Cheng Jin remembered that several months ago, after receiving a message from Lu Tao, his days had been filled with anxiety and uncertainty. He constantly questioned the other person’s intentions. Although he had considered the possibility of it, given Lu Tao’s usual attitude toward him, he felt that the likelihood of “opening a joint account” was almost nonexistent. Instead, the possibility of being taken to divorce loomed over him at over ninety-nine percent.

Now, hearing the answer from Lu Tao’s own mouth, he found it hard to believe. Cheng Jin widened his eyes and opened his lips to speak, but no words came out. Lu Tao said, “Your application was denied because there is a military marriage protection mechanism.”

Cheng Jin froze for a moment and instinctively replied, “But that’s something you have to activate…” On the Imperial Planet, officers enjoyed privileges, particularly in marriage, where they held absolute advantages. The “military marriage protection mechanism” required the married partner to activate it themselves. Once activated, any changes in the marriage—usually referring to “divorce”—needed to be personally approved to take effect.

Cheng Jin couldn’t understand why Lu Tao would want to activate such a mechanism, especially since, on the surface, it seemed he was the one most eager to end the marriage, right?

As Cheng Jin’s mind raced, a realization dawned on him. “Is it… ‘he’ who activated it?” It seemed only “Lu Tao No. 2” would do something like that.

Lu Tao appeared somewhat irritated and spoke in a heavy tone, “No.”

“Why do you…” Cheng Jin mumbled, wanting to ask many questions, but his mind was a mess, and he didn’t know where to start. Lu Tao continued with the previous topic, “So why did you marry Ma Yuan?”

Cheng Jin replied, “How did you find me?”

Lu Tao paused and said, “I found the sixth route.” He seemed to have pinpointed that Cheng Jin didn’t want to answer his previous question and added, “Fei Li spent two hours compiling your travel records during this time and found out you’ve been to the hospital.”

Cheng Jin trembled all over, his eyes filled with panic as he instinctively placed his hand on his abdomen.

His actions didn’t escape Lu Tao’s notice. Lu Tao continued, “And it was the obstetrics department.” He gazed deeply at Cheng Jin, who seemed on the verge of curling up into a ball, feeling a mix of anger and jealousy. “So did you find someone to fake a marriage because you’re pregnant?”

In just a few hours, the secret Cheng Jin wanted to keep hidden was exposed, and he didn’t know how to respond. Lu Tao demanded, “Answer me.”

Though his tone wasn’t overly harsh, it still hit Cheng Jin in his most vulnerable spot. He bit his lip and whispered, “Yes…”

Upon hearing this answer, Lu Tao took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. “Cheng Jin, do you know? When you find out you’re pregnant, the best course of action is to contact me, your legal husband, and come back to me, not to randomly find a man to fake a marriage. If this is discovered, do you know your actions could be considered a crime?”

Cheng Jin suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. He shouted, “Contact you, just to have you think I’m blackmailing you?”

Lu Tao frowned. “I wouldn’t think that.”

“You would! You’ve warned me before not to play any tricks to trap you in my life, but… but I didn’t do it on purpose this time…” The more Cheng Jin spoke, the more aggrieved he felt, his eyes beginning to sting with tears. “I’ve been taking my birth control pills… every month. Even when I ran out of money, I spent a hundred thousand on birth control pills. How was I supposed to know I could still get pregnant? Lu Tao, you probably don’t believe me, but it’s true! I didn’t want to get pregnant on purpose; I didn’t want you to take responsibility! I’ve been keeping my distance from you, so why are you even looking for me? Just for the sense of legal partnership? There’s no need for that! The child isn’t yours; it’s my husband’s! The husband I want now isn’t you, and you… you killed him…”

When the General heard Cheng Jin’s last few words, his expression instantly tightened, revealing a slightly twisted look for the first time, his back straightening. He said coldly, “Cheng Jin, calm down! Your partner has always been me! No matter which persona you got pregnant with, biologically, that child is mine.”

This was an irrefutable fact. Cheng Jin was naturally timid in front of Lu Tao, and as soon as the courage he had just mustered slipped away, he couldn’t gather it again. He wiped away his tears and softly said, “Don’t you despise me? Wouldn’t it be better to just part ways? I… I don’t understand…” If opening a joint account was indeed true, what on earth was Lu Tao thinking?

“Why?”

The man’s tone carried an anger that didn’t match his usual demeanor, surprising Cheng Jin. The Lu Tao he interacted with was cold and distant, like an emotionless machine. Yet because of his abilities and looks, along with his exceptional mannerisms, people were willing to go crazy for him. But hearing him speak like this was a first. Cheng Jin stared at him in a daze, noticing the anger in Lu Tao’s eyes, involuntarily shrinking his neck in fear.

Lu Tao leaned in closer, staring intently at him, and repeated, “Why?”

His chin was gripped tightly, the force firm but not painful, merely feeling restrained. Cheng Jin blinked, and a single tear fell from his seemingly innocent eyes. Lu Tao said, “You want to get married, and you threaten me to marry you. Want a divorce, and you vanish without a trace? Why? I’m not one of those flashy gems that you can just toss aside when you’re bored!”

“I… I…” Cheng Jin was so frightened that he couldn’t form a sentence. It wasn’t that he was scared; it was just that this side of Lu Tao was hard to imagine.

So, his husband could have emotional fluctuations too, especially because of him…

“So don’t think of me like those things you liked before—wanting something so badly that you’d go to great lengths to get it, but once you lose interest, you toss it aside.”

Facing such accusations, Cheng Jin originally wanted to refute, but when the words reached his lips, he realized that Lu Tao wasn’t wrong.

It was indeed like that.

Someone who had been pampered would only clamor for what they wanted, but when they finally got it, they rarely cherished it. Once they got bored, they would toss it aside and seek a new target.

But he was different with people!

Cheng Jin realized he had caught a glimpse of his husband’s true thoughts, and while he was surprised, he hurriedly explained, “I… I won’t…”

“Won’t?” Lu Tao suddenly laughed coldly, his demeanor intimidating. “Once you found ‘Lu Tao No. 2’ who suited you better, didn’t you stop looking at me? Have you forgotten who your real husband is?”

“That’s because you don’t love me at all!” Cheng Jin glared at him in grievance, tears spilling uncontrollably. “You don’t love me! You ignore me! And ‘amnesiac’ you was so nice to me, liked me, hugged me, and kissed me. Of course, I want him to stay a little longer!”

“With your past misdeeds, how could anyone trust you with their heart!” Lu Tao glared at him, each word a stab. “Give you my heart, and you step on it when you get bored?”

“I…” Cheng Jin sniffed and weakly said, “I’m changing…” He added, feeling wronged, “But you never take the time to notice my changes…”

Upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness crossed Lu Tao’s face, but it vanished in an instant, and his anger subsided. He released his grip on Cheng Jin’s hand and said, “I see it, which is why I decided to open a joint account with you.”

Cheng Jin looked at him in disbelief, taking a long time to respond. “So, you’re giving me a chance?”

Opening a joint account meant their marital relationship would become more secure. No matter what their feelings were, with this arrangement, if they wanted a divorce, it would mean the wealthier party would have to divide half their assets. Cheng Jin’s assets were almost negative, so he would obviously be the one benefiting. More than that, Lu Tao making such a decision also showed his intention to help the Cheng family.

So if Lu Tao returned normally, wouldn’t what awaited Cheng Jin be a starting point rather than an end to their relationship?

The despair in his heart slowly reignited. Despite feeling unworthy of believing, Cheng Jin instinctively wanted to grasp that tiny bit of support. He stared at the handsome man in front of him, who still looked cold, but because of his brave gaze, Cheng Jin finally saw a flicker of warmth in those eyes. He asked softly, “Is it true?”

“It’s giving each other a chance,” Lu Tao finally spoke, delivering the words Cheng Jin had been hoping to hear.

The part of his heart that had been frozen solid crumbled in an instant, and Cheng Jin felt dizzy. The long-awaited hope made it hard to fully believe what he was hearing. He cautiously asked, “Lu Tao, are you… sincere? Or are you saying this because you know I’m pregnant?”

Lu Tao replied, “Sincere.”

Cheng Jin never doubted the words that came from him, but the overwhelming joy made him feel surreal. He couldn’t help but grab the man’s hand, asking softly, “Are you really the true Lu Tao? Not… not…”

His attitude clearly made Lu Tao feel embarrassed and angry. The man stared at him and asked in a low voice, “What? You’d prefer it was him, right?”

Cheng Jin whispered, “I thought only he would say things like that…”

Lu Tao felt a mix of emotions he couldn’t identify. Clearly, he was Cheng Jin’s partner, and he was the one Cheng Jin had always liked. But suddenly, another persona invaded his body, leading to the current situation. Cheng Jin looked like he preferred the other persona, and it made Lu Tao feel an intense jealousy. He said coldly, “I’m sorry, but now it’s just me, your true partner, General Lu Tao of the Imperial Seventh Army!” His tone carried a strong possessiveness. “The second persona you loved has been completely eliminated by me!”

Cheng Jin trembled. He was about to correct Lu Tao on his use of the word “love,” but before he could speak, the man leaned in closer, unable to hold back any longer, and kissed him.

Soft lips were sucked and nibbled at, and it wasn’t until Cheng Jin felt the invasion of Lu Tao’s tongue that he realized what was happening.

His real husband—Lu Tao—was actually kissing him!