In the early hours of the morning, Ye Zhizhou was awakened by a kiss. At that moment, he was having a nightmare, with various human body parts floating in his mind, making his nerves tense. So, as soon as he became aware of someone's presence beside him, he threw a punch and kicked.
A muffled grunt sounded in his ear, and he struggled to open his eyes, meeting Clay's intense gaze.
"Was I dreaming?" He raised his hand to pinch Clay's cheek, naturally leaned in for a kiss, then snuggled into his arms, placing Clay's arm around his waist, and closed his eyes again. "No more nightmares, just stay with me."
Warm breath brushed against his neck as Clay's body tensed for a moment, then he forced himself to relax and lowered his voice. "Having nightmares?"
Ye Zhizhou nuzzled Clay's neck and gradually slowed his breathing, finally falling back into a peaceful sleep. Clay's Adam's apple moved, and he slightly tightened his hold on Ye Zhizhou's arm, contentedly closing his eyes.
The next day at eight o'clock, Ned stood hesitantly outside Ye Zhizhou's door, wanting to knock but not daring to.
Daley rushed in with a new set of data, looking puzzled. "Why are you standing here? Aren't you going to the meeting?"
"I can't go in." Ned looked at him with a stern expression and pointed to the door behind him. "The princess rested here last night, and His Highness said he wanted to check on her when he returned, but he hasn't come out yet."
"...Students at the academy can't be in a romantic relationship."
Ned frowned, looking at him with a hint of disbelief. "Are you going to report the princess?"
He wasn't that foolish... Daley pinched his brow, waved his hand, and said, "Let's postpone the meeting. I need to check the autopsy results, which I didn't have time to do yesterday."
Ned was finally relieved and didn't have to hesitate anymore. He felt a slight sense of joy in his heart. When he saw Daley about to leave after speaking, he quickly stopped him. "His Highness brought back a batch of new data, it's in the office, remember to take a look."
Daley, upon hearing this, immediately changed course and walked towards the office.
Ye Zhizhou was awakened by the increasingly strong scent of mint beside him. His body started to stir, and his hands unconsciously reached out to explore the alluring curves beside him... His lover's body was indeed exceptional; how long had it been since he had touched these muscles and abs... Wait? Muscles and abs? His consciousness suddenly cleared, and he blinked, turning to look at the person beside him, only to have his lips sealed by Clay.
"What are you... Mm..."
Clay rolled on top of him, restraining his wandering hands, and kissed him passionately.
The consequence of an early morning lip-locking session was that both of them had to queue for a cold shower. Clay attempted to suggest a shared bath, but Ye Zhizhou ruthlessly declined. The scent of pheromones in the air was so thick that he couldn't trust his lover's self-control.
The meeting was delayed until ten o'clock, and Ye Zhizhou finally met all the members of Clay's team. To his surprise, among them, he spotted an old rival of Master Kurenda—Bell Rackley.
"Bell Master is here to assist me," Clay explained in a low voice as he approached Ye Zhizhou, then introduced him to the other members. Once everyone got acquainted, the meeting officially began.
"This time, I found a partial list in another destroyed research facility," Clay got straight to the point, speaking seriously. "The infestation by the Zerg cannot be a singular case. Starting today, everyone in the military, including you all and myself, will undergo a thorough physical examination and scan upon entry. In addition, all personnel related to the incident involving Edie will be under secret surveillance. If any issues arise, report them first and refrain from acting rashly; surveillance is our top priority."
Ye Zhizhou glanced at the list and compared it to the original plot data, his brows furrowing slightly. Everyone on this list was originally deeply loyal to the empire in the original plot. If all of them had secretly been infested by the Zerg...
"We must also expedite research on methods to prevent and remove Zerg infestations," Clay turned to Professor Bell with a much more respectful tone. "Professor Bell, we'll rely on you for this."
Professor Bell nodded solemnly, a far cry from the brash and unreasonable character described in the original plot.
Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "Look, another plot hole. Your two worlds are really quite unconventional. And what about the body scan of Edie that time? It didn't detect a single trace of the Zerg or a connection to the light brain. The mirror is feeling quite disheartened."
"Don't be discouraged; I don't blame you," Ye Zhizhou comforted as he reached into his pocket and patted the small mirror. "In this world, everyone possesses psychic abilities, which likely affected your scanning function. Plus, the Zerg are cunning... In fact, you did detect something wrong back then; Edie's gender is alpha, not beta as mentioned in the plot data." He suddenly paused, unraveling another thread of the mystery!
That's right! Edie's gender during the scan was alpha! And in the original plot data, it was written as beta, spelled as ega... In this world, gender identification relies on pheromones and genes, which means Edie's pheromones might have been compromised!
Furthermore, there were discrepancies, like when Edie's body was stimulated by Egobert's blood's pheromones, how could someone of beta gender, who was actually a Zerg, experience such a reaction? And later on, there was Odley, a Federal general who should have received specialized training to resist ega pheromones, but why did he succumb to Edie even faster than Egobert?
There's something fishy going on here, definitely something fishy! Ye Zhizhou opened the data and started examining the details of Edie's pheromone-induced frenzy.
Why did Egobert last longer than Odley... What was the difference in their conditions at the time... Wound! He raised his hand to cover his face, not wanting others in the meeting room to notice his excitement. Egobert was injured! And his wound seemed quite deep, with a lot of blood loss! Although Odley was also injured later in the fight with Egobert, he didn't bleed extensively!
He couldn't help but grip the small mirror in his pocket, his eyes gleaming. So, human blood, or rather alpha blood, might have some resistance to those parasitic Zerg creatures... To be bolder, maybe the Zerg's parasitic methods are ineffective against alphas! That's why both protagonists are betas... The Zerg can't infest alphas who are powerful, hold absolute leadership positions in the empire and the federation, so they resort to parasitizing betas who have connections with those high-ranking alphas, slowly binding them with "love"!
He scanned the partial list again, unable to suppress his anger. These damn Zerg creatures were digging another pit to deceive his lover. Everyone on this list is an alpha! The Zerg are playing a game of discord here!
While he was analyzing all this, the meeting was coming to an end.
"The reason for this physical examination is to prepare for the year-end royal celebration. Be careful not to let any information slip. Dismissed."
Everyone saluted in acknowledgment and gradually left.
After everyone had left, Clay turned to Ye Zhizhou, who had been constantly changing expressions. He placed his finger on Ye Zhizhou's brow and asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Alpha!" Ye Zhizhou had always been defenseless when it came to his lover, answering whatever was asked, especially when he was multitasking like this and not thinking clearly.
Clay's face darkened, and he bent down, inserting his hand under Ye Zhizhou's armpit, lifting him out of the chair in a child-holding manner and placing him in his lap. He pinched Ye Zhizhou's earlobe and spoke in a dangerous tone, "Which alpha are you thinking about?"
Ye Zhizhou, who couldn't control his emotions, trembled uncontrollably, quickly returning from the sea of the plot's details. He hugged Clay, grinning, "Of course, I was thinking about you!"
"Is that so... I miss you too." Clay's hand moved lower, caressing his back tenderly, and the scent of mint filled the air again. "Just a little longer until you're twenty."
The characteristics of this frenzy were too easy to recognize. Ye Zhizhou had long given up hope on his lover's self-restraint. He got straight to the point, "Clay, I have a hypothesis that needs confirmation. We have to meet Inez to be sure, but a remote meeting will suffice."
Clay, who was looking at him seriously, tightened his hold on Ye Zhizhou's arm, nodding. "I'll take you."
Inez was still in the recuperation facility, following the doctor's plan for stable exercise every day. He remained completely unaware of the surveillance around him.
Ye Zhizhou sat on a small bench in the garden and, the moment Inez entered the garden, activated the system's scanning function.
[Scan complete. Gender: Male, in this world, gender is alpha. Healthy body, no hidden illnesses, good mental state. Applicable elixirs: None.]
Just as he suspected... He turned off the scanning function, stood up, and walked to a stone table hidden behind a corner flower bed, nodding toward Clay who had approached. "Confirmed. The list you brought back is fake. The Zerg probably fear that you've figured something out and want to sow discord among the higher-ups."
"It seems that the subjects for the physical examinations should be expanded to include the family members of military personnel," Clay tapped the table thoughtfully and reached out to hold Ye Zhizhou's hand. "But didn't you mention another discovery?"
"I'd like to invite two people to the military headquarters," Ye Zhizhou replied, firmly holding his hand as he sat beside him.
"Who are you inviting?"
"Carol Bafden and Federal General Odley Bash."
Clay's grip tightened, and his face darkened. "They are the alphas you were thinking of?"
Why is my lover so jealous in every world? Ye Zhizhou, annoyed, pinched his finger. "Let's focus on the matter at hand! I suspect that the Zerg parasitized in Inez's body are special; there's something else inside them, possibly related to the Bafden family. Also, since the empire has Zerg infestation, it doesn't make sense for the federation not to have it. In terms of resisting the Zerg, we and the federation are allies; we need to cooperate!"
Clay's face remained dark, and he continued to pinch Ye Zhizhou's finger. "Little Zhizhou, you can only belong to me."
Ye Zhizhou was briefly startled, then quickly calmed down, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Clay... why are you calling me 'Little Zhizhou'... have you remembered something?"
Clay's eyes flickered, then he shook his head. "I don't remember."
Ye Zhizhou stared at him intently, expressing his doubt with sincere eyes.
"When I was a child, I often had dreams. In those dreams, there was someone named Ye Zhizhou who always stayed by my side. I knew I had to find him and be with him." Clay raised his hand to tidy Ye Zhizhou's hair and, for the first time, showed a smiling expression. "I know it's you, even though you look completely different from the one in my dreams."
Ye Zhizhou lowered his head, suddenly feeling a bit emotional. In every life, his lover was truly reborn. How deep must the feelings and determination be for someone to imprint their name on the other's soul, even after they had become an entirely new person, still dreaming of each other from time to time?
"I'm sorry..." he lowered his head, gripping Clay's fingers tightly. "I've made you suffer so much... from one life to another, you follow me, risking the depletion of your soul just to be by my side... After I complete the mission, I'll return to my original world. But what about you? What will happen to your soul when I'm gone? Just the thought of you searching for me in a world without me makes me feel so distressed. What should we do? If only I could be with you forever, even if I have to be the one chasing after you, as long as we can be together, I'd be willing to sacrifice my soul."
"Little Zhizhou." Although Clay didn't fully understand his words, he instinctively didn't want to hear his apology. He couldn't care less about maintaining a composed image outside anymore. He reached out and pulled Ye Zhizhou into his arms, comforting him with a kiss on the forehead. "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Ye Zhizhou buried his face in his lover's embrace, trying to drive away the helpless speculations about the future from his mind with the warmth of his lover's embrace.
Outside the flower bed, Ned's expression grew stiffer, unable to help but sigh deeply. Perhaps returning to his position was a mistake... His Highness and the Empress don't really need his presence.
Carol was pulled out of his office in confusion by his old man and shoved in front of the military headquarters gate. He still had a half-completed design in his hand. "Why did you bring me here? Did something go wrong with the mech you provided to the military? You're not trying to shift the blame onto me, are you?"
Old Bafden was furious, his beard sticking up in all directions. He glared at his son with a fierce look. "Someone high up wants to see you! When they couldn't reach you because you'd turned off your communicator, they came to me! You brat, let me tell you, you better not have caused any trouble for me at the military headquarters. Otherwise, I'll burn those nonsense design drawings of yours!"
"No way!" Carol jumped up in shock, furious. "If you burn my design drawings, I'll tear down your greenhouse!"
"You, you little troublemaker!" Old Bafden was so angry that he pulled out a wooden stick from his spatial ring and was about to use it right at the military headquarters gate.
Ned, who came out to receive the guests, hurriedly stepped forward to separate the father and son, once again feeling that returning to his job was a wrong decision. He politely escorted Old Bafden away and then took Carol, who was still threatening to burn down the greenhouse, to the underground third floor.
After seeing Carol, Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but poke the small mirror and exaggerate in his mind, "Look, another plot hole." The guy in front of him had a decent appearance, but he was very unkempt, a far cry from the intelligent and elegant crown prince described in the original plot information. It was a complete contradiction!
The small mirror didn't even bother to shake this time, completely ignoring him.
"Mr. Carol," he placed the tea in front of him, thought for a moment, then moved it a bit farther, "please forgive us for this sudden invitation. However, considering the importance of Jennifer Bafden to you, we have still decided..."
"Jennifer?!" Carol's official smile, which had just appeared on his face, immediately faded. He stood up eagerly and asked, "Do you have news of her? Where is my great-aunt? Is she okay? I... I need to inform my father..."
"I suggest you refrain from notifying your father for now," Ye Zhizhou interrupted, avoiding his hopeful gaze. He sighed and continued, "Jennifer has already passed away, and her death was likely quite painful. Her soul may still be enduring torment even now."
"What...?" Carol was struck as if by lightning. He took a step back and sat back down on the sofa, his eyes blank and bewildered. "How... how could this be...?"
Ye Zhizhou looked at him sympathetically, sitting across from him and waiting for him to regain his composure. In the face of the pain of losing a loved one, all words of comfort seemed pale.
After a long while, Carol finally accepted this fact, and his gaze was no longer vacant. He brushed aside the bangs covering his eyes and said earnestly, "Please tell me everything you know about my great-aunt in as much detail as possible. Thank you."
In response to Carol's request, Ye Zhizhou pushed the tea and a confidentiality agreement in front of him. Carol picked up the agreement, glanced at it, and quickly took out a pen from his pocket to sign it before looking up at Ye Zhizhou again.
After keeping the agreement, Ye Zhizhou carefully explained the process of the parasitic infestation by the Vermin and why he suspected Jennifer had met her end. Finally, he handed Carol a roadmap. "Your great-aunt went missing here, not far from this location, there's a hidden Vermin research facility. And there's this... a mech design sketch preserved in Eddie's room. You can identify it."
Carol took the sketch, and the last glimmer of hope in his eyes dimmed. He suppressed his emotions and said, "So my great-aunt... her lifetime achievements are now being exploited by those disgusting Vermin? And that Vermin even wants to get close to me with these?"
"Yes, you should recognize this part." Ye Zhizhou handed him a box containing a component and a set of drawings. "The Vermin probably intended to use this to pique your interest and get closer to you."
Carol now fully believed Ye Zhizhou's account. He stared at the component for a long time, then suddenly looked up and asked in a serious tone, "Who is the Vermin's new host? Who is currently using my great-aunt...?"
"Irenez Gascon," Ye Zhizhou poured him another cup of tea, "If you still have doubts, you can wait. In about a month, you should receive his job application."
Carol whispered Irenez's name a couple of times, clenching his fist tightly. "A job application? Good, I'll be waiting for him!"
[The likelihood of a romantic relationship between Carol and the protagonist has decreased to 30%. Please try harder, Host.]
Ye Zhizhou glanced at the system prompt and rubbed his chin. It seemed that the bait he provided wasn't solid enough, but it didn't matter. Once Irenez's job application was submitted, Carol should take the bait.