Chapter 34
Shu Ci didn’t know how long he had cried.
So long that he almost cried dry all the tears of his life before he finally stopped sobbing.
As the last tear fell from his eyelashes, a familiar stinging sensation came from his forehead.
They both snapped back to reality, pulling away from each other.
Shu Ci sat up straight, tears dripping, blinking his eyes and pressing his hands against the cushion. Lu Wanqing had already moved a few steps away, his eyes lowered as he looked at his own palm.
This rejection reaction was rather timely; it didn’t occur while he was crying, but only after he had finished, as if coldly reminding him that his dream of relying on someone and being comforted should end.
When the stinging sensation subsided, he looked up, his voice thick with nasal congestion: “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lu Wanqing turned and walked towards the entrance.
His palm was still unconsciously open, the remnants of Shu Ci’s hot tears clinging to it.
Lu Wanqing carefully closed his hand. “Eat, I have to go out to take care of something.”
Shu Ci was stunned, before he could ask what it was, the man had already disappeared.
The living room was deathly silent, as if the man who had gently patted his head was just Shu Ci’s hallucination.
Shu Ci reached up and touched his hair, lightly stroking his scalp.
He was tired of enduring the pain, yet Lu Wanqing could still endure it without changing his expression, as if nothing had happened.
In fact, he must be tired of it too, right?
Shu Ci lowered his eyes slightly.
“Are we still eating?” Shen Ti leaned against the entrance to the dining room, only coming out after hearing the closing sound. “Hey, your husband specially prepared a meal for you before leaving. He’s way better than mine.”
Although Shen Ti and Cui You hadn’t been together for very long, he was used to Cui You receiving urgent calls even during his vacation, leaving within a few hours of being home. He wasn’t surprised by Lu Wanqing’s sudden departure.
The marshal himself cooked, but what about his own?
He only has his family air freight ready-made food.
It is said that being a married omega cannot be too competitive; otherwise, even 95% would feel that a 1% partner is not as good.
“Your housemaid chef cooks different dishes every day, and you still think it’s not enough?” Shu Ci took two tissues, wiped his eyes and nose, and slowly walked to the dining room. “Spend less time browsing social media and videos. Let’s eat first, you haven’t touched your food.”
“I was waiting for you two; guests don’t eat first,” Shen Ti glanced at his red eyes. “He didn’t bully you, did he?”
Shu Ci shook his head; never.
Lu Wanqing not only didn’t bully him but also exerted much unnecessary effort.
He clearly knew he wasn’t the original owner, that they were strangers, that he wouldn’t get any pleasure from him with a 1% match, he could have simply chosen not to cook for him, care for him, comfort his crying, and not bear the responsibilities of a “husband.”
But he still did so much without expecting anything in return, even his hasty departure earlier in Shu Ci’s eyes was just an excuse to avoid discomfort caused by the rejection reaction.
“It’s nothing, I’ve been a bit too sensitive lately,” Shu Ci’s mood gradually calmed down, wiping his tears and eating heartily. “I think, after dealing with Gu Lanzhu, it’s best we divorce.”
He was probably a little scared by Gu Lanzhu, and all his emotions piled up, causing him to break down because of something small Lu Wanqing did.
Shen Ti raised his eyebrows, but wasn’t surprised. “Reason? Although your compatibility is so low, I don’t feel you hate him as much as I imagined.”
Hate? Shu Ci shook his head.
He had always been unhesitating in admitting his feelings, liking his face, his character.
“Quite the opposite. I actually think he’s impeccable,” Shu Ci looked at the fish on his plate, the tail curling upwards, a smile playing on his lips. “That’s why I think he deserves better.”
“So you think you’re not a good choice for him.” Shen Ti helped him to press down the fish tail, watching him carefully pick out the tender meat from the fish belly. He paused and asked, “Do you believe now that AO compatibility affects married life?”
“Not really,” Shu Ci frowned, choosing his words carefully.
Shen Ti’s starting point was always that they would be lifelong partners; he looked at everything from the perspective that they would eventually come together. Choosing or being chosen, becoming a possession or being possessed—from that perspective, it was simple and crude.
Shu Ci knew that he was only escaping the plot as “Shu Ci.”
After receiving so much help, he gradually moved away from the perspective of an observer, developing some selfish thoughts toward Lu Wanqing.
He had placed different expectations and colors onto Lu Wanqing.
“I just simply hope he doesn’t only give to others, carrying the burdens of others. I hope he can fully enjoy the happiness and comfort given to him, rather than being tied to me in a hell of mutual torment.”
…
Outside the research institute’s laboratory, Lu Wanqing stood in plain clothes outside the laboratory, while He Lian arrived late.
He Lian approached, glanced at him, and teased, “If it weren’t for the perfect military posture, I would have thought a shareholder came to inspect the work.”
Then he saw a faint smile on Lu Wanqing’s lips.
“Oh, I forgot. The recent funding did come from you,” He Lian rubbed his temples. “Money makes a difference; the reports are all classified results, and they must be reported in person.”
“There are a lot of samples given this time, and it seems very promising,” Lu Wanqing looked at the several top-level researchers still working in the laboratory, couldn’t help but think of Shu Ci’s role in this one-time sweep of unknown creatures, and his eyes softened.
“Missing your wife?” He Lian looked at his expression, his face full of kindness. “Didn’t he promise to make a promotional video for us? Let him come to the base to gather materials; he’ll be staying in the same room as you.”
Lu Wanqing remained calm and composed. “Please give me any other carrots at the same time; otherwise, I’m afraid the next slap will be too loud, and I won’t be able to withstand it.”
“…How did you know?” He Lian was speechless.
Lu Wanqing looked at him, not answering.
The Marshal’s usual tactics; being so kind to him likely means there’s a difficult task or a big mess he needs to handle.
He Lian: “Cough, we do have a plan to transfer you back to the Far Region for a while, details will be discussed later. Take this opportunity to spend more time with your family. The pampered little sweet omega from a prominent family probably won’t want to go to the Far Region with you.”
Lu Wanqing was momentarily dazed.
Strange, they weren’t exactly family yet, why did he have a slight… “what if he’s willing” thought?
“Marshal, General,” a top-level researcher came out of the laboratory, interrupting their chat and breaking Lu Wanqing’s train of thought. “Please allow us to report on the preliminary research results.”
Lu Wanqing and He Lian followed the researcher’s steps to a giant sealed container used for observation in the laboratory and saw the black unknown creatures scattered in various places, some floating in the air, some crawling at the bottom, quickly colliding with the walls of the container, and some sticking to the top, expanding and contracting, as if simulating breathing.
“These unknown creatures share some homologous relationships with existing biological species. Their morphology is unstable, but the rudiments of birds and beasts can be seen. We speculate that they may be the result of mutations caused by biological contamination, radiation, or other factors.”
“We should also consider their relationship with the abnormal cloud pressure,” Lu Wanqing said. “Does the abnormal pressure lead to environmental changes, providing the soil for mutation?”
“We are still communicating with the meteorology and environmental groups on this point,” the researcher nodded. “Secondly, we confirm that only Omega pheromones have a fatal attraction to these creatures, simultaneously exhibiting aggression. However, in an environment with only Alphas and Betas, the creatures can coexist with Alphas for a short time.”
He Lian: “What about the attack method?”
The researcher frowned, speaking seriously: “We threw objects smeared with Omega pheromones into the experimental vessel. The tested samples mainly used biting and devouring. Their secretions have a certain corrosive property, and the damage to the contacted objects is irreversible.”
He Lian and Lu Wanqing exchanged glances, seeing a certain seriousness in each other’s eyes.
“To confirm the danger to society, in the next stage, we will test their reactions to different levels of Omega pheromones.”
The researcher said, handing over an experimental plan.
“You two should know that many years ago, the executive officer, in order to reduce discrimination between the three genders and within the genders, cancelled the original pheromone level classification and judgment policy. The laboratory will apply to the association to obtain the past standards for inter-group comparative experiments and will not publicly disclose the judgment standards. However, before becoming a participant in the experiment, it is necessary to examine their loyalty and confidentiality; therefore…we need your help in third-party identification.”
Lu Wanqing raised his eyes, a faint coldness flashing in his eyes.
Even if it was canceled, people like Gu Lanzhu were still privately pursuing extreme hierarchical oppression.
Level judgment only disappeared on the surface, but where did the discrimination ever disappear?
He Lian took the experimental plan and turned to hand it to Lu Wanqing. “He’s familiar with this; leave it to him.”
The research institute was afraid that the judgment standard would leak from the researchers participating in the experiment; they asked for their help, hoping that they could use their methods to monitor and manage. If someone leaked information, they could trace and destroy it in the first place to minimize losses.
In the resumes of the twelve Marshals, he remembered that Lu Wanqing emerged from an operation to find an internal saboteur.
Lu Wanqing held the experimental plan, as if he was momentarily back in the snowy night of the Far Region.
Except for the scene of running in the white snow, he couldn’t remember anything.
Everyone thought he had single-handedly captured the internal saboteur in the snow and ice, but in his memory, he only heard a voice, chasing the voice to the Far Region minefield, almost dying with the saboteur.
Wait, a voice?
What sound did he hear in the snow that day?
He also remembered faintly hearing someone call his name on the warship the day he met Shu Ci at sea.
And that voice, it was very familiar.
Author’s Note:
It’s late again. I’ve sent red envelopes to those who commented on the last chapter; please check them~
I made a mistake in the military rank of Old Lu in the last chapter; it should be General, I’ve corrected it. Thank you for catching the error (:з」∠)
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