Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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The next day, as Ye Qingyun showered, he noticed several kiss marks scattered all over, making his cheeks flush and leaving his legs feeling weak as he recalled the night.

He thought so—given his relationship with Gu Shenyuan, how could it ever be “just a massage”?

Having a boyfriend is exciting.

Surely, Gu Shenyuan feels the same way.

Ye Qingyun felt pleased, mentally checking off the “full-body exploration” step in his little relationship progress book.

At this pace, he figured it wouldn’t be long before he and Gu Shenyuan reached the final step.

Of course, that would have to wait until he could clear up these issues and ensure Gu Shenyuan’s safety. Only when Gu Shenyuan was no longer in danger and could freely roam about without fear of harm would Ye Qingyun reveal the truth—that he couldn’t have children and wasn’t pregnant. Then, they could take that final step.

Hopefully, it will all be resolved soon. He didn’t have grand ambitions; being with Gu Shenyuan and doing research on things he liked would make him perfectly content.

—

Ye Qingyun continued his research on the energy-dissolving device, all the while keeping a close watch on the royal family’s movements and the surrounding area, prepared for any sudden appearances from enemies.

One day, he noticed something unusual.

Above their planet, several small, round objects—likely surveillance devices—had appeared.

Checking the interstellar network, Ye Qingyun saw that many people were talking about similar strange objects above their planets. No one knew their purpose, but they didn’t seem to be interfering with anything.

Ye Qingyun frowned.

With such widespread deployment across multiple planets, the costs involved had to be astronomical. It was unlikely that they served no purpose.

Only a few powerful forces could afford to deploy something like this, operate outside of oversight, and monitor so many planets.

The first thought that crossed Ye Qingyun’s mind was the very source of his recent anxiety—the  Royal Family.

If those devices truly were set up by the royals, then their target was very likely him and Gu Shenyuan.

Ye Qingyun hoped this wasn’t the case, but given the situation, he couldn’t help but think it was.

Over the next few days, he hacked into the royal family’s network and indeed found orders regarding the placement of those surveillance devices.

With this confirmation, Ye Qingyun immediately investigated the data from the newly installed monitors.

What he found was astonishing.

In the database’s recent records, he discovered his data, as well as various details about Gu Shenyuan.

Not only did it contain facial data but also information on their body types, and even data related to Gu Shenyuan’s powers. Essentially, if they were to appear outside, it was highly likely they’d be detected.

Ye Qingyun sighed in relief, “Good thing we haven’t gone out lately, or who knows where they’d have taken us.”

After saying this, he sensed something was amiss.

Why was the royal family so eager to confront him and Gu Shenyuan? Did they think Gu Shenyuan was the one they were searching for, intending to make an example of him?

Were they so confident in their weaponry that they wanted to eliminate any potential threat swiftly?

Ye Qingyun hadn’t planned to confront the royals so soon—he still had a lot of preparations to complete.

The first thing he thought to do was alter the surveillance data on him and Gu Shenyuan. That way, even if they appeared openly in front of the monitors, they wouldn’t be recognized.

But, rushing into it, he was about to modify the data when Gu Shenyuan stopped him.

“Don’t rush,” Gu Shenyuan advised. “Let’s observe for a few days. If they’re going to this much effort to track us, they probably have ways to detect any tampering with the data. Stay calm.”

After a pause, Gu Shenyuan took Ye Qingyun’s hand gently, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Ye Qingyun slowly squeezed Gu Shenyuan’s hand in return.

What could happen to him? The one truly in danger was Gu Shenyuan himself.

Heeding Gu Shenyuan’s advice, Ye Qingyun refrained from making any data modifications and continued to observe in silence.

Two days later, he noticed that someone checked the monitors regularly, ensuring the data remained unaltered.

If they’d tampered with the data recklessly, it would have been quickly discovered, and the altered devices could reveal their location.

Ye Qingyun sighed quietly, while Gu Shenyuan looked at him with a complicated expression.

Caught by his gaze, Ye Qingyun, with a jolt, put on a teary expression and said, “Don’t you dare think about taking them on alone, fighting them for my freedom or something. I’m still waiting for you to take care of me. Could you bear to leave me and our future child?”

After a long pause, Gu Shenyuan replied quietly, “I’m not going anywhere.”

With that assurance, Ye Qingyun finally felt some relief. He continued mapping out the surveillance blind spots, realizing that while there were dead zones, they shifted daily as the monitors moved.

He mapped out recent blind spots just in case, ensuring they could avoid detection before allowing himself to think about other matters.

“Why are they so sure it’s you?” Ye Qingyun asked. “Aren’t they worried that you’ll crush them instead?”

Gu Shenyuan’s abilities were legendary; logically, no one should willingly provoke him. What if he had no intention of making trouble, but this pushed him into action?

Shaking his head, Gu Shenyuan replied slowly, “I think…they’re not entirely convinced I’m the one. Or rather, they’re bold because they’re fairly certain I’m not.”

Ye Qingyun froze, a suspicion forming in his mind.

If the emperor truly believed Gu Shenyuan was that person, he wouldn’t be so reckless. It was unlikely they thought the legendary figure would just appear out of nowhere. But seeing that Gu Shenyuan fit the appearance and had some level of power, they were willing to take the risk and bring him in.

Once they captured Gu Shenyuan, they would publicly announce to the people that he was the legendary figure attempting to overthrow the royal family. Then, they’d execute him before the entire interstellar population.

This move would intimidate anyone dissatisfied with the royals, ensuring their position remained secure.

Ye Qingyun wasn’t sure if his guess was accurate, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

“But why are they so confident you’re not that person?” Ye Qingyun still felt puzzled.

Gu Shenyuan smiled, reaching out to touch Ye Qingyun’s face. “Because of you.”

Ye Qingyun was baffled. ‘…?’

What did that mean? Was he somehow not “worthy” of being seen as the partner of the fabled human weapon?

“It’s your attitude. You don’t behave like someone who holds absolute power,” Gu Shenyuan explained, his dark eyes filled with warmth rather than the coldness he showed others. “You don’t look at me with any intent to exploit, which doesn’t fit their expectations.”

Ye Qingyun was taken aback.

It was his fault? Was that even possible? This was impossible!

As Gu Shenyuan leaned in, Ye Qingyun instinctively closed his eyes, accepting the kiss but finding his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

Initially, he had planned to take his time with the second antidote, waiting until Gu Shenyuan was ready. But given the current situation, he decided it was best to get Gu Shenyuan to drink it as soon as possible.

If he were to suddenly die and come back to find Gu Shenyuan in agony from the bloodline curse—or worse, dead alongside him—it would be a disaster.

Even if he didn’t truly die, what if the curse didn’t transfer to his new body?

The antidote needed to be made quickly.

After all this time, Gu Shenyuan should understand that Ye Qingyun wasn’t going anywhere, so he should be willing to drink the antidote by now, right?

—

To make the antidote, Ye Qingyun needed materials from Gu Shenyuan.

How would he obtain them this time?

The system offered a slew of suggestions in his mind: ‘This should be easy now! With your current status, all you need to do is a beep, beep beep beep, and you’ll get it, no problem, right?’

Ye Qingyun responded, ‘…If you know it’s going to get censored, stop using so many colorful terms. Thanks.’

Still, the system had a point. With his current standing, obtaining materials from Gu Shenyuan was easier than ever.

To speed up the antidote-making process, Ye Qingyun decided to use the same materials as before.

As for how he’d get them… it looked like he and Gu Shenyuan would be “double trouble” tonight.

Imagining the scene, Ye Qingyun couldn’t help but blush.

He could do this!

—

That night, while Gu Shenyuan was giving him a massage, Ye Qingyun let out a few sounds instead of gritting his teeth and keeping quiet.

In the darkness, Gu Shenyuan paused.

“Shenyuan…” Ye Qingyun reached out and placed a hand on Gu Shenyuan’s. “I feel uncomfortable.”

“Where does it hurt? Am I pressing too hard?” Gu Shenyuan’s tone was steady.

Ugh! He was being so obvious! Why hadn’t Gu Shenyuan taken the hint yet?

Ye Qingyun felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. Why was Gu Shenyuan such a block of wood?

“Where do you think it hurts?” Ye Qingyun gave Gu Shenyuan’s solid arm a playful punch. “Wherever you hurt, I hurt! I don’t care; I help you, and you help me!”

After a moment of silence, Gu Shenyuan reluctantly declined, “No, I’ve read the data. You shouldn’t do this right now—it’ll drain your energy.”

Ye Qingyun nearly choked. He’d forgotten about his “pregnant” cover story!

Switching gears, he offered, “Then I’ll just help you, okay?”

But Gu Shenyuan shook his head and placed Ye Qingyun’s hand back. “No need. I’ll endure it with you.”

Ye Qingyun was touched by Gu Shenyuan’s consideration, but no, this had to happen! It had to!

Clenching his teeth, he reached out again.

Gu Shenyuan’s breathing grew heavier, and Ye Qingyun softly whispered, “But if you keep holding back for me, I’ll worry about you.”

—

Afterward, Ye Qingyun excused himself to wash his hands and slipped into the bathroom.

He took out a small pre-prepared bag from his pocket and carefully placed the contents in it.

The scene felt familiar. The last time he’d obtained these materials, he’d done the same thing, secretly sealing them up and taking them to the lab.

The first antidote had been thrown out by Gu Shenyuan. What about this second one?

Time was running short; he might not get the chance to make a third antidote.

Since that was the case… this time, he’d deliver it himself, ensuring Gu Shenyuan drank it.