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With the materials in hand, the next step was to get to the lab and make the antidote.

Feeling a bit guilty, Ye Qingyun feared Gu Shenyuan might suspect something, so he came up with an excuse, pretending he was curious about a new substance and wanted to study it.

Gu Shenyuan didn’t stop him, only reminding him to rest and not spend too long in the lab.

“I know,” Ye Qingyun replied, carefully holding his fake research materials without giving anything away. “I’m just bored, so I’m finding something to do. I won’t overdo it, don’t worry.”

As he was about to leave, Gu Shenyuan’s voice suddenly stopped him, “Do your research, but don’t pretend to be studying something when you’re actually making an antidote behind my back.”

Ye Qingyun nearly dropped the materials in his hands, but he managed to maintain his composure.

“Why did you suddenly bring that up?” Ye Qingyun looked innocent. “I’d actually forgotten about it. I wouldn’t have remembered if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Gu Shenyuan looked at him with dark eyes and said calmly, “Then it’s better if you forget. There’s no need to remember.”

Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Qingyun probed, “Well, now that I remember, let’s talk about it. I think it would be a good idea to make you an antidote. Look, we’re so close now, and there’s no way I’d leave on my own. Things are so dangerous lately; there’s a chance we might be forced apart at some point. If we’re separated too far, you’ll be in pain. So why not let me make you an antidote now? Don’t you think?”

“No.” Gu Shenyuan’s expression darkened slightly. “We won’t be separated.”

“Ridiculous! How can you say that with certainty?” Ye Qingyun started to get a bit anxious. “What if the situation forces us to split up? You’d be left suffering because of the bloodline curse!”

Gu Shenyuan’s voice grew cold, his tone resolute. “If we’re separated, it would only be because I failed to protect you. In that case, the pain would be my punishment, and it should remain until I find you again.”

Ye Qingyun was speechless.

Gu Shenyuan’s determination was unbreakable, and Ye Qingyun couldn’t think of any way to persuade him otherwise. He had to give in, at least for now.

“Fine, fine. I’ll drop the idea, alright? You wouldn’t drink it even if I made it, so it’d just go to waste.” Pretending to give up, Ye Qingyun added with a huff, “Hmph, you’re the one who’ll be in pain, not me. If you don’t care about yourself, what can I do?”

Gu Shenyuan gently patted Ye Qingyun’s head, a smile returning to his face. “In that case, we won’t separate, and there won’t be any pain.”

Ye Qingyun agreed, staying close to him a while longer before finally heading to the lab.

Once inside, he locked the door, moved to the section he’d set up to block any abilities from peeking inside, and pulled out the materials he’d secretly gathered from Gu Shenyuan.

Gu Shenyuan’s stubbornness about the antidote was giving him a headache, but he was determined to make it anyway.

If he couldn’t get Gu Shenyuan to drink it willingly, he’d have to use more creative methods.

Gu Shenyuan might get angry, but given the circumstances, even if he knew Gu Shenyuan would be upset, Ye Qingyun had no choice but to make him take it.

He’d apologize afterward, once everything was settled.

—

With prior experience, making the antidote went smoothly.

While waiting, Ye Qingyun considered making himself a weapon as well, in case a fight broke out so he wouldn’t hold Gu Shenyuan back.

He was well aware of his limitations. He wasn’t skilled in combat, and using close-range weapons with abilities wasn’t practical. Firearms were also risky—he didn’t want to accidentally hit Gu Shenyuan in a skirmish.

Instead, he decided to rely on his mental strength as a weapon. By using a specialized tool, he could channel his mental energy offensively.

He’d already sketched out ideas for such a weapon, and over time, he’d researched how to use mental strength to damage devices. Now, he had a more refined plan.

This time, he upgraded the weapon’s power and disguised it as a bracelet to ensure it wouldn’t be easily lost.

When Gu Shenyuan came by, Ye Qingyun quickly hid the antidote and showed him the weapon instead, claiming it was made from new materials and that he hadn’t been slacking off or secretly making an antidote.

Proudly, Ye Qingyun said, “With this, I won’t hold you back. No one will be able to hurt me so easily.”

Gu Shenyuan lowered his gaze, concealing the emotions in his eyes. With a faint smile, he praised, “Really? That’s great.”

Perhaps because of Ye Qingyun’s mention of separation, a vague sense of unease lingered, as though something was about to happen.

Gu Shenyuan’s intuition was usually accurate, and under these circumstances, he couldn’t help but overthink.

Ye Qingyun… could survive just fine without his protection.

Aside from combat skills, what did he have? Practically nothing—he wasn’t lively or charming.

Would Ye Qingyun come to see him as useless, grow tired of his dullness, and decide to find a better father for their child?

Would Ye Qingyun… leave him?

—

After a few days, both the antidote and the weapon were ready.

Ye Qingyun placed the antidote in a small vial and secretly tucked it into the inner pocket of his clothes.

Feeling the tiny bottle in his pocket, a wave of nervousness washed over him.

How was he going to get Gu Shenyuan to drink it? Maybe he could take a sip first during a kiss and pass it to him that way?

But what if Gu Shenyuan noticed the unusual taste and pulled away in suspicion? That would expose him immediately.

If this plan failed, making another antidote would be much more challenging, so he had to make sure this attempt succeeded.

Ye Qingyun consulted the system: ‘System, what if I make breakfast and sneak the antidote into a vegetable juice for Gu Shenyuan? Do you think he’d drink it?’

‘Forget it. That’s way too suspicious!’ the system immediately shot down the idea. ‘You making breakfast would be unusual enough to raise alarms! And do you really think Gu Shenyuan wouldn’t recognize a vegetable juice? He oversees all the ingredients himself!’

Ye Qingyun agreed the system had a point and continued brainstorming.

The system offered Ye Qingyun some advice: ‘Isn’t this simple? Just seduce him first, drain him completely, and once he’s exhausted, you can lovingly offer him some water, saying it’s an energy-replenishing potion you made. If you’re still not satisfied and want to play some more, let him drink this potion and go for another round!’

Ye Qingyun: ‘….’

The system smugly responded: ‘This is the best method for feeding poison, based on experiments from multiple world hosts and careful analysis. Unless he really doesn’t want to go another round with you, he’ll definitely drink it!’

Ye Qingyun: ‘…I’m not feeding him poison, I’m feeding him an antidote.’

‘Well, it’s almost the same thing.’ The system replied, ‘The key is that this method works, it’s practical, really!’

Ye Qingyun did think this method had some feasibility, but now that he was “pregnant,” Gu Shenyuan would definitely not want to touch him.

‘You don’t get it, do you?’ The experienced system coaxed him, ‘Being seduced doesn’t necessarily have to go all the way; there are plenty of ways to play!’

Ye Qingyun: ‘…Is that so? Do you have any materials? I’d like to study them.’

—

Two hours later.

Ye Qingyun finished reading the last page of materials provided by the system and felt dazed.

He had dirtied himself. He wasn’t clean anymore.

He was no longer the same Ye Qingyun he once was!

Ye Qingyun closed his eyes, countless fragments of ideas swirling in his mind, eventually forming a plan.

Things were best dealt with sooner rather than later; if he delayed, Gu Shenyuan might discover the antidote.

It would be better to resolve it tonight and put his mind at ease.

—

The night passed quickly.

It was time for the usual massage, but this time, Ye Qingyun had prepared two glasses of wine. He placed one on the bedside table next to Gu Shenyuan’s side, and one on his own side. He also adjusted the lighting in the room, making it warmer and more inviting compared to the dark atmosphere of the past few times.

As the saying goes, “A beauty looks more alluring under the light.” The soft, yellowish light illuminated his skin, making it glow, and the ambiance was much more seductive than the previous dark settings.

Following the instructions he’d learned, Ye Qingyun lay on his side, pretending to read, with one hand propping up his head and the other draped casually over his body, displaying a natural yet flattering posture. He subtly lifted the edge of his shirt to expose a bit of his waist.

After a few moments of this seductive posing, Ye Qingyun was repulsed by himself, feeling a shiver run down his spine. But he had to keep the act up, maintaining a calm and serene expression, pretending to be engrossed in his book, waiting for Gu Shenyuan to arrive.

When Gu Shenyuan came out of the shower and saw this scene, he froze for a moment.

Ye Qingyun was handsome, a fact that Gu Shenyuan had always known, but this Ye Qingyun, lying there in the warm light, was different from the usual.

The soft, yellow light bathed his body, making his fair skin appear to glow. His delicate features, seemingly painted by God, looked soft and inviting. His lips, slightly red, seemed to be waiting for a kiss.

The pose revealed Ye Qingyun’s body’s curves, and the small exposed patch of waist was almost blinding in its whiteness.

Ye Qingyun had always had a scholarly aura, his behavior gentle and reserved, often shy and unwilling to comply with some of Gu Shenyuan’s requests.

Ye Qingyun wouldn’t, like the others he’d encountered, seductively tease him or make any vulgar moves.

But now, even though Ye Qingyun hadn’t done any of those things, just lying there reading made Gu Shenyuan feel an undeniable pull, a deep desire stirring within him.

Gu Shenyuan closed his eyes, but Ye Qingyun seemed to linger in his mind’s eye.

…He had been tempted.

“Shenyuan?” Ye Qingyun’s voice, soft yet commanding, broke through his thoughts. “What are you waiting for? Come here.”