Part 2
This created the illusion that Z was pinning Zhu Ran into his embrace as they slept.
Z didnât even have to lower his head to smell Zhu Ranâs scent, while Zhu Ran was also enveloped by Zâs aura.
It was warm and deeply reassuring.
The hazy light spilled over them, casting a warm, cozy hue over their nearly overlapping bodies.
“Sweet dreams, Zhu Ran.”
Sunlight poured in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room, bathing the interior in brightness.
The screen that had been playing the movie was now off.
On the brand-new sofa, Zhu Ranâunaccustomed to the bright lightâinitially pulled the blanket over his head to block it out.
It wasn’t until he could no longer breathe beneath the blanket that he poked his head out.
He opened his eyes; having just woken up, his green pupils were misty, shimmering with golden ripples in the sunlight.
Zhu Ran blinked a few times at the ceiling before his consciousness gradually cleared.
Did I… fall asleep in the living room yesterday?
Zhu Ran sat up and hugged a throw pillow, staring into space for a while.
His black hair was a mess and his cheeks were flushed, radiating the satisfaction of someone who had slept well.
“Wait? Why do I smell like lavender essential oil…?”
Zhu Ran remembered that he hadnât used the lavender aromatherapy last night, so why was he covered in the scent now?
Zhu Ran began to rack his brain, trying to remember what happened after he fell asleep.
“I think I… dreamed of a golden big cat yesterday, and then I slept while holding it.”
“But I don’t even have a pet, let alone a big cat. Where did the big cat from yesterday come from?”
As his thoughts began to churn, Zhu Ran suddenly froze.
A fluffy, golden big cat…
No way.
Surely not?
Did I really mistake Z for a big cat and force him to sleep with me?!
No way, right?
Zhu Ran desperately wanted to remain in denial.
He habitually opened his optical computer, where the latest message from Z made it impossible to keep lying to himself.
[Z: Are you satisfied with yesterday’s big cat body pillow?]
[If you’re satisfied, please give a five-star review.]
[Well-behaved heterochromatic cat.JPG]
Zhu Ran slammed the optical computer facedown onto the sofa, his face burning bright red.
Oh god, just let me lose my memory!
In the Central Revolving Ghalan Restaurant on Aispu, Mu Qingzhou was treating Zhu Ran to dinner.
After completing the mutated plant cleanup mission, he had forgotten to hand the plants over to Zhu Ran. Being free today, he had invited Zhu Ran out to deliver the items and grab a meal.
At night, Aispu was a sea of lights. Looking out from the scenic private booth on the 30th floor, the brilliant glow was as bright as day, draping the steel city in a warm radiance.
The lights in the booth caught Zhu Ranâs face, highlighting even the fine downy hair on his skin.
Zhu Ran rested his head on one hand and looked outside. He appeared to be looking at the scenery, but his green eyes weren’t focused.
He was clearly spacing out.
Mu Qingzhou asked softly, “Zhu Ran, is the food not to your taste?”
Zhu Ran snapped out of his trance. “No. The night view here is actually quite nice.”
Ever since realizing he had spent the night holding Z, Zhu Ran hadnât been quite himself. When Mu Qingzhou had invited him out, Zhu Ran had accepted, thinking he could use the distraction.
Mu Qingzhou finished slicing the beast meat steak and placed the plate in front of Zhu Ran.
“Then the dishes must be average, or else you wouldn’t have been so captivated by the night.”
Zhu Ran took a bite of the black pepper beast meat steak.
The meat had been grilled until tender, and the rich black pepper sauce did a good job masking the gamey flavor; the taste was actually decent.
However, Zhu Ran couldn’t help but feel that this beast meat wasn’t as good as the meals Z ordered for him.
“No, the food is delicious.”
Driven by the principle of not wasting food, Zhu Ran finished it bite by bite.
Mu Qingzhou observed Zhu Ran as he ate.
Zhu Ran ate very seriously, chewing slowly; his cheeks puffed out slightly as he chewed, which looked rather cute.
Whether it was the steak or the side of macaroni, Zhu Ran finished everything with dedicated focus.
If he hadnât noticed that Zhu Ranâs eyes were unfocused while he ateâsuggesting he was spacing outâMu Qingzhou might have believed Zhu Ran was telling the truth about the food being good.
Is Zhu Ran… troubled by something?
Mu Qingzhou had originally planned to invite Zhu Ran for a stroll nearby. There was a beach not far from here; walking along the shore at night to enjoy the sea breeze would have made for a nice atmosphere.
But seeing Zhu Ranâs distracted state today, Mu Qingzhou abandoned the idea.
He didn’t want to cause Zhu Ran any distress.
After dinner, Mu Qingzhou saw Zhu Ran home.
Before leaving, he handed the spatial storage device to Zhu Ran; it contained the mutated plants “Midnight Lamp” and “Black Thorn”.
The Midnight Lamp was taller than Zhu Ran himself, making it inconvenient to deliver directly; it had to be kept in a separate device.
Spatial storage devices weren’t exactly rare in the interstellar era, but they weren’t cheap either; a three-cubic-meter device cost around a million Star Coins.
After accepting it, Zhu Ran told Mu Qingzhou, “Iâll return the device to you next time.”
Mu Qingzhou nodded. “Sure. Iâm in no rush to use it.”
Mu Qingzhou waited until the lights in Zhu Ranâs room came on before he left.
As he was leaving, he passed a black, low-profile hovercar.
Inside the car, Zefaer looked solemn, his aura fully unleashed.
He kept his eyes lowered, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade, exuding an air of unquestionable authority.
He looked like a completely different person from the Z in Zhu Ranâs home.
“Has Byron shown his hand?”
Byron Suoye was Zefaerâs half-brother.
Zefaer and Byron had rarely met; except for crossing paths at annual banquets, they were practically strangers.
“Yes. After you released the news that you were seriously injured and unconscious, Byron began frequently contacting the Minister of Finance, the Deputy Minister of Communications, the Chief of Defense, the Director of the Plant Research Institute, and others…”
Zefaer listened to the report expressionlessly.
Ever since he had been ambushed and lost control during a spiritual sea riot, Zefaer had publicly announced that he was in a coma from severe injuries.
He was waiting in the shadows to see who would reveal themselves.
After nearly a month, he finally had his answer.
Zefaer scrolled through the various pieces of evidence on his optical computer and made a decisive command. “Itâs time to return to Jialan Star and sweep them all away in one go.”
Xiuna: “Yes, Your Majesty.”
After the hovercar came to a stop, Zefaer stepped out.
The moment he entered the building, Zefaer retracted his entire aura, transforming into the silent and calm Z.
The sharpness and violence vanished, leaving only a tranquility tinged with the scent of grass.
Zhu Ran had once said he was intimidated by Zâs aura, so Zefaer made sure to suppress it in front of him, becoming someone Zhu Ran wouldn’t fear.
And after these many days together, Zefaer had grown even softer in front of Zhu Ran.
Zefaer entered the stairwell and pressed the elevator button.
He lowered his gaze in thought.
It would be soon. Once he had dragged the mastermind into the light, he would confess his identity to Zhu Ran.
With a ding, the elevator arrived. Z used his fingerprint to open the door, and as soon as he entered, he saw Zhu Ran changing clothes in the living room.
Zhu Ran had already taken off his shirt, exposing skin as white as jade.
His back was turned to the door, so Z caught a direct view of Zhu Ranâs recessed spine, his slender waist, those beautiful dimples, and… the curve of his upturned rear.
Z had held Zhu Ranâs waist before, and he had even stroked his skin while Zhu Ran was asleep.
Looking at Zhu Ranâs bare back now, Z couldn’t help but recall that sensation… it was something he could never forget.
His gaze darkened, filled with a latent possessiveness.
Zhu Ran had likely just returned and, seeing no one home, had decided to change in the living room for convenience, never expecting Z to return at that moment.
“You’re back.”
Zhu Ranâs body stiffened.
He could feel the otherâs gaze lingering on his body, quite bluntly.
Zhu Ran feigned composure and lowered his head, picking up the fluffy pajamas from the sofa and quickly pulling them on.
In a place Z couldn’t see, Zhu Ranâs cheeks had already turned a faint shade of red.
Z poured himself a glass of ice water and drained it in a few gulps. “Were you out today?”
“Yes. Mu Qingzhou delivered the mutated plants to me tonight. We happened to grab dinner together while we were at it.”
Hearing this, Zâs hand tightened around the glass.
“You have time for dinner, but no time to reply to my messages?”
Z displayed his optical computer screen to Zhu Ran. The chat history was stuck on the message Z sent this morning at 8:00 AM asking for a five-star review: [Well-behaved heterochromatic cat.JPG].
And now… it was 8:00 PM.
Twelve whole hours without a reply made Zhu Ran look a bit… “scummy”?
Zhu Ran had only failed to reply because he was too embarrassed to face Z, so he had simply avoided him.
He hadn’t expected that so much time would pass by just ignoring the issue.
Zhu Ran opened his mouth and then closed it, his eyes shifting away guiltily.
Z approached Zhu Ran step by step, only stopping when his large frame was nearly touching Zhu Ranâs body.
Z tilted his head slightly, whispering in Zhu Ranâs ear, “Are you planning to just use me and throw me away, Zhu Ran?”
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