will act? Don’t you plan to help him?”
“Not helping him—whether I help him or not, he’s still the Crown Prince. Acting in the ruler’s stead, he has the authority to command the Sirius Ship to deploy troops. If the Sirius Ship refuses to follow orders, that gives the higher-ups even more to work with.”
“This…” The chief medical officer was at a loss for words. “Then no matter what you do, it’s wrong? No matter which side you choose, you’ll offend someone.”
“That’s right. Did you know that the Emperor was a master of chess in his younger years?” Li Heng smiled as he patted the old chief medical officer on the shoulder and said, “You carry on—I’ve got a few other things to take care of.”
The chief medical officer called out from behind, “General! If it’s really inconvenient to land, then let Madam stay on the Sirius Ship or get him a simulated sunlight device, alright? It’s best if he still gets more sun exposure!”
Li Heng waved his hand to signal that he understood, then went to the command center of the Ghost Ship.
Star City, Imperial Court.
The Crown Prince, Mo Lin, looked toward the assembled imperial physicians, frowning in displeasure and said, “It’s been so long already—why is there still no sign of the Emperor waking up?”
An imperial physician said, “Your Highness, we’ve already used all the treatments we should’ve used. In theory, His Majesty should have woken up. But since he hasn’t, this…”
“Speak plainly.”
The imperial physician glanced at his colleagues and hesitated for a moment.
The Crown Prince said, “What exactly is going on—just spit it out already!”
The imperial physician said, “It seems… His Majesty has been poisoned. And it’s not a poison from Owanda, but more like the Brute Barbarians’ ‘Sangmeng.’ This poison is colorless and tasteless, and once infected, the person falls into a coma and doesn’t wake up. Our Owanda antidotes don’t work against it either. If we can’t find a solution, then His Majesty will…”
“Will what?”
“Will remain in a coma until passing away.”
“Nonsense! Every detail of the Emperor’s daily life and meals is handled by long-serving, trusted staff. Who could possibly have poisoned him? You must have made a mistake!”
“Reporting to Your Highness. Aside from that, there really is no other possibility. And we just conducted a test for Sangmeng—it confirms there’s a ninety percent chance that His Majesty was poisoned by it.”
“What about the other ten percent?”
“The remaining ten percent would be a heart condition—that His Majesty himself doesn’t want to wake up.”
“……” — What kind of talk is that?!
The Crown Prince waved his hand to signal everyone to continue taking good care of the Emperor, then brought a trusted aide back to his own quarters. “Fang Pu, you haven’t acted yet, have you?”
Fang Pu said, “Reporting to Your Highness, since you haven’t given the order, how would I dare act? Do you think it might have been someone from the Second Prince’s side? The imperial physicians also said this Sangmeng is a poison from the Brute Barbarians. The day the Emperor fell into a coma, the Second Prince was also present.”
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment. “No, it probably wasn’t him. For him to act now would do more harm than good. Still no word from Li Heng’s side?”
Fang Pu shook his head. “None. Do you think General Li might have other plans? Could it be that Yuan Yi really was kidnapped by the Second Prince and the Brute Barbarians?”
The Crown Prince looked troubled, picked up a small massage robot and had it pound on his shoulders, and said irritably, “Impossible. If the second prince had actually succeeded in kidnapping him, then Marshal Jian and Li Heng should’ve already taken action. Since they haven’t, that means Yuan Yi probably hasn’t run into trouble. What I’m worried about now is that there may be something going on between Li Heng and the Emperor that I don’t know about. What’s the fourth prince been up to lately?”
Fang Pu said, “Not much. I secretly went to check—ever since the Fourth Prince was locked up, he’s just been making noise now and then about wanting to be let out. Nothing else. But what should we do next? If this drags on and the Second Prince makes a move while General Li doesn’t return, our chances of winning will drop.”
The Crown Prince said nothing, only silently turned the massage robot up one gear.
Fang Pu looked at his expression and said, “If it really won’t work, how about you just give General Li a way out? Just say you sent him out on another mission, and that’s why there hasn’t been any news for so long. That way, it would be proper for him to come back, people outside wouldn’t have anything to say, and he could also appreciate the favor you’re showing him.”
The Crown Prince let out a cold laugh. “He, appreciate the favor I’m showing him? If he were someone who would appreciate my favor, he would’ve come back on his own long ago—would I need to give him a way out? You think what I’m giving him is a way out? If I find him an excuse to return at this point, that’s the same as me begging him—do you get it? Back then when so many people opposed the mission to support Lanjiao Star, when it looked like a losing battle, he still dared to go—and he actually pulled it off, even brought back so many benefits. The Emperor couldn’t say anything against him either. Now his power is only growing. If I don’t make him recognize his position now, then this imperial court will change hands in the future.”
The Crown Prince suddenly slapped the robot away, dissatisfied, and rubbed his own shoulder with his hand. “Keep waiting. But there is one thing I want you to handle. Since the Emperor doesn’t want to wake up, let’s make it safe—make sure he never wakes up. Let Li Heng understand just who it is he should rely on.”
Fang Pu wanted to speak further, but seeing the robot lying on the ground with its head dented from the impact, he ultimately didn’t dare say more.
At the same time, Yuan Yi woke up from his nap and slowly opened his eyes.
He suddenly smelled a strong scent of cedarwood—it was the kind of scent that was particularly noticeable. He saw someone with his back to him, hunched over the table, fiddling with small stones. The broad shoulders and firm muscles under that dark blue shirt gave off an overwhelming sense of safety. That person was especially focused, seemingly unaware that he had woken up.
So he quietly watched for a while, then finally said, “You went to extract pheromones again.”
It was a statement, not a question.
Li Heng turned around and waved the little stone baby in his hand at him. “Wife, are you part puppy or something? Your sense of smell is that sharp?”
Yuan Yi said, “Let me see.”
Li Heng patted himself down and sat on the edge of the bed, handing the little stone baby into Yuan Yi’s hands. “It’s a bit bigger this time, and the features are more detailed, so it took longer.”
Yuan Yi noticed that this time it was carved from an orange-colored stone. It was still vivid and lifelike, and clearly larger than the previous ones. Holding it in his hand, it had a very solid texture.
He carefully stroked it in his hands for a while, then asked Li Heng, “Are we about to be apart for a long time?”
Li Heng asked, “Why do you say that?”
Yuan Yi said, “The pheromones you brought in the safe before were barely used, and now you’ve started storing again. That probably means you’re going away for quite a while.”
At first, he couldn’t understand why Captain Mo told him to bring the safe along instead of opening it on the spot. Later he realized—it was just in case. Li Heng wanted him to carry it with him for emergencies.
This man looked so tall and strong, yet his thoughts were so meticulous.
Yuan Yi grabbed Li Heng’s hand and, while silently counting the number of calluses on it, asked, “Are you planning not to return to Star City to look for the Emperor?”
Li Heng turned his hand over and held Yuan Yi’s, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. “If I go back, the time I’ll be able to spend with you and the children in this lifetime will become very little. And although my previous decision to support Blue Gel Star turned out well in the end, it still… wasn’t entirely satisfactory.”
There was a trace of guilt on Li Heng’s face. He gently stroked Yuan Yi’s ear and said softly, “Wife, you guessed right. We may indeed need to be apart for a while.”
Ghost cloudd On WBICDPH Chapter 130