Cheng Jin’s voice trembled slightly, and his eyes reddened with fear, giving him a pitiful look laced with a barely concealed panic. Lu Tao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he finally lowered his voice to reply, “No.”

Cheng Jin paused, a flicker of joy soon emerging in his eyes. Seeing his expression, Lu Tao fought the urge to frown and said, “So you hope I don’t recover?”

Before Cheng Jin could reply, Chief An interrupted, “General, to avoid suspicion, please do not speak to the Madam now. Otherwise, I have the authority to request Mr. Cheng be taken to the security office.”

Lu Tao frowned, and Cheng Jin quickly said, “I’ll stop talking, I won’t go to the security office.” He shrank his neck, feeling aggrieved but still firmly clamped his mouth shut. Though he had hardly ever been to either place, the military department was his husband’s “territory,” and naturally, he felt safer there.

When they arrived at the military department, Cheng Jin still couldn’t figure out where he had slipped up. He knew they would soon question him about the “chimera” matter, the assassin who had threatened him. But for some reason, every time he thought of the childlike voice and the soft, bouncy touch of a small face, Cheng Jin found it impossible to see them as a villain.

The questioning began fifteen minutes after they arrived at the military department. Cheng Jin was taken into a spacious office. As he saw nearly ten people seated there along with numerous devices, the always timid Cheng Jin was almost scared to tears and subconsciously looked for Lu Tao. Lu Tao, who had been keeping an eye on him, met his gaze and mouthed, “Don’t be afraid.”

Sitting down shakily, Cheng Jin noticed that no one was sitting in his row, while the opposite side was filled with high-ranking officials, making him even more nervous. General Mosi noticed his tension and smiled slightly, “Cheng Jin, don’t worry, just answer a few questions truthfully.”

However, when the interrogator began speaking, his tone was very stern. He stared at Cheng Jin and asked, “Mr. Cheng, did you see anyone suspicious at the military hospital?”

Cheng Jin shook his head, “I haven’t seen anyone.”

The interrogator’s expression grew even more serious, “Mr. Cheng, I have evidence that you are lying, and it is a matter of great importance. Your lies or concealments could lead to imprisonment.”

Terrified, Cheng Jin stuttered, “I—I really haven’t seen anyone, I’m not lying.”

The interrogator pressed on, “Then explain why you searched for ‘chimera’ fifty-eight minutes ago. According to our investigations, you had no prior interest in medical topics, and based on your education and background, you might not even have known the word until today.”

“Ah…” Cheng Jin was stunned, “Why would you know what I… I searched for…”

“Please explain!” The interrogator’s youthful appearance contrasted with the military authority and detached coldness he exuded. Cheng Jin, who was most afraid of seeing such expressions, trembled again, his fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly. He said, “I did indeed encounter, no, I didn’t see, but I encountered the ‘suspicious person’ you mentioned. I couldn’t see him…” He stammered through everything that had happened at the hospital.

Chief An frowned, “Why didn’t you try to call for help then?”

“Wouldn’t I be dead then?” Cheng Jin couldn’t understand why he was being asked this, especially since he had already explained that he was under threat at the time.

Chief An said, “You were at the military hospital, home to the world’s best doctors, and your husband, an elite General Lu Tao, was nearby to ensure your safety. If you had called for help, we would have caught the perpetrator by now.”

“Chief An, mind your words,” Lu Tao finally spoke up, his gaze cold as he looked at the interrogator, “My partner is just an ordinary person, his reactions are all what any normal citizen would do, you can’t expect him to risk his life to fulfill your task.”

Chief An bit his lip, clearly dissatisfied but held back. Lu Tao patted the questioning soldier, saying, “My partner is too nervous, I request to conduct the questioning myself.”

The interrogator hesitated, but Lu Tao said, “He is not a criminal, please do not treat him as one.”

The senior officers silently nodded, and one of them stood up to give Lu Tao his seat. As Lu Tao sat down, he looked at Cheng Jin’s frightened eyes and softened his voice, “Don’t be afraid, what happened after you left the hospital and got in the car?”

With his familiar husband sitting opposite, Cheng Jin felt less frightened and spoke more smoothly, “He sat next to me. I thought he was going to kill me, so I was very scared. But he didn’t, we talked for a bit, and then he opened the car door and left.”

After inquiring about the exact location the person had left, Lu Tao asked, “What did you talk about? Can you repeat every word? It’s best if you don’t miss a single one.”

Cheng Jin looked at him, trying to recall. Even though it hadn’t been very long since the incident, he had been so startled by the recent scares and now being watched by so many people, he was still nervous, so his recounting was hesitant, “…I asked him if he was going to kill me, he… he said ‘that wouldn’t happen’…” As Cheng Jin reached this part, remembering the rest of the conversation that was inappropriate to disclose in front of so many people, he shut his mouth.

Lu Tao looked at him and asked, “Did the conversation end there? Was there anything else said?”

Cheng Jin shook his head, “That was the end, he got out of the car.” He was obviously too embarrassed to mention that the person had seen him having sex, which would be far too humiliating!

But his subtle expressions couldn’t deceive the seasoned interrogators. Chief An, unable to hold back, loudly said, “Mr. Cheng, you are lying! You are definitely concealing something!”

Cheng Jin’s eyes widened, feeling uncertain, and instinctively shook his head, “No, that’s all there is…”

His poor acting skills made even Lu Tao slightly furrow his brow. Chief An was about to speak again, but Lu Tao gave him a stern look and said, “Please be quiet, Chief An, this is the military department!” He turned back to Cheng Jin, his tone softer, “Xiao Jin, really, that’s all?”

Cheng Jin looked at his husband, remembering “his” words and the embarrassing thing they had done that day, his cheeks blushing slightly. He bit his lip, his voice much softer, “There are a few more sentences, but I can’t tell others…”

As soon as he said this, Chief An was about to speak again, but he managed to hold back. Lu Tao looked at Cheng Jin and asked, “Can you tell me?”

Since it was something the two of them had experienced together, Cheng Jin felt he could tell him. He shyly said, “I can… but not in front of others, and no cameras… just to you, husband.”

Chief An couldn’t hold back any longer and loudly said, “No! Mr. Cheng, you must say it in front of everyone. This concerns the life of the Minister of General Affairs and the safety of all humanity!”

Cheng Jin didn’t understand how such a private matter could be so important. Seeing the interrogator’s fierce demeanor, he only felt afraid, his body shrinking back, and he looked at his husband with a pitiful expression, “I really can’t tell others, I can only tell you, husband…”

His plea was too evident. Lu Tao looked at his direct superior, General Mosi, who also hesitated. After a discussion, Cheng Jin was taken by Lu Tao into a smaller resting room.

Seeing no one and no cameras inside, Cheng Jin finally relaxed and instinctively threw himself into his husband’s arms. Once he embraced his warm body, his trembling spirit calmed a bit, but he still felt aggrieved, “I didn’t do anything wrong, why are they so harsh…”

“It’s a matter of great importance.” Lu Tao gently patted his back, “Can you tell me now?”

Cheng Jin nodded lightly, and before he spoke, his cheeks were already flushed. He shyly raised his head to look at his husband, then bashfully lowered it, saying, “He said he had seen me.”

Lu Tao’s voice became much more serious, “When? Where?”

“It was the day we went on a trip to Planet Sunshine, probably on the train.”

Lu Tao’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly, then he quickly asked, “Why ‘probably’?”

“It’s pretty certain…” Cheng Jin leaned into his embrace, his posture one of dependency. As he looked up at him, his cheeks were red and his eyes moist, “He said he watched us in the afternoon doing… doing…”

“Doing what?”

The question wasn’t in the usual teasing tone but very serious, as if completely forgetting. Cheng Jin felt a bit wronged, whispering, “Making love, we were at it for a long time that day… You coaxed me, said no one would see, but somehow he saw…”

Hearing this unexpected answer, General Lu Tao stiffened, his pupils slightly constricting as a strong wave of jealousy and acidity surged through him, nearly making him lose his composure. But he ultimately restrained himself, asking, “Anything else?”

“That was it, he got off the car after that,” Cheng Jin snuggled closer to his waist, “I definitely couldn’t say such things in front of so many people, otherwise, wouldn’t everyone know…”

Lu Tao stared at him, his facial features etched with restraint. After a few seconds, he finally said, “Now they’ve heard it.”

The questioning ended, and Cheng Jin was left alone in a small reception room. Friendly staff brought him hot milk and delicious pastries, but Cheng Jin had no appetite, still immersed in extreme embarrassment.

They had heard their entire conversation! There were connectors in that resting room, or on Lu Tao!

Cheng Jin didn’t feel the anger of being deceived, only endless embarrassment. Thinking about the lewd things he had done being made public was like being executed publicly!

He never wanted to come to the military department again!

Cheng Jin covered his face, and when he heard footsteps, he dared to look up, expecting to see his husband Lu Tao, but instead, it was the kind-faced General Mosi.

Seeing him, Cheng Jin’s face turned even redder, and he shyly stood up to greet him, “General Mosi, hello.”

General Mosi smiled and waved his hand, “Sit, don’t be nervous, and don’t feel awkward. You and Lu Tao are legal partners; whatever you do is legitimate.”

Cheng Jin was too embarrassed to even look at him.

“In fact, we owe you thanks for your cooperation this time; the situation must have scared you, right?”

Cheng Jin couldn’t deny it and nodded softly, “They… were very harsh.”

“I can understand their urgency, after all, if the Minister of Internal Affairs were in danger, the entire security office would bear a significant responsibility. That’s why they were so anxious.” General Mosi’s tone was gentle, “And we in the military are anxious to find that chimera, to eliminate a major threat to humanity.”

“Major threat?” Cheng Jin was puzzled, murmuring, “But I feel that the person… seems, seems not that bad…”

“That might not necessarily be your misconception,” Mosi surprisingly didn’t contradict him, continuing, “The ‘chimera’ research was experimented over a hundred years ago but all the experimental data then were failures. This time, the perpetrator being identified as a ‘chimera’ wouldn’t have been our guess without you. This is our oversight, considering we have a ‘chimera’ among us.”

Cheng Jin was even more confused, “Among us… we have one?”

“Yes, your husband, Lu Tao,” Mosi explained, “Technically, this is a military secret, and even as Lu Tao’s partner, you wouldn’t normally have the right to know. But given the clues you’ve provided recently, I personally think it’s necessary to tell you the truth, and after consultation, others agreed too.”

Cheng Jin couldn’t pay attention to his latter words, all his focus was on the earlier part, “You’re saying my husband is a ‘chimera’?” He found it absurd, impossible.

Mosi quickly said, “I misspoke; he’s been temporarily turned into a ‘chimera’ due to the influence of Bug race toxins, thereby triggering a second personality. His drastic change in behavior was due to this second personality, but the effect of the toxins is subsiding, and Lu Tao is temporarily reverting to his primary personality. Based on estimates, the date his second personality will completely disappear should be approaching soon.”

“Second… personality?” These words exploded in Cheng Jin’s mind like countless shrill alarms, leaving him completely stunned.