Asking his elder brother about the relationship between him and Yan Qi was difficult for Cheng Jin. He knew his brother felt the same way; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need for such secrecy. Suddenly, he felt relieved that the signal on the hot planet was poor, allowing them to connect only via voice call, without seeing his brother’s face.

Once the call connected, his brother didn’t rush to ask about his safety. Instead, he said, “It’s good that you’re back. It’s too cold here and not suitable for you. Plus, with a baby on the way, going home with Lu Tao is the best choice.”

Cheng Jin cautiously glanced at Lu Tao before asking, “What about you, brother? Aren’t you planning to come back?”

“Not for now. I want to develop here. Don’t worry about Dad; I’ll take care of him. You just focus on nurturing the baby.” His brother’s voice was as reassuring as ever, making it impossible for Cheng Jin to imagine how he and Yan Qi got together.

His brother would never have a baby!

After some inner turmoil, Cheng Jin finally asked, “What if Yan Xiao Qi comes looking for you? He—he’s really crazy! He actually put up a missing person ad in the world’s largest newspaper! Brother, you saw that, right?”

“I saw it.”

“Didn’t that raise any suspicions?”

Cheng Xu replied, “The central city government only received one copy; the staff in the mailroom is my current partner, and he won’t betray me.” He paused before adding, “But you, once you return, I hope you don’t tell anyone about my whereabouts.”

Cheng Jin reassured him, “He should be able to track us, right…? But I definitely won’t tell anyone! I won’t say a word to anyone!”

“He’s not military; he has no right to track a general’s movements. Lu Tao, can you help me cover this up?”

Cheng Jin looked at his husband for support, and Lu Tao replied, “Sure.” Cheng Jin immediately felt relieved.

With Lu Tao present and Fei Li on the other side, Cheng Jin thought it inappropriate to ask his brother how he and Yan Qi started things. But he knew it had to be forced by Yan Qi; after all, his brother was super gentle, and all his previous relationships had been with women. How could he have actively gotten involved with Yan Qi?

After chatting for a bit, Cheng Jin asked Fei Li to bring his things back when he returned, and then he ended the call.

Returning the communicator to Lu Tao, Cheng Jin’s face still showed worry. He said, “When we go back, Yan Qi really won’t be able to track our movements, right? He isn’t military, but his brother is. If he really wanted to dig into it, it would be easy, right?”

Lu Tao slowly attached the communicator back to his wrist and said, “We can create some confusion.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s visit a few more planets.” He seemed to have planned this long ago and opened a light screen displaying the entire distribution map of the star system. Cheng Jin had never been good at geography; he once scored as low as thirteen points, so he had no real sense of it. Leaning closer to the screen, he was about to take a good look when a hand wrapped around his waist, gently pulling him back into a softer seat.

Cheng Jin turned around in surprise, staring wide-eyed at his husband.

Lu Tao had let him sit on his lap!

Isn’t this just a bit too intimate?

Having done who knows how many things with “No. 2 Lu Tao,” now doing the same with his current husband felt strange and anxious. Cheng Jin even wondered if he was being shameless by taking the initiative. Just as he was about to stand up, Lu Tao’s voice came into his ear, “Where do you want to go?”

His fingers moved on the light screen, zooming in, revealing a map of six or seven planets with names labeled. Cheng Jin was immediately distracted. Even though he still felt warm and flushed beneath him, he focused his gaze on the screen. He quickly spotted the name of the geothermal planet and joyfully exclaimed, “Planet 29 is here! We—we are here right now, and I’ve also been to Hell Planet!”

“Hmm, and then? Where do you want to go?” Lu Tao’s tone surprisingly had a relaxed vibe.

The distribution map was in 3D, showing area size, population distribution, climate, and more. Lu Tao likely used a travel map, which also marked iconic places, like Ice Crystal Planet, where the most prominent feature was the Crystal House.

Several other planets were nearby, and since they were all in the northern star system, it was clear that the climate was quite cold. Cheng Jin actually wanted to visit a few more planets for his brother, but he hesitated, “Do you have that much time? Don’t you need to work?”

Lu Tao replied, “I have time off.”

“More time off?” Cheng Jin was puzzled but didn’t dare to look back. “Didn’t you just about use up your last break?”

“I have a new vacation,” Lu Tao said, “So you don’t need to worry about time.” His tone turned slightly deeper. “I’ll go wherever you want.”

Those words sounded like sweet nothings. Cheng Jin trembled all over, his heart racing. He suddenly realized he didn’t seem to know Lu Tao at all.

The husband he thought he knew was cold, indifferent to everyone, expressionless, stern, and devoid of any romantic sensibility. He never seemed to know what gentleness was and always spoke in a harsh tone, trying to avoid speaking whenever possible. But now, interacting with him, he started to feel he might have been wrong.

This man… was actually very straightforward!

When necessary, he wouldn’t hold back his words, even clearly stating phrases like “I don’t want a divorce,” “I’m sincere,” and “I like you.” He pointed out his flaws directly and praised his good qualities; he wasn’t at all the type of person Cheng Jin had imagined!

Feeling flushed with this realization, Cheng Jin still hesitated a bit and tentatively asked, “Is your kindness towards me because I’m pregnant?”

The person behind him didn’t answer. Summoning his courage, Cheng Jin turned to look at him, and upon meeting his gaze, he instinctively shrank back his neck. Lu Tao said, “No.”

“Right now, you are worthy of my kindness.”

Cheng Jin’s cheeks instantly flushed. He shyly stared at Lu Tao and suddenly said, “Turn off the lights.”

The voice-controlled lights instantly went off, enveloping the room in darkness, where he could only see the outline of Lu Tao. Trembling, Cheng Jin reached out to wrap his arms around the man’s neck, gradually bringing his arms around his back. Feeling that Lu Tao didn’t push him away, he boldly pressed his lips against Lu Tao’s.

Initiating a kiss with his true husband was something he hadn’t done in years. Ever since his family went bankrupt, he hadn’t had the time or energy to mend their relationship. Perhaps back then, he felt he had no bargaining chips and worried about Lu Tao proposing divorce at any moment. So, in their interactions, he grew increasingly self-conscious and timid, not daring to oppose Lu Tao, not even requesting to change positions during intimacy, let alone initiating a kiss.

But this time, he finally mustered the courage.

His lips trembled slightly as he leaned in, and feeling no resistance from Lu Tao, he dared to take a further step. Cheng Jin tentatively extended his tongue to lick the outline of Lu Tao’s lips, running back and forth several times, and Lu Tao finally opened his mouth to gently envelop him.

The slightly clumsy dance of their lips and tongues sent shivers through Cheng Jin’s body, and soon his eyes grew misty, tears spilling down and mixing with the kiss, bringing a bittersweet taste.

Noticing this, Lu Tao held the back of Cheng Jin’s head, deepening the kiss.

The intense warmth felt as though it would melt them both. Cheng Jin clung tightly to Lu Tao, desperately tilting his head back as if to pour all his love into this kiss. They only parted when they were both gasping for air.

Neither of them turned the lights back on; they simply embraced in silence. Cheng Jin’s emotions shifted from excitement to grievance and finally to calm, taking a full seven to eight minutes. Leaning against Lu Tao’s chest, he listened to his steady heartbeat and couldn’t help but say, “I actually made up my mind a long time ago, but you’re only able to accept me now.”

“A year ago,” Lu Tao replied. “I accepted you a year ago.”

Cheng Jin reflected on what had happened a year ago, feeling even more aggrieved. “What? Back then, you hardly came back at all…”

“I was too busy, deployed at the most critical moment. I couldn’t leave,” Lu Tao briefly explained.

Cheng Jin still wasn’t accustomed to whining or complaining to him. For him, reaching this level of intimacy was already very good. Besides, they had just kissed! A real kiss!

After savoring the feeling from just moments ago, Cheng Jin suddenly had a mischievous thought. “Your kissing skills… aren’t as good as his.” The moment he said it, he regretted it. Lu Tao would probably get angry, right? He definitely would be upset! He seemed to care a lot about that!

But Cheng Jin really wanted to feel that concern from Lu Tao. It was as if only in this way would Lu Tao’s “like” feel somewhat real to him.

Lu Tao fell silent for a few seconds before responding in a cold tone, “Is that so?” He held Cheng Jin’s chin in the darkness and whispered, “Then let’s practice more.”

Their lips sealed together again. Cheng Jin’s slightly parted lips quickly welcomed Lu Tao’s invading tongue. Even though it was the same body, the way they kissed felt different—one was passionate and skillful, while the other was awkward yet methodical, creating a unique sensation for Cheng Jin.

Kissing his real husband stirred deeper feelings within him.

After all, to him, the second personality was “half a husband,” but the one in front of him was the true husband. What he had always sought was the love from this true husband.

Now that he could grasp even a hint of genuine emotion, how could it not make his heart race?

Desire ignited quickly, and Cheng Jin shifted his hips, wanting to rub against Lu Tao while also trying to reach for his lower body. But just as he was about to undo the zipper, Lu Tao caught his hand. In a low voice, Lu Tao warned, “Not yet.”

Cheng Jin froze, feeling his desires doused like a bucket of cold water, instantly cooling down significantly.