Lu Tao had gone out and hadn’t returned all night, which used to be a common occurrence, but Cheng Jin found it extremely unsettling now.

In the morning, the bed felt too big and cold without someone else in it. The quilt still carried the other’s scent strongly, but that was all that was left. Without the warm embrace and the soft whispers in the dark, everything felt unfamiliar to Cheng Jin. He sat dazed for a while before he slowly got out of bed to wash up. While having breakfast, he turned on the light screen to catch up on the morning news and saw the news that General Minister Indira had been assassinated.

Indira was the Minister of General Affairs for the East, seventy-five years old but looking not much older than someone in their fifties, thanks to his trim, elegant appearance and perennial suit-wearing habit. Handsome features and a well-maintained physique made him popular among the people, and there were even predictions that he would succeed the current President.

His political career was smooth sailing, not least because he was a native of the Imperial Planet and his father—the late old Indira—had also been a Minister of General Affairs, making his ascent seem like a succession.

The assassination, though he had survived the critical phase, was shocking enough to stir public uproar. Every TV channel was covering the incident, but Cheng Jin, flipping through the channels, didn’t hear any mention of the term “chimera.” Most speculation pointed to insiders controlled by the Warewolf race or the Bug race, or perhaps those opposing the Imperial Planet’s policies. Some channels interviewed bystanders, who expressed their concern and sadness, especially the women, who started praying for Indira right on camera.

Previously, Cheng Jin would have agreed with the bystanders, as he had a favorable impression of Indira, who appeared so suave and gentle, certainly not a bad guy. But now, he had his doubts. Despite threats from the “chimera,” Cheng Jin still felt that their actions were out of desperation, and a car conversation and an accidental touch had not made him dislike them. They really seemed like a child.

What conspiracy could be at play?

Cheng Jin couldn’t figure it out. Mid-breakfast, he decided to change clothes and go out, but then he received a call from the hospital about his father. The news that his father had attempted suicide left him stunned for a moment before he quickly grabbed a jacket and rushed out. The hospital said his father had been saved, which somewhat reassured Cheng Jin, but he couldn’t understand why his father would choose suicide.

Was it despair from bankruptcy? Not wanting to be a burden? But the bankruptcy had happened over two years ago, and they had weathered the toughest times. His father’s heart condition was manageable with daily medication without needing another surgery. Why would he try to end his life?

Anxious, Cheng Jin remembered to contact his elder brother halfway through his journey. After a quick video call, his brother Cheng Xu appeared on the screen. Seeing his brother nearly brought Cheng Jin to tears. “Brother, do you know about Dad?”

“I know,” Cheng Xu sounded tired. “I’m at the hospital now. Don’t worry, just come slowly. I’m going to speak with the doctors.”

Relieved by his brother’s response, Cheng Jin nodded vigorously, “Okay, okay…”

After ending the call, Cheng Xu thanked the attending doctor again. “Thank you for noticing something was wrong with him in time to save his life. I really appreciate it. But I don’t understand why you informed my younger brother first? We had agreed that if something happened to my father, you’d contact me first, then I’d tell him to avoid worrying him.”

“That was General Lu Tao’s instruction,” the doctor explained. “In fact, we were able to detect Mr. Cheng’s abnormal condition immediately because General Lu Tao had asked us to install an advanced detector on Mr. Cheng’s wrist, produced by Beret Company. It’s embedded in his communicator. This detector can connect to my light screen, showing all his vital signs and even emotional state. When the readings are too low, it triggers an alarm.”

“I see…” Cheng Xu was silent for a moment before he added, “Is my father’s mood stable now?”

“It has stabilized,” the doctor assured him. “The cut on his wrist was deep, but because it was discovered in time, there was no life-threatening damage to his heart. However, I feel this is only temporary.” The doctor looked serious. “After General Lu Tao’s reminder, I’ve been closely monitoring his emotional changes. It seems like something has deeply upset him, making his will to live very weak, unlike when he first came here.”

“Thank you,” Cheng Xu said quietly, then stood up. “I’ll go see him.”

Inside the original hospital room, Cheng Xu found his father with a nurse, who smiled slightly at him before leaving, closing the door behind her.

Cheng Xu approached his father, who was lying in bed. When he heard “Mr. Cheng Xu,” he didn’t turn his head, but his face was ashen, and his wrist was wrapped in white bandages, a hint of red visible beneath.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xu finally spoke, “Dad, why did you do this?”

His father looked up slightly, his voice raspy and dry. “Why did you ask Yan Qi for help?”

Cheng Xu stiffened. “That was just temporary. How did you know?”

Cheng Xu had thought he had kept it a secret. His father had never mentioned it before, and Cheng Xu had thought he had covered it up well.

“How long have you been deceiving me? What does ‘temporary’ mean? A year? Ten years? A lifetime?” His father became increasingly agitated, even sitting up, glaring at him. “You still have feelings for that boy, don’t you? You refuse to marry because you want to keep seeing him secretly, right?”

Cheng Xu didn’t know how to argue. “I don’t have feelings for him, and I never thought that way…”

“Don’t lie to me anymore! You like him! You are a homosexual!” His father accused loudly, his voice trembling with anger. “Why are you with him? He’s so much younger than you. Haven’t you always had your choice of people? If you don’t like women, you could find a ‘New Female,’ someone who could carry on the Cheng family line. What can you do with Yan Qi? Can you have children? Why didn’t you listen to my warning? Every time I think about that boy swearing he’d make you his, it pains my heart! I used to laugh at his delusional dreams! But I didn’t expect, didn’t expect…”

Seeing his father getting worked up, Cheng Xu quickly moved to comfort him. “Dad, calm down, your health is what matters.”

“I’ve thought about leaving this place for a long time!” Cheng Zheng suddenly pushed him forcefully, but he couldn’t push his eldest son away. When he noticed a mark on his son’s neck, he became even more furious, blood rushing to his face. “I’m not content, but I also don’t want to struggle in vain! Break it off with him! Break it off! Then we’ll leave, go somewhere else, you find me a daughter-in-law, have a grandson, carry on the line!”

Seeing his father about to faint from anger, Cheng Xu quickly said, “Okay! I’ll break it off! We’ll leave, leave the Imperial Planet!”

Hearing his son’s words, Cheng Zheng calmed down a bit, but still seemed skeptical. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Really,” Cheng Xu nodded vigorously. “Lie down first, take a breath, I’ll get you some water.”

Though Cheng Zheng didn’t fully trust his words, he drank a few sips of the water his son brought. After drinking, he sighed heavily, his tone turning bitter. “Xu’er, I’ve been a burden to you. I know you don’t have those feelings for him. It’s purely because of coercion. If I hadn’t been sick, you wouldn’t have been so desperate.”

“It’s my fault,” Cheng Xu felt guilty, thinking of the proposal Yan Qi had made to trap him, which made him very uncomfortable. “If I hadn’t been so reckless initially, the Cheng family wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“It’s fate,” Cheng Zheng sighed again. “So now, I only hope our family continues. As long as our bloodline exists, we can start over one day. And my hope, all of it, is pinned on you, Xu’er. You must not stray! Yan Qi, that boy, was just trying to get back at me for humiliating him back in the day. He’s young and impetuous. How could such a person be sincere?”

“I know,” Cheng Xu whispered. “I’m not just sitting back; I’ve planned our departure. But I’m not sure if Xiao Jin really wants to go with us. He’s devoted to Lu Tao, unchangeably loyal. Asking him to leave might be impossible.”

Cheng Zheng thought of his younger son, feeling a pang in his heart. He knew once they left the Imperial Planet, returning would be nearly impossible. If they left Cheng Jin alone here, and his husband didn’t love him, his future would surely be difficult. The father and son both gritted their teeth and persevered, largely for this reason.

Just when Cheng Zheng was wondering what to say next, the door to the hospital room burst open. Cheng Jin stood in the doorway, biting his lip, his voice trembling yet firm, “I’ll go with you.” 

After a pause, he added, “Nine days from now, we’ll leave together.”