With a one-hundred-percent attention rate wherever he went, Lian Qiguang followed Xiahou Shaoxuan around roughly half of the base, except for a few military restricted areas with high-level access.
Then, amid a chorus of wails and miserable cries, he waved his sleeves and left without taking a single cloud with him.
The daytime on Falling Star was much shorter than on Blue Star. The sky was already gradually darkening.
Lian Qiguang returned to Xiahou Shaoxuan’s residence in an especially good mood, carrying a model of a battle spaceship in his arms.
“Like it that much?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan took the coat Lian Qiguang had removed and hung it to the side. When he turned around, he saw Lian Qiguang sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs dangling as he concentrated completely on playing with the battle spaceship model in his hands.
“Look.”
Lian Qiguang raised the model with both hands, his eyes shining slightly.
He did not know what he had touched, but the model in his hands suddenly changed shape. The various parts merged together, rearranged themselves, and transformed into a completely different form.
“It can transform! Just like Transformers.”
“If you like this kind of thing, I have a lot of them in my collection too. I’ll give them all to you.”
Although Xiahou Shaoxuan did not really understand what Transformers was, seeing Lian Qiguang happy made him happy as well.
“I think it’s amazing.”
Lian Qiguang carefully examined every component of the spaceship, his expression focused.
“Can you fly one?”
“I can.”
“Really?”
Lian Qiguang looked up, surprise in his eyes.
“Mm.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan smiled and placed a hand on Lian Qiguang’s head.
“If you want to learn, come to me after you graduate. I’ll teach you.”
“I want to learn.”
Lian Qiguang hurriedly said it as though he were afraid Xiahou Shaoxuan might change his mind.
Looking at Lian Qiguang’s dark, round eyes, Xiahou Shaoxuan lowered his head and lightly bit the corner of his mouth. He smiled before getting up from beside the bed.
“Learning how to fly a spaceship isn’t like driving a hovercar or ordinary aircraft. It’s very difficult.”
“I’m not afraid of hard work.”
“Good.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan walked into the bathroom and tossed his clothes into the automatic washer before turning toward the wardrobe.
“Are you hungry? Shall I have someone send some food over?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Lian Qiguang hugged the model and expressionlessly watched Xiahou Shaoxuan’s back as he moved around the room. There was a dark flicker in his eyes, as though he were thinking about something.
“Wifey, you can’t skip meals.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan stopped what he was doing, walked over, bent down, and rubbed Lian Qiguang’s hair.
His voice was deep and steady, giving people a sense of security.
“You won’t grow taller.”
“I’ll take you somewhere.”
With Xiahou Shaoxuan’s hand pressing down on his head, Lian Qiguang had to tilt his head back with some difficulty.
His tone was flat.
“We can go tomorrow. It’s already late today. Aren’t you tired?”
“That place belongs to me.”
Lian Qiguang grabbed Xiahou Shaoxuan’s broad, powerful hand and spoke seriously.
“Your territory?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan narrowed his eyes, his deep voice carrying a faint hint of teasing.
“I’ll take you there. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Unable to bear seeing the disappointment on his wife’s face, and seeing how serious Lian Qiguang was, Xiahou Shaoxuan deliberately adopted a serious expression as well.
Lian Qiguang’s mouth stretched into a silly smile.
Seeing this, the tenderness in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes deepened.
He reached out, intending to pinch his wife’s cheek.
But before he could touch him, Lian Qiguang suddenly disappeared from the spot.
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s movement froze.
His deep, dark eyes stared straight at the place where Lian Qiguang had disappeared, and the coldness around him gradually intensified.
Inside the space.
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly looked at the empty surroundings, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
“Shao Xuan! Shao Xuan?! Where are you?!”
He shouted several times.
But the surroundings were utterly silent.
There was no sign of anyone.
Oh no!
He had lost Shao Xuan!
Lian Qiguang became somewhat panicked and plunged into the dense forest, wanting to find Xiahou Shaoxuan.
Nearly half an hour had already passed.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stood stiffly beside the bed, both fists tightly clenched, his cold, fierce eyes locked onto the place where Lian Qiguang had disappeared.
At first, he had been shocked.
Then suspicious.
Finally, he began to panic.
Not to mention that all the windows and doors were firmly shut, but on the entire planet, what idiot who did not value his own life would dare enter Xiahou Shaoxuan’s room and abduct someone?
Xiahou Shaoxuan released his ability and searched the entire room.
Yet Lian Qiguang seemed to have evaporated without leaving even the slightest trace.
Xiahou Shaoxuan knew Lian Qiguang’s ability better than anyone.
Although it was powerful, Lian Qiguang absolutely did not have the ability to escape right under his nose.
Where had he gone?
No scent.
No energy fluctuations.
He had disappeared completely, as though he were air, as though he had never existed in this world.
For an ability user, the absence of energy fluctuations meant only one thing—
Death.
Frost covered Xiahou Shaoxuan’s face.
He looked cold, hard, and terrifying.
But his heart had already become a complete mess.
His ability surged rapidly, spreading outward from his body in a frantic search, extending several miles in every direction.
As for Lian Qiguang, after wandering around the space for a long time without finding Xiahou Shaoxuan, the surrounding silence began to irritate him.
He pulled away the blades of grass hanging over his head.
Lian Qiguang silently thought to himself.
The next moment, he disappeared from the space.
When Lian Qiguang left the space, he felt his body suddenly become heavy.
He had just landed on the bed.
But before he could look around, his vision suddenly went dark, and his entire body was restrained by tremendous force.
“Shao Xuan…”
The familiar scent made Lian Qiguang disperse the ice spikes he had begun condensing.
He spoke blankly.
“Where did you go?!”
Xiahou Shaoxuan released Lian Qiguang, both hands gripping his shoulders tightly as he shouted furiously.
His dark eyes were filled with a violent storm, carrying a terrifying bloodlust and cold murderous aura that made the air seem suffocating.
His hands gripped Lian Qiguang’s shoulders so tightly that it felt as though his thin shoulders might be crushed.
The pain pierced all the way into his bones, making Lian Qiguang feel as though Xiahou Shaoxuan’s fingers had sunk directly into his flesh.
Seeing that Lian Qiguang remained silent, the bloodlust in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes grew heavier, with a frightening red glow faintly appearing within them.
Xiahou Shaoxuan shoved Lian Qiguang down onto the bed and lunged forward, roughly biting his lips.
This kiss was nothing like their previous affectionate, gentle ones.
It was savage, almost like a beast tearing into its prey.
“It hurts.”
The pain on his lips and the gradually spreading taste of blood made Lian Qiguang frown. He raised both hands and pushed against Xiahou Shaoxuan.
But Xiahou Shaoxuan had already been overwhelmed by rage.
The panic he had felt while Lian Qiguang was gone had been completely replaced by anger once Lian Qiguang returned.
The burning fury surrounded and consumed him.
Xiahou Shaoxuan locked one of Lian Qiguang’s slender wrists above his head, restraining him, while the other hand roughly pulled at his clothes, leaving marks across his jade-like skin.
“Shao Xuan! It hurts!”
Lian Qiguang frowned tightly.
The marks Xiahou Shaoxuan left on him hurt enough to make his body tense.
Xiahou Shaoxuan continued kissing him fiercely, his aggression overwhelming his senses.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
“Boss! There’s a full-military meeting at nine tonight.”
Yuan Ling’s voice came through the communication device on the door.
“Get lost!!”
The roar, infused with his ability, surged toward the door, carrying the fury and oppressive force of someone on the verge of losing control completely.
“Ugh!”
Yuan Ling was startled.
His body was thrown backward and slammed hard against the metal wall. His face went pale, and his chest burned with pain.
“Tch. Did they have another fight?”
Already accustomed to getting beaten, Yuan Ling rubbed his chest and muttered under his breath before silently retreating.
“If you don’t let go of me, I’m going to get angry.”
Lian Qiguang looked expressionlessly at Xiahou Shaoxuan, darkness filling his eyes.
“The consequences of making me angry are serious. I guarantee you won’t want to see them.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan looked down at him.
The bright red staining Lian Qiguang’s lips painfully stabbed his eyes.
Yuan Ling’s sudden interruption had helped him regain some clarity, and his violent emotions gradually began to subside.
After a long silence, Xiahou Shaoxuan slowly lowered himself.
His movements became gentle as he pulled Lian Qiguang into his arms and buried his face in Lian Qiguang’s hair.
He breathed in the green scent that represented life around Lian Qiguang, gradually calming himself.
Looking at Xiahou Shaoxuan lying against him, Lian Qiguang’s eyes flickered.
He pursed his lips and, with some difficulty, pulled one hand free and placed it against Xiahou Shaoxuan’s back.
A faint green light slowly passed from Lian Qiguang into Xiahou Shaoxuan’s body.
With that green energy, Xiahou Shaoxuan felt the turbulent blood energy and pain inside his body gradually dissipate.
“Ability backlash?”
Lian Qiguang blinked.
“You’re about to break through?”
“Mm.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s answer was barely audible.
“How long has it been?”
“Two months.”
“Are you stupid? If you already knew you were about to break through, why didn’t you immediately find somewhere to stay and wait?”
Lian Qiguang frowned slightly.
“Your ability is already on the verge of breaking through. The slightest mistake could cause you to lose control and go berserk.”
“When an ability user breaks through, it’s difficult to control your own body. Especially when your ability is that powerful.”
“I’m sorry. I scared you.”
“You know you can’t control your emotions right now, yet you still got so angry. Who made you that angry? Tell me. I’ll go cut them down for you.”
“……”
Xiahou Shaoxuan was speechless.
“Let go of me. I’ll find a doctor for you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Shao Xuan…”
“Just hold me for a while. Let me hold you for a little while, and I’ll be fine. Good.”
“……”
Lian Qiguang was speechless.
Night had already fallen.
There were no lights on in the room, and the interior gradually grew darker along with the sky outside.
Lian Qiguang lay on the bed, expressionlessly staring at the empty ceiling.
The steady breathing beside him almost made him think Xiahou Shaoxuan had fallen asleep.
“Does it hurt?”
Cool fingers touched Lian Qiguang’s lips.
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s deep voice sounded beside his ear, his warm breath brushing against his neck, making it tickle.
“It doesn’t hurt. I’m used to it.”
Back then, there had hardly been a single day when his body was completely uninjured.
Every time one wound had barely healed, another had already been added.
“I’m sorry, wifey.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan held Lian Qiguang tightly, feeling his wife’s warm body and heartbeat.
He did not dare turn on the light.
He did not dare look at the injuries on Lian Qiguang’s body.
Those injuries had all been caused by him.
Although he had briefly lost control of himself just now, he knew exactly how powerful he was.
Even without using his ability, the injuries on Lian Qiguang were definitely not light.
“You’re already very good.”
At least you managed to control yourself.
Back then at the base, there had been an ability user who had lost control during a breakthrough.
He had been unable to restrain himself for a moment and was ultimately consumed by his own ability.
Although he survived, he had become almost like a zombie.
Zombies ate people.
He, however, slaughtered everyone indiscriminately, unable to distinguish friend from enemy.
The reason Lian Qiguang remembered this so clearly was because that person had once been on the same team as him during a mission to search for supplies.
That person had gone berserk while they were returning from the mission.
And Lian Qiguang had been the one who personally killed him.
“Wifey, where did you go just now?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan had not forgotten Lian Qiguang’s sudden disappearance.
Remembering the moment of panic and the emptiness that had overtaken his mind, he tightened his arms around Lian Qiguang again.
“Into the space.”
Lian Qiguang pouted slightly, sounding a little angry.
“I thought I could take you inside to have a look. I didn’t expect you couldn’t get in.”
“Space?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan raised his head, somewhat confused.
“Isn’t a space unable to contain living things?”
“That’s my space. A living space.”
Lian Qiguang explained,
“It’s not like a storage device that needs something external to contain it. It’s inside my body.”
“There’s land, trees, and a river inside. It’s like a huge forest.”
“But it’s not like the forests we have now. The plants inside don’t have any ability to attack people. They’re like the forests that existed on Earth three thousand years ago.”
Lian Qiguang tried his best to describe the conditions inside the space to Xiahou Shaoxuan, hoping to make him understand what it was really like.
“Ancient plants?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s voice became heavier.
“Mm.”
“How big is the space?”
“Very big. Infinite.”
“It wasn’t originally this large. There used to be many things inside. But I don’t know what happened. The space suddenly mutated, and all my belongings disappeared.”
“I’m a poor man now.”
Thinking about how useless his space had become made Lian Qiguang especially unhappy.
“Wifey, you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about this, understand?”
An infinite living space.
Ancient plants unaffected by mutation.
Uncontaminated land.
Xiahou Shaoxuan did not even need to think to understand what those things meant.
He did not care much about the old men in the laboratories.
But if Lian Qiguang’s secret were exposed, the people it would alarm would not be limited to the laboratories.
It would involve the entire planet.
Before the entire planet and the entire government, even he would be powerless.
“I know.”
Even back in the apocalypse, there would certainly have been countless people who wanted to get their hands on his space.
“Then don’t stay with me tomorrow. Focus on your breakthrough.”
Lian Qiguang wrapped his arms around Xiahou Shaoxuan’s neck and grumpily bit his shoulder, which was hard as iron.
“There’s no rush.”
“Do you want to attack me again? Next time, you might kill me. I’m not your match.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan scolded him quietly.
“Don’t come with me tomorrow.”
Lian Qiguang shifted uncomfortably.
Xiahou Shaoxuan turned onto his side, lifted Lian Qiguang up, and let him lie comfortably on top of him.
“Wifey, I’m really not in a hurry.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan gently stroked Lian Qiguang’s soft hair and spoke helplessly.
“Have you encountered a bottleneck?”
Lian Qiguang pushed himself up and looked directly at Xiahou Shaoxuan.
His black eyes gleamed in the darkness.
“…Mm.”
Thinking of the bottleneck he had been trying to break through for two months without making any progress, Xiahou Shaoxuan answered quietly.
“What about the crystal cores I gave you?”
“……”
“Did you give them to someone else?”
Lian Qiguang frowned.
“I kept all the ones I can use.”
“Then you gave the others away.”
Thinking that his money had been taken by someone else made Lian Qiguang especially unhappy.
“The crystal cores that don’t suit my ability can’t be used.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. They were my money.”
“All right. My mistake. I’m sorry.”
By the light of the moon outside the window, Xiahou Shaoxuan looked at Lian Qiguang’s slightly puffed cheeks.
Helpless, he pulled him into his arms and comforted him softly.
Held against Xiahou Shaoxuan’s chest, Lian Qiguang expressionlessly left one deep bite mark after another on Xiahou Shaoxuan.
Xiahou Shaoxuan was helpless.
But in order to let his wife vent his anger, he allowed him to bite him.
“Not angry anymore?”
Seeing Lian Qiguang lie back down, Xiahou Shaoxuan chuckled.
“……”
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly glanced at him, then broke free from his arms and sat up.
“This is for you.”
Lian Qiguang took two glass bottles out of the space and handed them to Xiahou Shaoxuan.
The lake water inside shimmered with a faint blue glow in the darkness.
“What is this?”
The moment Xiahou Shaoxuan took the bottles, the immense force contained within them swept over him, startling him.
“Use this when you break through.”
“The lighter-colored one has been diluted to one-tenth. The pure-colored one hasn’t been diluted at all.”
“Your classmates kept breaking through in their abilities after drinking this?”
Looking at the lake water in his hands, Xiahou Shaoxuan suddenly remembered the students who had been involved in the incident with Lian Qiguang and later reported in connection with his case.
“Mm.”
“……”
“Although the power in this lake water is very strong, it hurts terribly. You have to endure it.”
“Have you taken it yourself?”
“Mm.”
“What level is your ability now?”
“Xuan level.”
As long as he pushed himself a little harder, he believed he could quickly return to the level he had possessed in his previous life.
“Xuan level? But last time, weren’t you…”
“Last time, I cheated.”
Lian Qiguang wrinkled his nose.
He looked up at the darkness overhead instead of at Xiahou Shaoxuan’s face and spoke expressionlessly.
“My ability was only at the Warrior level then. I used a Xuan-level crystal core to forcibly activate it instantly.”
“You little bastard.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan reached over and pinched Lian Qiguang’s cheek, gritting his teeth.
Using a crystal core to forcibly activate an ability was absolutely a case of sacrificing a thousand enemies to hurt oneself eight hundred times.
Put more seriously, it was essentially risking mutual destruction.
Even if he survived, it would leave permanent damage.
“I’m sleepy.”
Lian Qiguang let Xiahou Shaoxuan pinch his cheek without resistance and spoke in a wooden voice.
“Go to sleep!”
Still angry, Xiahou Shaoxuan darkened his expression, pulled Lian Qiguang into his arms, and lay down with him.
He pulled the blanket over the two of them.
“I…”
“Don’t talk anymore. Sleep.”
“……I just wanted to say I need to go to the bathroom.”
“………”